Oh man, Paris in the AM!!!!!

Hey everyone! I know it has been awhile since my last post and I apologize! I have been having a great time getting to know people in my IES program and doing homework (yuck). I love London more and more everyday and it has all just been one huge adventure. My two friends from Gustavus, Emily Eddy and Em Kendall, are staying in London for a week and it has been absolutely WONDERFUL hanging out with them!! I forget how much I love Gustavus, Minnesota, and the comfort of those who know you!! While everything here is new and exciting it is good to relax with friends. The next big thing on my list is Paris--tomorrow-- and then Dublin over Valentines Day!! I love how easy it is to get around in in Europe!!! I have more pictures to post from sight seeing around London but those will have to wait until next week because for now I have a one track mind that consists of the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and WINE. Paris here I come!!!!!!!!!

Top 5 Things (so far) I've Done in London

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I updated- things have been pretty crazy around here!! Orientation was a whirlwind of early mornings, tours, and explanations. I fit a little fun in there somewhere too. They wanted us to get rid of our jet-lag right away so they kept us going from sunrise to sunset and I'm thankful to say that my clock is now running on London time! I started class on Monday and besides the unbelievable amount of homework, it looks as though it will be a fairly good semester. I only have class Monday through Wednesday, leaving me open to travel and get my pile of homework done on a four day weekend. I am taking all my classes through IES (my program provider) and they all focus on London and Great Britain. The list is as follows British Youth Culture, Architecture of London, History of London, 300 years of British Women's Social History, and Literature and Place.

Because I would find it incredibly boring to read everything I've done in the past week I thought I would give you a quick list of my favorite things this past week. In no particular order...

1. Visiting Windsor Castle. To answer your question, no, the queen was not there. But I did take pictures of her private apartments, from the outside that is. We went on a tour of parts of the castle as well as the cities of Windsor and Eton. If any of you are up on your British pop culture you know that Prince William and Prince Harry went to a very posh private school in Eton which we weren't able to tour... for obvious reasons. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and colorful. She continually referenced David Beckham's private area at completely unrelated times which made the tours that much more interesting. Below are two pictures of Windsor Castle. We were lucky enough to visit on a very sunny day!




2. Having a drink at a Pub. Public houses are so much different than bars in the United States but then again, drinking is different in general in the U.K. It is really fun to just go out for a "pint" and relax after a long day.

3. Eating Turkish Food. After a day of orientation a couple of girls and I stopped by a Mediterranean restaurant for dinner and I have never had food so good! It was beautiful and delicious! I'm going to come home with some new favorites!

4. Going to a West End (like Broadway) show. The other night my friend Lauren got it in her head that we were going to go see Avenue Q so she went to Leicester Square and picked up some cheap seat tickets for 12 pounds (about $20). They upgraded our tickets because they hadn't sold out being it was a Tuesday. We got great seats for a great show at a great price! I love how easy it is to find entertainment and things to do!

5. Going grocery shopping. I love grocery shopping here!!! It is so great to take in all the different foods and spices! There are so many things I know I can't eat back in the states so I'm trying to buy, cook, and gooble them up while I can! There's a plethora of Indian food in the markets here as well as some really unique wines. It's also compelling how they sell the food, for instance, eggs aren't refrigerated in the market. Scary!? I think so!!! I don't think I'll be making much food with eggs in it while I'm here...

I better run folks! I am off to see the sights with a group of gals today! We are planning a trip to Paris for next weekend so we want to make sure to get in all the London musts while we can! It's a rainy day here which is no surprise so I better suit up!

Much love from rainy old London!

"Thank You for Choosing Manchester Airport. We know you have a choice."

Hello London!!!! I got to the city all in on piece but if you haven't heard yet, my travels were absolute hell. Here is the dramatic timeline for you. I started at 4 am on Tuesday morning getting ready, left by 5 am, and was through security and on my first plane by 7 am. I arrived at North Carolina with no problems and had a great time hanging out at the airport. The trouble centered around my flight to Gatwick in London. My flight left at 6:15 pm Eastern time and was scheduled to be 7 and 1/2 hours long. In the last half hour of the flight the Captain gets on the speaker to make the announcement that due to snow the Gatwick airport was closed and that Heathrow was too busy to take any more incoming flights. We were going to land in Manchester.

Manchester is about 4 hours northwest of London. We landed at 7 am and were told that we would be waiting on the tarmac to take off at 11 am as Gatwick would open at noon. At this point it was 1 am MY time and I hadn't slept a wink the entire day and night. I was lucky enough to be sitting next to an older woman who was a pleasant conversationalist and I was able to find other IES London students on the plane. At 11 am the captain told us that we would not be flying to Gatwick but that they would bus us to the terminal, put us through customs, and then provide a coach bus to our original destination for whoever wanted it. The bus ride was 5 hours and then it was another half hour train ride followed by a taxi ride to the dorm. I had been hoping to arrive at IES by 8:00 am, I got there at 8 pm. I had been traveling for close to 34 hours. We all got a laugh out of the signs at Manchester that said, "Thank you for choosing Manchester Airport. We know you have a choice." Ha.

This is a picture of me and The Vest on the Tarmac during the awful wait. It's a bit off kilter because the lady wasn't well versed on digital cameras. Good enough for 12 hours on a plane is what I told her. The second picture is the desolate site that waited outside our plane for 4 hours. YUCK.





After a quick shower, speedy dinner, a rushed unpacking, a zippy call to my dad, and a hasty hello to my new roommate (who is very sweet and fun) I hit the pillow and was instantly asleep. I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and the awful sensation, that yes, I did indeed need more sleep.

Today was a whirlwind of orientation events. The walking tours of Chelsea (the burrow we live in) and Bloomsbury (where the school is located) where cold and wet but very fun. I love the buildings and architecture of the areas and got to know a couple of people in my group. The boring but very important part was talks on how not to die in London, literally and figuratively. Tomorrow is shaping up to be about as busy with more orientation information and skating at the National Gallery. I'll have to squeeze in getting groceries sometime in between...

I ended my night by strolling around Bloomsbury with three other students as we took in the band Vampire Weekend at the Somerset House and then found our way to a reasonable sushi place for dinner. We were proud to have found our way around the city alone and were all impressed with the speed and ease of the London transportation system. All in all, it was a great first day in London!

I miss you all and want to thank you for the well wishes and love!

Good-bye Minnesota, Hello North Carolina

I forgot to give you all a picture of Miguels! So here it is! I had to give Dad the rest of my burrito because my eyes were bigger than my stomach! The Wine Vest loves Miguels just as much as I do!




Well folks, I'm on my way! Welcome to Charlotte, North Carolina and an 8 hour layover!!! My first flight was short and sweet. It would have been a perfect flight if the man sitting next to me had taken up the flight attendant on her offer to move him from our full row to the completely empty row in front of us. Also, it could have been improved if my flight buddy, since he decided to stay, wouldn't have itched his head 24/7 and hogged the armrest. But that's flying for you! I hung out in beanbag for awhile as the airport offers those and rocking chairs to travelers. So far the beanbag has been the highlight of the trip... ;)

Mom and Dad did a great job getting me out the door this morning, and I only forgot one thing and it is something I can live without!! Aunt Kathy was nice enough to let me bang around her house showering and packing at 4:30 am. We made it with plenty of time and no problems!

It was hardest to say good-bye to grandma yesterday and then equally as difficult to leave Ma and Pa Westley this morning in the airport. Grandma had fun wearing The Vest for our photo shoot and I'm afraid that it looks better on her! Mom and Dad didn't want to wear the vest but they did pose for a picture!

My next post will be from England! Hope everyone in Minnesota (and my sister and brother-in-law in Florida) are staying warm!

The Vest

This is the story of a girl, her vest, and the adventures they encounter abroad.

Every winter season the hooligans of GAC gather to exchange thrift store finds and good cheer. My friends Alyssa and Dave were diligently looking for their penny-wise gifts when they stumbled upon The Vest. It was finely stitched tapestry, featuring the most beautiful wine bottles that had ever been sewn. They knew at once, because of my love for wine and high fashion, that it was the perfect parting gift for me. Dave and Alyssa couldn't have found a better home for The Vest.

Right now The Wine Vest and I are getting ready to leave for London!!! I have spent the past two days packing and thanks to mom and dad my two suitcases are JUST under 50 lbs!!! I'll be crossing my fingers as I check in at the airport tomorrow. It has been hard saying good-bye to friends and family but I am ready to get outa here! I have last minute errands to run today, then it's out to my Grandma's house to say farewell, and then finally it's off to the cities to stay with my Aunt Kathy and prepare for an early morning flight. Right now all I can think about is squeezing in my last Miguel's fix...