London Trip & Camp
Date: July 2018 – August 2018
Competencies: Self-Awareness lv. 2&3, Knowledge & Understanding lv. 2&3, Communication lv. 2
Competencies: Self-Awareness lv. 2&3, Knowledge & Understanding lv. 2&3, Communication lv. 2
Summary
During the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to attend a church camp in England, with the chance for sightseeing on the way. My travel group and I spent several days in London before making the journey to central England by train for a weeklong camp put on by the United Church of God: British Isles church. Days at camp consisted of Christian living, hikes to nearby villages, lots of sports, and family-style meals throughout, with great fellowship and conversation. After camp was finished, my travel group headed back down to London for a final evening before flying back to the States.
During the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to attend a church camp in England, with the chance for sightseeing on the way. My travel group and I spent several days in London before making the journey to central England by train for a weeklong camp put on by the United Church of God: British Isles church. Days at camp consisted of Christian living, hikes to nearby villages, lots of sports, and family-style meals throughout, with great fellowship and conversation. After camp was finished, my travel group headed back down to London for a final evening before flying back to the States.
Reflection
My first hour on a new continent was very stressful. Between my phone not working with its new international SIM card, trying to figure out a foreign transit system, and jetlag, I was not the picture of a seasoned traveler. However, after my group got to our hostel and settled our stuff down, it was time to explore London!
The first distinction from the United States that I noticed was through the architecture and streetscape. As an architecture buff, I was amazed at the countless buildings that were older than the United States, as well as how efficient the street and public transit system seemed to be (Knowledge lv. 2). The first night, my group got dinner at a pub called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. On our way in, I noticed a plaque that said it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666! I couldn’t even fathom that this building was older than the United States government, let alone that it was rebuilt after an even older building burnt down! Another big distinction that I noticed in London that differed from the United States was the practice of tipping. In many countries, England included, you are not supposed to tip your waiter. There seemed to be benefits to both systems after experiencing each. In many London restaurants, the atmosphere was very laid-back, and I noticed refills on water were not always promptly given, let alone free – some restaurants charged you for water. However, on the other hand, a lack of tipping culture would guarantee that wait-staff were being paid living wages and wouldn’t have to rely on tips to survive (Awareness lv. 2).
After the few days my group spent in London had passed, we headed up into Central England to participate in the camp we had planned our trip around. Walking into a room of complete strangers was a little intimidating for me, but the fact that we all had the same religious beliefs helped create a cultural middle-ground that helped ease my worries. Coming into the camp, I was expecting a copy of church camps I’d attended State-side, just with British accents and fewer people. However, the entire atmosphere of camp was much more laid-back, and there was a larger focus on relationships and conversations than on activities (Awareness lv. 3). At camp, there were brethren attending from many different European countries, including Sweden, Italy, Germany, and, of course, England. There were also a few other Americans attending. As I got to know all my fellow campers, I realized that I could not learn about them through the eyes of American culture, but had to get to know their cultural background and quirks as part of the get-to-know-you process (Knowledge lv. 3). I also was very cognizant of speech differences: my accent sounded just as funny to them as their accent did to me. We also got to teach each other some of our cultural slang (Communication lv. 2).
Overall, my trip to England has helped me become more open to other cultures, more cognizant of how aspects of American culture are not universally held, and how much value meeting people from other places has added to my understanding of the world as a whole. It has made me excited for my next trip back to see my friends, and meet more, someday!
My first hour on a new continent was very stressful. Between my phone not working with its new international SIM card, trying to figure out a foreign transit system, and jetlag, I was not the picture of a seasoned traveler. However, after my group got to our hostel and settled our stuff down, it was time to explore London!
The first distinction from the United States that I noticed was through the architecture and streetscape. As an architecture buff, I was amazed at the countless buildings that were older than the United States, as well as how efficient the street and public transit system seemed to be (Knowledge lv. 2). The first night, my group got dinner at a pub called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. On our way in, I noticed a plaque that said it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666! I couldn’t even fathom that this building was older than the United States government, let alone that it was rebuilt after an even older building burnt down! Another big distinction that I noticed in London that differed from the United States was the practice of tipping. In many countries, England included, you are not supposed to tip your waiter. There seemed to be benefits to both systems after experiencing each. In many London restaurants, the atmosphere was very laid-back, and I noticed refills on water were not always promptly given, let alone free – some restaurants charged you for water. However, on the other hand, a lack of tipping culture would guarantee that wait-staff were being paid living wages and wouldn’t have to rely on tips to survive (Awareness lv. 2).
After the few days my group spent in London had passed, we headed up into Central England to participate in the camp we had planned our trip around. Walking into a room of complete strangers was a little intimidating for me, but the fact that we all had the same religious beliefs helped create a cultural middle-ground that helped ease my worries. Coming into the camp, I was expecting a copy of church camps I’d attended State-side, just with British accents and fewer people. However, the entire atmosphere of camp was much more laid-back, and there was a larger focus on relationships and conversations than on activities (Awareness lv. 3). At camp, there were brethren attending from many different European countries, including Sweden, Italy, Germany, and, of course, England. There were also a few other Americans attending. As I got to know all my fellow campers, I realized that I could not learn about them through the eyes of American culture, but had to get to know their cultural background and quirks as part of the get-to-know-you process (Knowledge lv. 3). I also was very cognizant of speech differences: my accent sounded just as funny to them as their accent did to me. We also got to teach each other some of our cultural slang (Communication lv. 2).
Overall, my trip to England has helped me become more open to other cultures, more cognizant of how aspects of American culture are not universally held, and how much value meeting people from other places has added to my understanding of the world as a whole. It has made me excited for my next trip back to see my friends, and meet more, someday!
Artifact
Attached are several pictures of the camp I attended in the Peak District of England, as well as my pre-trip travel to London.
Attached are several pictures of the camp I attended in the Peak District of England, as well as my pre-trip travel to London.