Stonehenge, Bath and other stuff from the week

It is amazing how fast time is flying here in London. I have completed three weeks of classes and i have been here almost a month! I can't believe it is almost February!

Monday was the one month anniversary of my grandfathers death, another sign with how fast time has flown. He was definitely on my mind a lot this week but he was a great man and I know he will be remembered through his children, his grandchildren, and all the other lives that he had an impact on (there were a lot!).

I found out my internship on wednesday, apparently I will be interning at gurgle.com some of you know my feelings about that (if you don't and want to know just ask, or look at the website and you can probably guess.) I had meetings with team of people who place students at their internships about my placement and the details surrounding it (they were not helpful at all and actually made me rather angry) and I have a feeling we will become well aquatinted through the rest of the semester. (as people from my sorority can attest, I like make my point known)

I went to see Chicago on friday for fun. It was an interesting musical. the music was great but the play overall was just interesting and I don't think I would really go back. I hate to say this, and I will probably never say it about any other musical, but, I enjoy the movie version of it better.

On Saturday we went to Stonehenge and Bath! It was a lot of fun, really cold but also really beautiful! Stonehenge is literally in the middle of a field (there were sheep next to it!) But we got pictures and learned a lot about it.

We then travelled to Bath where we went to the Roman Baths and were able to learn about the history and then we just roamed around the city. It was a really pretty place and I want to go back. (I kinda have to because I saw a starbucks as we were leaving and I need to see if they have a Bath mug for my mom!) Both places are World Heritage site, in fact the entire city of Bath is a world heritage site! Everything is made out of limestone so it looks unified and is just gorgeous! The baths had steam rising off of them and they looked so warm on a nice cold day!

It is really run being able to travel to so many different places and just experience them! it is one really awesome benefit about studying abroad. I had a lot of fun traveling to the different sites and I really want to go back to Bath. My parents are coming this week so I am excited to be with them!!

I am now trying to plan my next adventure, so stay tuned to find out where that will be!

I must be Welsh and my life is a musical

Mae Caerdydd yn anhygoel! (Cardiff is Amazing!!)

I spent my weekend in Cardiff, Wales. It was awesome! I honestly do not even know how to begin describing it! Six of us decided to go on this trip to Cardiff for the weekend. A weekend adventure you can call it! We had a bus ticket and a hotel room. We knew there was a castle in Cardiff, but other than that we were clueless. We arrived not even knowing where our hotel was located, we just knew it was in the city center. We found an information center and they directed us to the hotel. We had gotten two hotel rooms because it cost the same price as a hostel, that was a great deal!

We went to lunch at this amazing place called the Kings Cross pub! it served 2 meals for 5 pounds!! That meant we only spent 2.5 each!! it was so cheap coming from London!! It was quite a chilly day, and it was cloudy when we arrived but the sun did come out and it was just amazing! We decided to wander around the town exploring the different markets and shopping areas! While I was wandering i stopped and took pictures every now and then. I was taking a photograph and this woman came up to me asking for directions. I found it a little odd because I had just taken a photograph and looked very much like a tourist in my sneakers and camera. I found a market that sold all kinds of fruit and vegetables for really cheap prices, and i was hoping to go back on sunday but I later found out they were closed on Sundays. That made me a little sad. The area was really amazing and it was SO beautiful! They were older building mixed with modern buildings. All kinds of little arcades (shopping streets) and malls, statutes and sculptures. There was also a couple of nice churches with little parks that just made it a special town.  we met as a group and walked down to the bay where we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over the harbor. We took a bunch of group shots, forming LMU, jumping off stairs and just having a lot of fun together as a group! It was a cool place to wander because we were able to explore the different areas of Cardiff and have a lot of fun.

We were still not hungry from our huge meal at lunch that we headed back towards the city center. A couple of the girls went to the hotel to relax and get warm (it was really cold in Cardiff!) and a few of us went to the shopping area. I went to buy a book and then headed to starbucks to read. I was really lucky starbucks was open because everything else closed at 6:00, I was shocked! Everything closed so early in the evening! starbucks itself closed at 7 (also early) so we decided to go get dinner at that point. We had no idea where we wanted to go so we just walked up and down the streets, asked someone if they could recommend a place before finally settling on a pub. We chose the pub because there were men dressed up as hobbits inside and we found that was too cool! We chose the best pub to walk into that night because it shaped the rest of our evening into one of the best weekends I have had over here! We decided we wanted to do something that night because we had seen people dressed up to be going out but we had no idea where people were going when everything seemed closed but the restaurants! (it was after we asked for a recommendation that we found it the night life started around 11)

We found the only open table in the pub and ordered our food. There were a group of guys behind us standing up and yelling something every now and then so finally Laurel decided to ask what they were doing. They told us they were playing a game and asked if we wanted to join. We did and we played for a bit before our meal came. When our food showed up we began eating and about fifteen minutes into our meal the guys behind us started to sing. It was incredible. It was as if we were living our lives in a musical. they kept singing song after song, harmonizing in acapella and it was just beautiful. It was so unexpected and amazing at the same time. We were all really impressed and applauded them for every song. after dinner we played a couple more games before they invited us out with them. We agreed and had such an amazing time experiencing Cardiff with the people that knew it best! The guys were so friendly, so genuine, and just made all of us laugh and love the city so much. If I can, I will be going back there because the people are amazing! if you want your life to be a living musical just go there, while we were out they started singing again, so it happens at spontaneous moments! (Granted, we did later learn that they were a choir. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time to meet them)

We woke up this morning and went to the Cardiff Castle! It was such an incredible castle! We took a tour on the inside and each of the rooms was do detailed and impressive. Some of the rooms were based on religion, others on fairytales, one on the seasons. They were all just really magnificent. learning about the history of the castle and things was really nice to know and I gained a deeper understanding of cardiff! We then roamed the grounds of the castle exploring other parts and walking along the wall. It was just a great experience to have with amazing people.

We were walking around the town again this morning when another woman came up to me and asked if I was a local and if I could help her. I told her I was not a local but she wanted to find a store that i have passed going to my hotel (luckily) so I was able to help her! I must look Welsh for two people to ask for directions in a matter of 24 hours!

It was honestly such a fun and amazing weekend! I would not trade my time in Cardiff with anything else! I loved the guys trying to teach me welsh (and telling me I was really good at it--i highly doubt that!). It was just a one-of-a-kind weekends! I hope they happen more often, but Cardiff will always be a place filled with amazing memories and a night of laughter and fun. 

Oxford and other things

I was going to wait until sunday night to write in this blog again. I then realized that I would have been to both Oxford AND Wales by that time. Anyone who has read my blog can tell that I can write a lot about very little. Just imagine how much I could have written about two different places. Before I write about Oxford I need to write about Notting Hill.

Notting Hill was incredible!! I went there on Saturday and it was so much fun. Analise and I went and we did not know that there was a giant market going on. There was really cheap fruit and vegetables! I got 14 strawberries for a pound!! i was very proud of the purchase! We were able to find the equivalent of Sprinkles so we had delicious cupcakes!

Now for a little confession. When I was younger one of my all-time favorite movies was Notting Hill. Therefore, when in Notting Hill I wanted to find the Travel Bookshop. (It was in the movie and was where Hugh Grant worked in the film) I was able to find it! Below is a picture of me at the Travel Bookshop! 

Now moving on to Oxford!! I went to Oxford on Wednesday and it was INCREDIBLE!!! I left from the Paddington Station at 9:50am. Ever read those books about Paddington Bear?? Leaving from the station reminded me of that and made me miss my childhood. They even had a whole little store thing that was devoted to the childhood stories!!

The train ride was so pretty. It was though the countryside. I saw sheep, horses, cute little farm houses. and there was a little frost on the ground so it was magical. I know I have mentioned that it has rained a lot since I have been here, but it was not raining on Wednesday, so i got to spend a very sunny day in oxford!

I hopped off the train and just decided to wander around. I went to this Chruch that was next to part of the Univeristy and it was massive and again, very pretty. it had this really big park behind it just full of the countryside. Rolling hills and trees plus a little stream running though it!

The views of Oxford University from behind the church

The town itself is so quaint! There are so many old buildings and they are just amazing! I just wandered up and down the streets for a very long time just in marvel in everything! 

The school itself is full of amazing buildings! I loved the round building (I believe it was the Radcliff Theater!)

 I stopped in different coffee shops and cafes throughout the day to relax and people watch. It as just such an incredible experience. I was so joyful that it ended up being a really sunny day because I wanted to spend my time enjoying the outdoors. Some of the roads were cobblestone and all of the buildings were done in the older architecture. It was such fun place to be for the day. It would have been fun to have a friend with me, but they were all in class, so i got to experience the town at my own pace!

Coming back the tubes in london were a mess. I had to get on a tube that was going in the opposite direction because there were some problems on my original line. When I got off to transfer there were delays on the other line before i finally just took a completely different line and made it home about 45 minutes after my train had gotten back. (Going there took ten minutes) It was still such an incredible day!!

Stay tuned though, because I am going to CARDIFF, WALES this weekend!!!

Joining clubs at a science school

Its Monday night and Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US. Unlike the United States, classes still happen here. Well, they happen for most people, I don't have class on monday so I spent my day being productive. I went to my programs student life center to sign up for multiple trips. I was able to sign up for a football match (I have no clue who is playing), A mystery tour (learning about the uglier side of london like burning christians, prostitution and the plague) and I was able to sign up for a day in brighton!

Laurel and I then made our way to Imperial College to find out more information about joining different clubs and activities. We took a little bit of a roundabout way to get to the student union, but we eventually found it where they were able to give us a book filled with the clubs and the information. Although we are going to school with FIE we were given Imperial College Student id's in order to join some of their clubs and use some of their facilities. Now the Imperial College is a science school. A good number of the clubs have to deal with medicine. You have the obvious ones, such as the Surgical club, but there are others that you wouldn't imagine being singled out for med students. For example: Athletics (Medics), Boat (Medics) Darts (Medics) drama (medics), Raising and giving (Medics), Yoga (Medics) and the list continues. Granted, they all say anyone can join, I just find it interesting that they have to specify that they are predominately med students. There are the other clubs, like the cheese club, the romanian club, chocolate club, be heartful Friends club, that don't denote med students. let's face it though, I am only here for four months, i am just going to write to any of the clubs that interest me (medics or not) just to see if any will allow me to join for a really short period. As long as none of it gets really science-y i should be fine. If not i will just pretend like I know my science. I mean, I took AP Bio my senior year and intro to chem my freshman year of college--i would be equal with my knowledge on the subjects, right?

So then it was a trip to primark to look at the cheap stuff. It is like a walmart in london. If you ever travel to London you should be warned that it is rather pricy, so when you find cheap places to shop, you go there!

I have three classes tomorrow. I should be reading my books, but I was getting a little bored so I stopped. I will keep reading but I figured to update this first, its procrastination to the fullest!

It was raining all day today but it is meant to be sunny tomorrow! I should be happy about that, but I am in classes ALLLLLLL day, so I will not be able to enjoy the sun. That makes me a little sad. It is meant to be sunny the rest of the week though and that is exciting for my TRIPS!!

I will be heading to oxford on wednesday for a day trip. I have the day off so i figured i would take advantage of it and travel to a part of england to walk around and explore. I think it will be lots of fun. I am taking a train, so i will learn how the trains work and the whole system with that! and then on Saturday a group of six of us are traveling to Cardiff, Wales for the weekend! It should be a great weekend. Six ladies exploring wales. We don't have any set plans for what we will do once we get there but we have bus tickets and a place to stay. That is all that is needed at this point!!

Stay tuned to see how my different adventures turn out over this week!!

A Week Complete!

I can officially say I am both done with my first week in London as well as my first week of classes. Classes are good. They are classes that last three hours each, so they do get a little long and a little boring, but overall they are great! The professors for the classes are good and the people are generally really nice. Sitting through nine hours of class in one day is not fun though. It is rather painful to get through, but i do manage.

The first week has had some high points and some low points, but you can't expect every single thing to always be great and fantastic! I have had so many great moments meeting people and hanging out with people! I honestly can't complain about it. Last weekend we took a trip to the tower of london and then walked across a bridge and just explored parts of london and a market on brick lane, it was fantastic! It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine! i believe it was the only day of sun this week!

the weather has been rather depressing. i know rain is great, but i miss the sun. all the LMu students have commented that we are all really lucky about living in LA, it is quite sad that we are sun deprived after 5 days of rain. the first day of sunshine (last saturday) we were ecstatic! it is rather sad. there was actually a bit of thunder and lighting today and it started HAILING!!! it was kind of exciting, although snow would have been cooler!!

We got to see a play this week!! I went to 39 steps. It was entertaining and quite funny. i do not believe it was the greatest show I have seen but it was still a lot of fun! A group of us went out to dinner beforehand and that is always a great time and a lot of laughs!

I have not done very much on my days off. I go running through hyde park and then take the tube some place in london and just walk around. it is fun and i always love exploring other areas!!

Tonight we decided to go to a club with some of our neighbors in the building. The original plan was to go and do karaoke (i was excited) but at the last minute that changed. To be honest, i was not very happy with the change. I had been looking forward to karaoke but i decided to keep an open mind and to just go with the flow. I am becoming a very flexible person while in london. i had a great time. we danced for a long time and we all just really enjoyed ourselves. we made some new friends and met some more of our neighbors. It is always good meeting new people!

It has been a good week in London and I am glad that I am here. The people are fantastic and we are getting along great so far. We have begun planning trips and vacations for ourselves, so i will be sure to update everyone when we finalize our plans!!

11/1/11 at 11:11

so as i started writing this it was the time of the title of the post. I just thought that was really cool and decided to tell you all!

today was my freakishly long day! I had class for nine hours and was gone from my apartment for 11. I left at 8:30 am and got back at 7:30pm. I had three 3 hour classes. It was long but it is good to know that i am done and i only have 13 more weeks of it! it is also great to know that i have tomorrow off!!!

it was an interesting day, not one of the best here so far, but everyday cant be great. I had a great heart-to-heart with my baby marian Analise. I am so glad she is here with me. We both had some things that we wanted to talk about so it was great to be able to just get together and chat about stuff. We are already planning fun adventures that can occur while abroad so stay posted for our fun adventures. We were thinking about possibly going to oxford on friday, but you will have to stay posted to see if that actually happens!!!

i hope you have a great day filled with ones as it is 11/1/11 (January 11, 2011)

Becoming British

It is official, I am becoming British. It is not a bad thing, it is just a reality. You see, I joked with friends before I left that I would come back with a British accent; i have been here 4.5 days and I am developing an accent. It hasn't quite evolved to my speaking accent, but everything I think and everything I read is done in a british accent. So while you are reading this blog read it in a british accent, that is what my mind is doing as I write it. I told my parents this today and they said that is no surprise, apparently I had a british accent as a child and people assumed and asked if I was british. I guess I am going to be getting the accent back!

Yesterday was our first full day off and it was a brilliant day. the sun was shining (we get really excited about that over on this side of the pond) and it was the perfect day to walk around. A group of us (five in total) went to brick lane to a market there where we roamed around the stalls before walked to the tower of london. From there three of the girls split to head to Abbey Road and Laurel and I decided to walk across the tower bridge and continue to the other side of the river. We walked around there for a while before heading back to Kensington. We did some grocery shopping (which is a workout when you are walking about a mile for food and then once you get back have four flights of stairs!)

Today was the start of class, but lucky me, I didn't have any class! So I woke up and went for a run before exploring Kensington. Around 3 I hopped on the tube and headed for Piccadilly Circus to buy post cards. I just kept walking and made my way through china town, covant gardens, trafalgar square and back to hop back on the tube. exiting the station i ran into other LMU students and we took the train to other stores so folks could pick up little things. It has been a successful couple of days. Tomorrow i have nine hours of class, so wish me luck!!

Now, back to the British. Not only and I thinking in a british accent but i am also thinking and saying british says and british words. naturally i called a soccer game a football match. I didn't even realize I had done it until later when I thought about it. I say pub all the time. When I realize something that i don't really like, or a mistake that i made, I don't say my normal "shoot" i have turned to bugger (i don't know how to spell it, but it is British!) we have our mobiles and our trainers. The toliets, a rubbish bin and the loo. Briliant and quite are among others that I am using more frequently. yes, I am becoming british and I don't see that changing anytime soon!

So for now, Cheerio!

Being a Tourist

Whenever you are in a foreign county you are bound to be a tourist at least once. although we will still go to the sites and take pictures (we are here for four months), we did many touristy things both today and yesterday.

Yesterday started with orientation which was a little boring, but we got lots of good information. At night a group of eight of us went out to dinner and since it was still early (only 8pm) we decided to go on a little adventure. Two of our group members turned around so the six of us hopped on the tube and headed towards piccadilly circus. Once out of the tube we decided to go for a walk. Everything in London is very close together. Our walk led us though piccadilly circus and then through trafalgar square. From there we could see big ben but decided to take the read that led to buckingham palace. After admiring the palace at night we kept on strolling past the park and ended up at big ben. It was getting close to 10 so we decided to head back. once back we stopped at the pub and the guys got beers.

Today has been comprised of the touristy things. We took a walking tour through kensington (which i have been told a lot of times is the wealthiest part of london). We went to hyde park where the Kensington Palace is and the memorial for Princess Diana is. In the afternoon we took a bus tour. The sun finally started shining so we were able to see all the sights with gorgeous sunlight hitting them (look below!)

In my opinion the bus tour got a little long, it was about 3 hours and the tour guide did not stop talking once. I learned a lot of information, but at the same time i learned a lot of useless information. Did you know that the Abbey used to have pigs and horses? well now you do! it was really nice though because we got to watch the sun set and were able to see it set over big ben and the london eye and all of those incredible places. I think this afternoon alone i was able to take 130 photos. I will have a lot of memories to bring back with me. We also found the most charming place for lunch. The people were relaly nice and the food was good and cheap!! two perfect combinations for studying abroad in a really expensive place!!

it is good to be a tourist at times and i think i will go back to some of the sights to see them and take better photos during the sunset and just to walk around to really explore the area to get to know london and get to feel like a londoner.

Since I don't have class on monday i am going to walk around kensington and get to know my area and know the fun things i can do here. Class starts tuesday and it will be a brutal day with class from 9am-8pm. i will get through it though! Tomorrow is a day off, anyone have suggestions on what I should do??

In London

It is official, I am in London! I should probably be finishing unpacking but I got really bored of that and decided to get on here and update the world of my trip to London.

Yesterday I finished packing my bags and printed out my boarding pass (seat 17G) and was relaxing before heading off to the airport. At dinner my aunt and uncle started talking about how long the flight was going to be. They both thought it was six hours and I was sure it was about an eight hour flight. To put the discussion to rest I decided to get online and look up the flight time under my delta account. I got online and had a nice little surprise waiting for me, I had been upgraded. I was shocked and didn't know how this was possible. International flights always say that up upgrades are not possible. I knew my parents hadn't put miles in for my upgrade and i knew I hadn't done that. I am perfectly content being in economy on the transatlantic flights. I fly them at least 4 times a year (going there coming back, going there coming back) that I have no problem flying economy, I know how to sleep and I am and was perfectly happy about my seat 17G. However, I was not going to turn away the new seat assignment of 9D. I know that my trip to London is very different than everyone else who came because of that.

I get to the airport and one of my bags is 69 pounds and the other bag is 59, so they are both really heavy. The airport is like a ghost town, it is absolutely empty. There are no security lines and no people anywhere (expect for the workers). It was kinda scary how empty the place was! I get through security with no problem and I board the plane no problem. Let me tell you business elite class is very nice. The seats actually fold out into a bed. The food wasn't very good, but I'm a picky eater, so that isn't news to anyone! It was a great flight and I got through customs with no problems and got my bags. I didn't get the beautiful LMU weather of sunshine, instead I was welcomed to London on a typical day--cold and wet. My excitement and joy of being in London made me not even realize it was cold outside.

I took a cab and picked up my keys and made it to my apartment. Now, remember when I mentioned the two bags and the weight of each bag? Well, I got to my flat and realized I was on the second/third (depending on how you count) floor. There was two flights of stairs leading up to each floor and I had the joy of bringing my suitcases up four flights of stairs to finally reach my flat! By the time I got to my flat I had had a pretty good workout for the day! Right when I reach my door someone looks at me and goes, can I help you with your bags. Although it was a really nice offer, it would have been a lot better if I had gotten it four flights of stairs earlier. Even if I had been given the offer, I probably would not have taken it because my bags were SOOO heavy, and I should be the only person who needs to lug them places.

I get to my actual room door and I discover that I am in a single!! Now this is what I REALLY wanted when coming to london. I wanted a single to have a little bit of my own space. I have come to realize that I am the only person who has received a single from LMU. Each person that finds out tells me how lucky I am and how jealous they are. The flats (apartments) are co-ed. the rooms themselves are single sex but the flats are mixed. my neighbors on one side are male and on the other side are female. This means we are sharing bathrooms, kitchens and all that stuff with everyone. There are two flats comprised of LMU students and they are right across from one another, which means we just walk between a hallway and we can see everyone! It has been great getting to meet everyone from LMU!

I have gone out and done a little exploring around kensington. Although it is not much I have found grocery stores and walmart type stores and all that great stuff. I figure tomorrow afternoon I might head into central london to see more and do some exploring! I think I will love having so many days off to spend exploring the great city that London is!

Maybe tomorrow night I will get to a pub to experience the cultural of a pub in London, but who knows anything could happen!

I should probably call it a night because I am jet-lagged and we begin tomorrow at 9:30am with orientation! I hope you are all enjoying your last couple of days of break before starting school again!

Leaving for LONDON!!

I technically still have 8 hours before my plane is scheduled to depart, but I am leaving to the airport in 5 hours and i know I will not be doing much between now and then.

I am going to London today, and I am excited. (if you read my previous post, this is a big statement to be making!) I have shoved just about everything I need into my two bags and they both weigh about 65 pounds. I am very thankful that I am flying delta and due to my excessive traveling, I am allowed to bring two bags that weigh up to 70 pounds each. How I am going to get these up the stairs is another matter that I will tackle once I am in London and having to deal with that problem. Luckily I am strong, it might take a bit of time depending on the number of stairs, but both bags will eventually get into my flat! I will be leaving stuff behind in London, so don't worry, I will be bringing gifts back for people!

I am glad that I have a direct flight. I leave the Minneapolis airport at 10:10 and I should be arriving in London at 12:25 tomorrow afternoon London time. I have my boarding pass, passport and everything set to go, I just need to be on a plane and I will be set!

Even though I will not be on that plane for another 8 hours, I will not be on here writing until I make it to London. So goodbye to all of you, have a great semester and I will see you in May!

Countdown to London!!!

I have two days till I leave for London and three days until I arrive in London!! I am still a little jet-lagged from my traveling over winter break, since I have been up since 5 am, so who knows what time zone my body will be in when I get to London!

A lot of people have been asking me if I am really excited to be going to London. A lot of people have told me how excited they are for me to be going to London. And a lot of people have told me how jealous they are that I am spending my semester in London. I will be honest, I am still not excited. When I tell people this they are shocked and wonder why I am not excited. People do not understand how a person going abroad is not jumping up and down for joy about being in a foreign country and able to explore for four months.

My explanation is simple. I do not like change. Going to London is a huge change in my life and I am not excited about that. However, I am a person that adapts very well to change. I am great under new conditions, I make friends, I explore, and I have a great time. I grow with change. I am not really a person to get homesick when I am in a new place and I am not a person to sulk in a new place. My excitement builds when I enter a new environment. So when I tell people I am not excited, it is true I am not excited to be going yet, but I do know that I will love it when I get there. I am a strange person, I know. 

I was listening to a story about my cousin the other day and the time she spent studying abroad. Her mom was commenting how excited and thrilled my cousin was before she left, but when she got there she was homesick. It was commented how different I was. I am not that excited to go, but I will adapt right away to the change and do great in the new environment. 

So yes, I have two days left until I board a plane to go to London, and I am not that excited yet. But I know I will be a lot more excited when I actually arrive and begin to explore London!

Winter Vacation

So although I am not in London yet, I have had plenty of traveling that has taken place over the past couple of weeks. My original travel plans included traveling to Saudi Arabia for a week, heading to Atlanta for a day, New York for 5 days, Washington State for 4 days for a family reunion, a day in Minneapolis and then heading to London on the 5th to arrive on the 6th. On the 17th I traveled home to Saudi Arabia to spend a week. On the 22 we got a phone call that my grandfather had been admitted to the hospital and that he had taken a turn to the worse (he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in October). My dad left our home in Saudi on the 23, making it the first Christmas we spent without him.

At about 5:20am on Christmas morning we got a phone call saying my grandfather had passed away. It was the 24th, Christmas Eve in the US. My mom, sister and I left Saudi on the night of the 25th and arrived in the States on the 26th. My sister and I were in Atlanta and my mom was in Detroit. We were meant to go to New York but unfortunately the big blizzard had hit and our flights were cancelled. We decided to change our plans and go to Minnesota for two days and visit some family before heading to Seattle early for the funeral. We got to Seattle on the 30th in time for the funeral on the 31st. New Years Eve was spent in Seattle at the base of the Space Needle.

Today, January 2nd, was originally meant to be a family reunion in Washington. It was a day that was meant to celebrate my grandfathers retirement from the Church. He had been a Pastor his entire life. Instead, the day changed to be his memorial. It was a celebration of his life, and the number of people that showed up, demonstrated how much he was loved and the impact he made in so many lives. He truly was a remarkable and incredible man.

It has been a different winter break. When I left LMU on the 17th I was not expecting that I would be attending a funeral. I was not expecting that I would have been saying goodbye to my grandfather over thanksgiving and my final goodbye on the 31st. It has been a vacation of the unexpected, from a death to changing trips. It has taught me to cherish the moments I have with family and with friends because they are so valuable and important.

I am looking forward to going to London. I cannot say that I am very excited yet, but I am looking forward to being in one place for just a little bit and being settled. With that said, Happy New Year and I go to London in three days!!!!