While I won’t bore you with an extremely lengthy blog post on the Laidlaw Network, I did journal EVERY night of my Leeds trip. Every day from June 20th through August 3rd got its own page entry, and August 4th through 9th were recapped on 2 pages as more of a vacation and reflection section. I spared no details - please feel free to read. I’ve attached screenshots of every page linked at the end of this post.

Duke University’s First-Ever Laidlaw Scholars Program Year partnered with the University of Leeds to send me to Leeds, England, for seven weeks. I spent six weeks working on the “Incorporating Community Voices into Sustainability Education” project at the University of Leeds School of Earth and Environment under the supervision of Dr. Vasiliki Kioupi, Dr. Rosario Michel Villarreal, and Dr. Charlotte Nussey. The University and I partnered with the LS14Trust in hopes of representing Seacroft, Leeds, through social justice and sustainability photography. The other week was spent exploring London with my father and brother.

Is it crazy to say that my first weekend of the trip is when I experienced the most growth and intellectual stimulation? It was a while ago, but my journal has quickly caught me up. Once my flight landed at Heathrow, I immediately called an old English friend for lots of help regarding tubes and trains, emphasizing my resourcefulness and my handy network. Once I got on the tube, I asked an old woman for more directions, emphasizing my cluelessness and my ability to ask for help. Once I arrived in Leeds and checked into my accommodation, I strolled around and asked questions to strangers, emphasizing my curiosity and confidence. Once I heard from a stranger that a huge cricket match was tomorrow, I purchased tickets and attended without understanding the sport, emphasizing my humility and spontaneity. Once I attended the cricket match and headed back to my accommodation, I introduced myself to those who would soon become my closest friends, emphasizing my extroverted and loud nature. Once I met Tom and Ash, the rest was history.

I went on many adventures over the course of my time in the UK. I spent my first official weekend in Scotland, specifically St. Andrews in Edinburgh, to sightsee, experience Scottish culture, and meet up with my Duke Laidlaw cohort in St. Andrews. My second weekend was spent in London, specifically Wimbledon and Putney, to relive my Duke tenting glory days, watch the best pros in tennis, and meet up with an old Duke Pre-College friend. My third weekend was spent at St. James’s University Hospital in Leeds, attending to a new friend who suddenly fell ill. My fourth weekend was spent in Chester, England, and Northern Wales, working at a HOBY summer leadership seminar and sightseeing. My fifth weekend was spent in Northwest England, specifically Manchester and Liverpool, to explore other English cities and see what the hype was about. My sixth weekend was spent reconnecting with my family in Leeds and traveling down to London to do typical tourist London things. Every weekend was an adventure, and all the time in between was spent diligently working on my research project at the University of Leeds. More info on the context and takeaways of the project is in my “Written Report” post.

Obviously, there are so many differences between the USA and the UK. For example, they drive on the opposite side of the road, use pounds instead of dollars, and speak in a totally different tongue. I’ve gathered a list of more niche differences:

• Urinals - they almost never have walls between them!
• Climate-controlled water - water from the sink isn't automatically cold, it needs time!
• Unlimited soda fountain drinks - they rarely exist; almost everything is single-use in a bottle/can!
• Smoking - WAY more people do it and it's more socially acceptable!
• Public trash bins - very rare; most people carry their trash to their destination!
• Paper towels in bathrooms - almost entirely replaced by hand dryers!
• Things not saying the price - tags frequently don't have cost listed on them!
• Places being “out” of things - restaurants are more frequently out of ingredients, or clothes are out of stock!
• Student discount - almost every place has one!
• Crosswalks - they're everywhere, but most people just walk whenever!
• Cell Service - surprisingly horrible!

In addition, because of my interest and work in sustainability and environmental policy, I’ve also gathered a list of sustainability differences:

• Light switch for outlets - a way to only use electricity when needed!
• Coffee shops and events using glass cups and mugs - encouraging reusable and sustainable materials!
• Caps on the bottles - they stay attached so the bottle is easier to recycle!
• Sustainable packaging - lots of plastic containers have been converted to paper!
• Walking/biking-friendly infrastructure - very easy to walk and bike places!
• Money for plastic bags - in the US it's cheap; in the UK they're expensive!
• Dining in at grab-and-go restaurants - food costs more because of tax, labor costs, and the need for reusable materials to serve customers!

Journals Linked Here!

Thank you for reading, and live laugh love Leeds.