I am... Living London

Here is a quick tour of my home away from home...



It is weird cuz its the same room number I had my freshman year in Read Dorm, and my roommate's name is Sarah. I mean what are the odds??

"... wait the boys are only ages 13-18... aahh! oopps" :P

The day was another early one getting up after a night at the pubs. And it was all to see the town of Windsor and the Castle. I have been here many a times, but it is one of my all time favorite spots to visit here in England. The town of Windsor itself is just great, with the shopping, food, and did I mention the giant Castle that it surrounds? Windsor Castle is the favorite house o the Queen and has been a royal residence, since around 1200 I believe. The state rooms were unfortunately closed, but we still got to tour the outside grounds, and the Famous Queen Mary's Doll House. Its a mini version of Buckingham Palace where ever mini thing is a real replica of the original, and in working order. (Running water!! so cool!)

We also got a tour of the small adjacent town of Eton, the home of Eton College. It is an all boys school for ages 13-18. Prince William and Harry both went there and so have tons of famous and powerful Brits. We had the same tour guides from the day before and they assured us all the swans would not attack... there were lots!! haha
I finally got my pic with a British Guard, but in the process of our entire group getting pics we all got yelled at :( I felt really bad b/c it just so happened that my roomie and I were the ones up next when the guy came over and yelled. It had been building though. But we still came out with a pretty funny pic :P No disrespect though!! I <3 The Brits!!

I am done with the day counting... sorry everyone, but there is no way I will be able to blog every day and its easier to just talk about the cool things rather than just the days. Moving on from that its been a great first week! I feel like it has been forEVER since the last time I blogged, but it really hasn't. We just fit so much into one day that it feels like I have been here for at least a month already, and I am completely fine with that :D The day the day after we went to the club we got to sleep in first and foremost lol (esp. after out first night out at the clubs). We all met down stairs for a guided bus tour of London. And then ended up waiting over an hour for the actual buses to ge there... not cool but there was a Chelsea football match going on, traffic was atrocious, and the tour guides made up for it.I have done a number of bus tours in the city, but I guess you can never really have to many... esp. with such a great and funny guide. The tour ended at the British Museum where we got a highlights tour of all the cool things in there. Here are some of my fav.
The Rosetta Stone, helped us unlock the secrets of hieroglyphics.

Our tour guide she was crazy, but awesome... also whats behind here. The first ever wallpaper.
Ginger!! and other Mummies. I swear all of these were in our text books growing up!!

All of this stuff is literally a block from my school, so this is where we hang out in between our classes... its so surreal I LOVE IT! <3

Day 3 and we still had a few program things aka orientation. Not the most fun thing I have ever had to get up early for, but I guess it is needed when when you come to another country. So, we learned more about our program, classes, field trips, internship, and best of all British Law on the streets :p We had a great "Bobby" (British police officer) come and give us a basic over view of laws we weren't aware of. 1. Mace is considered a weapon here... so you will get deported if you are caught with it. 2. They want you to prevent a fight and it that calls for you to punch the bloke out b4 he punches you GO FOR IT! lol 3. Don't raise you hand or you might be put in handcuffs lol
People have started calling me Hermione because whenever a tour guide or presenter ask a question about a random British fact ect... I am the first one with my hand flying in the air and knowing it lol. It feels good to feel smart haha. Well after all of our meeting we were tired but I wanted to find the place where my internship interview was going to be held. So my new friend Christine and I scowered the streets of London to find it. Its a pretty sweet building, but I only saw the outside. On our way back we stopped by this AMAZING bakery with delicious cupcakes aahh it was called Hummingbird Bakery. I have never met anyone who can eat as fast as me but Christine haha. Then it was time to rest up for a Ice Skating field trip at the Natural History Museum. It has been so freshman year/ camp like so far... but we are allowed to drink. The free skating at the Natural History Museum was so much fun and in such a beautiful setting. I was a pretty good skater if I do say so myself, but a lot of us could really not find their balance and retreated to the bar.




Soon we all headed back home to get ready for our first night of London Clubs!! I really can't remember what the club was called that we went to, but it was a lot of fun. I almost didn't get in though. I had my international student ID with me and the bouncer was not going to take it. I started to get really sad and was going to pull out the water works, but with the help of Kevin and Sarah he let me in... THANK GOD!! I did not have to buy 1 drink which I was super proud of haha. and there was this British guy who i swear could have been on dancing with the stars! he was so much fun to dance with and would twril me around and around and dip me and stuff!! I hate the whole bump'n and grind'n thing so this was GREAT!! Sarah, Christine, Madison, and I headed back around 2am and hit the sack dreaming about our next day adventures!!

Today we had to get up early... and that was NOT fun esp. after our first night out and getting to know everyone. But I was up at 7:30am anyway to shower and get ready for a day full of mostly stuff I knew, but I guess I will admit it was important.... Orientation. Now we all know how orientation was for us when we first started college, well it was just like that only most of it was walking outside in the cold rain... Thank you London! :/ We were split up into different groups and I was group Bow aka the internship ppl. There are only 14 of us interviewing for internships, so we are a fun lil group with one guy... Nick who is also from IU. (he has the most bad ass interviews lined up btw the BBC being one of them aahh JEAL!)

We have a really cool leader with an even cooler name, Isla... like island- the "nd". she is a native here in England and is very sweet and VERY helpful! After walking in the rain for awhile we made it to the tube and then to our IES Study building where our classes are going to be. It so cool b/c its an 18th century town house that has been converted into different class rooms. My fav part about it so far is that I get to get off at the Holborn tube station to get there... aahh the nostalgia <3 Of Course all the IU ppl saw the Pizza Express restaurant across the street and immediately announced they wanted to order a Big 10, but I sadly told them it was nothing like our dear Bloomington Pizza Express and took some there for lunch. I think everyone really liked but alas... its still not the same without the bread sticks and diet coke haha.

After that we had a few more meetings and then rushed out so that we could make it to this concert Alexa had heard about... Vampire Weekend. Now, I have never heard of this band, nor did I think I had ever heard any of their songs, but Kevin and Alexa assured me it would be fun so I went. it was a promotional concert for their new album so it was free, but once we got their and realized that they are preforming in front of an ice skating ring we (meaning 4 of us: Kevin, Max, Alexa, and I) couldn't resist the urge to rent some skates. We got onto the ice full of anticipation. This venue was called Somerset house and was outside in this huge courtyard. The band was set up in this balcony and we were able to skate right up to be front and center!!



The band came on and I LOVED them!! We had so much fun dancing and and kept having to pinch ourselves about the situation. we could not believe how lucky we had gotten and that this was just day 2!! I swear the drummer and I had to of made eye contact and smile at least 10 times!! After they kicked us off the ice we just let ourselves get lost in the city for a bit. I was able to find Covenant Garden, Lester Square, and Piccadilly Circus for them so many photo opps :) We made it back to our dorm and although many tried to get me to go out I turned in early tonight to get ready for tomorrow and my first night to a club! OMG its gonna be a rager ;P

I have been in London for a little over 2 days now and it feels like I have been here FOREVER... in a GREAT way :) I moved into the IES Residence hall on Wed. morning. I had such a cool driver he seriously told me his whole life story like when he had cancer twice and how he doesn't get along with his older sister who is jealous of him because she was a war baby and he wasn't ect... I could go on, but moral he was pretty cool, but sometimes made me feel uncomfortable lol. He also told me about all the famous ppl he has driven. Most were British *STARS* but I thought Colbie Caillat was pretty cool. But if I was British there were much cooler ppl. He told me I was very pretty (in a non creepy way) and that if I wanted to I would make it big someday :) it was just very nice to be told that, esp. when I was really tired and feeling nervous about this trip... THANKS DRIVER ;)so I told him if I ever did make it big he would be my personal driver... now if only I could remember his name :/ if you know me you know I suck at names haha!

So I got to my dorm finally and meet my roommate... I ended up walking in at the same time as like 5 other boys who all had significantly less luggage than I did haha but its OK cuz Kevin was one of them and it was so nice to see a familiar face. We checked in and then time to meet my roommate... I was scared not going to lie, but... SHE IS AWESOME!! at first of course we were very nervous around each other and were deff. testing the waters, but very quickly we were cracking jokes and planning how we were going to decorate our room :D her friend Alexa cam a knocking soon and all 3 of us were chatting like we had known each other for much longer than a few min. after unpacking which surprisingly did not take that long we made plans to go grocery shopping for what else... wine 8D haha I went shopping for other food too.

Man, grocery shopping is really hard esp. in a country where everything is different and expensive. I think I did all right and I am sure I will get better as time goes on, but if you live by yourself, I applaud you and if you are planning on living by yourself soon... good luck :P I miss Phi Mu and are awesome cook's, Chris's, delicious already prepared for :( but on the plus side I got to buy wine and was not even carded!! :D After lugging all of our heavy groceries back we had our first meeting and met some more kids... two of my fav now Max & Dolyn. We all planned of doing dinner that night together at a pub, but hopefully a cheap pub haha. After some wine pre-game OF COURSE!!


We searched high and low for a pub in the Chelsea area... I guess they are a little classy for just your traditional pub haha, but finally decided on one after a long walk and really standing out like loud Americans... i was embarrassed for us lol. We had a great dinner of fish and chips and lots of strong bow, which I got to introduce to the group and everyone seemed to like. Luckily on night 1 I did not have to pay for one drink yet ;P

We all had a great time and I am so in love with our lil starter group which includes about 7 or 8 of us. aahhh pics will be up soon but Day 1 was deff a success!!

Well for all of you who I am sure were SUPER concerned about my travels and the possibility of terrorist attacks... But thanks to the higher (aka much slower) security I have made it safely to the the land of rain, grey skies, a Queen and her hot grandsons, cool red telephone booths, a giant clock named Ben, people who talk really cool, a drinking age of only 18! :P, great theatre, fascinating history, I honestly could go on and on... but best not bore you.

As I was walking though the airport though the absolute longest walk ever, I really couldn't believe I was here in London again. It was just this past July that I said (what I thought would be) my final good bye to this place that I love, for a very long time at least. Little did I know that I would be sitting here today with 3 suitcases (i don't call it over packing I just call it being prepared) planning on living here on my own for the next 4 months. I don't know anyone... except Kevin kind of haha, and it just weird leaving everyone behind. I am going back and forth with emotions. The main ones I am having are doubt (thinking I am absolutely crazy/stupid for doing this) and anticipation (thinking about all the new people and places I will encounter, and the excitement of it all). I plan to stay positive and just try to take in and enjoy each and every min here.

The first of the enjoyable time was my journey from the airport to a friends flat for the night. I honestly should have been filmed... I probable stood out like a sore thumb, as much as I try to blend in, I was obviously a "dumb American" today ha ha. After getting off the flight and saying goodbye to the very sweet old man that talked to me for a couple of hours as we were on the plane, I was off. Security was easy, and I got my bags easy enough... but that's when the trouble hit. The bags of annoyance and heaviness and trolleys that don't go the direction you try to push. It was all fine until I came to the entrance to get to the trains... aka a slightly steep incline that my heavy trolley liked to go very fast down the incline. I made it past that craziness and then got my ticket and headed for the Heathrow Express! Kind of like the Hogwarts Express!! Oh this is just the start of the Harry Potter connections :D i couldn't bring my trolley onto the train so when it finally can i was lugging these huge suitcases into the train as fast as I could b4 it would leave. This is all the while many other ppl were getting on the train that were obviously lighter packers and did care nor want to deal with me.

There was a nice Canadian girl I met though. She had a 12hr. layover in London and then was headed to South Africa... I am so jealous its summer there right now! Anyway she was very nice and I don't think she judged me for my American ways ha ha. So after I got to Paddington Station I had to lug my suitcases again to another trolley. Then proceeded to find the taxis. I probably looked like a lost lil puppy. My trolley kept getting stuck and my suitcases were almost falling off. I finally found the taxi line, but it was so long and of course I had to drop my trolley off at the back of the line and could use it all the way up to the loading place... LAME!! There were 2 very nice business men who although were very helpful were also judging me HARD CORE!! haha I got in my taxi and was off.

It always surprises me on how much I recognize and actually know about the city of London. I drove by some major landmarks on my way to the flat. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben/ Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, ect. It just makes this crazy/excitement feeling grow even more. AAHHH i get the chills just thinking about it... and not only cuz its really cold in this flat haha.

Well this is long... moral of the story as good crazy or bad crazy as this is I have made it to London safely and I am so ready to embark on this adventure!

So I leave tomorrow afternoon for London Town!! I can't beleive it is finally here. There has been so much anticipation leading up to this day and stress, hard work, and freaking out haha. So hopefully no terroist freak outs tomorrow... like really I am slightly afraid of flying lately :/ anyway lets try not to think about that. So packing was so annoying! I honestly wishe there were like professional packing assitants who were experts on the places you are going to travel and tell you what you should bring ect.. basically I needed someone to tell me "No you do not need to bring that haha. Well still a few last min things to do. I will be blogging more often, so get ready!! :D