See you soon, dearest London

Hello my wonderful loves.

I come to you both sad and overwhelmingly joyful. In just a few hours, I will be getting on a plane to go back the states, and leave London behind. I have to say this has been the most amazing 4 months of my life, and I have no regrets. I lived fully and completely, doing everything I could get my hands on, and filling every moment with life changing experiences. I saw places I'd always dreamed of visiting, had my breath taken away by sights I never dreamed existed, and found home in a place I never dreamed of living. I am head over heels in love with London, and I know it's only a matter of time before I follow my feet back here. So many incredible people were with me for this journey, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and I could not be more grateful for all of them.

I can't wait to share my experiences with everyone when I get home, and although I worry about the culture shock of being out of the study abroad life, I know I have the love and support of all of you to help me through. Home is sounding pretty wonderful right about now, after so many months of constant excitement and new experiences. The comfort of home never fades, and I very much look forward to cuddling up next to my fireplace with my cats and some fantastic American television.

These last few weeks in London were perhaps the best of all, as I truly got to experience London to the fullest. As I sat this morning in a quiet corner of Regent's Park and watched the native Londoners go about their morning errands, I imagined myself among them and smiled. Who knows if I'll end up in London, but I know I must come back, and thanks to the wonderful friends I've made here, that shouldn't be too difficult to arrange.

So, here are my final words of wisdom, from all I've learned through this amazing adventure. Never be afraid to jump and do something extraordinarily terrifying, because chances are it will change you forever. Be spontaneous, but have a plan to make sure you live it up right. Meet people, all people, everywhere, all the time. Friends made while traveling may last a day or a lifetime, but they will make your trip. Take long moments to just sit, breathe, smile, and say thank you for this place. Photographs have helped me learn so much about myself and the places I've visited, but once in a while it's more rewarding to put the camera down and use your real eyes to truly see. Find beauty in the smallest things - in rain, grass, the sound of leaves under your feet, children playing in the park, Burberry scarves, sunshine, chocolate creme brulee, and goodnight kisses. Wake up early once in a while, because everything looks different in the beautiful morning light. Let yourself become a whole new person and keep those you love with you for the ride. Love every single moment - there will never be another one like it.

Some words from others:
"Soulful travel is the art of finding beauty even in ruins, even in inclement weather, even in foul moods." -Phil Cosineau

"This city now doth, like a garment, wear the beauty of the morning; silent bare, ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie open unto the fields and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air."
-Wordsworth, from a bridge over the Thames at dawn

"Yes, atmosphere is my style." -JMW Turner

"It's not goodbye, it's see you later" - Brooke Bergen
"Pass by that which you do not love, but always, always stop for that which you do." -Phil Cosineau (and a little me)

And, one more from me, my own little mantra to live by: Live simply, Love greatly.


That's all I've got for you. Thanks so much for sticking with me through all of this, I couldn't have done it without you. I will see you all soon! Much London love and cheers! Happy Christmas!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. <3

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Happy December everyone!

I can't believe it's already the last month of 2009, time has flown by. It feels like yesterday that I was arriving in London bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to see the world. Now I've traveled all across Europe and the UK, I've eaten more food than I thought possible, I've met so many incredible people from all different places, and I've made a home for myself here in wonderful Londontown. It had been quite a journey, and I'm at the same time so ready to be home among those I love and also incredibly distraught to be leaving this place I've come to love so very much. But there's still two weeks left, so let's now get too mushy just yet!

This week will be my last week of classes, then I have finals next Monday through Wednesday, then a few days left to enjoy the city, and then I'll be journeying home to Columbus on Sunday, December 13th. I'm done with my European travels, having ended with Italy this past weekend. The trip was amazing, full of classic Italian food and new found friends. Venice was very different than I expected, but no less beautiful. After hearing my mother's stories of the city she loved more than any other, I was ready to love Venezia just much. It was hazy and gray while we visited, with some cold and rain mixed in. Luckily, we were used to the weather coming from London, so it didn't phase us a bit. Sarah and I spent our time wandering the tiny narrow streets, eating pizza, pasta, and drinking plenty of wine. We met some nice people, wet out to Murano to see the incredible glass blowing that has made Venice famous the world over, and even made it to the top of the bell tower in St. Mark's square, where we could see all of Venice in a glimpse. I felt my mother there with my all along the way, and I imagined us walking down the same streets and feeling so incredibly lucky to be in such a beautiful place. Cruising down the canals was just like I imagined, and I couldn't help but smile as I recognized landmarks from my favorite movie set in the city, Only You. We stayed in a cozy inn with a helpful Italian owner, Carlo, who made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy Venice completely. I even got to skype with my whole family on Thanksgiving, a treat I hadn't planned, but totally needed. It was wonderful to hear their voices and know that they were thinking of me on this special day. I love all of you!

From Venice, we took a long train ride down to Roma, passing through beautiful wine country along the way. We arrived in the late afternoon, and stepped off the train to a welcome surprise: beautiful, warm weather. We found our hotel, another small inn with a sweet owner called Giuliana, then put on our flip flops and wandered the city. We ended up meeting with a younger brother of a friend of my mom's (you do the math there) called Ross, who was studying in Rome and was gracious enough to show us around the city. We ended up at my favorite gelato place (which I've aptly named Gelato Heaven, but is actually called Palma), then wandered over to the Pantheon. Again, I thought of my mom who I had shared much time and gelato with in this same spot just a short time before. We spent the rest of the evening drinking fine Italian wine and wandering about, ending up at a hole in the wall pizza place for some pizza primavera - delizioso!

Our final day in Roma, we went first to the Trevi Fountain, where we made wishes by throwing the coin from our left hand over our right shoulder. Apparently this ensures that you will make it back to Rome someday - which was actually part of my wish! I again made wishes for others, throwing a 1 cent coin for Brooke and a 2 cent coin for my mother and father, who I had promised wishes to earlier. From there, we walked to the Spanish Steps, and all the way up to enjoy the beautiful view of Rome. Then we met up with Ross again at the Pantheon and went to a famous pizza place recommended by both our friends and his. It was called Da Buffeto, and we sat outside and ate huge pizzas (mine was topped with prosciutto, an extremely popular ingredient in much Italian food). After stuffing ourselves full of some of the best pizza we'd ever had, we walked through the Pantheon. The inside was so beautiful, especially the famous oculous in the center, which let little rain droplets in while we watched. From there, we said goodbye to Ross at Piazza Navona, where he's lucky enough to live, then walked over the Tiber toward the Vatican.

From the bridge we saw a merry-go-round, and decided to drop a euro to take a ride. Then we walked over past Castel St. Angelo toward St. Peter's, ending up in the giant square. We took a short walk through the basilica, admiring the Michelangelo sculpture and fantastic architecture. Since it was Sunday, there was a service in session, so we listened to the quiet songs and chants as we walked around, and even took some holy water as we walked out. At this point the sun was setting and I had a plane to catch, so we took the metro back over to the Trevi, where we got some more gelato from San Crispino, a famous gelato place featured in Eat, Pray, Love. It was delicious!! I got honey and cinnamon-ginger. YUM! After one last longing glance at the Trevi, I ran back to the hotel, grabbed my bags, and began my long journey home. There was a lot of running, a delayed flight, and a rainy bus ride/walk home, but I made it back to my warm bed and settled in for a long night's rest.

A truly wonderful weekend, with some great new experiences and some wonderful revisits to favorite places. It's almost comforting to know that this was my last trip, because I've seen so much and I'm ready to just lie low for a while. London is as beautiful as ever, even if it's freezing cold. I've still got some things on my list to do: London Eye, Tate Britain, Tower Bridge, ice skating, St. Paul's, and a few more restaurants. Other than that, it will be a whole lot of studying and just being in this amazing city. It's Christmastime officially, and where better to enjoy the holiday season than jolly old London?

Lots of love to you all, and see you soon!

Happy Thanksgiving from Italy!

Hello my loves!

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you all how thankful I am for every one of you on this wonderful Thanksgiving day! I feel so blessed to be on this amazing adventure, and I know it wouldn't have been possible without the love and support that you give me every single day. I miss you all more than you could possibly know, and I am excited to see everyone in just a few short weeks, but until then I will be living up my last moments abroad. I'm in Italy for the weekend, Venice now and then Roma again. Although I'm incredibly excited to be in this beautiful city, which was the number one place I wanted to go in Europe, I am also so sad to be missing out on all of the Thanksgiving festivities. So I hope you all celebrate double for me, and eat LOTS of yummy food - especially mashed potatoes, my favorite! Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend, and I will try to do the same over here in Italia!

Besos!

"Love, love, love."

Hello everyone! I know I've been away for a while, so I have a lot to report! I'm going to try and summarize concisely so I don't end up writing this entry all night long. When I last wrote I had just visited Rome and spent a wonderful weekend with my mum (as they would say over here) in beautiful London. I forgot to mention something truly amazing that we got to do while she was here. One morning before class, we were lucky enough to get to wander out to Greenford, a suburb of London, and see a beautiful little church where my ancestor was once rector. We spent a while wandering through the churchyard, and left a note for the current rector who wasn't in, letting him know we had stopped by. My grandmother had given me a photo of her and my grandpa when they had visited the same church, so I left that for him as well. It was a really cool experience to stand in front of the beautiful, quaint church building which had once been a part of my own family.

After mom left, I had a weekend trip to Brussels and Amsterdam. We took the train across the channel to France, then over to Brussels, where we settled in for a short day and a half. The little city was beautiful - a smaller, kinder Paris in my opinion. And the best part, of course, was the food. Chocolate on every corner, waffles sold on the streets, and mussels by the bucket (yes, the mussels in Brussels joke is a real thing). We spent our 24 hours eating, wandering through the little streets, and indulging in the best chocolate I've ever had. By the time we got on our bus to Amsterdam on Saturday, I was so full I was convinced I would never eat again. That last until Saturday evening, when we arrived in Amsterdam in the pouring rain, found some food, and settled into our hotel boat. That's right, we stayed on a boat! A little boat, docked in one of the canals, and run by a very kind man with a big smile and great advice on what to do in the city. We spent all of Sunday riding around on our rented bikes (a very popular mode of transportation in Amsterdam), and got to see all of the sites in a few short hours. It was a very leisurely trip, with a lot of wandering and eating, but over all a truly great time.

The next week was for school, although I did take a break from my studies to go the ballet and see Sleeping Beauty. It was a magnificent performance, with incredible dancing and music. Everything was beautiful and graceful, especially the Royal Opera House where it was performed. I'd been wanting to see that building for a long time, so it was great to spend some time there seeing such a good show. The next weekend was Halloween, so some friends and I did a London pub crawl on Thursday, a pumpkin carving party on Friday, and a night out in costume on Saturday. Our pumpkins turned out great (I carved mine like a kitty cat, of course), and we even roasted up the seeds as a nice autumnal snack. It felt very much like home, and we all loved the feeling. Saturday we went out to Camden dressed up (I went as a hippie, which turned out to be pretty easy for me) and bar hopped with some nice guys we met at the beginning of the night.

The next week was pretty uneventful, and then a whole big group of us went to Prague this past weekend. All I had heard about the city was how beautiful it was, with all of its castles and spires - and it was all true. We stayed in Old Town, right near the famous square, in a really nice little apartment hostel. Seven of us shared the two bedroom flat, which turned out to be plenty of space (especially after the boat). Our first half day was spent eating (of course), and seeing the square, where little food vendors gather with performers, horse drawn buggies, and the tourist crowds gazing up at the infamous Astronomical Clock. We watched it long enough to see it strike the hour, when all of the little statues come to life and the bell tolls out the time. It was pretty impressive considering how old it is, but I was much more interested in all of the amazing buildings in the square. We did a walking tour of the city on Saturday, seeing New Town, the Jewish area, and the river. That evening, two of my friends and I went to a small classical concert in a beautiful church that featured some local Czech music. I was so moved by one of the pieces that I went out the next day and bought a CD of the Czech Philharmonic playing music from that composer. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip! Saturday night we did the city pub crawl, which was a very fun night out on the town. We woke up Sunday to do a tour of the famous Prague Castle and the area on the other side of the river. We saw the Lennon Wall, where people had written messages of love and hope after John Lennon's death. I signed it myself, with my own favorite Beatles lyric, "love, love, love." It's a simple one, but it seemed to fit well. The Castle was really cool, but I preferred the smaller side streets and hidden gems that Prague seemed to have in abundance. We finished off the trip with some great Cuban food, and woke up early the next morning to head back to London.

I had missed London so much this time, and it seems I miss it more and more each time I travel. I'm really starting to feel like this is home. I'm so excited to have the next two weeks here to explore my home even more - and now that it's getting very, very cold, I'll have plenty of time to do all the museums! I want to see the Tate Britain (all British art, with a special Turner exhibit I want to check out), the Tate Modern, the National Portrait Gallery (with a photo exhibit called "Beatles to Bowie" - that has to be good), the Victoria and Albert (fine art), and the National Gallery, just for starters. Then I still have Sir John Soane's Museum, more of the British Museum, and maybe the Natural History Museum if I can squeeze it in. On top of all that, I still want to try to see another show, go back to wonderful Hampstead, see St. Paul's and a few other things in the City, ride the London Eye, and do all of the wonderful London Christmas things that have started popping up around town. I think I might need more than a month! I can't believe it's so soon that I will be leaving. I miss everyone at home so much, but it will break my heart to leave London.

So I'm trying not to think too much about all that sad stuff and just enjoy every second I have here in this amazing place. I'll try to get back to you sooner, since I'm going to be in town for a while. Hope everyone at home is well, I miss you all, and I'll see you soon!

Much love!

Photos: Greenford Church, Sarah and me eating waffles in Brussels, bikes in Amsterdam, Sarah and me at the canals in Amsterdam, all the girls in Prague's Old Town Square, Charles Bridge in Prague, me at Lennon Wall, Prague Castle at night.

Catching up... Paris, Roma, and a little London.

Hello my loves, I'm so sorry for the delay! I have been busier than you can imagine, traveling all over, hosting my mother here in London, and trying to keep up with school and life in between. I've hardly had time to breathe, but it's been wonderful. I'll try to give you a good update without writing a novel, although I easily could with all the amazing things I've seen and done in the past few weeks.

The weekend after Edinburgh, my entire program went on a planned trip to Paris. We took the train through the Chunnel to get there, then enjoyed a long weekend in the city of love. It was a fabulous trip, filled with LOTS of bread (croissants, crepes, baguettes), tons of art (Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas... all my favorites), and some wonderful times walking around with friends. We went to the Musee d'Orsay (impressionism museum) which was possibly my favorite part of the trip. Ever since a good friend pointed out to me that I love impressionism for the light, its main subject, and that this has deeply inspired my own work with photography, I have been even more passionate about this area of art. Monet is my favorite, and there is plenty of his work at d'Orsay. I was almost lost in the beauty of it all, and Sarah eventually had to drag me out of the museum or I may have moved in. We made a short trip to the Louvre, seeing the highlights, but my favorite part was the plaza with the glass pyramid and the fountains. The fusion of the modern glass juxtaposed with the ancient Louvre palace fascinated me, and I couldn't take enough pictures as the sun set in the background. We spent a day at Versailles, with the lovely gardens and the incredibly ornate palace, which made Buckingham look like a modest country home. A little too much for my taste, but lovely all the same. The Eiffel Tower was all I had hoped and more, and I was lucky enough to find time to climb up the incredible structure, although not all the way to the top - something to save for my next visit. I didn't make it out to Giverny, Monet's famous home and gardens, but again something to look forward to for next time. I was glad to head home on Sunday, having missed London quite a bit, and ready to give up the French for some easy English.

The next day, I welcomed my mother to London, and we spent the following few days seeing some London sights: Regent's Park (of course), Bloomsbury, Covent Garden, the Tower of London, and the South Bank of the Thames. On Thursday we left London behind for the third weekend in a row to fly to Roma. I immediately fell in love with the city, as I had known I would, captivated by its ancient architecture and eternal beauty. I could have spent days wandering through piazzas and eating gelato. We saw the Coliseum, the Forum, the Vatican (St. Peter's, the museum, and the Sistine Chapel), as well as Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon. The Coliseum was overwhelming and fascinating, the Sistine Chapel took my breath away (although it would have been better seen silently and alone instead of surrounded by hundreds of gawking tourists), the top of St. Peter's afforded magnificent views of the city, the Trevi made my heart sing and I threw two wishing coins into its waters (one for me and one for my roommate Brooke, who had requested a wish in her honor), and the Pantheon plaza offered up a great cafe and some AMAZING gelato.

For our final day in Italy, my mother and I ventured south, through Naples and Sorrento, ending up in Positano. My dream to go to Positano began years ago when I found one of my most favorite movies, Only You, a romantic comedy that tours through Venice and Rome, and ends up in the tiny beachside town of Positano. I was not disappointed. The village was quaint and welcoming, built on winding streets on huge cliffs. I bought a beautiful piece of watercolor art being sold on the sea's edge, we ate a perfect meal overlooking the water, and before we knew it, it was time to head back to Roma. After a crazy bus ride on the cliffs and a couple of trains, we ended up back at our hotel, and woke up the next morning in time to catch a flight back to London so I could take a midterm in my Monday class.

The next day, a friend and I sang in our program's variety show, performing "For Good" from Wicked. It went well and everyone seemed to like it, and it was nice to be singing again... it's been a while since I've sung either alone or in a group, and I've missed it. The rest of the week was spent eating out with my mother, getting caught up on school work, and taking our last Angie tour to the Docklands of London. On Friday we went with Angie to Oxford on a bus, and saw the beautiful college campus. From there, we went to Bleinham, a state palace where Winston Churchill was born. The palace was pretty, but the grounds were magnificent. It was sunset, so of course I was going photo crazy. I got some of my best pictures since I've been abroad, showcasing light and nature in beautiful harmony. I went home exhausted, but very satisfied with the day. Saturday was spent between Nottinghill market and Camden market. Mom, Sarah and I bought some food, some clothes, and some other goodies, but mostly just enjoyed wandering around and laughing together.

Sunday was the perfect autumn day in London. We started at Hyde Park, where we watched the crazy orators in Speaker's Corner talk about anything and everything they wanted, as its guaranteed by law that they can do so. We wandered through the park, admiring the trees of all colors and the myriad of birds in the Serpentine lake. We even found some ducks with their little duck chins high up in the air, typical of little British ducks I suppose. We walked to the Peter Pan Statue, where I again thought of Brooke and her request for me to find it as it was one thing she remembered most from her trip to London. I smiled, thinking of her standing where I was standing, peering up at the lovely little statue, and feeling the joy I was feeling on a perfect day just like this one. After a quick lunch at a lovely waterside cafe, Sarah and I impulsively decided to play in the piles of fall leaves on the lawn, which probably gained us a few stares, but yielded some fantastic photos that truly captured the happiness of the day. We then headed over the Harrod's to escape the chilly autumn air, and escape we did. I had heard about the infamous department store, and the legend that you could find ANYTHING you wanted within its walls, but I was still astounded at the incredible size and selection of the shop. The Christmas displays were already out of course, and we wandered around dumbfounded for twenty minutes, taking in all of the food, clothes, purses, candies, coffees and teas, presents, and on and on. We only got through half a floor and decided we needed to take a break at the Chocolate Bar, where we ordered two "hot chocolates" that ended up being cups of melted chocolate, spoon required. Full to the brim, we made our way out of the epic store, vowing to come back for Christmas shopping later in the semester.

The next few days were spent cooking, eating, reading, and finally saying goodbye to mum this morning. It was very sad to see her go, and I had gotten used to having her right around the corner. All of the eating out was definitely a treat, and one I will be paying for at the gym every day from now until eternity. Between chocolate creme brulee at the Hotel Russel, berry cheesecake at the Montague hotel, gelato in Italy, and chocolate heaven at Harrod's, it was a week of binging, and a great one at that. But now mommy's on a plane back to the states, and I'm left to work off the desserts and get back into the swing of things. This weekend is another trip, to Brussels and Amsterdam. Should be fun, and hopefully not too stressful. In the meantime, I'll be working out, working on school, and trying to get some rest in between. I miss you all, especially after this little taste of family, and I'm already looking forward to the Christmas holidays and beyond, although I'm definitely not ready to head home just yet. I'm slowly falling in love with London... I can feel it happening, and I'm loving every minute of it. :)

Cheers and love!

Photos: Eiffel Tower at night, Louvre fountains/pyramid, view from Eiffel, Versailles gardens, Eiffel from below, Coliseum, Positano, group at Bleinhem, Bleinhem gardens, Hyde Park

Aye, Scotland!

I come to you a tired traveler, after a long weekend book-ended by two busy weeks. After I last updated, on Wednesday, our group went out to dinner for my roommate, Sarah's, 21st birthday. We went to a small French bistro in Covent Garden, which was lovely, then got to experience one of London's most famous and interesting clubs. Called the Absolut Ice Bar, it's exactly what you'd think - a bar made entirely out of ice. You can only go in for 40 minutes, and they make you wear these thick poncho things with gloves attached and a hood! I thought it was silly at first, but once I got in I understood completely - it's freezing! The bar, seats, tables, walls, even the glasses are all made of ice, and the drinks they give you glow in the dark! It was quite an experience, even if I was freezing the whole time. After our time ran out and we were all sufficiently frostbitten, we went to a nearby bar and danced the night away.

The next day Sarah and I got on a night train headed to Edinburgh, Scotland, where we arrived early Friday morning. The air was crisp and damp as we stepped off the bus, and we hurried to our hostel, called Castle Rock, where we left our luggage for the day. The hostel is actually built inside an old castle-like building, so there are tons of rooms and each one has an interesting theme. Ours was "Scottish Isles" and my island was called "Raasay," Sarah's was "Skye." That day we walked around the city for a while, grabbed some dinner at a nice little pub called The New Bell, then went on a city pub crawl, sponsored by a free tour group. We got to visit several of Edinburgh's great pubs and bars, ending up in a hip club where we danced the night away, yet again.

Saturday, we woke up a little too early and got on another bus to take a full day tour of the Highlands, the northern countryside of Scotland where the traditional clans once lived. Think Braveheart. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and had some great stories, which kept us entertained for the 12 hour tour. We stopped in a bunch of places for photos, and ended up in Loch Ness for two hours at lunch time. Sarah and I walked out to the loch (which just means lake) and took a ton of pictures. It reminded me a lot of Lake Placid from when I backpacked there a few years back. Absolutely beautiful. I dared to touch the dark, mysterious water, but sadly we didn't catch a glimpse of Nessie, the famous monster of the loch. Back on the bus, we saw more beautiful countryside, and ended up back in Edinburgh in time to go back to our hostel and pass out from sheer exhaustion.

Sunday was a calmer day, spent taking a free four hour walking tour of the city. We got to see all of Edinburgh's highlights, like the Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile (high street), and my personal favorite part: HARRY POTTER SIGHTS!! The tour guide asked the group, "does anyone here care about Harry Potter by chance?" at which I just about exploded and screamed "I do, I do!!" jumping up and down, while the rest of the group stared. I had heard about all of the Harry Potter sights in Edinburgh, as the city was where JK wrote the books and got most of her inspiration, and I was so ready to see them all, having been a Harry Potter fan since the very beginning. I was practically crying as the guide showed us the cafe where she sat to write the books, since she was too poor to afford heating in her house. I took a moment to look at her seat, at her table, at her window, and picture her sitting there, writing about the characters I loved so much. Next, we were taken to the graveyard where many of the names of characters came from - and I got to see the grave of Tom Riddle. For those of you who know anything about Harry Potter, you'll understand how exciting this was. We even got to see the two castles that inspired Hogwarts! So exciting!! Ok, enough Harry Potter. The rest of the tour was great as well, especially all the parts that bashed England, because it was just funny how much the Scots seemingly hate England, even though I know deep down they really love them. They're like two quarreling siblings.

Our time in Scotland ended with a great meal and a run to the bus station. The ride back to London was long and uncomfortable, but I bought a cozy fleece Burberry print blanket to keep me warm for the trip, so that helped a bit. We got back to the city very early, went back to bed, and I made it to class in the afternoon. I spent the whole evening writing a paper on the English Monarchy, Buckingham Palace, the River Thames, and Greenwich. It turned out well, and I turned it in this morning in class. Today's tour was of the East End of London, which was less epic than others but just as interesting. We saw the international area, and Brick Lane, a currently Bangali neighborhood where we got some good curry. It used to be dominantly Jewish, and a good bagel shop still remains, so we stocked up. My favorite part of the day was seeing Dennis Sever's House. An American, Sever's was obsessed with British history, so he came to London and restored a house to Victorian style, and now you can our it. It's incredible. He got everything right down to the tiniest detail. It even sounds and SMELLS like an old Victorian home. Everything is real - from the bed frames to the boiled egg on a plate. I was told there was a cat running around the house, which I looked hard for, but couldn't find, much to my dismay. My cat-withdrawal continues.

A great weekend and start to a great week. Tomorrow is our last day of class for this week, as we leave early Thursday morning for... drumroll... PARIS!!! The weekend will be jam-packed, since our program has planned most of it for us and is footing a lot of the bill (yay!). Activities so far include a Seine river cruise, tour of the Musee D'Orsay, Louvre (of course), Eiffel Tower, possible trips to Versailles and Giverny (I LOVE Monet), and a walking tour of the Marais, a shopping and good historical area. And, of course, LOTS of croissants, crepes, and other delicious French food! Should be fantastique! I know pretty much zero French, so hopefully my skills will improve by the time I come home on Sunday. And then, Mom comes to visit on Monday! Should be an absolutely amazing week or so, I'm so excited!! Wish me luck in Paris, au revoire!

Love!

Photos: Loch Ness, Glencoe in the Highlands, Sarah and me with Hermish the wooly cow, cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, Sarah and me with Tom Riddle's grave, cold at the Ice Bar!

A Lovely London Weekend

What a wonderful weekend in London it's been!

I got a chance to spend the weekend doing all the things in London I'd wanted to do since I got here, which is great because I'll be traveling for the next 3 weekends in a row. A lot of my friends were in Greece, so I spent most of the weekend on my own, which I didn't mind at all. It was nice to just explore, listen to my ipod, read my book, and get in some quality me time.

I started the weekend off on Friday by spending the day in Hampstead. Set high on a hill just north of central London, I had heard that Hampstead was a quaint sort of suburb (although technically part of London) with a beautiful heath and stunning views of the city. It did not disappoint. I got off the tube and traveled almost 200 feet up to street level (Hampstead is the deepest underground station) where I stepped out onto a cozy little street in the center of town. I walked for a while, not really knowing or caring where I was headed, and ended up in a residential area. Looking around, I fell in love with the neighborhood, and decided that if I ever live in London, this would be where I'd settle. Sadly, I later learned that it's one of the most expensive places in the world to live, and contains more millionaires than any other part of London. Of course I would fall in love with the most expensive place in the world. C'est la vie.

I soon found myself in the famous Hampstead Heath, a HUGE forested park with several lakes, paved and dirt paths, hidden meadows, and spectacular city views. I got lost on purpose, and wandered around, breathing in the fresh air and utterly enjoying the fall leaves tumbling to the ground around me. I even found another Buckeye! There were a ton of them on the ground in this little grove I found by accident. They keep calling to me! I got a delicious crepe for lunch and ate it on Parliament Hill, famous for its kite fliers and perfect view of London. I saw St. Paul's, The City of London, Regent's Park, and even Bloomsbury, where I live. I reluctantly made my way back to the tube station, and passed the poet Keats' house along the way, stopping to admire the small white cottage. Finally I departed my fairytale home, and made my way back to London. After a short yoga class, I spent the rest of the night in, chatting with friends and watching movies on television. I even made some tabouleh salad, which made me think of home.

Saturday was a very, very full day. I woke up early to start the festivities of Open House. I started off at the Bank of England, where I waited in line for over an hour to take a 30 minute tour of one of London's most famous old buildings. It's actually only 70 years old, but it was rebuilt to be a restoration of the old building on the site, so it seems much older. Most of the rooms we saw were ornate and grand, with much of the same furniture from older versions of the bank. Sadly, the vault was not on the tour, but I did get to see the door that leads down to it! At the end of the tour, we got to try and lift a gold bar like the ones they have in the vault to back up their money - and it was heavy! They told us it weighed 25 pounds, and most of the people that tried before me couldn't lift it at all. I was very proud of myself when I lifted it all the way up with one hand! I've been going to the gym. :)

After the bank, I went to Lloyd's, the most famous insurance company in the world. The architecture of the building is very modern, and made to look like its inside out, with all of the heating/cooling and stuff on the outside. As I'm typically unimpressed by modern art and architecture, I had a hard time appreciating it from the street, but I waited a short 25 minutes to get inside, where I had my breath taken away. I walked in to "The Room," where all of the business takes place. A huge space with a giant clock in the middle, The Room opens upward 13 floors to the grand glass ceiling, and you can see all of the floors in between, as well as 5 crisscrossing clear glass escalators. The elevators are another story. After crossing through the room, I stepped into a small glass box, and was flown upward on the outside of the building, taking in all of London as I soared to the eleventh floor. I stepped out of the elevator and into a room with more great views of the city. The tour concluded with a book in which they hand write every ship damage that happens on the sea, as Lloyd's ensures every large vessel on the ocean. This book was opened to the page of April, 1912 - the sinking of the Titanic. It briefly described the incident in very simple terms, then the handwriting faintly trailed off with "loss of life reported to be very serious..." It was eerie seeing it there in someone's handwriting.

I left Lloyd's blown away by the modern architecture, and set off for Guildhall, one of London's older buildings. Used as a kind of city hall, the Guildhall had impressive high arched ceilings and a medieval crypt, with beautiful stained glass depictions of many historical figures - my favorite being Sir Thomas Newman, a great man who did some pretty incredible things in his lifetime. I got a chance to check out the basement of the Guildhall, where remains of Roman London were found recently. It was amazing to see what is probably the oldest London we know of. I left the Guilhall to see St. Mary le Bow church, one of the oldest in London, then caught the tube back to central London, where I saw St. Anne's Church clock tower. By the end of the day, I was absolutely wiped out, so I sat in the garden of St. Anne's and read my book for a while before heading home. Once back in my flat, I got ready to go out, then went with some friends to the Rocket, where we'd been previously, and spent the night dancing and laughing.

Sunday was a more laid back kind of day, although I did venture out to see Horse Guards, where the horse-mounted guards are. I watched the tourists throw an arm over the horse for a photo and laughed, imagining one of the horses getting a little fed-up and giving the obnoxious tourists a little kick. I walked over to the Thames, and found the building I find most beautiful of all I've seen in London. I'd never known what it was before, and I found out it's actually a hotel. I was pretty shocked at this news, although I think it was originally built for something much more grand, as it looks like a grand palace. It's perched right on the river, with beautiful gardens in front, and it's one of the most expensive places to stay in London, as it is within walking distance of Buckingham, Parliament, and Westminster. I sat and read in the little park, then walked over to Trafalgar Square, where the Mayor of London's skyride was taking place - a day long ride around the city, encouraging people to use bikes for transportation. Many of the city roads were closed for the event, and there were thousands of bikers of all ages flooding the streets. I watched the action for a while, then went back home to write a big paper for class the next day.

Monday passed uneventfully, and today we toured Parliament. It was magnificent! I've always been fascinated by government, so it was very interesting to hear about the British system. And the building itself was beautiful, with the House of Lords being ornate and grand, and the House of Commons simple, but not at all plain. We couldn't take pictures, sadly, but it gave me more time to listen to our guide and take in the beautiful portraits and architecture.

It was quite the weekend, dampened only slightly by USC's loss to Washington. I can't say I wasn't upset, but I can't say I was all that surprised either. USC has a tragic flaw of losing to unranked PAC 10 teams, and it seems we just can't get passed it. I have hope for the rest of the season, but perhaps it's a good thing that I can't watch most of the games. Luckily, OSU pulled out a win from Toledo, or rather a shutout, which I was happy about. Looks like we're about even in the rankings now, so I'm pulling for both of my teams this week. Scotland this weekend, and Paris the next. Could be a while before I get back on here, so cheers to all!

Love!

Photos: Lloyd's, Keats House, my favorite London Building (Horseguards Hotel), SkyRide bikers, view from Parliament Hill of London, Hampstead Heath.

Castles, markets, and a whole lot of football

What a week it's been!

The school week wrapped up nicely last Thursday with a class all about the blues, jazz, and the birth of rock music in England. I learned a lot about the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, the Yardbirds, and many others. I don't know a whole lot about popular music history, so it was really interesting to hear all of the stories about these amazing artists. We even got to hear some conspiracy theories about their deaths from our professor, Justin. Needless to say, I'm loving my classes and learning all kinds of great new things.

Friday was a full day of royalty, as we traveled with our tour guide, Angie, west of the city to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. Windsor was a huge, intimidating castle that boasted green lawns and beautiful interiors. It was incredible to stand in those halls and think about all those that had been there before. We got to see where the Queen lives when she's there (which she wasn't) as well as many staterooms that are used often by the monarchy. After taking an audio tour of the inside, we saw St. George's chapel, a place I had been anticipating for a long time. As soon as I walked in the building, I was taken aback by the scent. It took me a few minutes walking around the beautiful chapel to realize why it smelled so familiar. The smell reminded me of Christmas - and I realized it was because it smelled like the old south campus of my church, with its old wood and high stone ceilings. I only go to this branch of my church for midnight mass on Christmas with my mother, so the smell took me back to the holidays and made me feel very much at home. It was very comforting and made me so happy! Finally, at the very back of the church, I found what I'd been looking for: the tomb of Henry VIII and his favorite wife, Jane Seymour. My fascination with the Tudors was only heightened as I stood above the floor plaque that marked his burial place.

The overwhelming presence of such great history only continued at Hampton Court, the palace built for Cardinal Wolsey but lived in mostly by Henry VIII. It is a beautiful brick palace, and while its interior is not as epically beautiful as that of Windsor, the surrounding grounds more than make up for it. We took a quick tour through the older half of the palace, guided by Angie, and picked up a lot of stragglers as we went, eager to hear Angie's fascinating stories about the Tudor family. We even got to see a man dressed as Henry VIII walking around! I took another moment to think about all of the historical people who had walked these halls, then our group went outside to explore the gardens. This was where I found my happy place. The gardens themselves were beautiful, but a little too finely manicured for my tastes. However, we soon wandered over to the edge of the deer park, where the giant trees and leaf-covered grass made me think of autumn in the midwest. It was a wonderful feeling, made even better by the hedge maze we found ourselves horribly lost in. We finally made our way out, then got on our bus to head back to London.

That night we went to a nearby bar called The Rocket, which attracts many local university students and was a lot of fun. The next morning we woke up and went to the Portobello Road Market at Notting Hill. It was crazy! There were all kinds of stands, from antiques, to silverware, to clothes, to food. I bought some fresh veggies, a Breakfast at Tiffany's poster, a new bag and a £5 dress. Once home, I took a short nap, then went with some friends to Covent Garden to get some cookies at a little bakery. We then went home to get ready for the main event of the night. We left the flat around 10pm, then went to a pub in Soho, and finally made our way over to Sports Cafe in Picadilly to watch the "Collision in Columbus": USC vs. OSU. We met up with a bunch of USC alumni, and set up to watch the game in our own private room with a nice big tv. I found a front row seat, and met some friendly Buckeye Brits. It was really nice to hang out with some Buckeyes, even if we weren't cheering for the same team. I mean, of course I was cheering a bit for the Bucks on the inside, but I was dressed in USC gear and supporting my alma mater all night. We shared stories of high street, Upper Arlington, and even chocolate buckeyes (which they call chestnuts over here), but when the game came on we were separated by the competition. And what a game it was! Both teams fought hard and played well, but the Trojans took it home in the end. I was a proud Trojan and a sad Buckeye that night, but at least I got to see the game all the way over here, and I met some very nice people in the process.

Us London Trojans didn't get home until 5:30am, having watched the game live, so it was rough waking up at noon to go to the Fulham vs. Everton football (soccer) match. But it was a lot of fun, and Fulham won in an exciting finish. After the game, I went straight to the River Thames Festival, which is an annual event put on by the Mayor of London. It was a great festival, with lots of street vendors, art, music, and good food. I got some paella and bought a couple of souvenirs: a hand-pressed t-shirt with multicolored birds (I love birds, which was ironically the name of the artist selling the shirts) and a glass panel with tiny pressed flowers inside spelling out "PEACE" in different colors. It was a great night that finished up with a bunch of us on the Hungerford bridge watching an incredible fireworks show. The bursts of light bounced off the River Thames and lit up the red buses driving slowly across the London bridge. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Still having a great time here in London, and filling in every single minute with amazing memories! This weekend should be a little slower paced, but just as full. The weather's getting chillier by the day, so I'm trying to fit in all the outdoor things I can before that famous London cold sets in for good. Tomorrow we'll be touring the infamous Buckingham Palace, and this weekend is Open House - where many of London's most famous buildings are open to the public for free. I plan to take full advantage of the event, and maybe even fit in a market and a trip to the nearby Kew botanical gardens. I'm sure I'll have a lot to report then, so I'll try to keep you posted!

Love!

Photos: Football (soccer) match, Hampton Palace, Windsor Castle, the group and the London Eye (all lit up!) at the Thames River Festival, fighting on for the Trojans!

Touring the Thames: on a boat!

Alright, it's already 10pm and I haven't started my reading for tomorrow, so I'm really keeping this one short. It was a very long, but great day! Our group took a river cruise down the Thames to Greenwich for our London tour of the week. It began at Westminster, where we boarded the ferry, then meandered toward the sea. We saw all of London on either side of us - what a view! But my favorite part was seeing the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, since those were the two biggest sites of London that I hadn't seen yet. The Tower Bridge did not disappoint - it was absolutely magnificent... and blue! I didn't know that it was painted such a beautiful color on the sides, but I loved it. We got to Greenwich around noon, and Angie showed as around what used to be the naval academy, but is now a university. Built originally as a palace by Christopher Wren, the famous architect of St. Paul's Cathedral, it's a fantastic building, split in two to allow the Queen's House, a very old building built for Queen Ann, a view of the Thames. The whole complex is very beautiful, with a great green quad in the middle. One side of the building is the "Painted Hall" with beautiful paintings on the walls and ceiling, while the other half is a chapel. After this little tour, we ate lunch nearby, and got ice cream, of course. We then met back up to climb the hill through Greenwich Park. The park was full of people enjoying an absolutely perfect day out in the sunshine. At the top of the hill is "the birthplace of time," or the Prime Meridian Line for which Greenwich is famous (Greenwich Mean Time = GMT). There's an actual line on the ground, and you can straddle it and say that you're standing in both the eastern and western hemisphere. Pretty cool, yea? We took a bunch of photos, as well as some snapshots of the amazing city view we got from up there. We learned a little bit about how the Prime Meridian Line was found (by a very poor man under King George III, who spent his entire life creating devices that could measure time at sea), then took a tour of the discoverer's home. It was a very interesting experience and I certainly learned a lot about longitude! The afternoon came to a close with one of my favorite moments of this whole trip. Sarah and I decided to go sit in the park for a while to rest up and enjoy the amazing weather. After choosing our spot, we began to make our way there, when something caught my eye. As I looked at the grass beneath my feet, in this park so far from home, I saw something very familiar. I picked it up, and sure enough, there it was… a Buckeye. A real Buckeye nut! To all you non-Ohioans out there, this may seem quite silly, but to me it was incredible to find such a rare memento of home in somewhere so very far away. I couldn't find any others, and there were no Buckeye trees in sight, so I took it as a sign that I was meant to find this little nut, as a reminder that home is always with me. :)

What a great day it has been, and as I look over at my little nut on my dresser, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be all the way over here, having such incredible experiences every day. It's always hard to be far from home, and there are many people that I miss terribly, but I know that home will always be there, and I have my Buckeye to remind me when I forget!

Love!

Musicals, migrations, markets... and football.

Sorry it's been so long, but I have been busy busy! This post will be short (sorry again!) because I'm feeling a bit under the weather and plan to get to bed early to rest up.

The past weekend has been fantastic, complete with a trip to the theatre, a visit to Stonehenge and Bath, a day at the Borough Market, and a couple of really great football games. On Wednesday we saw Billy Elliott at the London Palace Theatre, one of London's most popular musicals. It was absolutely wonderful! It's about a little boy from northern England who loves dance, but is afraid to pursue his dream because it's not really accepted in his small town. I learned from our tour guide Angie, who filled us in a bit on the production, that the show started as a one time performance, but after Elton John saw it, and deeply empathized with Billy's story, he made it into a long-term musical, and wrote the music for it. He also created a school for the arts in northern England for boys like Billy, and they now cast every "Billy" from that school. Pretty cool, huh?

On Thursday of last week, everyone in my program made a dish and we had a big potluck dinner. I made my family's tabbouleh salad, which was a huge hit. The next morning we woke up bright and early for a trip to Stonehenge and Bath. Stonehenge was magnificent. I'd heard so much about it, but seeing it in person was an astonishing experience. I took a million photographs, of course, but also took a moment to sit in the grass and look upon the awe-inspiring stones, pondering their intention and just thinking about life. It was lovely.

After an hour at Stonehenge, our group headed further west to the city of Bath, where we promptly took a tour of the famous Roman baths from which it gets its name. These baths, which date back to the 1200's, were created by the Romans to indulge their luxurious passion for bathing and lounging. They were quite splendid, and I'm amazed at how well they are preserved. After the tour, my friends and I walked around the city, doing some shopping and eating. I bought some tea and some chocolates (the essentials), then shared an incredible ice cream sundae with Sarah, which boasted two scoops of locally farm-made ice cream, espresso, and whipped cream - delicious. Full to the brim, we boarded our coach and made our way home to London.

That night, Sarah and I booked our trip to Edinburgh, Scotland for the end of September. We're taking a night bus that will get us there in 9 hours, but for very cheap. After our Ireland adventure, I'm pretty sure I can handle anything, so I'm excited for the trip. I think now that that's booked, I'm all set for the semester. I'm going to a total of six places (including Ireland) outside of England, with two trips to Italy (one with friends, one with my mom when she visits in October). I will also have two more day trips, to Windsor and Hampton, and Oxford and Blenheim. Over all, a whole lot of traveling! I guess I'm sort of glad I'm sick now, so I can be healthy for all of these planned adventures. I think it's just a cold, so hopefully I'll be up and running in just a few days.

The rest of my weekend was spent shopping at the Borough Market, under the London bridge, and watching some grade-a American football. The market was great: I got some fresh farm grown potatoes, cinnamon almonds, organic oranges (for extra vitamin c), and a delicious looking pie, with goat cheese, spinach and tomatoes. We also ate at a Mediterranean stand, and the owner told me he was from Syria. Delighted to meet a real Syrian (perhaps my first, outside of family), I promptly, and very excitedly, told him that I was Syrian. At this, he kindly shook his head and chuckled at my red hair and freckles. I then explained to him that I am only a quarter Syrian, and look nothing like it, but we had a good laugh and he gave me some free falafel. Over all, a great market experience.

Saturday night was all about the football. I found the Ohio State-Navy game streaming online (somebody out there loves me) and was able to watch almost all of it. The USC game was harder to find, but I got to see the first half, and that was enough to predict the ending. The Buckeyes looked pretty good, but I would have liked to have seen a little more defense. On the other hand, the Trojans wailed on San Jose State, almost an embarrassing amount, and our defense stood strong (not that we really needed it). Over all, I was quite pleased with both of my teams, and am beyond excited to watch them battle each other next weekend. The USC alumni association here in London is meeting up at a nearby pub to watch the showdown, so my die-hard fan friends and I have planned to attend. It should be a great experience, and hopefully a great game. The only downside is that I will be watching the game live... at 1:30am. But it's all worth it for a good game. Go Buckeyes, fight on Trojans!

Alright, this post ended up being way longer than intended, and now I think it's time for a Sex and the City episode (I brought the entire series with me on DVD) and then bed. Hopefully I'll kick this cold and be back to taking London by storm in a few days. Until then... love!


Photos: A view of Wales from the countryside outside of Bath, a statue of Julius Caesar at the Roman Baths, Sarah and me at Stonehenge.

Trains, planes and... a ferry?

Hello again my loves!

This weekend was crazy, but absolutely wonderful. We actually missed our flight out because of some airline complications, but we ended up taking the train to the coast of England, then a ferry over to Dublin. Quite the experience! Once in Ireland, Sarah, our friend Aaron, and I went south to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Done Leary) where the musical festival was. The festival was incredible! There were a TON of people there, the streets were filled, and there was all kinds of music being played everywhere you went. There were also tents set up selling things from all different countries. I bought a lovely winter hat made of sheep's wool, to prepare for the London cold. The three of us rode the ferris wheel, with spectacular views of the ocean and the city, ate some delicious Bailey's crepes, then took the seaside train up to Dublin for the rest of our trip.

We stayed at a great hostel, and went out in the Temple Bar district that night. It was a ton of fun! The area is full of bars and pubs, with a very international crowd. We started in a small pub then moved on to a huge microbrewery called the Porterhouse, where we tried some local beers and listened to a live band. And guess what? All the music was American! I especially enjoyed "Last Dance for Mary Jane" by Tom Petty. Aaron and I met some great Italian people from Rome, and spent the night trying to talk to them in English, Italian, and even a little Spanish. My favorite part was when they taught us how to say "cool" in Italian - it's "bella," which also means beautiful. I just love that!

The next day we took the train up to Howthe, a small seaside town with a farmer's market and beautiful cliffs. We walked around the market for a bit, then did a 2 hour hike on the cliffs - beautiful. The ocean seemed to go on forever, and the classic Irish green hills sprawled out behind us. It was a really lovely little town with some adorable cliff-side cottages. After we worked up an appetite, we enjoyed some fish and chips (my first!), then took the train back down to Dublin for our last night. Sarah and I explored the city a bit, seeing the Spire (a downtown statue that looks like a giant thin spike, tallest statue in the world!), eating some yummy Irish dairy ice cream, walking around the local park, and just enjoying a loving evening in Dublin.

The three of us woke up very, very early to catch our 8am flight back to London. But, thankfully, everything went smoothly and we were back at our flats before noon. The rest of my day was spent in class, then at the Notting Hill Carnival, the largest carnival in London. It was crazy! There were tons and tons of people there, you could hardly walk around. It was mostly just fun Caribbean music and yummy jerk chicken (another first for me). By the time I got home, I was totally wiped out, so I crashed early to wake up for early morning class.

Today's tour was to Westminster Abbey, and the surrounding areas. The abbey itself was gorgeous - as expected. My favorite part was definitely the back area, with the "lace stone" ceiling. The carvings are so intricate that they really look like lace, and the white stone allows the light from the glass windows to bounce softly throughout the whole chapel. It was truly beautiful. I saw the tombs of Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and many others. It was weird to think of how many famous people were buried there... I'm excited to go to Winsor and see Henry VIII's grave. That trip is in a couple of weeks. This weekend we are going to Stonehenge and Bath on Friday, then a nice relaxing couple of days here in good old London. I think a couple of friends and I are going to have a picnic day in Regent's Park (my favorite) on Saturday, complete with paddle boats and garden walks.

It was a long weekend, but a great one, and it was very exciting to start my travels around Europe. So far, my other planned trips for the semester are to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague, and Italy (twice). I might try to squeeze Spain in there somewhere too, we'll see. And the rest of the time will be spent here in London, my new home, which is just fine with me. :)

Cheers and love!
Bella!

Photos (top to bottom): Sarah and me on the ferry; Sarah, Aaron and me at the festival; me and the River Liffey in Dublin; cliffs of Howth; Dublin Spire; me on the cliffs of Howth