What? Come Again?

I can't believe it.

Everyone told me before I left, 'Oh my goodness, Jenon, the time will just fly by.'

I'm not going to lie... there were a couple times I became angry at these people. I would think, 'Fast? What the heck... I am still here...'

Isn't that terrible?

Thankfully, those moments of uncertainty and homesickness were brief. I was distracted by a fascinating and bustling global city, and as if that wasn't enough... I also traveled to places I never thought I'd see.

I am now broke. But it is so worth it.

Things I have learned:

• When I left on January 17, I was freaking out and worrying about getting to the airport ON TIME. WE WERE LATE. My dear dad got the worst of my unnecessary up-tightness. I would like to think that this experience has made me more relaxed. I worry less about things because nothing is ever going to be perfect. And life wouldn't be what it's meant to be without some bumps along the way.
• Life is meant to be risky. God didn't intend for us to stay in a 'safety box' where we feel comfortable. I have had to remind myself of this many times - especially when I am stuck walking across London in the rain without an umbrella... and running into everyone on the crowded Central London streets. It's not comfortable to go to a new place without knowing anyone and having to learn a completely different way of life. It was a risk. I'm still somewhat surprised that I did it.
  
• No one is limited. The world is always at your fingertips - it's just a matter of getting yourself to touch it. Many times, we are our own worst limitation.
  
• I love my family and friends oh so very much. And what I am sick of the most... is always missing them. Tomorrow I will get to hug my parents and the boy, and thinking of that makes me well up with tears of excitement. I cannot wait. I cannot wait.
  
• I would argue that the last couple days of this experience have been more challenging than the beginning days. I am so excited to see my loved ones and familiar faces, but I loved my life here in London. It has been a weird mix of emotions in the past week... excitement to be home and sadness for leaving a place that has taught me so much. I am greatly fond of this city, and London will be forever ingrained in who I am.

I could go on and on with the lessons I have learned... this has been the most fun, adventurous and challenging experience I have ever had.

And I am so glad I got to share my journey with you. ;)

So about that countdown...

I blame it on the weekend... And yesterday was a bank holiday here in London, so I blame my lack of blog entries on that.

I think I am on Day 3...

What I will miss: Today at work I held a door open for a man. It was no big deal at all since I was just opening the door to leave. He turned to me and said, "Hello. Thank you very much. That is very kind of you."

A simple 'Thanks' would suffice, but somehow the English manage to wrap so many polite words in such a few seconds time to make such elegant phrases. It is such a great ability.

I think I go over the top when I say, 'Thank you so much!'

What I am excited for: I can't stop thinking about burgers and steaks. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Also.

I cannot stop thinking about opening my closet to find more than two weeks worth of clothes. I can't wait to go shopping... in my very own room. YES YES YES.

Day 7

Day 7

What I will miss: Public transportation.

It is very convenient. I do like driving, but it is nice just to sit on the Tube or on a double-decker bus and enjoy the ride.

What I am excited for: Being healthy. Getting enough sleep. Not being sick.

With us always being on-the-go, I am healthy one day and sick the next! I never knew I enjoyed getting a full night's sleep so much until this semester. Sleep is so wonderful. I will also get to reduce the amount of Dayquil I take. Yes.

Day 8

Day 8

What I will miss: Running through St. James's Park, Green Park and Hyde Park

The wide open green space in London is wonderful. My favorite running route is through Hyde Park, around the small lake there. I will definitely not miss running in the rain, but sometimes the views were worth the damp cold.

What I am excited for: Walking places and knowing where I am going

It is amazing how turned around I still get in London. There are so many streets I haven't been on or places I haven't seen. Although this has been fun, it will be great to find places without looking at a map.

Day 9

Day 9

What I will miss: Vandon's cleaners who change my bed sheets every Wednesday

I have been very spoiled, I know, but I do greatly appreciate the cleanliness. Perhaps I will have to take this responsibility up myself once I am back home.


What I am excited for: NO EXCHANGE RATE to deal with! YES YES YES!

Although the exchange rate is far better than last year at this time, I still cannot wait to buy an item for $8 and know that it will only be $8. Life is going to be so much cheaper... and easier since I will not have to figure out exchange conversions in my head.

Countdown to the End

As of today, I have 10 days left.

I can't believe it.

Right now I am supposed to be working on my final paper for my Contemporary British Society class. It is due on Friday, and I haven't started typing yet...

This week is busy with classes and review sessions, preparing for our academic grand finale: finals this Friday.

Since most of our learning has been outside of the classroom, I am finding it more difficult than usual to sit down and write a paper. It's torture, actually.

Instead of working on my paper... I have decided to start a little project.

For the rest of the 10 days, I will write about two things everyday.

1) What I will miss about London and
2) What I am excited for back home

(I will try not to base every entry around food.)

Day 10

What I will miss: English Breakfast tea with milk (no skim, please) and a small amount of sugar.

I love it. I love it. I love it. I have at least two - three cups a day. I think I have drank so much tea since I have been here my teeth have become slightly yellow. Yesterday I stopped and bought some teeth whitening rinse.

I know I will be able to drink tea once I am back home, and this is comforting. I will always get to have a little taste of London.

What I am excited for: McDonald's Iced Coffee (or even my homemade iced coffee, either works)

The coffee here... eehhh... it's okay. I have been craving iced coffee for a couple months now, and summer will officially start once my tastebuds say 'Mmm... this is tasty iced coffee'.


And the countdown continues...

Scotland

This past weekend, I went on my last trip. Kathryn, Allie, Jill and I bought cheap tickets on an overnight bus to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Thursday night we boarded the bus at 11 pm. We arrived in Edinburgh around 8:30 am. There was not a lot of leg room on the bus. I won't go into details about my sleepless night.

Friday morning we had to wait to check into our hostel, so to kill time we hung around the castle. The castle is striking, sitting on top of cliff-like hills in the middle of the city. We slept on some park benches in the near-by park.

Eventually we met up with one of Allie's friends who had lived in Edinburgh for a year and was back to visit. Her and her fiance showed us around the Old Town area, and they took us to get the greasiest fish and chips I have ever seen. Even I cringed when I saw it... then you know it's bad. But it tasted delicious.

We walked through an old graveyard with them before venturing out on our own.

We walked down the Royal Mile - starts with the castle and then ends where the Queen stays on her visits to Edinburgh.

Down in that area is the Scottish Parliament, and next to that was a large hill. We climbed up that even though we were so sore from our bus ride the previous night...

We walked, and walked, and walked some more (which is really a theme of my study abroad experience) and admired all the beautiful old architecture that surrounded us. All of the buildings were similar in architectural style since we generally stayed in the Old Town area. Very quaint.

On our way back to our hostel, we picked up some dinner at a local grocery store.

That night we sat around a cute table, looking out a bay window of our hostel as we ate burnt popcorn. We drank some tea and then went to bed at an embarrassingly early time of night. It was so great to sleep in a bed - I didn't even care that the springs were coming out of the mattress.

The next morning we went on a coach tour through the Lower Highlands. It was beautiful to see the countryside.

We stopped in Scotland's largest city - Glasgow - before heading to Loch Lomand. This lake is Britain's largest expanse of water. We took an hour boat ride on the lake, taking lots of pictures while shivering in the cold.

After that we were back on the bus to our next stop: the village of Aberfoyle. This is a small village just on the edge of the Trossachs. We ate a quick sack lunch here before heading to our next stop.

Next were the Trossachs. These mountains were filled with valleys and lakes (or as the Scottish call them - glens and lochs). I loved the scenery of the heather covered mountains as we drove along the mountain pass. The ride was very curvy, however, and poor Kathryn had to close her eyes most of the time because of carsickness.

We drove by the castle that was used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail on our way to our final stop: Sterling Castle.

We decided not to pay to go inside the castle. Instead we enjoyed a nearby graveyard (I know, a little morbid) with great views of the country side. We walked around the area and commended ourselves for spending the extra money to see the countryside.

It was a great taste of the highlands, and it left me wanting to go further north to see more. So many places, so little time... How unfortunate.

We arrived back in Edinburgh around 6 pm, but our bus didn't leave until 10. We enjoyed a local McDonald's for most of our night.

Yes, the ride home was far worse than the ride to Edinburgh... but we survived beautifully. :)

Back in London -- WITH FAMILY!

After a wonderful holiday in Italy for nine days, it was back to London.

I came back to such a treat though. My brother Jeremy and sister-in-law Heather arrived the next day in London. They came over because Jeremy had some work to do across the pond.

I loved, loved, loved seeing familiar faces, and my stomach enjoyed all the food they so graciously provided me with.

I think I ate out at more restaurants in the two and half days that they were here than the entire semester combined.

I love my older, wiser siblings. They take such great care of me.

But seriously. It really was great to sit and talk to family. It made me excited for my return home and seeing the rest of the clan as well.

They left London and are now visiting Paris and parts of Italy. They will be back again this Thursday, as their return flight to the States leaves from London. It will be great to see them one more time and hear about their vacation!

And perhaps I will get another great meal... ;)

My Favorite Place in Italy

Thursday 16th & Friday 17th of April

These next two days were wonderful, and it was well worth the night of awful travel to be in such a beautiful place.

The Cinque Terre is made up of five small towns on the west coast of Italy - part of the Italian Riviera. We stayed in the second small town of Manarola.

The Cinque Terre area is considered a national park in Italy, so we had to pay to hike the paths that connected the small towns. It was definitely the best five euros I spent all semester.

The area was breathtaking, even with the weather resembling London's typical gloominess. The cliffs were decorated by many farms, and the colorful bright buildings of the villages turned me into such a giddy girl saying, "This place is SSSSSOOOOOO cute! Seriously. Just so cute."

Our first hike from Manarola to Corniglia was fairly easy. It was walking along this path, cliffs to my right, sea on my left, that I was overwhelmed with gratitude. In my heart, I was thanking everyone who had nudged me to study abroad and told me to go out to see the world. The Cinque Terre is my favorite place of the small list of places I have seen.

The paths between the next towns became harder - more and more steps with the path narrowing around every turn. On our way to the last town, Monterosso, we had to huddle underneath a group of trees as heavy rain turned into hail. The path became muddy after this. At first I tried my best to dance my way through the path - I didn't want mud on my clean tennis shoes! Five minutes later, Splash-clomp-Splash! - I gave in.

The path could only fit one person at a time at this point, and unfortunately we were stuck behind what seemed like an entire school of first graders. The Canadians behind us referred to their teacher as 'Big Bertha'. She did slow us down by quite a bit. With the help of our new Northern campanions we were able to dodge past the kids and Big Bertha, giving a nice hello but really wanting to say, "You are seven years old! Bertha, what kind of field trip is this?"

At each small town Kathryn and I loved exploring all the cute shops. Jewelry shops were our favorite. I think Kathryn got quite annoyed because I would always find something I really fancied and would debate it for the longest time. After weighing the pros and cons, then repeating those steps a couple times, I would always end up placing everything back where it came from. (Yes, I inserted this part of my Cinque Terre story to let my parents know that I am trying my best to be smart with my money... ;) )

Vernazza - the fourth small town in - is the home of pesto. YUM YUM YUM. I love pesto, and Kathryn and I lived off of pesto and bread for the two days we were there. I think Blake stuck with the margherita pizza. (Sick.)

We loved going to a little grocery store just down the street from our bed and breakfast in Manarola to get bread, pesto, yogurt and Coca-Cola Lights. We ate outside on a cute little patio outside our place and enjoyed the view.

The owner of the place would walk by, smiling at us as he said, "Perfecto!"

We thought so too.

In the mornings, we had a cute breakfast set up for us in the reading/dining room area. It was a simple breakfast of croissants, bread, jam, coffee and yogurt. What made it so special was the thought that was put into it. Every item was in its proper place, arranged with care over the dainty tablecloth. I especially appreciated how the curtains were pulled back so we could enjoy the view outside.

I have always been a big fan of details. The little things make the largest of impressions.

On our last morning, I hated to leave the cute place we stayed at. I wrote in the guestbook about how I hoped to come back someday.

Everytime I talk about the Cinque Terre here is what will happen: I will let out a small sigh, pull my hands to my heart, my eyebrows will raise, and I will say, "Oohhh.... I llloooooovee the Cinque Terre... definitely my favorite place."

The scenery, the people and the food in Cinque Terre made it the perfect ending to our whirlwind trip in Italy.

Sailing and A Traveling Nightmare

Wednesday 15th of April

We woke up before five o'clock so we could get ready to take a train two and a half hours north to a town called Follonica. It was there that we met up with a couple who we had arranged to take us sailing.

We found out that they were Scottish and had just moved to Italy recently. We had a lot to talk about with them on their beautiful 42-foot sailboat.

The morning was not very windy, but eventually we were able to turn off the engine and rely solely on the wind and sails.

The water was beautiful, and we enjoyed baking in the warm sun.

Three hours and 22 nautical miles later we were in a small bay of the island of Elba. It was a very pretty place.

We stopped for lunch here, which the couple had put together for us. It was definitely our best meal in Italy. We anchored for a little while longer before heading back to the marina in Follonica.

The entire day was absolutely relaxing. It was such a treat after all the running around we did in Venice, Florence and Rome.

We got back in to the main center of Follonica around 7:30 pm. We found an interesting place to eat, complete with a large and friendly Italian man. He talked us into getting the lobster ravioli with artichoke sauce.

It was surprisingly tasty.

We inhaled our entire meal in less than ten minutes.

After we were done re-fueling, we went to the train station. It was here where the group of six was splitting up: Nick and Jill to France, Billy to Greece and Blake, Kathryn and myself to Cinque Terre.

The first to go was Nick and Jill. We waved good-bye.

An hour later came Billy. See you later.

Then finally, at 12:10 am, it was our turn to hop on a train.

The first train was only about a half hour long. After that ride, we waited almost two hours in a train station on cold marble benches before our next train came around 2:30am. The anticipation to get on the next train was intense. The 2:30am train would last for two and a half hours giving us a good amount of time to sleep. We were so excited.

Then.

2:30am rolled around. Our train pulled up. We were still all smiles at this point.

We walked on the train, and every space was full of people. It was a cabin train, and all the cabins were full. No seats - not even in the two-foot aisle. And yes, we did have reservations for this train.

We squeezed past the crowd in the aisle to get to the other side of the car, all the while knocking people out with our many bags.

We took a seat by a door. Kathryn and I sank into what little space was left of the floor.

We stared at each other. And laughed.

"Is this seriously happening right now?"

To our right there was a man using the bathroom as his seat. He thought it was great fun to play peek-a-boo with us.

We were not amused.

The next two and a half hours dragged by. We slept standing up until the last twenty minutes when we managed to get a seat. I sat next to a couple girls from San Diego. They were also not having a great night.

We reached the next train station a little after 4:30 am. There were no benches in this train station, so we made our camp right next to the homeless people staying there for the night. They were smarter than us - they had sleeping bags.

I have developed a great system of sleeping on cold train station floors. Here it is:

1. Use a daybag or purse as your pillow.
2. Lay on your side.
3. Use your book bag to rest your legs on. This will save your legs from the cold, evil floor.
4. Wrap your scarf around your body like a blanket.
5. Use your coat as a blanket as well. (I couldn't do this one... remember? No more coat!)

I slept well until 6 am.

Then we got up, drank some coffee and took our next train to our last stop: Manarola of the Cinque Terre.

Once in Manarola, it started raining with strong winds attacking us.

We could not check into our place we were staying at until 11:30, so we slept in the visitor center while we waited. We also searched for an ATM. (It was at this ATM in Italy where I lost roughly $70. Thank you, ITALY!)

Eventually we checked into our room, and the owner of the place was the most welcoming and hospitable Italian we had met.

Once we were in our room, we took a three hour nap.

Our night of dreadful traveling was over. Thank goodness.

Throughout our taste-of-hell (that's how you would describe it too if you were there... trust me) traveling experience, I actually had a positive attitude. "I will never do this again. This is only a one time thing. I will never do this again in my life..."

After my nap, however, I looked back and thought 'Oh my gosh, that really was not fun. That stunk.'

Then I called my parents and told them how much I missed them and how homesick I was.

Roma

Monday 13th & Tuesday 14th April

After Florence we took an early train to Rome, and once we arrived, we immediately went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was amazing to be in a place with such deep history.

At the Colosseum, Billy and I even took his two loaves of bread and used them for our very own gladiator fight. I won.

We gawked and marveled at the Colosseum and Roman Forum for over five hours - even though half the time at the Roman Forum we had no idea what we were looking at it. It was impressive ancient rubble.

We stopped for a picnic lunch by the Colosseum only to be interrupted by Italian men from Naples. They asked us many questions in their best version of English.

Billy thought it would be a great idea to tell them our friend Nick was gay, so of course, they got a kick out of that.

Then Billy pointed at me and said, "Five euro. Five euro."

Thank you, Billy, for trying to sell me to creepy Italian men. And just for the record, I am worth more than five euro.

They eventually left. Thank goodness.

After our five hour exploration, we headed back to our hostel to check in and take a quick nap. Soon after, we were back to sightseeing.

We stopped for dinner at a small restaurant, and we had a special trick for finding cheap places to eat. We would always look at the margherita pizza price, and if that looked cheap (usually five euros) we would dine there. Ah, life as a college student.

Needless to say, by the time we left Rome I never wanted to see margherita pizza again.

At night we stopped at the Spanish steps on our way to the Trevi Fountain. We sat by fountain while eating gelato - four scoops in a chocolate nut cone. YES, please.

We continued our night tour to the Palazzo Chigi... then the Tempio Adriano... and the Ignazio di Loyola. If you were to ask me what these three were, I could not tell you. I have been meaning to google them to find out more. They were all really pretty and probably were very important in some way or another.

The next day we stopped at a piazza and climbed to the top of Pincio, where we had a great view of the city. We stopped here for photos as the sun beat down on us.

After that we walked to Vatican City and entered St. Peter's Square. It was crowded with people, and I was more than impressed with my surroundings. We stood in a random line, not sure at first what we were going to see. Eventually we found out that we were climbing to the top of St. Peter's Basilica.

We climbed, and climbed... and climbed. As we got closer to the top of the dome, the walls around us started to curve in on us.

The scene from the top was stunning, with a picturesque view of St. Peter's Square down below. It was crammed full of people all wanting to take pictures of Roma. We managed to get our own group photos and then climbed down. My legs were shaking, and I felt quite dizzy!

Next we went into the basilica, and the only word I can use to describe it is 'WOW'. It was grand.

Our next stop was the Vatican museum. The Sistine Chapel was the dramatic finish to this intense museum's displays. As we walked quickly through the museum (please, we just really wanted to see the Sistine Chapel...) I could not help but think how much money all the goodies must be worth. Paintings and sculptures and anything else that looked important...

We finally reached the Sistine Chapel. It wasn't like what I pictured in my mind. It was amazing, though, to stand with my head looking straight up - stretching my neck back as far as it would let me. I stayed like this for a long time, as if it would help me to absorb the images. It was quite the experience.

We left the Sistine Chapel, and I overheard Kathryn calling her dad to thank him for letting her experience places like the Sistine Chapel.

I could not have agreed more.

After our day at the Vatican we went to more sights, including the Pantheon.

Rome was busy but fun. Our map was our best friend, and we marked off all the major sights in two days. We were proud.

Before I went to bed on my last night in Rome, I had to say good-bye to my faithful brown boots. They had holes on every side, and I thought it would be better for my feet if I said farewell. They have been through so much with me: months of wear in London and visits to Ireland - twice, Paris, Barcelona, Venice, Florence and their last stop - Rome.

I took a picture before tossing them in the trash. I can be quite sentimental.

Florence

Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th of April

On our train to Florence, there was a heatwave in the car our seats were in. No air-conditioning for us! In order to breathe we had to play musical chairs the rest of the way to Florence. Pick a seat... a new passenger gets on... they tell you, "I'm in seat 86."... pick a new seat... a new passenger gets on... you get the idea.

Once we made it to our campground in Florence, I made everyone play the game called What Did Jenon Forget on the Train?

Passport? No. (THANK GOODNESS!)
Money? No.
Waterbottle? No. (Already lost that, remember?)

Long pause.....

My North Face coat.

I just laughed about it, which came as a surprise - especially to me - considering how I handled the waterbottle situation a couple weeks ago. Apparently I value hydration over warmth.

My coat - and my London Underground pass - is somewhere in Naples, Italy. I think.

So Florence started off coat-less, but I didn't need it anyways. The weather was beautiful, and our view of the Florence and the surrounding Tuscany region was brilliant from the campground where we were staying.

We relaxed our first night and took in the scenery around us while eating delicious gelato.

We stayed in house tents, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to sleep for cheap. It had nice fake wood floors, and a bed with sheets for each person in it. And two lights. Yes, it did get chilly during the night, but we grabbed two blankets and bundled up. (It was just like cold airs at good ol' AGD, so I felt like a pro when I went to bed.)

The next morning Billy, Kathryn and I woke up early to go on a run. It was very calm and gave us a great chance to get our bearings of the city before heading out for the day with the rest of the group.

This day was Easter, so we headed to the city's cathedral for a Catholic Easter Mass in Italian. We spent over three hours there, and during the middle of the service, they lit a dove on fire to set off fireworks.

We had no idea what was going on.

We walked around Florence most of the day after that, the streets buzzing with hoards of people.

At night we drank Tuscany wine and once again enjoyed the view that made us all fall in love with Italy.

I think Florence reminded me that things don't always go perfectly - I am sure I will lose another coat or two in my lifetime.

Florence made me relax.

It was definitely the type of relaxation where I would let out a deep sigh, all the while smiling because I knew how blessed I was to be in such a beautiful place.

Venice was great, but Florence made me realize how much I was beginning to fall in love with Italy.

And not just for its gelato.

I am still alive.

It has been such a long time since I have been able to blog. We have lots of catching up to do.

"Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start."

Friday 11th of April

Blake, Kathryn and I flew to Venice early in the morning and arrived midday. Although we have gained valuable travel smarts over the semester, our performance was sub par in Venice. If we were seen on Amazing Race, you would have been making fun of us.

Why?

We went to the completely wrong train station where we were trying to find bus 15 in the completely wrong bus parking lot. (We were even told that bus 15 didn't exist. This may have been a warning sign that we were in the wrong place and had missed something in our directions. It only took us about two hours to figure this out.)

I got stuck on a bus for two stops longer than planned because I couldn't push and shove past the crowd of Italians - and tourists - fast enough. Part of me blames it on the fact that I am from Iowa. And we are nice people.

To find our hostel, we walked... and walked... and then turned around and walked... then went back the way we were originally going... and walked... And then finally called for urgent help. (Turns out we didn't walk far enough in the first place. Who knew? NOT US!)

Needless to say, we finally found our hostel and met up with Billy, Jill and Nick after a three hour adventure. I was hot because I thought it was completely necessary to bundle up when leaving London. (I have never claimed to be a pro at this traveling gig.)

I am most convinced that seeing the great sights of the world does not guarantee individual growth. Yes, it is great to see and experience world-reknown places, but at the end of the day... it's just another place, only different. And I can't change who I am just because I have seen the waterbuses in Venice. Throughout this entire experience, I have learned the most about myself just trying to get from Point A to Point B. Seriously.

Venice was beautiful though, just as picturesque in real life as it was in my mind.

There were loads of American tourists there. We especially found entertainment from one couple who darted around the Venice islands through narrow alley ways and canals, all the while in an aggressive argument.

"My family? You want to talk about MY family? I can't even BEGIN with YOUR family!!" (Yes, I am fully aware that I was part stalker. And I am very proud that I remembered that quote word-for-word.)

At one point, the man even ripped up a sheet of paper and shot all the tiny pieces right in his lover's face. Perhaps this was too far - even for my entertainment-loving self.

I wonder how they came out on a dream vacation in beautiful Venice.

We walked around and, of course, consumed our fair share of gelato. My usual was tiramisu, caramel and dark chocolate. In a cone. It was well worth the stomach ache.

We took water buses everywhere we went, and hopped on and off different islands. At night we sat by the water with our feet dangling near the water. We chatted and laughed, taking in the calm of the water with gorgeous, whethered buildings behind us.

The next day we went to the island of Murano, known for its glass making. We walked in many shops, gawked at the fancy glass shapes, looked at their prices, realized how poor we were and eventually sat by the water again. It was lovely.

Italy's first stop was warm and welcoming, and after taking in the romance and antiquey feel of Venice, it was off to the train station for our ride to Florence.

An Italian Spring Break

I am just hours away from taking a flight to Venice, Italy.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my spring break, and I have chosen to spend eight days in Italy. The itinerary is as follows:

1 day Venice

2 days Florence

2 days Rome

1 day sailing (I forget where... but it's on a boat.)

2 days in the Cinque Terre

It should be a great time and definitely a trip full of adventure.

We had all of our hostels booked and ready to go, but two days ago we received an e-mail from the management of our Florence hostel... and it basically said, "Sorry! Find new place. We overbooked."

So now we are camping. Yes, camping in a house tent. With no electricity for two days. Hmm..... this should be interesting. No worries, Mother, the house tent locks. And we have a flashlight. What more could we need?

I am trying not to cringe.

And yes, Jaci. I know you are laughing and making fun of me right now, but I can be a wilderness girl... I really can! And just for the record, the camping was my idea.

I can't wait until I can afford a hotel. Is that bad?

I have quite a sore throat, so hopefully I can manage to stay healthy on this trip. This shall forever be remembered as my semester living as an ill-stricken zombie. (My mom even notices my dark circles when we Skype...)

I have packed my book bag and one other bag to their brims. I am leaving my new waterbottle at Vandon this time, however. Even though it only cost a measly two pounds... I don't want to risk it.

Katherine has her GPS navigator all ready to go, so we will not be completely lost in Italy... I hope.

When I am back, expect a full update - I will even throw in some pictures (I have been such a slacker in this area, I know...).

Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge

Yesterday the gals - Allie, Kathryn, Erin and I - went on a whirlwind daytrip to tour Windsor Castle, the Roman baths at Bath and Stonehenge. We had three tag-alongs on our trip - our friends Cody, Austin and Ryan came with us.

Being girls, we were very prepared and arrived at our coach 15 minutes before we were supposed to board. Minor problem: the guys were nowhere in sight. We waited... and waited... and waited for them to come. Finally Austin showed up and then said, "We lost Cody! We don't know where he is!"

Boys will be boys, right?

Thankfully we all got on the same coach - just in time!

First stop: Windsor Castle

We only had two hours at this place, but it was enough time to see all the grandeur inside. We got to go through the State Rooms, which still hold momentous events such as a fancy dinner for a Royal birthday or a state visit from abroad.

We also went into St. George's Chapel - this is where Henry VIII and his wife (one of them anyways) Jane Seymour are buried.

After taking in the castle history, we were back on the coach.

Next stop: Bath

This fashionable town is often described in Jane Austen novels and deservedly so. The views were absolutely stunning. The Romans built Bath on hills so that there were great views of the town itself and the English countryside all around.

Bath has the only natural hot spring in England - and the Romans used this to make their baths here. We quick whizzed through the museum and made our way to sit by the water. The architecture was fabulous - the more columns the better, right??

We got hot sitting next to the water with the sun beaming in our eyes, so we decided to go try our very own glass of warm spring mineral water. It didn't taste good - a lot of sulfur and iron, but when in Bath...

We walked along the streets of Bath and stopped in a fudge kitchen (free samples!), then back to the coach we went.

Last stop: Stonehenge

Everyone had warned us that this place is not exciting. This makes sense since it it's just a bunch of stones in the countryside. But if you know the history about it, Stonehenge is quite a fascinating mystery.

No one knows for sure why ancient people brought stones all the way from distanced areas in Wales to shape them, look after them and continually rearrange them.

I was intrigued just by its old age. It was an ancient structure even when the Romans came to the area. Not that the Romans paid any attention to it - they were probably too busy bathing.

I was the only one of the group who listened to the audio tour at Stonehenge, and I tried to pick up on what I could... but we were all having so much fun trying to take ridiculous pictures with the large structure as our backdrop. We jumped and posed and laughed while the fierce wind was making our hair continually slap our faces.

Out of all the tourists at Stonehenge, I think we had the most fun.

After our 45 minute Stonehenge visit, it was back to the coach one last time for our return home.

Windsor? Check.
Bath? Check.
Stonehenge? Check.

NEEXXXTTTT!

Trying to fit everything in...

It scares me how fast time is flying, especially now that I am so comfortable in my London surroundings. There are still so many things I want to see and do, but time is running out! From today, the countdown is at FIVE weeks.

I cannot even remember certain things about home. I don't remember what Skippy or Jif peanut butter tastes like. I am so used to the all-natural stuff here. And when I forget what it's like to eat a spoonful of Reduced-fat Jif peanut butter? You know it's a big deal.

Last night I was able to go to a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert, which was great. While listening to the concert I thought, "I kind of miss playing my french horn."

BAHAHAHAH!

After the concert a lot of the people on the program went out for karaoke. It was such a great time to be with everyone, and it's amazing to think of how close our friendships have grown. We have definitely had a lot of laughs. And bonded over the days of homesickness.

Today I went on a London East End walk before eating an authentic Indian lunch. It was good, but I felt a little queasy after it. I don't think it helped that I just had Mexican for dinner either. It's quite a weird combination.

Today we also went on an official tour of the Houses of Parliament. I just love all the history, and I hope to read more books about British history - even when I am back in the States.

Tomorrow I am going on a day trip to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath.

The days are dwindling just like the figures in my bank account...

The Prez

On Wednesday I woke up to read in the paper about what Michelle Obama wore when she arrived at Standsted Airport in London. Then on my short walk to work, I was surprised that there were not a lot of people walking about. Instead the streets were full of police. This makes sense since New Scotland Yard is just down the street, but the added protections were for the protests and the fact that President Obama was in the neighborhood visiting the prime minister at 10 Downing Street.

At work I was able to watch the live news conference with Obama and Gordon Brown. We also watched coverage on the protests, and I had yet another, "Wow, I am really a small town Iowa girl" moment because I could have sat in front of the television for hours watching the G20 protests and news unfold.

"Ohh... dear! Oh, my... Oh DEAR!" I kept on saying. Part of me just couldn't believe I was in the same city as what was going on.

After work that day I went on a nice run through the area and went by Buckingham Palace to see the media and spectators lined up to witness Obama enter and exit the palace for tea with the Queen.

I ran back to Vandon, met up with a few friends, and then we headed back to the palace where we sat and watched the scene unfold.

There were police and security people everywhere, and I took many pictures of the snipers on top of the palace. (This was my first time seeing snipers!)

We waited... and waited some more, watching important, fancy vehicles leaving the palace gates. And then... it came... THE BEAST, aka Obama's limo.

We had climbed up to sit on a high railing, so we took pictures from there and then quick had to jump down to get close to the street to see the vehicle drive by. I was scared to jump, so I may or may not have stood there for a couple seconds thinking, "I don't want to jump. I don't want to jump. I really want to see him. I don't want to jump."

I jumped.

And then I waved to our president from about 15 feet away.

Thank you, London, for giving me a little piece of home.

A Girls Weekend in Spain

This past Thursday, Allie, Kathryn, Erin and I made the trek to Barcelona, Spain.

My journey started off slightly rough, as I got pinkeye in both eyes the day before we left. How convenient. But the pinkeye was nothing. Heathrow Security on the other hand... I have got some beef with them.

We were THANKFULLY flying British Airways, so we were four excited American girls getting ready to fly out of Heathrow. We waited in the loooonnnngggg line of security, and when it was finally our turn a security man pointed out that I had a titch of water left in my waterbottle. (Now, I fully realize that this was stupid of me to have water in the first place, but I am usually so prepared!)

He told me, "I am going to have to make you drink this when you are on the other side of security." I said, "Oh, okay. Thank you!"

He even put my gorgeous Camelback Iowa State waterbottle in its own tray. Not ONE minute later, I passed through security, was gathering my things and the same guy told me, "You are going to have to go back downstairs to throw this water away."

Excuse me? You mean all the way back down stairs, then back upstairs to wait in a freakishly long line to go through security again (even though I had just done it)?

Yes.

I tried to ask if he could just dump the water out. No. Then I asked if he could just throw the waterbottle away because I would not have enough time to do all that.

And then he chucked it across the security area into a rubbish bin. He was such a jerk about it. VERY RUDE.

And then I started crying.

And in an attempt to have the last word, I said - in a really mean voice with all the security workers watching me - "That was my FAVORITE waterbottle!"

I know. I really showed him. Don't mess with a girl and her hydration.

And yes, then I cried some more.

No worries, I recovered before even boarding the plane.

We landed in Barcelona and it took us about three hours just to get to the apartment where we were staying. We were exhausted when we finally got to our slightly dodgy neighborhood for the next three nights. We finally found the door, but since it was an apartment building, there was no front desk. Just a door. And no one there. Unfortunately, our cell phones weren't working either.

The girls started walking away to try to find a pay phone, but I just started hitting random buttons. I buzzed apartment 1a, and a nice, older lady came out on her patio, speaking in Spanish. We don't know what she said, but she let us in!

So now what? We are just in this random building, standing on the tiny staircase leading up to locked apartments.

Apartment 1a Lady had pink and red hair with a smelly, barking dog by her feet. We tried our best to use what Espanol vocabulary we remembered. (I took four years of Spanish in high school, and I have to be honest... Senora Yoder would not be proud of me.)

The nice Spanish women couldn't understand a word we were trying to say, so she called up the staircase for Juan to come help. Meanie Juan never came down.

Instead our favorite Spanish lady phoned the right person, and in a few minutes time we were in our apartment. Thank goodness we didn't have to sleep on the street!

The next day was beautiful out, so we walked around for a little bit before heading to the beach. We laid there all day - with our clothes on because it wasn't terribly warm, but it was still wonderful! After the beach, we went and had some sangria - so tasty! At night we cooked our own dinner back at our place and relaxed, taking in the Spanish environment around us.

On Saturday it rained all day. (I thought we left London??) We still walked around and saw all of Gaudi's architectural masterpieces. La Sagrada Familia was awesome, and I never would have thought, as a senior in high school learning about this place, that I would see it in person someday.

We walked down one of the main streets - La Rambla - and found an amazing market. I have never seen such perfect fruits and veggies. And no worries - there was ice cream there as well!

We also walked around the harbor area quite a bit since our apartment was just two blocks away from the beach.

At night we went out to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. I know, I know. Very American. But it definitely still had Spanish flair!

After dinner? You guessed it! More walking around. Only with a stronger downpour and a fierce wind. (My shoes are still drying out...)

We thought we deserved more ice cream for enduring such harsh conditions.

After ice cream, back to the apartment to pack.

Sunday morning we took a taxi back to the Airport, and we journeyed back to London!

Our initial reaction once we were back in London: "Ohhhh, Brrrr! It's chilly!"

It was a great weekend in Spain with many laughs, and I have had to fight the urge to say "Hola!" and "Gracias!" since being back in England...

"So you're staying until May 8, right?"

19 Thursday

I had class during the morning, so Mark slept in for a little bit and then went on a run through Hyde Park. He also made a stop at Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guards. I haven't seen this yet, but from his reaction... I would give it an "Overrated".

We met up after my class and went to my favorite place near High Street Kensington. It has a mom and pop shop feel to it. It is a tea room but also serves lunch. Thank you, Dad, for finding out about this place in an airplane catalog! We had tea and scones and loved every minute of it.

After that we headed to King's Cross Station to find Harry Potter's Platform 9 & 3/4s. (Yes, we did have to ask where it was... how embarrassing... I made Mark do that.)

We took three pictures, and we were on our way again.

Next stop: The London Eye. I was waiting to do this until Mark got here. The sun was setting, so it was difficult to take pictures, but the view was great! Our complete flight lasted about 25 minutes and afterward we walked around the Westminster Embankment area.

We had leftovers for dinner and at night: Karaoke! We sang 'Brown Eyed Girl' even though I have green/blue eyes... Our mics were turned off for half of the song, and to put it simply... we were not good. But I think that we were still cute and fun. Who cares about hitting the right notes? It's karaoke.

20 Friday

On this day we took the Tube out to Greenwich and walked around the park there. It was beautiful - especially compared to the last time I visited there in the snow/slush. We went to the Royal Observatory. I knew Mark would appreciate all the science stuff...

We ate at my favorite Mexican restaurant in Greenwich before walking through a small market and heading back into central London.

Friday night was our night on the town. We went out dancing but thankfully didn't stay out too late. I had gone to the same place dancing before Mark visited, but it was much more fun with him there. Seriously.

21 Saturday

Saturday was our day at Wimbledon. We spent over four and half hours there! I didn't know that much about tennis, but I appreciate it - and the Wimbledon tournament - so much more now. We went on a tour that took us to see Court 1, the player's area, the BBC studio and the press room. We went through the museum, which I thought was very impressive. And, oh yah, we stopped for tea and scones at the cafe there. Definitely a great Saturday.

At night we went to a small restaurant near Piccadilly Circus to eat. A three course meal for 8 pounds - yes please! It was fun sitting and talking on our last night over yet another British meal.

We walked back through St. James's Park and made plans for Mark's voyage back to the Homeland the next morning.

22 Sunday

Mark's flight left early, so I took a bus and then the Tube with him to the airport. We had such a fun week, and it was so nice to talk to my boyfriend face-to-face instead of trying to Skype or e-mail him. I felt like I could know all the tiny details from his life again instead of the, "Oh, what did you do today?" summary.

I was sad when he left but more thankful than anything. Although... he did really make me miss home and my family and friends... I really like them. And I really like America.

It took me a couple of days to adjust after Mark left just becacuse I was thinking so much of home. No worries, I am once again distracted by London and travel.

As I write this now, I only have six more weeks of separation from the ones I love spending my time with, and I can't believe how fast the time has gone.

Even though I asked Mark all week, "So you're staying until May 8, right?". I know I will be back in good ole' Iowa with my loved ones before I know it!

Mark Visit Continued.

I left you off at the 17th of March... St. Patrick's Day!

In the morning we were treated to a delicious homemade breakfast from the Loras College students. After that, we took the train to the city centre of Dublin... found our way and parked at a good spot for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. This parade was not your typical..."oh that's a nice float..." type of parade. It was more like a bunch of street entertainers/dancers dressed up in wacky garbage/recycled colorful outfits. It was definitely interesting and enjoyable.

After the parade, we went to the park - St. Stephen's Green - with the rest of the world visiting Dublin. I am not great at being a city girl, despite living in London, so sometimes large crowds are just annoying to me. Thankfully Mark felt the same way. In order to dodge all the crazy green-colored tourists, we headed south of Dublin to a small town called Bray.

The train ride to Bray was beautiful, as most of it gave a great view of the Irish Sea. We got off at Bray and took in the sea, the carnival and the hills/mountains in the distance. Michael had told us to go to Bray to climb Bray Head, which has a large cross on the very top of it.

We made the hike - almost all the way to the top, and then I stopped. I realized on top of the Eiffel Tower last month that I do not really like heights. Mark went on up without me, so I sat there for a couple minutes thinking, "When I am ever going to be in Bray, Ireland again? Those big rocks can't be that bad..." So then I went and met Mark at the top. I think he was quite surprised that I got over my wussy-ness. (I'm so glad I did... the view of the mountains and the sea was truly amazing.)

After that we were ready for a good meal, so we went to a local pub. I had the fish and chips and Mark had bangers and mash. We took that setting in for a while... the Irish are such kind people. So friendly and fun. It was definitely a dinner out I will always remember.

After our Bray excitement, it was time to call it a St. Patrick's Day... and a great one it was - especially when you spend it with your Irish American Boy.

18 Wednesday

The next day our flight left Dublin very early, so once we arrived back in London we were exhausted. We layed low around the Vandon area - got some groceries, ate a pasty (a pastry with your choice of hot deliciousness inside) and rested for the day before attending The Lion King at night.

Mark had already seen The Lion King before in New York, but I think the British accents added so much more to the performance in London. ;)

After some great Lion King songs, (do they ever get old??) ice cream capped off another great day and night across the pond.

19 Thursday....

We are getting closer!

I'm still alive!

My family has firmly reminded me that I have been slacking on my blog. Ooopsies!

On Saturday, the 14th, the boyfriend... aka Mark... traveled across the pond to spend some time in London-town. I had so much fun being an expert on my city, even if I was pretending at some points. I did brag quite a bit when it came to my navigation skills as well. It was so fun having him here, and he reminded me of America. (I had forgotten that in the U.S. we look left and then right when crossing the street instead of the other way around.)

Here's a rough overview and a few highlights from the week:

Saturday 14th: Mark had jet lag, but I still took him out for a nice lloooooong walk around 'my hood'. We went through the Winston Churchill Museum and War Cabinet Rooms, and it was great to see where the British War Cabinet actually met during WWII to make some tough decisions. At night we went to a pub just down the street for some British cuisine. I had cottage pie (or something like that) and Mark had lamb casserole. Mine tasted better.

Sunday 15: We walked around Covent Garden and watched some street performers before stopping at St. Paul's, the Millennium Bridge and Tate Modern. Then off to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge where we ate delicious ice cream (easy on the ice with plenty of the cream part... just how I like it!) while taking in the sights. We went to church in the late afternoon, and ate at another pub close by Vandon for some more British food. This time it was pork (Mark always eats pork) and chicken (I always eat chicken). It was cheap. And delicious.

Monday 16: I had class, so Mark went to the British Museum with Allie's boyfriend who was also visiting. We basically gave them a map and said, "Good luck!" I think it took them a while, but they eventually found it. It seemed like they liked the museum, and I am sure they liked the pub they went to after their history lessons.

During the afternoon Mark and I toured the Tower of London. There is a lot of history in this place, and it has been used for many different purposes over the years. Highlight: the crown jewels. RIDICULOUS!

After the Tower of London, we attempted to eat at a Spanish tapas restaurant but had no idea what we were doing... so we hit up the McDonald's across the street.

Monday night: Off to Ireland! We took a plane from London to Dublin, Ireland. St. Patrick's Day was the following day, and since Mark is Irish... and the tickets were really cheap, I thought this would be a fun adventure together! We had to wait a while in the Dublin airport to catch a bus, but we finally met up with Michael McCarty - my former lifeguard amigo who graciously let us stay at his apartment. We spent Monday night finalizing our plans for the following day...

It was so fun traveling with Mark because traveling is anything but glamorous. You never know how things are going to work out... what buses/trains will get you where and at what time... how much it will cost... yada yada... no matter how much you plan. Thank goodness Mark is laid back.

Tuesday: 17...........

To be continued... (I want to keep you all guessing so you don't have to read one really long obnoxious blog. I am tricky like that.)

Paris: This is a really long blog entry

Last Friday Allie and I went chunnel surfing to Paris. Our train left London at 5:30, so just getting ourselves to the international train station was an adventure at four in the morning.

We slept the entire way on the train - about 2 and a half hours. It was so nice traveling under the English Channel via train instead of flying. So convenient!

We arrived in Paris, and it took us about an hour just to figure out how to leave the train station, get on the Metro (their subway) and get to our first stop, the Musee de Louvre.

After traveling through the metro (and wanting to cry because it smelled like someone was holding a dirty diaper in front of my face saying, "Smell me! Smell me!") we made it to the Louvre and stopped for a quick coffee at Starbucks. This was our first mistake, as the coffee tasted terrible. No amount of splenda could have saved it.

Finally we were in the Louvre, the oldest and biggest museum in the world. Our first room was FULL of naked statues, and we turned into 10 year-old, giggling girls. When I could get a break from my uncontrollable laughter I said, "Allie! I can't take this anymore! We need to get out of here!" How grown-up of us. (We then saw a class of elementary students sitting around a bunch of naked statues... and they were not giggling.)

We saw our girl, Mona... Mona Lisa, that is. She was in a glass case but still looked great.

Our next stop: Notre Dame. This church was amazing! The details on the outside were unbelievable, and the inside was just as impressive. I have seen a couple of cathedrals or two since being here, but this one steals the show.

After Notre Dame, we stopped at a cute little restaurant for an omelet and a crepe. I don't know why I have waited so long to eat a crepe. I would describe them as delicious thin pancakes. I had chocolate in mine. (Are you surprised?)

We then walked from Notre Dame all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. The walk there was great! I love the architecture in Paris. It is all very similar in style, and the view along the river is so... French... so Paris. (What great description, huh?)

The Arc was amazing, I thought. You see it in pictures, and think, "Oh, that's cute to have a neat statue/arc looking thing in the middle of a busy street..." but it is so grand in person. The setting is what makes it: staring up at the large arc that was commissioned by Napolean while modern day cars are whizzing by you!

Our last stop: The Eiffel Tower

I thought I would be disappointed when I saw it in person, but I was amazed.

There is something so special about seeing pictures of a place throughout your entire life, and then actually experiencing it. It leaves you feeling speechless and giddy all at the same time. I had this feeling the entire time in Paris - Mona Lisa, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower... everything! I snapped so many pictures in such a short amount of time...

We waited in line at the tower, and took the elevator to the top - 900 feet! It was COLD up there. The wind was very strong, but the view was amazing! I will always remember being on top of the Eiffel Tower, shaking from the cold, trying to control my flying scarf in the wind and taking as many pictures as my freezing fingers would allow.

After our tower experience, we thought we deserved a treat: hot chocolate and another crepe (which was even better than the first!).

Once we were full of chocolate, we thought we could function again. We headed back to the Tower, and it was lit up beautifully in the night sky. We snapped MORE photos, and then decided we should figure out how to get back to the train station.

It's amazing what you learn while you are studying abroad. I am fairly certain I will never run (literally run) around Paris - the Eiffel Tower as my backdrop - asking people where to find the nearest Metro station. (French is so hard to understand... and even harder when you are trying to read it on a metro map...)

Finally, after much panic (seriously), we got the right directions to the station.

We even had first class tickets on the way back (they were cheaper than the standard for some reason). We were so excited when we got a full can of pop! And then bread... and then a full meal! What a way to top off our day out in Paris.

This outing was another great reminder of how blessed I really am. Shame on me for the days I take this experience for granted!

After I got back from Paris, I was skyping with my parents, and they asked what I did that day.

"Today? Today I went to Paris."

I can guarantee I will never get to say that again.

Oops, I did it again...

Just a quick update from this weekend: I was supposed to go to Oxford, but made a trip down the street to the doctor instead. I had been complaining about my jaw hurting all week and could not figure out what was going on. On Thursday night I could barely talk, let alone close my mouth or chew. (And trust me... when something interferes with my ability to chew food, I am going to take serious action...)

Turns out that I have a tube from my teeth to my inner ear that is blocked with mucus. I know... disgusting. Friday I steamed (put a towel over my head while breathing over a boiling pot of water... how enjoyable!) and drank lots and lots of water. Thankfully Saturday I woke up and could close my mouth. It's getting better - I plug my nose and try to pop my ear 20-30 times a day. (This kind of makes me light-headed, but I think it's working.)

After a weekend of rest (and steam), I had class this morning. It was a nice day here in London with a bit of sunshine. Flowers are starting to bloom, and the parks get busier each day with everyone enjoying the weather. Unfortunately, the forecast calls for snow tomorrow, but I am crossing my fingers this doesn't happen!

Tonight was the premier of Marley and Me, and although I vowed I would never do anything like the BAFTAs again... I couldn't pass up seeing Jennifer Aniston.

We waited for just a couple hours, and the weather wasn't freezing (thank goodness). We stayed for a short while - just enough time to get a couple photos and get out of the pushy, rude crowd. I saw Jennifer, and she is very tan. And skinny. Such nice hair too. I also saw Owen Wilson, but all I thought was, "Oh! It's Owen! Take a picture... take a picture... quick!"

It's just a silly movie premier, but it's free, and when else am I going to see Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson?

Thank you, again, London.

I love this place.

I love, love, love it here.

Today I had my advertising class, and we took a field trip to the European bank where my tutor (aka teacher) is a consultant for Bulgaria. It was fun, and he is hillllarrrious.

After class I decided to walk home along the River Thames path from the Tower of London. My walk along the river was wonderful despite the chilly wind and sprinkles.

I even took a detour on the Millennium Bridge to stop in at Tate Modern - an impressive modern art gallery. Once I had my fill, I left and bought some tasty roasted peanuts. (I may or may not have chased the roasted peanut guy down... I couldn't believe he was rolling his cart of goodies away!)

It was on my way back over the Millennium Bridge towards St. Paul's Cathedral when I thought, "OH MY GOODNESS... life is great."

My time in London has definitely taught me to be more in the moment - spend less time worrying about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself.

Today I took a long walk, ate roasted peanuts and pretended to love art. And I enjoyed every minute of it because I let myself soak it all in.

I eventually made it back to Vandon for a quick pit-stop, and then headed to Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street and Oxford Circus where I spent some time shopping (aka just looking).

It was on my way home again when I ran into Steph Cottrell - a fellow AGD back at Iowa State. HOW NUTS! I still can't get over it. At first I didn't think there was any possible way it was her... but it was! We had a nice little chat, and then we were both on our way. (I think I might have to start singing Disney's "It's a Small World After All" after this crazy meeting!)

It has been a wonderful day, but my legs and feet are hating me from all the walking. I am making some supper soon, and then spending a relaxing night in.

Tomorrow: A day trip to Oxford.

Comments and Cooking

I love it when people post comments on my blog.

I know Mother Ruth probably gets the "Best Comments Award", but all the other ones are really good too. And they are always welcomed.

Also.

I have become quite the cook since being in London.

Jenon's Specialty of Deliciousness:
An array of mixed vegetables sauteed in olive oil with garlic seasoning.
With rice (that I heat up in the microwave).
And when I feel real feisty in the kitchen, I make mozzarella cheese croissants... (stick cheese on a croissant and put it in the oven).

I know, I know... watch out Jamie Oliver. I am basically a chef now.

I am sick of smoke in my face

On Saturday we went to the longest market in London - Portobello Road Market. This was made famous in the movie Notting Hill.

The first part was antiques, then came the food (YES!) and finally it ended with clothing-like stuff. My favorite part: The food... DUH. (I keep thinking, "I don't have enough time here to eat and experience all sorts of different food! So much to eat, so little time!)

Now, the fruits and veggies didn't make this place great. It was the bread and doughnuts and candy in the middle of the market that made it great. We stood and stared at a stand full of pastries and doughnuts for a good five minutes... (Yes, I am going back to try one... or two.)

Walking along the market, I also smelled whiffs of fish, which was actually disgusting, but I decided it added to the whole market atmosphere...

The only thing that took away from our journey down this winding street full of antiques and yummy goodies?

Smoke.

I seriously think that people aim for my face when they are blowing their cigarette smoke into the air. And I am going to be honest, it is getting old.

I still love London; I think it's great. But the smoke has got to go.

Saturday night we went out on the town to a place I would call a "club". At first I was not so excited about the whole thing... there was loud techno music, which I am definitely not keen of because I like to keep my hearing.

Thankfully, though, we went up one floor where they were playing a different kind of music: Oldies! It was fun to dance the night away to the classics - Thank goodness for Grease and the Beatles!

Random

Top 5 reasons why I love going to school abroad:

1. No multiple choice tests. (Not that I hate them, but seriously... love it.)

2. Less in the classroom, and more out and about learning from the real world.

3. History. Enough said.

4. We have to write all of our assignments and tests. I am definitely cool with this.

5. In advertising class, we watch a television show called Mad Men about New York advertisers in the 50s and 60s. Very entertaining.

5b. My "tutors" all have different accents, and I LOVE accents.

Yesterday and today I visited a couple of museums, one including the Imperial War Museum which was very interesting. I also visited Temple Church which was founded by the Knights Templar.

And as a side note for the day:

Today as I was swept up in a mad rush of people pushing and shoving to get in an elevator, I accidentally touched an old lady's bum... and she gave me dirty looks, but there was nothing I could do about it... I wouldn't choose to do it... (it's SO AWKWARD). But it's times like those when I think, "URGH.... this city is so annoying. I am going to live in a small town someday so I don't have to be touching so many strangers in such a small space."

I'm just saying... London is awesome, but Iowa is pretty great too.

Iowa = space = no accidental, awkward touching

A Normal London Day

I would like to use yesterday as a "typical London day in the life of Jenon".

Due to all the food we consumed over the weekend in Dublin, Kathryn and I decided to walk to class. Okay, so we didn't walk ALL the way, but we were fairly close to our destination by the time we got on the Tube...

After a couple hours of learning about British culture and all about the government over here, I decided to walk back to Vandon. It was a nice, "I have no idea where I am at, but I am going to go with it and just wander around like I know where I am going" type walk.

I walked through Soho and Chinatown.

At one point I thought, "Oh, this is a busy corner." Then I turned around to see Piccadilly Circus. Who knew it was so close?

I got back to Vandon, put some running clothes on and decided to enjoy the nice day outside by running around in Hyde Park. It was beautiful running by the water!

After that I went to go get some groceries and browsed in a bookstore.

I came back to Vandon, and Allie, Kathryn and I made chicken casserole... which turned out to be more like chicken soup, but it was still delicious.

After that... tea, e-mails, reading and bedtime!

OH WAIT... I can't forget about this... I skyped with my mom and dad for the first time. And it was absolutely hilarious. The entire time my mom was holding up our cat Lucy to the webcam saying, "Dave, I am going to have so much fun with this!"

Another great day in London: Check.

Irish for the Weekend

Last Thursday Kathryn, Allie, Erin and I headed out for Dublin, Ireland.
The following were our highs and lows:

Low: RyanAir - It's a budget airline. Poor Allie got charged the equivalent of $100. We were all angry for her.

High: Getting to Dublin safely.

Low: Wandering around Dublin on our first night trying to find somewhere cheap to eat. (Whoever told me that London is the most expensive city in the world... you lied. I don't think you've been to Dublin.)

High: Finding a 1950s American diner to eat at. (Thank you, Dublin, for the best American meal I have had outside the States. Cheeseburgers, fries and an oreo shake = I love Dublin.)

High: Eating at a 1950s American diner in Dublin and looking around at all the red-heads that were in the place. Welcome to Ireland!

Low (but not that low): My first hostel experience. Better than what I thought, but my mom would have had a heart attack if she saw how messy our 12 female room was...

High: A three-hour walking tour of Dublin with a lively tour guide. (He even played on his Irish whistle for us.) We saw the Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Temple Bar... a lot of statues in honor of a lot of really important historical events that I don't remember...

High: The weather was warmer than in London - and no rain. Yes!

Low: GUINNESS BEER! SICK SICK SICK SICK SICK! We went through the Guinness Storehouse, and it was very interesting. We made it to the Tasting Lab, and they gave us a small sample to try. Absolutely disgusting. After this traumatizing event, we made it all the way to the Gravity Bar. We had an awesome view overlooking all of Dublin. Erin and I turned in our tickets to get a complimentary pint of Guinness. (I only did this because I knew my brother Jeremy would think I was boring if I didn't.) Kathryn and Allie got complimentary Diet Cokes. I took one sip, took a picture and then I was done with my pint. Thankfully, we had mentos on hand to ease the harsh aftertaste.

High: History. It's amazing how much there is to learn in such a short amount of time! Three days to learn 12,000 years of history is difficult.

Low: Waking up in the middle of the night because you are sharing a room with 11 other girls from around the world... and they are not quiet.

High: Howth. We woke up on Saturday and took a train to this small village just north of Dublin. Howth is on a small peninsula, and we had a great view of the sea! It was REAL fresh air! (Who knew I would get so excited about that?) We walked out to the lighthouse, and asked a stranger if she could take a picture of the four of us. It turned out that she was from Connecticut and had a son graduate from the journalism school at Iowa State. I have said this over and over... but wowzas! What a small world. We stayed in Howth for most of the afternoon, and it was so much fun to sit on the rocks, dangle our feet and eat jelly sandwiches while looking out on the sea.

High: Valentine's Day. This is an invitation to ice cream at Haagen Dazs. 3 scoops? Yes, please.

Low: The cost of 3 scoops of Haagen Dazs ice cream. (I think I like DQ blizzards better anyways.)

High: Walking around the Temple Bar area - it was full of couples and all the ladies had flowers. (How cute.) There was live music everywhere, and it was a very fun environment to be in on our last night in Dublin.

Low: RyanAir, and the flight back to London.

At the end of the weekend, we were all exhausted, but we learned a lot on our first weekend trip out of London. The lows were never that low, and the highs? They were great. The Irish are such nice people, and Dublin was definitely more relaxed than London. (People were actually wearing sweat pants... Amen to that.)

Pictures from the BAFTAs

Kate Winslet on the right

Daniel Craig and Erin

Ron Howard

Red Carpet

Angelina Jolie

Never Again

Earlier last week Kathryn, Jill, Erin, Allie and I decided we wanted to be on the red carpet at the BAFTA awards (British Oscars, for the most part). We found out that free wristbands are given away to a selected number of people at 8 am on the morning of the event. We decided to wake up at 3:15 am Sunday to make sure we got a front row view to the stars.

We packed lunches, bundled up and headed out the door at 4 am. At this point, the mood was light-hearted and filled with excitement. We took a bus and headed for the Royal Opera House in Convent Garden. Once we arrived, there was no one in sight except for the workers setting up the red carpet. We thought maybe we looked like desparate fanatics showing up so early, but no worries... the workers pointed us in the direction of the queue already full of people waiting - some camping out all night.

We walked through this dark alley and took our place in line... and we couldn't see a thing. We were creeped out already.

We were telling ourselves just to make it to 7 am because that is when the nearest Starbucks opened... The first hour I had my ipod and was singing while everyone tried to guess what song it was. This was my "Oh, isn't this so fun??" mood.

After an hour of 'pure bliss' in a creepy, dark alley with strangers (and lying on concrete, having my bookbag as a pillow and using my raincoat as a blanket), Allie, Kathryn and I decided it was time to walk around. We walked to Starbucks, and found out that it didn't open until 8am... Urrrggghhh!

At this point, at 5:30 in the morning, it was chilly, so three of us took the bus back to Vandon, put on more layers, and came back to the line to find Erin and Jill holding on to each other shivering frantically in the cold. Great. (Don't worry, they went to McDonald's to warm up.)

It was during the hours of 7:30-9:30 that I went into Crab-mode. And I didn't even care. When you can't feel your feet anymore, I think it's okay to be a little bit of a crabby pants. (The whole time I kept thinking, "I don't even like Brad and Angelina this much...")

We FINALLY got our wristbands at 9:30. Thankfully we found out that they were numbered, so we could leave, come back and still have our spots in line.

After long naps, we headed back to the opera house, and they let us onto the red carpet at 3 pm. Everyone was pushing and shoving. We were throwing elbows back because we agreed that there would be no Miss Nice Iowa Girl on the red carpet. We were going to hold our ground.

We stood in the front row by the red carpet for about two hours, and eventually the stars started showing up!

It was nuts to be that up close, and I have to admit, it was worth it to wait all day in the freezing cold.

And as soon as I saw Ron Howard, I turned into a crazed, screaming fan.

I am more embarrassed to say that I freaked out even more when Brad and Angelina arrived. (Seriously, I would consider it a low point in my life.) "I love Brad and Angelina!!! You are my favorite!!! Team Brad!!! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" And then from there it was just a continuous "BRAD! BRAD! BRAD!"

(Highlight: When Angelina came up to us, Allie yells at her, "Can I just... take a picture of you??!?!!" And I think I saw Angelina give her a look that said, "Hm, weird.")

Here is a list of the stars we saw - some came over to talk to us... others we saw from just feet away!

Ron Howard
Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire)
Meryl Streep
Shia LaBeouf
Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie
Amy Adams
Sharon Stone
Danny Boyle
Daniel Craig
Emma Watson
Kate Winslet
Goldie Hawn
Penolope Cruz

It was definitely fun screaming their names and getting their attention for some photos and autographs, but up close... they are just regular people like everyone else. (Except that they are really skinny, have perfect skin and wear expensive dresses.)

So it was an adventure, from waking up early and traveling around London, waiting in the queue with people smoking (who knows what) in your face and being under the bright lights of the red carpet...I had a great time.

But I would never do it again.

Time Just Flies By!

Yesterday I had my advertising class all morning, and then we walked past Hyde Park to go to Harrod's. I was somewhat creeped out by this place. There were restaurants (I want to go back to the Chocolate Bar) and anything else you could imagine. (There were writing pens that sold for thousands and thousands of pounds... What the heck? Why not just use the free ones you get from businesses?)

After Herrod's a group of us went out to eat at a nice pizza restaurant across from Hyde Park. It was very nice, and I even had an egg smack dab in the middle of my pizza. (I was a litlte weirded out by it, but I went with it.)

After that... Karaoke! I went out long enough just to sing one duet, and even got a couple compliments on my singing. (BAHAHAHAHA)

This morning we woke up and headed for Westminster Pier to catch a boat headed to Greenwich. I (of course) ran into problems when we left Vandon and realized I had forgotten my Oyster card... The whole group rode the Tube to the river, but Kathryn and I sprinted down the streets of London to catch up with the group. Nothing like a little morning workout...

We couldn't have picked a worse day to go to Greenwich. The boat ride was fun, but it was chilly and raining. When we got to Greenwich we went to the Royal Observatory, and I was in two hemispheres at once! We also hit up the Maritime Museum and the Queen's House, both historically interesting.

A highlight of the trip came in the form of food (go figure). We ate at a delicious Mexican restaurant, and my oh my! How I had missed nachos!

I definitely plan to go back to Greenwich on a warmer day, and take in all the sights while I can still feel all of my toes. It was very cute there, and a nice little break from the city. (And yes, I will go have more nachos at the Mexican restaurant.)

Each week goes by faster than the last one! This doesn't surprise me though... my dad has taught me from an early age that life just flies by.

"You're in third grade already, Jenon. Can you believe it? Before you know it you will be graduating high school and then off to college."

This is just an example of what Dave would say to me many mornings before I caught the bus to school. (At one point in my life, I thought I would be five years-old forever. I promised myself I would never grow up because I never wanted to do "grown up things". My biggest fear as a youngin': Trying to buy a plane ticket.)

This talk has continued through the years, and my dad still reminds me how short life really is. I can't think of a better lesson to learn. I know my time in London is limited, and it's a great reminder to make the most of every day.

And because of it, I am definitely not taking any time in London for granted.

Snow, York and Skipton Photos

Snow! It feels just like home... only warmer!

St. James Park

Kathryn and I at St. James Park with Buckingham Palace in the background

On the wall in York

Skipton

Street leading to York Minster

York

Walking Through Slush

Monday
Over Sunday night and into Monday, London got around five inches of snow. The bus routes were all shut down, and there were major delays and suspensions on the Tube. It was crazy!

Our morning classes were canceled, so we decided to watch Bridget Jones's Diary. After that, we braved the weather (it was actually fairly warm) and the snow (more like slush). We went and found a large store called Primark - very crowded with cheap clothes and lots of people.

We headed back, and I had a relaxing snow day in London reading, journaling and catching up on e-mails.

Tuesday
Today I didn't have to go in to work (because of the snow), so Kathryn and I went for a nice walk through St. James Park to Trafalgar Square. There we went to the National Gallery to see an impressive display of paintings.

We thought it would be a great idea to get the audio guide, and we used it for the first three paintings. Then we decided it would take us two entire days if we listened to a nice British lady giving us all the historic and artistic details about each painting.

The building itself is impressive, but I had never experienced art like this before (I know nothing about art, but I know this is outstanding). I enjoyed it a great deal, and it was free - what a deal!

Next we continued on our walk to the British Museum. Also VERY impressive (and free). There was so much to see including the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon and some good old-fashioned mummies. You could easily spend an entire day exploring the place, and it was a great history lesson of every part of the world.

The best part about the day: Kathryn and I walked outside, enjoyed the slush and the sun... and... ? We never got lost. (Victory!)

A York Weekend

Here is a synopsis of my York experiences...

Friday

We arrived in York, and after taking an hour guided bus tour, we were off to explore! We walked through a lot of cute shops in the town centre. Allie gravitates to the jewelry shops (to look at diamond rings), and Erin heads straight for the clothing stores. I make Kathryn and Jill follow me to the bakeries or chocolate shops.

We made our way to York Minster, the Anglican Church Cathedral, where we attended Evensong. The boys choir sang, and it was amazing! They were almost as good as the Faith Lutheran choir back home. ;)

After our ears were pleasantly entertained and our bodies were freezing from the cold air inside the church, we ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant with a colorful older man as our server. Highlight of the dinner: My calzone was twice the size of my head.

At night we went to the local Pantomine at the Royal York Theatre. It was a different theatrical experience. The audience was very involved, and the plot was very random. There was also a lot of current issues and British jokes that went over our heads at times, but it was definitely an entertaining cultural experience.

Saturday

We got back on our bus and headed an hour and a half to see the Yorkshire Dales. Dale is the Scandanavian word for valley. We saw beautiful rolling hills with lots of sheep in fields.

We went to the small town of Skipton for a couple hours. They had a cute castle, (I feel weird describing a castle as "cute") and a market to browse through as well. We went through many shops, and I had my first mocha (I don't know why I have waited so long to have one of these) at a quiet coffee shop.

After exploring a small town (it was refreshing to be in a small town!), we got back on the bus for York. Once we were back, we walked along a wall that encloses most of the city. (I wish I could remember all the history of the wall, but there was history overload this weekend...)

We went through the Castle Museum, and then I had my first fish and chips experience at a local pub. I can't wait to have fish and chips again - very deep fat fried and delicious.

Last night we went on a Ghost Walk of York. We found out that York is the most haunted city in the world. Our guide also told us that our bed and breakfasts were also probably haunted. (No old man should ever be allowed to tell a gullible 21 year-old girl from the States that she is sleeping in a ghost's playground...)


We experienced a lot in our short time at York and Skipton, including a full English breakfast. Here are some tips for dealing with this morning food:

Skip the bread pudding. It looks like a chocolate candy bar, but this is very deceiving. It's cow blood.

Be prepared to have your arteries clogged for days after consuming the fried bread. (I didn't know it was possible to deep fat fry a piece of bread.)

The bacon looks like a gross piece of ham. Some parts can be tasty if you cut around it.

Nonetheless, I recommend eating it (the mushrooms and tomatoes weren't bad... and the greasy egg could have been worse), and I am sure I will do it again sometime.

Oh, it's only the beginning of many more cultural experiences to come!

Camden, Ice Cream and History

It has been such a great and fast week here in London. We started classes on Monday, and it is absolutely wonderful to start getting into a regular schedule.

This morning I had a three hour advertising class with a professor that has a heavy Bulgarian accent. He is absolutely hilarious... when I can understand what he is saying.

After my class, Jill, Allie, Kathryn and I went to visit Camden Market and the Museum of London - both two sites that we had to visit for class.

Our first adventure: Camden Market
"I've never felt like such a small town girl," Kathryn said, and that sums up the entire experience quite well.

We walked through an entire lot devoted to clothes (some were cute), and then a lady with a mustache told us to keep walking to find more of the market.

It was intense. This isn't your typical fruit and veggie sort of deal - oh no. We are talking punk fashion. There were a lot of funky spikes everywhere. It was definitely an eye-opener compared to the area where we live.

Second adventure: Ice Cream
We had heard about a restaurant that served delicious ice cream, so this was definitely a top priority - especially after all the spikes and punkness.

We eventually found our way, and we had DELICIOUS ice cream. I am loyal to Dairy Queen, but I can't lie - this place was tasty!

It was all sugar and smiles until... the bill.

Now, in the States we are used to the server bringing us the bill when we are finished with our food. This is definitely not the case here. (We have run into many awkward situations.) After five minutes sitting at the table and debating what is and what isn't the right thing to do (this is our normal routine)... we asked for the bill.

We couldn't split the bill, and each of us did not have the exact monetary amount to cover it. We literally spent over 15 minutes trying to figure out how to pay the bill, who was going to pay who and how much. All the while, I have uncontrollable laughter because our server is just standing behind us, definitely staring (glaring, probably) at us.

I'm guessing her thinking went something like this... "Stupid Americans."

We ended up paying over six pounds in small coins. (I felt like I was five years old again, taking all my pennies to get a candy bar at Casey's...)

Oops...

The most important part: After 10 days, I finally had an explosive laughter in London. It felt so good, and as weird as it sounds, it made me feel like everything was normal despite all the adjustments I have made in the past week and a half.

The Last Adventure: The Museum of London
This was a small but very interesting museum. It had great exhibits on the Great Fire of 1666, Roman London and Medieval London.

My favorite part was a book that was made in remembrance of the 52 people who were killed in the London bombings of 2005. Each person had pages devoted to what their family and friends said about them. It was beautifully sad.


It was certainly a day full of adventure! Tomorrow we are headed four hours north to York. We will be staying in a Bed and Breakfast for the weekend, so I will be sure to write all about when I get back!