Day 3: June 11, 2013 - V&A and Midsummer at the Globe!

Today was so much fun! I woke up around 8:00. I slept ok last night - I woke up from 1:00-3:00 but I just watched The Office and went back to sleep. I got ready for the day then worked on some homework. I had a bagel with cream cheese and some milk for breakfast - I know you all wanted to know that... I had class at 10:00 so after chilling with Jena in the living room for a bit, I headed down to the basement. By the way, I think someone counted our stairs - freaking 62! I want to die every time I go up them. Anyway, my first class was Heroes, Myths, and Legends. I love mythology, I took Crampton's mythology class in high school and loved it! Rick is teaching it and he is focusing a lot on Anglo-Saxon and Celtic mythology which is way cool. After that class, we had a group meeting. We just went over a few little things. I headed back upstairs and SparkNoted my Modern Legacies book... don't judge me, it's a hard read. That class was at 12:30 and there are only three of us in that class - Lexi, Cassidy, and Me. It was interesting because the book we have to read, Orlando, is really weird and about some guy that is kind of a player and then he later turns into a chick.. I don't know, I'm just glad it's on Sparknotes. Plus I have the book on my iPad and so while Nate was reading passages and stuff, I was still looking for the right page on my version. Oh well. I dropped my stuff off upstairs. I got some little microwave pizzas at Waitrose and I tried one out - it wasn't very good...

We hurried downstairs because we were all going to the Victoria and Albert Museum that is just a few blocks from our flat. It was HUGE! I was with Kasee, Tayler, Brandon, Stephen, and Anna and we stayed from like 2:00-5:00! It was so fun to hang out with them and look at all the cool stuff they have in the V&A.

We went back to the flat and then Kas and I went looking for something to eat. We went to the Pret-a-Manger (a sandwich shop) across from South Kensington tube station. I got a ham, cheese, tomato, and bacon hot panini thingy. It was ok, not the best, not the worst. I stopped at the little Waitrose and grabbed a Dr. P and some chocolate - YUM! We hurried back and ate and got ready.

We were going to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at the freaking Globe Theater! I still didn't have my tube pass so I met Rick at his apartment at ten to 6:00 and we headed down to South Kensington to get my Oyster Card. I felt bad, Rick bought so many yesterday that his bank put a flag on his card so he had to use his personal card. Everyone else arrived just as we had finished which was perfect. We all got on the super crowded tube (I assume it was because everyone was getting off of work) and got off at Mansion Place station. We walked for a bit then crossed this bridge on the Thames River. The Globe was SO cool!

The outside was all medieval looking. We stood in line for a bit. We were in the standing up section - they call it "Groundlings". We walked in and it was just so cool! I can't believe how many plays have been performed there and all the history. The play was so amazing! The guys were hot which was a plus and it was just so fun seeing it at The Globe and everything. Because we were standing and I had already spent all day on my feet, my feet were killing me! I kept like squatting and leaning on the back to try to relieve some of the pain. I took my shoes off during intermission and rubbed them, that helped a little. After the play, we went inside the little gift shop. I didn't buy anything but we are going there two more times so I might later. We sat on some steps that led down to the river, Kas and Brandon picked up rocks from the Thames. We crossed the bridge again and got back on the tube. We walked back to the flat.

I finally got to shower! I don't have a towel yet because we haven't had time to go to the one store so... but Kas was the shiz and let me borrow hers. It felt so good to be clean! I did some homework and wrote this! What a wonderful day! See you tomorrow!

Day 1 & 2: June 9-10, 2013 - Off to Londontown!

Guys. I'm in London! My flight to freaking Detroit was yesterday June 9 at 3:15. I got to the airport around 12:15 and met up with the people going on the group flight with Jena. It was hard for me to say goodbye to my family but I'm so grateful for their love and support, thanks for teaching me to love the world and adventures!

Here's a picture of us standing in the security line...

I got a Dr. P and a chocolate shake from Smashburger at the airport waiting for the plane to start boarding. I got to know a lot of the people I'm going to spend the next six weeks with which is really fun! I'm really excited to get to know them all better and share this amazeballs adventure with them (that was for you Al if you read this :D). On the way to Detroit, I sat by the window squished next to these two old people who didn't speak English. That was fun when I had to pee really bad but they were both asleep.

So we all know how much I LOVE Detroit... that was sarcastic. I hate Detroit. With a passion. Bob is the biggest douche and I'm pretty sure the "soul food" is still living in my stomach... Anyway, we were only there for an hour. I didn't even have time to grab some food so I got super yummy airplane food... I sat next to Jena and Kasee on the flight to London. It was nice sitting next to familiar faces and having an aisle seat. I can't sleep on planes very well - I'm just so uncomfortable and my legs usually blow up like balloons - I wore my mom's compression socks and they did work very well but still. I just hate flying, not because I'm scared, but because I am just so uncomfortable.

So I watched like four movies, ending in Peter Pan! The flight was only like six-seven hours so really not bad. We got there an hour earlier than expected which was super nice. We got off and stood in the super long, fun customs line. We got our bags (I was really glad that my luggage wasn't lost in the abyss of luggage never to be found), herded everyone together, and went on a hunt for Camille and Natasha. We waited for two and a half hours for them until we finally gave up and got on the Tube to our flat.

We left the station at "Cockfosters" TEEHEE! We got off at Gloucester Road. Apparently our group isn't very good at crossing streets in London. It's the same as in America - you cross when there is a little green man lit up... It took us a while haha we made it to the flat finally and got our keys. I'm rooming with Natasha, Kasee, and Sam, or the DA as we like to call it :D So I had a big suitcase that weighed exactly 50 pounds, a little carry-on that I had shoved all my random stuff into, and then a bulging backpack. Ya... there are a million flights of stairs in order to get to our flat... We are Flat 17 which is the second from the top. I started with the little suitcase but I still died. Getting the big one up was hilarious - my flip flops kept getting knocked off, thanks for grabbing them Kas! By the time I had lugged all my crap to my room, I was so tired, hot, and sweaty. But hey I did it and hopefully I'll lose some poundage climbing up all those stupid stairs a million times a day. We unpacked and got everything settled.

 Super cool random church right down the street from us...

 We have two bunk beds - Kas and I get top, Sam and Tash get bottom

 We all get little wardrobes too

View from our window - very posh neighborhood in Kensington...

I facetimed with my fam and apparently missed the time when everyone was supposed to meet up to get our Oyster Cards, our transportation cards. So Sam escorted me to the South Kensington Tube station and I met up with Nate and a few others in the group. There was a problem with the UVU credit card so Nate said to go grab something to eat and meet him back at the station. I wasn't too hungry so I headed over to Starbucks and grabbed a caramel vanilla bean - YUM!

I headed back to the meeting spot and they had left without me again... I looked all around the station but I couldn't find them. So I just headed back to the flat and hung out with Sam and Tash before our apartment building meeting. Hopefully Rick and I can figure that out tomorrow. I tried so hard not to fall asleep. We went down to the basement and these two girls gave us a speech on all the crap that we are not supposed to do in the flat - uh duh! Sam, Tash, Camille, Shelby, Jessica, and I then headed down to the Waitrose (a little grocery store thingy). I grabbed some Dr. P of course, some grapes, bagels with cream cheese, chocolate, and some little microwave pizzas. Hopefully that'll get me through the week and I'll start to get a feel for my budget. We came home and unpacked then I rearranged my drawers and facetimed with Al for a bit. Now I'm blogging while listening to Kas read a SparkNotes summary of one of our readings... don't tell Rick or Nate! Can't wait for tomorrow, I have no idea what we are doing but I'm super excited!

Four Days Baby!!!

Ok we are down to four days!!! I cannot believe how soon it is. As I prepare for this crazy adventure, I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of freaking out! How am I supposed to fit six weeks of clothing into 50 pounds?! I have no idea what to pack! I've called AT&T, the bank so they won't freeze my account when I use my cards over there, I have a hair appointment on Thursday to dye/cut my hair - it's been since Jess' wedding in October... Oops :) I'm so excited but I'm a little nervous to be away from my family for that long, I mean my family and I are super close! At least I'll be able to Skype and talk to them every day. I've made some great friends and I can't wait to room with them and get to know everyone better! I want to thank my family and friends for helping me and supporting me with this trip! I'm SOOO excited!!! I'll let you all know how packing goes... See ya!