Congratulations!

I am very happy for my oldest brother, Brandon. He proposed to his girlfriend (now fiancée) Kristyn yesterday and she said yes. I was so excited to hear the news, I wish I could be home for some celebrating! As always, I am there in spirit =) Couldn't be more happier for you guys! Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

A Walk In The Park

I have a feeling that spring is on its way! The past two weeks have been beautiful here in London. The sun shines at least three times a week and it is in the 50s about every day. There are still rainy and gloomy days, but we take full advantage of the nice days!

Trista && I at the concert

On Monday Trista and I went to a Neon Trees and Mona concert. Two bands that are semi-famous, but that's why we loved them. They were a lot of fun and we had a great time. Nothing is better than going to a small concert and just having a great time dancing and being yourself.

Not sure if you can see it, but I added a little pink to my hair

Peter Pan statue

Thursday was one of those beautiful days so Ashley and I went for a walk in Kensington Gardens. No matter how many times we walk through the park, we see so many new things. The flowers are starting to bloom and I can't wait until Spring is fully here, it is going to be absolutely breathtaking. We plan on doing a 3 miles or so walk tomorrow through Hyde Park. We haven't ventured over there yet so I am excited. Nature is just so beautiful and that is shown in the pictures. I love the picture below of the birds. They just all sat on the wooden blocks, all in a row. It is great just watching how different creatures make it through life.

This weekend flew by, just like my time here. It makes me so sad that I am already half way through my adventure. There is so much to look forward to, but I am dreading the day I have to leave. I know many people say that I will be dying to go home once the time comes, but as for now, I want to stay for so much longer! But I have to go home to my wonderful friends and family =)

Windsor Castle blog will come soon! Time for this gal to get some sleep, running on 3 hours of sleep is never easy!

-Cheerio

Do You Believe In Magic

Watching Parent Trap. Went through pictures from the past few years and going through memory lane tonight. This is another shout out blog::

Really missing..

Tori

Deep Dish Pizza

Gabby && Jenna

17 days Gabby!! =)

-Cheerio!

More Than Just Red Lights

me by the "a" of the I (am)sterdam sign

Well, I finally have some down time to write about my weekend in Amsterdam. What a weekend it was! I had so much fun and saw a lot. I know, I know...typical stories about Amsterdam deal with the Red Light District and legal marijuana, but it is so much more than that. Trista, Ashley, and I headed off on Friday morning. It was funny because I woke up and a few of my friends were on Facebook. It still amazes me how when I wake up, my friends are just getting home and when I am done with my day, my friends are just getting started with theirs.

the canals were everywhere and so pretty

Our flight was delayed for unknown reasons so we sat in the airport and on the plane for an hour and a half. I fell asleep once we boarded and I woke up and we didn't even move. We finally took off and made it to Amsterdam. We were a little lost but made our way through the airport and train station. Trista was very happy to see Starbucks. We took a cab to our hotel which was BEAUTIFUL! Amsterdam is similar to Venice, Italy in the sense that there a canals every other street. Our hotel faced a hotel and our room was huge. Typical European hotel rooms are very tiny, smaller than my dorm room here. After we settled in, we made the 5 minute walk to Anne Frank's house. This was probably one of my favorite things we did. It was so amazing and inspiring, I loved it and Trista even cried. Anne Frank was such a strong girl, it is too bad that she couldn't live to see the success of her diary. After the house we headed to the Red Light District for dinner. Amsterdam is very Dutch and it was always nice walking down the streets but you had to be careful of the bikers. They were crazy! I was more scared to get hit by a bike then a car. We finally decided to eat at this little pub called 'Heffers'. There we got burgers and boy do I miss a nice juicy burger! The beef in Amsterdam is better than the beef here in England, but trust me, J Alexanders will be one of the first places I go when I get back! After dinner we walked through the RLD and it wasn't as trashy as I expected. The main strips had shops, food places, and coffee shops and the little alleys were where the "girls" were. Of course we had to see what that was like and it was very awkward and disappointing. The alleys we went down didn't have too many girls and they were all very unattractive. What a sad job though.

Saturday we woke up and headed to the Van Gogh museum. On our way we stopped at a pub for breakfast/lunch. I had french onion soup and boy to I miss my mom's! The Van Gogh museum was a site to see. It opened my eyes to a new art. I have seen his works before, but seeing them up close in person was breathtaking, I wish I could have taken pictures. Unfortunately "Starry Night" is in New York so we didn't get to see that. After the museum we took a canal cruise. I wish I could say how beautiful everything was, however I fell asleep :/ whoops! Ashley and I headed to the Heineken Brewery after the cruise and I loved it! It was a lot of fun and very interesting. We got to see how the beer is made, where it is made, got a taste testing, and then we got 2 beers. It was worth the money for sure. After the brewery we headed back to warm up and get ready for the night. It was a very cold weekend in Amsterdam. I envy all the people going there in the spring because it will be gorgeous with all of the flowers and the sun shinning and reflecting off of the canals.

Beer tasting at Heineken Brewery 

Saturday night we went to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner which was fun. After we tried to find a infamous pub called Molly Malones. We got lost many times and 8 different people sent us in the wrong direction. We finally found it down this little alley. There was a live band which was actually pretty good. We watched as the drunk 40 year olds danced along. After we went to an Irish pub on the way back to our hotel. We were sad that we just missed karaoke! At the pub these old guys were creeping on Ashley, but that turned out good for us because these younger guys from northern England came to our rescue. Everyone in Amsterdam is very friendly, it made everything so much better and more welcoming. I love meeting different people, everyone has such interesting stories that just fascinate me. 

We passed this door every time we walked back to the hotel.
I was in love with it, it was known as "my door".

We headed back to the hotel room and went to sleep after a very long day. We got up Sunday, went back to the pub from the first night for lunch and then headed to the airport. All in all, it was a very good weekend and I am glad I got to experience Amsterdam for myself and not go along with all the stereotypes everyone puts on it.

I hope everyone is doing well. Miss you guys everyday!

-Cheerio! 

Remembrance

I can't believe it has already been a year since my grandpa passed away. I miss him and think about him every day. He was a great man and created a beautiful family. The past few years were tough with his health and the few months of his ending was very hard on the family. It was so hard being at school and away from it all. It showed how strong we all were, especially my grandma.The past year we remembered the amazing life he lived, spent the holidays together, and celebrated a new marriage. Nothing stops us from being a family. I love you all.

Miss and love you Grandpa. 12/3/22-2/17/10

London Brings Real Smiles

Tomorrow will be 5 weeks since I have been here. It makes me a little sad, knowing how fast time is flying by. I know I am enjoying myself and not wasting a minute, however I also have to remind myself there will never be enough time in this lifetime to see everything one could possibly see.

Tomorrow will be 5 weeks and the past weeks have been sort of a "honeymoon" kind of phase. I was amazed by my surroundings, happy just being here, etc. But now, all that has passed, I have been through emotions of missing family, missing friends, losing friends, going through heartbreak, and going through school stressors. Now, as I write this, I can honestly say, I woke up this morning with a smile on my face, knowing I was truly happy. Nothing big had happened this weekend so I knew that I finally found my place. It wasn't just the fantasy life anymore, it was the life I am making for myself that gives me that smile. It feels good, really good. Yes, I still miss you all very much, but I know I'll be greeted with love and smiles in just a few short months.

Trista && me at Mahiki

This weekend was a lot of fun. I went out last Monday and Tuesday to have fun and see some cast members of the Jersey Shore. After my body told me it had enough, I laid low for a few days. Trista and I were the only ones of our group that were here this weekend and we had a good time. On Thursday we went to Chipotle for dinner and watched the movie "Mirrors"...it was so scary, but I loved it. Not many movies can scare me anymore, but this one did. I recommend it if you want a good scare, just make sure you're not around a lot of mirrors! Friday I had class than Trista and I went shopping. Out of all the stores in Kensington, I bought jeans at TK Max..Yes, it is TK Max here, not TJ. We then got dinner at a pub and headed out for the night with one of the bartenders from a club we go to often, it was interesting to say the least.

Yesterday Mattie, Katie, Trista, and I went to Camden Town Market. It was a beautiful, sunny, and 50 degree day, we couldn't pass it up. It was a lot of fun. It is just a bunch of stores and stands with silly little things. In more of the market part of it are little stands with unique things. My friend Mattie got a ring that was made from a fork, it is really cute! We got lunch at a pub, I had a delicious BLT. There was a lot of shopping and it got tiring, but we didn't get back until 8:30, then we got ready and headed out!

some of the shops in Camden town, SO fun!

Today I slept until noon which was much needed. I have been laying in bed all day, to give my feet a rest. My poor feet wears heels every time we go out at night, VERY different than what Bradley is like! Totally different lifestyle, I kind of miss it! Today was a nice, relaxing day..perfect for tomorrow. Celebrating National Singles Awareness day! haha. We're all going out because it's my roommate's 21st birthday. It will be a lot of fun =)

Cheerio!

Danke Schoen

Wathing Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
This is a shout out blog:

missing you Shaylyn, Chicago skyline, and my Ed Rooney-look-a-like of a father.

Life of Royalty Doesn't Seem Too Bad

Golden gates to Palace of Versailles 

After a long, annoying, and frustrating journey, we finally made it to the Palace of Versailles. The lady at the front desk of our hotel room told us the longest way to get there, so it took us almost 2 hours to get there when it took everyone else 35 minutes. We were pretty frustrated to the point where we almost bought a train ticket to go to Disneyland in Paris. After our travels, we made it to see this beautiful palace. We walked up the stone walkway and our anger immediately left our minds. We were speechless at the beauty in front of us. Our friend Trista told us we HAD to see Versailles and we finally knew why.

The palace was free since it was the first Sunday of the month, which saved us a good 20 euros. We got to see all the different rooms in the palace, including the chapel, bed rooms, and the Hall of Mirrors-which was my favorite. Along with the insides of the palace, we got to see the gardens and Marie Antoinette's estate. Everything was gorgeous, fit for a king and queen. The sun came out while we were there and it light up the palace and gardens, making it even more stunning than it already was. To me, the gold made everything so much better. It has such a nice touch to even the dullest of colors. If I ever get the chance to go again, I would definitely go in the summer when everything is bloomed and full of life.

Hall of Mirrors

Yum, Yum, Yum

After a few hours at the Palace, we were cold and starving so we decided to get lunch. We went to a little creperie right down the street and it was DELICIOUS, probably one of the best meals in the past month. (can you believe I have already been here for a month?) We got lunch crepes followed by dessert crepes, the restaurant was so cute and the people there were very nice. Our waiter lived in Seattle for about a year and he was really kind to us. I ordered the "chef's mood" crepe for dessert and it turned out amazing. It had chocolate, caramel, bananas, apple sauce, walnuts, vanilla ice cream, and whip cream. I was in awe it was so good! Every in the restaurant looked at my plate and they all were jealous.

"the greatest thing in life is to love and be loved in return"
Moulin Rouge <3

After we warmed up and filled our stomachs, we headed to Moulin Rouge, which we took the long adventure for a 5 minute visit. It was something you had to see, but there is not much to it. We didn't have enough time to go to Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which has another great view of France. After we took pictures we headed home, exhausted. The metro system was not our friend that day. We ended up cheating the system so many times by climbing under the doors to get through because the machines kept rejecting our tickets. Oh well, not our fault they didn't work! On every train we would get on and hope we were going the right way. "Moment of Truth" was our quote of the day.

After getting back to the area of our hotel, we were so ready to go home..I mean to London. It was a great, amazing, and unforgettable weekend that I will never forget. I got to see so much in so little time. I loved every moment of it and I will treasure it all forever, even the frustrating train. I hope everyone gets to experience what I did this weekend, I have never been happier.

-Cheerio! 

Paris Holds the Key to My Heart!

WHAT A WEEKEND!! There aren't enough words to explain how my weekend went. Paris is an amazing place and it was an unforgettable weekend! I am going to try to fit in everything in 1 blog post, but no promises. I think the best way is to show pictures and explain every event and day piece by piece..so here we go!

Crepes-smelled SO good!

Friday morning I woke up and we headed to the train station around noon. We go there and it is almost like an airport. We had to go through security, customs, passport checking and so on. St. Pancras station is a really nice station. We boarded the train and off we were! I had a seat in the middle of the train car so it was 4 seats facing each other. This was fun but awkward leg room since I was sitting across from someone. Luckily all the students set pretty much together so I knew everyone I was sitting with. We took the "chunnel" which goes under water, however we were only underwater for about 25 minutes, we didn't even know we were underwater until all of a sudden we come out of a tunnel and see a French flag, then boom! We were in France! It was really funny because like 25 minutes into France I look at the window and see a Mazak branch! I wish I had time to take a picture of it to send to my dad and everyone at Mazak. I didn't even know they had a branch out there, especially in the middle of no where! Anyways, we got into Paris around 5:30pm and we go to our hotel around 6. Our hotel was in a good location, but more of the skyscraper part of the city. It was a little dirty in this area but all of the big things in Paris were only about a 10 minute cab or train ride away.

 Friday night we went on a boat cruise on the Seine River. Before the boat we got to see the Eiffel Tower. The first time ever seeing the Eiffel Tower and I got to see it at night. It was BEAUTIFUL! I got the chills and even teared up a little bit. It was breath taking.

Eiffel tower at night, breathtaking

While waiting for the boat, a few of us saw a crepe stand and we couldn't resist! As I was stuffing my face I hear someone call out my name..I figured it was someone in my group, but I turn and I see my neighbor from home, Dan Cannon! I was so surprised! I know that he is studying in Barcelona, but what are the chances we run into each other in front of the Eiffel Tower! It was crazy. The boat cruise was great, we saw so much stuff and it was all light up. The Eiffel Tower sparkles every beginning of the hour which is also very cool to see. We passed the French Parliament, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and we went under all of the bridges, including the one that goes over the tunnel where Princess Diana died, I just didn't know that until I looked it up the next day. After the boat cruise we headed back to the hotel. We decided not to go out because we didn't know the area, didn't speak the language, and we had to be up in 10 hours. We planned out our Saturday and called it a night.

Delicious-ness wrapped in a pancake

Saturday morning we had breakfast around 8:30, right before our bus tour. This bus tour was great and so much better than the one we took in London. We drove around all the main things in Paris. They let us off at Notre Dame and let us explore for 45 minutes. Like everything else, it was beautiful. We didn't climb to the top because we didn't know how much time it would take. Both the inside and outside had so much detail. The statues, gargoyles, and architecture on the outside was memorizing. What I thought was the best part

alter inside Notre Dame

Notre Dame

about Notre Dame was that from the outside, you can't see any of the color of the stain-glass windows, but as soon as you walk in the whole church is full of colors. The windows are gorgeous! Not something I expected from what I saw on the outside. It was very cool to be in Quasimodo's home =) I tried to see if any of the gargoyles represented the ones in the movie or is that was completely the creator's of Disney's imaginations. After Notre Dame we got on the bus for more of the tour. We saw so much I couldn't even begin to start the list! We saw the Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

 and the building where Napoleon's tomb is held. I guess when he first died, the British refused to give the corpse back . When they finally did a few years later, the body had been preserved by a chemical so he was still in tact, his hair and nails had grown. When they fully inspected the body, his male body part was cut off. Supposedly the last person who had it was a male in New Jersey, the same guy who they believe had part of Kennedy's brain. Anyways!! We went through the nicer shopping areas where Channel, Dior, Louis VuittonDuomo in Florence. I guess Paris just has it's own beauty in its own way. We took the elevator down to the 2nd "floor" but the next elevator was taking too long so we took the stairs all the way down to the ground, it was still a long way! My legs are still hurting me from that and all of the other walking we did. We got the first "floor" where there is an ice skating rink. This is a good idea, however I feel like things as famous as the Eiffel Tower should be preserved and seen for its beauty, not have an ice

at the top of the tower!

skating rink as an attraction. I also found it tacky that the DJ at the rink was blasting "Because I Got High" and other rap songs, I just figured is a famous landmark, classical and nice music should be playing. Once we got to the ground we grabbed some sandwiches on delicious baguettes and ate them in front of the tower. There are so many people walking around trying to sell stupid souvenirs it started to get annoying. After the tower we walked to the Louvre. It was about a mile walk so it wasn't too bad. It was nice to walk along the river. The Louvre was really nice, however it was HUGE! Our bus tour guide told us in order to see everything in the Louvre, and only see it for 30 seconds, you would have to go everyday for 8 months. For those of you who don't know, the Louvre used to be a residential palace that Kings kept adding additions on to it every year. It turned into an art museum when Louis XIV moved the capital to Versailles. We managed to see the tiny Mona Lisa. I just don't get why all of our art classes make it seem like it is really big, when it is only about 2ft by 2ft.

Me & the Mona Lisa

We spent about an hour there then we made our way back to Notre Dame to do some shopping, I picked up a few souvenirs. After we were done we headed back to the hotel to rest and freshen up for dinner. Lera was feeling sick so Maureen and I went to a little Italian (I know, I know..not French, but we were craving pasta and wine!) restaurant called La Dolce Vita, which I think is a beautiful name. It was delicious food and good wine, $24...something we are not used to! =)

After dinner we headed to Latin Quarters and of course our cab drive didn't know where that was. We found our way and finally made it to this bar called Latin Corner. I don't even know how to explain it slash I don't know how appropriate it is to talk about it! haha. Pretty much, it was a bar for girls, it was only girls in there. We got there at a perfect time too. About 20 minutes after being there, we were handed sparklers and a siren went off and the waiters started chanting things in French. We had no idea what was going on but next thing we knew, all of their clothes were off except their tight and small underwear, we did not complain. It was a lot of fun, just like a more revealing Hooters for girls. After a few hours we headed back to the hotel for some sleep before Versailles...I'll stop with this blog and blog later about Versailles, give your eyes a rest!

-Cheerio!

Stars In London

I walked home alone from the pub tonight. I feel so safe in Kensington so it was a really nice walk. As I was walking, thinking to myself, I looked up and I saw stars. This was the first time I ever noticed the stars and that it was a clear night. I love stars, even the little we see from Chicago. I could watch the stars all night if I could. They amaze me and just reassure me there is so much more out there. Seeing the stars tonight made me realize where I am and how thankful I am for that. I mean this being how lucky I am to have this opportunity and I also mean it in a way that I have come so far in my life, I am proud of where I am. I have accomplished a lot, I have an amazing family, and my friends are wonderful. The stars truly made me feel so unexplainable-y happy. I just wanted to share that with the people who I care about. =)

Cheerio.