A New Semester Begins.

Hiya!

Since I've been back (and the intention and purpose of my blog was solely supposed to be for studying abroad,) I've not written anything here nearly as often as I should've.

My new semester back in Wisconsin has begun and is going well thus far.  I am taking several delightful classes.  I say it this way because I've not yet had all of them.  I go to my 4th and final class tomorrow, so my decision on how this semester will go shall be determined tomorrow by about 4PM, when class ends.

The class list is as follows:

LIS631 Young Adult Literature (this is a grad class for the School of Library and Information Studies department that I've applied to for the Fall.  It's quite nice getting to take a grad class before I even get into the program.  Kind of like testing a car you already know you want to buy.)
ENG695 Directed Study Creative Writing (this is where I start writing my first BOOK!  I'm utterly scared and thrilled.  It'll be a lot of work, but I look forward to it)
FOLK451 Supernatural in the Modern World (a folklore class, exploring ghosts, demons, etc., and people's beliefs)
LITINTRANS275 Hans Christian Andersen (I'm most excited about this class; it'll be my "easy A" class!)

And there you have it, the nice layout.  The schedule itself isn't bad either.  I have one class Mondays and Tuesdays and two classes Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Fridays is strictly for studying.  Well, that and MERIT supervisor meetings, all staff meetings, etc.  Mandatory issues.  I will be working a lot this semester (23ish hours/week), similar to the amount of my fall semester (28-34 hours/week), however, I reason it this way: last semester I had ALL English classes, was taking a heavier load than graduate students getting their MFAs, working A LOT, and yet I still managed to earn myself that nice, shiny "4.0". So, *cheers* to getting it right again this year.

Only other thing that could make this already lovely semester even lovelier would be man candy.  I say this jokingly, but the feelings are real.  So many of my friends are already engaged.  I realize I'm not in a race, and I fully accept that, but I would really, truly like to fall in love.  Soon.  =)

Well, if anyone is out there and still reading this, I hope you enjoyed a random little snippet of my life as I procrastinate from doing my grad pre-homework (yeah, the kind of homework you get before even having the class once...it comes to me in the form of reading 4 articles and 1 full-length novel!  Can you tell what my semester will be like?!).

Hey-O!

I'm was in Niagara Falls Canada, Buffalo NY, and Copley OH today!  I can't believe that I have finally gotten to visit Canada!  So close (living in Wisconsin my whole life) and yet we just never took the time.  It's been fun!  Pics to come on facebook.  Heading back to Wisco tomorrow.

P.S., have you seen the news about the 8 Copley shootings?  (While I was HERE in Copley!  It's quite a sad story...) or the riots in London and spreading (Manchester)?  Crazy stuff going on in the world right now.

Adjustment into real life.

Just got my Fall work schedule!  I'll be working 18 hours at my library job and 10 at my archives job.  This will be accompanied by my 4 English classes.  Am I ready for this upcoming semester?  I sure hope so.

In other news, tomorrow I am off to the beautiful Wisconsin Dells for the day and Friday I leave for Ohio.  My cousin's wedding is on Saturday and then it's off to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls with everyone on my dad's side besides the newlyweds.

Happy late birthday, Harry Potter!  I made sure to celebrate your birthday well!  ;)

Home and beyond.

What a busy 3 weeks back!

I've been working and hanging out with friends as well as babysitting and reading like a crazy person!  I swear that the summer is not longer enough for the list of things I want to accomplish!  Same with a 24-hour day: I need more time!  It's been hard to find a spare moment.  Even now, I should be on my way to a free concert at the Union with friends, but I'm so tuckered out that I pretty much just decided to stay home, do laundry, do a bit of cleaning and organizing, and (of course) reading!  I've got all of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy audiobooks, so I've been listening to it while working/cleaning.  I'm nearly finished with book 2 right now.  It reminds me A LOT of Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events.  Both share the odd qualities of strange names and ridiculously fictitious characters that say and do things that are both serious (adult) and childish.  They both possess an air of a story line that has been well-thought out, but at the same time flows in a lax and drawn-out way.  Characters are unexpected and each twist and turn is both cliche and unpredictable.  Both also possess comedic dialogue/narration that I find delightful (most of the time).  There are definitely some moments in both series that cause me to question why I'm reading it (this is the childish factor I mentioned), but at the same time, the funny qualities are redeeming.

I'm reading Inu-Yasha, The Chronicles of Narnia, Hunger Games, Batman, and a few more at the same time.  I find it enjoyable to spread the reading out.  =)

Here is a quick catch-me-up on the last three weeks, beginning with leaving Leeds.

((Written sometime around July 7th))

     Firstly, I would like to thank you for reading my blog.  As of right now, I've had 2,711 views.  Considering I'm just a girl who decided to live in a foreign country for 6 months and share my daily life on the web, that's not too bad!

     Now, to catch you up.  The night before my flights, I decided not to go to sleep.  I had to check into one of my flights online and I could only do so after 1:20AM.  The day before my return, I, quite literally, ran around campus searching for a 24-hour computer cluster.  Don't trust all signs.  Sometimes "24-hour Computer Cluster" only means "Open from 08:00-17:00."  I found two of them on campus only to discover them closed for the summer before I finally gave in and asked a librarian.  They informed me of one that was supposed to be open still, so I headed over to make sure this information was correct.  It was.  This was good, it meant that I had a place to print out my boarding pass and that I knew exactly where it was and wouldn't get lost trying to look for it later that night.

     With that done, I headed back home and did some packing, cleaning, skyping, and a bit of reading.  At 1:20AM, I went online to ensure that my boarding pass was accessible.  It was, so I took off and went to campus.  Everything went smoothly and I was able to print off my boarding pass just fine.

     "Why," you ask "did you need to stay up all night?"  Well, for starters, when I got home from printing off my boarding pass, it was 2:00AM.  I showered, got ready for the next day, finished up the rest of my packing (with a bit of time unpacking and repacking to make everything fit -- I only had my duffel bag and purse, but I fit A LOT of stuff into both), and did the rest of the cleaning for my flat (all bathroom and shower room materials, everything from my room, the hallway, and the kitchen, including my left over dishes from breakfast).

     I got outside extra early to wait for my cab, but that's OK.  I'd rather be early than late.  My taxi was supposed to come at 5:15AM, I was out there a little bit before 5:00AM.  I returned my key to the main office and sat outside with my luggage to wait.  While waiting, I saw a fox!!  And of course, I had watched the sunrise that morning (the sun came up about 4:15AM).

     The taxi came on time.  I got to ride in the front seat (it was a weird feeling since, in America, it would be the driver's seat, not the passenger's).  I arrived at the rail station early.  Really early.  My train left at 5:55 and I got there at 5:25.  That was fine because my duffel was extremely heavy and I needed all the extra time to slowly walk from one end of the station to where my train left.

     The train ride went fine.  It was a little over an hour from Leeds to Manchester.  I waddled through the Manchester airport connected to the train station and made my way to the check-in desk.  I was forced to weigh my duffel (which was OBVIOUSLY too heavy) and had to check it in.  This turned out to be a good thing considering how hard it was for me to carry it and how bulky it was with everything else I still had to carry (my stuff purse, a travel pillow, a blanket).  The guy at the check-in counter said "Happy 4th of July" to me -- I was pretty stunned, actually!  I certainly didn't expect to hear that!

     The flight from Manchester, England to Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A. was about 10 hours.  We were fed 1 meal and a snack (which included ice cream!).  I sat next to a VERY ambitious 19-year-old guy and we talked for the majority of the flight.  

     The switch from Atlanta to Washington, DC went OK.  In Atlanta I had had to get my luggage and re-check it in after going through customs.  The guy I sat next to on this flight was a 25-year-old Marine Corps soldier who had been in the military for 7 years.  He was stationed in DC and was on his way back there after spending time with family in Atlanta for Independence Day.  That flight was 2 hours (not a bad flight, but the guy pretty much just wanted to talk about himself and the Marine Corps the WHOLE time...!).

     My final flight from DC to Chicago was pretty good.  This time I sat next to an older man, probably in his 50s-60s.  He too, like everyone else I sat next to during the day, was very talkative.  It turns out that he used to live in Wisconsin and he knew people going to the UW right now!  He is currently living in Chicago but was in DC for a funeral.  

     When we landed in Chicago, we were about 45 minutes early.  This meant that I ended up waiting in the airport for about 2 1/2 to 3 more hours (this is also partially due to the face that my parents were late because they left late and got caught in traffic AND when they finally got to the airport, they got lost...).  They arrive and we had a mini-reunion around 9:30PM.  We drove a little ways out of Chicago and stopped at an IHOP (International House of Pancakes) and ate dinner around 11PM.  By the time we got home, it was 1:00AM (or 7:00AM for me in England time) and I immediately went to the couch, laid down, and crashed.  I didn't say "Hi" to my brothers or anything--I was out COLD.  I woke up/got up at 7:00AM the next day and felt pretty good until about 5:00PM when I just wanted to go back to bed.  I waited until 10, but that was difficult for a while.

    

     These past weeks have been filled with Monday and Wednesday night trivia with the Wisconsin Historical Society gang, nights out on the Terrace with various friends, movies (in the theater and on the Terrace), shopping, and just generally hanging out with people whenever asked!  This is all AFTER working 9 hour days every Monday through Friday. It's been good.  I do wish Madison wasn't so humid.  I can deal with the rain, but humidity is annoying...!

   

     We leave for Ohio (cousin's wedding), New York (only a bit) and Canada soon (to visit Niagara Falls).  I'm quite happy to continue traveling in the U.S. after doing so much earlier this year.  Once you start it's hard to stop. 

Home again.

Hey all,

I am home.  I know it's been almost a week since I've been back and I haven't reported anything.  Well, that's because I've been as busy as a bee!  Even now, it's midnight and I'm still up and about with many things to do tonight before tomorrow morning.  I returned to work yesterday, so it's nice to be earning money again.  I've also been catching up with friends like a crazy person!  For example, yesterday I made a dessert in the morning, brought it into work, worked for 5 hours, met up with my friend Hattie, then went to Monday Night Trivia at Quaker Stake and Lube with some of my Wisconsin State Historical Society coworkers, then went to dinner at the Nitty Gritty Birthday Place for my friend Kadijha's 21st birthday.  It was a long, but fun day!

The next time I have a spare hour or so (because it just might take me that long) to write out how my first week back has been, I'll fill you in!

Hope all is well wherever you are in this world!

Last call.

July 4^th

No longer a cub

but a tigress, fearless, she

turns and says good-bye.

Happy Independence Day all you Americans out there!

     First off, today was my last full day in Leeds.  I am approaching my last night which will most likely not be spent sleeping but in preparing for my departure.  This is partly due to a miscalculation on my end (6 hour differences can get messy sometimes...), but I think I should have things taken care of by about 1:30AM when I head off to campus to find a 24-hour computer cluster that hasn't closed for summer vacation so that I can check-in to one of my flights and print off my boarding pass.  Now that it's midnight, I have exactly an hour and 20 minutes before I'm allowed to check in!

     My day was as follows: get up early-ish, get ready, take everything from my flat that can be donated and bring it to the main office.  Hang around St Mark's, wander around campus for an hour in attempts to scope out a computer cluster (honestly, it took me forever.  I even asked for help 3 times and as they say, the third time was the charm!), talk to friends via facebook chat, watch Terminator 3 and Sucker Punch on my laptop, and now you find me here, wasting time until I can check into my flight.  It's been a lovely last day!  In all honesty though, it really has been.  I had the chance to take one last walk around (nearly the entire) campus and talk with a few people.  Everyone I talked to today was very nice.  I'm definitely going to miss England.

     Before I continue on my "I'll miss..." rant, I should catch you up on what happened yesterday.

     It all began while I was calling my family over skype to get my grandpa’s address last night.  Part way through the call, the call is dropped and the electricity goes out.  This is 11:00PM.  I wander around my now nearly pitch black apartment checking all the light switches.  There is but one light working in my flat: a generator light in the hall.  I have my computer, phone, and camera turned on to provide me with the only other light.  I notice a flashing blue light outside and discover that it’s a police car.  There are a couple sitting out there a little ways beyond the parking lot.  Still not understanding, I am stunned to see a black sky: hard black smoke is pouring out of the building across from St Mark’s A block.  I see shooting flames and every once in a while the sky alights with its shocking scene.  The building is roaring with flames so much so that I can see it over the roof of block A.  The flames are high and I hope they are not out of control.  They battle with the fire fighters.  Now and then it dies, now and then it shoots up in red hot spurts.  People are gathering outside in herds, not because they have to, but because they want to see what’s going on.  My seat remains within my room as I have a decent view already.

By a little before midnight, a get a knock on my door.  The building warden has come to tell me that all windows and doors must be shut as the heavy smoke is toxic.  I ask about the electricity and he says he doesn’t know when it’ll be turned on, but we might all have to move to Charles Morris for the night.  He’ll return and let me know if this turns out to be the case.  Now I sit on my bed, my computer clings to the small bit of battery it has left.  It remains the only light on in my room.  I pray I won’t have to move.  Luckily I’m nearly completely packed up and my big luggage has already been shipped off to America.

     1:11AM.  I am awoken by the blasting sound of the fire alarm in my room going off.  Well, awoken as much as a person longing for sleeping but not exactly finding it can be.  Either way, the sound of the piercing alarm in the otherwise silent room sent shocks down my spine and caused my heart to race for the next ten minutes.  I check my phone and see the time.  I use the light of the phone to guide me as to where my glasses lie.  I put them on and sit up in bed and wait.  Nothing happens, but I give it a few minutes.  More waiting and no more voices.  The alarm was shut off after less than five minutes, so I assume everything is all right, that the fire across the way is out and hasn’t spread over here.  I do not hear the sound of anyone (warden or otherwise) rushing to wake everyone, so I take my glasses back off and attempt to plunge myself into sleep.  It comes.

      At 7:14AM I awake again, this time finding my bedroom light on.  This is good news, this means that the electricity is back on.  This also means that my phone alarm will go off in 16 minutes, and I’m not feeling too prepared to get up just about now, so I reset it for 8:00AM, promising to myself that I will get up then.  When the time comes, I accidentally hit the snooze button and give myself another 5 minutes to sleep in.  Finally, I get up. 

      After I’ve showered and gotten ready, it’s time to start taking my prepacked kitchen supplies to the main office where it will be given to the “Free Store” for the kids coming back next semester.  As I leave tomorrow, this hauling needs to be done now.  The office is only open certain times during the day and I don’t think they’d appreciate me leaving a bunch of stuff outside their door.  You never know when it’ll rain in England.  I am downstairs on the first level.  I stop when I see a notice posted on the bulletin board.  “Due to last night’s fire and electrical outage, we will be meeting at the Refectory at 7:30AM where breakfast will be provided for you…”  CRAP.  It’s 9:30AM and that means my free breakfast is over.  DANG.  I hadn’t eaten at the Refectory in the Student Union one single time and today it would have been free.  Shake it off, shake it off.  My breakfast of vanilla porridge was delightful enough…  Another sign posted on the door reads “The Electricity is now on in this building.  If you encounter further problems, please inform staff at the main office…”  I think back to this morning.  No, everything seems to be working fine.  I think I’m all set.  The only problem I encountered was with the internet.  It simply refused to let me in to the system.  I’ve had this happen a few times already during the semester where I’ll type in my username and password correctly, but it won’t let me in.  I tried the same old tricks today as I’ve done in the past, restarting the computer, typing in my username and password a gazillion times, shutting the top of my computer and opening it after 10 seconds, taking out the Ethernet cord and re-plugging it back in, trying to use the shotty wifi, etc.  Nothing.  This being my last full day and panic about checking-in online for one of my flights sinking in to my mind, I decided to just re-register.  I’m given a new username and password.  I’ve tried this before too, but the last time it didn’t work.  This time it does.  I wonder if it’s because I’m supposed to leave tomorrow that it stopped working or if it was because of the power outage.  Neither of those seem to be perfect answers, but they’re all I have.  I ignore the signs and head outside where I discover this last day feel wonderful.  The air is warm with a light breeze.  I couldn't ask for better weather.  Thank you Jesus!

     Ok.  Now for the expected bit.  I've really enjoyed my time in England.  I am SO thankful for the opportunity I've had to come and live overseas for 6 months.  I would certainly say these 6 months have been life-changing.  I've learned so much about the world, about other cultures, and even about myself.  I've put myself to tests I would never have been brave enough to do in the past.  I've made so many new friends and even become closer to God in the process.  I'm simply stunned with my life when I look back on it all.  I've placed in a short story competition; I've journeyed deep into Eastern Europe; I've travelled by myself; I've even learned how to read a map and give great directions!  That last one's a shocker!  I never would have thought that I'd be able to give directions to strangers in Edinburgh, but I can!  

     But, now the fairytale has come to an end.  Reality still has not set in.  I'll let that happen when I'm on my 10-hour flight (the first of 3 flights) tomorrow!  

     I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog and I hope you have enjoyed reading it.  The next time I write, I'll be back in the U.S., back where people drive on the correct side of the street and where people understand what I mean when I say "Can I have a spotted cow?"  =)  No, I don't mean an actual cow!

     Good-bye England.  I've had the time of my life.

     Megan

 The magnets I've collected from all the places I've been in the past 6 months.

 The fire as seen above the rooftop of Block A.

 Same, different camera mode.

 15 second shutter time.  Smoke in the background.

Lists

July 2^nd

Footsteps on the stairs.

The knob turns, the door opens.

Her hair stands on end.

To commemorate my time here, I've compiled a memory list.  Read it if you like; it's mostly a fun note for myself and Leeds friends to highlight our time here.  

Memorable Moments from Leeds

1.  The annoying ice cream truck that I’ve heard pretty much everyday but NEVER see!

2.  Making pies with Roxanne

3.  Staying up till 4AM at the Walkabout pub to watch the Packers win the Superbowl

4.  Being asked out by a freshman from Manchester

5.  Eating at the Old Bar (“Baked beans or mushy peas?!”)

6.  Discovering Kopparberg cider in Manchester and then hunting it down in Leeds

7.  Flat mate dinners

8.  Our oven and toaster

9.  The moldy shower curtains!

10.  Harry Potter movie nights with Roxanne and Leah in my room

11.  The day we discovered POUNDLAND!

12.  Accidentally burning off my bangs the first week in England

13.  The walks from Morrison’s to our flat with a million bags of HEAVY groceries!

14.  Fire alarms in St Mark’s

15.  The annoying people from one of the St Mark’s blocks who played the SAME music EVERY SINGLE DAY during the semester

16.  “Topping up”

17.  Learning the layout of Morrison’s grocery store

18.  TESCO!!!!!

19.  Vue (a theater) in the Light

20.  (Roxanne:)  Sneaking into the kitchen to making dinner/tea around 11pm.  You know when I mean!!

21.  Making homemade applesauce with Roxanne spontaneously at 10pm

22.  Discovering the glories of Doctor Who!

23.  DAVID TENNANT!

24.  (Not so proudly) True Blood

25.  Using 1 HUGE knife all semester for everything because no one bought any real knives!

26.  Discovering the wonderful taste of tea

27.  Trying to figure out how the heck MHRA works

28.  Discovering my Museum Studies essay is due in 2 days, not 7…

29.  Proving a professor wrong on the date of the aforementioned essay…

30.  Making my own beer for my Traditional Alcoholic Beverages class

31.  Wandering around campus trying to figure out where my classes are

32.  Talking to people who speak the same language as me but still having NO idea what they said because of their British accents!  =)

33.  Riding on the top of a double decker bus

34.  Acting like a tourist

35.  Eating real UK custard with Felix

36.  Our stupid washer that wrecked my shirts and continued to dye our clothing different colors

37.  The unbelievable number of grocery bags we collected AND stored

38.  Getting carded at the Eldon (sports pub) by someone who looked younger than me

39.  The one and only day it snowed in Leeds

40.  The dress code in Leeds…

41.  GREGGS!!!!!

42.  British “Milkshakes”

43.  Getting locked out of my own room WHILE STILL IN my own flat

44.  Laughing at the fact that people thought it was REALLY cold at 50˚F (10˚C)

45.  Having to eat at Subway on our first night in the UK because everything closes SUPER early.

46.  Learning about pounds (GBP)

47.  Taking 4^th place in a short story competition

48.  Vanessa’s amazing fruit/Pimm’s drink

49.  Making good friends with people at the END of the semester and finding out you’ve lived in the same building the whole time

50.  Mango Rubicon

51.  Onion rings from Flames!!

52.  Going to a total of 3 classes per week!!!!

53.  Laughing at the fact that a lecture of ~80 is supposed to be a BIG class!

54.  My mom visiting me for two weeks!

55.  Not knowing any brand names in Morrison’s

56.  Being disgusted with the fact that Sainsbury’s sells “American Hot Dogs” which are in a can…NO American eats hot dogs out of a can…That’s just wrong…

57.  Felix trying to teach me how the UK school system works

58.  Getting sick for 3 weeks and going to the doctor’s for the first time in my college career (not funny, but certainly memorable)

59.  Learning that Matthew Lewis is from Leeds!  (Neville Longbottom)

60.  Receiving packages and letters from family and friends!  <3

61.  Learning just how many friends my age that are now engaged or married…

62.  Making late night trips to Tesco for chocolate cake!!!

63.  Finding Marvel Milk at Morrison’s and slyly taking a picture of it

64.  Sleeping on the hardest beds in the world at St Mark’s

65.  Discovering that I’m a princess and am related to Constantine

66.  Discovering that my great-great-great-great-great grandpa would have been President of the United States

67.  Discovering that I’m related to Andrew Marvell (fairly certain) and the Vikings!

68.  Dancing in my room to “Party Rockers,” our Busabout theme song

69.  Waiting FOREVER for grades to be posted and especially for the return of essays…

70.  People-watching from my room

Memorable Moments Outside of Leeds:

1.  Getting my camera stolen in Venice (not funny, but memorable)

2.  Caving in Budapest with amazing people

3.  My 3 week trip in May/June (London, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Belgium, Spain)

4.  My 4 week trip in April (France, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and the Royal Wedding in London)

5.  Getting up at 3AM for the Royal Wedding

6.  Taking the Tube

7.  Paying 21 euro for a taxi ride in Florence (10 cents/10 seconds!  SCARY!)

8.  Just BEING in Santorini

9.  The 24-hour bakery in Santorini

10.  Dermott, the tour guide in Ireland

11.  Justin D Beaver!!!

12.  Plitvice National Park

13.  Auschwitz and Birkenau

14.  Felix and his pants!  XD  Sorry, but it’s just still sooo funny!

15.  JOSH AND THE BAG OF VOMIT!!!

16.  Watching Ben, the Eastern Europe tour guide, dance to Katy Perry’s "Hot and Cold"

17.  Spending an 1 ½ hours at the police station in Madrid because Vanessa’s wallet was stolen

18.  Making the split-second decision to see "Les Mis" in London

19.  Eating terrible Chinese food in Budapest

20.  Standing on top of the world on the Eiffel Tower with my mom

21.  Kissing the Blarney Stone (on top of a castle and upside down!)

22.  Making friends with Barb and Sarah at the beginning of the Ireland tour after we were all dropped off at the wrong hotel!

23.  Discovering crazy 6 degrees of separation all over the world

24.  Being asked directions about a million times this semester and also all over the world…Apparently I look like I could be from anywhere!

25.  Being asked by a Brit if I’m from Germany!

26.  Being told MANY times that Chelsea and I look like sisters/twins

27.  Seeing Matt Lauer, Anne Curry, and Meredith Vieira in person in London

28.  Riding the Hogwart’s Express in York!

29.  Taking a ghost tour of York

30.  Regretting taking the ghost tour in Prague

31.  Doing everything Harry Potter related in Edinburgh

32.  Sadly realizing Brian Jacques lived in Liverpool and that I was there a WEEK before he died

33.  Going to the Doctor Who Experience in London

34.  Realizing that I can live for 4 weeks out of my duffel bag (~10 shirts!)

35.  Loving the fact that I could actually give accurate directions to people in Edinburgh after only 2 1/2 days

36.  Eating a Belgian waffle in Brussels

37.  Simply being in England

38.  Adoring the amazing English countryside (especially on the way to the Lake District)

39.  Petting (and riding with) Jack, the horse that was in the movie "Pride and Prejudice"!

40.  Sitting on an actual royal throne in Dublin Castle

41.  Sleeping in the most comfortable beds in the world in Brussels

42.  Visiting Sarah V. and Ginny S. in London!

43.  Experiencing some of the most awkward moments in my life in Croatia

44.  One word: Sausage

45.  Silent Disco in Split, Croatia

46.  Seeing how sheep herding is done in Ireland

47.  Taking a 70-minute boat cruise on Lake Windermere and freezing my butt off

48.  Taking a 36-hour ferry from Venice to Patras (on our way to Athens) and sleeping on the floor in the hallway for two nights

49.  Nearly EVERYONE in our group reading Julia Quinn’s “Dancing at Midnight” in Greece

50.  Meeting a TON of Wisconsinites in Ireland…“Small world” statement never ceases to amaze me

51.  Laughing at the fact that in Budapest, without thinking, all 5 Americans on the tour hung out for most of the day

52.  Having a 4 hour skype conversation with Pam!

53.  Conversing with Felix from 2AM until 4AM in Split and going to bed at 5AM to get up at 7AM the next day and go to bed at 2AM…A bit sleep deprived!

54.  Arriving in Leeds on January 13^th and heading off to London for the weekend the very next day on the 14^th!  J

55.  Realizing I’d spent more time in London than I had in Leeds by my 5^th day in the UK and that I knew London MUCH better!  XD

I live an exciting life.

June 30^th

An unexpected

link to her past surfaces.

Poems are in her blood.

Hiya.

     It's been nice taking a break from blogging.  I know some of you still care to know what's been going on, so I'll catch you up.

     On Sunday, my friend Felix came over from Manchester and we hung out around Leeds and ate at that wonderful Thai restaurant I've mentioned before.  It was just as good the second time.  Earlier that day, I awoke to find someone entering my flat.  I usually wouldn't have found this odd as the building maintenance people come in Monday-Friday to take out our trash and on Fridays clean the bathroom/shower room, however, this was Sunday as I said and no one comes on Sundays!  I immediately dashed out of bed to find a friend who lives in a flat a few floors below mine stealing a chair from the kitchen.  After an awkward pause, she informed me that she had brought the chair up from her flat a few weeks ago and came to reclaim it.  She also informed me that her key works in my door...  This is a rather scary thought.  If hers works, how many other people have access to my flat?  There is no purpose in telling the main office because I know of friends this semester who had the same thing happen to them (oddly enough, it was the EXACT same thing, where someone else's key worked in their door and they were in there to take a kitchen chair...) and my friends went and told the office, but they ignored the situation completely.  As I've mentioned in the past, this is not the best of dorms at this university.  My friend recalling her chair asked me to join her and some people for lunch later on, so I did.

     Today I saw Bridesmaids at the Leeds Vue in the Light.  I love this theater!  It's odd how they actually have assigned seats, but overall, I think it is very well put together.  The whole system is.  When you buy your ticket, you wait in a queue and a cashier number is called out when it is free.  Everyone waits in one line, not multiple lines.  Behind the counter are screens with movie times and menus.  Each movie has detailed information: when it will start (there is actually a countdown time and it will tell you if the movie is already playing or not), how many available seats there are, etc.  It's a neat concept.  When you enter the theater, there are no "cheap seats" or "latecomer" seats as we have in our theaters (you know, those seats in the very front where you have to crane your neck up just to see the whole screen).  And, not only does it have stadium seating, but there is plenty of leg room.  The only fault I find with the screening room is that the doors are in the front of the room, so when latecomers do arrive, they distract you from the movie.  The solution is simple, the entrance should be at the rear of the room on the sides where there are walls/hallways guiding you to the front.  This way there is no light let in.  Madison's Star Cinema (AMC) does this.
     Anyway, it's a funny movie and one of the best parts is that it all is supposed to take place in Wisconsin!  Woohoo!  Milwaukee to be specific.
     Before the movie, I had a lovely time playing cards and hanging out with my friend Polly and her friend from Germany.  Polly taught me this awesome new card game (apparently it's a Turkish card game) and I taught them a few card tricks.

     My luggage will be shipped off in the morning and I will soon be living solely out of my duffle bag...again.  Home soon, but fun times still to come for me!

P.S., I'm pretty sure I'm related to the poet Andrew Marvell.  My cousin and I are doing research on our family and I'm fairly certain he grew up in the same town as some of my ancestors, so it stands to reason that he's one of them!  How cool!  If it be true, then this semester I've learned that I'm related to Andrew Marvell, I have Viking ancestors, and I'm a princess through the line of Constantine!  I live an exciting life.

Trip pictures.

Haiku-a-day:

June 24^th

Every dream must end.

I stare at the cluttered desk

waiting to be packed.

I have chosen to end my daily haikus.  I will continue to update my blog, but not every day.  I hope you have enjoyed reading them, even the cheesy/crappy ones!  Now, I leave you with my new favorite UK band Take That and their song The Flood.  Enjoy the music while looking through the pictures of my trip.  If you care to see more, check out my facebook page.

 St Paul's Cathedral, London.

 I finally found Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross station!

Stonehenge!  It was a rainy day.

 Bath, England at the Roman Baths.

 Prague, Czech Republic.  The underground metro stations were really cool!

 Inside St. Nicholas Church.

Our Lady Before Tyn.

 New Prague.

 The large cathedral inside the Prague Castle.

 Inside the Prague Castle.

 Prague in the background.

 Inside the Prague Castle.

 Old Prague.

 Old Prague (Our Lady Before Tyn).

 Old Prague.

Day 1 of the tour.  Kutna Hora, Bone Church.

 Crest of Bones.

 Olomouc, Czech Republic.

 Astronomical Clock in Olomouc.

 Beautiful church in Olomouc.

 Day 2. Auschwitz's infamous gates.

 Shoes.

 Auschwitz.

 Memorial at the wall where people were taken and shot.

 Toilets at Birkenau.

 Birkenau.

 Bunk beds.  Each level held 10 people.  That's 30 people per bunk.

 The survivor who we met.

 Watch tower.

 Memorial at the very end of Birkenau where the destroyed gas chamber is.

 Looking from the very end of Birkenau towards the front gates.  (Perspective of how huge Birkenau is.)  My second favorite picture of the trip.

 Gates standing alone.  Entrance to the gas chamber.

 Krakow.  Walking tour.

 Krakow.  Town Square.

 Day 3. Fire-breathing dragon outside of Krakow Castle.

 Schindler's Factory.  Bike tour.

 Salt mine tour, Krakow.

 Water in the caves of the salt mine.

 Chandelier made of salt.

 When we got back from the salt mine, we found this guy in the Town Square.

 Day 4.  Adorable house in Zakopane, Poland.

 Zakopane.

 Riding up the funicular.  One of my favorite pictures.

 On top of a mountain in Zakopane.

 A cow on top of the mountain!

 Shannon, Chelsea, and Josh.

 After zip-lining.  Steph, Elisa, Felix, Josh, Pam, Becks, Rachel, Matt, and Aaron.

Day 5.  Barcelona Football team's bus in Slovakia.

 Budapest at night.  On a boat cruise on the Danube.

 David, me, Antony, and Sarah.

 Day 6.  Crossing the bridge from Pest to Buda.

 On top of the Citadel.

 Monuments on the top of the Citadel.

 Budapest Castle and a church.

 Another church near the castle.

 Parliament.

 St Stephen's Cathedral.

Budapest.

 A beach we stopped at for a little while.

 Croatian countryside.

 Cute little village where the waterfalls flow under some of the houses.

 Bar-B-Que dinner.  Matt, Becks, Allyson, Tash, Nancy, Rachel, Aaron, Gabrielle, Felix, and Pam.

 The cabins we stayed in.

 It finally stopped raining!

Day 7.  Plitvice National Park.

 Look at how clear the water is.  You can see roots and fish and the depth of the water.

 Short boat ride in Plitvice.

 My favorite picture of the trip.

Day 8.  Split, Croatia.  Walking tour.

 Gabrielle, Ant, and myself at the fish restaurant.

 Day 9.  The pier.  End of tour.

 Brussels, Belgium.  These molds of Manneken Pis are made of chocolate!

 The Town Hall.

 Me eating a Belgian waffle.  Toppings: strawberries, whipped cream, and hot chocolate.

 The Manneken Pis.  I'm unsure of why they dressed him.  He's usually naked.

 Me in Madrid, Spain.

 There are parks everywhere in Madrid.

 Palacio Real.

 Spying into the courtyard of the Palacio Real.

 Vanessa and I on top of the cathedral right across from the palace.

 Neat church across from the Museo del Prado.

 La Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales.  The National Library and Museums.  (Above picture as well.)

 In the Parque del Retiro: the Palacio de Cristal.  (Crystal palace. Has a slide inside!)

Vanessa inside the Palacio de Cristal.

 Back in Leeds.  Me at the Great Hall.

 Great Hall courtyard.

 Sara, me, and Chelsea for their good-bye dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant.

Me!  Packing in my room.