Brighton

The first time I left London was to travel to the charming little town of Brighton, which is a town on the coast of the English Channel. A big group of us bought non-peak time tickets and traveled on a train to the town I think of as English Santa Monica. The day was nice and warm, as it was still September at the time and the town was pack, as it was hosting the Rugby world cup and there was a game that day.

A clock tower in a square in the middle of the city

I spent most of the day wandering around the streets of Brighton, walking down the rocky beach, and perusing all of the Rugby themed stalls, as a street market had popped up, marking the way towards the stadium.
It really was a warm and beautiful day, as you might be able to tell from the pictures. Through most of my first semester, I think I experienced uncommonly good weather, but that might change for the next one. I enjoyed the sun while it lasted, and it almost seemed like I was back in California, walking through Santa Monica.

From the pier, looking over the English Channel

The Brighton Pier

In the evening, we wandered around to find a pub that wasn't completely full where we could watch the Rugby match between South Africa and Japan. I found myself cheering on the underdog team, Japan, to a surprise victory. The atmosphere was lively, and although everyone in the place was obviously not Japanese and very English, there were huge cheers for the Japanese team every time they scored a try. (I think that's the right term, but I'm not sure if you score a try or if you just try...) Speaking of try, I was so amused at the fans holding up signs that said "try" on them, until I realized that was the term for scoring. I really just thought that rugby had a bizarrely mild fan base, as if they were saying "just do your best and try. That's all that matters. Go on and at least give it a go".

I loved this little town, and it was the first of many short day trips I plan to take over the next semester. In the end, what I really loved about it is growing closer to the people I travel with. I would never have gone to a pub to watch a game on my own. It's been so fun getting to know the wonderful group of Pepperdine students I came to London with and getting to share incredible experiences with them.

Cheers,
Sarah Kiker