Rain

 Today I am feeling happy and peaceful. I am sitting in the evening sun writing, the window is open and the breeze is coming in and because it rained really hard last night and this morning the air smells fresh and clean. That's kinda how I'm feeling, fresh, like the rain just washed away the  dirt and troubles that were on the surface and left it clean and ready to start new again. I really love the rain. I know I often talk about sunshine and how much I associate that with happiness. But rain is so important to. It brings hope. It cleans, refreshes. Rainy days are often talked about as the troubling days, the sad ones and I would agree that I often associate the storms of life with the storms of mother nature. But I would also argue for another connotation for rain. And that is the one that I am feeling and smelling and being today. Rather than the rain bringing troubles, it washed them away. 

Yesterday was a lovely day. I woke up to an email from Alyssa which seriously made me beaming happy the entire day. She put a lot of time and thought into it so that she could send me a hug across the seas. It meant so much to me. It was the tender mercy I needed to start out my day. Then I stayed home for the morning and worked on writing my English paper. I finished and got ready for the day. I was expecting Sam and Jord to be back from their walk long before then and so I did some reorganizing but since they still weren't back I decided to just go out on my own. Which turned out to be a really good choice. I had a couple errands to run and then went to the Natural History Museum. It was a really cool museum, something that Mom and Luke could have spent days in. Seriously they would have LOVED it. 

I also spent a lot of time just walking and thinking. I meant to take my ipod but forgot it and I think it was better without it to just have some pondering time. There are some things on my mind constantly as of late that are somewhat overwhelming and I needed some time to just sort through them. It was really good. Plus I got to show myself that I can do this city and things in it independently. I was a really good afternoon. Dinner and then I got to chat with Lyss which was fabulous. I finished up my paper and then we went and saw Angels and Demons. I loved the book and had high hopes for the movie. Not so much. They took out a lot of things that I thought were essential. Plus there were some poorly done technical things. I don't know. It just wasn't the same feeling as the book. So I wouldn't particularly recommend it. But I would say read the book for sure. Then I had a hard time falling asleep because it was a really hot day. But it started to rain and we opened everything up which helped a lot. 

Today started with class and then we (Jord, Sam, Me and Jord's project group) went to the British Library. They have some real treasures. We got to see the Magna Carta (which I didn't actually know what it was until we were there.) and manuscripts handwritten by Jane Austen. There was the original score of the Messiah by Handel, lyrics handwritten by the Beatles. Pages from Leonardo da Vinci's notebook. It was amazing to see the originals of so many important and wonderful things. Then we (Jord, Sam and me) went to the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum again (we went one of our first days here). We did our questions, tried on some clothes and left feeling very satisfied. We stopped by Marks and Spencers (M&S) for some fruit and then came home to find each of us had mail!!!! Hooray... mail is my happiest thought! It was from Austin and it seriously made my day. I also got to video chat home and talk to Daddy! Mom is always around and willing to listen and I love her and am grateful to her for it but Daddy is so busy lately that talking to him has been impossible. It made me very happy. My dad can always make me laugh and knows just how to tease me... it is going to be seriously important that my future husband teases me. I love to laugh.  Dinner was amazing as always... I need to ask Terri if I can have her recipes. Then Jord and Sam and some other people went out to see a show but I am exhausted so I packed, wrote a letter and now am headed to sleep. We leave tomorrow morning at 6:15 for a four day trip to Scotland!!!! My computer won't be coming with me so I'll have major catchup to do when we come home. Until then... be happy!

Weekend!!

I had a pretty laid back weekend. Which was really nice. It was also GORGEOUS weather which has been absolutely amazing. I am so much happier when the sun comes out. Even for a few minutes makes all the difference in the world to me. 

We woke up Saturday morning and went to Portobello Road for breakfast... fruit and bread... yum. I'm starting to look for things I want to bring home with me too. It's hard though because while I really want things to remember London by, I'm really not a trinket person and I hate clutter so I don't want to buy just anything. Then we came home for a bit and I worked on reading my book and then we packed a picnic (with all the food from Borough yesterday) and went to Hampstead Heath. We had a real picnic basket and a blanket and it was so wonderful!!! I really had a fun time. And it was SO yummy. Fresh fruits and veggies and bread. Absolutely perfect. Lovely. It was also basically amazing because the part of Hampstead Heath that we were in was seriously like a forest. It was full of trees and overgrown grass and to be honest if I didn't know better I would've had no idea that I was still just minutes away from the heart of London. I love how easy it is to escape in this city from the hustle and bustle and just find some free space to breathe and relax. After we ate we laid down and crashed out for more than an hour. It was amazing. Then home. We went out and explored Oxford Street which had traffic shut down for the day. It is a crazy street. If for some strange reason you can't find something at Portobello Road, I'm pretty sure you could find it on Oxford Street. Then we came home and I finished my talk for today.

I love Sundays. Seriously they make me so happy. It was a LOVELY walk to church today. The sun was shining and it was amazing. And my talk went okay. It was on the 13th Article of Faith and I only had to do a 15 minutes which wasn't bad at all. I'm not sure how good those minutes actually were but ah well, it's done. Then I came home and CRASHED. I slept from 2:15 until 4:15. Then I talked to Karl for a bit for our weekly Sunday chat and said Hello to the rest of my family as well. Then dinner and then we went to an AMAZING concert. Tonight we got to hear the London Symphony Orchestra perform at the Barbican. It was INCREDIBLE. I was seriously amazing. I was worried that I was going to be sleepy but there was no chance of that. I was completely mesmerized. We heard Elgar and Stravinsky and then my favorite part of the evening was Brahms. It was his Violin Concerto in D Major and it was seriously fantastic. The guest violinist did a fabulous job and had 4 rounds of applause, all of which were deserved. I really loved it. Such a cool opportunity. I wish I could explain all of the thoughts that the were running through my head as I listened to the concert. Music is such a powerful way to bring out emotions and feelings and thoughts. Now it is late and I am sleepy so I am going to bed! 

Sunny Days in London!

The last two days have been just GORGEOUS!!!!! I love London when the sun decides to come out! It is so beautiful!

Yesterday started with our Fine Arts class. It was presentations from class plus a presentation by Sister Durham about the concert we are going to on Sunday. We get to hear the London Symphony perform Elgar, Stravinsky and Brahms. I am so excited. A note from class: it is very important to me that my future husband treats me with respect. Dr. Durham was straight up rude to Sister Durham, basically mocking her and treating her in a very disrespectful manner in front of our entire class. And I did not like it. I want someone who will value and respect me enough to treat me well. But if she is happy and loves him, all the power to them. Anyways that was just a thought. Then Sam and I rode a bus down to Oxford Street to the biggest Apple store in the world. Because, if you need to get your Mac fixed where better to take your computer than to the biggest Apple store? Well, apparently somewhere else, because their help didn't end up working. I'm going to have to go back and try something different. My iPhoto has crashed and I can't open any of my pictures. Don't freak, they aren't gone. They just won't open in my program. Hm. I'm not too thrilled about it. We had planned to go to a museum for the afternoon but with the surprise sunny day we vetoed that and decided to do the Holland Park walk instead. It was super cute, I especially liked the first half which was cute old, billion dollar houses. And it was lovely to be outside. We came home for dinner and then went out and saw Blood Brothers. It was a musical I had never heard of but Sam and Jord both love it so we went with Kylie and Sara and Katie. I really enjoyed it. It was a little bit rough on the edges but it left you with a lot to think about. And the acting was FANTASTIC. They were amazing. I was very very impressed. 

This morning I woke up and ate breakfast and then since I finally received the package with my tennis shoes in it (yes, I left them home, don't ask) I went running! It was another GORGEOUS morning and so I went through Kensington Gardens. I ran for almost 20 minutes and then walked for almost an hour more. It was just so beautiful I couldn't stop. Home for a shower and then we went to Borough Market. It was one of my favorite things in London so far. It is a market open every Thurs-Sat that is comprised entirely of food. And all of it looked amazing. I ate tomato/basil foccacia bread and pineapple/orange juice for lunch plus I got chocolate covered nuts for a treat (my favorite thing ever!!!). We also bought a bunch of fruits and veggies and a rosemary bread for a picnic lunch tomorrow. I am super excited. Then we came home and the girls went to a museum but I stayed to edit my paper for English and to work on my talk for Sunday. I needed to do both so I just curled myself up in the classroom and worked for a few hours. Then dinner (baked potatoes... yum! - we have been here for 4 weeks tomorrow and we have yet to have a repeat dinner... Terri is AMAZING).  And then we went on our London Eye ride! The program paid for it because of all of our hot water troubles which I am glad for because I don't know that I would've paid for it myself. Don't get me wrong, it was a really cool experience. I loved seeing London from that view but I just could've done better things with the money if it was my own. As in, it wasn't a London MUST. But a couple of thoughts. London is small. Everything is really close together. You don't realize it riding the tube but as you start to get to know things and walk around or bus more you find yourself super close to things you had no idea you were close to. I loved going after I had been here for a while so that I recognized everything and could point things out. It was way more worthwhile that way. Also London/England is FLAT. There are no mountains. Maybe a tiny hill every now and again. But that's it. Even from way out you could see straight across. Nothing! It was weird for me having grown up in the West where the Rockies dominate. So, I loved it and I loved that it was free. Now I home just catching up and finishing my talk! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!

Okay so I feel like the worst daughter ever. I was talking to my mom tonight and I told her something and she said, thank you, that was the perfect birthday present. No way... TODAY is the 20th?!? I had no idea and had already talked to her for almost an hour without saying anything. In my defense it wasn't that I didn't know what day her birthday was, it was just that I really had no idea what today was other than Wednesday because I have no real need to keep track here but that isn't really a good excuse. Knowing her birthday was coming up I should have paid a little better attention. So first of all, I am sorry Mom! Second of all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!

Mom, I know you are happy to forget about it but just for once I want you to take a second to realize just how important you are. Seriously you are one of the most amazing people in the entire world. You raised me to be who I am and have taught me to do what is right. You ALWAYS listen to me jabber away and never complain about all of the junk we ask you to do for us. You are lovely. Don't brush it off, I mean every word which is why this post was dedicated just to you. I love you more than words can explain. And I owe you more gratitude than I can express. 

Thank you and I love you. 

Oxford and Blenheim

Today was another travel day. It is kinda hard to sit on the bus for so many hours at a time but I really like travel days for the time that I have to just sit and listen to music and to think. Especially today, this was really a good thing. I had a rough night last night (not homesick or anything... no worries, just something that has been on my mind for a while kinda peaked) and was really being weighed down by it. But while I was sitting on the bus I was reminded of a line from my patriarchal blessing and seriously had a lightbulb moment that totally changed my perspective. Nothing changed at all but having a new perspective has made all the difference in the world. I am going to fight for the good things that I want regardless of how hard it looks. No one can stop me from that. 

Anyways, our first stop was Oxford. We got the chance to tour Oriel College with a student which was really interesting. Their university is SO different from the programs in the United States. It was really cool to see their buildings, even a legit dining hall where they eat (robes are required for dinner!). And she was a super sweet girl. Then we also went through the chapel/cathedral in Christ Church college. It is an overly large chapel for the college and a small cathedral for the diocese of Oxford. It was another really beautiful building. I am going to be very cultured in cathedrals by the time I am done with this trip. Then off again. Our other stop today was Blenheim Palace. It was so nice not to be so rushed around today. We had a really nice tour and then a ghost tour around the grounds. It is a fascinating place. It is not a royal palace but rather the home of a duke. It was also where Winston Churchill was born. There was so much to see. I can't imagine what it must have been like to live in or even to work in a palace. Of course he still lives there actually. Crazy. Then we did the funnest thing... we rode a little train to another part of the grounds and did a hedge maze! We were short on time so we ran the whole thing and in the end we got pretty turned around and had to go backwards so we wouldn't be late but it was SO much fun. I was laughing the whole time. Then bus home, dinner and I talked to my mom. Now I am going to sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow. Including going to the apple store. My entire iPhoto library crashed tonight. In front of my eyes. I don't know what happened. But I'm not thrilled. It's okay... I have all of the files saved on my computer. But if I have to go through and sort them all again. Agh. So obnoxious. 

Here is Blenheim Palace just for a taste of today. 

Monday and Tuesday

Ah Monday morning. Even Mondays here in London are a little bit draggy. I slept in a bit and missed hot breakfast. Shucks. But it was worth it. Then I stayed at home and worked on my paper and book while Jord and Sam went to the library and then just after a light lunch we left for the Tower of London. I was really excited about this excursion and although it was pretty cool I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed. It was insanely touristy. And not just meaning that it was packed full but that they had set it up to be touristy with lights and other things for effect but hadn't paid that much attention to historical value. So I was kinda disappointed for that reason. I value things for their history but they hadn't preserved things for historical purposes here as well as I thought they could've. Nonetheless, it was still pretty fabulous. I got to see torture instruments and the crown jewels to name a few. It was pretty sweet. Here is a fun picture. (Yes, I got blogger to upload something!!!!!)
On our way home we passed someone selling paintings on the street and after a little time and some healthy peer pressure I bought one... my first purchase. I really love it. It'll be really cute in a home someday. Then home for evensong and dinner and then back to being a student again. I had to read a book and write a paper last night so I was pretty busy and up kinda late. But that's okay. What would class be like if I actually did things earlier than the night before they were due? :)

I woke up this morning for class and gave my book talk and took a quiz and got our papers back. It is a good thing that I have been doing well on the quizzes because my paper wasn't so hot. None of ours were actually and we spent an hour having a grammar lesson. Lovely. Spending so much of my computer time writing blogs and emails probably doesn't help that at all. Ha. After class we went back to the National Gallery, this time to just enjoy it at our own pace. It really is an amazing gallery. I really love Seurat and Monet. Van Gogh is also very enjoyable. As well as artists like them. Their rooms were my favorite. It was really cool. But after about 2 hours I was done. That's about all I have in me for museums before I am too antsy to appreciate it anymore. But it was a good day... we had conquered the National Gallery.  We stopped and grabbed smoothies on the way home... exactly what I had been craving. Then a quick nap and a delicious dinner and then off to see Hairspray!!

It was such a FUN show. I seriously LOVED it. It is SO much better live than the movie. The actors were fabulous. It was bright and entertaining. They were fabulous performers... including a funny bit of impromptu that had us dying of laughter. I really needed an upbeat and happy show and it provided just that. It was awesome. And the way home was so much fun with singing "I can hear the bells" at the top of our lungs down the street. And Jordan broke the door handle when we were coming in which was REALLY funny. Then a video chat with Mom and Meg... conclusion: boys are stupid. Mom has been telling me that for ages. But I am agreeing with her once again. Actually maybe it's just me being stupid and it just happens that the boy is involved. I don't know. But I do know that I love my family A LOT. Now I really have to go to sleep!

Maybe.

They might not need me - yet they might-

I’ll let my Heart stay just in sight.

A smile as small as mine might be

Exactly their necessity.

Emily Dickinson

My mom sent me this a little while ago... I liked the idea of it so I put it up on my desktop so I could see it. I'd thought a lot about it but wasn't really sure if I really believed in it. I wanted to, I always hope that my smile, my words, my actions can be important to someone else, that they will touch someone's life. I hope that I can share a little bit of the happiness and sunshine I feel in life with those around me. But I always wonder if I actually do. But recently I've gotten a couple of notes from people, some very out of nowhere, that made me think that maybe, just maybe this blog and hopefully the life story it is telling are sharing just a little bit of happy with the world. Maybe my small smile is exactly what someone else has been needing. Maybe, just maybe. 

I love Sundays!

Sundays are my favorite days back at home... dressing, feeling uplifted and renewed, relaxing, socializing, family phone calling, cooking, napping. Seriously all of the best things in life wrapped up into one beautiful day. It is no different here. As a whole, Sundays have been my best days here. Obviously they are not the most exciting or adventurous. I don't have super fun pictures and stories to tell. But overall I just come away from Sundays feeling renewed again. I have more energy, more hope for the coming week. Today was no exception. I love Sunday! I woke up for breakfast and having straightened my hair last night I had an easy time getting ready. Then off to church... it really takes us a while to get there. And it was especially long today because when we got off of the tube it started raining and I didn't have my umbrella [insert Daddy laughing me and telling me how silly I am for not bringing it]. So I basically ran to church because of course I straightened my hair today of all days. Lovely. I taught young women's today. Although let me correct that. I taught a young woman today. There was only one who came. Ah. Her name is Carolina. She is 14 and so sweet. But it was so hard. You see I have never taught a lesson before so I'm sure it wasn't a very good lesson to begin with but then with just me and her it basically turned into a 30 minute talk with a few words from her instead of a 45 minute interactive lesson. Ah. So when I finished way early we just sat and talked... she told me all about school and church in England. It was really interesting. Then sunday school and sacrament. It was FREEZING cold. I was seriously SHAKING. Br. No more complaining about the Caldwell Stake Center being cold. Not even close. Then a munch and mingle after church. It was really cool. We got to know another young woman who was so sweet... she comes with her siblings without her parents and she took it upon herself to learn all of our names. So cute. Then a walk home... I got to talk to Brinai, she is so sweet. I really am getting to know some of the most AMAZING people here. She was such a good listener too. :) So sweet. Then I organized my room... it had gone crazy. And then I went down to the library and curled up in the window seat to write postcards. (It was too cold and wet to be outside or I would've gone to the park to do it.) It was really relaxing. Then a video chat home to my siblings who are seriously my favorite people in the world. Dinner was fabulous as always. We had a fireside by the first counselor in the London Temple presidency. He gave us the history of the temple and encouraged us to make the temple a priority in our lives. "The day you are sealed to your spouse in the temple will be the most important day of your life." That is what I am working toward. That is what comes next in the progression of my life and I want to move forward. I'm working to be ready for that. It was such a good fireside... Dad would've loved it. Then some reading and work on planning our weekend. I feel bad, I'm being a little bit stingy but I just can't justify spending more on a weekend trip that isn't to anywhere in particular than I would've spent going on a day trip to Paris. I kicked that out of my plans because it was going to cost too much so I won't spend more on this trip than I would've on that. Because that was something I REALLY wanted to do. Then a quick chat with roomies... not enough though... I talked more with Jordan (one of the boys) than I did with them. Ha. Oh geez. I miss them. I miss there smiles and hugs and laughter and the way they make me feel. They are just amazing people. Oh I love them. And I love this day. It is kinda late and I should've slept hours ago but I just feel good about life. Sundays are wonderful days. 

Bath

First of all I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sam!!!! She got to celebrate her 20th birthday here in London! It has been such fun becoming friends with Sam! She is such a sweet girl and she makes me laugh a lot! I couldn't think of anyone better to share adventures with!

Today was SUCH a great day. I loved our adventure to Bath!

We (Jord, Sam, Ari, Nicole, Jenny) woke up super early and left the center at 6:30 to catch the 7:00 train to Bath. It was super fun riding on a legit passenger train plus I got to see London and England from a point of view that I hadn't seen before. It was cool. I also had time to finish my Sherlock Holmes book and do some napping. It was lovely. Also, really cool on the train... they came around and punched your ticket! Just like in Polar Express or something. It made me smile. We arrived in Bath a little bit early... nothing opened until 9:00 so we found some breakfast and wandered around for about a half an hour. It started to rain but the Abbey opened and 9:00 so we went inside. It was a really cool Abbey. This one was really special because it was where King Edward, who was the first king of ALL England was crowned King. Super cool. Then we went into the Roman Baths (which is why Bath is called Bath :]. ) We got an audio tour and spent hours inside looking at all of the things they have excavated and worked on and preserved. It was AMAZING. Seriously so cool. There used to be a whole Roman plaza and temple by the bath and it is still being excavated. How crazy cool. The bath itself was of course super awesome. It is still the water that was last used sometime in the seventeen hundreds. It's a little old. But SO cool. I loved the history that was there. Not only dating back to the Roman times but to medieval times as well when the royalty and aristocracy started coming to Bath. And because the aristocracy was here... there were PARTIES! So of course we had to go see the Assembly Rooms where the ballroom was! But first we stopped in the Pump Room where the people during Jane Austen's era went to mingle and drank the water from the spring. These are warm springs so it was warm which was a little weird but honestly I kinda liked it. It was just a little bit minerally but I thought it was tasty. No body else liked it though and I was the only one to finish my glass. So then off to the Assembly Rooms. We got to see the ballroom which was surprisingly small and then to the Fashion Museum. This was interesting. Honestly I don't understand the purpose of "fashion" and museums that highlight it. Because it isn't about how real people dress at all. So I don't get it. Why spend so much time and money on such ugly and ridiculous and pointless things? I don't know. So honestly the museum itself wasn't that great even though it was filled with pretty things because it isn't something that I care that much about. I wish they would make a museum about real, daily dress through the years. That is something I would be interested in. But the museum was super fun because we got to try on corsets and hoop skirts and hats! It was SO much fun. Seriously a highlight of the day. We did some shopping around and had lunch at wagamama. It was a noodle bar. It was okay. I'm not a huge asian food fan but I enjoyed what I got. Then we did some wandering around the city, walked around the circus and up to the Royal Crescent. Funny story. So we were walking around the circus (a round street, not like clowns and such) and Jenny yelled that there was a bee on me... so I threw off my coat onto the ground... I really did not want to get stung. I left it on the ground for a second but it was my white rain coat so it wasn't like I could step on it and try to squish it or something. I picked it up after a second but it was still there and I dropped it again. Getting up my courage I picked it up a third time and tried to shake it off but with no success. I was freaking out at this point when two guys come walking up and help me flick it off. I said thank you... one of them looked at me and says "that was what you stopped for?" We burst into laughter and could not stop. While we were walking away we heard him say something about how easily I squeeled. Which of course made us laugh harder. It was the funniest thing. Okay maybe you had to be there. But seriously, just picture me flinging my white coat onto the ground, dropping it again and then being saved by an englishman. It was pretty funny. Too bad I am such a girl. We walked up to the Royal Crescent (where the rich people lived) and then back to the train. I slept a lot of the way home but my back was bothering me again and I was gritting my teeth pretty badly so it wasn't a very good nap. I stopped off to buy some postcards and a sandwich and then came home for a little while. Then we went out to Ciao (our favorite ice cream place - the huge glasses full!) to celebrate Sam's birthday! I got spaghetti. I'm only half joking... it was vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and nuts that was made to look like a bowl of spaghetti. It was awesome. Mmm. So satisfying. I came home and showered and straightened my hair. We'll see how long it lasts here. :) But I really needed a change, needed to be able to run my fingers through it. And it was worth how long it took. Now it is late and I teach young women's tomorrow so I've got to go to sleep! 

I gave up for now on trying to post here on blogger but here is the link again to my facebook album. The end of it has a few of the pictures from today!

Bus. Sleep. Stop. Picture. Repeat.

I am SO tired tonight! We have been on a bus for way more hours than I would like to count!

I slept really well last night. We slept with the window open so our room was just chilly enough that the covers felt so nice plus we could here the ocean waves and the seagulls and the foghorn and other coast sounds. It was so peaceful to fall asleep and wake up to. This morning I was up early and showered. Doing my hair was a joke. Seriously it went crazy. Curly and frizzy everywhere! Humidity and the beach and my hair apparently do not get along very well. :) We had breakfast and then packed up and were off about 8:30. I slept for part of the way but I am going to need a major adjustment when I get home. My back is so screwed up right now. Hours on a bus is not a good thing for that reason. Our first stop today was in Exeter. We went to a cathedral there. I love the buildings and their history but I'm not sure what I am supposed to be getting out of all of them. This was our 4th and I'm just not sure what made it different and significant enough that our directors thought we should stop there. I think I will ask them about it. Because they are cool. But after you understand the basic layout and purpose they all become cold drafty big buildings. This one still had some paint which was cool to see. I guess originally you wouldn't have seen any stone, it was all painted. We ate lunch and then back onto the bus. We then stopped at Jane Austen's house in Chawton. This was where she revised Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and where she wrote her other works. It was a really cool stop to make. There was a little table where they are pretty sure that she often would've written at and that was so exciting to see. I really wonder what her life was really really like. I mean they speculate a lot and fill in the gaps a lot but I wonder what her honest thoughts were. She wrote wonderful romances and yet never achieved marriage for herself. What was she like? I wonder. It was great. And I got to use the loo in Jane Austen's house. Not that she got to use one when she was there. But still. Pretty cool. How many people can say that? :) Then back on the bus for one more stretch. And finally we arrived back in London. I like that the London Centre feels more homey now that we left for a while. It was a great feeling to come back here. I've got to get to bed now. We leave for Bath at 6:30 tomorrow morning!

P.S. Again, blogger failed to upload. But I put up a picture of the view out of my hotel room and one of me in front of Jane Austen's house (with crazy hair) on facebook so click here if you'd like to see them. 

Adventures in Cornwall!

I love Cornwall. It is SO beautiful. 

We woke up this morning and had a traditional English breakfast. It was different. I'm not sure how I feel about boiled tomatoes and baked beans as breakfast foods. But most of it was yummy. Then we were off on the bus again. Oh how I love the bus. (That was sarcastic.) Honestly it isn't bad but it gets pretty uncomfortable for long periods of time multiple days in a row. Our first stop today was Tintagel. We got to climb and see the castle ruins that are said to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. It was really beautiful.  The coast is so gorgeous here. Although everytime we get to it, it takes me by surprise because the coast is no different from the countryside. You are driving and see green hills and then all of the sudden poof - ocean. But is is beautiful. I love climbing around. We went back into the town and had Cornish pasties (pronounced with an a sound like in apple).  I had a vegetable one and LOVED it. It was like a chicken pot pie in your hand. So good. We also walked through and old post office and got to see how they lived. SO cool. Then back on the bus. Yippee. Next was to a beach in Porthcurno. We all took off our shoes and played in the Atlantic Ocean. And it was COLD. But super fun. Although kinda pointless. There wasn't anything significant there. But pretty anyways. Then a quick ride to Land's End. Land's End is the bottom left corner of England if you were to look at it on a map. We were at the very tip of it today. Cool, huh? Then back on the bus to home. For some reason blogger won't upload pictures but they are on facebook if you would like to see them. Although it isn't even close to all of them because we need to do a massive picture swap when we get home. So sorry. Dinner was fancy again. Our waiter was really funny tonight. When we were finishing up he asked if we were from America. We of course said yes and he told us that "You have deep accents. DEEP." Ha. Super funny. I love that over here I have the accent. It's kinda fun. I read a bunch after dinner. I am so close to finishing Sherlock Holmes. Then I went with Jord and Sam and planned for next weekend and did some fun giggly girl things. Sam ended up crying from laughing so hard and Jord pushed her down the crack between the beds. It was so funny. Honestly I think some of my favorite memories are just going to be with people rather than about things. Now off to bed. 

Tuesday and Wednesday

Yesterday was super busy because I was getting ready for our second outing. We woke up and had class - turned in a paper, discussed Northanger Abbey (which I enjoyed) and got our new writing  assignment. We also were given copies of A Study in Scarlet which is our next reading assignment. I'm excited... it is Sherlock Holmes! Then right after class we took off to go find something yummy for lunch. We failed again. Restaurant service is TERRIBLE in London.  And so many things are not allowed or are taboo.  Like yesterday we wanted tap water. But they don't do that. They wanted to charge us 2 pounds for a mini evian bottle. Not happening. So of course we were rude Americans and told her to take it back. Really though, 2 pounds? No tap water? And we found out that just ordering dessert isn't really something you are supposed to do. Which we do a lot. Oops. Oh well. Ah well. After lunch we went to the National Gallery. This is going to be an amazing gallery to spend time in but for yesterday we just did our class assignment. Although in the process of doing that we got to see some pretty amazing pieces of art. I am excited to go back and spend some more time there. Monet, Da Vinchi, Seurat, Picasso, and so many others. Then home and I got to talk to Mom for a while before dinner.  It was SO great. I love talking to my Mom. Then our last dinner kitchen crew. It was super fast and easy because we just had a seven layer bean dip. Yum. And then off to the theatre. We went and saw Lion King!
A couple of thoughts. First, we had our first experience with good customer service. There was a group of 10 boys sitting behind us being SUPER rude through the first act, even talking on their cell phones, so during intermission we talked to an usher and not only did she offer to talk to them but she moved us as well. It was so great. Second, it was not the same as I remembered it. I think this is for a couple of reasons. First I am pretty sure that the New York show and the London shows are at least a little bit different. Because there are some things about the dancing and such that I remember specifically some thing else and they did something different. I think also because it has been so long since I saw it I think the memories of what I loved about it the first time have completely grown to outweigh any memories of weird things I might've thought the first time. So my memory of is a glorified one rather than accurately of what happened. (I think that happens with a lot of things... we remember what we want to remember what we want to.) Third, I did not like Simba at all. His voice about drove me insane. Again I think this partly has to do with my previous experience, because I have been listening to the soundtrack for ages and he wasn't even close. The other voices bothered me a bit as well. I don't mind accents. In fact, I rather enjoy them. But in a show they need to be consistent. Some of the characters sounded just like the movie, others had more American accents, others were fully British and some were something else. And it really was distracting. However, with all of that said, I still loved the show. Lion King is a favorite Disney movie and the musical is just about as good. The costuming and the stage are incredible. It is a very visually pleasing show. The thoughts and music in it take me back to my childhood and remind me of a younger, simpler life. And I appreciated that. So I was happy. Plus, getting 52 pound seats for 20 pounds is always FABULOUS. I came home and started packing but I had to send Eva birthday wishes and while I was online, my siblings got on so I talked to them and then I was going to go to bed but Lyss was online so I got to talk to her and Jordan and Austin happened to come over right then so I talked to all three of them. It was fantastic. I miss my Provo friends. Quite a bit actually.  But I am having adventures here so it is totally worth it!

I finally packed and then went to bed and was up for kitchen crew at 5:40! Yay for early mornings! (Ha. Not really. I'm not a very good morning person. It takes me a good 5-10 minutes to become coherent - ask my roommates.) We laid out and packed lunches and ate muffin breakfast. Yum. Then we finished getting ready and started our bus journey! We were on the coach for really long this morning. But we got super lucky and nobody sat at the back with us so we had the whole row of 5 seats to the 3 of us so we could spread out. Although it didn't really work. I didn't sleep much. Bummer. But I did see SO much BEAUTIFUL countryside. If it wasn't official before, it surely is now... I am a country girl. I LOVE space and green and farms and trees SO much more than I love the city. Don't get me wrong... I love London, living there is such a fun adventure. But honestly I am just love the quiet peaceful beauty of the country. And England is so green. Which makes it even better. Although honestly, I think I would trade the green for no humidity. My hair was a joke today. It just got frizzier and curlier and frizzier and curlier. You are welcome to laugh at the picture. I know how crazy I looked. But I LOVED our stops today. We visited Polperro first. It was MY FAVORITE place that we have been so far by far. Polperro is a cute little fishing village on the coast. We went down to the beach and then climbed and explored the caves and the shore and the cliffs. It was so BEAUTIFUL. 

Climbing around plus how pretty it was made it my favorite thing so far. I was SO happy. Sorry there aren't very many pictures. We used a lot of different cameras today and it is going to take me a while to But it was just a quick stop and then we were off again. We stopped in Truro at a cathedral. Honestly I didn't think it was really any different particularly than the others we have seen but this time the organ was playing which was INCREDIBLE to hear, the acoustics of the building were just amazing. Also, the quire (yes that is how they spell choir) was practicing which was super cool to hear. Then back on the bus one more time to Falmouth where we are staying for two nights in a hotel on the shore. And I mean seriously on the shore. I look out my window and see the ocean and boats. It is so crazy cool. We had a FABULOUS dinner and then we went on a walk. We were thinking just a few minutes but we ended up going for more than an hour. And we came home soaked. But it was worth it. We saw the harbor and docks and more ocean. I love it so much. It is so cool to realize that people actually live and work every day there. That's probably obvious but I don't always realize that this isn't vacation for everyone. People really do live and work in these beautiful places. I wonder if they realize how beautiful it is. Or if they have grown accustomed to it and don't think twice about it anymore. I think when I go home I am going to look a little bit harder to find the beauty in my home, rather than looking for it elsewhere. Because I bet it is there. Anyways now I'm off to bed! 

As always, there are a few more pictures posted to my facebook album so click here if you want to see the rest. 

Happy Birthday Eva!!!

Okay, so I REALLY need to go to bed.

So I'll tell today's stories later.

But I wanted to take just a second to send a special birthday wish to my roommate, friend and sister, Eva Brady.

Eva is one of the most amazing people.  She is very selfless and always willing to help and serve those around her. She loves taking care of people. She is super smart and is planning on law school. She is happy and a total goofball.  She is so good at making me laugh. And she always notices when something is bothering me and does her best to help me fix it or at least gives me a giant hug (which often is the solution). Most of all I am grateful for her friendship because she loves me for being me. She doesn't expect me to be any more or less. 

I love her SO SO MUCH!

Happiest Birthday Eva!!!!

INTERNET!!!!

Okay, I don't have very long to write.

The internet is totally out at the London Centre so I am at McDonald's using Free internet. It has been pretty fabulous. Plus McDonald's is pretty high class over here. Flowers on the table. No joke. Ha. Anyways. So today was a good day, a lot of reading, the Courtauld (an Art Gallery that is a part of the Somerset House), bus ride, kitchen duty, reading, and now here. The Art Gallery was amazing and the perfect size... and it got me way excited for the National Gallery tomorrow. 

Update: I feel very good today. I finally got through last night to Heather Jean and to my family for a few minutes which helped plus I got a lot of sweet emails and comments that lifted my spirits. Plus I'm working on some of the other things that were bothering me. So life looks a lot brighter today. 

And now for the grand finale:  the internet wasn't fast enough to get pictures onto my blog but I did manage to get them onto facebook so if you click here you can see a few of the pictures from my latest adventures.

Homesick.

Well, it finally hit. I've kinda been waiting for it and expecting. And today was definitely the day. Today I am homesick. It was Mother's day at home and all I got to do was send a pathetic email. The internet fails and I am so frustrated with it. It's okay, I dealt with cold water, now here is the next challenge. I just hope and pray that this one can get fixed faster. I miss my mom and I miss my roommates. I'm feeling a lot of other things too today that all added in to make me one big mess. And worst of all, I realized that I have not had a hug in over two weeks, not since my mom left me at the airport. You have to know that I am a pretty huggy person, I love getting big hugs every day from my roommates or family depending on which home I am at.  And it hit me that going without hugs for two weeks has probably honestly been detrimental to my emotional well being. And worst of all, I don't know who I could ask for one right now. So it may be a little longer before I get that problem fixed. 

But homesick feelings aside, I had a wonderful day at church. It really is such a cool experience to go to a real ward with real people. I was called to work with the Young Women so I went for the first time today. I ended up playing the piano and will until I leave. That's a frightful thought. I'm decent but not very good. Although I don't think that they know the difference. There were two leaders and three girls there. It was so small. I never could've imagined! Then in the middle of the lesson one of the leaders says to the other leader that she can't teach next week, and the other leader says she won't be there. So they both look at me, and I say sure! I will be completely alone, playing the piano and teaching three sweet but silent young women. Please pray for me. And then we were grabbed just before Sacrament meeting by the first counselor in the Bishopric and I will be giving a talk in two weeks. As the concluding speaker. Wow. I prayed to learn and grow while I was here in London. I guess I didn't realize just how much that meant I was going to be pushed. 

When I came home I spent the afternoon doing some reading and writing, then kitchen crew which I love, dinner, fireside, and now just trying to make the internet work. And failing miserably. Oh well. 

So I'm struggling a bit today. But that's okay. The sun will come out tomorrow. And even if it doesn't (because I'm in London after all), it will be a new day. And that will be good enough.

Kew Gardens

Today was another fabulous day. Today we went on an excursion to Kew Gardens.  They were amazingly beautiful. Picture a zoo for plants. Okay maybe that doesn’t really help to explain it. But their goal is to half 25% of the world’s plants by 2012 and they surely will. It was HUGE and every plant was labeled. Austin would’ve loved it. I saw a lot of really cool plants and really pretty places in the garden. There were lots of little climates in different buildings full of really cool plants.  The palm house was SO hot and humid. The desert zone made me miss home a little bit. My favorite thing we did was a treetop walk.  I LOVE trees. Like SERIOUSLY LOVE trees.  They are my happy thoughts. I have been in heaven around here with trees everywhere. So today we got to climb upstairs (a lot of them – seriously I am going to be pro at stairs by the end of this trip) and then walk along the tops of the trees. It was SO SO EXCITING. I loved it. I was so happy up there. Some other highlights were the badger house, the evolution building, the bear, cute cottages, napping in the sun and mango sorbet. Mostly this day will be remembered for its bajillion miles of walking.  That garden was SO huge plus walking from the tube and attempting to go to the pier and then walking back to the tube. We walked all day.  Then Nando’s for dinner.  We came home and attempted to use the internet… it failed… I’m sorry, still no pictures.  I read Northanger Abbey for a while and now I am going to sleep so I can get up early for kitchen duty and church. Lovely. 

Hot Water + Wicked = Wonderful Day

Today was a WONDERFUL day.  Seriously... so good. 

I woke up and took a HOT shower. Just in case you read that too fast, I'll repeat. I woke up and took a HOT shower. Not a cold, freezing, shivering, gasping one. A HOT shower. And it was AMAZING. I seriously was in bliss. It felt FABULOUS.  Yes, I am capitalizing my adjectives to describe my shower. No, that is not excessive or exaggerating. It was seriously so wonderful. I am so grateful for Dave and Dr. Durham and the English workmen and everyone else who worked so hard to get us hot water. And I am grateful for the hot water.  

Then I ate some breakfast but something didn't settle very well with my tummy and I was feeling a little bit yucky so I decided to go back to bed and sleep to try to feel a little bit better. It totally worked... I woke up about 45 minutes or an hour later and I felt great.  Jord and Sam had gone to get Sam's computer fixed so I just wrote my paper for class next week and then worked on reading my book for next week (Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen). 

When the girls came home we went to have lunch. We went the "The Champion" and had our first pub experience. I wasn't really hungary for a big meal so instead we split two appetizers and a dessert with water. Basically anytime we are at a restaurant we get laughed at or have people get mad at us or some such. Maybe it's the fact that we only drink water. Hmm. Anyways... it was fabulous. The desert was seriously perfect. We'll have to go back and try some legit English food sometime. 

Then home again for more reading. And then we started our first night of kitchen crew. It was super lucky that we all got assigned to be on the same crew so that we only have to worry about the extra timing and stuff for one week (and it is a week we are going to be traveling so it won't be a lot of work).  I was really happy because I got assigned to go downstairs crew because it meant I got to actually be in the kitchen. I have seriously missed cooking.  It is one of my favorite things to do, the kitchen is my happy place, my comfort zone and I'd been feeling a little deprived.  It was a super fun night to be down there too because instead of casseroles or something that Terri had already prepared we were having pizzas and we got to be in charge of doing all of the toppings! It was super fun.  It was a lot of work though to cut up all of the pizzas, take them up on trays, restock halfway through, then do all of the dishes. But it was so worth it and I was happy doing it. Even taking out the trash was an adventure... we have an entire room for it. 

We finished our chores as fast as we could and then took the tube (slowly - blasted circle line) to Victoria. We ran from the station to the Apollo Victoria Theatre and got ourselves 25 pound student tickets (normal price 60 pounds) to see WICKED. We got pretty sweet seats too by splitting up our group of 3 into a group of 2 and a group of 1. We were second row of the circle. And let me tell you... it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I have been listening to and loving the soundtrack for a good 3 years or so now but had never had the chance to see the musical until now. And it was INCREDIBLE.  There was so much more story... I totally didn't understand from the soundtrack alone.  The actors were PERFECT and the set was SO CRAZY COOL. I just LOVED it. It was funny... I found myself relating to the lyrics more than ever before.  There is a part where Elphaba and Glinda go to the Emerald City for the first time and in the song "One Short Day" they sing the following: 

"One short day

full of so much to do.

Every way

that you look in the city

There's something exquisite

You'll want to visit

Before the day's through.

There are buildings tall as Quoxwood trees.

Dress Salons

Libraries

Palaces

Museums

A hundred strong

There are wonders like I've never seen.

It's all grand.

And it's all green.

I think we've found the place where we belong."

While they were singing I couldn't help but think about my London adventure... so much to do, every way you look there is something you want to visit, all the things to do, and it all being green. So much like my trip right now. I thought it was perfect.  

There was also another part that I found myself drawn to and thinking a lot about that I hadn't ever really related to this way before. There is a song called "Defying Gravity" that happens just before Intermission that is one of my favorites.  I had always loved it but tonight as Elphaba sang:

"Something has changed within me.

Something is not the same.

I'm through with playing by the rules 

Of someone else's game...

I'm through accepting limits

'cause someone says they're so.

Some things I cannot change.

But til I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid of 

Losing love I guess I lost

We'll if that's love

It comes at much too high a cost."

The chorus Defying Gravity of course has always spoken to me, I don't think you can hear the song with out realizing how much is behind that idea.  But tonight as I was so emotionally involved with Elphaba and I listened to the song differently (and with different experiences behind me than I've had before) I found myself drawn to those lyrics.  I felt that they very well described a point in my life that I am reaching right now.  I've been changing, growing, learning in the past semester and last few weeks. I'm not the same Rachel that I used to be. I mean I am fundamentally the same but some values and priorities have been moving around. Some things are different than they used to be.  And a lot of that is that in some ways (I'm not done learning yet) I am learning to be the person that I want to be. To make my own decisions and priorities and plans. I'm trying to be done doing only what other people think I should. And I know I've been afraid. But I've been scared for too long and I learned a lot last semester. I have made some specific plans and set some specific goals for things that I want to learn and understand and be preparing for during this spring and summer. Anyways. Point is. It spoke to me. And I LOVED it. Such a wonderful experience. 

Now off to bed.  But overall the hot water and great lunch and chance to be in the kitchen and Wicked made this just a WONDERFUL day!

Pictures...

Just a bunch of pictures that apply to posts recently. :)

Many Adventures

I apologize for the delay in posting... our internet has really struggled lately and so I haven't been able to get on long enough to even get text to post let alone pictures.  But this morning I am not feeling very well so I stayed in bed while the girls went to get Sam's computer fixed and so I hopefully I can get the internet to work long enough. So without further ado... here are my adventures from the past week. 

Saturday Morning we woke up early and after a cold shower went to Portobello Road (and yes the song was stuck in my head ALL morning).  It was so much fun.  “Everything and anything a chap can unload…” So TRUE. There was everything that you could ever possibly want or look for there.  It was amazing.  There were cute little antique and used book shops and food stands and souvenir shops and everything else in between. It was crazy cool. I didn’t really buy anything… I want to shop around for a little before I decide what to spend my money on.  We came home and some people were just barely waking up.  That is a little silly if you ask me. There is so much to do and experience here… now is not the time to be wasting away a Saturday morning by sleeping in. We came home and packed lunches and gathered our things together and then left for Greenwich (which is actually still within London). We went to the Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House (a little disappointing) and then we climbed a gigantic hill to the center of time and space.  At least that is what the sign said. We were at the Prime Meridian!  It was pretty exciting. I was standing in two hemispheres at the same time! Super super cool. Then to come home we took a boat down the Thames!!!! It was so cool and worth the trip if only to come back that way. I learned so much and saw so many cool things. It was seriously so awesome!! Probably one of my favorite things that I have done so far. Then we ate dinner at Nando’s (a chicken place but think really really good.) We went home for a while and I did some of my reading.  Then we decided to go out for a treat. However, most of London shuts down after about 6:00 at night.  I’m not even joking… it closes earlier than even Provo. So we spent a lot of time wandering and looking for something yummy.  We found ourselves at a little Italian ice cream place and got ourselves AMAZING sundaes things. They were delicious.  Seriously so good. We’ll probably visit that place again. Then off to bed!

 

Sunday we had to get up bright and early because to get to church we have to spend about 55 minutes on the tube (including one transfer) and then have about a 15 walk to the church building.  This is definitely another of the things that I have found myself humbled for and appreciating very differently.  An easy access to church was a given. At least I had never thought otherwise. But these people all have a tube ride or a bus ride or a drive to get to the church building. And they are so faithful in getting there.  They are such an example to me already. I was assigned to go to church in the Wandworth Ward. We all received callings, I was asked to work with the Young Women.  I love the young women so of course I was thrilled. Then to my surprise I found out that there are two of them. Four on a really good week. Wow. So different from home. It was such a cool experience to have church and get to interact with real people.  And I am so grateful for the gospel and how it bonds us together.  These people were immeadiately loving and inviting and welcoming to us.  I felt so comfortable.  Which was a good thing because I was asked to lead the music in Sacrament Meeting and since it was fast Sunday and consequently testimony meeting, the bishop asked us all to come up right at the beginning and bear our testimonies.  I was taken a little off guard but was really glad for the opportunity to share.  I don’t always feel like I bear my testimony often enough so I was excited to have that chance. When I came home I couldn’t bear to keep myself shut up in the London Centre even though it was kind of a blustery and chilly day so I bundled up and went to Kensington Gardens to write a letter and walk around and listen to music and just enjoy the beauty that is here.  One of my favorite ways to spend Sunday is just appreciating God’s creations. Then home for dinner, a chat with Mom, a fireside, a chat with roomies, a super fun famous person game and bed early because we had to be up early the next day.

 

Monday started at 5:30 when we went downstairs for breakfast and to pack our lunches.  We were packing lunch because it was our first outing!  We left the centre at 6:30 and drove for about an hour and a half outside the city. I slept for basically that whole trip and woke up to someone saying “wakey wakey.”  We were at STONEHENGE!!! We got a special appointment scheduled so that we would be able to actually go and touch the rocks (most people have to stand a few hundred feet away on paths around them).  It was pretty cool to think about how old the rocks were that I was touching were and how much history (although it is mostly unknown) rests with those stones.  They were so cool.  Although smaller than I expected.  And super super close to the road.  You’d expect something exotic and back in the middle of nowhere.  Nope. Just off of a road. We spent about an hour there looking around and taking a bunch of pictures and then back on the bus.  This time I was mostly awake… which I was so glad about because the English countryside is one of the most beautiful things. It was SO green.  Greener than I have ever seen before.  And just covered with fields and trees. And we drove through quaint little villages and everything.  So fun. Our next stop was Wells Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace. I don’t really know what to use to describe these besides old and beautiful.  The architecture was AMAZING. So beautiful.  And in the cathedral we had the cutest tour guide. He was great. Then next stop – Stourhead.  You make recognize the name because they filmed part of the most recent Pride and Prejudice here.  It was such a beautiful piece of property.  Beautiful gardens, a lake and little old amazing buildings everywhere.  We had a really good time walking around and seeing all of the beautiful things. But it was so cold.  The whole day was just a really cold day.  It didn’t really ever rain on us but it was just brrrrr!  Even with our layers we were chilly. But I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying it all. It was seriously a gorgeous place. We got on the bus and settled in for what we thought was our last time but got a surprise one more stop.  We stopped at King Alfred’s Tower which is a “folly” (a building designed with no actual purpose other than for "beauty" sake.) We got out and climbed all 200 (give or take a couple) spiral stairs to the top of the tower.  It was a beautiful view and a fun adventure. Then for real back on the bus.  We had fun on the bus with the people around us and also did a lot of ipoding and a lot of sleeping. I think I destroyed my back sitting for so long. When we got home we went and had dinner at a cute Italian restaurant and then did picture swap.  I had to finish my English book so I went to bed early.

 

Tuesday was another cold shower day. Gah. I’m ready for hot water. Seriously. Then we had British Mysteries which was a lot of discussion.  I really like knowing everyone in our class because I feel like I can add my own thoughts easily. It is comfortable. After class we were off.  Our first stop was Queen’s Theatre where we bought tickets to see Les Mis tonight!!! I was so stinking excited. We got floor seats in like row 11 for 28 pounds. Super good! Then we did the Theatre Walk from our book for our class. We went straight through, no stopping to sit or nap or anything. Even lunch was an on the go. It was intense. But my feet are doing much better!!! Monday’s excursion they did PERFECTLY and again they were totally fine! We ran errands after we finished and then came home and did laundry. Then evensong and dinner. And more laundry switching. However, sad news. We found out at evensong that we wouldn't have hot water until at least Thursday for sure. I was so bummed.  I keep telling myself that each hot shower is going to be my last and then it’s not! Ah. But there is a good note to this. Because we have been so great about all of this, Dr. Durham is treating all of us to a ride on the London Eye!!! I had decided that was outside of my budget, or at least not something that I had a priority to spend money on and so I wasn’t going to ride it but now I get to!! I’m pretty stoked. Then I got ready and we left for Les Mis! We took some pictures outside of the Theatre and then went in for the BEST night in London thus far and perhaps the BEST show I have ever seen. I have loved the music of Les Mis for a long time but seeing it performed here was absolutely INCREDIBLE. Or BRILLANT, to use a British word. I don’t think I can describe adequately in words how much I loved it and how AMAZING it was. It truly is just one of the best shows ever written and these performers were PHENOMENAL.  I don’t know how to tell you. But I know that my London trip would not have been complete and dare I say maybe even my London trip would not have been worth it if I had not taken the opportunity to see Les Mis while here. It is definitely a major highlight thus far.  I don’t think I could explain in only a few paragraphs why and how deeply it touches me but I do want to share one line that really stands out to me. “To love another person is to see the face of God.” I just love that. So much. Ah. A must see. A must experience. And if you aren’t familiar with Les Mis get the soundtrack now. I HIGHLY recommend it. 

Wednesday was kind of a lazy day but I totally needed it. We woke up and had London Walks class which ended up really just being Communal Living 101. Which was interesting.  Funny to hear what everyone else thinks are goods and bads of living with 40 other people. I think on my part that when this is over I will be more than ready to have my own bedroom and own bathroom and own hair supplies and only one alarm clock.  But until then I'm doing just fine. It'll all be good. No worries. Although we do start kitchen duty on Friday which may switch how I feel just a bit. Apparently some days it basically feels like you are a house elf. We'll see. The chance to be in a kitchen is really a happy thought to me. I miss cooking SO much. Anyways, after class we jumped onto a bus and went to Covent Garden (shopping mall/market/) and did some walking around and window shopping and then after that we just jumped on the first bus that came and rode it until it terminated and then rode another bus, had a stop for the girls to eat, and then rode a couple more buses home.  It wasn't particularly productive compared to other days but on its own I really enjoyed it.  It was so nice to just be able to sit and soak up London, see how it connects together and talk with friends.  And a lazy day now and then will keep me sane I think.  We came home for dinner and then Sam and I actually were students for the evening.  We had to put together a powerpoint presentation about the National Portrait Gallery for our Fine Arts class. It wasn't that big of a deal but with the slow internet it took way longer than it should have. But it was all good. 

Thursday morning started with our Fine Arts class and a continuation of our discussion about what is art and what is good art.  It was pretty interesting but I don't think we actually came to any conclusions. Hmm. Then we did homework for a bit and then off to the British Museum. If I was to sum up that experience in a word it would be overwhelming.  It was HUGE. There was SO MUCH stuff there.  You could probably spend at least a week there and still not see everything properly. We were working on a worksheet for class and so with that for our guide we went through every room stopping when something caught our eye.  There was so much history in that museum.  It was CRAZY.  A major highlight would be getting to see the Rosetta Stone. Such an important rock in the history of the world and in languages and there it was. Pretty amazing.  We came home for dinner and evensong and then after dinner our program had tickets to see Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre.  Honestly, I really enjoyed it. It was a really neat experience to watch Shakespeare here in London on the stage designed for his works. There were obviously some things I didn't love... Romeo was kind of prancy and Juliet was a little bit wimpy (even if she is only supposed to be 13).  And then danced and sang for their bows which totally destroyed the mood of the tragedy.  But overall, they were fabulous performers and I was glad for the opportunity. Although again, it was SO COLD! I was wearing a shirt, a sweater, a sweatshirt and my white jacket and I was freezing.  If I ever come to London again (ha... in my dreams) during the springtime I will remember that along with the capris comes my peacoat and gloves. 

I will try to get pictures up as soon as the internet will allow. But now at least you can read the stories of my fun adventures from the last week!

Tired!

Sorry, I know I shouldn't let myself get behind or it will take too long to catch up and I'll never do it but yesterday I didn't have pictures and I was REALLY tired and tonight I need to sleep so that I can wake up and go to Stonehenge bright and early.  So, the adventures of this weekend are coming... I promise. 

Friday - Walking!!

We do SO much with our days.  I LOVE being productive.  I don't want to waste a minute of precious time in this beautiful city. 

We got started bright and early this morning.  Sam and I have a group presentation on the National Portrait Gallery due on Wednesday so our group went to visit and get information.  However, we were a little too excited and it wasn't open yet. So we spent a little bit playing in Trafalgar Square.  This is Jord and Sam on a lion there.

Visiting the Portrait Gallery was pretty cool.  There were portraits of people like Queen Elizabeth (1 & 2), Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Princess Di and other pretty famous people. Not only was it cool to see the actual portraits of those people but I really loved seeing how the art and styles changed from Tudor times to the 1900s and then to contemporary styles. I would love for someone to paint me.  Because I think so much personality comes out through paintings that you don't see in pictures.  I really care about how people perceive me and so I think it would be really cool to see that actually put down in a piece of artwork. It was a really cool gallery.  

After the gallery we went home and packed pb&j sandwiches and left to do some walks.  It was another GORGEOUS day with the sun shining so warm making everything so beautiful so we decided to walk through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.  We started in Kensington Gardens which are seriously right outside of our door.  So AMAZING.  They are BEAUTIFUL. We started at Kensington Palace.  William and Mary lived there and Queen Victoria was born there and Princess Diana lived there before she died. 

We walked pretty leisurely and really just enjoyed ourselves.  The parks here are amazing. It's kinda funny though because seriously it is like 101 dalmatians.  Everyone has a dog and they honestly match their owners.  It makes me smile.  There are lots of really cool things in the parks.  For example, this is a statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. It is so cool. 

I love how we do the walks... just at whatever pace we want, taking breaks, looking at pretty things, detouring, reading all of the little information things. So today in Hyde Park we found a big sunny patch of grass and laid down in a little star formation.  We took a picture and then took a nap in the sun.  It was GLORIOUS.  Jord and Sam got sunburns though. Sad day. 

We finished our walks and then took a bus home. 

(My hair was kinda crazy today... combine lack of a real shower with my super curly hair and London's humidity and wind and my hair just kinda flys around.)

I was honestly so tired when we got home. We walked a really long way. It wore my legs out. A lot. But it was so worth it.  Hopefully my body will just accept and get used to the idea that we are going to be doing this much walking every day from now on. Dinner was yummy crepes and then we hung out for a bit, went out for a treat, and then came home to do reading and blogging. And we listened to Les Mis. We are really really excited to go.  

So funny thought about the parks... we have dandelions as weeds in our grass.  They have little daisy things. Everything here is just so pretty. 

Well, I am happy.  Praying for hot water so I can shave my legs before Sunday and excited for our excursion tomorrow!  

P.S.  These are just a couple pictures of things from my day.  I thought it was pretty. Actually I thought it was AMAZING.  I have an obsession with trees, since I was a little girl I have been in love with them. There was a way you could get to my grandparent's house that went through a tunnel of trees and I always BEGGED to please drive that way.  But today we walked through an AMAZING tunnel of trees.  It was huge and long and beautiful. Mmm. So awesome.