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Reflection time

What's that quote? "Don't be sad because it's over, be happy because it happened"....?


Something like that. Well, that's what I'm trying to convince myself as I sit here in the gallows of post-study abroad depression which include: jet lag, boredom, looking through old photos, complaining about now-unexciting lives with fellow post-study abroad kids, a general feeling of "blah" about most things. Even the most simplistic parts of my day I compare to my past life in Europe. The balsamic dressing on my salad last night? I could only think about how it did not compare to the balsamic I tried at a food market in Florence.


It had to come to an end some day I guess. But, I can't complain. In 4 months I did SO MUCH. I'm sorting out all my photos and keepsakes (tickets, brochures, etc.) so I can scrapbook my semester abroad, and yikes... might need another scrapbook. There are just so many photos I want to include! And so many places I went that deserve multiple pages in the scrapbook. 


So here is my reflection.. more so, a list of my favorites, the landmarks I saw, best nights, most beautiful places, learning experiences, overall best trips, etc etc. It might get kind of random at some point, so bear with me.


Favorite cities/countries (from most to least)
1. London- until a week ago, Barcelona was my number one, but in the past few days with the royal wedding, seeing Big Ben/Westminster at night, visiting a few parks... I realized that there is no place like London. Even after 4 months, London did not get old. Big Ben was exciting every time I saw it. Everything always felt so magical.
2. Barcelona
3. Venice
4. Paris
5. Switzerland
6. Munich
7. Madrid
8. Florence
9. Rome
10. Ireland
11. Berlin
12. Glasgow (Scotland)


Most Beautiful place: Switzerland (those mountains, teal water, wooden bridges, beautiful people), Runner up: Venice. so. dreamy.


Best overall trip: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome) for a week with Jen, Jackie and Alex. As our final trip, it was just so fun and so nice to be with all of them. And Italy is a five thumbs up.


Amazing views:

Florence

 Lucerne, Switzerland

Paris ( from the Eiffel Tower)

Paris (from the Arc du Triomphe)

Barcelona (from Montjuic)

London (from London Eye)

Best Food:
Currywurst (Berlin)
Fish/Chips (London, specifically from Kennedy's)
Tapas (Madrid.. El Buscon, and this goat cheese/caramelized onion tapa from another tapas bar)
Cien Montaditos (little baby sandwiches... delicious)
Pizza (little cafe near Trevi Fountain... best pizza ever)
Gelato
Pasta dinner (restaurant in Florence, and Roma Sparita in Rome... I also had an amazing carbonara from a Paris restaurant)
Chocolate/Nutella croissants (yum)
Napolitana (from cafe in El Sol, Madrid. best pastry I've ever had)
Crepes (Paris. so delicious.. also had a good banana/chocolate crepe in Berlin)
Ben's Cookies (London)
Pretzels (Munich)
Chocolate (Switzerland, of course!)


It all sounds so healthy, doesn't it?!


Cathedrals/Basilicas I saw and/or went in:
Westminster Abbey (London)
St. Paul's (London)
Notre Dame (Paris)
Sacre Coeur (Paris)
Sistine Chapel (Rome)
San Pietro (Rome)
Duomo (Florence)
Berliner Dom (Berlin)
Basilica di San Marco (Venice)
Santa Maria del Mar (Barcelona)
Sagrada Familia (Barcelona)


Museums I went to/famous artwork I saw:
El Prado (Madrid; Las Meninas)
Picasso Museum (Barcelona)
La Reina Sofia (Madrid; Picasso's Guernica)
Louvre (Paris; Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo)
Jewish Museum (Berlin)
National Portrait Gallery (London; Van Gogh's Dandelions, Monet's Gardens)
Victoria and Albert Museum (London)
Tate Museum (London)
Science Museum (London)


Famous landmarks/sites
London: Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Abbey Road, Hyde Park, St. James' Park
Ireland: Cliffs of Moher, Aillwee Caves, Guinness Factory, Christ Church
Munich: New Town Hall (Glockenspiel), Dachau concentration camp
Paris: Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Les Invalides, Champs-Élysées, Tuileries Gardens
Barcelona: Montjuic, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, Santa Maria del Mar
Madrid: El Retiro, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace, Catedral de Almudena
Berlin: Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Pariser Platz, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe, site of Hitler's bunker, book burning memorial, TV tower
Rome: Pantheon, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, memorial to Vittorio Emmanuele, Vatican City, Vatican Museums, San Pietro


Awesome people I've seen:
Marcus Mumford
Ginny Weasley
Prince William & Kate Middleton entering the New Zealand House back in February
The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Will & Kate on Royal Wedding Day
The Pope (at the Vatican)


Cultural things (via my Performing Arts class, I went to several live performances this semester)
American Ballet
A Flea in Her Ear
The Heretic
Vernon God Little (my favorite)


Also: I saw A Doll's House in Manchester AND went to a private Mumford & Son's gig in Camden (London). Mumford & Son's night was a defining night in my semester. So amazing.


Not so good parts of this semester:
Breaking my camera in Ireland
Exchange rates/financial problems
Wish I learned more in my classes
That the semester had to end. :(


Defining/most memorable moments!!!
*already mentioned Mumford & Sons*
Royal Wedding- I was right up at the front of Buckingham Palace, and saw everything! Camping out overnight was so worth it, and reporting on the wedding for a newspaper back home was super fun.
London nightlife/pub crawls- Me and the girls always had a blast going out on the town... I will miss London's social scene so much.
My independent experience in Barcelona- I had so much fun by myself! It was an amazing two days, and I learned so much about independence and enjoying the little things. It made me love Barcelona 10x more.
Dachau concentration camp in Munich- such a somber place, really put everything in perspective. so glad I took the opportunity to go there... being there is just.. crazy.
Florence sunset- one of my favorite "I love life" moments.. just me and some good friends, beautiful views, wine & cheese... superb.
Cliffs of Moher- +60 mph winds, rain? makes for an unforgettable experience, that's for sure. It was half funny/half terrifying trying to conquer the cliffs!
Climbing the Eiffel Tower- So many stairs. so much fear of heights. but I did it! and it was an amazing feeling finally reaching the top and looking out over Paris.


so many other great moments but those just seem to stick out to me!


what I will miss most about Europe:
1. meeting really cool, interesting, international people. How cool is it that I lived on the same floor as a girl from Belgium, a guy from Lithuania, a guy from Italy (shout out to Louise, Algi and Vittorio!)... and that at hostels/pubs I met people from France, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Costa Rica, Greece, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, etc. In several classes I had people from Poland, Indonesia, Spain, Australia, France, etc. I have always loved meeting people from all over the world, and living in London, a melting pot, and traveling all around Europe meeting more people... DREAM COME TRUE. I could not have been happier.


2. magic. anyone who visits Europe, for a week or for 4 months can agree with me: Europe has a magic about it. From the British accents in London to the Venetian canals to Spanish architecture... on so many occasions I had to pinch myself and ask "Is this real life?" because I could not believe that I was on top of the Eiffel Tower, or on a paddle boat staring at the Swiss Alps. I felt like I was in a dreamland. Unfortunately, America does not have that magic to me.. (although, NYC is going to be the closest I can get)... so I will oh so terribly miss that dream feeling I had in Europe.


3. Cheap airfare. RyanAir and EasyJet, you saved me so much money and allowed me to travel pretttyy cheaply. $17 plane ticket to Berlin? Yes, please. If only America had budget airlines... I'd be able to see so much more of my own country!


4. The tube. I miss it already... it was just so easy, so clean... (I will not miss how expensive it was though!)


5. Finsbury 3rd floor. Even through the consistent messy kitchen, food stealing and noise making... I loved my flat mates. I will miss Algi burning his toast, Louise being my dinner date and friend, Alex being oh so ginger, Sam for putting up with our initial Zac Efron jokes, and Vittorio for being the best italian stallion ever. And of course all my new Penn State friends... miss you all!


6. Tesco. 2 pound meal deals, cheap groceries, chocolate croissants? awesome. and so needed in the U.S.


7. European fashion: I found myself purchasing a pair of shoes in Target yesterday, because they just screamed European fashion. Although usually it made me feel like I needed to step up my wardrobe/trend game, it was enjoyable to see all the fashionistas and all the quirky fashion choices. I will miss Primark, too. As much of a zoo as it was.


8. Not being a tourist in a touristy city. This is a weird one, because at times I still felt like a tourist. But, being able to give someone directions, knowing my way around the city, knowing bus routes and tube stops, knowing where to get good deals and how to budget... I was a resident of London, an internationally prominent city.


9. Spain. Although I am so happy I studied in London, my visit to Spain made me rethink it a little bit! I just LOVE speaking Spanish and being able to communicate in another language... the Spanish culture was awesome, too. I miss Spain! It's so beautiful there...


10. The love life feeling. This is hard to explain... not that I don't love life... but I REALLY loved it these past four months. It was just a consistent happiness. Prior to, I only knew a life of classes, work, journalism stuff, and traveling between Milwaukee and Boston. My happiness was at its prime when with my friends and family, but I could quickly find myself in boredom, dissatisfaction, and blah-ness. But then, London and my Eurotrip happened. I found myself having fun with new friends, and by myself. I treated myself to traveling and adventures, well-deserved after several years of hard work at Marquette. I did the things I wanted to do. Some days it meant going to a museum, other days it meant laying in bed and catching up with friends on Facebook. But either way, I was happy with what I was doing. No longer was my life dictated by all my work/school responsibilities. My only real responsibility this semester... was to enjoy myself. And I can truly say that I did (or maybe you can tell by previous blog entries and photos?)


I am so thankful to be going into another great experience this summer, Sports Illustrated internship in NYC. Yet another dream come true. After leaving Europe, one adventure of a lifetime, I'm so excited and impatient to go into my next adventure. 


As I sit here, suitcases unpacked, scrap booking in progress.... I am dreaming up my next global travels. As much as I thought I've seen... I haven't seen but less than one percent of the world. I want to go back to Paris and see Versailles (which I missed before)... I want to spend more time living the Madrid life. I didn't get to southern Spain and that is a must. And then southern France, Eastern European countries like Prague and Budapest. I have to go to Austria, Amsterdam, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Croatia, Greece... several more cities in Italy, I need to go to Portugal, re-visit Ireland and go to the Scottish Highlands. And aside from Europe... I am realizing how badly I want to get to South America. and South Africa!! ooohh I want to go to South Africa...


I should probably work on paying off my debt, and get through college before I start planning my next travels. But, let's just say my adventures have only just begin. There's so much out there.. and I'm gonna see it.


Well. That's it folks. 4 months of pure magic, awesome people, beautiful places, fun times and loving life. Thank you to everyone who has read my blog all along, and I hope you will tune into my NYC adventures when the start up in June.


London... I love you, always and forever. See you soon.

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

home sweet home

I'm sitting here on the couch in my living room, sitting next to Jessie (who has one of my socks in her mouth), watching Channel 7 news, and waiting for a yummy steak dinner to finish cooking.

Nothing's changed. This is exactly what I would've been doing 4 months ago. Even though life carried on without me while I was off living a dream for 4 months... it still feels like time just stopped, and then picked back up when I landed in Boston yesterday.

I drove to the grocery store today... and surprisingly, remembered how to drive. The grocery store looked the exact same... but for some reason, white cheddar mac & cheese is no longer existent. I leave America and Kraft mac & cheese gets rid of white cheddar? Say it ain't so.

I stopped at Dunkin Donuts drive through to grab lunch and a coffee... and had to wait for what seems like forever in line. Nothing's changed.

Some weird realizations just in a trip to the grocery store: everything seemed super pricey. I'm used to buying the cheapest of cheap food at Tesco... with the exchange rate my bread cost $1, milk, $1.50, chicken $5, cheese $2. But at Stop & Shop.. the higher price tags were surprising. Also, I think it's because even though I was paying in British pounds, I never stopped converting prices to USD. So, although I was handing over pounds, I knew how much I was paying in USD. Therefore, nothing is seeming cheaper here. It's all the same, if not more expensive. Weird?

And then, even though I thought the British people were generally friendly, when I was asked "How are you?" multiple times today by Dunkin Donuts and grocery store workers... I realized, no one asks me that at Tesco or other little stores I went to in London. And even the fellow Americans on the plane over with me... all SO nice. I was in such a pleasant shock.

Aside from the grocery store run, all I've done today is watch television and unpack some of my bags. I'm surprised I've unpacked so soon. Usually, after coming home for the summer from college, it takes me a good week to unpack. I guess I was just so excited to unpack all my new goodies! Just as exciting: seeing all the clothes, shoes, items in my room I didn't bring with me to London. It's literally like I have a whole new wardrobe. Shoes I haven't worn in 4 months, my favorite perfume I didn't bring with me, etc.

Anyway... my last few days in London were pretty relaxing. I got my last English breakfast and my last burger & beer deal at the beloved Spoons pub. So sad... Spoons was our favorite! I went to Spitalfields Market one last time where I bought two posters, one said "Keep calm and carry on" and the other was a night view of Westminster area. They will join my other London related posters on my wall in NYC and out in Milwaukee. On Sunday night, Jackie and I walked down to Big Ben/London Eye area so I could say my goodbyes.

London is majestic and so so beautiful at night. Ugh. So hard to say goodbye. But, I will be back, that's for sure. Until next time, Big Ben.

On Monday, after saying my goodbyes to Finsbury Hall, my home for 4 months, I headed to the airport with 3 checked bags, one carry on suitcase, and two purses. But thankfully I had some help.. Jackie :) We hopped on the tube and were at Heathrow within an hour. Thanks to a realllllyyyyy nice American Airlines worker, I didn't have to pay extra for having overweight bags. 

So I took my extra cash on over to the duty-free store where I loaded up on British souvenirs, tea, Cadbury and some magazines for my 7 hour plane ride home.

Seven. hours. Business class from Boston to London must have made that 7 hours a lot more bearable, because flying 7 hours in coach seemed like forever. But, I watched The King's Speech and Dinner for Schmucks... both extremely enjoyable. The flight wasn't even half full... I had a whole row to myself. Nice.

I have an admission.... I shed some tears when the plane was leaving London. Couldn't help myself. I was just so sad to say goodbye to a great 4 months and the most amazing city. Blah!

Upon arriving in Boston I was met my some great Bostonian accents, my mama who was waiting for me.. and within moments I had a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee in my hands. Yum, it's never tasted better. Then we headed home, stopping at our favorite BBQ place for dinner. Pulled pork, potatoes and cucumber salad. Delicious.

When I got home, I sat on my couch, drinking Fortnum & Mason tea in my new London mug, wrapped in my union jack blanket I got from Primark, waving a union jack flag (another souvenir) back and forth and wearing my ManU jersey. I'm in America? Really? It's all so surreal.

I am so glad though that I brought so many aspects of England back to America with me. I will drink tea on the regular. I will put cucumbers on my sandwiches instead of lettuce. Cadbury chocolate will replace Hershey's. I will always have a union jack flag hanging somewhere in my bedroom. I have many a mug or glass acquired in my travels. Several clothing items purchased in London will continue to make me feel just a little British. Especially my ManU jersey. I think it gives me this appearance of "girl who watches/likes soccer" when in fact, that couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm not a ManU fan (I lived in London after all)... but I am a Ronaldo fan.

But the best part of the yesterday?... settling into my AMAZING heaven of a bed. For four months I laid on top of uncomfortable springs and in a small twin dinky bed. And now, I can sink into my double bed, soft sheets, big pillows and huge mattress. Yes.

Right now I am watching the Celtics play the Heat in game 2 of the playoff series. Now this is something I haven't done in awhile. Go Celtics!!

Oh. because I can't go one month without going somewhere, my dad just asked me to come to Puerto Rico on his business trip with him in a few weeks. He didn't have to ask twice. Bring on the beach!

Welp.. I'll blog again soon about my adjustment back into America, as well as my reflection on the semester. And then I'm calling it quits until I begin my next great adventure: NYC!

Cheers xxxx

Cheers, London

The time has come to say goodbye to London.

Cue sadness and disbelief.

It honestly feels like just yesterday I was prepping for my flight to London, being all anxious to leave, not sure what was ahead of me.. even though I knew it would be good, I was still scared. And then came my first day in London: spent at the British Museum, sitting in Starbucks and people watching, shopping on Oxford Street, and wandering into the "times square" Picadilly Circus. My move in day at the dorms: meeting all the kids on my floor, who were so welcoming and who I will definitely miss. The feeling I had that first week of utter joy, excitement, "life is awesome."

Even though the initial excitement wore off, the "life is awesome" feeling has consistently remained. Even those days I did nothing but sit in my room and talk to friends online... I was still in London, I had either just returned from a great trip or had plans for an upcoming adventure... my life has been unbelievably great these past 4 months.

4 months are already over?!?! This can't be true!

I just returned from a walk down to Westminster/Big Ben with Jackie. Had to say my final goodbyes of course. Oh Big Ben, I will miss you. That London skyline is just so majestic.. you can't beat it. And also say my goodbye to St. Paul's Cathedral... probably my favorite building in London. I haven't even been inside (one of the many things uncompleted on my to-do list), but I still just love it oh so much.

I keep reminding myself that I'll be back to this city. How could I not? It's treated me so well. It's been my home away from home.. so much so that sometimes I even forgot I was in London. The area I live in isn't next door to Big Ben... so it's not like I have "London" staring at me in the face every day. But, when I did get downtown to see those landmarks... it was the same magic all over again. I feel like a tourist even to this day... as of tonight, STILL snapping photos of Big Ben. But anyway, I quickly adjusted and turned one of the world's most prominent cities... into my home.

I've conquered the underground system.. and learned to love it. Hopefully it will help me also conquer NYC's subway system... something I've always dreaded.  But, I haven't conquered which way to look when crossing the road. I still look left, then right. Ah well, at least I won't have to re-learn America's system.

This week I had planned on crossing so many things off my London to-do list, whether it be seeing something for the first time, or re-visiting it. But, with all this royal wedding hubbub, I didn't get to much at all! Kind of a bummer...

Didn't attend an Evensong/go inside St. Paul's, didn't get Indian food at all in 4 months (London is known for Indian food!), didn't go inside Harrod's, didn't get English teatime, go to Regent's Park or Natural History Museum... blah!! I should've made more of an effort to do these things. But, I can't complain.. the things I did do this semester make up for it all. And ending everything with a Royal Wedding and front row at Buckingham Palace? That tops everything. Like, what a way to end a semester. Wow.

I plan on doing a few more blog posts when I return home and have time to reflect, if you will, on my semester. The highs, the lows.. the goods and bads. my favorite cities, favorite trips, etc. etc.

Why am I blogging? I should be finishing up some last minute packing. I'm at that standstill where you're basically all packed, aside from a bunch of miscellaneous items you don't know what to do with. My bags are getting pretttyyyy heavy. Let's cross our fingers that they are within the weight limit.

Welp. See ya soon London. It's been fun. And I'll miss you more than imaginable.

But, get me home to my amazing bed, my precious Jessie, home cooked meals and being on the same continent as my best friends and family.

BITTERSWEET.

Royal Wedding!!

photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/home

I will have to blog more about this later on.. I'm still writing my last report for the T&G, which I will also post as soon as that is online!

But. I will say.

OH. MY. GOSH.

Was that the best experience ever? Yes, quite possibly. I camped outside for 18 hours and after dealing with no sleep, cold temperatures and annoying people around me... it was me and my friends who were front row outside Buckingham Palace gates, watching the Royal Family and the couple's first (and second kisses). WOW. wow. wow. wow.

I saw the Queen!! and the Princes! and Kate! all right in front of my eyes. best view of everyone. ahhhh!!

That was history and I was a part of it. Something I will never ever forget that's for sure. I'm in shock, still. I haven't even had a chance to watch the wedding online. But the video clips are awesome. I get goosebumps watching Kate & William, seeing her in that beautiful dress, listening to them give their vows.

Awesome, awesome, awesome day. A great way to wrap up my time in London. (2 more days!)

3rd installment for T&G

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110428/NEWS/110429682

Check out my latest article about the growing excitement around Westminster Abbey!

It's about 5 p.m. over here, and in an hour or so, me and some friends will be packing up, stopping to get some snacks, and heading over to Hyde Park/Buckingham Palace area to grab a spot for the night.

And it's supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. Blah! It hasn't really rained here in weeks... but of course it rains the night I plan to sleep outside. Wonderful.

Anyway, wish us luck. This is going to be an exciting but crazy 24 hours!

Article #2 for the T&G.. about tabloid coverage of the Royal Wedding.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110427/NEWS/110429744

And here are my most recent photos of the Royal Wedding prep... the profile photos are of people I talked to!

https://picasaweb.google.com/110189500286397591927/RoyalWedding


I don't have much time to blog about everything, but my T&G articles basically sum it up. I'll post a huge blog entry once all this wedding craziness is over and I have time to think!

Tomorrow me and the girls will head over to pick our camping spot... should be an interesting 24 hours that's for sure. Wish us luck!!

xxx

My first royal wedding report for the Worcester T&G!!

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110426/NEWS/110429789

Royal Wedding countdown

As I mentioned, I will be somewhat of a Royal Wedding correspondent for a daily newspaper I interned for last summer... the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Today I went out to Oxford Street/Hyde Park area, and then on over to Buckingham Palace to see what was going on there. The media booths have been set up and you could even see several broadcasters inside reporting to cameras. Union jack flags were hoisted on posts all around the palace, and barricades were ready to block off the crowds come Friday.

Here is the link to some photos I took at souvenir shops and by Buckingham Palace! You can see there's been a lot of preparations... and a lot of Kate & William memorabilia sales. Photos!

I was at Primark (why oh why do I continue to go to such a crazy zoo of a store.. way too many people in one place!).. and they were selling replicas of Kate's blue sapphire engagement ring. Ok, I did buy a princess crown to wear on Friday (it will also double as my birthday crown come June 18)... but a replica blue sapphire ring?!? London is crazy, I'm telling you. If you wanted Royal Wedding toilet paper, you could probably find it somewhere. Not even kidding.. these stores have everything!

I also bought a union jack flag to wave around on Friday, and a commemorative program for keeping's sake.

I'm half scared for my life because the crowds are going to be nuts this weekend, but I'm also SO excited!!! I'm super lucky I get to be over here for such a big event. I haven't decided who is more into the Royal Wedding, the Americans or the British. Either way, Friday is going to be the celebration of the year, if not the decade.

Just a warning, this week's posts are probably going to include a lot of sad faces and "ahhhhhhh it can't be over!!!" comments.

I just looked at my Switzerland photos again and still don't believe I actually went there. And Ireland? That was forever ago but I'm still bitter it's over. Blah!!!

Why did Ireland, Munich, Paris, Manchester, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Switzerland, Venice, Florence and Rome... ALREADY END?!?!?!

:( :( :( :(

Even though I have my favorites, I'm starting to miss each city for it's own reason.

Dear Ireland, I miss your greenery, cuteness, nice people and all around magic.
Dear Munich, I miss your Bavarian culture.
Dear Paris, I miss your crepes, your classiness, your beauty, & your artsiness.
Dear Manchester, I miss relaxing weekends full of English breakfasts and all I can drink tea.
Dear Barcelona <3, I miss every inch of your city. every. inch. But most of all, I miss your art, your sun, your Spanish beauty, your gorgeous views and your beach.
Dear Madrid, I miss your affordability, your tapas bars, and your "enjoying life" attitude.
Dear Berlin, I miss your currywurst. That's about it.
Dear Switzerland, I MISS YOU SO MUCH! I want your snow capped mountains and blue/green lakes to be my backyard.
Dear Venice, I MISS YOU SO MUCH, TOO! I miss your magic and uniqueness and overall charm.
Dear Florence, I miss your gelato and your views.. I miss your leather markets and I miss Michelangelo's David.
Dear Rome, I miss your history and the crazy number of things to see in one city.

UGH. sorry, such a depressing blog post. I promise I'll be more cheerful tomorrow when I go out exploring London some more!

xx

Chelsea: my dream neighborhood.

Key word "dream"

Yesterday, Jackie and I ended up in London's wealthiest borough while on our hunt for My Old Dutch, a well-known pancake/waffle place. The flats and shops and cafes and restaurants are just so perfect. The people all look so nice and they all have their little dogs and nice cars and nice lives.. ugh. I wonder how many famous people live around there..

So we finally made it to My Old Dutch and I had the most amazing belgian waffle. indescribably delicious. and then we headed over to the Science Museum in South Kensington. If I haven't said it 10 times before, I will say it again. Dear London, thank you for having free museums. Otherwise... I'd have a lack of things to do here and would be going to say hi to Big Ben every day. There is no lack of museums in London so I have no excuse for "being bored."

Science Museum was pretty cool. Jackie and I bypassed all the industrial stuff and went straight to the outer space exhibit. And seeing as Jackie and I sometimes act like aliens with each other (our secret's out), it was totally an exhibit made for us. "How awesome would it be if there was something to beam us off the ground and make us float?" -Jackie. (Jackie, do you read this blog?)

Then there was the "Who Am I?" exhibition which was also really neat. It let us be interactive, which is always a plus. Although, I had to compete for the interactive screens with a bunch of little kids. They won. The exhibit was literally all about humans.. the brain, personalities, gender, psychology stuff, fears, etc. The psychology nerd in me loved it.

South Kensington is museum haven. Right in front of the Science Museum is the Natural History Museum, which I still need to go into. Then next door is the V&A... one of my favorite museums.

Natural History Museum...

I think we only spent a little over an hour at the Science Museum, but we were both exhausted. Even the smallest things take so much energy these days. I feel like such a lazy bum, but you can't blame me. I've been on the go 24/7 for the past 4 months.

Last night I went to this club called 02 Academy, which is right up the street from the dorms. Super convenient. There are two rooms.. one plays more indie (independent) music while the other is more recent hip-hop/pop/Billboard Top 10 music. But then they were also playing all this American music... Michael Jackson, 50s/60s tunes, Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing', and a whole load of other pretty American tunes. And... it made me so happy! I was like, heck yes we have good music. Even though when I first arrived in London back in January, I totally hated America and thought it was just so awful in comparison to everything here... over the semester I've learned to appreciate my American-ness and be really proud of the US. I know once I get back, everything is going to seem pretty lackluster and not as magical as London/British things... I still gained some American pride while over here. You know what, I like being from America. America is pretty cool, actually. So there.

America will (hopefully) welcome me with open arms in 8 days. Yes, 8 days. AHHHH. I know I said I was looking forward to going home.. and I definitely am, but but but but but my study abroad experience CANNOT END! noooooooooo. this is something I've been waiting my whole life for and has been the best 4 months ever and I'm totally living in London right now and have traveled all over Europe and it.can't.be.over. In 8 days, not only am I leaving London.. I'm leaving behind the best 4 months of my life. Obviously I have photos and 5 scrapbook albums worth of keepsakes.. but I just can't believe it's over (almost). Why do people get to live in London forever? So jealous.

Thank heavens I'll be spending my summer in the Big Apple...

Until the end of July, my life will continue to be full of awesome international people, great food, tons of museums, beautiful green space (Central Park), way too many tourists, expensive living && fashionable people everywhere. must. keep. up.

but, it will also be full of new friends and faces (shout out to the ASME interns!), a phenomenal internship, and a 3 hour bus ride home on the weekends if need be.

and GREAT NEWS. Lauren Fishbune, one of my best friends in the whole wide world, just booked her plane tickets to NYC to be there with me on my birthday. I cannot wait to cause a scene in the airport when we see each other.

So 8 more days. What will I do?

1. Tomorrow is Easter... Jackie, Liz, Jordan, Betsy and I just did our grocery shopping and will be preparing the most delicious Easter brunch tomorrow. On the menu: french toast, eggs, fruit salad, potatoes, Orange Juice, yummy tea we bought at Whittard's...some delicious pastry thing Betsy is whipping up, and Mimosa's. YUM. I'm also patiently awaiting the Easter package my mama sent me. Bring on the Starburst jellybeans.

2. Museums? Still gotta go to the Natural History museum, and might as well check out the V&A again while I'm there.. also have to go into Harrod's and wish I had more than what will probably be 5 pounds in my wallet.

3. Markets.. Borough market aka free food samples, back to Spitalfields to buy some trinkets, Brick Lane for my first and last Indian food of London

4. Parks... Hyde Park, Regent's Park, St. James Park. I will bring my ipod and possibly listen to the Beatles while I stroll around looking like a local.

5. ROYAL WEDDING!!! I'll be taking some photos/writing a few blurbs for the Worcester T&G back home (my last summer internship), but I can't wait to be a part of the mayhem. Even if I don't see Kate & William.. I already saw them back in February :)

I think I have more than enough to do for the next 8 days. Me and London have some serious bonding to do.

Until next blog post.. Happy Easter!!

xxxx

art art art art art

So if I haven't mentioned before, I will say it now... this semester has given me a new found appreciation for art. You wouldn't have caught me dead in an art museum. But yesterday, I walked 45 minutes from my dorm to the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square to see some of the art I missed the last time I was there.

Threw on my sunglasses (the weather here is gorgeous, high 60s and sunny), plugged in my iPod, grabbed a Starbucks iced latte and walked along the Thames River. It was around lunchtime so all the businessmen and women were out sitting with their bag lunches and colleagues. So cute! The St. Paul's lawn was filled with people, as was every bench within half a mile. Islington and the City of London are two huge business areas, so when noon hits, everyone is out and about in their business attire. I love it! Makes me want to be a businesswoman.

I've been to the National Portrait Gallery briefly before but seemed to have missed most of the Monet and Van Gogh artwork... how does that happen? Anyway, I get there and the first room I walk into ends up being a lot of Monet work. Ah, I just love Monet. Some of the most famous paintings in the world are by him.. the water lillies for example. Here are a few of my favorites! (photos courtesy National Portrait Gallery website)

Water-lilies, Setting sun. 1907. It's prettier in real life, but I just love the use of pinks and oranges in the reflection.

The Thames below Westminster. 1871. I bought a print of this in the gift shop because I loved it so much. I'm biased because it's a painting of London, but in a general sense, I like the muted colors. It also kind of represents what I would picture the atmosphere of that time.. just kind of industrial, gloomy, gray, etc.

The Grand Canal, Venice. 1908. I love this because... I love Venice. The colors are just so pretty.. blues, oranges, pinks, greens, whites. Venice definitely deserves all those colors. I think it's neat how even though there's not a lot of definition, you can still tell where the buildings meet the water.

 Bathers at La Grenoulliere, 1869. One of his first paintings it seems like! I love that there's just so much involved in this painting, boats in the foreground, people on the dock in the middle, swimmers (look like little dots) in the background.

Next up we have Van Gogh... as crazy as he was, he was nonetheless a brilliant artist.

Sunflowers, 1888. I bought a print of this.. just because, it's the Sunflowers and one of the most famous pieces of art ever.

A wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889. It's just so swirly! The clouds, the trees, even the wheat a little bit. I love his use of bold colors, dark greens, light greens that even have a certain "pow!" to them, blues, golden yellows... so pretty! You can bet I have a print of this, too.

I also love, love, love Degas. He focused a lot on dancers, but this painting is one of my favorites.

Four Dancers. I like how a lot of the background is more impression-y and uses broad strokes, but there is a lot of definition and fine black lines on the upper half of the dancers. It really sets them a part from the background.

I also think Manet is great (not to be confused with Monet!). This is, "The Grand Canal, Venice." Again, just because I love Venice. I like how things in the photo are a little crooked, such as the buildings in the background, the striped poles in the foreground.. even the gondola is tipping over.

Basically I just really like impressionism. Here is one of my favorite's by artist Camille Pissarro.

Fox Hill, Upper Norwood, 1870.

If you've been following my blog.. at least back to the Spain posts... you would know I am a big fan of Picasso. Although he's not really everyone's cup of tea.. seeing as his paintings got really wacky as time went on, I think his style is just so unique. You know a Picasso painting when you're looking at one. There's no second guessing.

But, you may to be surprised to find out Picasso doesn't just paint weird looking creatures. A lot of his early work was of landscapes. This is one of my favorite Picasso works... I love the dotted colors and how they're just kinda thrown on in no particular sequence or design.. but it works.

Woman in a Mantilla (la Salchichona), 1917.

When I took my weekend trip to Manchester, Pat and I took a look at the Lowry museum in the Lowry theater (before the play we saw). L.S. Lowry was famous for his paintings of industrial northern England in the early 1900s. He has a really unique style, that again, might not be everybody's cup of tea. But I just loved it!

The people are so goofy and cartoonish looking.. and then you have the guy on the far right who's standing at a completely different direction than the rest of them.

As you can see, Lowry is a pretty unique artist.. and even though he uses a lot of darker, dirtier colors (even the pinks and greens in the photo are dirty looking.. but I think that successfully portrays the "industrial" feel), it all seems pretty lively and funny.

So that was my art rant. I'm probably the last person who should be talking about art but hey, I'm learning. An art connoisseur in training if you will. I cannot wait to live in NYC this summer and check out some more of the best museums in the world... woooohooo!! Everything is going to be at my fingertips this summer. The mecca of all things culture is New York City. My fellow ASME interns and I have been chatting recently, and it's making me so excited for the summer. They all seem super great. It's going to be an amazing two months in the big apple, that's for sure. 2011 is getting a thumbs up from me, thus far. 

Today Jackie, Liza, Jordan and I went to Picadilly Circus for some souvenir shopping... we've been here for 4 months and I don't even have my London memorabilia! Then it was over to Lillywhites (sports store) where I purchased a Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo jersey. Ronaldo doesn't play for ManU anymore, but it's kinda cool to have a player's old jersey, right? I'm not really a football/soccer fan in the first place, even though I should technically be an Arsenal fan.. living in London and all. I'm just a really big Ronaldo fan haha

Then we roamed around Covent Garden and Leicester Square, eventally making it to Oxford Street and beginning the long walk back to the dorms. But, now that I'm looking at the actual distance (a little over 2 miles from Picadilly to the dorm), it's not TOO far. It just seemed longer because of the 2395829034853 tourists and their mothers who were out walking around, too. Sometimes I wish everyone just walked at the same pace. Yeah, that would be robotic and weird, but it would be so much less annoying!

Tomorrow I'm off to Borough Market.. haven't been there yet and they supposedly have the best food samples. 

Oh London... our time together is dwindling down :(

xxx

When in Rome...

...continue to eat lots of amazing gelato and Italian food, hang out at the Colosseum, throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and don't stay at George's Guesthouse hostel.

I mean, I guess it was fine. But the area it was in.. super sketchy. And by "hostel" I mean someone's apartment. One bedroom was for the lady and her child, the other was for us. A few bunk beds and two other beds pushed together to form an awkward king sized bed. And one small bathroom/shower. For the cheap price, and the fact we were only there to sleep, it was fine. Questionable roommate though... Pablo, age ?, from Argentina, wears man thong (Alex saw it), and velcro sneakers. Need I say more?

But aside a more to be desired hostel, Rome was amazing! I couldn't believe how much stuff was there. There was a statue or memorial or church or something on every single corner. We probably only saw half of Rome in the time we were there. And so, so much history in that city. The Roman forum was amazing to me... it's all been there since around 7th century BC?! Crazy. And I thought London had some old things...

So we got into Rome on a Monday night, after another 3 hour train ride from Florence. After navigating out to the hostel (but first dealing with a bank crisis, thank you Bank of America for putting my account on hold while I'm in another country), we settled into our hostel, got some sleep and headed out for a full day of sightseeing.

In a matter of a few hours, we saw Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, walked around the Roman forum, and went in the Colosseum. I would say me and the girls are pretty skilled sightseers by now. The Basilica was gorgeous (although we didn't go inside). The Trevi fountain.. a lot larger than I was expecting and super cool. Of course we had to do the touristy throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain thing. My feelings about the Trevi fountain were the same feelings I had about the Mona Lisa...

Even though the Mona Lisa and Trevi Fountain are really talked up and a lot of people get to these places and are underwhelmed, I personally think wow, this is the real deal.. the Trevi Fountain... the Mona Lisa. I've heard about both and seen pictures of both for so long, so it was awesome to see them in real life. How cool is it to say that I've been to the Trevi Fountain, I saw the Mona Lisa, etc. long list of other amazing things I've done and seen this semester.

I loved, loved, loved the Pantheon. The inside was just so pretty! With the light streaming in from the top...

We grabbed lunch at a little pizza shop and wow. I think we all had a pizza revelation. "This is what pizza should be like," Alex said. Yep. That along with a yummy Italian ice... we were happy as clams.

I think I forgot to mention in my last post, but the week we were in Italy was "culture week" meaning a lot of sights that usually cost $$, were now free. We saw David in Florence for free, and in Rome.. we got into the Colosseum for free. Thank you culture week.

I felt like Russell Crowe in the Gladiator when we went into the Colosseum. minus the wild animals and huge crowds of people. It was prettttyyy cool! And so in tact for being so old! We stayed there for a little bit, then moved on to the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, which I think ended up being one of my favorite parts of the city. 

It's just so neat! We literally just ran into it.. not expecting to see such a huge memorial. But welcome to Rome, every corner has something this magnificent basically.

Then we made our way to Roma Sparita, a restaurant Alex had heard about via Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations' show. We knew we had some good food in store for us. *Also, it was Jen's birthday and she was leaving us for Barcelona the next day, so Roma Sparita was our last dinner.. so bittersweet!*

We ordered a nice bottle of wine, some bread and olive oil.. and for dinner... the cacio y pepe. Credits to Alex for this photo...

YUMMMMMM. that is homemade pasta with cheese and peper, in a parmigiana cheese bowl.

After a beyond satisfying dinner, we met up with my friend Ted from Marquette and he brought us to get some delicious gelato, and then on over to the Vatican. I was not aware that the Vatican was it's own country, but indeed it is. Where's my passport stamp?

St. Peter's is beautiful. It really did give off this aura of holiness... the Pope has a pretty cool neighborhood. It was closer to 11 p.m., so the area only had a few stragglers like us. Fast forward to Wednesday morning and me and the girls were back at the Vatican for the Pope's weekly appearance/speaking. I saw the pope I saw the pope!!! Although I admit to denying it was him.. I really thought he had darker features! But maybe it was because he wasn't wearing his pope hat :(

^The man himself

In 4 months I've seen the Pope, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Marcus Mumford. Awesome. 

The girls and I headed over to the Vatican Museums where we followed about 87 signs saying "Sistine Chapel, this way" because we really were just trying to see the Sistine Chapel and get over to St. Peter's before Jen had to head to the airport. But, the walk through the museums to the Chapel was pretty neat.

^this is one of my favorite pictures.. and one of my favorite rooms in the Museums. The ceiling was so elaborate and intricate.

After the museums we went to St. Peter's but ran into the world's longest line of people, waiting to get in. Unfortunately, we had to pass on St. Peter's :( Oh well... that's for next time, I guess!

Later in the afternoon we met up with my good friend Claire from back home.. we've been friends since 3rd grade if you can believe it! She's studying in Rome this semester so I had to see her. We grabbed some coffee at a cafe near her campus, and then she showed us girls where to get a delicious dinner. I had a yummy carbonara (although, to this day, the restaurant we ate at in Paris had the best carbonara ever). It was so good to see Claire, and while we had coffee, she surprised me by saying she and a friend would be coming into London the next night and staying for the weekend! Although my paper and exhaustion kept me from seeing much of her, we made plans to meet up back in good old Shrewsbury in a few weeks.

Thursday morning we say ciao to Rome and to a great week in Italy, and headed back to London. What an adventure... I loved traveling with Jen, Jackie and Alex.. it was a great trip to end our semester with and I think we all had a blast. And I'm so glad I traveled with girls who appreciate gelato as much as I do/good Italian food as much as I do.

And with the end of the Italy trip comes the end of all of my traveling. I'm back in London for two more weeks and then hello United States. I think I'm ready. Or I will be... after I do some last minute London things. :)

Ciaoooo!