Spring Break 2011

I am sitting here and trying to study, but really I am just procrastinating...so I thought why not write my very long blog post about my two week European adventure! At least this is somewhat productive, and the sooner I get this on paper, the less likely I am to forget all the wonderful little details!
So here goes...I left for the airport around 3 AM on Sunday, April 24th to fly to Valencia, Spain. Valencia was a nice small town on the eastern coast of Spain. Unfortunately, when we book this whole trip it never occurred to me that since we were traveling on Easter, everything was going to be closed! Oh well...main points of Valencia: very cool towers and some neat churches, delicious sangria and tapas, and the beach was beautiful. The first day we (being Aron, Helen, and myself) explored the area, grabbed some lunch...I ordered a random sandwich and it turned out to be very yummy. It wasn't too difficult getting around or speaking with people because I know minimum Spanish. We also went out for dinner and ate paella and drank wonderful sangria!!! Although we later found out we got totally ripped off for the jug of sangria, but oh well life goes on. The next day we took an amazing walking tour and learn a lot about Spanish history. Later we went on a tapas tour and got to sample some of the local dishes....it was sooooo yummy. It turned out the tour guide's parents were on the tour, so we got special treatment and received extra tapas and a dessert platter. Valencia is known for a special drink called agua de valencia and think of a mimosa, but on steroids. It tasted like fresh orange juice and could get very dangerous when drinking multiple glasses! The oranges are also amazing because they are locally grown. The next day we took a bike ride from the hostel through the City of Arts and Sciences (google it if you don't know what it is...very cool looking buildings) and finally made our way to the beach. The sea was beautiful and we walked along the promenade and along the water. We planned to spend the next day laying out and relaxing at the beach, but here is where Valencia went to hell!
Aron and I went out for a pub crawl organized by the hostel and it was tons of fun. We met lots of people and had a really good time. Around 3 or 4 AM I decided it was time for me to go to bed...the people in Spain don't start going out till 1 AM and then party all night long till the sun comes up...it's crazy!!! Anyway, Aron stayed with the majority of the people from the hostel and continued party on. On the way back to the hostel, Aron lost the group and ended up getting mugs and attack...this was the scariest part of the trip. Once Aron made it home and attempted to explain what happened, we called the police and the EMTs. This was a "fun" morning and unfortunately we didn't make it to the beach. In the end everything worked out and hopefully the attacker will be caught and punished. Good lesson was learned from this experience, to always be aware of your surrounding and be careful when enjoying the night life in a foreign country. Oh well, bad things happen, but this was not going to ruin any more of our vacation! So we put it behind us and moved on to Italy.
Oh Italy...oh the food...it was so good. I had been excited for Italy for so long and it was worth the wait. The first night we got a bit lost in Pisa, but after a while managed to find our B&B we were staying at for the night. There really isn't too much to see in Pisa beyond the Leaning Tower, but our B&B was my favorite place we stayed it was so cute and the owner was so friendly! We went to dinner and I ate gnocchi with a mozzarella and tomato sauce...it was delicious! The next morning we made our way to the see the famous tower. WOW, it really is leaning, pictures don't quite capture the angle. I thought it was an impressive sight. Due to time conflicts, we didn't climb the tower and we packed up for our journey to Florence. Florence is filled with small roads and has a neat feeling to it. We checked out the area and made our way to see a huge and beautiful Synagogue, unfortunately it was closed for Shabbat, so we only got to see the outside. We also walked through the markets and there was so much beautiful leather..it smelled lovely...at least I thought so, I like the smell of leather! The next day, Aron took off and rented a moped to see the area. Helen and I took a walking tour, saw the famous David sculptor (very big and impressive), and walked to the Plaza de Michelangelo, which was a beautiful outlook of the city. We also saw the huge Duomo at some point...it was pretty, but I was seen a lot of churches in Europe and I think I like the cathedrals in the UK better. That evening Aron and I went out for dinner with two Canadians we met in our hostel. Our waiter was awesome and made the evening really fun! At one point he told me I couldn't order spaghetti and meat sauce because it was to normal and I had to chose something else. I also tried Italian wine...it's good and a little spicy! It still shocks me that wine is cheaper to drink than water!! From Florence, Aron left us to fly back to Israel and Helen and I met a friend in Milan. We (from now on just Helen and I) saw the famous Duomo in Milan and then headed to Lecco. Lecco is a small town in northern Italy surrounded by the foothill of the Alps. It was very pretty scenery and a nice detour from major cities.
The next day we traveled to Paris. By the time we got into the city it was about 12:30 AM and he needed to get to the only seedy part of Paris. Our original plan was to take the metro, but it was closed! We later found our that the metro closes from 12-1 AM, not sure why! Anyway, we ended up taking a taxi to our hostel. This was an experience, our driver flow through the streets and went we arrived at our destination, we lectured us on being careful and watching out for pickpockets! I wasn't sure if we was being nice or if he was just running up the meter because he didn't stop it. We walked into the hostel and the reception area was a bar! Then we found our room and it was very small and had bunks stacked three high. I am very happy that we were only staying here one night...not sure I could have handled any longer! The next morning we dropped our bags at the train station and headed to Notre Dame. (Side note: At the station I happened to run into my flat mate from Bath...small world!) This was neat, my favorite church in mainland Europe! Then we took the tour tour and climbed several staircases or spiral stairs to reach to the top and see the famous bell tower. The view from the towers was beautiful, I recommend doing this if you are ever in Paris...plus it's fairly cheap. Then we walked to the Bastille to the monument and then on to the Louvre to check out the area. The museum is closed on Tuesdays so we just walked around and through the gardens. Our next stop was at the Arch de Triumph. It was a magnificent image, but there was some sort of ceremony taking place, so I was unable to climb to the top. From there we walked to the Eiffel Tower!!! We decided we were tired and we would climb to the top of the Tower the next morning, plus we were already running a bit late to meet the people we were staying with for the next two nights. We arrived back at the central train station to collect our bags and head to my friend's friend's place. When we got to the train station nothing look familiar and we got very lost! We finally found some security guards who directed us to the baggage claim area. There we discovered we were at the wrong station!!! For a second it was a bit concerning because this is where we thought we left our bags and weren't sure exactly what other station we might have went to that morning. Try put two and two together and assumed we most likely went to the next closest station. We set off to the other station and things started to look familiar. Looking back it was very funny...I can't believe we did that! At this point we were running about three hours late and had forgotten to call the people that were expecting us...oops! We finally arrived and the people we amazing hosts... partially the reason why I loved Paris so much. The next day we conquered the Eiffel Tower, the best view of Paris....300 meters tall! Then we walked to the Louvre...about a two mile hike...the museum is huge and very impressive. We managed to get free entrance because I confused the lady selling the tickets by explain we were EU students...so we should get in free even though we were US citizens and not EU citizens. We saw the Mona Lisa and some of the other highlights, but to see everything I think it would take days! At this point we were exhausted and my feet really hurt!!
That evening our very generous and amazing hosts made us a traditional french dinner. The starter was homemade foie gras (duck liver) and was amazing! The next course was a salty tuna pie and salad. Then there was cheese and finally dessert. The whole meal was amazing! I even learned a little about France wines...I am a huge fan! The next day we journeyed to Ireland, our final destination! We arrived in Dublin and the weather was awful!!! Actually the weather the entire trip wasn't as nice as I expected, but oh well...I just ended up wearing the same clothes a lot! We explored a little and found a nice pub to eat in and have a pint. It was nice going to a pub and relaxing...almost feel like Bath! I ordered the traditional lamb stew and it was soooo good! Helen had a steak and Guinness pie which was yummy as well...I tried a little! The next day we took a walking tour of the city and then went to the Guinness Storehouse and had some samples. This is about the time I started to get sick :( Thankfully, the next day we took it easy and went to the National History Museum and then looked around some souvenir shops.  On our last full day in Ireland, we took a day trip out to the western side of the country to see the Cliffs of Moher (another gogle worthy item if you are unaware about them). The cliffs were beautiful and the I loved the area. Dublin was alright, but I prefer to be in the country! The area was so green and beautiful, exactly how I imaged Ireland...I can see myself going back at some point in my life!
Well, I think that sums up the trip...I probably have forgotten a few tidbits her and there, but I think I covered the big things! The adventure was amazing and I don't regret anything that happened! I also have to apologize in advance because I am not going to go back and proofread this post...I know there are probably spelling and grammar mistakes, but I should really get back to studying!!! So, I am returning to the States in less than a month...unbelievable...this semester went by way to fast!! Also, on the countdown my birthday is in ten days and I am soooooo EXCITED!!!!! (I wish I was celebrating at home, but it will still be a fun time) I am going to Scotland in two weeks for my last trip and I am excited to see the highlands!
So for now I am off to study and will be hibernating in my room until the 20th when my first two exams are over and the time comes to celebrate my birthday. Meaning....there probably won't be another blog post till I return from Scotland...unless I need a distraction from all the studying...a likely possibility, but no promises anything excited will have happened! Oh, I might make a trip to the Royal Windsor Horse Show this weekend because I think it would be a neat event to see. Well, that's it for now....let the studying commence!

Quick Update of the Week!

This one will be quick, I'm thinking bullet notation quick...just a quick outline of the past week's happenings to keep everyone informed!

(1) Classes finished Tuesday! I cannot believe I'm done already...I guess it is time to study...this can probably wait till I get back from exploring Europe!

(2) Aron went on a tour of Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock & Castle Combe and loved it! Well that might be an over exaggeration, but he did really enjoy it and highly recommended it. 


(3) Enjoyed an Italian night dinner with some friends. I made a chicken alfredo pasta...it was very yummy!! I cannot wait to eat real Italian food from Italy in less than a week :)


(4) Went to London and toured around. Saw the Tower of London....the Crown Jewels are very impressive and worth the admission fee. Saw Wicked...really liked the musical...it was very fun seeing a production in London. Ate a traditional British meal with Aron at a local pub in town and finally toured around Westminster...wish I had actually went into the abbey...maybe next time. There are already camera crews in place for the Royal Wedding! 


(5) Finally went on the walking tour around Bath! It was phenomenal and I learn't so much about the history of Bath...a must do if you every come to Bath...plus it's free...so it's always worth it!


(6) Explored Cheddar Caves and Gorge. We took a three mile hike around the gorge...I thought it was going to kill me...I am so out of shape! In the end, I made it out alive  and although my legs are a little sore, I am very happy I completed the hike....which began with 274 steps up a giant hill! The hike was beautiful and since it was a clear day, I am pretty sure I could see into Wales. The caves were alright, but nothing too amazing...probably could have been skipped. 


(7) Leaving in approximately 18 hours for the trip of my lifetime...at least thus far!!! I will be in Spain till April 28th, Italy till May 2nd, Paris till May 5th, and finally Ireland till May 9th. The trip should be amazing and I am so excited :)


This is all for now...I'll report back in mid May! 

A weekend in the fast lane!

This blog is going to be short and for all my non-horse friends out there, you probably won't understand it and it is just too difficult to explain (view my pictures and you might be able to get the idea). I just can't think what went on last week, so I am going to assume it was nothing of too much importance and skip right along to my weekend in Shrewsbury.
On Friday, I missed most of my classes so I could catch a ride up north to meet up with my brother to watch him ride (horses) and go camping! Mishap number one: I gave the woman who was lovely enough to pick me up and drive me up to the competition the wrong mobile number!! I was very embarrassed and felt so stupid. I also felt awful because the people picking me up had to wait for me and I really do try not to be late for everything!!! I think my lateness is inevitable....I blame the English weather...why not?? Then, I helped get the pony loaded and assisted however I could. Then, we drove about three hours north to Shrewsbury...I really like the name Shrewsbury...not sure why, but it sounds interesting.
After a little while, Aron arrived and we set up camp...well, we tried to set up a tent. In the end, we made a rather simple tent very hard to set up! The tent was very neat, it had two separate rooms and a common area. Then we sat around and enjoyed a relaxing Friday evening. The magnitude of the competition was intense! There were so many competitors...so much bigger than I ever imagined! There were over 30 Open teams. Not sure I mentioned this above...it was a Mounted Games competition. For those of you unfamiliar with the discipline, it is doing rely races on horseback...that's the most basic explanation I can think of. On Saturday the games began...the Open division had five heats of six or more lanes! The fairgrounds were filled with lorries and corals set up as stables. Saturday evening included a disco and some more relaxing. Sunday consisted of more games then packing up and heading home so I could have a nice long hot shower! Once I got home, I got to see how sunburn I was! My face and chest currently are as red as a tomato!! Well, at least now I have a little color :)
Today, Aron and I recovered from the long weekend and did some planning for our upcoming travels. I had my first final today! I can't believe this semester is coming to an end already...only three more finals and I am headed home, but I have three weeks of break/revision and then another three weeks of exams before I actually make the journey back across the atlantic. I leave this Sunday for my European Adventure and will be back May 9th...so no blog till then! (Well...maybe I'll write a short update this weekend depending if anything interesting happens this week!)
One last thing....I want to wish my roommate Kelsey Elizabeth Underwood a very happy 21st birthday and I am sooo sad I won't be home to help you celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!! Although, I will be laying on a beach in Spain, so maybe I won't be too sad ;)

What is traditional Dutch food? Answer: Pancakes, Pancakes, and Pancakes!!!

The title of this week's blog post is in reference to my latest adventure in Holland and Belgium. While in Amsterdam this past weekend, I really wanted to try traditional Dutch cuisine, so I asked my tour guide for some recommendations. His response was "pancakes!" I then asked again about more dinner style options...again his response was "pancakes!" To my dismay, I did not get to eat a traditional Dutch dinner (I did eat pancakes for breakfast and they were delicious)...because I couldn't find a restaurant that served one! Therefore, I am just going to assume Holland does not have a traditional dinner dish, meaning I didn't miss out on anything!
This past week was full of fun stories! Starting off with a night out at the pub on Tuesday night. A friend of mine's mum was in town so we set out for a traditional English pub dinner. We got to a local pub and waited to order food till everyone joining us arrived. As soon as we decided what to order, we were told the kitchen was closed!!!! I think it is crazy to stop serving food at 7:30pm! I would think there is a lot more money to be made after this time in the evening, but oh well....on to the next pub. We quickly ordered because their kitchen was on the verge of closing for the night as well! I finally got to try my first steak and ale pie....it was scrumptious! I don't really know how I made it nearly two and a half months in England without trying a famous pie from a pub. Now that I have tried one, I am a big fan! On Thursday, the food craze continued and I went out for my first cream tea. The scones were delicious, but to my surprise I wasn't the biggest fan of the clotted cream...I think I would have preferred butter. Even my mom highly recommend clotted cream and she does not have the same sweet tooth I have!! Oh well, afternoon tea was a delightful experience (that statement sounds very British...one a side note I was speaking with one of my roommates from back home today and I couldn't remember what a coach was called in America aka a charter bus...I think I have been here too long!).
On Friday, my spur of the moment trip to Amsterdam commenced! I took the train into London Paddington and then the tube to Victoria. Another train to Brighton and finally boarded a coach to Amsterdam. We drove through the night which wasn't too bad, but I was stuck sitting next to the rudest person ever!! He sprawled out and took up more than his allotted portion of the row! We took the Eruostar across to France, which was neat to see the coach fit onto the train. Next think I knew, we arrived in Amsterdam! Since it was around 7:30am on a Saturday, meaning the activities of Friday night had recently ended the city was very dirty and I wasn't a huge fan. As the sun came up and more people on bikes emerged...I saw more of the city's unique character. All the canals were gorgeous. The city isn't too big and I think I was able to cover a large portion of it during the day. I also took a boat tour around the canals to see more of the sights...I think the best way to get good pictures! My only regret is I did not go inside the Anne Frank House...the line was long and at the time I didn't want to wait...oh well maybe on my next trip. That evening I went on a quick tour of the Red Light District to see the oldest profession in the world! It was....um....interesting...actually it wasn't as bad as I imagined. There really were girls in front of glass doors or on beds or chairs...but thankfully there were well covered, at least the important areas were clothed...for the most part.
The next morning I went to a local Dutch village named Zaanse Schans. It was a very touristy area, but worth seeing. I got to see how wooden clogs are make and taste the most amazing cheese! There was this one cheese that was pesto flavor and it looked like green playdough, but it tasted so good! I also got to see working windmills...I love windmills...I know it's a weird obsession, but they are so cool looking! I also learned that the Dutch are famous for their diamond cutting skills, therefore there were many diamond shops and I wish I had the spare money to make a purchase...oh well...maybe next time! Next on the trip, after a three hour drive, was the beautiful city of Bruges, Belgium. I loved it and I tried really hard to follow my aunt's recommendations of trying: waffles, chocolate, and beer while in Belgium. Unfortunately, I only had time for two out of the three things...I had to skip the beer. Although, I didn't realize Belgium is known for over a thousand different brews of beer! One day, I hope to try them all...I know I am ambitious :) The town was lovely and has persevered the Medieval architecture well. Bruges was by far my most favorite place I visited on this trip and ranks in the top five places I have been since I have been in Europe. Back to the food...the waffles...oh the waffles, they were so good!!! Just melted in my mouth...even better than my dad's homemade waffles and that is saying something. Then the chocolate...I would like to think of my self as a die-heart chocolate lover and I died and went to heaven when I tried fresh truffles from Belgium. Belgium chocolate really does live up to its reputation and surprisingly it wasn't too expensive! I would have liked to try the famous mussels or flemish stew while I was there, but there just wasn't enough time. The trip was worth it, but it went too fast! I could see myself visiting Bruges again and maybe even Amsterdam, I am glad I got to see both cities at least once. The ride back to England wasn't too bad and I now have three British visas! The only mishap was taking the wrong train from Gatwick to Victoria and having to pay for a new ticket...thankfully it wasn't too expensive.
I cannot believe I only have two more weeks of classes! I begin my trip to Spain-Italy-France-Ireland a week from Sunday and it seems unreal that it mid-April already. Aron comes in this week and I am so excited to see him. This weekend I am going to a riding competition and camping!! Then, I have my first final next Monday. WOW...I can not believe how fast this experience is going. Well, until next time....I should probably start preparing for my first final!

A weekend well spent in Barcelona!

First off, I must apologize that this week's blog is LATE! I blame the English weather...it is always a good thing to blame. I am just going to skip to the best part of the week because I honestly don't recall anything too exciting in the beginning of the week.
Around 1 AM on Saturday morning I was finally able to fall asleep. Then around 3:30 AM my alarm went off, my phone rang, and I got a text message. All of these disturbances happened to ensure I woke up in enough time to catch a 4:30 cab to the airport! Thankfully, I woke up got all my things together and head to the meeting spot to catch the cab. I was a bit ambitious and arrived about 10 minutes early (yes..I know, I was early!), it is kind of scary walking the streets of Bath at four in the morning...very quiet. Soon, the others arrived and the cab came. After a short forty minute ride we arrived at Bristol Airport and my first experience with Ryan Air began. I had to present my printed off boarding pass (if you don't print it off before hand it cost 40 pounds/euros to print it at the airport!) and have my passport checked. That didn't take too long, then we headed to security...much more relaxed compared to the States. Pretty much arriving an hour before your flight gives you enough time. Then we weaved around the airport to finally find our gate where we proceeded to wait in a "first come, first serve" line to board the airplane. When the gate was opened we walked outside to board the plane and it was beginning to rain! We managed to take over the back of the plane and I immediately feel asleep for the majority of the two hour flight. I personally did not test out the claim that the airline charged for using the bathroom, but I did hear that it is not true.
Next thing I knew we landed down in Girona, a small city about an hour north of Barcelona. The group of us took a coach into Barcelona and then attempted to find our hostel. The first sight we saw was the Arc de Triomf and it was magnificent! The arc was located night next to the closest metro stop, so we detoured for a few minutes and wondered around the arc. Then, we took the metro to our hostel. Once we arrived we walked on the left side of the street for maybe a good mile and a half and then realized that all the numbers were odd and we needed an even number, so we crossed the street. Once on the other side, we noticed that we walked about 100 building numbers too far. The walk was beautiful, but it was warm and carrying all our stuff wasn't too much fun! When we finally arrived at the right street address, we couldn't figure out how to get into the building to get to the correct floor. We ended up taking the back staircase, a rather scary experience, about half way up the stairway became dark! Plus, the Spanish have an odd labeling system for floor numbers it begins with ground, principal, first, second, and so on and we needed to walk to the fifth floor! We finally arrived, checked in, paid, and dropped our bags.
We then headed to La Rambla street and grabbed a quick lunch. We walked down the crowed, very touristy street and finally made it to the harbor. We sat for a little and enjoyed the warm sunshine and then continued walking to the beach. I put my feet in the water, which was so cold, and laid down on the beach for a while. Then, we headed to Parc de la Ciutadella.
The park was beautiful and had an incredible fountain in the middle of it. Everything was so beautiful! There were so many people laying down and kids kicking around balls...it seemed like a really nice way to spend a Saturday evening. We played around in the park for a while and then decided to go back to the hostel to rest for an hour or so before dinner. We wanted to have a late dinner and do it how the Spaniards do it, but by the time we finally agreed on a game plan and found an ideal restaurant that met everyone's requirements it was around 11:30 PM. We decided on a Tapas restaurant on some random street in some random direction, nevertheless we agreed on the place and I was starving and very tired! I shared four tapas dishes with a friend and they were all delicious!!! Spanish food blows British food out of the water, although I am sure that doesn't surprise anyone. Then the majority of the group decided to head back to the hostel because the whole two hours of sleep and walking around all day wasn't too ideal for a night out. The idea of going out and dancing on my very sore feet was not going over well! Finally, day one was over and I feel asleep the moment we arrived back in our room.
Day two began with a visit to Sagrada Familia. The church was absolutely unbelievably gorgeous. Gaudi's side was so amazing, it almost appeared that the building was dripped together with sand instead of built with usual materials. The church was huge and it still blow my mind that after a hundred years it still isn't finished! I would like to go back in 2026 (the latest date of predicted completion) to see the final product. Then we journeyed to Park Guell a park dedicated to Gaudi and eventually made it to the Casa-Museu Gaudi. The park was amazing, really everything was amazing and 'amazing' doesn't even give it justice! In the middle of the park was a sand plaza with street vendors selling various goods, music playing, and all around happy people. I think seeing this park was my favorite thing I did in Barcelona and I highly recommend it. After the park, we headed towards Placa d'Espanya. I actually separated from the group and met up with a friend for a quick lunch. It is always neat seeing people from home in other countries. I was very happy to see her and catch up! Then I reconvened with the group and we explored the Montjuic area. This is an elevated part of the city and provided beautiful views. From there we saw the Olympic stadium from 1992 and walked around another amazing park. We found a local coffee shop and had delicious pastries! (Note: the hot chocolate in Spain is amazing, but is more like hot chocolate pudding...not a drink) Then we went to see a fountain show, but it never happened :( so, we made our way back to La Rambla street and found a restaurant serving paella. It was so yummy and I cannot wait to go back to Spain and eat more. I accidently ate calamari and I liked it! The thought of eating squid still really grosses me out...but I really liked the texture. After dinner, we walked around La Rambla at night...a very different scene than the daytime and got some gelato (it was amazing, really amazing!!!). Then, we made our way back to our hostel and got a few hours of sleep before our early flight back to the UK the next day.
To sum it up, Spain is amazing!!! My only regret is that I didn't have sangria with fruit in it, I will try this when I am in Valencia in a few weeks. Weekend trips to other countries are very long and tiring, but worth it! Flying on Ryan Air isn't so bad...not amazing, but not awful...on the way back I managed to stay awake for a little bit and the airline tries to sell everything to their customers, there are non-stop advertisements! This next weekend I am going on an impromptu trip to Amsterdam and Bruges! I am really excited to go to Belgium so I can eat chocolate, waffles, and drink beer! The trip should be fun and it was a great deal. After visiting these two countries, my spring break trip, and a scotland trip in the middle of my exams, I think I will have seen almost everything I wanted to see while in Europe! The following weekend, Aron is coming to England and I am going up north to watch him ride in a Games competition and go camping :) This experience has been amazing and I highly recommend studying abroad to everyone if you have the chance!!!  

Stonehenge ROCKS!!!

First off, I know the title of this blog is very cliche, but...I think it is funny so...oh well. I am going to tell this week's adventures in reverse because I though it would be fun to mix it up a little! I finally got to see Stonehenge this weekend! It was amazing and beautiful, everything I expected it to be. It still amazes me how the rocks, some weighing up to 75 tons (that's around 11 elephants!) were carried over a 100 miles! It is crazy, absolutely crazy. Then, some of the stones were lifted up and laid flat across the stones that were set upright, it makes sense that some of the stones have fallen after all this time! I think it is even more amazing that some of the rocks are still standing upright in original position. Seeing the huge pile of fulfilled one of my dreams about coming to England and seeing the monument. To some it may just be a pile of rocks and not worth paying the entry fee to see it up close...the tour only takes about 45 minutes, but I am so happy I did the tour and I personally think it was money well spent. The sun was shining and the roped off section around the henge allows people to take pictures without getting other tourists in them...a very big plus. The best part of the trip was being able to hold up Stonehenge with one hand...yes I am that strong (view facebook pictures for a clearer explanation), it was the closest I got to actually touching the stones! I also tried lemon curd at the Stonehenge gift shop and it was so delicious I went to the store the next day and brought myself a jar...a very good decision.
On my weekend trip, I also got to see Salisbury Cathedral, which surprisingly surpasses my expectations. I originally decided to wait to see Stonehenge to go on the school sponsored trip because it seemed like I would get the most for my money, I never really thought about seeing the cathedral one way or another. To say the least, the building was magnificent! The gothic architecture is amazing, the sculptors are so detailed, and my favorite part was the pristine courtyard in the middle of the compound. It was so lush and  green, with a large tree in it...looked like the perfect place for a picnic. Inside was beautiful as well and the various aches gave the church a very unique appearance. There was a still fountain or pool of water, not sure how to accurately describe it, which reflected off the ceiling and provided an excellent photo! The cathedral has the largest spire in all of Britain...it is huge and during the tour I learned that the originally structure was not build to support an extra tower and spire, especially not as large as the current ones. The additional of the spire warped the main pillars it rests on and the spire leans...it sits about 1.5 feet from the original placement. All this information made me feel really safe when I was standing under the spire...fyi there is sarcasm in this statement! The town of Salisbury is very quaint and I enjoyed walking around town aimlessly looking at all of the open markets. Many of the markets were selling huge bowls of vegetables for only a pound, but then I realized the bowl didn't come with the offered and it just didn't seem as good as a deal anymore. Plus lugging around fresh veggies didn't seem like an ideal plan. The trip was great and the moment I boarded the bus to come home, it started raining...perfect timing.
This past Wednesday I attended a lab tour of the Johnson Matthey Sonning Technology Centre, it is a chemical company specializing in platinum catalysts among other things. The tour was interesting and provided me with a yummy and free lunch with delicious cake...that was the deal breaker! The labs were very homely and small, not what I expected a chemical plant to be, this view may have been swayed because the labs had beautiful gardens surrounding the compound. I think the tour was worth while and at one point one of the researchers was discussing coupling reactions and the recent Nobel Prize recipient...yup that was all Purdue...it made me happy!
I also got my first graded essay back this week...I didn't do as well as I expected mainly because I can't type or spell! Since the grading system is very different and a 70% equals a first...similar to the American 'A' I was shocked at the score because at first glance I viewed the percentage with the American grading perspective! I spoke with the teacher and she confirmed that the grade wasn't bad at all, but I am planning on completing the optional second essay to see if my score improves. I think if I just proofread it more and write the essay in one sitting, it should turn out better...I hope! I really dislike writing essays, hence why I am a chemistry major... technical writing is much more enjoyable and makes more sense, at least to me.
I think that is about it of this week's adventures...oh I tried a Mars bar finally...similar to the US version of the Milky Way bar (not to be confused with the non-US Milky Way bar which is more like a US 3 Musketeers bar...yes I know its all confusing!), except I could taste the caramel in the Mars bar much more than in a MIlky Way...I might just have to bring some back home with me!  I am going to be in Barcelona this coming weekend...time is going by so fast, I can't believe it has been nearly two months since leaving the US. It feels like forever ago I bought my ticket for Spain. I am so excited for the warm weather, the paella, and of course the sangria!!!!

An English St. Patrick's Day

This week began by learning all about the National Health Service in one of my classes. The service is interesting and I would like to speak with more people to find out if people in the UK like it or not. On one hand, the fact that all prescriptions are cheap and the same price is nice. Although, the various requirements make it rather hard for people to see the doctor at their own leisure, at least this is what I got out of the lecture. Sadly, I am not able to use the NHS because I am not living in England for longer than six months.
The week continued with a lovely visit from some friends from home. We had a fantastic lunch at Sally Lunn's Restaurant. Sally Lunn's is the oldest house in Bath and I had been meaning to eat there and try a famous Bath bun, a must do on a trip to Bath. Lunch was light and very british, the bun itself was also very light and fluffy. I expected a more dense bun, but it was still very yummy. I really want to go back and try cream tea (scones with clotted cream...yummy) in the near future! After lunch, we toured around the area for a bit and wondered around the shops. It was really great seeing them and discussing all the difference between England and the US.
I had my second week of lab and it went much smoother than the first week. Twelve hours in the lab still creates very long days, but I feel on top of it and I am enjoying my lab partner and all his random questions. I can't believe I only have one more week of lab...very weird feeling. It is also weird that I am half-way done with my semester, it feels likes it just began. I think the semester in Bath is 10-12 weeks or something like that compared to an 18 week semester at Purdue. I am finding that once I got settled into a routine, all my classes are switching time slots! I currently have no clue when my classes meet this coming week, but I'm sure it will all work out...it is very confusing when the professors change, thus affecting the time the class meets. I desperately miss M-W-F or T-R classes...they make my calender look much prettier!
I was able to sneak in a small St. Patrick's celebration on Thursday, but since I had an 8:15 class the next morning...the celebration consisted of consuming a Guinness and finding a Chinese take-away place on the opposite side of town and eating yummy chow mien! I think Chinese take-away is the cheapest meal option in Bath and it's so delicious! At first it surprised me that the English don't really celebrate St. Paddy's Day, at least not like it is celebrated in the US. Someone I was discussing this with made a good point: since Ireland is their neighbor, why would they celebrate Ireland's national holiday? It's not like they would ever celebrate France's national holiday! I think it is more acceptable to celebrate in the US because there is more diversity of cultures.
This weekend I stayed in the Bath area...no big trip. On Friday night I attended a program for exchange students. The event was at a local pub/bar and it was advertised as having free food, so of course why wouldn't I go! They served fried mushrooms and they were so good! There was so much extra food, but the servers wouldn't let us take it home :( I finally got to sleep in on a Saturday. When I naturally woke up, I worked out, took a shower, had breakfast and then spent the day in Bristol (which really doesn't count as going anywhere) shopping!!! It was a very relaxing Saturday. I was slightly disappointed in the shopping experience, but my wallet is probably happy. I managed to only buy some accessories and some necessary basics.
Saturday night became an adventure by riding the bus all around Bath for about two hours. I was trying to make it to a friend's house who lived on the outskirts of town and ended up on a bus that never got there or if it did, I didn't know the area well enough to explore in the dark and I really didn't want to get stranded on the other side of the city on a Saturday night. Finally, after two very long bus rides, I arrived at my friend's place. We made dinner...yummy fajitas...I miss mexican food so much, the first thing I want to eat when I get back in the states is mexican food! Overall, it turned out to be a really fun evening! At least I got to see a whole other section of Bath that I probably would had never seen if I didn't take the first bus.
This coming week, I am going on a lab tour of Johnson Matthey Sonning Technology Center. It should be an interesting tour and give me further insight of the chemical industry, plus I get a free lunch! This coming weekend I am going to finally see Stonehenge!!! I will also get to spend some time in Salisbury and maybe even see the chalk horse on the hill....it is over in that area, but I missed it on the way to Portsmouth. The count down to Barcelona is two weeks and I'm so excited! Well this was a shorted post, but I guess that is because it was a low key weekend...that also means there aren't any new pictures (sorry mom!). On a side note, it is sad I can't watch any of the NCAA Tournament...it's the only part of the basketball season I follow...anyway I am still cheering for Purdue, BOILER UP!!!

Pancakes, Portsmouth, and Party Duck!

This week was full of fun times and celebrations! This past Tuesday was Mardi Gras and I celebrated by making pancakes. Although, the pancakes here are more like crepes and not like the pancakes Americans enjoy as breakfast. I ate way too much and fulfilled the requirements of Fat Tuesday! Some of the scrumptious foods included nachos, jelly filled doughnuts, and I can't remember, but I am assuming I probably ate chocolate too. Oh and of course pancakes! The traditional English way to each them is to filled them with sugar and lemon juice. The combination was surprisingly delicious. We (Helen and myself) also used cherry pie filling in some of the pancakes...yummy! The experience was fun and I can't wait to celebrate next year...maybe in New Orleans...that would be really fun.
On Wednesday I tried (attempt number two) to go on the tower tour of Bath Abbey. Unfortunately, the tour was sold out, but I met some really nice old English ladies and they suggested I wait till April when tours are more frequent and the weather is nicer. So, I ended up going to the Jane Austen Center. It was a smaller museum, but still had some nice exhibits. My only complaint is that between the actor giving the welcome presentation/introduction, the movie displayed in the exhibit, and the exhibit itself you basically heard the same information three times. I learned that Jane Austen actually disliked Bath and did not write any of her novels while staying in the city, even though a large portion of her stories have settings based in Bath. Later that evening I met up with some friends and went out to eat at a place that solely served rice and noodle dishes. I was like a fast food Asian restaurant and it was amazing...I plan on going back there!
On Thursday, I begin my first laboratory. I really like that you wear a lab coat and safety specs (instead of goggles, much more comfortable). I feel more official wearing a lab coat! The labs are setup quite different than the teaching labs I have taken at Purdue. There were nine experiments setup in the room and each set of four people rotate through them for the three week physical lab session. Another odd thing is that each lab subject lasts only three weeks, but students are in lab for 12 hours each week...so I haven't decided which system I prefer. I do have to say while I understand the concepts and the reports are easy (almost no existent) lab days are very long and tiring. Thankfully, I have a very fun and enjoyable lab partner! After two long days of lab, I decided I earned a night out. I met up with some of my new chemistry friends and went to a club in town. It was a lot of fun, except I don't think I recognized one song the entire night (not sure that surprises anyone).   
Saturday was filled with an adventure to Portsmouth, a coastal town in southern England. A few of us ended up driving down there instead of taking the train. This was my first experience in car since I have been abroad. Since, the car was European and not British the driver's seat/steering wheel was still on the left-hand side of the car, so that wasn't too weird. I would assume it would be difficult to sit on what I consider the normal side, but then have to drive on what I consider to be the wrong side! It would just go against your every intuition. The drive was gorgeous and I am really happy I finally got to see some of the English countryside. On our way, we took a pit-stop at Stonehenge, which is literally right on the side of the road. I had heard people telling me it's on the side of the road and I always thought it was probably some what close, but it really is...maybe 50 feet from the road. It was pretty and I am glad I got to glance at it quickly. I think I am going to head back down to the area in two weeks to actually go inside the gates and get slightly closer to the stones.
Our drive continued pretty eventless until we finally reached Portsmouth. Our intention was to find the Park and Ride and then take the bus into the city and the harbor. After probably 30 minutes to maybe even an hour of looping around the 'Other City Center' we decided just to park in a mall parking lot...it was advertised as the cheapest full day parking in Portsmouth and it might have actually been. We walked around the city center for a little and then made our hike to the harbor. Once we got to the harbor and finally found an information center, got a map (not a very clear map...but it was free), we then decided to chose a place for lunch! I think at that point everyone was hungry and food was needed. We ate at a Latin American chain and I had a burrito, unfortunately I thought my meal was overpriced for what it was, but oh well...the atmosphere of the restaurant was really neat. Later we discovered a slew of other restaurants, we just happened to walk the wrong way. After lunch, we decided we needed to make our way to actually seeing Portsmouth. Stop one was the Spinnaker Tower, stop two was the Cadbury factory store (yummy!), stop three was the old seaport. At the old port, we claimed the stone wall and walked around the Circle Tower. The view was magnificent (a bit cloudy..but still really pretty). The sun started to set and the wind picked up speed, so we leisurely head back to where the car was parked. Of course we detoured to some of my favorite/cheap stores along the way...Primark and Poundland! We loaded up on some snacks and headed back to Bath for another night on the town! The next day I got my first visit from a friend from home. It was really nice catching up with someone from home :) Plus, it is always fun seeing people you know in other countries...at least I think it is fun almost surreal!
This week is St. Patrick's Day and the majority of people I know are headed to or already in Dublin for the festivities. Unfortunately, I am stuck in Bath because I have my lab on Thursday and Friday...I'm still a bit bitter about it. Out of the whole semester, I only have three weeks of lab and of course it had to be on St. Patrick's Day!! Oh well, I guess spending my last few day of my spring break in Dublin will have to do. It turns out the holiday isn't that big in England...I just keep telling people "I'm American, of course I celebrate St. Paddy's Day!" This weekend I plan on drinking a Guinness in honor of the Irish and it will be one of my first full weekends in Bath, so it should be relaxing...I am think of possibly sleeping in on Saturday! I just booked my hostel for Barcelona...three weeks and counting...I'm so excited!!!

Exploring the Colleges of Oxford

As the semester progresses further I am actually required to do work and study! It finally feels like I am in England to go to school rather than travel and enjoy myself. I have so much work to do, if feels like I'm back at Purdue. I spent somewhere between six to seven hours this afternoon preparing for my lab this coming week! Although I am busy with school work, I am still devoted to seeing the rest of England, even if has turned into touring around just on Saturdays.
This week, my mission was to conquer Oxford! I had heard good things and I really wanted to see it, so I decided to go! But, before I get to that story here is how the first part of my week went...it was a boring Thursday afternoon, I had just gotten off the phone with my parents and I was craving some food. I went to the kitchen and made myself some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I brought my lunch back to my room so I could continue doing some work before I had to venture to campus for class (and ideally get some errands done while on campus). Everything was fine, until I got an unexpected email. Curiosity struck, so I reached over to open it up....suddenly my whole bowl of soup flipped over and landed on me, my desk, and my computer. It was dreadfully hot and I was in total shock, still not completely understand what had just occurred! The though of my computer breaking while I was studying abroad (or really ever) would have been the end of me. Luckily I was able to semi clean it up before I had to run to campus to make it to class barely on time. When I returned home I decided to remove each individual key to clean under it, so the keys weren't so sticky. I managed to break only the 'y' key while tediously removing every key. Still, my laptop was stained an awful orange color and it reeked of tomato soup, but everything still worked. The next day after classes, I went to the Apple store (one of the largest Apple stores I have ever been to) and explained what happened. I asked if I could somehow buy one key or if they had a spare laying around. I proceeded to find out there were six possible models of keys, so I had to quickly run home grab my computer and bring it back to the store before they closed. My broken key got replaced and I asked if they could suggest any other cleaning methods to get rid of the stains. I then found out they could remove the entire top casing of the keyboard to check to see if any soup reached the hardware. I was also pleasantly surprised when Apple said they would replace my keyboard, track pad, and casing unit for free!!!! This made my day, I don't know why they replaced it or even had a stateside model of the keyboard in stock, but luck was with me. My computer no longer smells and is a beautiful glimmering white, looks brand new!
Now for the Oxford adventure...I highly recommend visiting this town if you are ever in the UK. It has so much character to it. I think it truly encompasses the idealistic British university. The group of us that went decided to go on a walking tour of the city. The tour was fairly cheap...if anything was actually cheap in this country...and the guide knew tons of interesting information. I found it really interesting learning about the set-up of Oxford. The university is composed of 38 colleges. The colleges care about the student's well-being and tutorials, while the university gives out degrees and arranges lectures. Each college is fairly small with the largest college having about 800 students. It happened to be degree day at Oxford, the day students come back to graduate from their respective colleges and earn a degree from Oxford University, so we got to see a bunch of students in their full out gowns. A little fun fact I learned: the students have to wear full gown attire to sit for exams, I am uncomfortable wearing full out sweats for a two hour exam, I can't even imagine wearing a tux, bow-tie, cap, and gown to take a test! I think one of my favorite parts of the tour was seeing the great hall inside New College (not a new/modern college as the name suggests). It looked very similar to the hall shown in the Harry Potter films. It amazes me that the room is used three times a day to serve meals, it is just too attractive and elaborate for everyday use. Much more impressive than any of the dinning courts at Purdue. We were told students had to dress for dinner, which is a slight turn off, much easier to eat dinner in comfier clothes. The hall was set for a special dinner, so the menu appeared delicious, but an actual Oxford student confirmed that meals served in the college halls were yummy.
Back to the Harry Potter reference....I always thought that some of the scenes from Harry Potter were filmed in Oxford and some of them actually were, but it is a myth that the great hall in Christ Church College was used for filming. Instead, the great hall was used as a model for the film, the film was actually filmed in a studio. The difference between the model and the actual hall is the number of tables; in Christ Church there are only three tables, while the HP films show four tables. We were able to see a courtyard with a distinctive tree that was used in the films, but I don't recall the exact scene it was used for. Walking around Oxford was really neat it had a very college-town feeling about it and it was absolutely gorgeous! Other highlights included seeing a preserved blackboard Einstein wrote onwhen he gave a lecture at Oxford explaining the age of the universe. We also saw the Turf Tavern, but unfortunately it was overcrowded when we arrived (probably because it was a Saturday evening and the popular thing to do is to go to the pub for a beverage or two), but at least we got to see it. I loved the town and I think it would have been really fun to be an exchange student at Oxford, not that I don't love Bath...it's just very different. It would have been really neat living in the student accommodations, they remind me of castles (kind of like Windsor at Purdue, but more realistic). Another thing I found interesting was the numerous demonstrations and protests occurring on the main street, this added to the university/college feeling.
I almost forgot the best part. We managed to find the British version of Chipotle. It was not as good as the American chain, but it filled my craving for Mexican food. This whole post is a bit out of order and random tidbits are added here and there, I blame it on the fact that I have been working on chemistry for the majority of my day and my mind is officially boggled. Oh well...it is crazy to think I have been here for a month. Next week, I plan on traveling to the southern coast, I have heard it is beautiful and I can't wait to see the water :) I also may have to have more fish and chips...it really is amazing over here. I pretty much have every weekend till my exams booked, which is a scary thought, the time is flying by so fast. My first weekend trip out of the UK has been booked for the first weekend in April...I am going to Barcelona....I can't wait...sangria on the beach...it's going to be fun! I think the most interesting part will be experiencing a RyanAir flight, I'm a little scared, but it will be good practice for my spring break travels throughout western Europe!

Off to the Ball and then to Wales

After another week of class, I am finally settling into the routines of things. I am also starting to studying and re-realize the reason I am here is to attend uni. Although, I am still not sure if traveling or school takes precedence, I honestly think they are both very and equally important. I find it funny that some of the subjects I am taking in Bath I really enjoy, while I didn't like the introductory course I took at Purdue and vise versa. Classes are classes anyway you look at them, nothing too mind boggling.
Now on to the more exciting events of my past week! I decided to not take a Wednesday day trip because I was so wiped out from my weekend in London and I was still getting over my awful illness (it seems just as I was getting better, everyone else got sick...I hope it wasn't my fault, I'd like to blame the weather instead!). My Friday was a very filled day, I have the most lectures on Friday....it really is a horrible way to end the week! When I returned from classes, I went to this store called Iceland to do some food shopping. Almost everything in the store is frozen and costs roughly about a pound! It is very cheap...but not so healthy...but easy. I think I am most excited about returning to the states and cooking again, it is just too hard and expensive to cook for oneself and buy all the necessary ingredients to make a complete recipe. Then the excitement began as I planned my spring break and bought the plane tickets! The prices increased slightly from the last time I looked and when I actually bought the tickets more fees were added to the final price. Still, anyway you put it flying around Europe is much cheaper than flying around the US. It amazes me that flying place to place is even cheaper than taking the train. My final plan is to fly from Bristol to Valencia, Spain to Pisa, Italy then from Milan, Italy to Paris, France and then finally spend my last few days of vacation in Dublin, Ireland! I am super excited and I can already predict how fabulous my trip will be, I will remember it forever. If anyone has any suggestions or tips I'd love them!
Booking the tickets took much longer than I expected and I was meeting up with people to attend a Chemistry Ball rather soon. I showered, talked to Jamie and Aron, got dressed, and eat dinner all within an hour. I was pretty impressed I was able to accomplish everything. The Chemistry Ball, organized and supported by the university, consisted of students and professors eating, drinking, and dancing together. It still blows my mind that departments get together and throw parties, I don't think this would ever happen at home especially not supported by the university. The ball was so much fun and I got to meet so many other chemistry students! My favorite part of the night was probably when some random guy can up to me and another american student and asked 'Where did you guys come from?' My response was America! It may have been a 'you had to be there moment' but it was really funny! Since everyone has the same classes together (think more like high school classes than common US college classes), they get to know the people in their classes and when some strange person walks into the lecture hall they notice you! I also spoke with one of my professors and the first thing she asked me is if I was interested in any guys...that would not happen in the states. Then, she proceeded to tell me I have an accent, it was really weird hearing that when I view all the Brits as having accents! The night was filled with dancing...yes I danced my heart out and loved every minute of it. My only regret is that I work high heeled pumps and my feet hurt soo much by the end of the night...it was a huge struggle to walk home!
After getting approximately four hours of sleep, I was up and preparing for my trip to Cardiff, Wales. I was so afraid I was going to miss my train, so I woke up much earlier than I needed to....just in case! I also didn't buy my ticket before hand...just in case. The whole buying two tickets was not an experience I'd like to repeat. The train ride was a little over an hour...it's crazy to think it only takes an hour to get to another country...everything is so close here compared to home. It takes me ten hours to drive home from school. In ten hours, I could probably travel the majority of the UK. Once we entered Wales all the signs were written in English and Welsh, which was neat to see. I really wanted to hear people speak Welsh, but everyone speaks English or at least I didn't hear anyone speaking Welsh. Cardiff is the capitol of Wales, but it reminded me more of a State capitol than of a capitol of a country. There were two distinct parts of the town: the city center and the harbor. The morning was spent walking around the city center and venturing up to the legislative buildings and the beautiful gardens. A friend and I followed a walking tour of the city and saw/noticed much more than I think we would have seen if we were just wondering around. We stopped for lunch at this really neat place that just sold jacket pockets (baked potatoes) with various fillings. It is a common meal in the UK, but I hadn't experienced it here yet...I mean I have eaten a baked potato before, but this was so much better and very filling! Then, we made our way down to the harbor because I really want to see the water. I'm not sure what fascinates me about being on the coast and seeing the water, but I love it! It was beautiful and I think it was definitely worth making the walk to see the harbor. The remainder of the day was spent doing some light shopping/browsing and watching a rugby game. Next time I watch a rugby game I need to sit next to someone that knows and enjoys the game, so when I inevitably ask too many questions about the rules I can get answers. The crowds highlighted in the stadium appeared to be more enthusiastic than fans watching American football. It was also amusing watching an England vs. France game in Wales. The Welsh are not terribly fond of the English (there is a huge rivalry) and I happened to be watching the game with a bunch of French exchange students. To round out the trip, we found a local hole in the wall Welsh/British place to eat dinner at, of course after my infamous indecision skills of choosing a place to eat at. I didn't want to wait at one place, but by the time I actually decided on a place it took more time than if I just waited at the original place. I ordered a cottage pie, which I had really wanted to try and it was a great choice, it was in the same family as a shepherd's pie or maybe even the same thing, but just a little different :) For dessert I ordered an apple pie expecting a large piece of pie with huge amounts of apple filling. Instead I got a tart like thing smothered with custard (hot pudding substance), it was still yummy just not what I expected. Cardiff was a neat town to see, but I'm not sure I'd venture back there during my stay in the UK. I would like to see more of the countryside in Wales, if I have the time to go back. My last observation I'd like to point out about Cardiff is the large amount of American advertisements. It was weird, there was one place called USA Nails, a restaurant/pub with a New Orleans theme, and some other things that I can't remember off the top of my head right now, but there was quite a lot of American resemblance (something that I have not found to the same extent in England).
I think next up on the my travel list is Oxford or Birmingham. I would also like to visit Holland and Belgium in the near future, I am really craving some good chocolate! As soon as my exam schedule is posted I will figure out when I have more time to travel beyond the weekends. So nothing too crazy happened this past week...I just got to go to a Ball and spend a day in Wales...no big deal!  

Mind the Gap!

This past weekend I packed up some things and headed to London to check out sights and boy was it an adventure. Then again, I'm not sure anything I ever do is simple, but it always makes the story so much more interesting. My London adventure began last Wednesday, I went to the Roman Baths, which were so beautiful. I highly recommend seeing them if you ever get the chance. I assumed you walked in and looked around the hot springs, but there is an incredible museum built (mostly underground) around the ancient site. After the tour a few friends and myself were treating ourselves to dinner out in an attempt to finally try bangers and mash. Unfortunately, the item was only listed on the lunch menu, but more unfortunately I didn't have an appetite! I am always hungry and I always crave food, so I knew something was wrong. Then my hands started to shake and I got the chills, I went to be bed as soon as I got home and around 8:00pm the fire alarm went off...needless to say, I was not a happy person. 

On Thursday, I thought I had the flu and on Friday it turned into an awfully sore throat and congestion in my throat and nose. During this time of feeling awful and being sick, I was planning my upcoming weekend in London. I had already confirmed the hostel and bought the train ticket, so I didn't really care how I felt, I was going to London! I packed a little on Friday evening and set my alarm for 6:00am so I would have plenty of time to finish getting ready before my 7:13am train. Once my coughing finally subsided, I was able to get a few hours of sleep. Before I knew it, I got woken up by my phone, although it wasn't my alarm going off! One of my friends I was planning on meeting up with before walking to the train station called and asked me if I was almost ready. It was a few minutes after 7:00am and I was still in bed!!!! This was not a good start to my trip. I frantically got dressed and throw some essentials in my backpack. I then realized I wasn't going to make it and slowed down a little. I met up my friends who consequently also missed the train due to a miscommunication. We then had to buy a new ticket which costed about the same as my original roundtrip fare. So, yet another great start to my trip! 

Once we arrived at Paddington Station in London we decided to walk (instead of taking the tube) to our hostel and drop off our bags instead of carrying them around all day. We got outside and it started to pour (which really shouldn't surprise me anymore but...I'm still hoping one day I'll wake up and it will be sunny out!) and of course silly me, I forgot an umbrella. We finally found our hostel and proceeded to find out we didn't have a reservation! I guess after they confirm your reservation they can also decline it! So at that point we were wet and had no place to sleep, but my opinion was that we were in London so we should tour around and everything would work out in the end, as it always does. 

So, we boarded the tube and went to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. By the time we got there the crowds were beginning to assemble. Since it was raining there were some many umbrellas overtaking the area. While we were waiting I happened to get a bloody nose! Luckily, some of the other tourists around me offered me tissues :) A few minutes later, the soldiers in their funny hats came marching in through the gates. A few of them switched places and we thought the ceremony was over because nothing much was happening, later we found out that the changing of the guards was canceled because of the rain and wasn't going to happen again till Monday. From the palace we walked around the streets of Victoria to scout out a place to stay the night. We didn't have much luck, but someone gave us a few recommendations of areas to look. We boarded the tube and went to Piccadilly Circus to have a look. As soon as we got there and walked a few blocks, we got a call from the people we were going to meet up with saying they found a hotel in Earls Court, it was expensive, but split between seven of us it wasn't going to be too bad. By the time we got to Earls Court the plan had changed and they found something in the Bayswater area (back around where the original hostel was located, I recommend looking at a map of London to understand the rat race we went on). We got there and checked out the room they already booked. The three of us decided to find a second room instead all squeezing into one room and sleeping on the floor. We got a pretty decent deal a few doors down from the other group's hotel. It was a large room with four beds and its own bathroom (shower and toilet) it also included a free breakfast (the next morning we found out our free breakfast included tea/coffee and toast, I wasn't expecting much, but I was expecting more than toast). We finally dropped our bags, grabbed a quick snack and headed to the westminster area.

When we exited the tube station, I was in awe! The view was magnificent, absolutely breathtaking, by far one of my most favorite parts of London. I looked out and saw the Eye of London across the river and Big Ben was straight in front of me. We walked a little ways down and saw Westminster Abbey and walked across the bridge to get a better look at the Houses of Parliament. Then we took the tube (you can take the tube everywhere, it is a fantastic system) to London Bridge. London Bridge is nothing really special, but standing on London Bridge looking onto Tower Bridge is a fantastic view. Tower Bridge is so unique looking, I just look at it and think 'London.' We walked along the river to get a closer view of the bridge and then traveled back to area where our hotel was in to find a pub for dinner. I ate a delicious lamb and mint pie and had a pint of ale (I am becoming a big fan of ale). Later, we decided to grab some dessert at the local Mickey D's and had a lovely encounter with a crazy homeless guy. He decided to take a nap on the floor until the medics arrived, he then promptly decided we was not longer dead/tired? The experience was weird to say the least! That concluded day one, we went back to the room and I attempted to fall asleep, but instead had a coughing fit for a few hours...super fun. I finally feel asleep and had one of the best night's sleep I had since arriving in England, the mattress at the somewhat sketchy hotel was more comfortable than my bed at uni! 

The next morning began with my very filling breakfast of toast. We then went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and dropped off our bags for a few hours (I don't think that is the intention of the cloakroom, but it was free. Fair enough, we checked out some of the museum before we headed out for a few hours). Then, we took a very scenic route through some residential parts of London to get to Harrods. Harrods is the most amazing department store I have ever been to! It probably fills up about a block and has absolutely everything you could every imagine and then more. My favorite rooms where the food rooms, more specifically the chocolate room. It was beautiful and everything looked so yummy (probably because all I had eaten so far was some toast). I think there were something like twenty-two bars/cafes/restaurants in the store. There were even multiple gift shops throughout the store. My question is who actually goes into Harrods to do everyday/general shopping because everything is extremely overpriced. 

We then went back to the museum to collect our bags and checked out some more exhibits. Then, we took the tube back to the Piccadilly area and eat a late lunch in Chinatown. I have been to other chinatowns before, but I have never eaten in one (maybe I have eaten in the one in D.C. but I can't remember), so I was pretty excited. The food was really good, although you had to pay additional for a side of rice and the portions were smaller than I expected. After lunch, we explored the Piccadilly area a bit more and slowly made our way to Trafalgar Square. This was a very impressive area with many monuments and statues. At this point it was beginning to get cold and we were getting tired after two very long days, but we booked our train for 11pm so we still had hours to kill. Next time I will spend a few more pounds and buy a flex ticket that allows you to take the train at any time. To kill some time we went to Oxford Street and walked around, but all the shops were already closed. Then, we attempted to find the Globe Theater by London Bridge, but failed! It was rather dark out, so we were hesitant to take small roads/ally ways. Finally, we went to Waterloo and had a nice view of the other side of the Eye of London. At this point we traveled back to Paddington Station, grabbed some dinner and waited around for our train. We managed to cover a lot of ground over the weekend trip. 

All in all it was a very fun weekend, but it was very long and tiring. My feet hurt so much by Sunday night! I am not sure if I will be able to handle a trip every weekend, I may have to travel every other weekend. It just feels like since I am in another country, I should see everything! I plan on going back to London at some point to see a show and do some other things that I didn't get to do this time around. I feel as though I have a much better idea of the city now compared to a few days ago. I really liked London, it was different from any city I have ever been to. I think my favorite part was how distinctively different each area was. So my first weekend trip began a bit bumpy but turned into a success. I have learned so much for the next trip, I just need to decide where it will be! I am thinking Dublin or Wales. 

People don't wear pants in this country!

This past week was very hectic and stressful because classes started. I originally planned out an amazing schedule with mainly classes on Monday and Tuesday, a lighter day on Wednesday, lab on Thursday and no classes on Friday. After sitting in my first class on Monday morning at a wonderful 8:15 in the morning on a very lovely rainy day in Bath, my perfect schedule changed dramatically! The classes I intended on taking were not even close to the subject matter I would have taken if I stayed at Purdue. Since the chemistry degree in Bath is a three year program (compared to the normal four year degrees in the States) subjects are taught in different orders and in different ways. Therefore, it was difficult to figure out what courses I needed to take in Bath to be equivalent to the courses I would have taken at Purdue this semester. By the end of the week, I finally figured it out! For anyone that is interested, I will be taking a physical chemistry course, a physical chemistry lab, an inorganic chemistry course, a course on drug design, and a modern british society course to mix it up a little bit. So not the easy semester I intended on taking while abroad, but oh well.

Also, I am have found it surprising that there is a language barrier. I never thought language would be a problem studying in Britain because it is an english speaking country. Yet, I am finding it difficult to answer some of my problems because the little things are different. For example, the unit of concentration are mol/dm^3 instead of mol/L. Yes, I know it technically is the same thing, but when you learn something so basic one way it is difficult to think about it in another way. One of my classes is run as a workshop, which is basically a session devoted to solving problems, I found the questions really difficult. Not so much because of the math or knowledge needed to solve the problem, but just the wording used to ask the question. I am banking on the fact that over the next few weeks I will become more accustom to the little things.

It is also very different in the way the classes are set up. Many of the classes are taught by different lectures throughout the semester. Some of my classes meet once a week while others meet several times. I even have one class that meets twice in one day. The schedule changes weekly and the classes are never in the same room. The only plus side is that I am learning my way around campus quickly. So, enough about classes because the subject just drives me crazy. Hopefully, it will all settle down once I am actually registered in classes! I keep reminding myself that it is only week 1 and everything will become routine soon enough. It reminds me of the first few weeks of freshman year when everything seemed confusing because college was so different from high school.

With my new schedule I have a free day on Wednesdays which is nice for day trips. After talking with lots of people here, it seems likes it is normal to only have 2-3 days of classes. This past Wednesday I took an adventure to Bristol. It was only a short 15 minute train ride away from Bath. I think this was my  first time going to a place and having no clue where anything was (I forgot to look at a map before I left). I brought my GPS, but unfortunately it couldn't pick up service and it was losing too much battery, so I shut it off and decided to use it in case of emergency only. Plus, it is kind of fun exploring not knowing what you might discovery along the way. Luckily, I had picked up a small tourist guide of Bristol so I had a map highlighting the main attractions in the area. The main purpose of this trip was to go shopping! Bristol is much cheaper than Bath because it isn't as big as a tourist destination and I still needed some essentials, like a pillow! I think we probably only made it about a 200 feet into the shopping area, it was so large with some many shops! My favorite discovery was Poundland (similar to a dollar store). Everything was a pound and the quality wasn't as bad as you would expect! I wish I had found this store when I went out looking for dishes. It is weird that some of the things that are so expensive in the states are so cheap here and vice versa. For some reason work attire is really cheap here! I plan on going to back to Bristol to do the more touristy things at a later point and time. This coming Wednesday I am planning on seeing the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. This was originally planned for this weekend, but Bath gets overwhelmingly populated with tourists on the weekends (plus it was raining today...no big surprise there). Another upcoming Wednesday day trip is going to be Stonehenge!!! A lot of people have Wednesday off, so it should be an ideal day for short trips to places around the area.

This weekend was spent exploring Bath some more! We managed to find the Royal Crescent and the Circus, two pieces of beautiful architecture build in the late 1700s. Once you finally move beyond all the shops in Bath, the area is very lush and beautiful. We also explored more of the area off the main street, I finally feel like I have a good idea of Bath. Saturday evening was spent out at the Pub, which was very different than the Clubs I have been to since being in Bath. I think I like the Pub scene slightly better because it is more laid back and causal. (For those of you that have been to Nine Irish at school, all the Pubs look similar with tables everywhere and a collection of different seat, it is a really neat atmosphere) I find it weird that most students don't go out on the weekends and prefer to go out during the week! I think this is crazy and it is hard to keep up with the European lifestyle.

I am finding it very hard to cook over here. I really miss cooking fun meals with my roomies. I am finding that the food goes bad before I can eat it all. The food here is also rather expensive. My current diet consists of lots of pasta and pizza, which will get old very fast. I did finally eat fish and chips in a pub here and it was delicious! Although, I found out that fish and chips which I originally thought of as very British is very much an American stereotype. It is really neat sitting around and talking with people from other countries and finding out what they think of Americans as well as finding out cultural differences. I learned something new last night that did not help prove the "Stupid American" stereotype wrong. I always thought the United Kingdom flag was the same as the English flag, but it isn't! All the different countries in the UK have different flags and the UK flag is the one with a blue background with red and white strips and the flag of England is white with two red strips.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on the title of this post. The fashion over here is so fun (and interesting at times)! Women don't wear pants! The latest trend seems to be wearing sheer tights with short shorts, I wonder who thought this would ever be attractive? Legging are HUGE over here and I have yet to find a British woman that wears jeans. It is crazy! People dress up all the time, no matter the weather or occasion. Maybe I'll return with a sense of fashion.

Next up on the list of things to do is to go to London! I am currently in the process of planning a trip for next weekend, I never expected there would be so much planning involved. I assumed the hardest part would be deciding on how to get there: the bus or train. The bus drops us off at a more central location and is cheaper, but the train is faster...There is so much I want to do and see, I am not sure it will all fit into a weekend! Maybe I'll just have to make multiple trips. If anyone could recommend a good hostel to stay at or must see attractions that would be very helpful :)

I have finally arrived in Bath!

I have never written a blog post before, so here it goes. I am studying abroad at the University of Bath in England for the next four months and I though a good way to keep in touch with everyone from home would be blog about my adventures in Europe. So if you're interested please read and enjoy and  don't hesitate to ask questions. So now the story begins...

After an easy flight, I collected my bags and took a train to the central terminal in Heathrow Airpot. I weaved through the underground paths and finally found made it to the bus station. I attempted to stay awake on the bus ride, but that did not happen since I only got 3 hours of sleep the night before! During the portion of time I managed to stay away for I saw very lush areas and many horse farms. My first thought of England was pure amazement of how green everything was. As we approached Bath, I saw the city up on a hill and it was breathtaking. The town is sort of in a valley and the campus is up the hill. It is hard to explain it accurately and pictures do not do it justice. I also love the fact that a river flows in the middle of it (right by my dorm).

When the bus finally got into Bath, Jake (another student from Purdue) and I got slightly lost and finally asked the bus station for a map. It turns out, the building we needed to get to was approximately 500 feet away, maybe not even that far. I got my key and dropped off my stuff and then helped Jake bring his bags to his dorm about 1/2 mile away. Then I explored! I got turned around and lost, made some necessary purchases and finally found my way back to my room. I am slowly getting the feel of Bath and its surroundings. There are so many shops it is unbelievable and the cost of living is very high. I keep converting pounds into US dollars and I am driving myself crazy, I should probably stop doing that.

Later that evening, I went to my first Pub and ordered my first pint of beer. Sadly, it wasn't as exciting as I expected. Still, I crossed off one thing on my to-do list. In my first few days in Bath, I have not been served warm beer in Pubs, I'm convinced that is a myth. I have also enjoyed some delicious cider (way better than Woodchuck). To my surprise, this cider was sold in liter bottles in the grocery store. Another surprise from the grocery store was the ample amount of packaged food. It is going to be hard to motivate myself to cook when I can buy a pre-made meal for less money. I guess I will see how good they taste.

On Friday, I had my orientation at the Uni. If I remember correctly there are 105 exchange students from 24 different countries and only four people are studying chemistry. I met so many people! By the time I returned from campus, which is about a mile away from where I live, but across a river and up a hill (I am not sure how I get there if I don't ride the bus, which is rather expensive), I went out on the town for dinner and some drinks with my new found friends. We walked around for a while and again got turned around and finally decided on a Pub that was advertised as being a 'different kind of pub'. The food was delicious, I am not sure what everyone is saying about English food being bad (I mean sometimes it needs a little salt, but...). Europeans I have met tell me once I try other types of food and make the comparison, I won't like English food. After dinner, the group of us set to experience the nightlife of Bath!

The next morning (Saturday) I went to Windsor. Again, I slept on the bus because jet lag is messing up my sleeping routine. One of these days, I'll actually see what is between Bath and London, but I am pretty sure we took the highway. Windsor was very different than Bath, but still just as beautiful. I spent the first few hours in Windsor touring Windsor Castle, the residence of the Queen. I definitely recommend this sight if you travel to the London area. My favorite part was seeing the Staterooms (the inside of the castle), we even got to see portions that are currently used by the Queen. After the tour, I ate lunch at the Crooked House Tea Rooms and I saw the shortest street in Britain. It was called Queen Charlotte Street, so I am assuming Queen Charlotte wasn't too popular. Lunch was alright and the tea was amazing! Then, I walked to Elton College with some of my new friends and walked around the campus while ignoring the signs suggesting the campus was closed to the public. Then, I walked back to the area the near the castle and saw the Guildhall, the architect was instructed to include pillars to support the building, but he argued it was unnecessary. To prove his point, he added pillars that don't touch the ceiling, so they are not supporting anything, when looking at the building you can see the gaps between the ceiling and the pillar. Then, we walked to the front of the castle and walked down some of the Long Walk, it is quite an entrance. Picture will be uploaded in the near future, when I get around to it.

That is it for now, classes start tomorrow and I have to prepare because my first class starts at 8:15am. The whole higher education system is very different and I am not sure what I am getting myself into, but I am excited for the adventure that awaits me!