My class and I were bustling through the tube (subway) stop. We had no idea where we were or where we were headed. "Just walk up those steps and look up," said Dr. Hinton, our professor for the trip. I don't know why, but my first thought was that there was something disgusting was on the floor that she didn't want us to see.

But then I looked up. And there it was. Big Ben. Right in front of me.

I was here. I was actually here. In London. The place I had dreamed about visiting for years. I have to admit that I got a little choked up. My dreams had come true.

I had longed to visit London for years. So many of my favorite things have their foundation there: The Beatles, Harry Potter, Sherlock, and the fantastic British accent. I have seen countless pictures, but I wanted to see it in person. I wanted to hear the locals speak and watch them live their lives amidst the amazing landmarks and history of the country.

I was terrified that I would finally make it there and be incredibly disappointed, but, luckily, my fears were not realized. I absolutely loved London. The things I had viewed in pictures and longed to see for myself - Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the London Eye - were even more breathtaking in person.

However, when one fantasizes about something, one fails to consider its imperfections. And even though London was incredible, it wasn't perfect. I thought that I would arrive and want to move across the pond immediately. But that wasn't the case. Granted, I was there during a very busy time of the year, but I can only handle the hustle and bustle of the crowds for so long. I am still a girl from a small town of 2,000 people at heart.

Nevertheless, I still fell in love with the city incredibly quickly, and the people constantly surprised me. There was so much diversity there, both in ethnicities and personalities. As you walk along the streets, you hear multiple languages spoken: English, French, German, even Spanish. And you encounter so many different people. The quiet, reserved locals on the tube. The boisterous street performers. The kind employees at restaurants and shops. You can meet someone different around every corner, and it is extremely exciting.

I was incredibly lucky to be able to visit the set of the Harry Potter franchise at Warner Bros. Studios while I was abroad. I have had a deep attachment to these books and movies since childhood, and being able to enter the wizarding world allowed me to unleash my inner kid and remind myself of the excitement all over again.

I also used my free time to plan a Beatles adventure for msyelf. I walked across Abbey Road and stood outside Abbey Road Studios and Paul McCartney's house. Being able to travel to these iconic places and see what The Beatles saw firsthand connected me even more to the Fab Four.

When I think back to all that I saw, it is truly astonishing: Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Covent Garden, King's Cross Station, King's Cross Theatre, where we say Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights, along with countless other museums and attractions that I sometimes struggle to remember.

In seeing all of these things in such a short time, I learned to appreciate and embrace the depth of London. It is a city filled with history, religion, music, entertainment, and diversity. The past truly meets the present there with the long-standing monarchy to the new innovations of all forms of art.

I had to learn and accept that I couldn't possibly see it all in two weeks, no matter how much I wanted to. With each section of the city you enter, it's like you discover an entirely new world. And that's what makes the city so special. It's familiar yet new. It's traditional yet innovative. It's contemporary yet historical.

It's huge. It's fascinating. It's beautiful.

It's London.