I guess this is my last blog. It's my last blog for this experience anyways. And what an experience it was. I can't believe it's over. I can't believe three and a half months flew by the way they did. I have such a weird feeling about everything now. It's almost like it never happened... like it was a dream. I'm back? Already? Boo.
Most of the last ten days, I spent with my family. I'm so glad they came over. Yes, we had some interesting times... but overall, I think it went wonderfully.
I spent Friday with my friends. I woke up to a beautiful snowy day. The ground was completely white so Cathrin, Sam, and I went outside and built snowmen. It was so much fun :) Then I said goodbye to Cathrin (she was leaving to go to London that afternoon) and went back home.
Around 2, I went into town with Amy and Demi. We Christmas shopped and ran a few errands. Afterwards we got some dinner and headed back. When I got back, I packed up for my parents' arrival and headed back over to Amy's to say goodbye. Only Amy, Karina, and Sarah were there. We hugged and said we'd see each other soon :) I went home and Sam came over. We watched movies and hung out 'til really late then I had another sad goodbye and went to bed.
I woke up at 5:00AM the next day, ice-skated into town with my suitcase, and took a bus into London. I met my family at Heathrow around 11:00 and we made our way back into the city. We got settled in to our beautiful hotel (Linda and I had a kick-ass suite!!!) then went out for some lunch. Afterwards we walked to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, and the London Eye area. And of course everyone whined a great amount because of the cold. Wimps.
Then Dad and I went on the London Eye while Mom and Linda waited for us. Then we cabbed it back to the hotel and took a nap. Afterwards Linda, Mom, and I woke up and went down to Oxford Street, shopped in the wonderful Christmas market down there, and grabbed some dinner at Garfunkels. Then we went back, Linda got sick, and threw up until 5 in the morning. Lovely.
The next morning, Dad and I went to Wimbledon (Mom and Linda stayed at the hotel). We had a nice tour of the grounds and strolled around the museum for a while. He really, really enjoyed it. Unfortunately it took up most of the day though and by the time we got back, it was already almost 4.
Then Mom and Dad took a taxi to the Tower of London, while Linda and I stayed at the hotel. They got there too late though and missed the last entry. Boo. When they got home, Dad and I went out to Trafalgar Square and ate dinner at the Texas Embassy. Then we walked to Piccadilly Circus and headed back.
Then Mom and I went out to Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. It was so much fun! They had rides, live music, Christmas stands, Carnival Games... everything. We had some mulled wine and hot pretzels and walked around for a bit. It really got us in the Christmas spirit! Then we took the metro back to Piccadilly Circus and walked to Leister Square. That's such a fun area at night :) Then we made our way back to the hotel and passed out.
Monday was a day full of travelling. We took a taxi to Heathrow, rented a car (which took FOREVER), experienced an absolutely terrifying ride to Dover, took the ferry to France, then had another near-death experience with a ride to Bayeux. JK Dad :) We didn't get there 'til late, and once we did, we just grabbed pizza and went to bed.
Tuesday we took an amazing tour of all the D-Day spots. We went to all of the beaches where the American Navy invaded, the German and American Cemeteries, and a few of the towns that were first to regain their freedom after the American invasion. My grandpas would've loved it!
My highlights: the town where an American parachuter had fallen right on the steeple of the Cathedral, survived, got shot, survived AGAIN and played dead, got captured and was held captive by German soldiers, survived once more, and was finally released. Great story, eh? Another highlight was when Linda and I folded the American flag in the US cemetery as the sun was setting. Right after they played taps. It was really, very moving.
That night we got dinner at a fabulous French restaurant. Everyone agreed: it was some of the best food we'd had in our lives!
Wednesday, we went to Mount Saint Michal, an absolutely breath-taking castle on the coast of the English Channel. Words cannot begin to describe the beauty of this place, so I won't even attempt to portray it. Google Image Mount Saint-Michal and you'll understand.
So we climbed to the top and looked around, and went into a few of the shops on the way down.
Then we drove to Paris. Not a fun drive, let me tell you. But we finally made it there around 6, dropped off our junk at the hotel, and went down to the Eiffel Tower. Dad and I went to the top level and Linda and Mom went to the middle level. Everyone liked it except for Mom. You know how crazy that woman is, with her panic attacks and everything :)
Afterwards we got dinner at a pretty nice restaurant then headed back to the hotel.
Thursday, we went to the Palace of Versailles. I was happy to see how much Linda liked it there. It really is a cool place.
Then we went back to the hotel and drove to our villa by Paris Disneyland. Once we got settled in, we went to the grocery store, stocked up on great food, and headed back to relax for a bit.
That night, Mom, Linda, and I took a train into Paris and caught the end of the Christmas Eve Mass at the Notre Dame. Wow :)
Friday was Christmas! We woke up, and Linda and I went to Disneyland. Mom and Dad went to the Arc de Triomphe, the Sacre Couer, and the Cemetery where Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are buried. Linda and I had a great time at the Magic Kingdom. Disney really is a magical place at Christmas :)
Our highlights were Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain. We got along really well and had a wonderful time! Afterwards we walked through the Disney Village and had some confusion with meeting Mom and Dad, but they finally picked us up around 8. We headed home, exchanged a few Christmas presents :) ate an interesting dinner, and skyped with family from Charlotte and family from Wisconsin. I really did have a superb Christmas.
Saturday we left really early. We drove to Calais, took the ferry, then drove to Canterbury. We got to my campus, dropped off my junk, then headed to the House of Agnes. We had an interesting time parking, considering the alley-way to the lot was meant for horse and carriages :) But we managed. Kind of. Then we walked around the city for a while, got lunch at Tacos Locos, and shopped.
That night we ate at the Old Buttermarket, one of my favorite restaurants in town. We got completely stuffed with some good English food and cider, then Linda and I took a taxi up to my house and hit the sack.
Sunday, Linda and I walked into town, went to a morning mass at the Cathedral with Mom, shopped a bit more, and went back up to my house to pack. Then they left for the Airport hotel around 3. I'm so glad they got to see Canterbury :) I think they really understand why I love it so much now.
After they left, I went back into town, got some dinner, took one last walk around, and took a bus back to campus. Ollie came over around 8 and we hung out and watched movies for a while. Then I said my last goodbye and went to bed :(
Monday, I woke up, dropped off my keys, walked to Keynes bus stop, took a bus to town, took a bus to London, took a bus to Heathrow, went through the ridiculous, newly-enforced airport security, took an eight and a half hour flight to Minneapolis, went through customs, took another two and a half hour flight to Charlotte, got my bags, waited for my parents, and finally drove to Aunt Linda's. Geez, whatta day. I socialized with the family for a bit and finally went to bed around 1 Eastern time... aka 6AM English time. Almost a 24-hour travel day!
And that's the end. I sit here now, back in Columbia, feeling very confused. It's so bittersweet to be home. I love seeing my family again. I love things familiar. But I want to go back. And a big part of me feels like I'm going back in a few days. But I'm not. I guess it'll take a while to adjust.
Anyways, I'm going to try not to dwell on my depression and this reverse culture-shock. Instead, I'm going to do my best to focus on the positive. I'm so incredibly lucky to have experienced my last three and a half months. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: they were by far, the best months of my life. I've gained such a wonderful perspective and I feel as if I've really grown as a person. Thank you Mom and Dad for making my trip possible. I'm so grateful and I'm really glad you came to Europe :)
So anywayyyys, I'm not saying goodbye to Europe or more specifically Canterbury. I'm not saying goodbye to the wonderful friend I've made over the last few months. I'm not even saying goodbye to this silly blog. Instead I'm saying "See you soon", cause I truly believe that I'll be back. It might take a few years, but I'm going back regardless. Corny, I know. But maybe that's the mindset I'll need to re-adjust to my old lifestyle :)
So, see you soon.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Days 90-96: My Last Week on Campus
I can’t believe it’s really ending. This semester went by way too quickly. There’s suddenly snow on the ground and my parents will be here tomorrow? It seems like I just got here yesterday. I’ve said way too many goodbyes… and I know many of them are goodbyes forever. Not okay.
It was a wonderful final week.
Friday, I woke up and did HW for a while. At night, I went to Sarah’s party :) She came and picked me up and I stayed for a few hours. When I left, I walked home. She lives about 2 miles off campus… I got pretty lost but I eventually found my way back.
Then I watched the American office and the British office with my friend for a while. Great night :)
Saturday was pretty uneventful. I went on a hike, did some HW, and went into town. I got dinner and bought some Christmas stuff, then had a nice evening in.
Sunday, I hung around the house and did more HW. At night, I went to see Men Who Stare at Goats with Amy, Karina, and Laura. Interesting movie…
Monday, I worked on my Med History Essay and studied for Spanish all dayyyy.
Tuesday, I had my Spanish exams, came home for dinner, then went to the Christmas Carol Service in the Cathedral with all of my friends. The service was truly breath-taking. Half of the time, the church was lit by only candles. And of course, the music was amazing. It really, really got me in the Christmas spirit. Afterwards we grabbed some dinner and headed home. IT WAS FREEZING OUTSIDE TOO!
Then my friend Sam and I went to Origins and got a few drinks. We played pool… I got dominated, of course. Then we came back and watched some TV.
Wednesday, I went to the library for a few hours to work on my essay. And at night, Lauren, Chloe, Cathrin, and I went to the Venue. We had so much fun. We got there at 9 and didn’t leave ‘til 2. When we got back, we ordered pizza, ate way too much, then hit the sack.
Thursday, I finished my Med History essay. Then Didier and I had our last coffee together. I HATE GOODBYES. I’m so happy that I got to know him.
I had my last Spanish exam at 4… which was so easy, then I said goodbye to my two good friends in the class, Karla and Yumi :( This sucks!!! I DON’T WAN T TO LEAVE.
At night, I went over to Amy’s to play dreidel drinking games :) then we went out to eat at Marlowes in town. Such a wonderful evening. But, once again, way too many goodbyes.
So I just woke up and I feel physically ill. I’m not getting sick or anything, but this depression of leaving a wonderful life behind, just hit me like a brick. Embrace the future, I know. But why, when the past was so great?
It was a wonderful final week.
Friday, I woke up and did HW for a while. At night, I went to Sarah’s party :) She came and picked me up and I stayed for a few hours. When I left, I walked home. She lives about 2 miles off campus… I got pretty lost but I eventually found my way back.
Then I watched the American office and the British office with my friend for a while. Great night :)
Saturday was pretty uneventful. I went on a hike, did some HW, and went into town. I got dinner and bought some Christmas stuff, then had a nice evening in.
Sunday, I hung around the house and did more HW. At night, I went to see Men Who Stare at Goats with Amy, Karina, and Laura. Interesting movie…
Monday, I worked on my Med History Essay and studied for Spanish all dayyyy.
Tuesday, I had my Spanish exams, came home for dinner, then went to the Christmas Carol Service in the Cathedral with all of my friends. The service was truly breath-taking. Half of the time, the church was lit by only candles. And of course, the music was amazing. It really, really got me in the Christmas spirit. Afterwards we grabbed some dinner and headed home. IT WAS FREEZING OUTSIDE TOO!
Then my friend Sam and I went to Origins and got a few drinks. We played pool… I got dominated, of course. Then we came back and watched some TV.
Wednesday, I went to the library for a few hours to work on my essay. And at night, Lauren, Chloe, Cathrin, and I went to the Venue. We had so much fun. We got there at 9 and didn’t leave ‘til 2. When we got back, we ordered pizza, ate way too much, then hit the sack.
Thursday, I finished my Med History essay. Then Didier and I had our last coffee together. I HATE GOODBYES. I’m so happy that I got to know him.
I had my last Spanish exam at 4… which was so easy, then I said goodbye to my two good friends in the class, Karla and Yumi :( This sucks!!! I DON’T WAN T TO LEAVE.
At night, I went over to Amy’s to play dreidel drinking games :) then we went out to eat at Marlowes in town. Such a wonderful evening. But, once again, way too many goodbyes.
So I just woke up and I feel physically ill. I’m not getting sick or anything, but this depression of leaving a wonderful life behind, just hit me like a brick. Embrace the future, I know. But why, when the past was so great?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Days 81-89: BARCELONA and My Last Few Weeks in Canterbury :(
SO I’m trying to take my mom’s advice. I shouldn’t be sad I’m leaving… I should be happy that I’ve had such a wonderful time here. She’s totally and completely right. So now, when I get sad, I look up ways that I can come back/get a job abroad. My time here has really shown me what makes me happy in life… travelling. And there are so many opportunities that involve travel. I just can’t wait to graduate so I can take advantage of them.
Now how have I been spending my time?
I left you on Wednesday, right? Well like I said, after Marty left, I was a bit down. So Wednesday was pretty uneventful. I went to class from 10-11, which just so happened to be my last medieval history lecture… probably one of my favorite classes in all of college. Definitely the best professor I’ve ever had. I learned so much AND it was actually interesting. Not to mention I made a really great friend in the class- Sam, one of my few British friends. He ALWAYS filled me in when I didn’t do the reading. I REALLY hope I keep in touch with him.
Afterwards I went on a hike with Cathrin… but it started raining halfway through so we had to turn around… boo. And I stayed in that night to save money and do HW.
Thursday wasn’t exciting either. I had class from 12-1 and 4-5 then I went to the library, got some books, and went into town to Starbucks to read. After about an hour, I headed home and packed for BARCELONA… WOOT WOOT :)
I spent pretty much all day Friday travelling. I woke up, went to the library to print off my travel stuff and started my long day of transportation. Now get this. The first bus I took was at 10:10 AM. I took a bus from campus to town, a bus from town to London, a bus from London to the Airport, a flight from London to Barcelona, another bus from the airport in Barcelona to the city, then took two subway rides to get to our hostel. Arrival time at the hostel: 10PM. We lost an hour, but that’s still an 11 hour travel day!!! Whew.
But once we got there, it was wonderful. We went out for Mexican food that night and then went out into town. Stephanie saw an advertisement for an ice bar (a bar COMPLETELY made of ice), so we went there. That entire area was SOOOOOO cool. Tons of clubs right along the beach… it was so pretty! The ice bar was fun but we could only stay there about 20 minutes cause it was so damn cold. So we headed to a few more nightclubs, spent a great deal of money, then headed back to our hostel around 3AM. Fun night :)
Saturday, we woke up and went on a really fun bike tour around Barcelona. I’m a firm believe that the best way to see a city, is by bike. You can stop so easily and it’s the perfect pace to see the basic architecture of the town. We first went around the area by the cathedral, then we went to a bull-fighting area, then another BEAUTIFUL cathedral, then to the beach area. We stopped there and had a delicious lunch at a restaurant with outdoor seating. Then we made our way back to the main part of town. The tour itself lasted about 4 hours and was only 20 euros. I’m so glad we did it!
After the tour, we just wandered around town for a few hours. We shopped, strolled through their big outdoor market, and grabbed some ice cream. Then we went back to the hostel to rest and shower for the evening.
That night we went out to dinner to this place called the travel bar. Karina and Laura had gone to Barca a few weeks beforehand and recommended it to us. They have one euro meals.. woohoo! So we ate and drank some sangria then went on a bar crawl with them. It was a good, cheap night. The bars they took us to were pretty dumpy, but we meet some nice aussies. I love Barcelona.
Sunday, we woke up kind of late, so we only had time to go back and see the insides of the main cathedral. Afterwards we made our long trek BACK to Canterbury. Another 11 hour day. We didn’t get home until 10:30, and when we did, I watched some tv and passed out.
I woke up Monday, and did HW all day long. I wrote my boring Jesuits paper then headed to Amy’s for Stephanie’s good bye dinner. It was really sad for me to see her leave. She’s the person that I’ve travelled EVERYWHERE with. It was like the first major goodbye… But the dinner was really fun and we all pigged out on some great food. We all stayed until 12ish then said our goodbyes and went home. :(
Tuesday, I went to class from 11-1 and 3-5, doing hw in between. Then I went into town, ran some errands, and went back to Amy’s for their Christmas party. Everyone was being lame and didn’t feel like drinking so we just sat around and talked for a few hours. Even though nothing exciting happened, we all had a great time :) I love these people!
Wednesday, I slacked off pretty much ALL DAY. I lounged around, watching TV. Then at night, we all walked to this GREAT pub for dinner. It was the cutest place ever… exactly what you’d think of when you think of an English pub. I’m sure going to miss places like that… We ate, went home, and got ready to go out. Then we went out to the venue for drinking and dancing. Best part- I managed to spend less than 5 pounds all night!!! WOOHOO!
Today, I had class from 12-1 and 4-5, then I met with some girls in my Spanish class to get ready for our exam. Came home, ate dinner, did hw, now I’m writing this blog. This weekend should be really good- after all… it’s my last official one in Canterbury :(
Now how have I been spending my time?
I left you on Wednesday, right? Well like I said, after Marty left, I was a bit down. So Wednesday was pretty uneventful. I went to class from 10-11, which just so happened to be my last medieval history lecture… probably one of my favorite classes in all of college. Definitely the best professor I’ve ever had. I learned so much AND it was actually interesting. Not to mention I made a really great friend in the class- Sam, one of my few British friends. He ALWAYS filled me in when I didn’t do the reading. I REALLY hope I keep in touch with him.
Afterwards I went on a hike with Cathrin… but it started raining halfway through so we had to turn around… boo. And I stayed in that night to save money and do HW.
Thursday wasn’t exciting either. I had class from 12-1 and 4-5 then I went to the library, got some books, and went into town to Starbucks to read. After about an hour, I headed home and packed for BARCELONA… WOOT WOOT :)
I spent pretty much all day Friday travelling. I woke up, went to the library to print off my travel stuff and started my long day of transportation. Now get this. The first bus I took was at 10:10 AM. I took a bus from campus to town, a bus from town to London, a bus from London to the Airport, a flight from London to Barcelona, another bus from the airport in Barcelona to the city, then took two subway rides to get to our hostel. Arrival time at the hostel: 10PM. We lost an hour, but that’s still an 11 hour travel day!!! Whew.
But once we got there, it was wonderful. We went out for Mexican food that night and then went out into town. Stephanie saw an advertisement for an ice bar (a bar COMPLETELY made of ice), so we went there. That entire area was SOOOOOO cool. Tons of clubs right along the beach… it was so pretty! The ice bar was fun but we could only stay there about 20 minutes cause it was so damn cold. So we headed to a few more nightclubs, spent a great deal of money, then headed back to our hostel around 3AM. Fun night :)
Saturday, we woke up and went on a really fun bike tour around Barcelona. I’m a firm believe that the best way to see a city, is by bike. You can stop so easily and it’s the perfect pace to see the basic architecture of the town. We first went around the area by the cathedral, then we went to a bull-fighting area, then another BEAUTIFUL cathedral, then to the beach area. We stopped there and had a delicious lunch at a restaurant with outdoor seating. Then we made our way back to the main part of town. The tour itself lasted about 4 hours and was only 20 euros. I’m so glad we did it!
After the tour, we just wandered around town for a few hours. We shopped, strolled through their big outdoor market, and grabbed some ice cream. Then we went back to the hostel to rest and shower for the evening.
That night we went out to dinner to this place called the travel bar. Karina and Laura had gone to Barca a few weeks beforehand and recommended it to us. They have one euro meals.. woohoo! So we ate and drank some sangria then went on a bar crawl with them. It was a good, cheap night. The bars they took us to were pretty dumpy, but we meet some nice aussies. I love Barcelona.
Sunday, we woke up kind of late, so we only had time to go back and see the insides of the main cathedral. Afterwards we made our long trek BACK to Canterbury. Another 11 hour day. We didn’t get home until 10:30, and when we did, I watched some tv and passed out.
I woke up Monday, and did HW all day long. I wrote my boring Jesuits paper then headed to Amy’s for Stephanie’s good bye dinner. It was really sad for me to see her leave. She’s the person that I’ve travelled EVERYWHERE with. It was like the first major goodbye… But the dinner was really fun and we all pigged out on some great food. We all stayed until 12ish then said our goodbyes and went home. :(
Tuesday, I went to class from 11-1 and 3-5, doing hw in between. Then I went into town, ran some errands, and went back to Amy’s for their Christmas party. Everyone was being lame and didn’t feel like drinking so we just sat around and talked for a few hours. Even though nothing exciting happened, we all had a great time :) I love these people!
Wednesday, I slacked off pretty much ALL DAY. I lounged around, watching TV. Then at night, we all walked to this GREAT pub for dinner. It was the cutest place ever… exactly what you’d think of when you think of an English pub. I’m sure going to miss places like that… We ate, went home, and got ready to go out. Then we went out to the venue for drinking and dancing. Best part- I managed to spend less than 5 pounds all night!!! WOOHOO!
Today, I had class from 12-1 and 4-5, then I met with some girls in my Spanish class to get ready for our exam. Came home, ate dinner, did hw, now I’m writing this blog. This weekend should be really good- after all… it’s my last official one in Canterbury :(
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Days 66-80: Amsterdam and Marty Invades England :)
So I’m not going to lie. I’m really, really down right now. I only have a few weeks left. And I can’t imagine leaving. If I had the chance to redo this experience, I’d sign up for the year. Or all of college. I can’t imagine its coming to an end. I can’t say goodbye to England or my newfound friends. I just can’t.
The last few weeks have really been great. I know I haven’t updated in forever, but I’ll do my best to summarize each day.
Wednesday- Class from 10-11; did HW and wrote my essay all day long.. boo. And skyped with the fam.
Thursday- Class 12-1; Library; Class 4-5; Came home and FINISHED MY ESSAY… whew. Turned it in then packed for Amsterdam.
Friday- We walked to the bus station around 6:30 and left by 7. It was a really long ride, but I was with Stephanie, Sonja, Amy, Cathrin and the rest of Kent Uni… so it was actually fun. We stopped a few times along the way to get food and watched Little Miss Sunshine and a cheesy British Movie.
We got to Amsterdam around 6, settled into our hostel then headed out. Amsterdam is stunning. It really is like a town directly out of a Christmas snow globe. There are canals everywhere and the architecture is just so cute. We walked around town for a while and then headed over to the Red Light District. I always pictured this to be a disgusting area with nasty hookers and drug pushers everywhere… but its not. Sure there are prostitutes in a few windows.. but the rest of it is actually really nice.
We then went to a coffee shop and smoked a few joints :) Then we grabbed dinner at a nice restaurant to fulfill our munchies.
By the time we got home it was really late, so we all just kind of passed out.
Saturday- We woke up around 10 and went to breakfast downstairs. Then we walked over to Mike’s Bikes Tours for our countryside “Cheese, Clog, and Windmill” bike-ride tour. Amy had been super excited about this and had talked of nothing for weeks beforehand… lol. And she was right- it was so much fun. We rode to a cool windmill then we went to a farm that makes cheese and clogs. I love Dutch people. We also got to see the hotel where John Lennon and Yoko stayed at on their honeymoon. “The Ballard of John and Yoko” was apparently written there.
When we got back we walked over to the side of town where the Anne Frank House was and ate some lunch. I got a sandwich with goat cheese, honey and walnuts…delicious! Then we went to the Anne Frank House.. which was really, really moving.
Afterwards we went to another coffee shop and smoked some hash… Sonja got high! LOL :) Then we went back and napped for a bit.
We went out that night to a couple great bars in the main part of town. We went to a place called Bourbon Street that had live Hispanic music. The lead singer was a Hispanic Orlando Bloom…no joke.
Sunday- We woke up and thought we had the whole day in Amsterdam. But surprise- the group leaders decided to go to Bruges instead. Before we got on the bus, Stephanie and I decided to each eat a Space Cake. Worst decision of my life. I have never felt that way and I never want to again. I was out of my mind and I remember nothing of Belgium.
The bits that I do remember include: trying to order lunch but stumbling my words around a whole bit, walking in the pouring rain, and then Cathrin freaking out about a rainbow.
But seriously this is what happened: the bus pulled over on the highway; the leaders said “Okay, we’re here. Be back at half five.” Seriously?! LOL.. we were all waiting to be on America’s funniest home videos.
When we got back to Canterbury, I was still high. Great. So I went home, pigged out, then passed out.
Monday- I woke up, still feeling lousy. And pretty much took the whole day to recover from losing my mind. I skyped for a while with my parents and Marty and did some HW. And that’s about it!
Tuesday- I had the day off of classes for Reading Week, so I went to the library with Cathrin to catch up on school work and had coffee with my French friend, Didier :)
Wednesday- I had class from 10-12, went to an Economic Experiment where I got paid 14 Pounds… WOOWOO!! And that night I went to see New Moon with Amy in town. Such a great movie. I love the twilight series so much. I’ll admit it! After the movie- Karina, Amy, and I went out. We first went to Thomas Ingleberry’s (I think that’s the name of it…) and then we went to the nightclub, Chill. We had so much fun dancing and hanging out. I love going out here.
Thursday- THANKSGIVING! I woke up and was actually really sad that I wasn’t home for the holiday. But I definitely made the most of my day :) I went to my lecture from 12-1 then came home and skyped with my family for a while. It was also a beautiful day outside, so I decided to go on a short hike. There’s a path right my house that leads all the way to Whitsable. It goes through some great farmland… it’s a beautiful walk. I walked about 2 miles into it then turned around. When I got home, I watched Christmas movies and got ready for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Dinner was actually great. I went with all of my best friends and ate the delicious food that they had prepared for us. My only problem with it: the stuffing. They definitely screwed the stuffing up. But everything else was good :) After dinner, we walked to Woody’s and watched some American football… tradition! Then I headed home and packed for London. Cathrin came over for a bit and we hung out with Theo’s friends for his birthday. Then I hit the sack.
Friday- I woke up early and walked into town. Caught my bus to Victoria then got on a subway to Heathrow. I met Marty there.. YAY! It was so wonderful to see him. We jumped on the tube back to central London and dropped off our stuff at the hostel.
We then walked to Buckingham Palace then to Westminster Abbey then to Big Ben and Parliament, then across the river to the London Eye. We ate hot dogs and ice cream then went on our ride overlooking London. The Eye really is such a cool thing.
Afterwards we walked along the river, through some great Christmas markets then made our way to Shakespeare’s Globe. We crossed the Millennium Bridge then went to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Afterwards we jumped on the tube and headed to Oxford Street. We shopped for a bit and ate dinner at a great English restaurant. The Christmas lights are up on Oxford… it looks beautiful and really got us in the Christmas spirit!
We then headed back to our hostel, showered and rested for a few minutes, then headed back out to Somerset House for ice skating. I loved it there! Somerset House is so pretty and it was such a great atmosphere but ice skating was sold out :( boo! So we had some hot chocolate and watched the skaters from the warm café.
We then left and walked around Trafalgar’s Square then had some dinner at the Texas Embassy which was a lot of fun. Then we walked to Piccadilly Circus and Leister Square. This is such a great area of London!
Saturday- we woke up and ate a small breakfast (or I did anyways) then we took the tube to Victoria. BUT the main underground lines were closed for reparations so WE MISSED OUR BUS TO CAMBRIDGE. Boo! But we just bought more tickets and took a later one. It was so cold and grey outside and Marty and I were NOT dressed warm- so we spent most of Cambridge inside the Arcade and at this great pub called the Eagle. But from what we did see, we loved! It’s very comparable to Canterbury, but bigger and newer.
We ate lunch at pizza hut, walked around for a few hours then got drinks and food at the Eagle. :)
Afterwards we headed back to London, showered and hung out at the hostel for a bit. We played a game of pool.. and I almost won!!! Almost. Haha. Then we headed out in London. Once again, it was cold and rainy so it wasn’t good “going out” weather. But we still had a great time. We stopped at KFC on the way and I got the worst heartburn ever though… so that put a damper on the night. Then we got home around 2 and hit the sack.
Sunday- We woke up and ate another light breakfast then took the tube to the Tower of London. We also made a few stops along the way, looking for Jack the Ripper’s killing spots but unfortunately we couldn’t find them. The tower of London was really, really cool. You could easily spend the whole day there… but we only had about an hour. There’s just so much history to it- I can’t wait for my Dad to see it.
Afterwards we went to Harrod’s… but we were running low on time and we didn’t want to miss another bus… so we only spent a few minutes there. But it was so cool! Once again, you could EASILY spend the whole day there. Afterwards we got a really quick lunch at McDonald’s then headed back to our hostel to get our stuff.
We barely made our bus back to Canterbury, whew… but we did! And when we got back, we headed right up to campus for Marty to unpack his things. After we got settled, we walked around campus and then took the UNIbus into town. We ate dinner and played quiz night at the Penny. I think Marty really liked it! YAY! :) We had a lot of fun.
Monday- I had class from 11-12 and then we headed to Whitsable! I love this seaside town so much but it was rainy, windy, and cold so we didn’t stay long. We ate lunch along the water and then headed into Canterbury. We shopped for a while and walked around so Marty could get a feel for the town. Then we went to an Eveningsong service at the Cathedral. It was amazing. I’ve never heard a choir so good!
After the service we got dinner at the Buttermarket, a WONDERFUL pub across from the Cathedral. We both got British meals and hung out for a while.
Then we headed back to campus, showered, and got ready for the evening. We went to Mungos and Rutherford Bar on campus and then we met everyone at the Works. We had so much fun, drinking and dancing. I’m so glad Marty was there for it. :) But I got way to drunk that night, threw up all my guts and ruined my Tuesday as a result. Lol, oh well! Still a great day.
Tuesday- As I said, I was super hungover. So I woke up, went to class then came back and had spaghetti with Marty Mar. Then he went into town and I went back to class. After class I met him in town for dinner. We went to Café Des Amis, one of my favorites. It was really nice- we had a table right by the canal. And of course, the food was delicious.
After dinner we went home, and I laid down for a while. I was so tired and hungover still! I now feel bad, cause I know it was Marty’s last night. Marty, I’m sorry if I was tired and cranky… I wish I could have a redo! We then went to Woody’s, drank a bit, then went to Amy’s flat for her December Party.
It was a fun night, but I wish I was in a better mood for it. We went to bed around 2 cause Marty’s taxi was getting here at 4:40.
He left this morning and now I’m so sad. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I feel like I’m saying goodbye to two huge things in my life… Canterbury and Marty. I don’t want either to leave.
You know, I really wish life had a rewind button. There are so many experiences I wish I could relive. I know I can always come back, but it won’t be the same. It’s so scary to me that this experience is coming to an end. And then I graduate college in May. These are the best years of my life- and these months in Canterbury have been the best months of my life… God, please can I have a remote control?
The last few weeks have really been great. I know I haven’t updated in forever, but I’ll do my best to summarize each day.
Wednesday- Class from 10-11; did HW and wrote my essay all day long.. boo. And skyped with the fam.
Thursday- Class 12-1; Library; Class 4-5; Came home and FINISHED MY ESSAY… whew. Turned it in then packed for Amsterdam.
Friday- We walked to the bus station around 6:30 and left by 7. It was a really long ride, but I was with Stephanie, Sonja, Amy, Cathrin and the rest of Kent Uni… so it was actually fun. We stopped a few times along the way to get food and watched Little Miss Sunshine and a cheesy British Movie.
We got to Amsterdam around 6, settled into our hostel then headed out. Amsterdam is stunning. It really is like a town directly out of a Christmas snow globe. There are canals everywhere and the architecture is just so cute. We walked around town for a while and then headed over to the Red Light District. I always pictured this to be a disgusting area with nasty hookers and drug pushers everywhere… but its not. Sure there are prostitutes in a few windows.. but the rest of it is actually really nice.
We then went to a coffee shop and smoked a few joints :) Then we grabbed dinner at a nice restaurant to fulfill our munchies.
By the time we got home it was really late, so we all just kind of passed out.
Saturday- We woke up around 10 and went to breakfast downstairs. Then we walked over to Mike’s Bikes Tours for our countryside “Cheese, Clog, and Windmill” bike-ride tour. Amy had been super excited about this and had talked of nothing for weeks beforehand… lol. And she was right- it was so much fun. We rode to a cool windmill then we went to a farm that makes cheese and clogs. I love Dutch people. We also got to see the hotel where John Lennon and Yoko stayed at on their honeymoon. “The Ballard of John and Yoko” was apparently written there.
When we got back we walked over to the side of town where the Anne Frank House was and ate some lunch. I got a sandwich with goat cheese, honey and walnuts…delicious! Then we went to the Anne Frank House.. which was really, really moving.
Afterwards we went to another coffee shop and smoked some hash… Sonja got high! LOL :) Then we went back and napped for a bit.
We went out that night to a couple great bars in the main part of town. We went to a place called Bourbon Street that had live Hispanic music. The lead singer was a Hispanic Orlando Bloom…no joke.
Sunday- We woke up and thought we had the whole day in Amsterdam. But surprise- the group leaders decided to go to Bruges instead. Before we got on the bus, Stephanie and I decided to each eat a Space Cake. Worst decision of my life. I have never felt that way and I never want to again. I was out of my mind and I remember nothing of Belgium.
The bits that I do remember include: trying to order lunch but stumbling my words around a whole bit, walking in the pouring rain, and then Cathrin freaking out about a rainbow.
But seriously this is what happened: the bus pulled over on the highway; the leaders said “Okay, we’re here. Be back at half five.” Seriously?! LOL.. we were all waiting to be on America’s funniest home videos.
When we got back to Canterbury, I was still high. Great. So I went home, pigged out, then passed out.
Monday- I woke up, still feeling lousy. And pretty much took the whole day to recover from losing my mind. I skyped for a while with my parents and Marty and did some HW. And that’s about it!
Tuesday- I had the day off of classes for Reading Week, so I went to the library with Cathrin to catch up on school work and had coffee with my French friend, Didier :)
Wednesday- I had class from 10-12, went to an Economic Experiment where I got paid 14 Pounds… WOOWOO!! And that night I went to see New Moon with Amy in town. Such a great movie. I love the twilight series so much. I’ll admit it! After the movie- Karina, Amy, and I went out. We first went to Thomas Ingleberry’s (I think that’s the name of it…) and then we went to the nightclub, Chill. We had so much fun dancing and hanging out. I love going out here.
Thursday- THANKSGIVING! I woke up and was actually really sad that I wasn’t home for the holiday. But I definitely made the most of my day :) I went to my lecture from 12-1 then came home and skyped with my family for a while. It was also a beautiful day outside, so I decided to go on a short hike. There’s a path right my house that leads all the way to Whitsable. It goes through some great farmland… it’s a beautiful walk. I walked about 2 miles into it then turned around. When I got home, I watched Christmas movies and got ready for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Dinner was actually great. I went with all of my best friends and ate the delicious food that they had prepared for us. My only problem with it: the stuffing. They definitely screwed the stuffing up. But everything else was good :) After dinner, we walked to Woody’s and watched some American football… tradition! Then I headed home and packed for London. Cathrin came over for a bit and we hung out with Theo’s friends for his birthday. Then I hit the sack.
Friday- I woke up early and walked into town. Caught my bus to Victoria then got on a subway to Heathrow. I met Marty there.. YAY! It was so wonderful to see him. We jumped on the tube back to central London and dropped off our stuff at the hostel.
We then walked to Buckingham Palace then to Westminster Abbey then to Big Ben and Parliament, then across the river to the London Eye. We ate hot dogs and ice cream then went on our ride overlooking London. The Eye really is such a cool thing.
Afterwards we walked along the river, through some great Christmas markets then made our way to Shakespeare’s Globe. We crossed the Millennium Bridge then went to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Afterwards we jumped on the tube and headed to Oxford Street. We shopped for a bit and ate dinner at a great English restaurant. The Christmas lights are up on Oxford… it looks beautiful and really got us in the Christmas spirit!
We then headed back to our hostel, showered and rested for a few minutes, then headed back out to Somerset House for ice skating. I loved it there! Somerset House is so pretty and it was such a great atmosphere but ice skating was sold out :( boo! So we had some hot chocolate and watched the skaters from the warm café.
We then left and walked around Trafalgar’s Square then had some dinner at the Texas Embassy which was a lot of fun. Then we walked to Piccadilly Circus and Leister Square. This is such a great area of London!
Saturday- we woke up and ate a small breakfast (or I did anyways) then we took the tube to Victoria. BUT the main underground lines were closed for reparations so WE MISSED OUR BUS TO CAMBRIDGE. Boo! But we just bought more tickets and took a later one. It was so cold and grey outside and Marty and I were NOT dressed warm- so we spent most of Cambridge inside the Arcade and at this great pub called the Eagle. But from what we did see, we loved! It’s very comparable to Canterbury, but bigger and newer.
We ate lunch at pizza hut, walked around for a few hours then got drinks and food at the Eagle. :)
Afterwards we headed back to London, showered and hung out at the hostel for a bit. We played a game of pool.. and I almost won!!! Almost. Haha. Then we headed out in London. Once again, it was cold and rainy so it wasn’t good “going out” weather. But we still had a great time. We stopped at KFC on the way and I got the worst heartburn ever though… so that put a damper on the night. Then we got home around 2 and hit the sack.
Sunday- We woke up and ate another light breakfast then took the tube to the Tower of London. We also made a few stops along the way, looking for Jack the Ripper’s killing spots but unfortunately we couldn’t find them. The tower of London was really, really cool. You could easily spend the whole day there… but we only had about an hour. There’s just so much history to it- I can’t wait for my Dad to see it.
Afterwards we went to Harrod’s… but we were running low on time and we didn’t want to miss another bus… so we only spent a few minutes there. But it was so cool! Once again, you could EASILY spend the whole day there. Afterwards we got a really quick lunch at McDonald’s then headed back to our hostel to get our stuff.
We barely made our bus back to Canterbury, whew… but we did! And when we got back, we headed right up to campus for Marty to unpack his things. After we got settled, we walked around campus and then took the UNIbus into town. We ate dinner and played quiz night at the Penny. I think Marty really liked it! YAY! :) We had a lot of fun.
Monday- I had class from 11-12 and then we headed to Whitsable! I love this seaside town so much but it was rainy, windy, and cold so we didn’t stay long. We ate lunch along the water and then headed into Canterbury. We shopped for a while and walked around so Marty could get a feel for the town. Then we went to an Eveningsong service at the Cathedral. It was amazing. I’ve never heard a choir so good!
After the service we got dinner at the Buttermarket, a WONDERFUL pub across from the Cathedral. We both got British meals and hung out for a while.
Then we headed back to campus, showered, and got ready for the evening. We went to Mungos and Rutherford Bar on campus and then we met everyone at the Works. We had so much fun, drinking and dancing. I’m so glad Marty was there for it. :) But I got way to drunk that night, threw up all my guts and ruined my Tuesday as a result. Lol, oh well! Still a great day.
Tuesday- As I said, I was super hungover. So I woke up, went to class then came back and had spaghetti with Marty Mar. Then he went into town and I went back to class. After class I met him in town for dinner. We went to Café Des Amis, one of my favorites. It was really nice- we had a table right by the canal. And of course, the food was delicious.
After dinner we went home, and I laid down for a while. I was so tired and hungover still! I now feel bad, cause I know it was Marty’s last night. Marty, I’m sorry if I was tired and cranky… I wish I could have a redo! We then went to Woody’s, drank a bit, then went to Amy’s flat for her December Party.
It was a fun night, but I wish I was in a better mood for it. We went to bed around 2 cause Marty’s taxi was getting here at 4:40.
He left this morning and now I’m so sad. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I feel like I’m saying goodbye to two huge things in my life… Canterbury and Marty. I don’t want either to leave.
You know, I really wish life had a rewind button. There are so many experiences I wish I could relive. I know I can always come back, but it won’t be the same. It’s so scary to me that this experience is coming to an end. And then I graduate college in May. These are the best years of my life- and these months in Canterbury have been the best months of my life… God, please can I have a remote control?
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