Birthday Abroad

On a bus, on my way to Paris. In three days I'll be 22 years old. Leading my way into adulthood. The cultures you can be surrounded by in London are amazing; Italian, French, Russian, Turkish... The list runs on forever. UW has a great international program but I mean come on, this is a metropolis of food, accents, languages, dress and customs. It's humbling in the way that back home things are simple and were accustomed to them. I've now taken a discount airline, bus, tube and transport and am so thankful for my car and road systems back home but at the same time I realize that I'm okay to travel alone. In many forms. Bus, train, you name it. 9 hours to Paris give or take the weather. Overnight, and I feel like a college kid travelling Europe. Oh wait, I am. I'm even sitting by a stranger. It's a really cool experience. People in Europe grow up with this level of transport and access. Some people haven't even left Wyoming. I'm so glad I'm not that person or persons. First hand experience in cheap euro life is seriously fascinating. I feel like after this I could probably do near anything if I set my mind to it. Travel light, be smart, plan a little, and be aware of your surroundings. Life is a messy game.

Also the bus drivers, and drivers in general around London, are insane and dangerous. I don't know how people can sleep or stay in their seats sometimes when the bus is constantly jerking and moving. I mean really. I wonder how we actually get across the water, the pamphlet said that we take a ferry for a bit... That could be interesting considering its freezing out and it'll be like 2am. The ferry wasn't like anything I've ever experienced. It was like a casino on water... Huge, shops, food, a bar... Cafeteria. Ridiculous.

We got to Paris really early in the morning and took the Metro to our hostel and thank god for Quinn because French signs suck. We figured out our stop and had to change lines but made it. It was way different than the London system. Then we checked into our hostel but couldn't get into it until 3:00pm so we went out walking around to see a sight or two. We grabbed breakfast at a little cafe and it was delicious! Croissant, crepes and hot cocoa!! It was one of the most delicious breakfasts ever. Walked up Butte Montmartre to see the basilica and look out over the city. Then we went to the Opera House museum which was stunning! Then wandered around and saw some sites. Went back to our hostel and took a well deserved nap. After we rested up we headed to dinner at La Marmite and it was delicious! I got salad and it was huge, filled with cheese, chicken, egg, tomato, and veggies. Such a good dinner. Once filled up we headed toward the Seine to see the Eiffel Tower at night. When we got there just before 9 the lights flashed up the side and we got to see the tower sparkle up with flashing bulbs! We waited in lone behind these really dumb Americans(the most obnoxious high school acting Morons I've ever seen abroad) and then went up to the main story. So like tourists we went up the Eiffel Tower :)

By that time is was late and we were tired so we went home, got up the next day to go Arch Du Triumphe, Napoleon's arch, which magnificent and incredibly larger than the arches in the Roman Forum. Makes you wonder if Napoleon was trying to make a statement... After arch du triumphe, we went to Notre Dame which was amazing! The gothic architecture and gorgeous stained glass reminded me of my mom... It was so lovely. Then we wandered more waiting to go to the Louvre. We got into the Louvre for free and saw some amazing art and sculpture pieces!!! One of my favorite museums so far! The Mona Lisa was really overrated but if you turn around and look directly adjacent to her you see a massive, beautiful art piece that almost no one is looking at because of the Mona Lisa; "the Last Supper". We saw winged victory, Venus d' Milo, Cupid and psyche, and an amazing Islam Art exhibit. That night we grabbed a bottle of wine and hiked back up Montmartre and drank on the steps overlooking the city, Quinn got the wine for my birthday. How many times can you say you drank wine on the steps of Montmartre in Paris while you turned 22?

Our last day in Paris was interesting, we waited 2.5 hours in line at the Catacombs. But once inside we were submerged in centuries of tunnels and ruins... Eventually you're lead to a passageway that reads(in French) "stop, you are now entering the empire of the dead" and you walk into a tunnel and before you realize it there are human skulls, layered in bones, ceiling high. The walls have now become meticulously placed bones that shape crosses and hearts, layered with the carefully placed bones that you hope belong to them: all 6 million of the bodies down there. It was a creepy/cool way to spend my birthday :) haha then we found a place to grab some food and wandered around more of Paris just seeing the sights and what the city was like. Grabbed a delicious crepe and then made it to the bus pick up area super early because we were tired and didn't have much to do. So we waited in this common area of the mall next door. Once on the bus we went through customs and then got stuck at the ferry port because our ferry was cancelled. So we're an hour delayed and waiting on the bus with nothing to do but stare around. So I chose to blog a little.

I honestly liked Paris. It was so amazing to see open expressions of love, life and genuine happiness in little moments. You can feel how open and free spirited Parisians are and it reminded me so much of New Orleans and made me miss it. The museums and major scenes reminded me of video games that I've played before haha. Including Lara Croft. But it was fun. And the food was delicious. We made some good deals with our student cards though and getting into the Louvre for free. Anytime Taylor and I saw a major or large statue or monument we would mock it and say "oh... Did Napoleon build that?" Haha. Quinn and Jamie were good company. It was such a fun little weekend trip. Now there are 26 days until I go home and today I got a text from my mom saying Happy Birthday and that she was finally divorced... It was good news to finally hear that my mom can start her life and I can start to reshape mine as a child of divorced parents. So here's to an interesting twist in my story, experiences like no other and the moments that last a life time... Cheers, salude, nostrovia, ect.

Too Blind to See It

Something that I wrote before I came to London. I was sitting at home, in my old house wondering where and when my life would take off like everyone said it would. Too bad I was too blind to see it already had :)

"Being here is like recognizing a shadow... Cast in an off shade of grey. A fuzzy impact between light and dark. Every time I come back I understand why I left. A desolate, unchanging place. People are supposed to be afraid of change and difference. I embrace it. My memory has sure faded from jumping off the haystack and running around the mountain, things changed... Shifted and altered its meaning. It's feeling. I used to belong here for a time. I then became aware that there was a bigger plan for me. Beyond my own knowing. Opportunity knocks and I answer. There's the saying you can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. That may be completely true. But I've never been a country boy. I'm a beach rat in cowboys dust. A little part of my old history. A book long closed, stuck on a shelf to rarely be opened again. The next book has yet to be written... The pages left untouched by the harsh, scratchy stroke of a pen. There inlies the opportunity. The blank pages yet to be created... Leaps and bounds of grandeur."

 

 

Coming to another country has been so amazingly imapctful and today, I don't want to talk about being abroad or how weird it is. I want to talk about how much I appreciate because of this. I have songs and smells that remind me of the greatest memories, sights that bring me to tears and render me speechless, and moments that I am so happy to share with one of my best friends; Taylor. I keep thinking of all the great things that have happened to me and that I'm so thankful to still be in contact with my friends back home. They remind me everyday how loved I am and how much love I get to go back to when I come home in 30 days. The clock is winding down and although I'm really stressed a lot and sometimes complain more than I should today I'm going to try and change that... it 's time to start being positive even if it hurts. Emotions are contagious and I plan on being a plague :) On the bus this morning to took my headphones out to just listen. I heard a mother consoling her children, a guy humming to a simple tune, street cars, birds, sirens, dogs barking and the leaves blowing around with trash in the wind. It was beautiful. Don't take anything for granted and when you're freaking out and don't know what to do; stop and breathe. You'll realize it's all just small things and then deal and move on. Life is so amazing and when I get back to the states every person I see is getting a huge hug! Not everyone... maybe I should stick to people that I know.

 

 

 

Life's Little Lessons

Studying abroad is a really worthwhile experience. It's a chance to see the things you've never known, the things you've always wanted to and things you could never see coming. There's a lot of aspects that change how you see yourself and how you view the world around you. You become aware of the world, ideologies and cultural backgrounds that make up the global community. Simple things back home are complicated here and some complicated things are more than simplified. The opinions and customs of another country are so intriguing that you are submerged into different types of thought. It sounds philosophical and deep but that's what happens to a person abroad. You reevaluate and reanalyze everything in your life and develop a new re-shaped outlook on the world. It's taught me a lot. Rome taught me to be passionate, Ireland taught me to live simply, London has taught me more than my share of life lessons and most importantly that a place is only as good as the company you keep in it. There are so many other things like don't pack too big of a bag, print off all your papers twice and get up early enough to beat rush hour but those are more common sense ;) Also having a plan and an agenda is great... but my favorite moments are spontaneous and in the moment. A night at a pub with friends is worth more than a loud dance club any day. The farther you get from major cities the more you realize what true citizens of the country are like and that if you have the opportunity to do something to better yourself... take it. It's not a leap across the canyon or a battle of giants. You're in a boat, watching the water, and you have two choices; stay in the boat or jump. My advice? Jump. The world can be scary but you won't know what you can handle if you don't experience it. History is really important but something London and Europe have taught me is that history lies, writers make things up and power leads to your ultimate demise. One can do things but many can move things. People are the foundation that builds a society and they alone can choose to better it, the cities and countries in Europe constantly go through changes an adapt. It's beautiful to see it all in person. You don't really get a truer appreciation for things until you experience things on a different scale. So as a take home point: even the Pope lies, Leprechauns are hard to find and everyone has a story so go and write yours.

All you need: Ireland

So far one of the most interesting trips I've taken was to Dublin. Honestly the city of Dublin is a giant tourist trap in need of some saving. It's got it's interesting pieces and history but the real pots of gold are out in the countryside! Dublin has some good architecture including Trinity College which was gorgeous! the Spire, and some really fun places but they're all crazy expensive! We stayed in a hostel called Jacob's Inn and it was like staying in a really nice hotel compared to our other travels! it was quite a nice little place. The second day in Ireland we booked a Wild Wicklow Tour and took a bus around the countryside of Ireland and had the most amazing experience. It was green, rainy, gorgeous and reminded me so much of home! Mountains, forest and the best part... the nicest people I've ever met! They were so friendly and started small talk and said the sweetest things to us! I would love to move to the country parts of Ireland if I ever really want the simple quiet life. It was such an amazingly relaxing place to be and see things. Once again, reminding me of the Wyoming hospitality. I keep seeing why people talk about coming to Wyoming. We are really nice bunch of people. Europe has shown me some flashy sides to life but Ireland showed me the humble side. I loved the Wicklow Tour! We stopped at historic sites, went to lakes, the sea, and some really interesting places like the PS I Love You Bridge :) and of course I took a picture with it! haha Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler were in the same spot as me! (as seen in the above photos) One of the last things we did was walk to Dublin Castle, the few historic sites, grabbed some food and then went to see the Great and Powerful OZ movie that was phenomenal! But word to the wise. Three days in Dublin in the rain is too much time. Go for a day or two or leave the city and explore the country side if you can. It's a gorgeous country to go and witness first hand. Especially this Wyoming boy who's a little homesick.

The Eternal City: Roma

So when really great things happen, I always think "could this really happen to me? Do I deserve this?" and for one of the first times in my life... Yes I do. I finally went to a small sliver of my dream vacation! Rome. Italy is the one place I've always wanted to go and this weekend I went to Rome with Taylor, Jamie and Heather. I had the most phenomenal time! We arrived and got our hostel and when I sat down on the bed the support fell off the frame so Taylor and I played some hardcore McGyvor(sp?). We wandered to a little pizza shop and grabbed some food. I loved it! Jamie and Heather found their way and we decided that the next day we would be going to Vatican City on account of the 28th, the day we landed, was the last day the Pope was in his seat before retiring. So for the first time in over 600 years the pope has quit and vacated the throne... Which means they were going to shut down the Sistine Chapel for Concleave and we were getting ourselves inside before that happens. They're also closing the Sistine Chapel to people soon because the frequent traffic is eroding the art inside. Upon arriving in Vatican we of course grabbed some really delicious Gelato! The most amazing desert on the planet to be exact! While stumbling around we ran into a nice older lady in her 50's-60's and she asked if we spoke English, thinking we could get scammed she told us about the official tours, how they were about to close all the Vatican in the next week and that we could listen to an introduction and then if we liked the guide we could go to their office and purchase the ticket. NOTE: NEVER BUY TICKETS FROM VENDORS ON THE STREET. After the intro we LOVED our guide and went to their official office a few minutes walk away. Our guide was named Valaria, she said it's like "Malaria" with a V. She was funny and sarcastic and called us all a family and said she was "mamma", true Roman woman to the maximum. She also gave us some really good advice of "don't look at cars when crossing the sidewalks or you're dead meat, look straight ahead and walk and they will have to stop. We don't wait for cars here unless there's a crosswalk light." She was great! We went through the Vatican Museum and saw some of the most phenomenal artwork, sculptures and artifacts of my entire life! Michelangelo and Rafael! it was seriously amazing! Rome surrounds itself in history and culture it was unlike any world I've ever been in. We hit up the major tourist sites: Campo di Fiori, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Roman Forum, Colosseum, and basically wandered around Rome. Also, Gelato is perfectly acceptable to eat at all times of the day if I haven't mentioned that yet. There's literally so much to do and see and so many foods to try that I wish I would have spent weeks or a month in Italy! I recommend it to anyone even thinking of going there! It changed my world.

Time Waits for No Man

So I'm behind a little on updating everyone on things. Haha I'm adapting into London life: I wear my headphones on the tube, I eat at weird times and I don't mind walking all over just because. I honestly lose so much track of time lately. It's all a blur of London and classes. I think it's become such a routine that I'm assimilating into my own London life. If I keep track time moves slowly, if I don't then time races past and I don't know which I prefer. There's a lot that's happened... Taylor and I spend a lot of time together. We've walked the river Thames if I haven't mentioned that, saw a lot of sights and told some deep life topics to one another. We found the "Haunted London Experience and want to try it out"... We've gone to a few bars and clubs with some Londoners which is like an everyday event almost for locals. We've been a little wrapped up in classes though and I'm starting to race through to my first midterm on Monday. It's so weird having this class schedule but it's nice to have so much time to explore London. I've now purchased tickets to Rome, Dublin and Paris over the next three weekends, we're going to the Tower of London tomorrow, we bought tickets for Madame Tussaud's and might buy tickets to the Harry Potter Studio ;) haha There's a lot to do here and now it's to the point that I don't even notice the differences that I did in the beginning, I can understand accents on the tube, I know the places I love and don't love. I have my favorite shops, coffee stores, pizza places, pubs, hair salon, parks and places to hangout. Jason, the Irishman, has hung out with us a few times and I met a new friend! Sam has a masters from Bristol, works for newspaper and is seriously so funny! He's brilliant. I've venturing out on own more and I like that. I feel resilient and I'm learning a lot about myself. My goals, passions and ambitions. The friends that I want to keep. The people I enjoy being around, and even the places I want my future to go. I thought I had it worked out and now I want to go a new route. I am going back to grad school after a year off. Being abroad made me realize I want more knowledge about people and how they communicate. So I'm going back... And then after that ill work and get some experience and then go back and be a professor at a university. Teach people my ridiculous ways ;) I think I would make a fun professor. It takes a lot to study abroad. There's a lot you have to know and learn before you even get a clue on how to be. Now most of this is old territory. It's really humbled me in a lot of ways though. I miss the US and I miss UW a lot. There's so much I took for granted and thought I wanted away from. This really changed my perspective on things. We went to a football match today, it was really... Intense. You can't stand up during the game without getting yelled at, there's the home side, away side and the neutral side so fans don't attack each other. The players are phenomenal! I love "soccer" back home! So this was great! We were about 10 rows from the field. We were so close to the players is was such a new experience for me. Fulham won 1-0 against Stoke City. Then we went to this amazing pizza place in Hammersmith and Allison, Taylor and I got hair cuts and I went tanning. I was in desperate need of vitamin D! It's so overcast here that a lot of people tan in beds to get vitamin D. It really helps with the gloom you sometimes get in London :) earlier this week we went to the Tate Modern or Art History and it was really interesting. Picasso, Candinscki, and cubism... Not my cup of tea but really interesting, Hogarth had some really morbid and depressing pieces that were cool to see but left me feeling oddly sad as I left. We then got to go to the Liechtenstein exhibit! That was really interesting all the modern dots like comic books. Then Caroline took us to the top floor that over looks the Thames... It was so gorgeous! You could see St Paul's! After a while abroad... You find the things you like and places that are really good. We've gotten a bunch of deals on things by just exploring London and kind of doing what we want. It's so exciting and liberating to make your own choices in a new or foreign place. It's very empowering.

New Outlook

So we're once again a little behind. Remember that nice Irish guy I met at the pub? Yeah, he came to Chinese New Year with my friends and I and we had a blast! He was nice and friendly and knew all these facts about London and history. It was really nice to just have a local friend with a cool accent. We watched the fireworks that were amazing! Then headed home to catch up on some things. Throughout the week, I went to classes, the Museum of London and the Courtauld Gallery of Art, read articles, discussed the middle ages, and was a normal boring student learning about the coolest aspects of London and the UK throughout history. Then... the ominous Valentine's Day struck! (dun dun dun). What does a devilishy handsome student like me do in another country on Single's Awareness Day? We gathered a group of friends, went to a local pub, and then saw the cutest, cheesiest movie ever; Warm Bodies. It was so good! I would definitely buy it on DVD once it comes out. It was so fun to just get together, meet up and have a nice night. When we were leaving this little old lady stopped Taylor and said how cute and nice we all were and how she had never met an American and she's glad her first American experience was with such lovely young people. :) Heartwarming right? It jerked at a few of my tears when Taylor told me what she had said. We were just kids, sitting around a table for dinner and this woman had seen something entirely new and different. It was so cute to see. I can be really negative at times, and sometimes bottle or hide my thoughts so as not to hurt or embarrass others. I don't think these things on purpose but I know they have a time and place to be said. I'm trying a new approach. Not blatant optimism but rather... positive outlook on things here. More positive than they have been, anyway. I keep looking forward to the next moment the one I'm in seems surreal. Sitting in my room in London, 56 days on the clock and so much to do between now and then. :) who knows where it'll take me.

Adventure is out there!

So I'm little behind in my updating.

Italian ice cream is so amazing, we grabbed some on our way to Bath and it was so amazing! Travelling in the EU is pretty easy in a sense. We have trips booked/in process for Rome, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Bath. I can't wait to go explore outside of London! We just found out that the Pope is resigning the DAY we land in Rome! I cannot wait!

In one day trip, Taylor and I discovered a lot... we got up early and took the Underground to Hyde Park to go explore. Molly met us down there. It was gorgeous! a HUGE park in the middle of the city with fountains, runners, people and their dogs... it was great. We began to wander and I discovered the Peter Pan statue I was looking for! It's not what you think but it's still really cool! I sometimes feel like I will never grow up so I can relate (and Neverland sounds really legit). Then we found a lot of statues, little buildings and then the Albert Memorial that was huge! We jumped on a bus toward Harrod's which is a huge department store that is worth more than my whole life basically! The next day we went to the Natural History Museum and wandered around South Kensington which is an upper part of London. I have pictures of a McLaren worth millions of dollars. We walked past the house that JFK grew up in when him and his father were here. I feel like we get lost so often that I'm actually findind my way around. We walked around Liecster Square, Oxford Circus, Greenwich, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square... all over. It's starting to all make sense and become really easy to navigate just always keep a map in your pocket!

There's a lot to do at night, pubs aren't what you think. It's basically a restaurant with music that you can order drinks at. It's a place to go after work for a pint and socialize. We frequent a few in the area that have a really nice night life and the other night we were sitting with a group from our program and this guy asked if I would watch his coat and bag while him and his friend stepped out. He said "you look like a trustworthy guy, do you mind watching our stuff?" I told him it wouldn't be a problem and he did a double take when he heard me speak. He came back and struck a conversation. Jason, and his friend Peter, talked to me for about 30-45 minutes about America, being in London and we got to some really cool topics. Jason offered to give me his number in case we ever wanted to hang out. He's Irish, has lived here for 14 months and said that he still doesn't have many friends. London is such a transition city that people constantly show up and move on, or are so reserved that they take a really long time to get to know. I texted him later on to see if he and Peter wanted to meet up for Chinese New Year. We met up after the parade and he sent the day with us telling us really cool facts about the area, monuments and life in Europe. I made a foreign friend!!!!!! It was so cool I loved it! All because we went to a pub and I have an apparent trustworthy face.

Our day trip to the Roman Baths in the city of Bath was outstanding! It was so beautiful there! The baths were phenomenal(as seen below)with water that was believed to have healing qualities. It contains 43 minerals and it's radioactive and helps with skin conditions and other illnesses. So naturally, I drank the water... it was such a metallic taste... like putting a penny on your tongue. The experience was great though. Then we wandered around, found a gorgeous cafe/church, and walked to the Putney Bridge, if you don't know what that is. Go see the movie "Les Miserables" it's where Russell Crowe kills himself.

From all of these adventures I began to notice it's not the place you're in, the things you do, or what you pay for that matters. it's the company that you keep.

Blending in

Studying abroad is such an interesting experience. It makes you look back and relive your entire past to reevaluate where you're currently at in life. How else do you know how to recognize yourself without the mirror of everything else reflecting back. Yesterday was a very interesting day. We were on the Undgerground(subway) on our way to Greenwich when this very articulate man started speaking. He said "Hi everyone, I'm getting off at the next station to go to the homeless shelter but I would really appreciate any spare change you have so I can get a sandwich or something to eat. If not, have a lovely day." he seemed so absolutley genuine about it. Most people ignored him, one even gave him a dirty look. The woman next to me was beautiful, seemed wealthy, and very well off from the clothing and bag she had. She reached into her pocketbook and handed him a handful of change. It reminded me of this fortune cookie I got from Panda Express in the Union last year. It said "Give to those less fortunate that you." Once this popped into my head I reached in my pocket and gave him £2. He said "Thank you very much kind sir," and got off at the next stop. It made me feel a lot better though that a few people did what most in America don't do... show some generosity. Especially from seeing people on the Underground so wrapped up in their own world that they took time away from themselves for a moment... to help another person out. We jumpeed stations and got on the DLR which is an Overground rail station ran by a computer. There's no real driver for the DLR. We went to Greenwich which is now the financial district. There's Cutty Sark, an old sailor ship, The National Maritime Museum--which I loved so much! Boats, ships and nerdy facts about trading industry through shipping days!-- and the Planetarium along the Greenwich Meridian Line, which we did not see up close because you have to pay for it. The Planetarium was really cool! It was at the top of the hill where the Observatory is and it overlooked the "Queen's House" Museum and the green area where they had the Equestrian competition for the Summer Olypics last year. |The open expanse looked over the buildings leading all the way down to Greenwich Pier along the Thames River. It was so beautiful to see.

This morning, I was walking to the bus and this woman stopped and asked where I'm from. We had a really good conversation. She was working on a campaign to get homeless people off the streets and into shelters. I'm not a permanent resident so I couldn't help out but it was so nice to talk to her and she was asking me about my experince here and shook my hand. It was just nice to have a stranger say hi. Maybe she thought I was a Londoner, which makes me think I'm blending in here! I use my headphones on the Underground because people don't make eye contact and it's really awkward to start at your hands for 35 minutes. I finally figured out how to make my hair work in the humditity which is a major bonus because 97% of everyone you see here is gorgeous, well kept, stylish and groomed. So I secretly get happy when people assume that I'm from Europe. haha. It's all about just pretending that you know what you're doing and making everyone think you know. Except when I'm walking around saying "wow!" every other word... that gives the whole "tourist" thing away.

Before the Dawn of a New Day

So there are these stages of culture shock that they tell you about. It's sort of an up and down roller coaster

Well I thought I was hitting a low a little bit ago but lately I have come to realize it's a bit lower. No sense in sugar coating it at this point. Studying abroad is hard. There's a lot of little things that I miss back home that I will never take for granted again. Like my shower, free space, friendly people, people who actually give a damn about your day, nice customer service members, service at eating establishments, or just some semlance that people care about something other than themselves. This is supposed to be a city of multiple cultures and mixing of diversit but everyone seems to be in their own little bubble and their own little world. Being an American makes us weak, most of us don't even speak American English correctly, let alone fluent in another language. People here know up to 5 and that's normal. Three is good and two is kind of pushin' it. I love some of the luxuries that the states provides but our ignorance is leading us blindly to our demise. Do you know how many "civil wars" that Europe has had... for millenia. We've had one. Today Taylor and I tried to get our phones to text each other so we went to where we purchased it, they sent us to the providers store, the providers were rude and just made us call customer service that re-routed us 3 times to Samsung, who the lady was so rude and hung up on us before she would help us. So we went back and bought a new SIM card. This was one of the most ridiculous days I've had in London to date, and then Taylors card stopped working again and we don't have access to call our banks really, and we're 7 hours ahead. Why aren't there International Banks? This is stupid to send students abroad blindly. Positive side? It's showing me my true potential at taking care of myself in a foriegn land. I am learning my breaking points and what I can and can't live without. I never knew how truly wrapped up and obsessed my iPhone made me until I came here. Jamie activated is and so did a few others. I'm glad I didn't. I use the wifi when I can and listen to music on the Underground because no one talks and no one looks at each other on public transportation. I miss how confident US people are, or how they start small talk with others for no reason. How else do you connect yourself to the people around you if you don't talk to them first. I tried to make conversation here the other day with this man at the bus stop and after a few sentences he just stopped responding. I am really excited to go to Rome on February 28th, a little mini vacation, with Taylor, Jamie and Heather. But I need to start finding things to do on my off days. Start exploring and things. Taylor and I went to see a few movies. Moive 43 and Les Miserables, Les Mis was phenomenal!! Such a great prouction! They have such comfortable seats! The US is doing that really wrong haha. I've been reading the books from the "Beautiful Creatures" Series and I really like them! I think there are more advertisements here than I saw in the US. The UK is really big on Hollywood and American cinema. The fashion here is so impecable that it makes me a little sick to see how afforadble the clothing is at times. Style is so natural, and normal. I would really love to get used to that if I wasn't dressed like a little American. Tonight Taylor and I are going to see the Woman in Black in theatre. I can't wait! It's supposed to be scary :) We'll see. Then maybe go to Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace tomorrow. The weekends are harder to get around for me because my Undergroud station is closed for construction on weekends. I did discover Tesco, which is like Walmart but British so now I can find really cheap affordable groceries which is really nice! I was starting to worry about those expenses. It's hard to keep track of things here sometimes. it can be frustratiing but most of the time it's pretty much what you deal with. I'm starting to just wish I were home, this will be a life changing time, but not the time of my life. This isn't my city, now I know that. So I can go home with a greater appreciation for things and understandings that London has and will teach me. There's so much acceptance and interesting dynamic here that has progressed far beyond the United States. At the same time the US has some real upsides as well.

Logistics of my adventures lately

Let's try to catch you up. Well first off. You have to take classes while you study abroad. The plus side is they're only a few days a week usually and you get longer weekends. It can be hard to focus on school while being abroad but I found that it helps me realize my routine, my pattern, and grounds me here. Sure I could go spend all my money and run around Europe but these classes offer so much insight and history to London that it gives me more (free!) ideas of things to do whilst my friends and I are here. I'm taking International Relations from an Italian professor that is so funny! He makes the funniest jokes and is pretty up on American culture. It seems like it may be one of my favorite classes haha. I'm also taking Popular Views of Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages and Beyond with Carolyn Anderson from UW and she is amazing! She is so funny and brilliant! She has the Anglo-Saxon version of Beowulf memorized. That's how crazy brilliant she is. There's also British Life and Culture which I haven't taken a class in yet. Contemporary European Art... now this is a class. I have a British Professor that takes us to Museums as field trips for a majority of the semester. I cannot wait to continue on and see more! There aren't much updates on classes considering I've only had a week in them but I'm really excited to see what I can/can't learn haha. Art History will be a challenge.

I went to the National Gallery with Taylor. It was gorgeous! The art is spectacular! We tried to analyze the meaning of all the paintings. "Everything has a meaning in art, everything" Dr. Bolton told us that day one. So we went and explored the museum on our own a little. Then we went to Trafalgar Square and took really cool dorky pictures! and you could see Big Ben from where we stood! Then had lunch at a "Pret A Manger" store that we eat at all the time. It's really affordable and has wifi. The next few days Taylor, Jamie and I mostly wandered around haha... Oxford Street shops... just sort of explored. Then we went to the University of London Union called the ULU (Yoo-loo). It was a complete bust except for cheap drinks and meeting up with friends. The DJ was terrible.

touristy things as well but it was still really cool! Then we went to Alexandra Palace that Taylor found out was built by Victoria for the duchess of york but it's burnt down twice and been rebuilt. It's now an expensive ice rink. It used to have the worlds largest organ in it's ballroom.

Disoriented

I'll admit that I've been slacking on the posts here. So here goes. Studying abroad is such an amazing experience so far. You have the chance to rely on yourself, in a large place you don't know, doing things you've never done. An idea is powerful, but reality is more powerful. Actually being in London has made my small idea a reality. I wanted to change and grow; to push my limits. I had done so many great things at UW and I loved all my friends, jobs and experiences but I started thinking "what was the next step?", "could I do it?" and I did. It was so great to have the help of all my friends, family and UW peeps to help me out and make it happen. Plan early though, things get expensive fast and sometimes it takes you off guard. I just booked a trip to Rome, Italy at the end of February. I cannot wait! Taylor and I decided that if we could only pick one place that Italy was it. I wanted to originally study in Italy but the program I wanted closed. London is so close to everywhere else that it didn't matter. I will have the chance to go and see all the places I wanted to see with one of my best friends. I honestly don't know what I would have done without Taylor on this trip. It's nice to just have a familiar face and someone equally as lost as you are. Don't get me wrong. I've been lost a lot on my own here already and I'm having to deal with this experience alone in many ways. But not completely. It's such a good adventure for people that you can easily get along with, that have a passion for what they're here to do, and see this as the opportunity of a lifetime. It's snowed almost 5 times since we've been here and it's going to snow tonight. It's funny how Londoner's freak out when they see it! The city literally slows to a halt because it's so uncommon here.

There's a lot more to update you on and I can do that tomorrow!!!! After... I go to Buckingham Palace :) haha See you soon!

The beginning of a new story

In March of 2012, I decided to take my last semester of college abroad. I found a program, did all the stressing and paperwork that my heart could bare, and now as of January 17th, 2013 I'm here... In London... surrounded by a foreign culture. It's been four days and I'm still adjusting to life here but I think I'm going to have a great semester here. I want to learn and explore so much more but I'm not going to lie. It's a little intimidating. There are so many different customs and traditions not to mention little things and phrases that I don't get. But I am excited to see where I go and what I do. The imfamous Taylor True and Jamie Gaab are here with me along with a bunch of great new friends that I'm meeting from three other institutions and from my home institution. This is where you'll be able to keep up with my detailed adventures about London and almost all that we do here. There will be pictures uploaded to Facebook and all that Jazz but this is the place you can come to see all my escapades. My love for you all is deep, passionate and very important... but I have things to do and can't send over 50+ messages to people when I know we all have busy lives. So here goes my first adventures into the unknown world of the UK and Europe. I hope you all have enjoyed this lovely info as I was writing in a tone that my head had made out to sound like a flight attendant(really, that's the tone I was hearing as I was typing). Follow me on this journey and I will see you all soon :) Ciao,