Those Final Days

One of these days, I will blog more regularly...

With my exams finally over, during my last week or so in London I set out to do all of the typical tourist things I hadn't yet done, like the seeing the changing of the guard and visiting the Sherlock Holmes museum. I know it seems strange that it took almost all 5 months to do it despite me knowing before I even got to London that I wanted to do these things, but there is just so much to do in London that I somehow never got around to it! After the first few weeks, I felt so at home that I honestly forgot about doing much of the tourist things in favor of more day-to-day things that your typical tourist may not get to. And I'm sure there are still things I may not have done that I will need to do next time.

Fortunately, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. If you weren't able to make it to one of London's many parks, I feel for you. It seems as though everyone was out at Regents Park or my personal favorite, Hampstead Heath, or any park. It was so nice especially after long exams.

Funny enough, when I went to see the changing of the guard, I spotted a man in a Penn State hat. So of course, when I caught his eye, I gave him a good ole "We Are" and he responded with the "Penn State". Both of us, and his (presumably) family had big smiles after. Gotta love finding fellow Penn Staters across the pond!

A few days before we left, CIEE had a farewell tea for us at the posh Royal Gardens Hotel. Everyone got all dolled up for some lovely afternoon tea, finger foods, and champagne. Here it finally hit me that my five months were over even though it felt like I had just landed at Heathrow for the first time. It was hard not to let the overwhelming feeling of sadness creep up at times. Saying goodbye to all of the friends I'd made was so surreal. Some of my friends were staying a bit longer than me because their programs were not over just yet, and listening to them make plans was kinda sad to hear. Although some of those plans were for summer meet ups in the states, so that helped ease the pain of leaving. Or maybe it was the champagne. Either way this was truly the perfect way to end my term abroad.

As a final fun touristy a bunch of us went to Harrods after tea. It took ever little ounce of will power in my body not to go bananas in the makeup and fashion sections. Although seeing the price tags did help to control my shopaholic-ness... At one point, my friend Christina and I made our way to the *best* part of Harrods: THE DISNEY STORE! We may or may not have gone a little crazy... I regret nothing. Disney is the best and who wouldn't want to chill with huge figurines of Woody and Olaf and the rest of the Disney gang? Crazy people. That's who. But our little adventure did mean we lost the rest of our group but also got to have a blast being kids at heart we are and later have a refreshing heart-to-heart, in the middle of Harrods, because why not!

The night ended at Kings Cross. I don't have to tell you what picture we took there, do I? Unfortunately, the wall didn't budge. We must've been too late to catch the Hogwarts Express. Bummer.

I could go on and on and on about how incredibly grateful I am to have had the opportunity to live and study in a different country for 5 months but there truly are no words that would do it justice. I can only hope that I will be able to go back and study for my postgraduate degree or simply to visit as I fell completely in love with the city and do miss it terribly. My months in London were some of the best of my life and I will cherish them for as long as I live.

As a final note, if anyone ever has any questions about the study abroad process or anything remotely related to it, do give me a shout and I will gladly be of help in anyway that I can. :)

xx

Long Time No Chat

Hey all! Long time no chat!

Sorry for the lack of updates but since my last post I spent most of my time studying (and by studying I mean Netflix & cramming) for/ taking my final exams, and trying to enjoy my last few days in London since I leave this weekend. This has left little time to blog so I don't miss out on any last thing I want to do. This means being a super dorky tourist in a city I've called home and hope to call home again sometime in the future. But that's a ways off, for now.

Moby Dick – easy Grandma!

Hey there!

So I was going through some of my journal entries and my pictures when I realized there were some experiences that I hadn't written about yet that I knew I had wanted to share so I figured, why not! Better late than never.

I Think They Scored a Touchdown

Hey all! Time for another London update!

I'll start off with our trip to the London Eye. Despite being here for almost 3 months, I had yet to make the trek to the London Eye but it was every bit of as gorgeous as I had imagined. The whole experience only takes about 30 minute but that's all you need to really take in the beauty of the city. Since we went late in the day, it was really cool to watch the sunset from almost the dead top of the Eye.


Saturday we went out to Wembley to watch the first ever rugby match at Wembley featuring the Saracens v. Harlequins. Now, I may be a sports nut, but rugby is one of those sports that I am clueless about. After watching the match, I'm still a bit confused but I do understand it better. Even if I do keep using American sports terminology to understand it better. For example, I kept referring to the scrum as the rugby version of a jump ball in basketball.

I have to say from my game day observations, we Americans do team spirit way better than over here. I know that it was neither teams home stadium and it was rugby and not footy but dang, I feel like the Brits could learn a bit from us on supporting your team. I missed the crazy fun fan atmosphere of Beaver Stadium for Penn State football or M&T Bank Stadium for Ravens football. Or the feel you get from watching any of the March Madness games. Where people are clearly so invested in the game that the outcome can, and often does, affect their emotions and mood for the rest of the day.

Pre-game entertainment was nothing like I'd ever seen for a sporting event. Music was first provided by Elvis, Whitney Houston, and Elton John impersonators; they were actually pretty damn good singers even if the song choices were unexpected. Then it was a choir, which was also good but, they also sang slow songs like True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, not what you expect as 'pump up' pre-game music. I'm used to songs like Thunderstruck by AC/DC and songs of that nature. But to each his own I guess. At least it was good music, just unexpected.

The game itself was pretty fun to watch. A good portion of it seemed like I was watching American football, and even some of the scoring was similar. Which is probably why I kept referring to a 'try's a touchdown and a goal kick as a field goal. That actually really helped me to understand the game better. It wasn't as action packed as American football, but still a lot of fun to watch. I'd heard how brutal it could be and boy is is a brutal game. It also made me really excited for autumn and PSU and Ravens football. (Yes, I realize how far away that is... but I miss football...)

Other than finally watching some live sports, I was most excited about going to Wembley for the first time. It truly is as stunning as it looks from the pictures; my pictures don't do it nearly the justice it deserves. I will say, I was surprised to know that it only seats 90,000 as it looks like more. Compare this to Beaver Stadium, which holds over 107,000. From a first glance, I thought Wembley would hold more.

All in all, it was a fun weekend enjoying friends and sport. Hard to not have fun when you also a have a drunk birthday party behind you and a group of men clearly out on a stag party a few rows back dressed as surgeons. Hopefully I make it out to a footy match before I leave London!

That's all for now!

Xx

Halfway Point

Hey all!

It took everything in me to not be super nerdy and name this post 'Halfway There' in a slight reference to Livin' On a Prayer' by Bon Jovi and put the lyrics here. But then I'd have the song stuck in my head forever. As a do now... hopefully you do to. Anyway, back on topic and onto the post.

 

It's hard to believe that I've already been here in London for over two months! It really still feels like yesterday that I landed in Heathrow to begin my journey. At the same time, I feel like I've been here long enough that I'm a true Londoner, even if it has only been a few months.

I've been ill this past week so I've stayed in to do some work and try to get better. At the same time, it has also given me a lot of time to reflect on my time here.

Before coming, London was all I could talk about. Even before I was officially accepted, I was constantly talking about it to the point I probably annoyed those around me. But all of my excitement seemed to mask my nerves. The day before I left I confessed to my sister that I was secretly terrified that my semester abroad wouldn't live up to my expectations. That I'd built up this fantasy in my head that the real thing could never possibly live up to. She helped to reassure me that it was just nerves and that I would have the time of my life. As much as I hate to admit, she was 100% right.

A big part of my nerves came from my history with depression and anxiety, particularly my social anxiety. I have never been good at making friends and still struggle with it to this day. And going to a country where I knew no one was absolutely terrifying. I was worried I wouldn't get on with the people in my program, my flat mates, my classes, you get the point. So there was a part of me that worried that I would become I complete hermit, like I used to be. I would do no exploring and simply go to my classes, get food, and hang out in my room. This was the exact opposite of what I wanted. Hello, I'm on a completely different continent, let alone country!

Fortunately, that hasn't been the case. I've done some exploring and done a little bit of traveling, more of that will hopefully come during spring break when I have the whole month of April off. I am a little wary about traveling to countries where I don't know any of the language, but oh well. Part of my wishes I could forget about the school part of study abroad and just travel and explore. Learning and exploring new things could easily fill up my time. I'm one of those people that is just fascinated by things unknown to me.

Probably one of the biggest things that has happened in my time here is that I have learned a tremendous amount about myself. In just a few short months I have learned more about myself than I have in years. I was worried about my depression rearing it's ugly head again in horrible ways. Going back to that time period is something I never want to do as falling back into that deep hole is a scary enough thought. It's truly thrilling to me that it hasn't. And my anxiety hasn't caused me too much trouble. I still have to deal with my social anxiety and the fact that I am horrible at making friends, but that is something that I can deal with, with relative ease. As in, it doesn't make me upset, anymore that is. Then there is the fact that my family is thousands of miles away and although I miss them dearly, it's a great feeling knowing I can manage on my own in a foreign city. Leaving home for Penn State was one thing, I'm only a few hours drive away, London is a totally different story. Even though I still rely on my parents for a few things, it's a step in the right direction. I'm a big girl now! (Jokes, I like jokes).

Because Harry Potter is life and deserves to be on my blog because, Harry Potter.

That's all for now! If there is anything I haven't talked about involving London, etc. that you are interested in, let me know!

Until next time my friends.

Xx

Puppies, Birthdays, and Going Brunette

Hey all!

First I feel the need to mention how much I love seeing dogs on the tube. The other day. a man apologized for his beautiful chocolate labradoodle spending almost the whole journey sniffing me. I would have been more offended if the puppy DIDN'T come over to me so needless to say, I was not offended in the slightest. It takes everything in me not to steal every single one of these doggies and it has only made me miss my dogs more, especially my Molly girl.

13 years old and going strong <3

Growing up, I resisted getting color put in my hair at all costs. I was naturally blonde and proud of it. Then when I was 14, this Redken promotion happened where you got free highlights with a purchase of the blonde specific shampoo and conditioner and Misty, who has done my hair all of my life, said she thought it'd look good. And I trust her, so I bit and let her do it. And then  I was hooked on getting color.

Flash forward a few years and it had been over two months since my last hair appointment, my ends needed to be trimmed and my roots were showing. I hate it when my roots show; I despise it. I just don't like the look and often think it looks worse than it actually does. But I was stuck in a dilemma as, with the exception of one time because Misty was on maternity leave and even then it was another stylist who I know and trust, only one person has ever touched my hair. I knew I needed to get my hair done but had no idea where to turn. Fortunately, London is filled with great stylists so it was only a matter of choosing and I ended up at a place called ESHK near my flat.

(Picture courtesy of ESHK-hair.com)

The salon itself was swanky and modern, which is what I expected for a salon in the Shoreditch area. They make you feel right at home by taking your coat and offering you a drink before sitting you down to wait for your stylist. My stylist was the lovely Marta and I could not recommend her more. She was very easy to talk to and was overall just very helpful in figuring out what we were going to do. ESHK is a Wella salon so they had the big swatch book that made it easy to see what the colors would look like as finished products.

I initially went in thinking I wanted to just go a dark blonde color but Marta convinced me that going darker would look good with my complexion, and I'm so glad I trusted her. Never in a million years would I have imagined my hair being this dark, but I absolutely love it. And as someone who is also trying to grow her hair out, it was nice knowing that the dead ends were the only part of my hair she cut as I was actually the most anxious about that part since I have heard horror stories about stylists taking off too much.

Then it was my flatmate, Christelle's, birthday on Thursday so we went out and celebrated with some drinks at a local bar. Even though it was my first time there, B@1 quickly became a favorite. It's hard to beat 2 for 1 cocktails, especially when they're really good and they are made for you by flirty, attractive bartenders ;). The atmosphere was just fun and perfect for a birthday. The night ended with a trip to Brick Lane for some bagels, and by bagels I mean REAL bagels. When it comes to bagels, I am your stereotypical Jew in that I am very picky in what constitutes a good bagel. So it was a nice change of pace to have a damn good bagel with lox and the best part: it was only £1.60!

That's all for now! If you have anything you want me to write about let me know, I'm always up for some ideas!

Xx

The Weekend That Was: Parliament and THON

Hey all!

This past week has been half term or what it's known as at my uni, 'guided independent study week'; so I only had one module all week plus a 7 page paper due. It was nice to be able to take a break, recharge, and do all of the things I didn't have time for like a full out room clean and a massive load of laundry. I probably could have done something more exciting but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

On Saturday, a large group of us went to tour the Houses of Parliament. It was a rare gorgeous day out with only a few clouds in the sky. Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures inside, which is a shame because it is so beautiful. The architecture is simply stunning and the detailing is so ornate, I could have spent days just admiring it all.

Our tour guide was this elderly gentleman who kept making jokes about the states. Before we even began he asked if we were all from 'the colonies'. It was interesting learning how different their government is set up but also learning about some of the similarities that I didn't necessarily expect as I am admittedly not all that familiar with the British government.

But the real highlight of the weekend came on Sunday around 9pm local time and 4pm back on the East Coast. You see, this past weekend was the most important weekend of the year: THON weekend. I, of course, spent the majority of the weekend glued to my computer screen watching the live webcast from THON wishing I was there in the stands dancing with 15,000 of my closest friends. After having been at THON last year for all but about 6 of the 46 hours (not counting the 9 waiting in line beforehand), it felt so strange to not be in the BJC with my FOTO family and instead watching from a computer in my flat.

However, not being there didn't stop the overwhelming feeling of pride and excitement watching the stream as the hours ticked down and it got closer to the reveal. And the butterflies in my stomach and tears of absolute joy still came as the final total was revealed. There truly is no event like THON and I am honored to be apart of it. Just knowing that I had a part in helping to make a difference in the lives of others is truly a wonderful feeling. I already cannot wait until THON 2015!

(Picture courtesy of Onward State)

Me (and FOTO Bear) at THON 2013 - Inspire Tomorrow's Miracles

Until next time,

Xx

Getting Acclimated

Hey all!

Despite the endless fun and free time that was first 2 weeks of my trip, I am actually here to go to school. I'd almost forgotten about that part as I toured the city. Class structure here, or should I say module structure, is very different. I only have 4 classes and each is split into 2 parts: a lecture and a seminar that totals 3 hours a week. Fortunately, my schedule leaves me Wednesdays and Fridays off to explore. And all of my final grades, or marks, consists of one exam in May and one paper. That's it. This means a lot of studying, or revising, on my own and better time management skills. So far so good though. I especially like my Modern American history (1850-1920) class since it is taught from a completely different perspective than I have ever been taught.

One other thing starting classes has brought me is a routine. No longer do I feel like a tourist in a strange city. It feels more like home now that I've settled in.

I read recently that London is officially the most expensive city in the world. I can back that up; this city is damn expensive. As a self-proclaimed shopaholic who is near Oxford Street and Regent Street on a regular basis, this is a problem. It's just so nice finally having my favorite stores right by me instead of having to rely on the internet for my fashion favorites. I'm trying not to shop, I really am…

To quell my shopping urges, I've found that I like walking around and simply window shopping or popping into random shops I've never heard of, just for a look. Recently I went out to Camden Market by myself just because I felt like it. As I wandered in and out of the stalls I took the time to observe my surroundings and just take it all in. The place is just so different from your typical tourist stuff (It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London). It's much more alternative and eclectic than you'd expect. And there is food from all over the globe, I was a little disappointed that I'd eaten before I left or else I would have eaten more. Almost everything in the market is negotiable from what I've gathered so next time I go I plan to bring my best bartering skills even though a good number of the stalls sell similar things that are clearly geared toward tourists.

Outside of the markets there are your more typical stores such as Boots, Urban Outfitters, etc., which was also nice when the urge to be a tourist vanished. I was fortunate to wander into a pub that wasn't too crowded with tourists and it very well may have become one of my favorites.

That's all for now!

Xx

Whirlwind of a Week

Oh what a week it has been!

I cannot remember the last time I have been this tired and it wasn't because of THON weekend. I've done the red bus tour, gotten lost a few (ok a lot of) times, met a ton of new people, and I have completely fallen in love with London. Every day has brought new challenges and experiences and I can't wait to see what else is in store.

I'm going to keep this relatively short because I could easily ramble on and on about everything I've seen and done since my arrival. But in this short time I have already learned so much about myself and really had the time to reflect on how far I have come from a mental health stand point. I was a little worried my anxiety would go into overdrive when I got here and I would not be able to take it all inane enjoy it. I'm not one who deals with having many sudden changes to my schedule all that well, but so far so good.

On a more beauty related note I am happy to say that I have finally gotten my hands on the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and it is every bit as good as advertised! Same goes for the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and the Soap&Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. I nearly squealed like a weirdo when I used these for the first time after longing for them for such a long time. My plan whilst I'm here is to try/buy primarily products I can't/are extremely hard to/are more expensive to get in the states. The same goes for fashion. Topshop being less expensive over here is extremely dangerous for my bank account...

If these kinds of posts aren't your thing fear not, I will still be writing beauty, etc. related posts. But I thought it;d be nice to keep y'all, especially my family back home, updated on my travels. This ended up taking a different tone than I wanted, ah well.

Talk to y'all later!

Xx

Emotions Running Wild

Hey y'all!

It's finally hit me.

Exactly three months from today, I will be sitting in my orientation. In London. A city I have never been to. In a country I have never been to.

Holy. Crap.

I know I've talked about this before, I'll probably ramble on about it to death to be honest, and somethings I'm about to write may be a little redundant, but right now my feelings are a little different from when I was first accepted. And don't get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled. Words cannot even describe how excited I am for this experience. Studying abroad has been a dream of mine since high school. I have always wanted to travel the globe and learn about other countries first hand. But the reality of it all is all hitting me at once.

I won't be a three-hour drive away from my parents in the next state north, in the same timezone. Instead I'll be across the Atlantic, in another country, in another timezone, about an eight-hour flight away. I know I am relatively independent from my parents as far as day-to-day tasks and such are concerned, at least I like to think that I am, but this is a whole different ball game. I can't go home on weekends for short visits or doctor's appointments. I probably won't be able to talk to my family as often as I do. My U.S. American sports teams/leagues will be difficult to watch (For anyone who knows me, this is very disappointing). I'll miss THON, my most favorite event ever. Timezones may cause me to miss other events in general. There will be products of many types I won't be able to get. The currency is different. The language is still English, but a different kind so some slang, etc. may confuse me despite all of the tv shows, movies, music, YouTube videos, etc. I watch/listen to from the UK (which is surprisingly a lot). I don't have a single friend or family member that lives abroad that I can go to in an emergency (albeit I will obviously make friends there).

All of these things combined have made my mind run wild and just thinking about it is currently making my heart race. The unknown is funny in that it can be both terrifying and very exciting, depending on how you decide to approach it.

I am constantly reading about London and specifically study abroad experiences, etc. in London so I feel as though I am preparing myself well. I know I'll at some point be homesick and experience culture shock no matter how prepared I feel. I know it's probably going to get even more overwhelming as my departure day draws nearer. Hopefully my tendency to over-prepare (if only you could see all of the information I have gathered…) will lessen the anxiousness I know I will feel.

No matter what kinds of emotions hit me, I can honestly say that three months is still too long to wait! I know, I know, I've already waited so long that three months will fly by. But I just want to be in London already!

Talk to y'all soon. xx

Accepted to Go Abroad

I'm going to London. Cue Chandler Bing dance.

In January, I am heading to London for the spring semester. To say that I am thrilled to going would be an understatement. Studying abroad has been something I have been dreaming about for a long time. Ever since I got to college, I began researching how to study in London. When I met with an advisor to see what I had to do, I was way far ahead of the game already. Then when my application was finally open for spring 2014, I immediately began to apply. To be honest, it almost became an obsession.

And now it's official and I almost can't believe it.

My preparations have already started (actually they started long before I was accepted… yup I am that girl) and I cannot wait to find out more in the coming months. I know as it gets closer I will likely feel much more nervous than I currently am, I mean come on I have never even left the East Coast before let alone go and live in a different country for 6 months. And with my history of anxiety and depression there is a slight worry about how I will cope with the shock to my system that is studying abroad. Unlike being at Penn State, when I am in London, I'm not going to be a mere 3 hour drive away from my family to come home for the weekend if I need a break. I will have to rely on those around me and Skype.

But I want this. No, I need this. After everything I have been through, this could be the ultimate test to see how strong I have truly become. It's a test I think I'll pass because I think my fears will outweigh/ be overtaken by desire to learn and experience the world beyond my comfort zone.

Only time will tell.