Cheers, Bye Bye London

Hey Friends and Family!

So I am sitting here on my last night in London before I try and grab some shuteye for my big flight home tomorrow. It is hard to believe it has all come to an end so fast and I am ending this chapter in my life of studying abroad. I only imagined this day...that I would be sitting in a perfectly clean living room (only time the whole semester...hallelujah!) with my bags all packed in a corner about to go to bed. And now that reality has come to manifest itself. It's weird to think I will be in America this time tomorrow...a bit surreal. In order to finish off my last entry while here, I believe it is most appropriate to say my top 10 favorite memories while being abroad. (Items are not in any particular order)

1.Mom's visit... "SheNANigans" and having high tea, which was perfection.

2.Morroco...all of it! Especially the locals we met and our Ouzoud Waterfall trip/riding camels.

3.London shows...I have loved experiencing theatre again-especially all of the musicals. HAIRSPRAY ranks at the top for me!

4.Wonderful London Markets...it is amazing all the things you will find in these markets. SO much fun!

5. France with the flatmates...so many fun memories and funny phrases learned. This was our first trip when we all started to really bond.

6. Late nights with the flatmates...watching movies, playing 'Phase 10' or Bananagrams, laughing at everything, deep talks. SO FUN.

7. London adventures...there is so much to see and do! I loved adventuring on my own and seeing new sites every time.

8. Italy adventure with Kirsten...this is the trip that stretched me the most and made me grow as a traveler. Many lessons learned on how to plan and travel in future trips!

9. Flamenco dancing in Spain...this was such a great cultural experience and I loved watching the fancy footwork.

10. Riding on public transportation...this was something I have never done before and I loved learning how to use the maps and navigate on my own without having to call dad every other minute!

*11. Sorry I had to add one more...tonight was perfect. Kirsten, Jess, Sam, and I ventured around London to see the major sites one last time all lit up and heard Big Ben chime. This was the perfect closing to a wonderful semester.

So with that, I will say "Cheers Bye, Cheers Bye Bye" and see you soon. This was a life-changing experience that I am so grateful to have apart of my life story. Out of all the lessons learned and the adventures I went on, I am walking away as a changed person. Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers and for reading my thoughts...it is greatly appreciated :) It's not my last goodbye to London...more like a "See you Later." Alrighty, goodnight ya'll and I'll see ya when I get back!

It's a Party in the UK...Thanksgiving, Windsor, Oxford & more!

Hey Ya’ll! Sorry it has been so long…I am finally finished with classes and my internship-HOORAH! These past two weeks have been a whirlwind. Although the bone-chilling cold weather can be miserable at times, my heart is still warm and fuzzy for some London times. J I can hardly believe it is all coming to a close in a short two days…I am going to try and relive moments from these past two weeks-here it goes!

The week of Thanksgiving was a great time…although it was sad to be separated from friends and family on one of my favorite holidays, I found many reasons to be THANKFUL while being in London. We decided to have a potluck dinner as a program where each flat brought three different dishes to enjoy. Complete with a rotisserie chicken, stuffing, carrots, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry salad, this thanksgiving feast was simply divine. I was surprised at the amazing food that everyone prepared…so good! We also created our own turkey hands that told what we were thankful for then finished off with some Christmas sing-alongs and secret santa gifts-it was so much fun! I love the Thanksgiving season just to be able to sit back and be thankful for all the things God has placed in my life. It was the best way to celebrate the holiday abroad!

On that Friday, Jessica and I ventured to Windsor Castle and it was simply wonderful! It was a cute town decorated for Christmas with history lining the streets. We traipsed through Queen Victoria’s town and went into the Palace to see the States rooms (including an amazing doll house collection) and the full house…it was so awesome inside! It kind of reminded me of the Versailles in France where the French dynasty lived. We had a great time walking through the different buildings. After touring and seeing everything we wanted, it was time for some food so we grabbed a bite to eat then decided it was time to head out. This was a great daytrip that I would highly recommend!

That weekend we went to some markets and Church then came home to prepare for our last week of papers/exams. Since classes technically ended the week before, this week was open everyday for fun adventures amidst the four papers I had to complete. On Monday, Kirsten, Sam and I went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and saw Father Christmas! It was a great time to get in the Christmas spirit while walking around and enjoying a hot cup of coco. We rode some rides and even saw a singing/talking moose…it was everything I wanted to get me in the Christmas mood and more!

Tuesday was my final exam for History so afterwards we decided to go to Nando’s (one of our favorite London restaurants complete with yummy chicken and southern cooked sides…YUM!) Wednesday I ventured around by myself through town and ended up walking through Traflagar Square up to Buckingham Palace into St. James Park. It started to pour down rain so I decided to go by the Big Bus Tour stop that mom and I took to see if they would potentially allow me to hop back on and ride. Surely enough, the man let me back on to ride and see some sites once again-I suppose it never really hurts to be nice and add some southern charm! I decided to come home after my little adventure and enjoy the night with the flatmates simply laughing and telling eachother what we are looking forward to when we get home.

Thursday, Sam and I woke up and went to Millennium Bridge where Harry Potter was filmed and also where you can see a full view of the London Tower and Shakespeare’s Globe. After this, we went to Kings Crossing to see Platform 9 and ¾ (another Harry Potter location). Although I am not interested in Harry Potter, Sam needed a buddy to venture out and find these places, so I though why not. I am still not so intrigued, but I suppose it was cool to see new places! That night, we went and saw Hairspray...SO GOOD! I didn't know what to expect other than what I have seen from the movie-it was absolutely amazing and the crowd left singing and dancing. We had such a great time and the cast was wonderful!

Today, Jessica and I took a daytrip to Oxford University to see what it was all about. Comprised of many colleges, this was a really fun/cute town to walk around and see all the churches and buildings. It was actually a bigger town then what I thought it would be, but it was really cool to see a new place. I even picked up my own Oxford shirt, which I am really excited to wear! We had a lot of fun just walking around and decided to grab a bite to eat in a local pub where we had some clubs…yum! By 4pm, it was starting to get dark so we decided to call it a day and come back to London. This was another successful day trip…I suppose this was my last official trip out of London before I come back to the States!

The rest of the week I will be packing up and enjoying my last moments around town…we still have to do the Abby Road walking picture and just absorb as much as we can before flying back. I can’t believe the time is so close! Stay tuned on Sunday for my final blogpost of my time here…for now, you can enjoy the video below!

Video around Windsor and London:

Southern Belles take on Britain

Welcome back lovely people! I am so glad to be back and tell you all about my mom’s visit to London starting a week ago today…it was a fully packed five days of exploring new sites and making lifetime memories together. I am so blessed to have a family that genuinely cares about what is going on in my life…and even travels across the ocean to come see me for a short amount of time! Although it rained most of the days, the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits! Now I will try to relive some of the moments we shared together…

Last Wednesday, I went to work in the morning, anxiously awaiting mom to arrive. I left work a bit early to meet her at the hotel around 3pm…timing was perfect because I walked in and there she was sitting in the waiting room! It was a heart-warming reunion as we saw eachother…the kind that just touches your heart J We gathered our belongings for the remainder of the day and set out to see London. This was her first visit, so I wanted to try and give an overall view of the city within the time we had. That night, we ate at a little pub near Covent Gardens then walked around for a bit before turning in for the night…jet lag surely can take it out of a person, so we called it a night!

Thursday, it was up and early as we went to go grab our tickets for Sister Act that night then did the Big Bus Tour around London to see the major sites. This was well worth the slim cost of 25 pounds…including a free boat cruise, walking tours, and 48 hours of bliss riding atop a bus, this is a sure deal! We hopped on and off at different sights including St. Paul’s Cathedral. We almost made it to the top…but we had a wonderful view from the second level. The cathedral is beautifully ornate and was so cool to visit inside and simply walk around. After this, we grabbed our first round of Starbucks (must have for the Northcut ladies) then hopped back on the bus and saw Big Ben, London Eye, then stopped at the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. We had fun walking around and seeing all of the towers and such…the crown jewels was breathtaking, just as I remembered it senior year. It was a fun time just walking around and soaking in some British history.

After this, we headed to Oxford Street for some dinner then went to see Sister Act. This was a wonderfully soulful show! I grew up watching all of the Sister Act movies so it was cool to see it live…mom and I were both enjoying the music throughout the show and all of the nuns-sooo good! We stopped by the flat afterwards then decided to go on to bed to get ready for the next full day.

On Friday, we decided to go see the Changing of the Guards and do our free walking tour with the Big Bus Company and see behind the scenes. This was really neat…we saw where the guards initially come out and then proceeded to walk down the road with them and march along with the band! It started raining once we got to Buckingham Palace, but we didn’t allow the rain to dampen our mood. After this, we rushed back to recharge my camera then decided to go on our boat tour on the Thames River to Greenwich (famous for the Greenwich time zone). This took about an hour to get there then we quickly ran around the town and went to the market then ran up to the hill to see the observatory. This was really cool…standing in two places at once with mom. And even better, jumping two places at once! Afterwards, we returned from Greenwich and went to dinner around Piccadilly then walked around and shopped a little. Successful day!

Saturday it was up early for the Portabello Market where we took the Big Bus once again then walked around to see all of the antiques and great buys around the market. After shopping around for a while, we headed back and rode by Kensington Palace (Princess Diana’s former abode) then went to Covent Gardens to eat right near the market. After a delicious mid-afternoon lunch/dinner, we walked around some more, went to Carnaby Street (my favorite), then ended up grabbing Starbucks for a good two hours to end the night. It was a perfect way to end the night by simply relaxing and talking for a while.

Now Sunday was probably my favorite day out of the whole trip…We woke up early once again and headed for Spitalfields market. After seeing all the things we wanted to see, we headed to Westminster to walk around and see Big Ben up close, Parliament, Westminster Abby, etc. We had some extra time so we decided to walk through Churchill’s war rooms which was really neat! They left everything just as it was when Churchill was Prime Minister and called the shots for WW2. We had a lot of fun seeing all of the rooms and learning more about his life as he was in the heat of war.

After this, we made our way over for High Tea at the Brown’s Hotel. This was simply perfect…complete with neverending tea, food including finger sandwiches, warm biscuits, and yummy pastries and piano in the background—this was mahhvelous. With a piano player in the background, amazing service by top notch waiters, and warm velvet chairs to lounge in, this two hour event was definitely a highlight of my whole London experience…and what better way then to experience it with my mom! After eating all we could possibly eat and drink all the tea that our bodies could handle, we decided to go on over to Harrods so mom could see the monstrosity that it is! After visiting a few floors and finding the perfect ornaments, we decided to head back to the hotel and pack up everything. What a perfect Sunday this was…not one raindrop even fell from the sky!

Although it was sad to say goodbye, it was the perfect amount of time to hold me over until my return in 3 weeks. It is hard to see these fleeting days zoom right past me. But also after having mom here (my little touch of home), it made me realize how ready I am to be back with the ones I love the most. I am charged and ready for my remaining weeks though…so many things left to do in such little time! I am hoping to take a day trip soon so stay posted for new experiences and new adventures!

Video Montage of my time with Mom:

Starting the Holiday season off right...London Style!

Hello Everyone! These past two weeks have been filled with many adventures in and around London. After getting back from fall break, it was hard to get back in full swing of internship and classes. But now, I am hitting the ground and running to enjoy my last month in London. Here is a recap of my past two weeks…

Two weeks ago, I had my internship as usual on Monday and Wednesday then my classes once again Tuesday and Thursday. It was a pretty quiet week full of many loads of laundry and simply sharing stories with the flatmates. On Thursday after class, I decided to venture to Hyde Park (near Buckingham Palace). This is a beautiful park, adorned with a lovely pond with paddleboats and lawn chairs to soak in the sun. It was the perfect day…not too hot and not too cold. I was able to journal and enjoy the day out-there is just something about parks that I love so very much. I suppose it is a nice breath of fresh air and a time for me to escape from the hectic London life and walk around to enjoy the day. It especially perfect because of the changing leafs...so of course jumping in them was a must.

That Friday, I went with my flatmates Sam and Jessica to Kew Gardens located on the outskirts of the city. This place was so beautiful…it was also the perfect fall day! We toured a greenhouse, played in leafs, walked around the gardens and simply enjoyed ourselves. Kew is also a quaint little town full of shops and restaurants to experience. I loved it there! We decided to go on to Oxford Street to eat some yummy food at Nandos…although this doesn’t quite compare to Chick-fil-a chicken, it still reminded me of home food (chicken pita with corn on the cob and mashed potatoes…YUM!)

That Saturday it was Halloween! Kirsten and I ventured out to find accessories for our costumes of Audrey Hepbern and a flapper girl…we liked to refer to ourselves as ‘timeless beauties.’ We had a wonderful night out on the town as we experienced two swankified clubs…we even had VIP status so we passed all of the lines to step right in and have fun. I couldn’t believe some of the costumes I saw though…I didn’t think international countries really celebrated Halloween-but London surely celebrates! Sunday was a rainy day spent doing some work and having personal time after a jam-packed weekend.

This past week was great. Now that Halloween is done, Christmas lights are flashing and all store fronts are ready for the festivities. It is slightly sad that Thanksgiving will be surpassed, but I love Christmas so much so it’s okay!

On Tuesday, London hosted the 50^th anniversary of lighting some main streets (Oxford, Regents Park, and Trafalgar Square). This was the first year they did it simultaneously, including guest stars to entertain the masses. It was said that there were 14,000 people there in all (CRAZY) and me, Kirsten, and Jessica were in the front towards the stage at Oxford Street. Although it was extremely cold and packed, we had a blast listening to performances from the musical Sister Act as well as other pop stars from London. It was also the premier of ‘A Christmas Carol’ so all of the stars came for the debut. Jim Carrey was at our designated location and flipped on the switch for Oxford Street. He is really funny…it was so odd to see him in person and be so close!

Another cool thing that happened was completing a world record of the most people singing Christmas carols. Yes…I helped make a world record happen! Andrea Bocelli (world famous, blind opera singer) led the sing along from Leicester Square and we joined in to welcome the Christmas spirit. After all was said and done, we walked down the middle of Oxford Street (the first and last time this will probably happen while I am here) and enjoyed the beautiful Christmas lights that hang above the street. This was the perfect way for me to get in

the holiday mood! Be sure to check out the video to see the event unfold…

Wednesday night we went to go see a play for our literature class (‘Inherit the Wind’) then we finished up the week with classes. On Friday, Jessica and I ventured to the Victoria and Albert Museum where we saw the evolution of fashion…it was amazing to see how clothing has

transformed from the late 1800s to now. The

coolest part was the exhibit on the future of fashion…yikes! It was so bazaar to see where fashion is headed…it doesn’t look very comfortable or practical, that’s for sure! We also got to go see a jewellery exhibit and designed our own rings…so cool! They also had a beautiful library and stained glass exhibit. Friday was Barrett’s birthday (flatmate) so we went out and celebrated that night and had a lot of fun.

Saturday Kirsten and I were up early and off to Camden Market. This is one of the coolest markets...it was very alternative and had more punk-ish types of clothing. Afterwards, we had a taste of America when we ate at The Diner. Complete with big band music and all, the atmosphere was perfect and my meal was even better. A cheesburger and fries complete with a chocolate milkshake…perfection! That night we were off to a Guy Fawkes celebration...this is a day that recognizes Guy Fawkes, a man who tried to burn down Parliament in the early 1900s.

Now London recognizes this day by hosting bonfires and

fireworks at different locations dispersed throughout the city.

(Now why they do this, I am not quite sure). It was really awesome though…the event was free and it was a huge fair (reminded me of the NC State Fair)! We then gathered to watch a fireworks/pyrotechnic show complete with

timed music about fire. It was pretty cool…like nothing I have ever experienced! Be sure to check out the video to see a little bit of it. We were worn out by the end of the night and my body was especially frozen (it is getting really cold here) so we called it a night. Sunday, I went to church then adventured to Spitalfields Market. It was a wonderful closing to a wonderful week!

My mom comes Wednesday and I am sooooo excited! We are going to pack in as much as possible while she is here…it shall be a blast to say the least! I have missed home and family so much, so this will be a nice breath of fresh air before I finish out my last three weeks here. Can you believe it’s almost come and gone…I know I surely can’t! Alrighty…enjoy the video montage of these past two week! Stay tuned soon for an update of my mom’s visit!

Video Montage of Christmas Lights on Oxford Street/performances and Guy Fawkes Fireworks!

Traveling to 2 continents in 10 days..Fall Break!

Hello everyone…I am finally back, safe and sound, from my fall break extravaganza in Madrid, Spain and Marrakech, Morocco. This was quite the trip, to say the least! With 10 days to go anywhere for fall break, these were the perfect locations to go explore new cultures and have great adventures. I will try and give you an overall synopsis of my experiences in both places…so get excited! Just be aware…this is extremely long, but I broke it up into the two different countries if you want to take a small break for some water and cookies in between J So sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy my shenanigans in Spain and Morocco!

Part One: Madrid, Spain~Friday, Oct. 16-Monday, Oct. 21

Kirsten and I woke up nice and early on Friday morning to head off to Madrid. After arriving around noon, it was off to our hostel (located right in the heart of Madrid) then we started walking around nearby streets to see what we could find. We ran upon the famous Palacio Real and the beautiful gardens that were right outside of it. It was a bright and sunny day so we tried to take in the sun and walk around to see the Plaza Mayor (busy plaza) and saw several street performers including: a soldier, Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, a Fruit Lady, newspaper man, a couple covered in mud, etc. I have never seen so many street performers in such close proximity! Then it was off to go see Retiro Park, which was simply breathtaking. I love parks so much and this one was complete with a pond and paddle boats as well as beautiful fountains. We decided to go to the Reina Sofia art museum full of Picasso and De Goya’s work afterwards then called it an early night.

Saturday it was off to see Spanish parliament and try to take a tour, but it was under construction so we weren’t able to go inside. Instead, we spotted a Starbucks and enjoyed our drinks while walking around the city. We ran into a building with ‘America’ on the front (we thought it was the Embassy, but were informed otherwise), then headed back towards our hostel to shop around in the little stores and then took a tour of the Palacio Real. This Palace was quite gaudy inside, but still pretty nonetheless…after a while, all palaces start looking the same but I still enjoyed seeing the fabric embellished walls and beautiful chandeliers. After this, we changed for an outdoor dinner at the Plaza Mayor where we ate Paella (Spanish stirfry) and watched performers in the distance-such a great, bustling setting! It was time for some Flamenco dancing to end the night, so we hurried over and were seated just in time for some flamenco dancers. Now this was definitely my Madrid highlight-the footwork and flicking of the dresses did it for me and reminded me of the days I used to clog/tap dance. I absolutely loved it! You will have to watch the video below to see how fast they move their feet…so cool!

On Sunday, we went to the largest market I have ever seen. The streets were lined with stall after stall and there were so many items to buy, it was a bit overwhelming! After buying a few things and getting our fill of shopping, we ventured to Canal del Isabella II to try and see a view of Madrid, but instead it was converted into an art expedition. We still saw some great photography then decided to head out for quick lunch then to see the famous Spanish Bull Fighting-I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The whole process was extremely gruesome…8 bulls in all were apart of the full event, but only 6 were able to fight and eventually die-so sad! It was quite the experience and we didn’t think we would be able to last, but somehow we sat through it all to get a full understanding of bullfighting. Never again will I go watch it, but it was definitely cool in it’s own way! I just cant believe that men would literally fight with a bull and eventually spear it with his own hands…disgusting! Only one of the matadors was really good out of 3, but it was still an interesting show. It was back to the hostel where we met some Americans who were travelling…we ended up playing charades which was a lot of fun then went to bed around 11pm.

On Monday, Kirsten and I headed off to Toledo, Spain (former capital) where the famous Don Quijote was based from…I read it in High School so it was really cool to actually go see the setting of where it was based. There were so many hills we had to climb so it was a bit tiring, but we had fun just walking around and exploring the many sights of this old city. There was a mote that encircled the inner part of the city complete with two bridges on either side…it was a true castle! We took some pictures, shopped for a sword for Kirsten (they are famous for their swords) then headed back to catch our returning train home. The thing I liked most about Toledo was that I really felt like I was walking through history in such a quaint town…it was a great day trip! That night, we decided to go Salsa dancing with our American friends and danced the night away with some locals who were pros…I definitely picked up a few dance moves here and there, but they are pretty intense! The language barrier was a bit difficult at times, but we made it through and had a great time!

Tuesday was our last day in Spain (sad), but it was a gloomy and rainy day so we walked around town with our umbrellas and spent the rest of our euros. We also finished up at the Chocolateria where we had yummy churros with hot chocolate to dip it in. This was a great ending to our amazing Madrid experience…I am so glad I got to go there and experience the Spanish culture and even speak Spanish-I forgot how much I missed speaking it, since it has been since high school. Maybe one day I will become fluent…we shall see! We finished up the night and packed up all of our belongings to head off to Morocco the next morning. Although it was sad to leave, Kirsten and I were both so excited to experience another continent…Africa!

Video Part One of Sights around Madrid:

Part Two: Marrakech, Morocco~Wednesday, Oct. 21- Sunday, Oct. 25

I just need to begin by saying that this is my favourite place that I have EVER visited…I loved Morocco the best out of all of my trips and want to return someday! Okay, so Wednesday it was up and out of Spain to fly directly into Marrakech.

When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by a man with our names on a sheet and were then guided to our shuttle to the hotel. As we started driving around, I could already tell that this would be a place that would be completely different from anything I have ever seen or done. We stayed inside Medina (an inner circle within Marrakech) and were dropped off at a corner where somebody else put our stuff in a wheel barrow and guided us to our hotel. There were donkeys passing by us as well as motorcycles zipping through the streets…this was quite odd to experience all the hustle and bustle happening around us.

Another thing I liked about this place is that it is extremely touristy. Although we were getting many stares, I didn’t feel as intimidated because of all the many tourists around town. After dropping our stuff at the amazing Sherazade (complete with a garden inside and beautiful Moroccan décor), we ventured around the city and went into the different stalls that lined the streets. Our first cultural experience involved having tea with a local son and father while smelling different spices. He had us try to guess the different spices and fragrances then he would tell us what they are used for and what they can treat. He then gave us a neck massage (kinda strange) and also let us try a homemade mask (used for the face) on our hand. In the meantime, they made us some tea to try and then Kirsten bought some tea ingredients to make for our own Moroccan tea at home then decided to move on to see the Palace. Now this was kind of a letdown considering all of the extravagant castles we have toured throughout the past few months…but then again we paid less than a euro to get in.

It was comprised of many empty rooms as well as a large courtyard in the center. It was fun to walk around and take a few pictures, but we decided to move on and go on a carriage ride through the city to better familiarise ourselves with the surrounding area. It was quite interesting to see women carrying baskets on their heads, donkeys trotting through the streets, random vendors honing away at their craft within their stalls…I have never seen anything like it. Also, this was the first time I have had a full sensory experience. The smell there was quite potent-mixtures of curry and other spices filled the air as well as random incense and other random smells. I loved it!

After this, we were dropped off in the main plaza where we saw real snake charmers and snakes, monkeys, henna, etc. This was bazaar because they would literally put a snake around your neck then charge you a ridiculous amount of Duram (Moroccan currency). We finagled with them and paid them a little…we literally had no idea! It is cool to look back now and realize that I had a snake and 2 monkeys on me…but still so strange! After being haggled by so many street vendors with their animals and multiple women trying to put henna on our hands, we decided to return to our hotel and call it a night because it gets dark really early there. This was a great first day overall…I got to see so many animals and drink tea with the locals-I also learned that Shea in Arabic means tea, so that was really neat!

Side story: the locals would call us gazelles (beautiful woman) and would repeatedly say ‘fish and chips’ assuming we were from England. The broken English was quite funny to hear and all of their phrases they would say to try to grab our attention and go into their small stall.

Thursday, we woke up early to grab a quick breakfast before our camel ride. Now this was the one thing I knew I wanted to do before even going on this trip. I have always wanted to ride a camel and finally my dream was going to come true! They drove us to a new location and put a headdress on our head then we hopped on our camels and we went on the trek for nearly 1 ½ hours. It wasn’t the best feeling experience as our bodies were being thrown around, but we made it through…our guide was hilarious, although he did not speak English. Kirsten knew basic French which helped a lot. We got to feed our camels palm tree limbs then headed back to the starting point to have tea and crepes. As we were on our journey, it was beautiful to see mountains and palm trees in the background…such a cool combination! Also, camels make a really interesting sound when they are irritated…I never even knew they made a noise!

When we got back from our trek, we returned to our hotel then walked around the main plaza again where we proceeded somehow to get free henna…we literally told them we had no money, yet they still gave us henna so that was kinda neat. After this, we went around to do some shopping and got some great deals on different things like paintings, bracelets, pottery, jewelry, a leather bag, etc. I love bargain so this was great fun and entertaining for me! We decided to go that night to eat true Moroccan food at a nice restaurant so we went back to change then headed off to supper.

When we arrived at dinner, they sat us down in this elaborate room full of chairs made from pillows and live music. Next thing we knew, we had a three course meal complete with different Moroccan salads, lamb and cous cous, then oranges and a pastry. Also, there was a belly dancer (we named her Olga) who danced with fire on her head and then asked Kirsten and I to come up and dance with her. This was quite hilarious since neither of us have belly danced but we just awkwardly laughed and danced around-quite the experience! We were also served some Moroccan tea (per usual) then were shown around the restaurant…come to find out, Alfred Hitchcock ate there, so we had our picture taken right where he ate at…so cool! It was time to return to our hotel in order to get ready for the best day yet.

Friday, we woke up bright and early to go see the Ouzoud Waterfalls (largest waterfalls in Morocco ranging at 150 meters long)! We had a personal tour guide that picked us up at our hotel then we met up with another group to caravan to the falls, which were about 3 hours or so away from Marrakech. Once we got there, we wondered around until we saw the falls from the top…this was absolutely breathtaking! We took a few pictures then we walked around to the opposite side so we could see them in their entirety…I just couldn’t get over how beautiful of a sight I was experiencing.

After going to 4 or 5 different locations around the falls, we decided to take a mini ferry up to the falls (I even learned how to row a boat!) and we got slightly wet, but it was completely worth it! I love waterfalls so much, so this was definitely a highlight for me of the trip. We also saw monkeys randomly running around throughout the paths and different birds flying around.

We ate lunch with our guide who was extremely sweet and got to learn about his life and what he hoped to do in the future. He said his ultimate dream was to have a farm with cows…this hit me how different our perceptions are depending on the lifestyle you live. In America, we are so fortunate and blessed to have all that we do, yet people in these countries can barely even afford a donkey or motorcycle…not even a car! And here I am at 20, travelling around the world and seeing all of these sights…it hit me really hard and I am still wrestling with the concept. Even when walking around and seeing all of the kids playing with a flat soccer ball with their clothing all torn up, my heart melted and all I wanted to do was provide for them. This was a hard realization, but also a good one because I knew that I truly want to serve somewhere…not quite sure what that will translate into for my future.

Anyways, we adventured around and climbed over brooks to see a different view after lunch then made our way back to the shuttle back for our return to Marrakech. This was a wonderful way to wrap up our final days in Morocco before returning to London…by far my highlight of this whole trip!

Saturday we transferred hotels to stay at a nice place outside of Medina and spent time lounging at the pool. The weather was perfect and it was so relaxing for us since we were on the go all of break. We enjoyed a small pizza then called it an early night because of our early flight the next morning at 7am. This was definitely a successful trip and I had the best time exploring both of these new places! We met so many great locals in Morocco and they passed on their email addresses for us to stay in touch…I loved all of the tea we got to drink with different people and learn more about their lives and their experience while in Morocco. I want to return one day somewhere in Africa…perhaps adventure to the dessert and see some sand dunes! I definitely have the travelling bug and am sad that we had to leave already…but now it is back to internship and classes to finish the homestretch in London.

The End!

These days are flying by…I think I am on the brink of 40 days remaining! I want to soak this all in and learn all about London. My mom is coming in about 3 weeks and I cant wait to share my life and experiences with her before returning home early December. This has definitely stretched me and empowered me in so many different ways…I wouldn’t trade this study abroad experience for anything. I suppose I will now leave you with some videos of my different experiences to let you in a bit to what I could see and hear. This is the longest post ever, so if you made it through, congratulations! I hope you enjoyed my experiencing as much as I liked reliving and remembering everything. From my trip to Spain and Africa, I walk away more humbled and even more in awe of creation and this life that I am blessed with.

I hope you enjoyed this novel of a post...I miss you all and look forward to sharing with you more adventures within these next/last weeks!

Part Two: Sights and Sounds around Marrakech, Morocco

Dinosaurs and Christmas World...all in one week!

What a busy past week it has been! Once I returned from my time in Italy, I hit the ground running in London to finish strong on an extremely busy week. This will give you a synopsis of my week as well as a little countdown at the end…so get excited!

I had my internship both Monday and Wednesday as well as two plays (Orphans and Enron). Now this rarely happens when we have two plays in one week…I usually go straight home to grab a quick dinner, rush to the play to get seated, then the duration usually lasts around 3 hours or so. Then it is back home to work on homework and other things. In my case for this week, I had my first big history paper due on Thursday so there were definitely late nights. Also, it was Kirsten’s 21^st birthday on Tuesday so it was off for some Mexican food (YUM) and celebrations!

Although tiring, the week was successful and my paper was complete and ready to be turned in on time. Friday, Jessica and I ventured to the Natural History Museum…coolest museum EVER! It was divided into 5 sections including a variety of subjects such as mammals, a cacoon of insects, humanlife, dinosaurs, earth geology, etc. My favourite part was the earth that you entered into via elevator. I felt like I was in some extra terrestrial movie scene with the music in the background and all. The T-Rex model was pretty cool too because it moved around and sounded like it was real! This was a great way to put a rainy day in London to good use!

Saturday I experienced Portabella Market for the first time..it was a bit overwhelming at times so we didn’t stay long. BUT I did walk away with some great deals and pretty scarves/pashminas. Sunday I went to church then experienced Harrods. Now ya’ll…this store is a true gift from God. Literally, five stories of everything you could ever want/need. AND it contained Christmas World and a Chocolate Bar…not to mention the world’s largest huggable teddy bear. Christmas World was better than the scene in Elf…literally I could hear Christmas music drawing me in and everywhere you turned was something else christmasy. Not only is this my favourite time of the year, but it is also when I will be returning to my friends and family-so I was filled with the warm and fuzzies to say the least! I tried to soak it in as I explored floor after floor (kitchens, designer dresses, food, cosmetics, accessories, instruments, toys…you name it, they had it somewhere)...I will definitely have to take many more trips to keep exploring because I know I probably missed several things!

I am preparing and getting ready for my 10 day trip to Madrid and Morocco…this should be a BLAST! I can’t believe it is already so close J Once I come back, it will already by October 25…where is the time going?! And even better, my mommy gets to come experience London with me in November…so much to look forward to! I will be sure to post when I get back from my 10 day excursion. Cheers from London!

Watch a T-Rex and experience Christmas World:

I will now leave you with my current top 5 things I miss from home the most:

1. Friends and family: Now this is a given. But it is true…the people that you hold most dear aren’t here to experience your everyday happenings and your memories.

2. Cheaper prices: I realize I am in London and it is known as being very expensive. But they really aren’t lying! For instance…a Starbucks drink is 3-4 pounds. Then you have to think about doubling that…so you are paying $8 for a drink. Also when eating out, you can easily pay about £10 for a basic meal ($18ish dollars)…yikes!

3. Driving: I realized how much I enjoy having a car right there to take to target, the grocery store, the mall…whatever it may be. Although I have learned to love public transportation (yay saving the environment), I am looking forward to driving again…I hope I remember how!

4. Chick-fil-A & Cookout Milkshakes: My mouth is watering just thinking of my grilled chicken sandwich from Chickfila and Chocolate with peanut butter cups from cookout. This will be one of my meals upon my return to USA.

5. My bed: The beds we have here are less than comfortable. Feeling the springs through the mattress isn’t the best feeling ever, but I have gotten used to it. My bed at home (complete with a pillow top and down pillow) awaits me and I can’t wait!

Ciao Bella Italia...Crazy Italian Adventures

Hello once again! I am very excited to tell you all about my adventures in beautiful Italy…now let me just say that Kirsten and I got ourselves into some crazy adventures, but by the end of the trip we realized how great it all was along the way! So sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories of my Italian Adventures in Pisa, Siena, and Roma.

Day One: Kirsten and I arose around 4am to finish packing all of our belongings and get ready for our 2^nd European adventure to Italia. We were out the door by 5:15 and literally ran for a bus that wasn’t even our because we thought we were running late. We caught our bus, transferred and took the tube to the railway station then transported to Luton Airport and took a shuttle for our flight. Once arriving in Pisa, we figured we would simply take a bus from Pisa to Siena but the lady informed us we couldn’t leave until 5pm (it was only noon). It was then off to the trains to figure out how to get ourselves to Siena…keep in mind the language barrier (it made things interesting). We figured out that we had to transfer over and arrived in Siena then took a bus to the heart of the town.

Thankfully, on our way over we met a cute older couple from London who likes to take walks all over Europe and we ended up sitting right next to them! They were quite lovely J Anyways, we finally navigated ourselves to our hostel then were driven to another location because all of the rooms were full in our original one.After being dropped off, we dropped our bags and headed to enjoy the rest of the evening in Siena.

This included an amazing dinner as well as shopping and getting lost in the quaint little streets. We finished the evening with some gelato then headed back to our hostel kinda early because of some obnoxious cat calls and looks so we decided to just go back and settle in at our “palace” as they like to call it. It was off to sleep to get ready for the next full day of traveling and sight seeing in Rome.

Day Two: We decided to get up bright and early to figure out where a bus station was to get from Siena to Rome. After asking over and over again around the city, we fell upon our bus station and purchased tickets for the busride that left 30 minutes after we showed up! Thank goodness that worked out! It was off on our bus for a 3 hour drive to Rome.

Once we arrived, we met another American woman who was looking for the metro station as well sowe walked together to figure out where we needed to go next. After arriving at our stop, it was off to find our hostel…this was quite frustrating because we were constantly getting looks and felt a bit uncomfortable so we tried to hail a taxi. Instead, they would kindly tell us where to keep walking until we finally ran upon it. Once again, there was not enough room in this hostel so it was off to another location a few blocks over. We sat our belongings down and ran off to try to catch the end of some of the markets but they closed down too early.

We decided to go on to see the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Colosseum and have some yummy Italian pasta and gelato to finish out the night. It was really cool to return to the exact place I stood 3 years ago for my senior trip in high school. We took some really fun pictures and watched some street performers then wandered around to different locations to try and pack in all of the big sites before calling it a night. Although it was extremely fast-paced, we still got to see everything before it was too late. We retired at our hostel for the evening and prepared for the next day of travel!

Day Three: It was up bright and early for us once again to check out and hop on a train back to Pisa to catch our flight. We grabbed a quick breakfast then caught our 9:30 train to get us back in Pisa around 12:30pm. Once we arrived, we spontaneously decided to go see the Leaning Tower before our flight (quite crazy). We took the chance and ran to the Tower to take a few pictures then hopped back on the bus to get to the airport and catch our flight. Although it was a whirlwind, our mission was accomplished and we made it back safe and sound. It is now freezing here in London…this is hard to adjust back into after wearing shorts and tank tops all weekend, but it feels great to be home sweet home!

A Few Life Lessons: Never plan to go three places spread apart within 3 days. Always pay extra to fly out of your last day’s location instead of paying the cheaper flight but spend all your time traveling from one place to the next. Try to buy maps before getting to new locations…that probably would have helped! Never be afraid to ask questions (I didn't have a problem with this one), but seriously...it is the only way we figured out our way around Italy!

Overall, this was a crazy trip full of fun and adventure. We had a blast and successful navigated ourselves around a new country barely knowing the language…this was quite empowering! I lovedgoing back to places that I fell in love with not too long ago in high school and experiencing all of the yummy Italian food

(GELATO is my favorite!!) If you ever go to Italy, I would highly recommend having gelato after every meal-it is well worth all of the calories JI wish we had a bit more time to explore the ancient ruins of a city with such vast history (Roma) but then again, we did get to experience 3 different locations all in one trip...it has its pros and cons!

I have this week and some of next week to prepare for my 10 day trip in Madrid and Morocco, but it is a jam-packed week leading up to that trip! I am off to see a play tonight and Wednesday along with birthday celebration for one of my flatmates. I will hopefully update early next week before I venture off to new lands that I have never visited before!

Enjoy this video of sights and sounds around Italia: