In June of 2016, I headed to the Minneapolis airport with my suitcases packed and excitement and nervousness in my heart. I was about to get on a plane for an eight hour flight to London, England. Yes, I have been out of the country before, but only to small tropical islands like Jamaica and The Bahamas. I'd never really seen other countries before and I had never been this far away from home. However, once I arrived in England (at 3am their time) my excitement grew. Here are ten things I got the opportunity to experience while traveling abroad in England. Little did I know just how much this trip would change my life. I gained so many once in a life time experiences!

1. See Big Ben

Big Ben is one of the main things that London is known for and is a huge tourist attraction. Big Ben was the first thing I saw in London when I stepped off the train at the station and it was a great start to my London sight seeing. Actually getting the chance to see Big Ben in person was a cool experience in itself; it's a lot bigger than you'd think too!

2. Take a Picture in a Telephone Booth

Yes, this is a very touristy thing to do, but how can you go to London and not get your picture taken in one of their famously known for red telephone booths! Just saying you've done that and having the picture for proof is part of the London experience!

3. Take a Ride on London's Big Bus; and Sit on the Top

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do this! It was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. London is also pretty famous for their double decker buses and while sitting up top you get some pretty amazing views of the city of London.

4. Tour Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a 700 year old, truly beautiful building in the heart of London, not too far from Big Ben. Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are two famous people that are buried there and many more famous people are buried there as well. The Queen of England's coronation is also held at the Abbey. It was amazing to see where the queen was crowned in person!

5. Go to Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace was a pretty amazing place to see as well. It is highly guarded of course, since it's where the queen lives. Seeing how still the guards stand as well as seeing the queen of England's home is ah-mazing!

6. See the Crown Jewels

Not too many people can say they've seen the crown jewels. Being able to look up close at previous kings and queens swords and crowns from centuries ago is something that you won't want to miss out on. They're beautiful!

7. See Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is very beautiful and something that you must see while in England. A lot of people think this bridge is actually called London bridge, however London bridge is actually just a plain, boring, simple bridge. Tower bridge is the big bridge with beautiful architecture that everyone wants to and should see!

8. Go to the Brighton Pier

The Brighton Pier is off of the English channel, the body of water separating France from England. The Pier is full of good food, fun rides and games and cute little shops. The beach part of the pier is absolutely beautiful. The water is calming and pretty, if you're in England you're not going to want to miss out on the breathtaking scenery.

9. Go to Arundel Castle

Although the name sounds like it, this is not the castle from Frozen. However this castle is extremely beautiful. The Duke of Norfolk and his family still live in this castle which is full of history and architecture. The castle also contains beautiful flower gardens.

10. Go to Platform 9 and 3/4

Even if you aren't a Harry Potter fan, this is a must! How cool is it to be able to say you've been to the train station and stood exactly where Harry and his friends stood while filming the Harry Potter series!? This is located at King's Cross Train Station.

These are just ten things to try and fit in your trip to England that I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to do! England is a wonderful country filled with history, beauty, and fun. Definitely something that should be on everyone's bucket list is to visit these wonderful places! My trip to England changed me forever!