It's my last day in at Vandon--I feel like I say it every week, but I cannot comprehend how fast this semester has gone. It seems like I was just planning all of this days ago, but it's actually over!
This last week was a little more stressful than I'd hoped, but it was still good. I spent last weekend in Derby with mum's friend Bev, and it was so nice to be out of the city for a while and to spend time with her family. Monday a couple of us tried to go see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, but that honestly turned out to be a whole lot of talk for a not very exciting couple of hours. I spent the rest of the day trying to work on my last essay. You would think that it being the last essay of my college career I would be so anxious to finish it, but finding the motivation was super difficult. Tuesday I had to work, and as poor Holly ended up really sick for the last week I got to do it all myself. That evening was more essay writing and studying for my exams. Wednesday I went to a press viewing at the Barbican Art Centre for the Bauhaus: Life is Art exhibition, which actually was really interesting. I had this really awkward moment though when this lady asked me if I would mind looking at a painting 'intently' so she could photograph me. She kept giving me directions for how to pose--um, not my thing, thank you very much. Then she just said thank you and walked away before I could even ask who she worked for. And I completely forgot to check the newspapers yesterday to see if it was in any of them, so I guess I'll never know. I finished my paper in the afternoon, and in the evening we went to see Sweeney Todd with the program. Beth from work got to come with us as well, which was really nice. Thursday I had my Contemporary Britain final in the morning, which consisted of two very long essay questions. The last one was interrupted by a fire alarm, which my hand was thankful for but my train of thought was gone after that. Then we hung around the University for our Religions final at 2, which was fine. And then I was done! It's such a weird feeling to know that I am done with college classes forever. No more homework, no more exams, no more essays--thank goodness. I am so ready to be done with all of that. We had a little going away party with our directors in the evening, where we had Pimms and lemonade and Eton mess (for all of you who love mum's meringue and raspberry dessert, this is the same thing. Heaven.). All 36 of us were crammed in the lounge, and it was actually really sad knowing that it was the last time we'd all be together. Saying goodbye to Jen was sad too--she is literally the perfect person for her job, and I'm going to miss popping into her office for random chats and chocolate. Most of us continued the party after they had to leave, and of course it turned into people getting teary and emotional. Goodbyes just...suck. And I think saying goodbye to the friends you made while studying abroad is even harder, because you've shared so many big experiences together and you're having to say goodbye to people and to a place you've come to love. It's just hard. About ten people are up in the air now, headed back to America already, and everyone else will be gone by Sunday. I'm going to my aunt's for my last few days before flying home on Wednesday. And then it's graduation time! Which I know is going to be a blur of emotions and jetlag. I'm so excited to see everyone though--definitely ready for some hellos.
Anyway. I'm off to one more museum and market before saying goodbye to central London! Have a lovely weekend, and thanks for reading this last few months, whoever and wherever you are.
Much love :)
Lucy
Friday, May 4, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Days of the Lasts
If you want my spring break blog, check below. :)
So begins the days of the lasts in London. I have 16 days left in this crazy, loud, busy, beautiful city, and while I feel like I've seen it all in the past four months, I know I've really only touched the surface. I don't think you could ever see all of London, not even in a lifetime. There are so many diverse neighborhoods to explore, so many landmarks and monuments to see, so many markets to wander, and so many people to meet that there just isn't the time for it all. So instead I've started having that anxious nagging question in my head whenever I go somewhere--is this the last time I'll be in Covent Garden? Is this the last time I'll see this person for a while? Is this the last time I'll walk along Southbank? Is this the last time I'll eat sketchy Thai food at Camden? Is this the last time? It seems a little ridiculous I know, but no one wants to know that they're doing something they love for the last time, at least for a while anyway.
Yet in a strange way, I think I'm ready to move on. When I came home from Wales, I was literally a mess. I really, really struggled with being back in America those first few months of 2011, and I could not wait to go back to Europe. Looking back, I know I probably said a few things about being home that hurt a few feelings. It was never that I disliked home, it was just that I had made another home in Wales and I couldn't stand being away from it and the people I had become so close to. I think that my change in attitude this time around has a lot to do with the fact that I don't have the same friend ties this time--obviously I'll be sad not to be in the same country as them, but almost everyone I've gotten to know in London is going back to the States too. The one exception to that is my aunt, who I will really miss. This semester was worth it alone to have gotten to know her. I also think that the fact that I'm ready to go home has a lot to do with the fact that, scarily enough, I'm growing up. I just turned 22-yeah, scary for me too. I had to make decisions this semester about what I'm doing in the future, and I think this semester has given me a lot of perspective on my life that I didn't have before. I have so many good people in my life in Iowa--my family, friends from high school, friends from Central, people from church and Iowa Falls--and honestly, I miss you all! I think I really needed this semester to appreciate that. Plus this semester has given me a world of experience, from the places I've been to my internship to the people I've made connections with. Nothing can ever take that away from me, and it was worth every penny.
So for the last couple of weeks I'm just going to enjoy being here. I'm going to one of mum's friends' in Derby for the weekend, but otherwise I'll be in London. I do have finals unfortunately, and a whole lot of packing to do before I go. But I am really going to try and enjoy every last moment before heading home for graduation. I still have a little panic attack every time I say that word. But it's going to be okay--everything is going to work out just the way it should.
And with that, I'll leave you!
Much love always,
Lucy
So begins the days of the lasts in London. I have 16 days left in this crazy, loud, busy, beautiful city, and while I feel like I've seen it all in the past four months, I know I've really only touched the surface. I don't think you could ever see all of London, not even in a lifetime. There are so many diverse neighborhoods to explore, so many landmarks and monuments to see, so many markets to wander, and so many people to meet that there just isn't the time for it all. So instead I've started having that anxious nagging question in my head whenever I go somewhere--is this the last time I'll be in Covent Garden? Is this the last time I'll see this person for a while? Is this the last time I'll walk along Southbank? Is this the last time I'll eat sketchy Thai food at Camden? Is this the last time? It seems a little ridiculous I know, but no one wants to know that they're doing something they love for the last time, at least for a while anyway.
Yet in a strange way, I think I'm ready to move on. When I came home from Wales, I was literally a mess. I really, really struggled with being back in America those first few months of 2011, and I could not wait to go back to Europe. Looking back, I know I probably said a few things about being home that hurt a few feelings. It was never that I disliked home, it was just that I had made another home in Wales and I couldn't stand being away from it and the people I had become so close to. I think that my change in attitude this time around has a lot to do with the fact that I don't have the same friend ties this time--obviously I'll be sad not to be in the same country as them, but almost everyone I've gotten to know in London is going back to the States too. The one exception to that is my aunt, who I will really miss. This semester was worth it alone to have gotten to know her. I also think that the fact that I'm ready to go home has a lot to do with the fact that, scarily enough, I'm growing up. I just turned 22-yeah, scary for me too. I had to make decisions this semester about what I'm doing in the future, and I think this semester has given me a lot of perspective on my life that I didn't have before. I have so many good people in my life in Iowa--my family, friends from high school, friends from Central, people from church and Iowa Falls--and honestly, I miss you all! I think I really needed this semester to appreciate that. Plus this semester has given me a world of experience, from the places I've been to my internship to the people I've made connections with. Nothing can ever take that away from me, and it was worth every penny.
So for the last couple of weeks I'm just going to enjoy being here. I'm going to one of mum's friends' in Derby for the weekend, but otherwise I'll be in London. I do have finals unfortunately, and a whole lot of packing to do before I go. But I am really going to try and enjoy every last moment before heading home for graduation. I still have a little panic attack every time I say that word. But it's going to be okay--everything is going to work out just the way it should.
And with that, I'll leave you!
Much love always,
Lucy
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Holiday!
First of all, I apologize for how late this is! I've been super busy since I got back from break and have hardly had a free minute. So I'm going to go way back to the very beginning of spring break--get ready for a verrrrry long post!
Thursday, the 5th of April, we had a fieldtrip to the Tower of London. It was pretty cool, and I can now say I've seen the Crown Jewels, but it was a freezing cold day so it was a little harder to enjoy. Friday my friend Alissa and I embarked on a dessert tour of the city. We mapped it out ourselves, so if we were feeling too full we could skip out on a couple. We ended up splitting 8 desserts I think, and we finished with margaritas. It was so much fun, but I was definitely in a sugar coma by the end of it.
We left for Barcelona super early that Saturday (the joys of travelling with bargain airlines and from an airport an hour and half outside the city) and got there midday. Our hostel was way on the other side of the city, so we made the trek to drop our things off before exploring the city centre. Barcelona is absolutely beautiful--it has definitely made my favourite cities list. We saw the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral, and a bit of the famous Gaudi architecture before having bocadillas (sandwiches) at a little cafe. Afterwards we slowly made our way down Las Ramblas, the city's main market street that leads to the sea. At some point we ended up in a plaza, where there was a pillow fight going on among a crowd of Spanish students--it was so random, but really fun to watch. Then we wandered along by the sea, checking out the boats and watching the sunset. Barcelona was so much more laidback than London--no one was in a hurry and there was laughter everywhere. And I loved hearing Spanish all around me and being able to use the Spanish I know. I honestly have never been that drawn to Spain or Mexico--the culture just never really interested me. Being in Barcelona completely changed my mind though. I would so love to go back and spend more time in Spain. The next day, we slept in before spending the afternoon on the beach. Then we made the journey to the boat, which took much longer than planned. I was so happy to finally be on the boat! And it really was an incredible cruise ship--it was massive and so nice inside. Monday we were at sea all day, so it was the perfect day to lay by the pool. I definitely have never been a pool rat or the type of girl that sits outside all day just to get a tan, but I have to admit it was kind of nice to get lost in a book while sitting by a pool in the middle of the Mediterranean. That evening our meal was formal, so we got to get dressed up and feel like we weren't poor college students for a night.Tuesday we were in Tunisia, which is in North Africa. It was definitely not what I expected, not that I really know what I thought it was going to be like. We had planned on just staying in the port town to save money; the problem was that there was absolutely nothing in the port town and it really wasn't a very nice place. The other problem is that we really didn't think about dressing appropriately--Tunisia is a Muslim country, so we really should have worn jeans and long sleeves. We just got hassled the entire time, and it was making us all feel more than uncomfortable. So we turned around and went back to the boat. Wednesday we were in Malta, which was beautiful. We wandered around the centre of Valletta for a while, and then we decided to go on a sightseeing bus so that we could see a few more things. We stopped at some beautiful gardens and at the old capitol, and then found a little cafe for lunch. Thursday we were in Sicily, and it was such a beautiful day for such a beautiful city. We also met this old man who was on a cruise for four months that went around the world--he'd literally been everywhere. We talked to him for probably 20 minutes because he just had so many stories to tell and he was so nice. I honestly couldn't tell you what we all saw in Sicily, but it was all so pretty. Friday was Rome, but Abby and I didn't pay to go into the city since we'd both been there before. The port town wasn't very exciting and it was raining all day, so we had a very lazy day. Saturday was Genoa, another beautiful Italian city. And then we were back in Barcelona Sunday and flew back that night. We didn't get back to central London til after 3 in the morning, so we were definitely exhausted. I did laundry and semi-unpacked on Monday before heading to my aunts' that evening. For my birthday on Tuesday we went on a day trip to Bruges, in Belgium, on a coach tour Jenny found. It was a five hour journey each way, but it was so incredibly worth it. I've decided I'm moving there. It was just gorgeous--it reminded me a lot of Pella, but obviously better. We had a delicious lunch at a little sidewalk cafe, which was covered and warmed with outdoor heaters since it was so miserable out. I made sure to get frites with mayo for mum, and Jenny made me try the beer since it was my birthday. We even split a Belgian waffle later in the day, which was to die for. And I can't forget all the little chocolate shops that were on every street. Most of the architecture in Bruges is Gothic, but the storefronts and the houses looked very Dutch. I honestly could have spent weeks there and been happy. But we had to get back to London that night, so that we both could work in the morning.
We actually ended up not having to work on Wednesday, which was really frustrating but probably good at the same time so that I could get caught up with assignments and e-mails and graduation stuff. Thursday we had class all day, and then my friend Molly, who's doing her postgrad at Bangor, came to visit for the weekend. Friday we had a daytrip to Brighton, which was a lovely place. It's on the seaside, and it was such a quirky student town--it was the kind of place where I could see myself living. Yesterday we did Camden Market and Covent Garden, and in the evening we went to see Billy Elliott on stage. It's one of the best shows I've seen so far--I think I cried twice from sadness and once from laughter. We had been planning on going to Wicked, but last minute changed our minds because Billy Elliott can really only be seen in London, and Wicked is everywhere. We definitely made the right choice. Today we went to Spitalfields Market in the East End before checking out the London Marathon at St. James's Park. Someone told us that Prince Harry was handing out the awards so that obviously was our motive for going, but we didn't end up seeing him and instead got to enjoy watching the runners in all of their crazy costumes cross the finish line. I could not do a marathon, and especially not in London rain. Molly left earlier this evening, and now I'm finally getting around to this and other homework.
I wish I had time to go into more detail about everything that's happened in the past couple of weeks, but I feel like you'd be sitting here for ages! It truly was a wonderful break, and I feel very blessed to have been able to do it. I have to admit I wouldn't choose to go on a cruise again, but it was really cool to see so many places and experience so many new things.
Anyway, I'm off to do my homework. Hope you all have a lovely week and I will see you soon!
Thursday, the 5th of April, we had a fieldtrip to the Tower of London. It was pretty cool, and I can now say I've seen the Crown Jewels, but it was a freezing cold day so it was a little harder to enjoy. Friday my friend Alissa and I embarked on a dessert tour of the city. We mapped it out ourselves, so if we were feeling too full we could skip out on a couple. We ended up splitting 8 desserts I think, and we finished with margaritas. It was so much fun, but I was definitely in a sugar coma by the end of it.
We left for Barcelona super early that Saturday (the joys of travelling with bargain airlines and from an airport an hour and half outside the city) and got there midday. Our hostel was way on the other side of the city, so we made the trek to drop our things off before exploring the city centre. Barcelona is absolutely beautiful--it has definitely made my favourite cities list. We saw the Sagrada Familia, a cathedral, and a bit of the famous Gaudi architecture before having bocadillas (sandwiches) at a little cafe. Afterwards we slowly made our way down Las Ramblas, the city's main market street that leads to the sea. At some point we ended up in a plaza, where there was a pillow fight going on among a crowd of Spanish students--it was so random, but really fun to watch. Then we wandered along by the sea, checking out the boats and watching the sunset. Barcelona was so much more laidback than London--no one was in a hurry and there was laughter everywhere. And I loved hearing Spanish all around me and being able to use the Spanish I know. I honestly have never been that drawn to Spain or Mexico--the culture just never really interested me. Being in Barcelona completely changed my mind though. I would so love to go back and spend more time in Spain. The next day, we slept in before spending the afternoon on the beach. Then we made the journey to the boat, which took much longer than planned. I was so happy to finally be on the boat! And it really was an incredible cruise ship--it was massive and so nice inside. Monday we were at sea all day, so it was the perfect day to lay by the pool. I definitely have never been a pool rat or the type of girl that sits outside all day just to get a tan, but I have to admit it was kind of nice to get lost in a book while sitting by a pool in the middle of the Mediterranean. That evening our meal was formal, so we got to get dressed up and feel like we weren't poor college students for a night.Tuesday we were in Tunisia, which is in North Africa. It was definitely not what I expected, not that I really know what I thought it was going to be like. We had planned on just staying in the port town to save money; the problem was that there was absolutely nothing in the port town and it really wasn't a very nice place. The other problem is that we really didn't think about dressing appropriately--Tunisia is a Muslim country, so we really should have worn jeans and long sleeves. We just got hassled the entire time, and it was making us all feel more than uncomfortable. So we turned around and went back to the boat. Wednesday we were in Malta, which was beautiful. We wandered around the centre of Valletta for a while, and then we decided to go on a sightseeing bus so that we could see a few more things. We stopped at some beautiful gardens and at the old capitol, and then found a little cafe for lunch. Thursday we were in Sicily, and it was such a beautiful day for such a beautiful city. We also met this old man who was on a cruise for four months that went around the world--he'd literally been everywhere. We talked to him for probably 20 minutes because he just had so many stories to tell and he was so nice. I honestly couldn't tell you what we all saw in Sicily, but it was all so pretty. Friday was Rome, but Abby and I didn't pay to go into the city since we'd both been there before. The port town wasn't very exciting and it was raining all day, so we had a very lazy day. Saturday was Genoa, another beautiful Italian city. And then we were back in Barcelona Sunday and flew back that night. We didn't get back to central London til after 3 in the morning, so we were definitely exhausted. I did laundry and semi-unpacked on Monday before heading to my aunts' that evening. For my birthday on Tuesday we went on a day trip to Bruges, in Belgium, on a coach tour Jenny found. It was a five hour journey each way, but it was so incredibly worth it. I've decided I'm moving there. It was just gorgeous--it reminded me a lot of Pella, but obviously better. We had a delicious lunch at a little sidewalk cafe, which was covered and warmed with outdoor heaters since it was so miserable out. I made sure to get frites with mayo for mum, and Jenny made me try the beer since it was my birthday. We even split a Belgian waffle later in the day, which was to die for. And I can't forget all the little chocolate shops that were on every street. Most of the architecture in Bruges is Gothic, but the storefronts and the houses looked very Dutch. I honestly could have spent weeks there and been happy. But we had to get back to London that night, so that we both could work in the morning.
We actually ended up not having to work on Wednesday, which was really frustrating but probably good at the same time so that I could get caught up with assignments and e-mails and graduation stuff. Thursday we had class all day, and then my friend Molly, who's doing her postgrad at Bangor, came to visit for the weekend. Friday we had a daytrip to Brighton, which was a lovely place. It's on the seaside, and it was such a quirky student town--it was the kind of place where I could see myself living. Yesterday we did Camden Market and Covent Garden, and in the evening we went to see Billy Elliott on stage. It's one of the best shows I've seen so far--I think I cried twice from sadness and once from laughter. We had been planning on going to Wicked, but last minute changed our minds because Billy Elliott can really only be seen in London, and Wicked is everywhere. We definitely made the right choice. Today we went to Spitalfields Market in the East End before checking out the London Marathon at St. James's Park. Someone told us that Prince Harry was handing out the awards so that obviously was our motive for going, but we didn't end up seeing him and instead got to enjoy watching the runners in all of their crazy costumes cross the finish line. I could not do a marathon, and especially not in London rain. Molly left earlier this evening, and now I'm finally getting around to this and other homework.
I wish I had time to go into more detail about everything that's happened in the past couple of weeks, but I feel like you'd be sitting here for ages! It truly was a wonderful break, and I feel very blessed to have been able to do it. I have to admit I wouldn't choose to go on a cruise again, but it was really cool to see so many places and experience so many new things.
Anyway, I'm off to do my homework. Hope you all have a lovely week and I will see you soon!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I hate thinking of titles.
It's April already! That was a major wake-up call on Sunday--and this last month is jam-packed with things to do.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty relaxed. I didn't have much to do for work last week, and we have this week and the following week off. Somehow I don't think that's how work goes in the real world....... but anyway. Wednesday night I went out with my friend Alissa, and we had so much fun--sometimes it's so much better to go in a small group, especially since we usually go out with a group of 15ish Americans. Thursday we had class all day--our Contemporary Britain class was actually interesting this week. For Religions we had a meditation tutor come in and he told us all about meditation and Buddhism. It was really interesting to hear his perspective, and it was very informative because I honestly knew next to nothing about Buddhism. We actually got to meditate too, which was definitely a new um, experience. I'm not very good at sitting still, but I totally see why people do it. The practice and the religion both emphasize that it's important to be very self-aware and to understand your position in the world, as well as to understand your own feelings and their effect on you. I kept thinking of it as looking at yourself from above, or stepping outside of yourself in order to get a better perspective on your own life. While I don't think I have the patience to meditate very often, I do think that the concepts and thoughts could be applicable to anyone.
Thursday night my friend Abi arrived--I cannot tell you how excited I was. I lived with Abi in Wales, and she still goes to university there. She's from England, so it had been a while since I'd seen her! It was so good to catch up on everything. We have the most ridiculously funny conversations--the kind that no one else would understand from the outside. Friday we went to the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, Harrods, we rode bikes through Hyde Park, bought groceries and came back for the evening. Saturday we did a bit of shopping, stopped by the Chocolate Fair on Southbank for delicious brownies, and went out with some of the other girls. Sunday we did Regent's Park, Primrose Hill, attempted the Sherlock Holmes museum but decided we didn't want to pay, Abbey Road, and M&M World. It was such an exhausting weekend, but it was probably the best weekend I've had in London so far. I definitely didn't want to send her back on the bus Sunday night. But, we just told ourselves that we still have plenty of time in our lives for more adventures together.
This week has been so lazy though--I literally don't have anything except a fieldtrip Thursday morning. The weather hasn't even been nice enough to spend the days outside. Tomorrow we are going to the Tower of London, and then some of us are going to go to the Imperial War Museum for one of our assignments--definitely will be getting my history fix. Friday Alissa and I are doing a dessert tour of London--I'm trying to prepare myself for sugar overload. I think we have 12 different places to go--maybe not the best idea to do before spring break, but whatever. I'm excited.
Saturday we leave for Barcelona for our cruise--I'm so excited for sunshine and warm weather. We go to Barcelona, Tunisia, Malta, 3 different places in Italy, and back to Barcelona. We're gone for kind of a long time, but I'm hoping it's a lot of fun anyway. And when I get back, I have all of 3 weeks left, and those 3 weeks are crazy busy so I know it'll go by fast. I have to admit though that I'm starting to be ready to go home--I think the travel bug has finally, almost worked its way through my system--for now anyway. I'm ready for a little bit more stability, and I miss my family and friends.
So you probably won't hear from me for a couple of weeks--I'll try to update as soon as I get back. Hope you have a wonderful Easter!
The last couple of weeks have been pretty relaxed. I didn't have much to do for work last week, and we have this week and the following week off. Somehow I don't think that's how work goes in the real world....... but anyway. Wednesday night I went out with my friend Alissa, and we had so much fun--sometimes it's so much better to go in a small group, especially since we usually go out with a group of 15ish Americans. Thursday we had class all day--our Contemporary Britain class was actually interesting this week. For Religions we had a meditation tutor come in and he told us all about meditation and Buddhism. It was really interesting to hear his perspective, and it was very informative because I honestly knew next to nothing about Buddhism. We actually got to meditate too, which was definitely a new um, experience. I'm not very good at sitting still, but I totally see why people do it. The practice and the religion both emphasize that it's important to be very self-aware and to understand your position in the world, as well as to understand your own feelings and their effect on you. I kept thinking of it as looking at yourself from above, or stepping outside of yourself in order to get a better perspective on your own life. While I don't think I have the patience to meditate very often, I do think that the concepts and thoughts could be applicable to anyone.
Thursday night my friend Abi arrived--I cannot tell you how excited I was. I lived with Abi in Wales, and she still goes to university there. She's from England, so it had been a while since I'd seen her! It was so good to catch up on everything. We have the most ridiculously funny conversations--the kind that no one else would understand from the outside. Friday we went to the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, Harrods, we rode bikes through Hyde Park, bought groceries and came back for the evening. Saturday we did a bit of shopping, stopped by the Chocolate Fair on Southbank for delicious brownies, and went out with some of the other girls. Sunday we did Regent's Park, Primrose Hill, attempted the Sherlock Holmes museum but decided we didn't want to pay, Abbey Road, and M&M World. It was such an exhausting weekend, but it was probably the best weekend I've had in London so far. I definitely didn't want to send her back on the bus Sunday night. But, we just told ourselves that we still have plenty of time in our lives for more adventures together.
This week has been so lazy though--I literally don't have anything except a fieldtrip Thursday morning. The weather hasn't even been nice enough to spend the days outside. Tomorrow we are going to the Tower of London, and then some of us are going to go to the Imperial War Museum for one of our assignments--definitely will be getting my history fix. Friday Alissa and I are doing a dessert tour of London--I'm trying to prepare myself for sugar overload. I think we have 12 different places to go--maybe not the best idea to do before spring break, but whatever. I'm excited.
Saturday we leave for Barcelona for our cruise--I'm so excited for sunshine and warm weather. We go to Barcelona, Tunisia, Malta, 3 different places in Italy, and back to Barcelona. We're gone for kind of a long time, but I'm hoping it's a lot of fun anyway. And when I get back, I have all of 3 weeks left, and those 3 weeks are crazy busy so I know it'll go by fast. I have to admit though that I'm starting to be ready to go home--I think the travel bug has finally, almost worked its way through my system--for now anyway. I'm ready for a little bit more stability, and I miss my family and friends.
So you probably won't hear from me for a couple of weeks--I'll try to update as soon as I get back. Hope you have a wonderful Easter!
Monday, March 26, 2012
London Bridge Might Be Falling Down Again...
Another week down. Where is the time going? It's crazy to think that I really only have 6 weeks left here.
This week was much calmer than the last, thank goodness. Even work was quiet, which I have to admit was a relief. And we had Thursday afternoon off from Religions, so it really was a fairly uneventful week. Friday a few other girls and I spent the day in Kingston wandering and talking--it was nice just to hang out in the sunshine and enjoy being outside. Afterwards I headed to my aunt's for the weekend. Saturday we we went to Greenwich to make up my assignment from last week. We took a riverboat from Westminster Pier all the way down the Thames, which was really interesting. It was definitely bigger than the boat I work on in the summers........but same concept. They even had volunteer captains, just like the good old Empress. Greenwich was really cool, but it was absolutely packed. The weather here has been beautiful the last few days, and it seems like every single person in the city has been outside making the most of it. We could hardly move in the markets, let alone find an empty piece of grass to sit on. We finally decided to call it a day around 4 and got back on the boat. About halfway through the trip the guy doing the commentary said really casually 'hang on, there's going to be a little bump.' No one really took any notice, but two seconds later there was a gigantic bump as the boat rammed into London Bridge. A couple of people fell down inside the boat, my tea went all over my arm, and quite a few people screamed. The funny (or not so funny...) thing was that the guy just asked everyone if they were okay before continuing with his commentary! I was waiting for the boat to start sinking Titanic style. Seriously, who just steers a boat with nearly 200 people on it into a bridge? I thought about giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, that maybe a current swept him that way, but the boat hit the bridge head on. Anyway. Someone must have called the police because they were there when we docked....my guess is that the boat company is going to have a lot of questions to answer. Plus, there was a sizeable dent/paint damage on the boat. And who knows what damage it did to the bridge? Major oops. Sunday we went to Painshill Park to go walking with Jenny's friend Jane--it was a beautiful park. After we had a late lunch at a little organic cafe before driving around Epsom Downs, a horse racing facility. I do not understand the British obsession with horse races. And why would you dress up for it? Don't get it. Today we did a little shopping (trying to find that little brother of mine a birthday present...) and then I headed back to Vandon.
Since I had such a non-busy week, I had loads of time to think. I still don't know what I want to do, but that's okay. I'll graduate in May with a liberal arts degree that gives me the ability to do a multitude of things if I set my mind to them. I have at least ruled out grad school for now--I know that I would love it, but it's an expensive way to buy more time to decide what I want to do, and what would be the point if I don't have a specific career goal in mind yet anyway?
The other thing I've realised is that when I finally settle down, it won't be in the city. I have loved living in London the past few months, but honestly, I think it's exhausting. I dread going anywhere near the tube during rush hours, and our area is absolutely crawling with people on the weekends. Sometimes it's literally like I can't breathe it feels so crowded. I miss clean air and space and nature. Walking in Painshill Park this weekend really made me see that I won't be totally happy if I don't have those things. It makes sense, I did grow up swimming in the creek and feeding cows after all. And in Wales, I loved Outdoor Pursuits--the adrenaline of doing those things and the insanely beautiful places we went were just so amazing. At the same time, I don't think I want to be totally isolated from the excitement of a city either. I love the fact that there are museums and historical places and new things to see pretty much on my doorstep. So basically, I figured out that I want the best of both worlds, which is probably what everyone wants. Maybe it wasn't as cool of a realisation as I thought.
Anyway. I'll leave you with exciting news--my name is finally in print, in London. My name is on page 3 of this week's edition of This Is London, which you can all check out at www.til.com . It's not attached to a specific article, since articles in the magazine never do unless it's a review, but I did write a few of the pieces. Definitely a cool feeling.
Have a good week!
This week was much calmer than the last, thank goodness. Even work was quiet, which I have to admit was a relief. And we had Thursday afternoon off from Religions, so it really was a fairly uneventful week. Friday a few other girls and I spent the day in Kingston wandering and talking--it was nice just to hang out in the sunshine and enjoy being outside. Afterwards I headed to my aunt's for the weekend. Saturday we we went to Greenwich to make up my assignment from last week. We took a riverboat from Westminster Pier all the way down the Thames, which was really interesting. It was definitely bigger than the boat I work on in the summers........but same concept. They even had volunteer captains, just like the good old Empress. Greenwich was really cool, but it was absolutely packed. The weather here has been beautiful the last few days, and it seems like every single person in the city has been outside making the most of it. We could hardly move in the markets, let alone find an empty piece of grass to sit on. We finally decided to call it a day around 4 and got back on the boat. About halfway through the trip the guy doing the commentary said really casually 'hang on, there's going to be a little bump.' No one really took any notice, but two seconds later there was a gigantic bump as the boat rammed into London Bridge. A couple of people fell down inside the boat, my tea went all over my arm, and quite a few people screamed. The funny (or not so funny...) thing was that the guy just asked everyone if they were okay before continuing with his commentary! I was waiting for the boat to start sinking Titanic style. Seriously, who just steers a boat with nearly 200 people on it into a bridge? I thought about giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, that maybe a current swept him that way, but the boat hit the bridge head on. Anyway. Someone must have called the police because they were there when we docked....my guess is that the boat company is going to have a lot of questions to answer. Plus, there was a sizeable dent/paint damage on the boat. And who knows what damage it did to the bridge? Major oops. Sunday we went to Painshill Park to go walking with Jenny's friend Jane--it was a beautiful park. After we had a late lunch at a little organic cafe before driving around Epsom Downs, a horse racing facility. I do not understand the British obsession with horse races. And why would you dress up for it? Don't get it. Today we did a little shopping (trying to find that little brother of mine a birthday present...) and then I headed back to Vandon.
Since I had such a non-busy week, I had loads of time to think. I still don't know what I want to do, but that's okay. I'll graduate in May with a liberal arts degree that gives me the ability to do a multitude of things if I set my mind to them. I have at least ruled out grad school for now--I know that I would love it, but it's an expensive way to buy more time to decide what I want to do, and what would be the point if I don't have a specific career goal in mind yet anyway?
The other thing I've realised is that when I finally settle down, it won't be in the city. I have loved living in London the past few months, but honestly, I think it's exhausting. I dread going anywhere near the tube during rush hours, and our area is absolutely crawling with people on the weekends. Sometimes it's literally like I can't breathe it feels so crowded. I miss clean air and space and nature. Walking in Painshill Park this weekend really made me see that I won't be totally happy if I don't have those things. It makes sense, I did grow up swimming in the creek and feeding cows after all. And in Wales, I loved Outdoor Pursuits--the adrenaline of doing those things and the insanely beautiful places we went were just so amazing. At the same time, I don't think I want to be totally isolated from the excitement of a city either. I love the fact that there are museums and historical places and new things to see pretty much on my doorstep. So basically, I figured out that I want the best of both worlds, which is probably what everyone wants. Maybe it wasn't as cool of a realisation as I thought.
Anyway. I'll leave you with exciting news--my name is finally in print, in London. My name is on page 3 of this week's edition of This Is London, which you can all check out at www.til.com . It's not attached to a specific article, since articles in the magazine never do unless it's a review, but I did write a few of the pieces. Definitely a cool feeling.
Have a good week!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
London Life
Phew. It has been a looooong week.
Work has been going pretty well, although it's starting to have its frustrating moments. Last Wednesday they literally told us to 'hold tight' until they found us something to do, which meant Holly and I were basically hanging around Vandon until they finally sent us work that had to be completed in the hour because of a press deadline. I'm starting to see the pressure and time constraints that are part of magazine publication, which are really quite stressful. I think it becomes even more stressful for us to be on the outside too, because we want to help as much as possible but we can't do anything really as we're not physically with them. This past week was a little more interesting. Tuesday we went to a press viewing of the Turner/Claude exhibition at the National Gallery, did some research, went to the Victoria & Albert Museum for a press viewing that actually wasn't happening for another couple of weeks, and did a lot of event research for the month of April.
Last weekend a group of us went to Liverpool for the weekend. I'd already been twice while I was in Wales, but it's one of my favourite cities so I was up for going again. We left London ridiculously early (the things you do for cheap train tickets..) and when we got there we met Regan, who is studying in Wales. We checked into our hostel, one I'd stayed at before and loved, before heading out to explore. We honestly didn't do much other than just wander, which was nice. It was a beautiful day, and it was good to catch up with Regan. That evening we cooked at the hostel, and attempted to go out but we were far too tired. Saturday morning we went to the World Museum before catching the train. I actually went to Bangor for the rest of the weekend, since one of my friends from Texas that was in the Central program with me (in Wales) was visiting for the week. I couldn't not go see her! Shireen is larger than life, and she is most definitely from Texas. She is so wonderful though. I also finally got to see my flatmate Abi, which was wonderful. And she's coming to stay with me in London next weekend-so excited! It was just so nice to catch up with such good friends. My friend Jessica from Central was also visiting Wales for her spring break, and she decided to come to London for the night on Monday. She had a whirlwind 24 hours in the city--definitely not enough time to see everything, but we packed quite a bit in.
Central's President, Dr. Putnam, was in London this week as well, along with his wife and one other person from Central. A group of us had lunch with him on Wednesday, and it was really interesting to hear what he had to say about study abroad as well as listen to what questions he had for us. I think it's really important and really awesome that the people who make the big decisions about our programs are taking the time to do this at every site. And it was a conversation--not an interview or a lecture, but an actual discussion. Dr. Putnam also met with Holly, Beth, and I later in the afternoon to talk about our internship. I felt bad for Beth--she was absolutely grilled about things that her mum would have been much better at answering. I'm pretty sure Beth is only a year older than I am and she's only officially been at the magazine for a year, but she answered everything well. Dr. Putnam mostly wanted to know what the magazine did and how it was run and how having interns was beneficial. Jen and Mark were both there too, so it felt very serious and grownup! It was cool though that we got to show him what we're doing though. Afterwards Jen, Beth, Holly, and I sat and had coffee by the river just to unwind.
Thursday was an extremely busy day. We had class all morning, barely had time to grab lunch at Vandon, and then had to be in the East End by 2 for Religions. We went to a Turkish mosque in Hackney, as we had started our unit on Islam. The mosque itself was beautiful--it was tiled with blue and aqua mosaic all over, which is typical of Turkish design. We spoke with a professor of Islam studies from a London university, and he told us a lot about the Muslim community in Britain and the internal changes and progress that Muslims are working on. We had to take our shoes off in the mosque, and all of the women had to wear headscarves, which is just a sign of respect. Afterwards we had a meal at a Turkish restaurant, which was really good but I didn't want to eat much since we were also having Indian food later in the evening. We were all basically sitting on the ground for the meal, with a table maybe two feet off the ground for our food. The president and crew had come with, so it was a little amusing to see us all squashed in this little cubicle around a table on the ground. We had just enough time to drop our things off at Vandon before heading to Brick Lane for our Indian/Pakistani meal with the program. By this time, I was starting to feel pretty awful. Flu-like sickness had been going around, and since Abby had had it earlier in the week I knew I was bound to get it. My voice got worse and worse throughout the day, and I was sooo congested. But I trooped through the meal, which was delicious but way too filling. We got back to Vandon about 9:30 that evening and I tried to read but I just couldn't--I was too tired. I woke up about four in the morning and decided there was no way I was going on our fieldtrip that day--it was only to Greenwich, but since it was an assignment for our blogs I'll have to make it up on my own time. I was just so achy and tired, and I could hardly breathe or talk. I didn't get out of bed til nearly one--anyone who knows me knows that I never do that. I finally ate something about five which made me feel better for a while before I crashed again.
I woke up feeling quite a bit better on Saturday, although I was still a little achy. Alissa and I got up at a decent time and went to Borough Market, London's upscale food market. It was like a high-class Des Moines Farmer's Market, if you can picture such a thing. There were so many free samples, and it was all so so so good. It actually wasn't that expensive either, so Alissa and I got inspired and bought food to make supper. We spent the afternoon in the big Waterstone's book store in Piccadilly, which was a perfect afternoon. I have to admit though the day wore me out, so I was more than tired by the time it was bedtime. Today, Sunday, we went to the big Hillsong church in London, which as our Religions professor described it is a 'rock for God' church. That was about right--definitely not my thing. It was interesting, but it was long and it just was not my kind of church. This afternoon I've just relaxed and tried to catch up after such a crazy week.
I've also been thinking a lot, almost too much, this week about what to do when I graduate. It's...terrifying to say the least. I hate not knowing what's next--I can be a little bit of a control freak when it comes to that kind of thing. I've found a lot of things I don't want to do, but not something that sounds like a good fit right away. Mum can attest to my panic--and her response was an e-mail with the subject Boss Mama--and it was probably exactly what I needed to hear. Still, Boss Mama. Hilarious.
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll try to update a little faster next time! I'm still laptop charger-less, so I've definitely been spending less time on the computer. And actually, that's probably a very good thing while I'm in London.
Much love :)
Work has been going pretty well, although it's starting to have its frustrating moments. Last Wednesday they literally told us to 'hold tight' until they found us something to do, which meant Holly and I were basically hanging around Vandon until they finally sent us work that had to be completed in the hour because of a press deadline. I'm starting to see the pressure and time constraints that are part of magazine publication, which are really quite stressful. I think it becomes even more stressful for us to be on the outside too, because we want to help as much as possible but we can't do anything really as we're not physically with them. This past week was a little more interesting. Tuesday we went to a press viewing of the Turner/Claude exhibition at the National Gallery, did some research, went to the Victoria & Albert Museum for a press viewing that actually wasn't happening for another couple of weeks, and did a lot of event research for the month of April.
Last weekend a group of us went to Liverpool for the weekend. I'd already been twice while I was in Wales, but it's one of my favourite cities so I was up for going again. We left London ridiculously early (the things you do for cheap train tickets..) and when we got there we met Regan, who is studying in Wales. We checked into our hostel, one I'd stayed at before and loved, before heading out to explore. We honestly didn't do much other than just wander, which was nice. It was a beautiful day, and it was good to catch up with Regan. That evening we cooked at the hostel, and attempted to go out but we were far too tired. Saturday morning we went to the World Museum before catching the train. I actually went to Bangor for the rest of the weekend, since one of my friends from Texas that was in the Central program with me (in Wales) was visiting for the week. I couldn't not go see her! Shireen is larger than life, and she is most definitely from Texas. She is so wonderful though. I also finally got to see my flatmate Abi, which was wonderful. And she's coming to stay with me in London next weekend-so excited! It was just so nice to catch up with such good friends. My friend Jessica from Central was also visiting Wales for her spring break, and she decided to come to London for the night on Monday. She had a whirlwind 24 hours in the city--definitely not enough time to see everything, but we packed quite a bit in.
Central's President, Dr. Putnam, was in London this week as well, along with his wife and one other person from Central. A group of us had lunch with him on Wednesday, and it was really interesting to hear what he had to say about study abroad as well as listen to what questions he had for us. I think it's really important and really awesome that the people who make the big decisions about our programs are taking the time to do this at every site. And it was a conversation--not an interview or a lecture, but an actual discussion. Dr. Putnam also met with Holly, Beth, and I later in the afternoon to talk about our internship. I felt bad for Beth--she was absolutely grilled about things that her mum would have been much better at answering. I'm pretty sure Beth is only a year older than I am and she's only officially been at the magazine for a year, but she answered everything well. Dr. Putnam mostly wanted to know what the magazine did and how it was run and how having interns was beneficial. Jen and Mark were both there too, so it felt very serious and grownup! It was cool though that we got to show him what we're doing though. Afterwards Jen, Beth, Holly, and I sat and had coffee by the river just to unwind.
Thursday was an extremely busy day. We had class all morning, barely had time to grab lunch at Vandon, and then had to be in the East End by 2 for Religions. We went to a Turkish mosque in Hackney, as we had started our unit on Islam. The mosque itself was beautiful--it was tiled with blue and aqua mosaic all over, which is typical of Turkish design. We spoke with a professor of Islam studies from a London university, and he told us a lot about the Muslim community in Britain and the internal changes and progress that Muslims are working on. We had to take our shoes off in the mosque, and all of the women had to wear headscarves, which is just a sign of respect. Afterwards we had a meal at a Turkish restaurant, which was really good but I didn't want to eat much since we were also having Indian food later in the evening. We were all basically sitting on the ground for the meal, with a table maybe two feet off the ground for our food. The president and crew had come with, so it was a little amusing to see us all squashed in this little cubicle around a table on the ground. We had just enough time to drop our things off at Vandon before heading to Brick Lane for our Indian/Pakistani meal with the program. By this time, I was starting to feel pretty awful. Flu-like sickness had been going around, and since Abby had had it earlier in the week I knew I was bound to get it. My voice got worse and worse throughout the day, and I was sooo congested. But I trooped through the meal, which was delicious but way too filling. We got back to Vandon about 9:30 that evening and I tried to read but I just couldn't--I was too tired. I woke up about four in the morning and decided there was no way I was going on our fieldtrip that day--it was only to Greenwich, but since it was an assignment for our blogs I'll have to make it up on my own time. I was just so achy and tired, and I could hardly breathe or talk. I didn't get out of bed til nearly one--anyone who knows me knows that I never do that. I finally ate something about five which made me feel better for a while before I crashed again.
I woke up feeling quite a bit better on Saturday, although I was still a little achy. Alissa and I got up at a decent time and went to Borough Market, London's upscale food market. It was like a high-class Des Moines Farmer's Market, if you can picture such a thing. There were so many free samples, and it was all so so so good. It actually wasn't that expensive either, so Alissa and I got inspired and bought food to make supper. We spent the afternoon in the big Waterstone's book store in Piccadilly, which was a perfect afternoon. I have to admit though the day wore me out, so I was more than tired by the time it was bedtime. Today, Sunday, we went to the big Hillsong church in London, which as our Religions professor described it is a 'rock for God' church. That was about right--definitely not my thing. It was interesting, but it was long and it just was not my kind of church. This afternoon I've just relaxed and tried to catch up after such a crazy week.
I've also been thinking a lot, almost too much, this week about what to do when I graduate. It's...terrifying to say the least. I hate not knowing what's next--I can be a little bit of a control freak when it comes to that kind of thing. I've found a lot of things I don't want to do, but not something that sounds like a good fit right away. Mum can attest to my panic--and her response was an e-mail with the subject Boss Mama--and it was probably exactly what I needed to hear. Still, Boss Mama. Hilarious.
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll try to update a little faster next time! I'm still laptop charger-less, so I've definitely been spending less time on the computer. And actually, that's probably a very good thing while I'm in London.
Much love :)
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Paris!
This post isn't just Paris. That was just the highlight of last week. :)
Last Sunday, the 26, we had to go to two different church services for my Religions course. In the morning we went to a Unitarian Church in Hampstead which is in North London, and in the evening we went to an evangelical service. It was definitely an interesting contrast between two forms of Christianity. In between services, Alissa and I rode bikes again because it seemed silly to waste the day inside again.
Monday I caught up with a few things and then went to Covent Garden for a while just to look. On Mondays the market is entirely antiques, which was cool but not exactly my thing. On my way back though I stumbled upon a map shop---so awesome. I probably spent an hour in there just looking through all the travel books and different guides and maps they had.
Tuesday I had my work placement; we had to pick up information from a few different places before meeting Julie at the National Gallery cafe. She went over some press releases with us and gave us a few other things to do. That evening the program paid for us to go on a Jack the Ripper Tour in the East End, which wasn't scary but was really gory.
Wednesday for work placement Julie had us go to Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, two of London's most expensive department stores. I don't think I've ever felt so poor in my life. They were both still really fun to walk around though--they really are more about the experience than the shopping. I especially liked Fortnum & Mason; it was really quirky and fun compared to Harrods. I was so mad though to find out that the Queen and Kate were there the following day though! We literally just missed them. That night I hung out with a few girls for Abby T's birthday--it was her 5th birthday since she was a Leap Year baby.
Thursday we had lectures all morning which were about the monarchy--it was kind of interesting. I feel bad that I don't like these classes (Contemporary Britain), because they SHOULD be really good. Our lecturers though are just so dull. In the afternoon we had Religions, in which we went over our church visits and watched a couple of documentaries that explained the theology behind them a bit more.
Friday we had a day trip with the program to Canterbury and Leeds Castle. In Canterbury we had a tour of the cathedral, which was really beautiful. Then Abby and I found a little tea shop and had cream tea--soo good. Then we wandered the high street a little before heading back to the bus. We drove through Dover to see the cliffs before arriving at Leeds Castle. I wasn't really that excited to go, because I saw sooo many castles in Wales. But, this was the first castle I saw with a moat, and this castle had peacocks which obviously made it cool. It was kind of strange inside as it had been lived in until the mid 1900s. There also was a maze outside, which was so annoying because everyone that made it to the middle before us could see us struggling. Then we headed back to London. I had loads to do before Paris--laundry, planning, packing. Plus I wanted to go to bed early, because we left London at 4 am!
So Saturday Lindsey, Mallory, and I caught the bus from Victoria Rail Station at 4, which got us to Luton Airport at 5am. We went through security and then boarded the plane. We were so tired, but it was so hard to sleep with people talking all around us. We got to Charles de Gaulle, and then we had to figure out how on earth we were getting to the city centre. We finally decided on a bus that dropped us off at Opera, which sounded like a good idea until we got off and had no idea where we were. We literally walked in circles for an hour--we actually asked this random bus driver and he just made hand gestures in circles since he didn't speak English. Finally we decided to just hop on the metro. We got off at the Louvre and walked around the outside before finding a cafe for lunch--we were SO hungry by then. Then we walked along the Champs-Elysees, a famous street, to the Arc de Triomphe. Then we spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance, so we headed that direction. I can't tell you how excited I was to finally be there. It was just amazing. We walked up part of it--so many stairs! But it was definitely worth it for the view. Then we went to the hostel to drop our backpacks off before heading right back to do an evening bike tour. One of our friends had done the tour before and said it was awesome, so we thought we would check it out. I am so glad we did--we got to see so much of Paris that we wouldn't have otherwise. We were so cold (this genius didn't take a coat.......) and we hadn't had any supper, but it was so cool to see the city by night. The tour ended with a riverboat cruise on the Seine, which was the perfect way to end the day. We grabbed food and then headed back to our very sketchy hostel. The worst bit of where we stayed was waking up the next morning to find that the bathrooms outside our room had flooded, and no one had cleaned it up. So gross. Our room was pretty awful and the other bathrooms weren't very clean, so we didn't even shower and just got out of there. We took the metro up to see the Sacre-Coeur, a beautiful church in the Montmartre area. It sits on a hill and overlooks the city, which made for incredible views. Montmartre is a really interesting neighbourhood so we spent most of the day there. There were markets, loads of good restaurants, and an entire square where artists just sat painting. We had time so we ventured to see Moulin Rouge, but we scooted out of there as soon as we realized what it was. Then we had to figure out how to get back to the airport. We made it to the central train station, but when we got there there was no one at any of the ticket desks and the self-serve ticket machines wouldn't take our cards or cash. We were starting to panic when a lady came up and asked us if we needed help. We told her what was going on, and she just handed us three tickets that would get us to the airport. We tried to pay her but she wouldn't let us--it was definitely a pay it forward moment. We had encountered a few fairly rude French people, but she more than made up for them. We got back to London with no problems, and I absolutely crashed, as in I was asleep before 10. I'm so glad I decided to go. I was cold, hungry, tired, and unshowered for the entire weekend, but it was worth it for Paris.
Monday I slept in, ran errands, and tried to work on my papers. Then I went to Aunt Jenny's for the evening, and we went to her friend Manju's for Thai takeaway with her family. It was so nice to relax and be taken care of after the weekend.
Phew.
I will have pictures from Paris soon, but my laptop charger decided to not work as of Sunday, so I can't use my own computer at the moment. As soon as I get that sorted I'll post them!
Hope you all are having a lovely week and enjoying the warm Iowa weather!
Last Sunday, the 26, we had to go to two different church services for my Religions course. In the morning we went to a Unitarian Church in Hampstead which is in North London, and in the evening we went to an evangelical service. It was definitely an interesting contrast between two forms of Christianity. In between services, Alissa and I rode bikes again because it seemed silly to waste the day inside again.
Monday I caught up with a few things and then went to Covent Garden for a while just to look. On Mondays the market is entirely antiques, which was cool but not exactly my thing. On my way back though I stumbled upon a map shop---so awesome. I probably spent an hour in there just looking through all the travel books and different guides and maps they had.
Tuesday I had my work placement; we had to pick up information from a few different places before meeting Julie at the National Gallery cafe. She went over some press releases with us and gave us a few other things to do. That evening the program paid for us to go on a Jack the Ripper Tour in the East End, which wasn't scary but was really gory.
Wednesday for work placement Julie had us go to Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, two of London's most expensive department stores. I don't think I've ever felt so poor in my life. They were both still really fun to walk around though--they really are more about the experience than the shopping. I especially liked Fortnum & Mason; it was really quirky and fun compared to Harrods. I was so mad though to find out that the Queen and Kate were there the following day though! We literally just missed them. That night I hung out with a few girls for Abby T's birthday--it was her 5th birthday since she was a Leap Year baby.
Thursday we had lectures all morning which were about the monarchy--it was kind of interesting. I feel bad that I don't like these classes (Contemporary Britain), because they SHOULD be really good. Our lecturers though are just so dull. In the afternoon we had Religions, in which we went over our church visits and watched a couple of documentaries that explained the theology behind them a bit more.
Friday we had a day trip with the program to Canterbury and Leeds Castle. In Canterbury we had a tour of the cathedral, which was really beautiful. Then Abby and I found a little tea shop and had cream tea--soo good. Then we wandered the high street a little before heading back to the bus. We drove through Dover to see the cliffs before arriving at Leeds Castle. I wasn't really that excited to go, because I saw sooo many castles in Wales. But, this was the first castle I saw with a moat, and this castle had peacocks which obviously made it cool. It was kind of strange inside as it had been lived in until the mid 1900s. There also was a maze outside, which was so annoying because everyone that made it to the middle before us could see us struggling. Then we headed back to London. I had loads to do before Paris--laundry, planning, packing. Plus I wanted to go to bed early, because we left London at 4 am!
So Saturday Lindsey, Mallory, and I caught the bus from Victoria Rail Station at 4, which got us to Luton Airport at 5am. We went through security and then boarded the plane. We were so tired, but it was so hard to sleep with people talking all around us. We got to Charles de Gaulle, and then we had to figure out how on earth we were getting to the city centre. We finally decided on a bus that dropped us off at Opera, which sounded like a good idea until we got off and had no idea where we were. We literally walked in circles for an hour--we actually asked this random bus driver and he just made hand gestures in circles since he didn't speak English. Finally we decided to just hop on the metro. We got off at the Louvre and walked around the outside before finding a cafe for lunch--we were SO hungry by then. Then we walked along the Champs-Elysees, a famous street, to the Arc de Triomphe. Then we spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance, so we headed that direction. I can't tell you how excited I was to finally be there. It was just amazing. We walked up part of it--so many stairs! But it was definitely worth it for the view. Then we went to the hostel to drop our backpacks off before heading right back to do an evening bike tour. One of our friends had done the tour before and said it was awesome, so we thought we would check it out. I am so glad we did--we got to see so much of Paris that we wouldn't have otherwise. We were so cold (this genius didn't take a coat.......) and we hadn't had any supper, but it was so cool to see the city by night. The tour ended with a riverboat cruise on the Seine, which was the perfect way to end the day. We grabbed food and then headed back to our very sketchy hostel. The worst bit of where we stayed was waking up the next morning to find that the bathrooms outside our room had flooded, and no one had cleaned it up. So gross. Our room was pretty awful and the other bathrooms weren't very clean, so we didn't even shower and just got out of there. We took the metro up to see the Sacre-Coeur, a beautiful church in the Montmartre area. It sits on a hill and overlooks the city, which made for incredible views. Montmartre is a really interesting neighbourhood so we spent most of the day there. There were markets, loads of good restaurants, and an entire square where artists just sat painting. We had time so we ventured to see Moulin Rouge, but we scooted out of there as soon as we realized what it was. Then we had to figure out how to get back to the airport. We made it to the central train station, but when we got there there was no one at any of the ticket desks and the self-serve ticket machines wouldn't take our cards or cash. We were starting to panic when a lady came up and asked us if we needed help. We told her what was going on, and she just handed us three tickets that would get us to the airport. We tried to pay her but she wouldn't let us--it was definitely a pay it forward moment. We had encountered a few fairly rude French people, but she more than made up for them. We got back to London with no problems, and I absolutely crashed, as in I was asleep before 10. I'm so glad I decided to go. I was cold, hungry, tired, and unshowered for the entire weekend, but it was worth it for Paris.
Monday I slept in, ran errands, and tried to work on my papers. Then I went to Aunt Jenny's for the evening, and we went to her friend Manju's for Thai takeaway with her family. It was so nice to relax and be taken care of after the weekend.
Phew.
I will have pictures from Paris soon, but my laptop charger decided to not work as of Sunday, so I can't use my own computer at the moment. As soon as I get that sorted I'll post them!
Hope you all are having a lovely week and enjoying the warm Iowa weather!
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