From Aug. 14 to Dec. 21, our graceful halls of learning were not graced by Madison ’16. Why? Because Madison was in London, living with her parents and brother for four months while her father worked on a movie. Though Madison’s father has moved frequently around the world for work, this is the first time that his family has accompanied him for an extended period of time.

“He used to go away for three or four months, and sometimes we’d visit, but this time he had to go for seven or eight months…and we were tired of [the family] being apart,” Madison said.

While in Britain, Madison attended the American School of London. She took many of the same classes as her peers at Marlborough, including AP European History, British Literature, Pre Calculus and Filmmaking. Madison felt that she was fortunate because she had no trouble making friends, many of whom hailed from across the globe.

“I was very lucky, because a group just plucked me up, though I saw some of my other new friends struggle [to make friends],” Madison said.

Madison spent much of her free time sightseeing and immersing herself in as much European culture as she could. For several days at the beginning of the semester, her school sponsored a trip to Berlin, Germany, a unique and culturally flavorful city Madison had never before visited. Her favorite excursion was a family trip to Windsor Castle.

“There’s nothing really like it in the United States; it’s sort of a god-like castle,” Madison mused.

After school and on weekends, Madison spent time with her new friends and explored the vibrant and ancient city of London. Camden was among her favorite areas in London to visit, and she described it as “The punk version of Venice Beach.”

Madison is happy to be back in the sunshine of Los Angeles and says the experience has given her a new outlook on life in L.A.

“[I am] really able to see things from a different perspective after being gone for so long,” she said.