I have settled into my semester routine, and it seems to be working just fine for me. Even though I don't have class until 12:30pm Tuesdays/Thursdays and 2pm (now that I dropped the waste of a time psych class) Mondays/Wednesdays, I have meetings and work every morning, so at least I'm not turning into a complete lazy bum. This semester's classes seem very manageable, with the most difficult most likely going to be Cognitive Development in Children. I didn't do so hot in Developmental Psych, and this class has a lot to do with topics covered in that class, but hopefully I'll fare better this time around. One of my classes, Politics of the Media, is going to be very enjoyable for me. It's all about Media's coverage and, in some cases manipulation (cough Fox News cough) of political issues. My professor is kinda dull and harsh when someone brings up a point she doesn't agree with, but the students in my class all are talkative and bring up good points for discussion, such as yesterday when we talked about "what defines stupidity" and whether or not political ignorance is included in that. I argued that it is not, because not everyone cares about politics, or has time to watch CNN or MSNBC. Many disagreed with me, but I think they were just trying to please my teacher, who, as a media and political expert, of course disagreed. Not everyone grew up in a house where political discussions were the norm, such as my house, so how can we define these people as stupid just because they don't know who Robert Gates is, or who the PM of Great Britain is? And no, every student in my class, it is not Gordon Brown. If they don't know who Barack Obama is, then yea, they're stupid, but more in depth stuff can arguably just be lack of interest.
It's the first long weekend of the year coming up, and of course, I am on-call. I normally would have probably gone home, but oh well, one more weekend of watching drunk freshman stumble home!
Cheers!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Senior year has begun!
Now that the chaos of training and freshman move-in is over, I can finally start enjoying the start of my senior year! So far, everything seems to be going very well (knock on wood). I love my residents, they seem like a great bunch. Phi Mu had a very successful recruitment... we made quota, plus 2!! The new phi's seem really great so far, and 3 of them live in my community in Jones, so I'm really excited about that. So far no roommate, just one empty space on the other side of the room that I cannot wait to decorate! We have been instructed not to move anything on that side until Sept. 15th, so I am eagerly awaiting that date.
The more that I move back into the swing of things, the more I realize that I changed a lot this summer, as cliché as it is to say after a semester abroad. I feel much more outgoing and much more positive. I was so much calmer last week compared to last year, and have found myself really enjoying working both the desk and being a CA more than I ever have, which is great. Last night we took our residents to the Tiger Walk, a 15 year old Mizzou tradition that starts with the Freshman class walking through the columns on the quad towards Jesse Hall the eve before class starts, and will end in May with the Seniors walking towards "the real world". I didn't do this my freshman year and kick myself every day for it. I watched from the sidelines last night and it was so great to see all of the freshman run through the columns, eager to start college. There are lots of pictures on my facebook, check them out!
I had my first 2 classes today, Cognitive Psychology and Trends in World Cinema. Cognitive Psychology makes me worried because I feel like it is going to be a waste of time. We have no tests, just one paper on anything to do with Cognition. I feel like, even though I don't necessarily like cognition, this is an important class for me to take since I am thinking about specializing in the brain, but I'm not going to learn anything. We'll see though, it could be ok... I hope. Trends in World cinema will be great for me. I love watching foreign films, and the teacher seems really fun and laid back. Plus, a girl from South Hampton, England (about an hour from London) is in my class, so I already love it, haha. Tomorrow I have Childhood Cognition, social psychology, and politics of the media. Lots of psych and sociology classes this semester, I can't wait! I hope I stay this positive about the semester, although I might just be on a high from celebrating the end of training...
Cheers!
The more that I move back into the swing of things, the more I realize that I changed a lot this summer, as cliché as it is to say after a semester abroad. I feel much more outgoing and much more positive. I was so much calmer last week compared to last year, and have found myself really enjoying working both the desk and being a CA more than I ever have, which is great. Last night we took our residents to the Tiger Walk, a 15 year old Mizzou tradition that starts with the Freshman class walking through the columns on the quad towards Jesse Hall the eve before class starts, and will end in May with the Seniors walking towards "the real world". I didn't do this my freshman year and kick myself every day for it. I watched from the sidelines last night and it was so great to see all of the freshman run through the columns, eager to start college. There are lots of pictures on my facebook, check them out!
I had my first 2 classes today, Cognitive Psychology and Trends in World Cinema. Cognitive Psychology makes me worried because I feel like it is going to be a waste of time. We have no tests, just one paper on anything to do with Cognition. I feel like, even though I don't necessarily like cognition, this is an important class for me to take since I am thinking about specializing in the brain, but I'm not going to learn anything. We'll see though, it could be ok... I hope. Trends in World cinema will be great for me. I love watching foreign films, and the teacher seems really fun and laid back. Plus, a girl from South Hampton, England (about an hour from London) is in my class, so I already love it, haha. Tomorrow I have Childhood Cognition, social psychology, and politics of the media. Lots of psych and sociology classes this semester, I can't wait! I hope I stay this positive about the semester, although I might just be on a high from celebrating the end of training...
Cheers!
Monday, August 9, 2010
reslife ate my life
Ever since I have been back from London, reslife has pretty much taken over my life. The past two weeks were spent making schedules, manuals and preparing to move into Jones. Fortunately, the move was not as stressful as I thought it would be in big part to my awesome sisters Blake and Jessica who helped me move my stuff from North to Jones. I moved in on Saturday and have been going going going ever since. Yesterday, Sunday, was the start of training, and it was a lot less stressful as I thought it would be. Unfortunately, though, the stress caught up to me today and I have had a sour mood all day. As training goes along I am realizing all of the stuff I have to do before Friday and it is really stressing me out, so I decided to take a break from that and keep up with my promise to keep my blog going. Hope you all enjoy the new lay out. I decided a peaceful tone would be good to keep my spirits up.
I think the biggest challenge this week isn't going to be time management with my 2 jobs, but with my friends. I feel like they don't understand how stressed and extremely busy I am, so when I don't respond to a text or say I don't want to go out they get annoyed, which really is just making me more upset. I of course want to see them all, but I can't balance a social life with everything else I have to do. So sorry friends, I'm not going out all week, period.
My room in Jones is so much smaller than I expected, but I guess it's ok because it will just be extra cozy! My bed is seriously the most comfortable bed ever, though, so that's good. Jones is turning out to be a great time... but we don't have residents yet. And I'm not kidding when I say this, I'm really excited for them to move in! This year will be a lot different from last summer as a CA in College Avenue because I will have so much more time to bond with my residents, not to mention they won't all be football players. As far as the rest of Jones goes, I love all of the staff members, I can tell we are going to have a great year together, and I think that we will all be really supportive of each other also, so I look forward to that as well. We are all bracing ourselves to have roommates, which will stink but it will only be temporary (hopefully).
Sorry for the really crappy post, just needed to vent a bit! Hopefully they will pick up in excitement. Time to finish unpacking my room!
Cheers!
I think the biggest challenge this week isn't going to be time management with my 2 jobs, but with my friends. I feel like they don't understand how stressed and extremely busy I am, so when I don't respond to a text or say I don't want to go out they get annoyed, which really is just making me more upset. I of course want to see them all, but I can't balance a social life with everything else I have to do. So sorry friends, I'm not going out all week, period.
My room in Jones is so much smaller than I expected, but I guess it's ok because it will just be extra cozy! My bed is seriously the most comfortable bed ever, though, so that's good. Jones is turning out to be a great time... but we don't have residents yet. And I'm not kidding when I say this, I'm really excited for them to move in! This year will be a lot different from last summer as a CA in College Avenue because I will have so much more time to bond with my residents, not to mention they won't all be football players. As far as the rest of Jones goes, I love all of the staff members, I can tell we are going to have a great year together, and I think that we will all be really supportive of each other also, so I look forward to that as well. We are all bracing ourselves to have roommates, which will stink but it will only be temporary (hopefully).
Sorry for the really crappy post, just needed to vent a bit! Hopefully they will pick up in excitement. Time to finish unpacking my room!
Cheers!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Time to end a great summer
I’m writing this post on my flight home to Chicago. I have never dreaded going to Chicago before, so it is a very weird feeling wanting to stay put and not go home. The past 8 weeks have been some of the most amazing I’ve had in my life, and definitely the best I have had in recent history. Throughout the trip I kept reminding myself of how fortunate I was able to study abroad, what with all the turmoil my family has been put through these past 2 years. Whenever I would see a spectacular view, beautiful church or a captivating painting I would always think back to my life the past 2 years and how much I deserved to be in Europe. I am beyond grateful to my parents for helping me financially this summer, and couldn’t have had a better experience if possible. I saw so much, learned a lot (not by my class, though) and had a lot of great experiences. I feel more cultured than I have ever been, much more open minded, and much more broke, haha. It’s taken a lot of pondering, but I have decided that the top three things I will miss in London will be the bus, Bulmer’s cider, and open air markets. I loved the bus because it was a cheap, easy way to get around and a good way to see the sites while travelling to various places, something the tube does not allow you to do. Bulmer’s cider is a delicious hard cider that is not sold in the US, in fact I don’t think any is sold except in a select few liquor stores around the country. It’s a really crisp and refreshing drink, my favorite to get. I’ve heard the US sells Strongbow, another cider, but I don’t like this one as much. Finally, open air markets, such as Portobello Road and Brick Lane, are places that various venders will sell goods for cheap such as fruits, antiques, clothes, art, ect. They are a really good way to experience British culture because Saturday and Sunday are market days, and all the Londoners go out to the market. Obviously there are tourists there as well, especially at Portobello Road, but the majority of the people are Londoners. Speaking of tourists, this trip has made me hate them. I don’t live in downtown Chicago, so I don’t get much interaction with tourists, thank God, but I definitely did this summer. They are so annoying, frustrating and have an air of entitlement about them. Now I do realize I was often in tourist mode, but being surrounded by them taught me how to travel and not act like a complete tool.
London is now my second favorite city, behind Chicago, of course. Brussels used to be number 3, but then I went to Edinburgh, and that fast jumped the ranks. Basically, I love, love, love Europe. This was not my first time there, but I got to experience it in a different way by actually living in Europe. It is so much more relaxed than the states, even in London. The people are much friendlier, and are very informed on almost everything to do with global and local news, so definitely my kind of people. I don’t think I would ever want to permanently move to London, but if I wasn’t such a home body, and didn’t like my family as much as I do, I would probably try to go to grad school there or have a first job there. The atmosphere is so wonderful, I miss it already. Leaving was so hard to do. As my car mates and I left Palace court, we started waving to various things that had good stories and memories. Notting Hill gate, Café Diana, Tex-Mex, Old Swan, Tesco, I’m going to miss all of it.
Saying goodbye to my London friends this morning was much more difficult than I thought it would be. Jess and I gave each other one look and the tears started. This is by far the best summer I have ever had, and I am so sad it is over. I am going to miss London so much, but I can’t dwell on that or else I will be glum for a very long time. I know I will miss London, but I will miss my friends even more. I had so much fun with them exploring London and Europe, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to be with. Last night Jess, Vinita and Shivani and I went to the club Sound to dance our sadness way. When we left, we spotted a busker playing the sax to Lady Gaga. We ended up dancing for another hour on the streets of Piccadilly Circus. It was the perfect end to a perfect trip!
I think I’ll miss my new sign off just as much as everything else… CHEERS!!!
London is now my second favorite city, behind Chicago, of course. Brussels used to be number 3, but then I went to Edinburgh, and that fast jumped the ranks. Basically, I love, love, love Europe. This was not my first time there, but I got to experience it in a different way by actually living in Europe. It is so much more relaxed than the states, even in London. The people are much friendlier, and are very informed on almost everything to do with global and local news, so definitely my kind of people. I don’t think I would ever want to permanently move to London, but if I wasn’t such a home body, and didn’t like my family as much as I do, I would probably try to go to grad school there or have a first job there. The atmosphere is so wonderful, I miss it already. Leaving was so hard to do. As my car mates and I left Palace court, we started waving to various things that had good stories and memories. Notting Hill gate, Café Diana, Tex-Mex, Old Swan, Tesco, I’m going to miss all of it.
Saying goodbye to my London friends this morning was much more difficult than I thought it would be. Jess and I gave each other one look and the tears started. This is by far the best summer I have ever had, and I am so sad it is over. I am going to miss London so much, but I can’t dwell on that or else I will be glum for a very long time. I know I will miss London, but I will miss my friends even more. I had so much fun with them exploring London and Europe, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to be with. Last night Jess, Vinita and Shivani and I went to the club Sound to dance our sadness way. When we left, we spotted a busker playing the sax to Lady Gaga. We ended up dancing for another hour on the streets of Piccadilly Circus. It was the perfect end to a perfect trip!
I think I’ll miss my new sign off just as much as everything else… CHEERS!!!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
OH YEA, I'm in London.
This will most likely be my last post while I'm in London. How sad is that? I hate the thought that in a week I will be sitting on my ass scratching my eyes out because not only will I be bored to death, Jack's cat Elliot will be living at my dad's, whom I'm extremely allergic to. Awesome. This thought has been surrounding me these past few days, which is why I have yet again switched on tourist mode so I can think back to London while I am in allergy hell.
Since I got back from Dublin, which was beautiful and a great trip, I have been going non-stop. I had my last class last Thursday, which was bittersweet because I really enjoyed my teachers and the class discussions we had about various plays, but I also didn't like the classes when we didn't discuss plays. But now I'm free of academic responsibilities... well I have a final Tuesday but I'm not worried about that. I have now hit every museum that I wanted to besides the National Portrait Gallery, which I thought I went to, but I was in the National Gallery the whole time. Whoops. But I've made time to go to that one, because I have heard it is amazing. Yesterday I went on a tour of Parliament. Holy crap is all I can say. It was amazingly beautiful and has so much history, which is still followed today. For instance, when the Queen opens Parliament (one of her few actual responsibilities), her representative in the House of Lords crosses over the hall to the opposite lying House of Commons to get the members of that house. When he reaches the door, it is promptly slammed in his face. This is to symbolize the fact that the Queen is not allowed in the House of Commons, and dates back to the 1600's when the English government began to move away from monarchy rule. One thing I realized yesterday, is that while the Queen is beloved by all Brits, she is not respected at all in the government. After the tour, Carrie and I returned to a time when King Henry the 8th did have total power when we went to Hampton Court Palace. SOOOO cool. I'm obsessed with Tudor history, so it was awesome for me to walk down the same corridors that this royal family did. What was really cool was how interactive the Palace was- they had a guy dressed up like King Henry, guards walking around, and women in period dresses. I loved it here, it was so beautiful.
Today was not as eventful. We went to the Sunday Up Market on Brick Lane, which was really cool. I only brought 10 pounds with me because my money is dwindling before my eyes, but I did find a really cool present for my cousin and enjoyed some kind of Asian food. I say that because it was served to me by a Chinese woman, but it was called Chicken Curry, but it was served with ramen noodles. It was good, whatever it was, though. After the market we all came back to the flat, and I took a 3 hour nap. Oopsie. This week will be full of more jam packed days of hitting London landmarks, a few more museums, and lots of tears because none of us want to leave. Oh yea, it will also be filled with BARCELONA!!!! I'm so excited for this trip, it is going to be completely stellar!! I'm going with my roommate Jessica and two other flat mates, Hallie and Vinita. I'm expecting getting burnt no matter what precautions I take, but hopefully I can avoid that fate.
Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer vacay! I really want to stay in London forever, but I am also excited to see my friends and family, and oddly I'm excited for training for Jones and bonding with that staff. I know I will regret that sentence when I have to wake up at 6:30am everyday for a week straight...
Cheers!
Since I got back from Dublin, which was beautiful and a great trip, I have been going non-stop. I had my last class last Thursday, which was bittersweet because I really enjoyed my teachers and the class discussions we had about various plays, but I also didn't like the classes when we didn't discuss plays. But now I'm free of academic responsibilities... well I have a final Tuesday but I'm not worried about that. I have now hit every museum that I wanted to besides the National Portrait Gallery, which I thought I went to, but I was in the National Gallery the whole time. Whoops. But I've made time to go to that one, because I have heard it is amazing. Yesterday I went on a tour of Parliament. Holy crap is all I can say. It was amazingly beautiful and has so much history, which is still followed today. For instance, when the Queen opens Parliament (one of her few actual responsibilities), her representative in the House of Lords crosses over the hall to the opposite lying House of Commons to get the members of that house. When he reaches the door, it is promptly slammed in his face. This is to symbolize the fact that the Queen is not allowed in the House of Commons, and dates back to the 1600's when the English government began to move away from monarchy rule. One thing I realized yesterday, is that while the Queen is beloved by all Brits, she is not respected at all in the government. After the tour, Carrie and I returned to a time when King Henry the 8th did have total power when we went to Hampton Court Palace. SOOOO cool. I'm obsessed with Tudor history, so it was awesome for me to walk down the same corridors that this royal family did. What was really cool was how interactive the Palace was- they had a guy dressed up like King Henry, guards walking around, and women in period dresses. I loved it here, it was so beautiful.
Today was not as eventful. We went to the Sunday Up Market on Brick Lane, which was really cool. I only brought 10 pounds with me because my money is dwindling before my eyes, but I did find a really cool present for my cousin and enjoyed some kind of Asian food. I say that because it was served to me by a Chinese woman, but it was called Chicken Curry, but it was served with ramen noodles. It was good, whatever it was, though. After the market we all came back to the flat, and I took a 3 hour nap. Oopsie. This week will be full of more jam packed days of hitting London landmarks, a few more museums, and lots of tears because none of us want to leave. Oh yea, it will also be filled with BARCELONA!!!! I'm so excited for this trip, it is going to be completely stellar!! I'm going with my roommate Jessica and two other flat mates, Hallie and Vinita. I'm expecting getting burnt no matter what precautions I take, but hopefully I can avoid that fate.
Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer vacay! I really want to stay in London forever, but I am also excited to see my friends and family, and oddly I'm excited for training for Jones and bonding with that staff. I know I will regret that sentence when I have to wake up at 6:30am everyday for a week straight...
Cheers!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Travel!
It’s been a while since my last post! Sorry, I’ve been busy traveling the globe ☺
I’m starting to write this post in Heathrow airport on my way to Dublin. I’ll be spending the night there tonight, and then I’m coming back to London tomorrow night! Quick trip, just me and my camera… I can’t wait. Of course, an added bonus is that with the conclusion of this trip I will be able to cross off “visit every (major) country in my heritage” from my bucket list. I started this one 5 years ago when I went to Germany with my high school choir, then completed phase two over the weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland, and will effectively complete stage three as I leave Dublin Ireland. Life is great right now!
Speaking of Edinburgh… OMG IT IS BEAUTIFUL!! I was not expecting it to be so stunning, but as we all walked off the train, our breaths were literally taken away (might have had something to do with the huge stair case we had to climb, but still). I absolutely loved it there, and made a point to tell my friends (who included my friends Jeff and Toni from another Arcadia residence, my roommate Melissa and two other flat mates Carrie and Vinita) how I felt a strong connection and sense of kinship to this country. They got annoyed fast, but I couldn’t help but jump for joy when I saw a bagpiper, rows of Scottish tartan shops, the beautiful highlands in the distance and firth of forth waterway. Soon after my group learned that I am of Lamont and Campbell decent, they began the scavenger hunt with me to find both tartans. I did, after a lot of search. Lamont is apparently very hard to find, but I did eventually find it. We also visited a couple of cemeteries and I was able to spot many Campbells, (of which, I would run up to and yell “hello possible clan member!” So much for “rest in peace.”) but no Lamonts. The trip to the cemeteries continued what turned into “accidental Harry Potter day.” At Kings Cross Melissa and Vinita found platform 9 ¾ (which I already visited) and I ended up listening to Harry Potter on audiobook on our train ride north, and that evidentially put some good nerdy luck in our shoes. When we arrived at our hostel we asked where a good place close to eat lunch was. The staff informed us of a cute little café down the road. Oh, and it just so happened to be the place where JK Rowling wrote several Harry Potter books. We all did a little dance and hopped to it. Later that night, after a long day of tartan shopping, castle exploring and scotch drinking, we decided to stop by the cemetery where a dog who supposedly stayed by his masters grave after he died is buried (Greyfriars Bobby, in case you were wondering). We walked through the kirk a bit, and low and behold, we come across Tom Riddle’s (Voldemort) grave and McGonagall’s. Check out the picture of me with a make shift wand in my Edinburgh(ah) photo album. Possibly the best picture every taken. Ever.
Sidenote- pear magners is not as good as pear bulmers, as I just learned on my flight.
Anywho… besides my world traveling, life in London has been great. I only have 10 days left before I go back to the states, so I need to do some serious sightseeing. The only major things I have left to do are Abbey Road and Parliament, which I have obviously seen, but want to tour it. I also still need to go to church at Westminster Abbey. This has been the plan since day one, but I’ve never made services yet. I will though… I think.
I hate to think of what my life will be like when I go back home- sitting on my ass watching TV, because what else is there to do? Oh, I guess I need to start WORK. Sigh, the thought of North/Center desk depresses me because my senior year is so close to starting, and I have no idea what my life will entail when May roles around again. Perhaps I’ll just have to come back to London!! (I can hear my parents sigh's an ocean away…)
I’m landing soon in Dublin… look out Ireland, this chick is whipping out her shamrock tattoo and showing some Irish pride!! Erin Go Bragh!
Cheers!
I’m starting to write this post in Heathrow airport on my way to Dublin. I’ll be spending the night there tonight, and then I’m coming back to London tomorrow night! Quick trip, just me and my camera… I can’t wait. Of course, an added bonus is that with the conclusion of this trip I will be able to cross off “visit every (major) country in my heritage” from my bucket list. I started this one 5 years ago when I went to Germany with my high school choir, then completed phase two over the weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland, and will effectively complete stage three as I leave Dublin Ireland. Life is great right now!
Speaking of Edinburgh… OMG IT IS BEAUTIFUL!! I was not expecting it to be so stunning, but as we all walked off the train, our breaths were literally taken away (might have had something to do with the huge stair case we had to climb, but still). I absolutely loved it there, and made a point to tell my friends (who included my friends Jeff and Toni from another Arcadia residence, my roommate Melissa and two other flat mates Carrie and Vinita) how I felt a strong connection and sense of kinship to this country. They got annoyed fast, but I couldn’t help but jump for joy when I saw a bagpiper, rows of Scottish tartan shops, the beautiful highlands in the distance and firth of forth waterway. Soon after my group learned that I am of Lamont and Campbell decent, they began the scavenger hunt with me to find both tartans. I did, after a lot of search. Lamont is apparently very hard to find, but I did eventually find it. We also visited a couple of cemeteries and I was able to spot many Campbells, (of which, I would run up to and yell “hello possible clan member!” So much for “rest in peace.”) but no Lamonts. The trip to the cemeteries continued what turned into “accidental Harry Potter day.” At Kings Cross Melissa and Vinita found platform 9 ¾ (which I already visited) and I ended up listening to Harry Potter on audiobook on our train ride north, and that evidentially put some good nerdy luck in our shoes. When we arrived at our hostel we asked where a good place close to eat lunch was. The staff informed us of a cute little café down the road. Oh, and it just so happened to be the place where JK Rowling wrote several Harry Potter books. We all did a little dance and hopped to it. Later that night, after a long day of tartan shopping, castle exploring and scotch drinking, we decided to stop by the cemetery where a dog who supposedly stayed by his masters grave after he died is buried (Greyfriars Bobby, in case you were wondering). We walked through the kirk a bit, and low and behold, we come across Tom Riddle’s (Voldemort) grave and McGonagall’s. Check out the picture of me with a make shift wand in my Edinburgh(ah) photo album. Possibly the best picture every taken. Ever.
Sidenote- pear magners is not as good as pear bulmers, as I just learned on my flight.
Anywho… besides my world traveling, life in London has been great. I only have 10 days left before I go back to the states, so I need to do some serious sightseeing. The only major things I have left to do are Abbey Road and Parliament, which I have obviously seen, but want to tour it. I also still need to go to church at Westminster Abbey. This has been the plan since day one, but I’ve never made services yet. I will though… I think.
I hate to think of what my life will be like when I go back home- sitting on my ass watching TV, because what else is there to do? Oh, I guess I need to start WORK. Sigh, the thought of North/Center desk depresses me because my senior year is so close to starting, and I have no idea what my life will entail when May roles around again. Perhaps I’ll just have to come back to London!! (I can hear my parents sigh's an ocean away…)
I’m landing soon in Dublin… look out Ireland, this chick is whipping out her shamrock tattoo and showing some Irish pride!! Erin Go Bragh!
Cheers!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Paris and Oxford
Today marks the midway point of my time in London, but I still have 27 more days of adventure! It looks like the month of July is going to be jam packed with trips, which is fine with me! I will be going to Edinburgh on July 9th, Dublin on July 13th, and possibly Barcelona on July 20th, depending on whether or not everyone can actually plan this trip. As you may or may not know, I have quite an extensive bucket list. I was able to cross something off of it this week, but more on that later. One of my to-do items is visit every major country in my heritage. With my upcoming trips to Scotland and Ireland, I will have completed this task, for the most part. After a conversation about my heritage with my mom tonight, I guess my family is polish as well. Melissa and I looked into a trip to Krakow, Poland, but with the political unrest in the country (and little desire to actually go to Poland) we decided it is too unsafe to travel there, as well as too expensive. But I'm still going to check it off my list, since I identify as German (which I visited in High School),Irish and Scottish.
As I touched on before, I was able to cross off something on my list with my trip to Paris. I planned on going to the Louvre the morning I left for London, but when I got there the line was too long, so I got a picture of the pyramid and walked around a bit. Good enough for me, since the one painting I really wanted to see, Starry Night, is in San Fransisco right now. Mission complete. The day before was simply wonderful. I was graciously able to stay with one of my sorority sisters, Lauren Bank in her hotel with her family. I got into Paris around 11pm, and then it took about an hour to get a taxi. Apparently, even if they are open, taxis are damn near impossible to hire. Alas, I somehow found my way to the hotel and crashed. We awoke bright and early the next day to see the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower. I was so pleased and grateful to be allowed to tag along with the Bank family, and had a great time spending the day with them. The palace was beautiful, as was the Eiffel Tower. We got to it around sunset, and it was stunning, so much bigger than I thought. Lauren's sister and brother climbed to the second landing, but the wimps (i.e. Lauren, Mr. Bank and his girlfriend, and I) waved at to them at the bottom as we waited for a lift to take us up. Since I was only in Paris for 40 hours, I was so pleased to go up there because from it's view I was able to see Notre Dame, the Arch de Triumph, and so much more that I did not have the time to see. I learned 2 phrases in french, "Je ne par le pas Frances" and "Parle vouz anglais?" translating to "I do not speak French" and "Do you speak English?" I did, however, practice my Spanish as one of my cabbies did not speak English, but did speak some Spanish. He was able to tell me that instead of taking me to my destination, the Louvre, he was going to be late for something and instead dropped me off in some random location and gave me walking directions. I guess he did not care that I a)spoke no French and b)had all of my luggage with me. None the less, I found my way there, and was able to walk around the city a bit, something I otherwise would not be able to do. Silver lining, eh?
Yesterday was spent in Oxford, England. Such a beautiful town, with awesome scholastic history. I've always said that Mizzou has the prettiest college campus, but I guess I was wrong, Oxford takes the gold. I bet we have a better basketball team, though :) Anyway, the trip was so fun, and we got to do a lot of sightseeing of Oxford, including a lot of Harry Potter sights, as evident by my "oh Bollocks" facebook album, which is now my favorite British saying, FYI.
This week was also great because I was finally able to talk to my parents. This is the longest I have gone in my whole life without talking to them, so I was thrilled to hear what's going on at home. I was pleased to learn that Jack got a new job, that dad got to see the Hawks parade, and that mom met VP Joe Biden. And who knows what Katie is up to, since she refuses to answer my calls, even though I told her to not ignore unknown numbers. Stop it, Stinky! On that note, if you do get an unknown number coming through, please answer because it might be me!
Stay tuned for more posts!
Cheers!
As I touched on before, I was able to cross off something on my list with my trip to Paris. I planned on going to the Louvre the morning I left for London, but when I got there the line was too long, so I got a picture of the pyramid and walked around a bit. Good enough for me, since the one painting I really wanted to see, Starry Night, is in San Fransisco right now. Mission complete. The day before was simply wonderful. I was graciously able to stay with one of my sorority sisters, Lauren Bank in her hotel with her family. I got into Paris around 11pm, and then it took about an hour to get a taxi. Apparently, even if they are open, taxis are damn near impossible to hire. Alas, I somehow found my way to the hotel and crashed. We awoke bright and early the next day to see the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower. I was so pleased and grateful to be allowed to tag along with the Bank family, and had a great time spending the day with them. The palace was beautiful, as was the Eiffel Tower. We got to it around sunset, and it was stunning, so much bigger than I thought. Lauren's sister and brother climbed to the second landing, but the wimps (i.e. Lauren, Mr. Bank and his girlfriend, and I) waved at to them at the bottom as we waited for a lift to take us up. Since I was only in Paris for 40 hours, I was so pleased to go up there because from it's view I was able to see Notre Dame, the Arch de Triumph, and so much more that I did not have the time to see. I learned 2 phrases in french, "Je ne par le pas Frances" and "Parle vouz anglais?" translating to "I do not speak French" and "Do you speak English?" I did, however, practice my Spanish as one of my cabbies did not speak English, but did speak some Spanish. He was able to tell me that instead of taking me to my destination, the Louvre, he was going to be late for something and instead dropped me off in some random location and gave me walking directions. I guess he did not care that I a)spoke no French and b)had all of my luggage with me. None the less, I found my way there, and was able to walk around the city a bit, something I otherwise would not be able to do. Silver lining, eh?
Yesterday was spent in Oxford, England. Such a beautiful town, with awesome scholastic history. I've always said that Mizzou has the prettiest college campus, but I guess I was wrong, Oxford takes the gold. I bet we have a better basketball team, though :) Anyway, the trip was so fun, and we got to do a lot of sightseeing of Oxford, including a lot of Harry Potter sights, as evident by my "oh Bollocks" facebook album, which is now my favorite British saying, FYI.
This week was also great because I was finally able to talk to my parents. This is the longest I have gone in my whole life without talking to them, so I was thrilled to hear what's going on at home. I was pleased to learn that Jack got a new job, that dad got to see the Hawks parade, and that mom met VP Joe Biden. And who knows what Katie is up to, since she refuses to answer my calls, even though I told her to not ignore unknown numbers. Stop it, Stinky! On that note, if you do get an unknown number coming through, please answer because it might be me!
Stay tuned for more posts!
Cheers!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Hats, shopping and clubbing, Oh my!
As I begin to feel more and more like a Londoner, all the little differences of American and England have increasingly become apparent. I've had the opportunity to observe some of these, mainly at our local pub, The Old Swan. For instance, apparently, in London, if you are an American proudly singing your national anthem after USA scores a goal to tie the game, you will get beer thrown on you and get death stares from the jerk who did it. Alas, I have had more pleasant experiences in my conversations, aside for the one when a drunken teenager got in an argument with me because I voted for Obama instead of, get this, RON PAUL, and then later tried to convince me that the American Government put bombs in the world trade center in order to make sure that the planes would destroy the buildings on 9/11. Keep in mind he said all of this while wearing a Yankees hat, and you can understand why he is not one of my British friends. A more intriguing conversation, however, was with a teen who is about to finish his A-levels, the English equivalent of graduating High School. In England, you choose your future career at around age 15, and are pretty much glued to this profession since changing career paths is very difficult. He and I discussed with pros and cons of both systems, with America offering more breadth of an education and choosing a career later in life, and decided that neither is better, but just different. One of my more enjoyable conversations, especially since earlier in the night the owners husband of the pub made fun of my tattoos and told me that I am only in England to "take a piss" at the locals, meaning I am only there to strut my American stuff and make fun of the Brits. Despite my trying to convince him otherwise, I did see his point when my group burst into song with the American Anthem....
Onto what I have been doing this week. Monday has turned into my tourist day. Melissa and I went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard ceremony and to check out my future home, of course. We also ventured to Parliament and Big Ben, as well as Westminster Abbey. Melissa paid to do the tour of the abbey, but in my quest to be frugal, I decided I would wait to see the inside and go on a Sunday for church, which I planned on doing today, but felt a little too hungover to pray. And with that nice segway... onto the clubs. Full of creepers, but so fun at the same time. Last night we went to the club Ministry of Sound. Drinks are ridiculously expensive at clubs, so we pre-gamed (or "pre-funked" as they say in Washington state, apparently)at the flat with the Old Swan bartenders, who came with us to the club. After an awkward encounter with our Graduate Resident, Philip (no worries, drinking is allowed in the flat, although I'm sure this very posh man did not appreciate his extremely drunk residents destroying his tea time...) we left for the club, an had a great time dancing and meeting up with some other Arcadia students and interns. It was definitely a fun night out for sure.
And now, the best part of my trip so far.. THE ROYAL ASCOT!! A horse race similar to the Kentucky Derby, but with far better hats, far better bets (I bet on the color of the queens hat instead of a horse... lost but oh well) and far better guests. Point in case: Queen Elizabeth was at one point 20 feet in front of me! I found an amazing fascinator to wear, and must say that life without a hat now is just not the same. We had some fun encounters with some boys from the country side helping us bet and some cockney language lessons from some old men (stairs in cockney are called apples and pears). I had so much fun, and even though I got a bit sunburned (sorry, poppy!) it was an amazing day to say the least. I hope that I get to go back one day! Check out my pictures on Facebook!
On a sadder note, I was given the news this week that one of my favorite teachers from LFCDS, Mr. Genger (Daddy G) died in his sleep. My thoughts and prayers have been with the Genger family all week. I wish I could be there on Tuesday to say a final goodbye.
I'm off to Paris this week Tuesday through Thursday to spend some time with Lauren Bank! Excited for my first trip, Au Revoir!
Onto what I have been doing this week. Monday has turned into my tourist day. Melissa and I went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard ceremony and to check out my future home, of course. We also ventured to Parliament and Big Ben, as well as Westminster Abbey. Melissa paid to do the tour of the abbey, but in my quest to be frugal, I decided I would wait to see the inside and go on a Sunday for church, which I planned on doing today, but felt a little too hungover to pray. And with that nice segway... onto the clubs. Full of creepers, but so fun at the same time. Last night we went to the club Ministry of Sound. Drinks are ridiculously expensive at clubs, so we pre-gamed (or "pre-funked" as they say in Washington state, apparently)at the flat with the Old Swan bartenders, who came with us to the club. After an awkward encounter with our Graduate Resident, Philip (no worries, drinking is allowed in the flat, although I'm sure this very posh man did not appreciate his extremely drunk residents destroying his tea time...) we left for the club, an had a great time dancing and meeting up with some other Arcadia students and interns. It was definitely a fun night out for sure.
And now, the best part of my trip so far.. THE ROYAL ASCOT!! A horse race similar to the Kentucky Derby, but with far better hats, far better bets (I bet on the color of the queens hat instead of a horse... lost but oh well) and far better guests. Point in case: Queen Elizabeth was at one point 20 feet in front of me! I found an amazing fascinator to wear, and must say that life without a hat now is just not the same. We had some fun encounters with some boys from the country side helping us bet and some cockney language lessons from some old men (stairs in cockney are called apples and pears). I had so much fun, and even though I got a bit sunburned (sorry, poppy!) it was an amazing day to say the least. I hope that I get to go back one day! Check out my pictures on Facebook!
On a sadder note, I was given the news this week that one of my favorite teachers from LFCDS, Mr. Genger (Daddy G) died in his sleep. My thoughts and prayers have been with the Genger family all week. I wish I could be there on Tuesday to say a final goodbye.
I'm off to Paris this week Tuesday through Thursday to spend some time with Lauren Bank! Excited for my first trip, Au Revoir!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Museums and Theatre galore
The theme of this week was museums. It rained everyday, so I decided to take advantage of the wonderful museums and galleries that London has to offer. The first one I went to was the Victoria and Albert museum in South Kensington. I enjoyed the cast collection that was there, but besides that, the whole museum was a little bit of a bore. However, my Phi Mu sisters will be interested to know that I had many quatrifoil sightings here! The next day Melissa, one of my roommates, and I traveled to the Natural History Museum. Everyone has been making such a fuss about this museum saying how amazing it is, but I have to say I was a little let down. I enjoyed the Dinosaurs, the biology exhibit, and the precious stone collection, but besides that, there wasn't much to see. I did, however, get to see the homunculus statues that I have learned far too much about by Dr. Christ, so that was fun.
At this point in my post you may be wondering if I have just had a terrible week. I did get a bit home sick in the beginning of the week, and really regretted not getting a phone that I can call home with, but I powered through and still found ways to enjoy the city. I decided that I needed a couple of "me" days, doing only things that I wanted, and alone. The first me day was spent at the Freud Museum. The psychology nerd in me forced me to travel all the way to Swiss Cottage, but I am very happy that I did. It was so cool to see the office that Freud worked in, especially the infamous couch his patients would lie on. I bought a mug for my future office, and a post card to send to my lab professor. All in all, this was definitely my favorite museum so far. I spent the second me day out shopping before my class. I went to Primark, a ridiculously cheap store in Oxford Circus, and finally bought some un-scratchy sheets. I decided to save the rest of my money and window shop, which was terribly difficult, but I was still able to enjoy the circus without buying too much.
Wednesday night Gordon and I met up with Sandy and saw the Queen musical, "We Will Rock You." AWFUL, TERRIBLE SHOW!! The actors singing was actually quite good, however the acting, plot, dancing, you name it was terrible. I enjoyed the music, after all it was Queen, but the show as a whole was just horrible. Waste of 28 pounds if you ask me. The next night made up for it, though. I went to see "After the Dance" with my class and teachers, which was a wonderful drama about British life after the first world war. Such a thought provoking show with interesting and complex characters, and brilliantly talent in each of them. The show was 3 hours but did not feel as long. It was definitely a good show for us to start with, as I am sure we are going to have a lively discussion on Tuesday about it.
Tomorrow I am off to Stonehenge and Bath, and then cheering on America at a Pub for the World cup. USA! USA! USA!
Cheers!
(ps- Go Hawks!)
At this point in my post you may be wondering if I have just had a terrible week. I did get a bit home sick in the beginning of the week, and really regretted not getting a phone that I can call home with, but I powered through and still found ways to enjoy the city. I decided that I needed a couple of "me" days, doing only things that I wanted, and alone. The first me day was spent at the Freud Museum. The psychology nerd in me forced me to travel all the way to Swiss Cottage, but I am very happy that I did. It was so cool to see the office that Freud worked in, especially the infamous couch his patients would lie on. I bought a mug for my future office, and a post card to send to my lab professor. All in all, this was definitely my favorite museum so far. I spent the second me day out shopping before my class. I went to Primark, a ridiculously cheap store in Oxford Circus, and finally bought some un-scratchy sheets. I decided to save the rest of my money and window shop, which was terribly difficult, but I was still able to enjoy the circus without buying too much.
Wednesday night Gordon and I met up with Sandy and saw the Queen musical, "We Will Rock You." AWFUL, TERRIBLE SHOW!! The actors singing was actually quite good, however the acting, plot, dancing, you name it was terrible. I enjoyed the music, after all it was Queen, but the show as a whole was just horrible. Waste of 28 pounds if you ask me. The next night made up for it, though. I went to see "After the Dance" with my class and teachers, which was a wonderful drama about British life after the first world war. Such a thought provoking show with interesting and complex characters, and brilliantly talent in each of them. The show was 3 hours but did not feel as long. It was definitely a good show for us to start with, as I am sure we are going to have a lively discussion on Tuesday about it.
Tomorrow I am off to Stonehenge and Bath, and then cheering on America at a Pub for the World cup. USA! USA! USA!
Cheers!
(ps- Go Hawks!)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Discovering London
When I heard that my classes would only be 2 days a week, I was worried about what to do with my time, but now I don't think I will have enough time to squeeze in all there is to learn about London!
This week was full of Arcadia orientation, walking, pub exploring, walking, and meeting lots and lots of people. Did I mention we walked? My feet hurt so bad, but it's worth the pain... although the fact that my shoes are very tight because my feet are swollen is a little unnerving.
I could go on for days about what I have been doing, but I think I will just hit the highlights.
- The day I woke up at 3:30am ended up being my best day here, so far. I explored the area around my university, Islington. It is a very quaint neighborhood with a lot of beautiful brick buildings and fun little shops. Islington is about 45 minutes away by tube from Notting Hill, so I have to leave very early for class, but I have discovered I rather like the tube, it's a great place to people watch!
- That same day I went on a scavenger hunt with 2 of my London birthday buddies. That's right, there are 4 people in my program who were born on July 1st. We thought that teaming up together to complete the hunt would bring us luck, and I guess we were right because one of the pictures we took won us 3 passes to the London Eye! Unfortunately, I can't post pictures on here, so look at my facebook page!
- I awoke at a normal time on the third day, thank god. I began the day by visiting what has become my regular spot, Cafe Diana, to get a coffee. Much to my surprise and delight, the owner saw me walk in and knew my order, after just one visit! I love this place, there are pictures of Princess Diana everywhere, and since she was one of my role models growing up, it is becoming the best part of my day.
- I decided to change my class from Sex, Gender and The City to Play Critique. In this class we will be going to shows every week and critiquing them. I am so so so excited for this, it is going to be amazing.
- I was assigned my first project with one of my flat mates, Gordon, and two girls from the other Arcadia residence, Thoresby House. We traveled to Brick Lane and explored. It was cool, but not as amazing as everyone made it out to be. However, I have heard that it is very different at night, so I would like to go back some evening. The next day we presented the area to the other participants, and learned about various areas of the city. I found out that there is a Freud Museum, and the psychology nerd in me is aching to go.
- Found one amazing aspect of London Universities that no American one will ever live up to, they have pubs in the Student Union. Before our presentation Gordon and I went down there and threw back some pints... you know, to ease our nerves about presenting :)
-Had my first London Club experience. It was fun and... interesting. And I guess that's all I can say, since family will be reading this.
- Today I went to the absolutely fantastic open air market, Portbello. It was filled with people, antique shops, and little produce stands. I bought a hat, 2 scarves, a shirt and A LOT of fruit, all for around 25 pounds. Living cheaply in London is definitely doable, you just need to know how to do it. I know I will return to buy gifts here! They have a bunch of Scottish shops selling tartan, and I found the Welsh Campbell clan, now all I need to do is find the Lamont!
- I went on a boat tour today and enjoyed the River Thames. The tour was so so, but I was able to go to the one point in the entire world that I have always wanted to go, Tower Bridge. I had a huge smile on my face crossing it, took about 10 pictures, and replayed the London episode of "Friends" in my head.
I promise not all of my posts will be this long!
Cheers!
This week was full of Arcadia orientation, walking, pub exploring, walking, and meeting lots and lots of people. Did I mention we walked? My feet hurt so bad, but it's worth the pain... although the fact that my shoes are very tight because my feet are swollen is a little unnerving.
I could go on for days about what I have been doing, but I think I will just hit the highlights.
- The day I woke up at 3:30am ended up being my best day here, so far. I explored the area around my university, Islington. It is a very quaint neighborhood with a lot of beautiful brick buildings and fun little shops. Islington is about 45 minutes away by tube from Notting Hill, so I have to leave very early for class, but I have discovered I rather like the tube, it's a great place to people watch!
- That same day I went on a scavenger hunt with 2 of my London birthday buddies. That's right, there are 4 people in my program who were born on July 1st. We thought that teaming up together to complete the hunt would bring us luck, and I guess we were right because one of the pictures we took won us 3 passes to the London Eye! Unfortunately, I can't post pictures on here, so look at my facebook page!
- I awoke at a normal time on the third day, thank god. I began the day by visiting what has become my regular spot, Cafe Diana, to get a coffee. Much to my surprise and delight, the owner saw me walk in and knew my order, after just one visit! I love this place, there are pictures of Princess Diana everywhere, and since she was one of my role models growing up, it is becoming the best part of my day.
- I decided to change my class from Sex, Gender and The City to Play Critique. In this class we will be going to shows every week and critiquing them. I am so so so excited for this, it is going to be amazing.
- I was assigned my first project with one of my flat mates, Gordon, and two girls from the other Arcadia residence, Thoresby House. We traveled to Brick Lane and explored. It was cool, but not as amazing as everyone made it out to be. However, I have heard that it is very different at night, so I would like to go back some evening. The next day we presented the area to the other participants, and learned about various areas of the city. I found out that there is a Freud Museum, and the psychology nerd in me is aching to go.
- Found one amazing aspect of London Universities that no American one will ever live up to, they have pubs in the Student Union. Before our presentation Gordon and I went down there and threw back some pints... you know, to ease our nerves about presenting :)
-Had my first London Club experience. It was fun and... interesting. And I guess that's all I can say, since family will be reading this.
- Today I went to the absolutely fantastic open air market, Portbello. It was filled with people, antique shops, and little produce stands. I bought a hat, 2 scarves, a shirt and A LOT of fruit, all for around 25 pounds. Living cheaply in London is definitely doable, you just need to know how to do it. I know I will return to buy gifts here! They have a bunch of Scottish shops selling tartan, and I found the Welsh Campbell clan, now all I need to do is find the Lamont!
- I went on a boat tour today and enjoyed the River Thames. The tour was so so, but I was able to go to the one point in the entire world that I have always wanted to go, Tower Bridge. I had a huge smile on my face crossing it, took about 10 pictures, and replayed the London episode of "Friends" in my head.
I promise not all of my posts will be this long!
Cheers!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
I'm here!!
Hello from across the pond! I've been in London for about 24 hours and love it dearly already. Everything is so charming and the people seem very pleasant. It rained all day yesterday, but I asked some shop keepers about the weather and they said it doesn't rain as much as foreigners expect, and I really hope they weren't just messing with me! I live in Paddington, a very small neighborhood part of the larger Kensington/Notting Hill area. It is 5:30am here, and I have been up since 3:30am, trying to fall back asleep, but I have given up all hope, so decided to start my first "real" day in London bright and early. I'm annoyed that I woke up so early, but I was asleep by 10:30 last night, something I haven't done since middle school probably, so I think my body is confused. None the less, I plan on exploring a bit, find an early opening grocery store, and stop by a cafe. Later, my group is going to City University, where my classes will be held. Then we have a "scavenger hunt" in London. Not sure what this will entail, but it should be interesting! My week has been pretty much planned out for me, but next week I will begin class on Tuesday, so I believe my real London experience will begin then!
Yesterday I spent the day shopping for essentials, including horribly scratchy sheets, which I partly blame for my early awakening. I met all of my housemates, 25 of us total! We are all here with Arcadia, but some are interns and some, like me, are just taking class. I thought I would be traveling with people from all over the US, but it turns out that almost all of the interns are from Indiana University. I was worried about this, but so far I have made some what I hope to be good friends. We were going to go to a pub around the corner from us last night, but I guess when we made these plans jet lag hadn't set in yet, and we ended up crashing. I had fun exploring yesterday with them, and learning my way around here. In fact, after only about 5 hours of being here, a Londoner came up to me and asked me for directions, and much to my friends shock and awe, I was able to point the local in the right direction. Thank god for my amazing sense of direction!
So far my hardest adjustment has been not having a phone to call/text home with. I bought one that will only work here, but I miss my iPhone so much. I still carry it around with me, almost as a security blanket. I started texting so many times yesterday, and then realized I couldn't. But thank goodness for facebook. Expect random wall posts from me just like my random text messages!
Of note, my room is on the 5th floor of an old Victorian building. I hate it already, but hopefully it will kick the laziness right out of me!
Cheers!
Yesterday I spent the day shopping for essentials, including horribly scratchy sheets, which I partly blame for my early awakening. I met all of my housemates, 25 of us total! We are all here with Arcadia, but some are interns and some, like me, are just taking class. I thought I would be traveling with people from all over the US, but it turns out that almost all of the interns are from Indiana University. I was worried about this, but so far I have made some what I hope to be good friends. We were going to go to a pub around the corner from us last night, but I guess when we made these plans jet lag hadn't set in yet, and we ended up crashing. I had fun exploring yesterday with them, and learning my way around here. In fact, after only about 5 hours of being here, a Londoner came up to me and asked me for directions, and much to my friends shock and awe, I was able to point the local in the right direction. Thank god for my amazing sense of direction!
So far my hardest adjustment has been not having a phone to call/text home with. I bought one that will only work here, but I miss my iPhone so much. I still carry it around with me, almost as a security blanket. I started texting so many times yesterday, and then realized I couldn't. But thank goodness for facebook. Expect random wall posts from me just like my random text messages!
Of note, my room is on the 5th floor of an old Victorian building. I hate it already, but hopefully it will kick the laziness right out of me!
Cheers!
Friday, May 28, 2010
an attempt to un-waste my time
In my never ending search for scholarships and grants for London, I came across one that seemed simple enough: In 250 words, describe 5 things you cannot travel without. I love writing, so this was an easy task (well, easy until I realized I had to cut down my original 600 words to 250). I was getting ready to send it, and then I re-read the assignment: For 2010-2011 school year study abroad applicants only. Winners will be notified September 1, 2010. Well fuck. But to make those 2 hours go un-wasted... here is my essay!
Packing up my belongings for my upcoming semester in London, my mind races as I throw things in my suitcase. As I weigh the chances of me actually wearing my sequined trimmed tunic, I look up and see a picture of my family. Now this I know I can’t be without for 8 weeks. I glance at my mother in the picture and realize that not everything I need can be packed. She taught me to always appreciate other cultures and their uniqueness, a lesson that is sure to come in handy. My father’s face jumps out at me next, a man who values an education above all. I grab my new travel books, briefly flipping through the pages as I pack. My brother’s smiling face reminds me to bring my journal. He would tell me to write down everything and to spare no detail because my journal will help keep this trip alive. I see my sister, and realize I have yet to pack the most essential item of all: my camera. She would tell me that a photo is more special than any souvenir money can buy. There is no way I could remember the vast beauty of Europe with out snapping a photo. Zipping up my suitcase, I know that even if I did forget something, I have my 5 essentials with me, making me ready to hop the pond and start the most amazing 8 weeks of my life.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Getting ready to leave!
Hey all! Keep up with this blog to follow me on my many travels this summer! I'm planning on going everywhere and anywhere, even if it means I'll be living on crackers for the next 3 months, I don't care, I want to explore all that Europe has to offer!
I leave for London on May 31st (21 days!!) and I can't wait (hence me starting this blog so much in advance..). I'm beginning to realize everything I have to do before I leave, and it is getting overwhelming! My biggest task will be learning more about my host country, England. I should probably wait until I'm finished learning all about human anatomy and biology, since I have finals this week.... but none the less, this should be a fun task. I have always been fascinated with the United Kingdom, which is why I chose to go there to study abroad. My program is through Arcadia University, and I will be taking a course called "Sex, Gender and The City(i.e. London)" I'm so excited for this course, its going to be so awesome taking a course like this in one of the city leaders in sexual revolutions. I know I will be thinking a lot about Austin Powers while taking this course...
I had a dream last night that I was in a Starbucks in London, and the only thing that was different was that the tables were enormous and everyone had a British accent. Let's hope I get to experience a little more diversity than this while I'm on the other side of the pond!
Stay tuned for more posts!
-Maggie
I leave for London on May 31st (21 days!!) and I can't wait (hence me starting this blog so much in advance..). I'm beginning to realize everything I have to do before I leave, and it is getting overwhelming! My biggest task will be learning more about my host country, England. I should probably wait until I'm finished learning all about human anatomy and biology, since I have finals this week.... but none the less, this should be a fun task. I have always been fascinated with the United Kingdom, which is why I chose to go there to study abroad. My program is through Arcadia University, and I will be taking a course called "Sex, Gender and The City(i.e. London)" I'm so excited for this course, its going to be so awesome taking a course like this in one of the city leaders in sexual revolutions. I know I will be thinking a lot about Austin Powers while taking this course...
I had a dream last night that I was in a Starbucks in London, and the only thing that was different was that the tables were enormous and everyone had a British accent. Let's hope I get to experience a little more diversity than this while I'm on the other side of the pond!
Stay tuned for more posts!
-Maggie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)