I was going to be in London with my classmates, teachers and a few parents for four days. I was elated to see the most popular sights in the world such as, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Bridge.

The day of departure, sixty-seven members of my school boarded a flight to London. As the plane took off I thought, I hate flying. I like the ground way more. Nevertheless, I was still jubilant to be going to a new place to get a different experience, try new food, and see the sights.

The following day, we arrived in London very early in the morning and we immediately travelled to the tourist areas. We took the tube, which is London’s train, to Westminster and our tour guide assumed that we would all say, “Wow” when we walked above ground. I was not sure about what she was talking about until I was walking up the stairs and with every step, I reached a closer view of Big Ben. The streets were busy with students all admiring the view of Big Ben. We all took pictures with Big Ben and against the bridge, which had an amazing view of the water and the London Eye.

On Valentine’s Day, our teachers and tour guide believed it would be a good idea to offer taking us to the London Eye after dinner. The London Eye is a ferris wheel, which allows people to see all of London- Big Ben, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral and etc. They said it would cost us twenty-five pounds, which is equivalent to fifty dollars, but I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity possible in London.

We hopped on the ferris wheel and were automatically hypnotized by the view. As we moved to the top of the ferris wheel, we saw Big Ben and all of the other amazing sights. Everyone was taking millions of pictures and suddenly our teacher asked if we could all take a moment to absorb the beautiful sight and experience. I leaned against the glass, and suddenly saw much more than just a second before. All of the buildings varied in structure and size. A few buildings were modern and made of glass, and those buildings were twinkling. The majority of the buildings were older and were made of beige with a hint of gold brick and intricate stone carvings of religious leaders. The dark blue water glistened and it moved slowly under us. This is simply stunning. I began to clear my mind and enjoy the moment. And moving forward, I was going to appreciate every moment with my own eyes, not through the lens of a camera. As I looked at Big Ben, I thought, I am here. I am actually in London.

Fifteen minutes later, we all leaped off the ferris wheel and waited for our tour guide. As we waited, I looked above at the London Eye and breathed in London’s air.

I am actually here.