Jessica Buss

ENG 150 Section TH

Assignment #2
Samantha Futhey
April 29th, 2016
To Anna, who suffers from wanderlust,
Imagine a mystical land, where there are rolling green hills, lush forests and
beautiful farmland yet vibrant cities within an hour of travel. Where old castles still to
this day remain untouched, begging for travelers to explore their old musty halls that
were once full of life. The countryside is just as mysterious. Some days you can see the
fog roll over the hills, past the livestock and on to a creek. It looks as though the scene
popped right out of a fairytale. I myself have the habit of constantly wanting to travel and
see places such as these, to be in person and able to touch, feel, see, and taste these
extraordinary places. Its a wonderful thing; so let me explain as to why I believe
everyone should visit London, England once in his or her lifetime.
Why London you may ask? I had a wonderful experience there and I feel as
though you will too. Not only is this country rich in sights, history and life, but it is rich
with gentle citizens. Whether those citizens live in the city or countryside, theyre polite
to everyone, even tourists. I had the pleasure of joining the Iowa Ambassadors of Music
choir tour in the summer of 2014; we were total tourists. This group included a choir and
an orchestra of roughly 500 teenagers. It was magnificent and intimidating. It was the
journey of a lifetime, we visited 7 countries in 3 weeks and London, England and its
people were my favorite. Now let me tell you what events led me to feel this way and
why you should too.

My first impression of the Heathrow Airport after we landed was how clean
everything was. The ceilings were high and the windows were all crystal clear. Its
always nice to have a good first impression of a country right off the bat. After all of us
arriving to our hotel, the employees were welcoming and very caring, giving us
directions and tips about the city 24/7.
Have you ever been lost in a city of about 8.5 million people, while not in your
native country, without your friends or family? I have. And boy is it a story to tell. While
finishing up singing in a Wesleyan church, I was curious and started exploring and then
wound up in a bathroom to change out of our uniforms. The uniforms were very
uncomfortable in my opinion; I wore a wrinkled long sleeved white button up shirt, a
long boring black skirt that had to be at least an inch above your ankles and a red bow tie.
I always felt like a waitress at a fancy hotel for some reason.
After I changed out of my uniform I remember being in a great mood. I just got
done performing for an audience with my new friends, why shouldnt I be happy? But
once I walked out of the bathroom I noticed that everyone was gone. 500 people, just like
that, gone. I had no idea what to do. I started breathing heavily, I remember choking on
my fear, and it was as if a black pit had started to form in my stomach. And it didnt help
that I watched Taken right before going on this trip as a joke.
While I was mid panic attack I asked church goers if they had any clue as to
where my group went, I went downstairs in the basement, upstairs, no one had any idea.
Then I burst through the front doors, ran through their garden of bushes and roses to the
street. I didnt see any of the 10 charter buses that we rode. I ran up and down the
sidewalk about 5 times trying to decide what I should do. Through my tears I tried calling

a friend of mine who was in the same group as me, his phone was off. He was my only
contact to getting back to my group. In my hysteria of tears I paced back and forth until a
woman came up to me and asked what was wrong. I told her everything that had just
happened and she hugged me and said shed cancel her plans to help me find my way
back.
She was my angel in disguise. She hugged me until I was calm and introduced
herself as Marilyn, a grievance counselor, ironically. She was a charismatic woman in her
late 40s, with a gentle face, little wrinkles pouring out from her creases of her caramel
brown eyes. Then I was introduced to the man with her, Ed. He was an Englishman,
native to London, he had willowy white hair, wrinkles from smiling too much, a pot
belly, a crooked grin and deep sea blue eyes. He told me everything was going to be fine,
that he and Marilyn would be happy to show me the way back. We followed my itinerary,
thankfully I had it on me, to see where and what time my group will be at.
The two friends offered me lunch, which I respectfully declined. They then
bought me a bus ticket, rode the bus along with me, and we ended getting right off at the
River Thames. They gave me a brief tour, I looked at Big Ben, saw how the clouds made
an illusion appear as though it was a leaning tower, the London Eye with its clear glass
orbs almost floating above the river and the London Bridge in its rich history right before
my eyes. British guards stood watch around random parts of London, their odd, fuzzy
hats blowing around in the wind made them less intimidating. The guards were so much
fun to see in front of Buckingham palace, they marched strictly and looked like a sea of
red in their uniforms. And for these memories, I thank Marilyn and her friend Ed.

How could I have ever had this sort of treatment if I hadnt of ran into such
sympathetic people? How would I have ever met such extraordinary people, making
relationships that would last a lifetime? Because London has this sort of charm that will
entice you. This city is alive. The people will welcome you with loving arms, tourist or
not. I guarantee you, my wanderlust friends, that you will make memories that will last
you a lifetime in London. See why I feel as though England as a whole has so much to
offer with this vibrant city.. Visit!

With regards,
Jess

Our wonderful uniforms

Me inside the London

Eye looking over the
River Thames

The main road leading to Buckingham