Conquering the Tube...

These past two days have been great! I began classes yesterday (starting at 1pm) so I woke up a bit early to spend some time by myself doing what I wanted/needed to do and I had a wonderful breakfast complete with some eggs and cereal with fruit-YUM! I headed off to school...and can I just tell you that it was the PERFECT day outside. I believe the temperature rounded off to about 75 degrees and there wasn't a cloud in the sky which is quite rare for London. I first had my Literature course and I am soooo excited...we get to go see 9 different plays throughout the semester and come back to class and talk about them the next class! My teacher is really cool too...he is originally from India but also has a British accent and he is extremely nice-this will probably be one of my favorite classes while at Elon!

I have a 30 minute break in between my two classes on Tuesdays so I spent time outside in the nearby park simply calling people randomly. It is so nice to hear a familiar voice even though

they are across the ocean-technology just blows my mind sometimes! This was a very nostalgic

time for me as well...a time to count my blessings for being here this time of the year and get out of my normal routine and schedule. This is a time for me to stretch myself in so many ways...and trust me, I have already been quite flexible in some circumstances. One of the most rewarding feelings thus far was getting home from both my school and internship on the tube and using my map. Although this is an easy feat for some, this was a deep concern of mine before entering the country. No longer can I call dad to ask him where I am or which direction I should go...it's up to me to get my self from point A to point B and somehow not get lost (but when I do, I'm sure it will be a great story to tell later).

Another thing I love to do is people watch. Now out of all places...London is prime showing for some eccentric people. Between all the lovey-dovey couples, to the little british children running around, to the people who are bound and determined to beat you when getting on the tube...it's simply great! I must say it is quite weird to be 2 inches away from a person and not a single sole speaks. Definitely out of my comfort zone when I am smelling some major body odor on a person so close...yet I cannot speak to them for I fear they will think I am a crazy american (well I suppose I am at some times). I have loved getting to see a melting pot of cultures poured into this one location and getting to appreciate the life of a Londoner. Always on the go, yet takes time to enjoys the little things.

Anyways...Back to my day-I had my history class (which should be fun and interesting) then journeyed back home to my flat to spend the rest of the night going on a run with some of my flatmates and planning some trips over the next few weeks. OHHHHH and to top off my day, I received a nice little letter that was awaiting me upon my arrival. Can I just say how much I LOVE snailmail...although the internet is a must, sometimes i just wish we could go back to this old form of time and effort writing. Continuing on...This weekend we are hoping to take a Buckingham Palace tour as well as see some museums, the next weekend it looks like FRANCE is on the horizon, then a few weeks after that it is SPAIN and MOROCCO then off to ITALY and GREECE for fall break. Sounds crazy, I know! But I am sooooo excited. We are in the midst of booking flights and planning itineraries and I love it...something about planning it by myself with one or two people makes me feel so old and accomplished! **If you have any tips about places to go that I HAVE to see, please email me or leave a comment!

Then today, I went back to my internship where I had a bit more to do this time and then came back and went on my same run. It was simply wonderful to go out on the streets of London by myself to think and let out some endorphins. I love outdoor running...it's much better than the Elon treadmill I have decided. Then I fixed the best dinner that reminded me of home...I baked some chicken on the stove and made a salad and rice with a side of fruit...YUMMMM.Tonight we went out in our town for a bit and met some great London locals. Everyone was so nice and we had such a great time! Tomorrow I finish off the week with classes then will hopefully come back and enjoy the rest of my day doing some homework and booking flights! Check back soon for some pics of my weekend adventures :)

And last but not least...I have a bit of a surprise to you because you are such a faithful viewer (or maybe not). Here is a grand tour of my little Flat so please enjoy!