My time in the beautiful world of Monteverde has come to an end. We left yesterday morning and drove three hours down into Heredia. It was definitely a little sad to leave but I was really excited to see how different Monteverde is from Heredia. My family gave me a bunch of little gifts on my last day, which was really sweet, especially since I didn’t think they liked me very much! They have me a necklace with matching earrings, a bracelet, and hairpin!

Saturday was probably one of the busiest days of my life! Well, the night before was another girls 21^st birthday so of course we went to Santa Elena again to celebrate! It was really fun but we stayed out pretty late, which was probably a bad decision since Saturday was so busy! Saturday morning we all met at a pizzeria to take a bus to go zip lining! It was AMAZING! I cannot explain how much fun it was! It’s something that I’ll definitely remember forever! We could see a volcano and the ocean all at the same time! I was really nervous to zip line at first but after a couple, it wasn’t so bad! After we did that, we ate lunch (which was delicious) and toured a coffee plantation! It was beautiful and really interesting to learn how the coffee here is made. The coffee here is so good and I can drink it black which is strange because in the States I need a ton of sugar and cream. When we got back to our houses we were supposed to make a Costa Rican dessert with our families. My mom made mine without me because we got back late from the coffee plantation, which was fine with me. She made platanos del horno. It’s basically baked plantains (they look like giant bananas) with cinnamon, cream cheese, and sugar baked on top. It was so good! The other students all made wonderful desserts too! That night we had a party with the other students and families and presented our desserts and performed the Merengue for everyone. I was so nervous but I had a lot of fun. I was a little sad to leave Monteverde the next morning, but I knew that I had to get on with my trip and start new things.

Monkeys in Monteverde!

I’ve been in Heredia so far for one full day. We arrived yesterday afternoon and we didn’t do much but rest. I cannot explain how much I LOVE my family here! I was so nervous that they were going to be like my family in Monteverde and not want to talk to me but they are the complete opposite! They have Internet access, hot water, a beautiful house, and they are so so SO NICE!! I actually have the same family has previous blogger Tara from Fall 2011! Today we had to register for classes at UNA. It was a little complicated but there were other students around to help us and recommend classes. Classes don’t start until next week and that week is sort of like a trial period. You go to each class and decide whether or not you like the professor. If not, you can drop the class and join a new one! It’s really cool! As of right now I’m taking 16 credits, which isn’t too bad and there are a lot of other IFSA students in my classes, which is super cool! We are all such good friends after our week together in Monteverde and I love everyone in the program! This weekend we want to go to the beach since we don’t have any IFSA programs planned. I hope we do! In general, I love Heredia way more than I liked Monteverde. Heredia is much more lively and there’s so much to do! My house is really close to the university so I can walk to school, which is nice as well.

Here’s some interesting cultural differences I’ve noticed over the past week:

1. No matter how much you say you’re full, families will always give you more food
2. Rice and beans has become my diet
3. The fruit here is so fresh and amazing!
4. Life here starts really early in the morning, I’m talking like 6am!
5. Ticos conserve everything and are very environmentally friendly! Whenever they leave a room, they make sure to shut off the lights. They turn off the water when showering to wash their hair or shave to conserve water!
6. They don’t flush toilet paper. That was hard to get used to at first but now it’s totally normal.
7. Other members of the family are always around! Every time I come home it seems like there’s someone there who I don’t recognize and it’s usually an uncle or cousin
8. Classes here are usually once a week but can last up to 4 hours long
9. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and dinner is the smallest

10. Cell phones are super cheap and easy to obtain. I got mine today! It looks like its from 2001, but it’s only for 4 months and it has everything I need!

11. People here drive like maniacs! There aren’t many traffic laws and pedestrians do not have the right of way so you have to be really careful when crossing the street!

12. Life is much slower here. People walk slower, things never start on time, and everyone seems pretty relaxed for the most part. It’s all part of the pura vida lifestyle!

Hi all! I’m Patra Zambetis and am currently a junior at Grand Valley State University. I am studying Allied Health Sciences and Spanish. I am very excited to be writing this blog, and telling you all about my adventures in Chile for the next six months!!

It is a little crazy that in exactly 18 days I will be living, studying, and exploring the area of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, Chile! It seems like it is this big event I have been planning for over the last 7 months or so, and it is hard to fathom that it is actually going to happen! I can’t wait! Two weeks ago I finally purchased a ticket and with that had a set departure date. Last week, I had all of the documents needed to send in my visa application to the Chilean Consulate in Chicago. If any of you are looking at studying abroad, visa application has been by far the most daunting thing after deciding on a program. It requires a federal background check (don’t ask me why!) which has to be requested from the FBI and takes 8-10 weeks to process. I was initially pretty stressed about receiving those in time , but thankfully got them back within 9 weeks and should hopefully be able to pick up my visa next week.

To add even more to my excitement, I also received my housing information last week! My host family looks great, and I can’t wait to meet them! My host sister is 32 years old and lives with her 2 parents in the heart of Viña! And they have a dog! I have emailed them a few times, and as kind and welcoming as they sound via email, I can’t wait to meet them in person!

At this point I’m just ready to GO. There’s a mix combination of feelings and it’s weird to try and express in words. Mainly it’s the excitement for the adventure and the unknown and the fun I know I’m going to have while in Chile. Then there’s also that sliver of anxiety when I think of the fact that I won’t be home until August (AND I have to pack clothes for six months!) I have been abroad for a month on my own so far, and didn’t get very homesick, however I think a lot can happen in six months while I’m away. One of my best friends is getting married, my brother is graduating college, and who knows what else will occur. Then I stop and remind myself that not only will a lot happen back at home but a lot will happen to me personally while in Chile. I hope this trip will bring a new sense of excitement to college and break-up the every-semester mundane routine of classes. I hope this trip once again opens my eyes to the possibilities and vastness of the world that are so easily forgotten in the everyday routine. That’s a lot of expectations for a country to live up to… but somehow I have faith that Chile won’t let me down!  :)

 

18 DAYS AND COUNTING…

Even though we speak the same language, are born from shared heritage, and from looks appear the same…England has so many things unique to itself.

Like milkmen. I thought they no longer existed. With the rapid growth of supermarkets and decline of hometown grocery stores, I am pretty sure the profession has completely phased out in the US. Not so in England. When I think about getting milk delivered, I imagine glass bottles, wire baskets, and empty ones waiting outside for replacement. To my surprise, that’s exactly the same image as what happens today. Ok, I can’t say for sure what the milkman looks like, but the whole idea is quaint and lovely!

Another thing I didn’t expect was for England to live up to all it’s stereotypes. Yes, people often describe England as rainy and a land overflowing with tea. But I’ve heard many descriptions of the US (cowboys…lazy…rough public schools) that aren’t true. Yet England is living up to it’s name. It rains almost every day. Although when I say rain, I mean more of a constant hard mist. It hasn’t rained once like I’m used to…downpours of soaking drops…but almost everyday the overcast sky lets down some precipitation. As for tea, they literally drink it all the time. And almost everyone seems to enjoy it, with the occasional exception. I absolutely love it, as long as they give some allowance for cream and sugar. The usual saying when you first enter a home or place of conversation is “Would you like a cup of tea?” This is usually followed by an offer of “biscuits” or cookies as we call them in the states. Kitchens come standard with a kettle so that warm water is only a few seconds away.

The last thing I’ve noticed is the difference in use of words. There aren’t many words here that I’ve never heard before, outside of some foods that are new to me. But they often call things differently. Flat instead of apartment. Biscuits never go with gravy. Chips instead of fries…and they eat those with everything. The car has a bonnet and boot, instead of a hood and trunk. Cheers and cheerio are normal salutations. Charity shops instead of thrift stores. And many others that I can think of at the present.

All in all…I’m loving life here in England. I’m sure it’s bound to just get better.

Dia duit, everyone!

That’s ‘hello’ in Irish, just in case you were wondering!

I know it’s been a little while since I posted anything but it really has been busy settling into life here at UCD. Classes started last Monday and since I don’t have anything on Fridays, I’ve officially survived my first two weeks of lectures. The class scene is a bit different here in Ireland than it is at home. I’m in class a lot less often than I am at home and there is more emphasis on independent study. It’s going to take a bit of adjustment when it comes to figuring out what I need to be doing for when, but I’m enjoying my classes for the most part so I think that I’ll be just fine! While it still kind of feels like I’m on a holiday (what we Americans would call a vacation) I’m starting to settle into my classes and getting myself a routine of studying. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty of time for fun! I’ve made a great group of friends here and we’re having a lot of fun exploring the city and planning trips around Ireland together. Some of us even have classes together! On top of classes for school, some of my friends and I signed up for a free beginners Irish language class! It meets once a week and it’s very basic and laid back. I can tell it’s going to be a fun way to meet people and to pick up a little Irish Gaelic! Hopefully, but the end of the session, I’ll be able to have a simple conversation in Irish! Or at least read and understand some of the street signs.

As I’m sure most people are aware, there are some slight language differences between English in the States and English across the pond. There are the basics like ‘loo’ or ‘toilet’ for restroom and ’lift’ for elevator, but one of the most prominent ones that I’ve heard (and been told about) is the term ‘craic’ (pronounced like crack). It is not uncommon to be walking across campus or through Dublin city and to hear someone ask “How’s the craic?” or “Did they have good craic?” Now, coming from a place where you don’t really want to associate with people discussing the merits of their crack, I would have been mighty confused had I not been informed about this particular term. In Ireland, if someone tells you “oh they have good craic there” they are not referring to a place where you can get drugs. Craic simply refers to a good time or good news. So don’t be alarmed if I come back to the US telling everyone all about the great craic I had during my semester abroad! I promise I’m not harboring a new drug habit, I’m just picking up slang from my immersion into the Irish culture!

On my first weekend in Dublin, my friends Susan, Kate and I went to Temple Bar and had a chance to meet up with some of the IFSA-Butler students from Trinity. Now, Temple Bar is a very interesting place. Not exactly the place to find authentic Irish pubs, but a lot of fun if you’re looking for lots of people, live music and a good drink! We went to a pub called Fitzsimons and it was jam packed with people, but once we found our friends from Trinity to crowd wasn’t too bad and we got to dance and sing along to some fun, live music by a band playing some good old fashioned cover songs. They threw in some traditional Irish music, but the likes of Adele and Mumford & Sons was in high demand. And, of course, The Proclaimers. Scottish rather than Irish, but it was still some good craic.

On Saturday, we went to the beautiful Christ Church Cathedral and spent some time wandering around and checking out all the incredible paintings, statues and stained glass windows. However, the highlight of the Cathedral would probably have to be the legendary petrified cat and rat. Apparently, way back when, the petrified remains of a cat chasing a rat was found inside one of the organ pipes and they have been on display in the crypt ever since! Maybe not the most important part of the church, but definitely the most unique!

One of the best things about being here at UCD is that they have a great program for international students! They host events for us and plan trips around Ireland that we can go on for free! Last Thursday, they took us to a pub called the Merry Ploughboys for a free drink and a great show of traditional Irish music and dancing! It was the first time I had really experienced live, traditional Irish music (a lot of drinking songs) and it was the first time I had ever seen any Irish dancing, unless you count the one time that I actually performed an Irish dance back in my days of being a dancer. But it could never have compared to what we saw. It was so much fun and the band was great. They had a great time getting everyone singing and clapping.  And they were right, I will never forget the words of the chorus of Johnny Jump Up. IFSA-Butler actually took us to a similar event at a pub called Johnnie Fox’s and both nights have been so much fun! The bands and the Irish dancers were very different, but both were amazing! And since some of us knew some songs from last week at the Merry Ploughboys, we were calling out requests at Johnnie Fox’s and leading the singing and clapping. That was also some great craic!

But even with all the fun I’ve been having in Dublin, the best part of my experience so far would have to be my excursion out of the city to the Howth Peninsula. Howth is a small sea town, about 20 minutes north of the city and the one time home of W.B Yeats! Last weekend, a group of nine of us caught the train (under €5 round trip!) for a day trip to the magical town. Seriously, their website is www.howthismagic.com. And it was truly incredible! It was a little rainy when we got there, but nothing too torential so we decided to brave the wind and stroll out on the harbor a little bit. And when I say it was windy, I mean that it was the strongest wind that I had ever walked through. It was a struggle to move and even to see at points, but we stuck it out and got some great pictures as a result! After the harbor, we decided to check out the cliffs.

Now let me just say first that I knew there were cliffs in Howth. However, for some reason I didn’t think about the fact that we would actually be hiking the cliffs. Word of advice: Converse sneakers are under no circumstances a substitute for hiking boots. We originally planned to do the shortest trail since we weren’t all that prepared for a proper hike. The rain eventually let up and as we began to climb, the sun started to come out from behind the clouds, shedding light on the incredible view of Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea. It was absolutely breathtaking! We packed our lunches and found a good place to sit down and enjoy the view. After we ate, everyone was invigorated and we all thought “What the Howth?” We were already there so we might as well keep going and make the most of it. The signs told us that the longest trail (called the Bog of the Frogs) was only about an hour longer than the shortest one so we just went for it.

It turned out the the Bog of the Frogs was a 10k hike across half of the peninsula. Quite literally through a bog, at one point. We saw cliffs and fields and even came upon a beach. The wind kept picking up and it got fairly intense, but fortunately no one fell off a cliff and into the sea. It was really tough at some points, especially when every time we thought we were done, we turned the corner to find another steep hike up a hill. But all that trouble was outweighed by the sheer beauty of the place. By the end of the hike, we had overshot the time estimate by about 2 hours, making our total hiking time about 5 hours. We were grimy and exhausted, but proud that we had made it through! We did, however, dismiss our initial plan to have a drink back in the city and instead, once everyone had had a chance to freshen up, they came to our apartment for pajama and taco night! As exhausting as the hike was (and as sore as my legs and feet were the next day), the trip was totally worth it. Definitely the highlight of my time in Ireland so far!

We’re taking another day trip tomorrow, this time to Limerick! Fortunately, there’s a two hour bus ride so I can make a dent in my homework that I’ve been putting off during the week. Hopefully Limerick won’t be as physically taxing of a trip as Howth was so we have plenty of time and energy to explore another one of Ireland’s cities!

Slainté

I’ve officially made it to England safe and sound. Arrived in London last Friday, spent a good couple days getting to know the Cardiff girls and exploring the city, then on Monday I moved into Durdham Hall in Bristol! Phew. It certainly has been a whirlwind of a week.

Since I’m a little bit behind on blogging here’s a brief overview of the fantastic time I had in London with five girls who are studying through IFSA-Butler in Cardiff, Wales for the semester:

Day 1: Arrived around 7am, explored the neighborhood, met Lynne and Oran at the London office, explored some more (including Portobello Road Market, where I struggled not to buy any thing – I’m a sucker for flea markets), met the Cardiff girls, get settled in my hotel room, dinner with Oran at Wagamama (I’ve found one in Bristol – very exciting!), drinks at the Windsor Castle and the Prince Edward pubs (at the second one we ran into the IFSA-Butler students studying at City University in London and had a good time getting to know them all), sleep.

Here’s a photo of one of the cool shops I discovered nearby the Portobello Road Market while I was exploring. I don’t remember its name, but it’s an edgy clothing store and any open space is COVERED with stacks of antique sewing machines. It was so cool!

Day 2: Group and individual orientation with Oran, Cambria, Andrew, and Charlotte – we learned all about academics, student life, and travel. I was most excited to hear about all of the fun trips IFSA-Butler has planned for us throughout the semester. The Weekend Adventure in Wales sounds like it will be a blast! Afterwards… lunch, saw an interesting play called The Pitman Painters, dinner, sleep.

Day 3: All day long we traveled around London on the Big Bus Tour, which allowed us to see a TON of landmarks, including:

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

And then on the river tour, which was included with the Big Bus Tour, we saw the landmarks at night, which was AMAZING! Here’s a composite of some cool long-exposure shots I took while on the river tour:

Then we get to Monday, when Cambria and I took the 2-ish hour train to Bristol to move me in! I’ve only just finished unpacking and getting myself acquainted with the area, but so far I am loving it! My flatmates are super nice, and the city is wonderful. Pictures and perhaps a video as well will be up soon. Cheers!

 

On the flight home, I was really excited to see my family and to be home.  When I landed in America, my phone started exploding with texts and calls from family and friends who were excited for my arrival.  It was an amazing feeling to know that people were genuinely excited to see me, and that I had a functioning iPhone with a phonebook full of contacts.  Unlimited texting and data, and access to mobile facebook and email were also great things about touching down in the states.  My parents picked me up at the airport in Indianapolis at midnight and we made the 2.5-hour journey home.  The stars were breath taking; after being in London for so long, I had forgotten how beautiful they are.  We went to our house and I put my bags down in my room.  I looked around my room and actually felt like I lived in a department store.  Seeing the full closet of brands I was familiar with, and having more than three pair of pants… and it was all my size! The moment of looking around at the perfume bottles and dresser of makeup actually felt like a glimpse of Heaven.  After living off of one suitcase for three months, I finally understood how privileged I am.  My mom had put a Tiffany & Co. decorated Christmas tree in my room with presents underneath, and I got to open welcome home/pre-Christmas gifts.  It was great to by with my parents again; it literally took the entire winter break for my mom and I to catch up.

After the initial surge of happiness, I started to feel pretty sad about leaving my friends.  All of the kids who studied in London agreed that it was the best time of our lives and we have made closer friends there than we have at school or at home; as the days went on, we Skyped each other and texted, but it was not comparable to living next door.  After meeting the students who studied in London, there was a definite disconnect with my friends from home.  I was hopeful that we would pick up where we left off right away, but the transition was rougher than I had anticipated.  I matured a lot while I was away, and it was hard to get used to the lifestyle my friends live.

I have started my final semester at Butler, and it is definitely different than the U.K.   I had forgotten how demanding American University is, and have had a hard time adjusting to the workload.  The hardest part is transitioning back into the social sphere.  I have been away from school for a whole year, first to move to New Jersey for an internship, then to study in London.  I started to feel really isolated because I could not share my experiences, and my friends all had spent the past year together creating memories that I was not a part of.  I also really miss the freedom and activity that London provides.  We had the chance to explore whatever we wished, but the options are rather limited in Indianapolis.  I have the “travel bug” in hopes of seeing the world again as I did while abroad.  Some of the students from London and I have discussed a reunion, and some loose plans have been made. So far, the transition into this semester has been much more difficult than I anticipated, but I am viewing it as a time to cherish my friends and family and rekindle old friendships.  This is the time that will strengthen long-time friendships and will prepare me to begin a career in Rhode Island this summer.  Overall, I would not have changed a single thing about the study abroad experience. I am so blessed to have met wonderful people, traveled the world, and gained insight on different cultures; I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Hello! I’ve been in Costa Rica for about four days and it is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! It is so green and there are beautiful flowers everywhere!! When we were flying over the country, we could see volcanoes and the beautiful beaches. The water is also very, very blue! ¡Que hermosa!

The first night, we stayed at the Hotel Bougainvillea. It is known for its amazing gardens and plant life. Each student was assigned a room with 2-3 other students. It was a great way to meet everyone! Most of the students arrived in the morning or afternoon so by dinner time, almost every one was there. We ate dinner in true pura vida style because it lasted over three hours! We were served three courses and each were very delicious. I think the hotel was trying to provide us with food that we would typically eat in America because I had ravioli for my first Costa Rican meal! It was still better than any ravioli I had in the US. The next morning we met up with the rest of the students who arrived late in the night and began our first day of orientation. We ate breakfast at the hotel which consisted of gallo pinto (rice and beans) which is a very common breakfast here. It was delicious! Afterwards, we met our resident directors who will be with us for the rest of orientation and spent some time going over the in’s and out’s of Costa Rica. Around 2, we left for Monteverde which was a four hour bus ride up into the mountains.

There are no words that can appropriately describe Monteverde because it is absolutely beautiful! There is a view of the gulf in some parts and many different plant species. We are taking an intensive Spanish course at the Insituto de Monteverde and other orientation classes. We also have latin dance classes which are very fun but very tiring! It’s like a zumba class but a million times harder! Also at the institute there are so many dogs running around. They are pets of the workers here and they are always coming in and out of our classroom to visit. They are probably one of my favorite parts of orientation so far! Tomorrow we have a night tour of Monteverde where we can see the animals that come out at night. I’m excited but also a little nervous so I’m definitely bringing bug spray! On Friday we have a tour through another forest in the morning. It’s also one of the girls 21st birthdays so we are going to Santa Elena to celebrate. We went there last night and it was a lot of fun! There are many places to dance so we all practiced our Merengue and Salsa!

While in Monteverde, we stay with families. It was hard at first to get used to living in another family’s  home but they are very welcoming for the most part. It’s definitely awkward at times when I can’t understand everything my host mom is saying because she talks very fast. In my family there is a girl who’s about my age and can speak a little English so when I can’t understand what’s going on she can explain it to me much slower. She also has a newborn baby and he is adorable! The grandmother lives with us at well and she is very sweet. On Saturday, we get to make a typical Costa Rican dessert with our host mothers and then present them to the rest of the program. I’m very excited to see what we make and what the other students make as well.

As for the food here, it’s very, very good but very rich. They also eat all the time! Luckily we do a lot of walking so I’m hungry often but I feel bad when I can’t finish my dinner because there is enough food on my plate to feed an army! All of my meals so far in Monteverde have consisted of rice and beans, and sometimes with meat or vegetables mixed in. Like I said, it’s very good but very rich!

Getting accustomed to life in Costa Rica is definitely a challenge and I know that I have a long semester ahead of me. The people here are very nice and willing to help anyone who needs it. I’m excited to get to Heredia because I hear the lifestyle there is very different than the lifestyle in Monteverde. Right now I’m taking it day by day and looking forward to the adventures that lie ahead!

This week was the start of classes at Leeds and I’ve been to all mine at least once. Most of my classes just meet several times a week in normal lectures like I’m used to. Well, normal in the fact that the professors stand at the front of the room and….lecture. Not normal in the fact that all of them are in lecture halls with 60-100 people. I’ve never been in a math class larger than 30, and that was just one. Almost all the rest of mine have been somewhere between 8 and 15. I only know of two actual “lecture halls” at Butler. All of the classes I’m in here in Leeds are in lecture halls like you see in the movies. We sit in theater seating and the professors use large projectors and movable white boards to teach. The funny thing is that in the building I’m in, the lecture halls are situated on the front and back of the building along 4 different staircases. You enter the room through skinny doors along the stairs that go strait into the different rows. It is possible to go in the bottom door and walk across the front, then go up the stairs on the other side of the room and pick a row then, but I usually just sit in row B or C and enter from the stairs. Next week we start having workshops, which are smaller group meetings where we can talk about homework problems and ask questions. Today is my free day, which I’m taking full advantage of. I cannot wait for a day to relax and catch up on some reading :0)

Oh dear! It’s been three weeks since I last blogged about my pre-departure jitters and attempts to squeeze five months of life into two suitcases. Well, I succeeded in that endeavor (sort of) and made it to London oozing with excitement and even more jitters about living abroad. Upon arriving in the pouring rain (that all of the locals assured me was uncommon) and working on little sleep from the overnight flight, I explored Bloomsbury section of London where our IFSA orientation hotel was located. Right in the heart of the city, this area touches upon the West End theatre district (the Queen musical We Will Rock You was showing down the block) and I wandered through the shops with some fellow students, mainly in search of a cheap, simple phone to use for these few months. I learned two things on this first day: I am horribly addicted to my Blackberry in the U.S. (and instant connections to email and social media) and more important- keep left.

Pretty much everyone knows that vehicles in Britain drive on the left side of the street, opposite to our right-sided ways in America. This makes crossing the street a dangerous mission at times, compounded by one-ways and no entry roadways that are numerous in London. Thankfully, most street corners include directions on which way to look for traffic before venturing into the street. It’s a bit confusing for someone used to the checkerboard patterns of Philadelphia and New York, but three weeks in, I am amazingly getting the hang of it. However, when walking on the pavement (or sidewalk as we say in the States, again setting up a potentially dangerous miscommunication), keeping to the left is seemingly arbitrary. Most of the time, especially in the central part of the city, people move so quickly darting in and out and around that it seems there must be an intuitive system to it all. I haven’t gotten it yet. To further complicate matters, on Underground escalators, the rule is to keep right to stand and left to walk, much like the D.C. Metro. So-keep left, most of the time.

I’ve spent the majority of my first few weeks here doing touristy things and you’ll see a few pictures in this blog of those experiences. One of the best things to do in London is simply to walk around and enjoy it. Exploring the Southwark area of London in the southeast section (where my residence hall is located), you can stumble upon the Borough Market, which is a fantastic Saturday afternoon adventure when many goods go down in price. Located near the Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge and only a short walk from the Globe Theater, the Borough Market will certainly be a regular part of my Saturdays while here.

I also loved my day-long adventure into Westminster. Beginning at Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery (which is great for multiple visits), venturing into St. James Park and the chance to see the Horse Guards at the Palace of Whitehall, you can stroll leisurely up The Mall toward the East Front of Buckingham Palace and watch the Changing of the Guard. In the winter, however, the guards wear gray coats, rather than their famous red ones, so I’m holding onto those pictures for later in the year. After the Palace, it’s a short walk to Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.  The Abbey has probably been my favorite tourist part so far. A truly beautiful building, I spent nearly three hours just exploring the different areas, including the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots and Poets’ Corner, before staying for the weekday Evensong service to hear the Abbey Choir. And a small part of me definitely enjoyed the fact that I walked the same path that Kate Middleton did on her way to becoming the Duchess of Cambridge. Okay…a large part of me enjoyed it.

If you’ve stuck with the blog this long, I congratulate you! It’s hard to fit three weeks of amazing experiences into a short blog posting. However, I’d like to leave you with a few of my favorite moments of the last few weeks.

1. Even Londoners check Tube and road maps. Roads tend to change names often and the Tube is always undergoing improvements with the upcoming Olympic Games. Looking for an adrenaline rush for under £2? Ride the trademark double-decker red London bus on the top floor at the very front as it weaves through the narrow London streets. Just remember not to panic when it looks like you’re going to hit something.

2. Take time to listen to the sounds of the city, especially if you’ve never lived in a city before. Even then, the vibe in London, with its different neighborhoods and different cultures, is completely removed from any city in America. It’s fantastic to capture the old buildings like  the Houses of Parliament next to today’s technology and soak up the culture of nation both traditional and moving forward. Taking it a step further, create a London-themed playlist and watch the city against a backdrop of songs from British artists. Perhaps my favorite experience was having lunch on a bench in St. James Park with a view of Buckingham Palace beyond the trees while listening to Mumford and Sons (first introduced to me by their number-one fan, my U.S. roommate Sarah).

3. Pantos are one of the best British traditions ever. Usually shown around Christmas, pantos (pantomines) are zany, family shows with popular songs set to fairy tales and filled with double entendres for parents, crazy dance and joke routines for kids and generally, an all around great night out. I was so fortunate that IFSA took us to see Dick Whittington at the New Wimbeldon Theatre and it’s an experience that I would repeat again in a heartbeat.

4. London is gorgeous at night. Truly beautiful. My camera is not nearly good enough to do the images justice, so you’ll have to take my word for it. But exiting the National Gallery and looking out over Trafalgar Square to see Big Ben in the distance gave me one of those “Oh my Gosh, I’m in London” moments that have happened quite often these last weeks.

5. No one says awesome here. While awesome is likely the most widely and overly used adjective in America (and in my vocabulary), it’s very rare here. A few of my new British friends have chuckled, even though it’s becoming more used in the younger generations. Therefore, I will be focusing on replacing my use of awesome with lovely and fantastic. We’ll see how well this works.

So that’s it from me for now! I’ll see you in a couple weeks with adventures outside of London and maybe even a bit on my studies thus far. Maybe. Just to keep Mom and Dad happy. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures!

I didn’t realize until after I had published my last post that I’m not able to go back and add pictures…so instead, I’m adding them separately to this post.

Friday & Saturday
Pictures from when we arrived in Leeds and then traveled by train to London

Sunday
Pictures from the one day I spent exploring London with my mom before she went back to the states