"Last stop!"

As one nears the end of any study abroad or travel experience, you try to keep an open mind to the possibility of returning again in the future, but for now, you inevitably reach the traditional day of "lasts": the last class, the last excursion, last bit of sightseeing, one last night out at the pub, and the litany goes on.

Keeping this mindset, I tried to take in as much as I could during our tour of Buckingham Palace, recalling much of the same grandeur of British style and architecture that we had seen at Hampton Court, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and many of the other sites we had visited in our three weeks here.

It was interesting that my last full meal in London would be at Hard Rock Cafe, as I had left behind American-style cuisine for the past 20 days. But, having a big hamburger and free refills on soft drinks was a good way to begin the transition back to American culture. I still managed to learn about 20th century British pop culture, as I wasn't aware that the London Hard Rock Cafe was the original restaurant that launched the franchise worldwide.

While we were officially done with class at that point, I did have to make one last sightseeing stop on the way back to the FSU Study Centre. I wanted to visit Marble Arch, near which my family and I had stayed in London back in 1978. I wasn't able to locate the Holiday Inn where we actually stayed at the time (it may very well no longer exist), but it was nice to finally see Marble Arch again after 32 years. My sightseeing in London was complete... at least for this trip.

Now transitioning to the mode of souvenir-gathering, packing, and preparing to check out of our flats, it's far too early for me to start taking stock of what I've learned and experienced on this program, but as I cross back over the pond on Thursday afternoon, there will be plenty of time for reflection.