Out with the Old, in with the New

It is really easy to say you have changed as a person and let go of the things in the past that have weighed you down, but to actually do it, to completely let go of everything, is the most liberating feeling in the world. Although I have been letting go piece by piece in the time I have been here, I feel like in the past few days I can finally say I feel free. I can't decide what sparked this change, maybe it was the fact that my phone memory was full and I deleted all of my old messages and voicemails or the fact that I finished all my papers and mid-terms that had been stressing me out at the beginning of the week. Regardless of what it was exactly, I can honestly say I have completely let go. I am happy and having the time of my life in London. There are so many great things I have to look forward to in these next few months and even years and I am so excited to embrace every minute of it.

But like I mentioned I spent most of this past week writing papers. I had three due on Thursday and I only gave myself three nights to write them. So unlike me but when in London, right? Who has time for actual school work? Once the insanity of Thursday was over though it was time to relax and have fun again. Thursday night a group of us went to Dirty, a club in Soho. It was a lot of fun and we danced until about 2am. It was a much needed break after a crazy week.

On Friday I had work in the morning (it was a little rough) and then I met up with Perri, Helen and Rena at Free State for the afternoon. On Friday night we went to a roof-top bar, Madison's Cafe, which is Scott's go-to spot. He had said it was amazing and he wasn't kidding. The views were breathtaking. One whole side of the bar was all windows overlooking London. There was an outdoor seating area too where we sat and had a drink taking in the views. Absolutely wonderful! Such a nice low-key and classy night out. Could we really expect anything less from Scott though?

Saturday morning was warm and sunny so I got up early and went for a long run by myself around our area. It was really nice just to run and explore, not worrying about time or work. A lot of the flowers are blooming which is so pretty to see and there were so many people sitting on benches talking. So lovely. I was walking around Russell Square Park after my run and met up with Perri who was going on a run too. We continued together and then did some arm strengthening exercises. We are trying to get buff for spring break. We were joined by this older man who started doing exercises with us. He was in jeans though and struggled to keep up so decided to let us be. He was funny. That afternoon we did some work and then that night we went to a bar/club called the Horse and Groom. It is a real challenge to pick places to go because the websites make it seem one way and when you actually get there it is often different than you anticipated. That was the case on Saturday but we made the best of it.

Perri and I decided to leave early so we walked to the bus stop. Of course we had to wait for it to come but we actually found the right one we needed. After waiting about forty minutes in the cold we finally got on. Little did we know Charly and Kyle had left about 20 minutes after us and went to a different bus stop. Everyone else left 20 minutes later, saw them on the street and told them they were at the wrong bus stop. They all preceded to get on the right bus and to their surprise there was Perri and I. WHAT?!? I seriously don't understand how this happens. Perri and I left so much earlier than everyone else, waited in the cold and somehow all ended up together. Classic night bus.

Today we did a little shopping to pick up some last minute things we needed for spring break. We leave on Friday!! I am so excited. We are headed to Portugal and then Spain for the week so hopefully it will be sunny and warm.

An update on my internship: not much has changed. No one talks to me and no, I am not exaggerating. It is so weird. The other day I was making tea in the kitchen and this woman walked in. I said hi, she looked directly at me and didn't say anything. I had no idea what to do it was so awkward. All I have been doing is research and compiling media lists for upcoming events and projects. It is just a lot of the same even though I have asked to try other things but it will be alright. I am already almost halfway done so I can stick it out for another couple weeks.

I probably will not be able to write another post until after I get back from spring break so for all of you amazing people who actually take the time to read this you will most likely have to wait two weeks. Sorry. But I am sure my spring break adventures will be great!

On a more serious note I just want to take a minute to acknowledge, John Durkin, an American from Bates College studying abroad in Rome who passed away this week. It is a tragic story and one that really hit home for Perri, Helen and I. We realized just how fortunate we are to be so close and to know that we are watching out for each other no matter what.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

X.

Twenty-One in London

Turning 21 in London has been one of the best experiences of my life. Although I am far from home and miss my friends and family a lot, the people around me here have made my birthday one to remember.

This week started off with a lot of work and papers; I guess it is mid-terms already. I had to write a paper for my Economics class and I know absolutely nothing about economics (like is the word economics even capitalized??) No clue. Luckily I am pretty good at making it sound like I know more than I do, well at least I think I am. After finally getting that done though and pushing all of my other papers to this coming week, my birthday weekend began! 

Friday Night 

Thursday night we had the greatest intention of singing karaoke at the International Students House, another international program that allows CAPA kids to use their facilities and join clubs and things there. We were going to their bar though for karaoke Thursday. As a side bar I just want to say how confusing the London night bus system is. London has to be one of the easiest cities to navigate because of all the signs and easily labeled streets BUT the night buses are more complex than the current economy of China (that was the topic of my paper so I would know!). Despite all the planning I did before leaving to figure out how to get home, we somehow got lost going to the bar that night. So lost that we never even made it to karaoke and ended up fighting in the streets with Kyle, Charly and David. A woman approached and asked if we were alright and we said yes but then she flashed her badge and said she was an undercover cop and could help. We kindly declined and laughed the whole way home. I guess we will just have to wait for another week to sing. 

Despite the craziness of Thursday, Friday night may have been hands down my favorite night in London so far. We went to Imperial College bar (they were having a Valentines Day party encouraging everyone to wear white or pink.... we wore black). We danced for hours and I knew all but maybe 5 songs, which for me is a huge deal considering I have "awful taste in music" and never know many of the songs anyways. THEY PLAYED SClub7!!!! Like what? When does that happen? It was seriously amazing in so many ways. After the catastrophe from the night before and not being able to figure out the night buses, I spent a solid hour that afternoon planing our route home. But it ended up taking us almost 2 hours with a combination of a bus, walking and breaking down and getting a cab for a small part of it. We finally made it back around 4am but regardless the night was perfect. 

Saturday Night 

On Saturday during the day we went back to Camden Markets (I have decided the food here is the best in terms of markets). Perri and I couldn't decide between two things so we ended up getting both and splitting them. One was a falafel wrap with humus, veggies and chickpeas and the second was freshly made pita bread with melted mozzarella and Brie, homemade pesto sauce, arugula and tomatoes. So yummy!! We also splurged since it was my birthday and bought freshly squeezed lemonade but it was awful! I really didn't think someone could make lemonade taste so weird but this was not good. He squeezed orange into it too which makes me gag just thinking about it because I HATE juice. But even Perri and Helen said it wasn't good so I know it wasn't just me. 

Saturday night I got home and Perri and Helen had decorated our room with balloons, streamers and candles. It was so festive!! They also made me homemade macaroni and cheese and a wonderful salad. It was such a great dinner. Later that night we went back to Camden Town to a club called Proud. We had to basically go through airport security to get in ( I was actually patted down) but once we were in it was a lot of fun. The building used to be an old horse stable which they have converted into the club but the original stalls for the horses are still there, giving the place a really cool look. I have to admit by the time 12am hit and I officially turned 21, surrounded by the greatest friends, I was so tired and ready to leave. Although it was kind of early, after partying hard for three nights in a row I was ready for bed. Rena bought me an amazing Mexican quesadilla, which I devoured on the walk to the bus and we actually made it home without much trouble.

Oh Sunny Days 

Today we took it easy and relaxed. The sun was out all day and it was gorgeous. London gave me the best birthday present. We couldn't pass up not being outside so we went on a run through the parks. So perfect. We ran for maybe twenty minutes but then walked around the parks and sat on the stairs in front of our flat for a while, soaking in the sun. Perri and Helen also surprised my with fresh cut flowers all over our room and cupcakes and carrot cake!! Can anyone really know me better than them? Come on!! 

Tonight my wonderful, amazing parents treated us to dinner at this really cute Italian restaurant outside of central London. The food.... no words can describe it ( I had risotto with asparagus) and we just sat for hours eating and drinking wine. It was such a wonderful surprise and a great end to a really terrific birthday weekend. 

This whole weekend really could not have been any better. I have the best friends and parents in the world and could not be more appreciative. Turning 21 is such an exciting time and I am more than ready for whatever this year brings. I have a really good feeling it will be amazing.

X. 

A Murmuration

It has been a quiet and fairly uneventful week in London but one that was much needed considering the three of us are sick and suffering from major lack of sleep.

Stonehenge Throwback 

I finally started my internship and worked Tuesday, Wednesday and a half-day Friday. Overall I would say it was just alright. I spent a lot of time reading about the organization and had to take some online courses since I will be visiting the ambassador clubs and working with the disabled kids. I am really excited about that part. Besides that I have been doing research for an upcoming campaign they will be launching about travel accessibility. I am learning a lot but it's not too exciting and I wish I could be doing something more interesting. However, I am going to Parliament this Wednesday with my supervisor to lobby for funding and take pictures for their new website that is launching this week as well. Everyone at work has been really nice but it will take a few weeks for us to really get to know each other. Londoners aren't the most forward and open people with those they have just met. A major, major plus to this internship though is that I get five pounds a day for lunch!! When I heard that I had to ask my supervisor again to make sure I heard her right. This means I get a great lunch twice a week for FREE!! It really doesn't get much better than that when you are living on a budget.

Salad Time 

After talking with my parents on Thursday night and complaining about the lack of greens in our diet, they told me we had to go to the store the next day and get things to make a salad. And boy did we make a salad. It was amazing and we realized we were so dumb not to have gotten these things before. We have been trying to cut back on some of our favorites at home. For me, it's cheese, Perri, avocado and Helen, well any type of meat she can get her hands on. But we learned sometimes cutting out things we love makes us sad, so we have agreed to splurge once and a while. Our salad had a ton of veggies, pecans, feta and olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was so wonderful we are still talking about it. Thank you mom and dad!

Yesterday we went back down by the Thames and walked along the water near the London Eye and Big Ben. It was a beautiful day, super windy but the sky was clear. We walked around another floor of the Tate and went to Borough Market which we thought would be the highlight of our day. Perri and I were a little less than impressed. Don't get me wrong it is a great market that had lots of cheese and produce stands (which we are going to go back to) but there was so much meat and dead animals hanging around it was overwhelming. Perri and I had a tough time finding something to eat but we found an Indian food stand that was really great. It is hard to describe what we ate but I guess it was a type of potato in a crepe with a side of chickpeas in a masala sauce with pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. Helen of course was freaking out and couldn't decide what meat product to have. She finally settled on a sandwich with thick English bacon, a fried egg, greens and "special sauces". She was having the best time eating it and making a huge mess. For dessert we bought giant chocolate chip cookies, the perfect combination of softness with a crunch and we ate every bite.

I actually have some work to do this week because there are a few papers and midterms coming up in the next two weeks. I have to get it done early because I am going to be super busy with my birthday celebrations next weekend. I can't believe how quickly the time is going, this Wednesday will be one month here!!

We also booked our trip for spring break the first week in March to Lagos, Portugal and Barcelona, Spain. I am really excited and hope that the weather will be warm enough to sit on the beach in a bathing suit. I am definitely going to do it anyways though so I guess it does't matter.

Cheers! XX

It's a Lipstick Jungle

Thames 

I am sitting in a small coffee shop with Helen and Perri where we have an adorable window table with old-fashion fold down theater seats. From our window we can look out and watch people walking by. I have a cup of Earl Grey with soy milk and it came in a cute teal cup with a saucer, something straight out of your grandmother's cabinet. I am eating a brie and beet sandwich with a mango chutney on a sunflour-seed baguette. It is amazing and I don't want it to end. Today we have dedicated to doing homework and catching up on things. I had a pretty laid-back week since I didn't have my internship but it allowed me to go exploring and find some really cool places.

On Monday I had classes all day, nothing exciting, but on Tuesday I slept in and ventured to Bloomsbury Coffee House which is this great cafe with old mismatched wooden chairs and tables. The staff was really friendly and it was bustling with people the entire four hours I was there. I got a cup of tea and a goat cheese and pesto sandwich. I did a little homework but mostly just read a book and listened to conversations around me. It was a great afternoon and definitely a place I will go back to often. On Wednesday I had another free day and went to a different coffee shop with Rena. It was called Store Street Expresso and a little more modern than Bloomsbury. We had tea and talked for a while ignoring the work in front of us. Rena, someone I did not really know at all before coming to London, is an amazing listener and has great advice. There is such a diverse group of us from Clark here but it is really great getting to know everyone better and becoming closer friends.

On Friday a bunch of us went to the Tate Modern. Because it is so big we decided to only do one floor and go back again to finish the others a different time. There were a ton of photography exhibits which were really cool and a lot of abstract sculptures and pieces. Kyle, who was feeling slightly out of his comfort zone, took over as camera man after I strapped my camera around his neck but ended up really enjoying himself. No one is too cool for museums.

Cape Cod at the Tate 

Later Friday night we went to a bar called The Warwick which was so much fun. When we walked in it was a little more laid-back with less dancing than we were hoping for but that didn't stop us from dancing away and getting others to join. We met a lot of interesting people that night, some cool and others who should have been home with their wife (if you know what I mean). Regardless, it was a blast and definitely a night some of us will never forget!

On Saturday afternoon Perri, Helen, Rena and I went down to the Thames and got a closer look at the London Eye. It was really windy by the water but an absolutely gorgeous day with blue skies and sunshine, a rarity in London. There just happened to be a market going on by the water that day too and we had to check it out. Food markets are everywhere in London and dangerous for those on a budget. I realized that an ideal job of mine would to be an international food critic, so I am going to practice here and give you descriptions and opinions of the foods we ate. I feel like this is becoming more of a food blog than anything else but honestly the food has been so good it would be a shame not to talk about it.

Bruschetta 

I have to say I was a little hesitant about venturing into the market because it all looked so good and I didn't want to torture myself by looking at all of the amazing food I couldn't buy. But I am so glad they convinced me. Everything was so fresh and it had a lot of organic and natural foods. All of the vendors also love giving out samples so we sampled our way through and went back for the things we just had to try. Perri and I, the vegetarians, stuck together for the most part and decided to go back and try bruschetta. It was a thin slice of crusty sourdough bread piled high with tomatoes and basil, drizzled with olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese. It was a little too cold for my taste but the bread was soft in the middle and the tomatoes were ripe and sweet, even for this time of year.

Welsh Rarebit 

We also got a Welsh rarebit which was out of this world. It was thick crusty bread spread with a Welsh farmhouse cheese, a spicy mustard and infused with ale. We chose to put caramelized pears on top too. So good! Helen came up with this great scale to help make comparing all of these foods easier. The scale is from mush to crepes (for those who have been reading this you will understand). I would give the bruschetta a 7.5 and the Welsh rarebit an 8. It was an overall very successful day.

I have to wrap this up I have been writing this for way too long and sitting in this cafe eating way too much, the flaky croissant with melted cheese and tomato is a new favorite of mine here. I am excited for this week ahead since I will finally be starting my internship! Hope all goes well.

Cheerio. X