Hey! I'm excited to welcome you to my blog page! I'm Andrea Agola, a '26 born in Kenya and raised just outside of D.C. As the eldest child of three, I'm the first to go off to college! I'm glad Dartmouth will enable me to explore both the sciences and humanities. Don't even get me started on the numerous extracurriculars that pique my interest, like the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, research projects and dance groups. Follow along as I navigate this unique college experience!
Academic Program
Sociology major, International Studies Minor, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing Right Now
Studying abroad on the French LSA+ in Toulouse, France!
My Springterim aka Spring Break, was great! My winter term final exams and projects were all a little bit early so I was fortunate enough to have two and a half weeks of break. I spent the first week relaxing and chilling at home (Northern Virginia) with my family. I was so happy to be reunited with my two younger brothers, parents, grandpa and two cute pomeranians. What I missed most of all was the delicious home food; I could literally write a whole blog post about those dishes (stares dreamily into space). I'll have to save that for another time because in this blog, I will be focusing on my second week in London (for the first time)!
My mom and I took a girls trip to visit my Aunt who just relocated to London from Nairobi, Kenya for work. We spent an amazing time traipsing around Hornchurch (the cute & idyllic town where she lives), London and its outskirts. It was definitely the most public transportation I've taken in my life so far. I was even able to start and finish a novel within the numerous train rides we took. One of my favorite bus rides was definitely aboard "The English Tea Bus." The bus served afternoon tea in all its glory as we received a 90 minute panoramic tour of London. Afternoon tea was introduced to Britain in the early 1840s and has been a lasting tradition enjoyed ever since. Fine teas are accompanied with 3 assorted tiers; the base being finger sandwiches, then savory snacks/scones and finally miniature pastries at the top. As we indulged, there were beautiful views of Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and we crossed the River Thames.
It looks as good as it tasted!
I loved observing and experiencing the cultural differences. While mom & pop coffee shops were more popular than Starbucks, I decided to see how one of my favorite matcha drinks would taste in London and had a good laugh when I saw that my name had been spelled *Andraya* (I kinda love it though). It was fun to spot the classic red telephone booths and red double-decker buses. I remember thinking I had boarded the wrong train because we needed to arrive at Euston Station but I had been looking for "Houston" on the map because of how it was being pronounced. It was also kind of funny to find Tkmaxx, the US version of TJmaxx. While it hadn't necessarily been my intention, I absolutely loved shopping in London at Oxford Street, Westfield Mall and Brewery Romford centre. The fashion was really different and I may have forgotten that I'd only brought a carry-on suitcase with me from Dartmouth. Thankfully, I was able to fit the three great condition novels I got for only 2 pounds into my trusty backpack.
It's safe to say that I'd gladly be the first in a queue heading back to London!
A statement I never thought I would make. Being completely honest, during my first term I was counting down the days to go back to Arizona. However, being away from Dartmouth made me realize how lucky I am to be here.
This past December, I traveled to Vietnam as part of the "Developing Vietnam" study abroad program! Here is a—little overdue—photo journal of my three weeks in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
