Hey everyone! My name is Tabitha Venkersammy and I’m a junior majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Political Science. I will be studying abroad in London, England through the IES: London Spring 2011 program and could not be more jubilated about it!

I think London was always the place I would wind up in when it came to studying abroad. My father was born in a British colony in South America and therefore had a very English upbringing. And, when it came to finding a place to get married, my parents chose London. I always loved looking at the photos from my parents’ vacation to London and wished I could be there too. But it doesn’t end there.

My high school marching band was modeled after Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards in England, so our band always played songs like “Rule Brittania” to any event and our uniforms even had the “Grenadier” feel. Our band is the only high school band ever to play for the Queen, but unfortunately, I was a year too late to be a part of that and never got to travel to London. I think that all roads always led to London for me. And now, I finally get my chance to not only go there, but live and study there too!

Some things you can look forward to when reading my blog is how I react to my experiences. I really want to get a feel for the culture in London. I especially am interested in what the English think of Americans and especially American politics. And I’m excited about seeing the entertainment industry in London. I love films and music so I want to see the London aspect of it. And of course, sports! I’ll be watching the Outback Bowl and the Super Bowl from London and I think that shall be quite interesting.

My roommate lived in London for seven years and she’s already telling me everything I need to do while I’m there. There’s so much to do in four months, and maybe even sneaking a wedding invitation to the “wedding of the century” between Prince William and Kate Middleton!

I will be leaving on December 30th and cannot wait! Only 19 more days!

Location: University Park, PA