Today is the day that I begin my travels home. Wow. It has actually been 4 months.. It has flown by in what feels like weeks! With the Volcano scares and anticipation of leaving it has not been an easy week. I can't think all of you back at home enough for all your kind thoughts. Our flight is scheduled and I will be home tomorrow night around 8 pm.
Yesterday Lindsey and I layed in the park for most of the day. This was one of the best things I have done in London so far. It came at the perfect time because as Karen would say it was a "Full Circle." When we arrived in London the parks were covered in snow and all we could think about was how much fun it was going to be when it was warm. Well, it took 4 months but we got there! The park was packed full of every kind of person you could imagine. There were dogs running around everywhere. It was the perfect place to do the kind of sightseeing and people watching I needed to bring my trip to a close.
London has become like a second home to me. The fact that I will not being taking the tube or walking into 37 Hyde Park Gate again seems like a lie. As we moved out of our tiny room it was shocking to see that there was really no indicator that we had lived there. It left me thinking, or more so hoping that in a way I had left a mark on London. I hope London wont forget me anytime soon because I know that it will always remain with me.
I am sad to leave London but ecstatic to be coming home. La Crosse has never held a more special place in my heart than it does now. I cannot wait to walk up and down Riverside park and eat at Rosies. My friends and family and maybe even an occasional stranger better be ready for some massive hugs when I am back. I am so excited to be able to spread out all of the things I got in London and begin to find places for them within my life at home.
After about 6 days at home I head for Madison. This is when I will be having the time of my life at my last Mifflin with some more of the people I love. I will proudly watch my roommates graduate and set out on their new adventures. My last semester will be a lonely time but because of London I have met some new wonderful people that I know will keep me occupied.
It is summer vacation, did you know? Because I'm pretty sure it hasn't occurred to me yet. I am about to embark on a fairly busy summer with nannying and attempting to find Job shadows and internships. I'm spending my time in La Crosse this summer so look me up when I'm there.
I can't believe its over, but I'm very excited for what is to begin. I love you all and thank you for following my blog while I was away. In a way it made me feel more connected to home and extremely loved.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Eyjafjallajökull. Yes this is a word and Yes it is a Volcano...
So I thought I should write a little blog to calm my nerves as well as explain to you people at home what is happening here.
We have been in complete panic for the last five days not knowing what is going to happen. We have been looking into trains, alternate flights as well as ships. Each of these options has basically been ruled out due to cost or its already booked. All of Europe is at a standstill. We didn't realize that people at home didn't really know how bad this really was. Several people on our program had people flying in this week/weekend to visit that have already had to cancel. Heathrow which is one of the largest airports in Europe has been closed for five days and is going to remain closed tomorrow. The airlines have lost up to 200 million dollars for each day they have not been able to fly. Within the first two days of the closure over 17,000 flights were cancelled. This is big.
I have never been in an area that has been affected by something like this. It is truly mind blowing to watch this take place and see how people are handling it. The British Navy has stepped in and has been going the coast to pick people up and bring them home. Our program directors have convinced the people that operate our building to allow us to stay until the 29th free of charge. We are a program of 48 American students that will all be stranded if the bans do not stop. Seeing as there are this many of us, our director contacted the American Embassy to see if there was any protocol that should be followed. He told us that they have been the hardest to deal with for just about everything that has asked them for help. This is upsetting to me as I am feeling slighting scared and incredibly anxious.
We were finally given some good news today. The airspace above the UK might open tomorrow night. As the ash cloud begins to disperse people are finally optimistic about the possibility of flying again. The only thing left to fear is Hekla... This is the second volcano that has erupted every single time this one has and countless times with out it.
Overall, this has been an incredibly stressful time that unfortunately mixed with the emotions of leaving. One can only hope and pray that everyone in Iceland is okay and that life will resume back to normal as soon as possible and that all the people who are displaced will be able to get where they are headed soon.
When someone tells you that you cannot go home it only makes you want it more. The countdown still rests at 5 days... hopefully no longer. London has become a second home to me. But a second home can never take the place of a true home, and that is what I am ready to go back to.
Love you all and hope to see you all soon
We have been in complete panic for the last five days not knowing what is going to happen. We have been looking into trains, alternate flights as well as ships. Each of these options has basically been ruled out due to cost or its already booked. All of Europe is at a standstill. We didn't realize that people at home didn't really know how bad this really was. Several people on our program had people flying in this week/weekend to visit that have already had to cancel. Heathrow which is one of the largest airports in Europe has been closed for five days and is going to remain closed tomorrow. The airlines have lost up to 200 million dollars for each day they have not been able to fly. Within the first two days of the closure over 17,000 flights were cancelled. This is big.
I have never been in an area that has been affected by something like this. It is truly mind blowing to watch this take place and see how people are handling it. The British Navy has stepped in and has been going the coast to pick people up and bring them home. Our program directors have convinced the people that operate our building to allow us to stay until the 29th free of charge. We are a program of 48 American students that will all be stranded if the bans do not stop. Seeing as there are this many of us, our director contacted the American Embassy to see if there was any protocol that should be followed. He told us that they have been the hardest to deal with for just about everything that has asked them for help. This is upsetting to me as I am feeling slighting scared and incredibly anxious.
We were finally given some good news today. The airspace above the UK might open tomorrow night. As the ash cloud begins to disperse people are finally optimistic about the possibility of flying again. The only thing left to fear is Hekla... This is the second volcano that has erupted every single time this one has and countless times with out it.
Overall, this has been an incredibly stressful time that unfortunately mixed with the emotions of leaving. One can only hope and pray that everyone in Iceland is okay and that life will resume back to normal as soon as possible and that all the people who are displaced will be able to get where they are headed soon.
When someone tells you that you cannot go home it only makes you want it more. The countdown still rests at 5 days... hopefully no longer. London has become a second home to me. But a second home can never take the place of a true home, and that is what I am ready to go back to.
Love you all and hope to see you all soon
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Barcelona Picturas!
The Girls at McDonald's...
The Fountain all light up
The Gorgeous fountain
Most beautiful fountain ever
The Mediterranean
Park Guell
Sagrada Familia
Arc de Triomf
First walk around Barcelona
Barcelona!
Hello everyone! I have been getting requests to blog and I must say I did not realize that it had been so long! Last weekend Lindsey, Karen and I traveled to the sunny Barcelona. We thought it was a good decision to book our flight at 7:30 from Gatwick airport. This meant we had to wake up at 3 AM and be on the door at 3:30. We got to the airport after a crazy night bus and an express train. By the time we actually arrived in Barcelona (10:30) we were dead. Seonah was gracious enough to deal with leading three zombies around, so we set off to sight see.
Barcelona was a very very beautiful city. I was surprised at how you could walk almost anywhere you needed to get. We put a lot of miles on our feet by the end of the trip. We saw some pretty amazing sights including Sagrada Familia which is a Cathedral that has been being built for the last 200 years and is still not going to be done until 2026. It was insane to see something so huge with so many details.
After that we went to my favorite area, Parque Guell. This is a park on the side of a mountain where the artist Guadi created some of his art. There were tiles and beautiful sculptures everywhere. Here we set up camp and had a little picnic equipped with everything from cheese and crackers to Sangria.
As the trip came to a close we got to go to a fountain light show. This was my favorite thing I have done in Europe so far. It was the biggest fountain I had ever seen and as it got darker the whole thing lit up. We set on the stairs with about 100 other people and watched the 3 different shows it put on. It was too gorgeous for words.
Barcelona came at exactly the right time. I had begun to be a little bitter toward London because of the awful weather and was spending a lot of time in my flat. Barcelona got me outside and in the sun. I have never been more excited about a sunburn before in my life.
Love
Barcelona was a very very beautiful city. I was surprised at how you could walk almost anywhere you needed to get. We put a lot of miles on our feet by the end of the trip. We saw some pretty amazing sights including Sagrada Familia which is a Cathedral that has been being built for the last 200 years and is still not going to be done until 2026. It was insane to see something so huge with so many details.
After that we went to my favorite area, Parque Guell. This is a park on the side of a mountain where the artist Guadi created some of his art. There were tiles and beautiful sculptures everywhere. Here we set up camp and had a little picnic equipped with everything from cheese and crackers to Sangria.
As the trip came to a close we got to go to a fountain light show. This was my favorite thing I have done in Europe so far. It was the biggest fountain I had ever seen and as it got darker the whole thing lit up. We set on the stairs with about 100 other people and watched the 3 different shows it put on. It was too gorgeous for words.
Barcelona came at exactly the right time. I had begun to be a little bitter toward London because of the awful weather and was spending a lot of time in my flat. Barcelona got me outside and in the sun. I have never been more excited about a sunburn before in my life.
Love
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Busy Busy Busy :)
As you can see by all of the pictures below it has been a busy couple of weeks. It all began a couple weeks ago when my family came to visit. Mom, Teresa, Emily and Amanda flew the 9 hours across the "pond" just to see me -who can blame them ;). I arrived at the airport a cool 50 minutes early just so I'd be read for their arrival. However, after one cup of coffee, a sandwich and diet coke, about 120 pages in my book, a nice conversation with a Scottish man resulting in a 3 hour wait they were finally out of customs! We took the tube with all of their luggage and got to the hotel. Minor scrapes and bumps along the way but everyone was here and ready to have a great time.
We began their whirlwind London tour the next day by hitting up the famous Portabella road. I'm not sure if Portabella road is still selling scarves though because Mom and Teresa just about bought them out... :) We spend most of the morning and afternoon here stopping for a snack and the famous Hummingbird cupcake bakery. Nothing like a red velvet cupcake in the middle of your day. After this we headed back to the hotel and grabbed some excellent dinner at a pizza place where Princess Diana used to bring the boys for Pizza.
On Saturday we took an all day bus tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. Having already been to Windsor it was great fun for me to get to see how amazing everyone else thought it was. We were even lucky enough this time to have the Queen be in residence while we were there! We didn't get to see her, although we were within about half a football field to where she was. Stonehenge was impressive. It was odd to see the rocks piled the way they were and it really made you think about what it was used for. It was also really hilarious to see all of the sightseers (us included) taking pictures of all the sheep surrounding it. Bath left a little something to be desired even thought it was interesting. It is the site of old Roman Baths. We got to go on a small tour and then see the actual Baths that are now preserved and not in use. The tour was fun but incredibly exhausting. I also learned something new about myself... motion sickness can strike in hilly English countryside.
The next day we went to my favorite market, Camden. Here there were more scarves to be purchased. After another long day of shopping with heavy bags full we made our way to the food side of Camden Market. They have the best Chinese food I have found yet! We made a ton of purchases including art, jewelry and even a couple surprises for loved ones back home :)
The next big tour day was Tuesday where I have to say I had my guests running (and making good time too) all over London. We first went to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. Then continued to the London Eye. This was one of the cooler things I've done since I've been in London. The London Eye is the largest observation Ferris Wheel in the world. It takes about a half an our to make the full trip around. From here we could look down on the Thames, Parliament, Big Ben and countless other landmarks. When we were finished here we made our way to Westminster Abbey and finally ending the tour at Buckingham Palace. Interestingly enough this time the Queen was in residence here! If you ask me she was following us. I don't know why she just doesn't request a meeting with me when I know she really wants too... ;)
From this point in the trip we had to say some more goodbyes just in time for Vince and I to "chunnel" off to Paris. This is the underwater tunnel from London to Paris. It only takes about 2 and a half hours and if you don't focus on the fact you are underwater its actually kind of nice. Here we spent 3 days living the Parisian life. I will say both of us were incredibly intimidated of the French language but got along just fine. We saw a lot in those three days!
Overall having visitors was amazing. It made me miss home a bit more but I know that I'll be home again soon with even more stories and pictures to share. Because folks, we've still got Barcelona to look forward to! I'll keep you posted
Love
We began their whirlwind London tour the next day by hitting up the famous Portabella road. I'm not sure if Portabella road is still selling scarves though because Mom and Teresa just about bought them out... :) We spend most of the morning and afternoon here stopping for a snack and the famous Hummingbird cupcake bakery. Nothing like a red velvet cupcake in the middle of your day. After this we headed back to the hotel and grabbed some excellent dinner at a pizza place where Princess Diana used to bring the boys for Pizza.
On Saturday we took an all day bus tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. Having already been to Windsor it was great fun for me to get to see how amazing everyone else thought it was. We were even lucky enough this time to have the Queen be in residence while we were there! We didn't get to see her, although we were within about half a football field to where she was. Stonehenge was impressive. It was odd to see the rocks piled the way they were and it really made you think about what it was used for. It was also really hilarious to see all of the sightseers (us included) taking pictures of all the sheep surrounding it. Bath left a little something to be desired even thought it was interesting. It is the site of old Roman Baths. We got to go on a small tour and then see the actual Baths that are now preserved and not in use. The tour was fun but incredibly exhausting. I also learned something new about myself... motion sickness can strike in hilly English countryside.
The next day we went to my favorite market, Camden. Here there were more scarves to be purchased. After another long day of shopping with heavy bags full we made our way to the food side of Camden Market. They have the best Chinese food I have found yet! We made a ton of purchases including art, jewelry and even a couple surprises for loved ones back home :)
The next big tour day was Tuesday where I have to say I had my guests running (and making good time too) all over London. We first went to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. Then continued to the London Eye. This was one of the cooler things I've done since I've been in London. The London Eye is the largest observation Ferris Wheel in the world. It takes about a half an our to make the full trip around. From here we could look down on the Thames, Parliament, Big Ben and countless other landmarks. When we were finished here we made our way to Westminster Abbey and finally ending the tour at Buckingham Palace. Interestingly enough this time the Queen was in residence here! If you ask me she was following us. I don't know why she just doesn't request a meeting with me when I know she really wants too... ;)
From this point in the trip we had to say some more goodbyes just in time for Vince and I to "chunnel" off to Paris. This is the underwater tunnel from London to Paris. It only takes about 2 and a half hours and if you don't focus on the fact you are underwater its actually kind of nice. Here we spent 3 days living the Parisian life. I will say both of us were incredibly intimidated of the French language but got along just fine. We saw a lot in those three days!
Overall having visitors was amazing. It made me miss home a bit more but I know that I'll be home again soon with even more stories and pictures to share. Because folks, we've still got Barcelona to look forward to! I'll keep you posted
Love
Paris
Notre Dame
Vince and I at the Louvre
Jim Morrison's Grave
Eiffel Tower
View of the Lawns from the top of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower Again... really can you have enough pictures of it?
Are de Triomphe
The Moulin Rouge
Stonehenge, Abbey Road
The Road
Right outside the Studio
Me signing Abbey Road
Andrea getting bucked off a sheep at Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Emily and Amanda at Stonehenge
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