It Comes in Pints? I'm Getting One!

Ok, I know it’s been a while. Fall break plus a stressful week after midterms lead to a delayed blog post. But I’m here now!

Texas Embassy

So I guess we’ll start with what happened after ReyRey! We got back on Monday night and absolutely crashed. Tuesday was a pretty chill day; didn’t actually do much during the day but we had big plans for the night! We started out with dinner at the Texas Embassy where we enjoyed overpriced fajitas and margaritas. The second floor of the building is completely devoted to Texas schools and they have literally every college’s flag hanging from the ceiling…except SU’s. Not surprising. But it still felt the most like home since we’ve been here. From there we headed straight to the theater for a showing of Wicked! It was amazing, as usual. Eighth time’s a charm! After the show, Isaac and I headed back to our respective flats and got ready for our trip to Paris the next day.

Paris, France

Because we had booked the first train from London (the 5am train) we had to take night buses to King’s Cross which is a long and tricky task. We left our flats at 3am and made it to the station and through security just in time to stop and get our metro day passes and board the train. Two hours later, we arrived sleepy but excited in an overcast and gloomy Paris, France. Since I had already been, this day was Isaac’s and I was just along for the ride. First things first, we needed food. We headed in the direction (or what we thought was the direction) of the Louvre in search of a cheap but delicious breakfast. We enjoyed our croissants and wandered around the city. That’s basically all we did that day; we wandered from major site to major site, taking pictures and enjoying the day. We got lost a few times on the metro system just because neither of us spoke a word of French so reading their signs is just a nightmare. But we made it. We must have walked more miles that I want to think about that day but we gratefully collapsed in our train seats that night and arrived back in London around eleven, just in time for me to wish my wonderful man a very happy birthday!

I spent the rest of the week doing absolutely nothing productive and enjoying having the flat to myself (Bree was in Ireland).  It was great to have time to myself to just read and do whatever I wanted. SOO relaxing.  The next week brought about the second half of the semester’s classes. We got our grades back for all of our midterms which stirred up some intense turmoil with professor Hylton’s classes. We had two meetings with CAPA faculty and a meeting with Dr. Futamura who is our SU liaison while we’re here. At one point, we actually broke out the SU Student Bill of Rights to create an argument for getting our grades changed. At the conclusion of everything, I think we’ll be alright but this semester isn’t what any of us wanted or were even expecting as far as classes go. It wasn’t what we were promised by the SU study abroad people and we’re definitely a group of confrontational students so both CAPA and SU know exactly how frustrated and disappointed we are. But we only have 6 more weeks of classes left. Sigh.

Oxford

Christ Church College Dining Hall

But today was our last excursion from London. We headed out at 8am for Oxford. It was really cool in its own way. Oxford is mostly a college town but Oxford University is a combination of something like 30 different colleges. And not like colleges like we have where they’re different departments of education, more like houses…kinda like the Ivy League houses but on steroids. The city is gorgeous and we even got to take a tour of the Christ Church’s dining hall which was used as the model for the Great Hall in Harry Potter. There were four long tables, and another long table at the head and the room was lined with long, beautiful windows that lead to a high, vaulted ceiling. The staircase that leads to the dining hall was used in the first and third movies as part of the entrance to Hogwarts. I WALKED WHERE DANIELLE RADCLIFFE WALKED. It was awesome. After that, we made our way to Shakespeare’s Milkshakes and downed some yummy deliciousness before heading off to The Eagle and Child, the pub that C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolken frequented together. And that was pretty much the end of our tour. 

Yummy Milkshake!

The Eagle and Child

We just got back and Bree and I are relaxing before gearing up for the week ahead. My parents get here on Tuesday so it looks like I have some cleaning to do before they get here! As always, more pictures are on Facebook!

Go Big or Go Home!!....Or Go Home Big....

Hey E'rebody! Sorry it's been so long-midterms got kinda crazy and before I knew it, Fall Break was here! This is probably going to be another novel so just buckle up, cross check, and verify!

So on Friday six other SU students and I left for Reykjavik, Iceland. To be honest, I was so worn out from midterms, I wasn't the most enthusiastic about this trip. I kinda just wanted to stay home and sleep but I knew it would be an experience that I couldn't just back out of. So Friday morning we headed out to the airport. We flew Icelandair which was nice except that they all speak Icelandic and no one could understand the pilot except for the Icelanders...Luckily we didn't die in flight or anything. But the Icelandic didn't stop once we landed. It was EVERYWHERE. I think that's the first time that I've truly felt like an independent adult-walking off the plane into a city where everything is in a different language, with no phone, no computer, and no parents. It was weird. But we made it to our bus and got taken to our hotel. On the way, we passed through the lava fields. That had to be the most unusual thing I've ever seen. On one side of the bus was the Atlantic Ocean with snow-topped mountains from Greenland in the distance and on the other side was this black volcanic rock that created hills and mountains with bits of green moss and grass pocking out. It was such a strange contrast and it was absolutely beautiful. We got to our hotel, checked in, and quickly headed out for dinner. We spent the rest of the night eating, relaxing, and watching Icelandic cartoons. (Don't judge-we took this trip to RELAX).

In the middle of the night, a terrible storm came through and when we woke up, it still looked like a hurricane outside. We ate breakfast and by the time we were done with lunch, it looked like it had cleared up a bit which was nice because we had a horseback riding tour of the lava fields in the early afternoon. One of the best parts of this trip was that we had already paid for everything so little things like the taxi that picked us up to go to the stables, had already been paid for. We got a REALLY nice taxi driver who taught us a little about the 900-year-old glaciers that make the water so fresh and so blue. We were a little sad to get to the stables but that sadness quickly faded. We were given rain gear (just in case) which actually proved useful during the ride and then we were assigned our horses. I was given Solei, a tiny little horse with a personality. All the horses in Iceland are purebred, Iceland horses. They're both shorter and thinner than any horses I've seen so that when you ride, you're not straddling the saddle so much as sitting on it. It made the two hour horse ride much more comfortable to say the least. We rode through the lava fields for a long time and eventually it did, in fact, start pouring again but none of us minded. About half way through the ride, I realized that if I squeezed my knees, I wouldn't bounce so much when we trotted which was nice then but I definitely didn't think ahead to how sore I would be...But the ride was nice and we ended up seeing two full, complete rainbows along the way. It was the very definition of a Double Rainbow! Unfortunately, by this time my hands were so cold from being wet, I was afraid to pull out my camera but apparently some of the others got those pictures so maybe I can find it and put it up later. But it was really beautiful. 

When we got back from riding, we showered and headed out for dinner. There weren't a lot of restaurants near by but we asked the front desk what they recommended. They pointed us to a burger place that was about a ten minute walk away. Coming from London we are all officially great walkers. That is definitely a benefit of staying here. So we made our way over there. It was BY FAR the BEST burger I've ever had. In my entire life. Seriously. The name of the restaurant, when translated from Icelandic, is Burger Factory. Look it up. And then go to Iceland just to eat there. Over the course of the four day trip, the seven of us ate there three times. That's right. Three days in a row. IT WAS THAT GOOD. We had different burgers each time and even varied our desserts. The first visit I had a chocolate milkshake, the second a strawberry Skyre cake (like cheesecake but SO much better), and the last visit, a coffee milkshake. DELICIOUS. Seriously, I'd go back so many more times. Ok, I'm done Steen-ing out about food.

After dinner, we walked around by the bay across the street from the hotel and then headed to our bus to take us on our Northern Lights tour. This was honestly the most disappointing part of the trip. We got picked up at 9:30 and headed out about an hour away from the city to get away from all the lights. And then the rain came back. But our tour guide was determined. We waited and waited and waited and finally it "cleared up" so that in between clouds, you could see what looked like more clouds in thin lines. Our tour guide called these thin, white lines the Northern Lights and forced everyone off the bus to see them. By this time it was 1:30 in the morning and none of us wanted to get off. So we didn't. It was dumb. We got back to the hotel between 2 and 3am and completely crashed. 

After sleeping in, we headed out for lunch (at the burger place, of course) and then went shopping around the town. They had some really cute little stores but EVERYTHING was so expensive. I've yet to find a city that is cheap. It's quite annoying. But eventually we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap. The best part of the trip was yet to come. 

Our bus to the Blue Lagoon picked us up at 4:30. It was about an hour's drive out there but it was SO worth it. The lagoon is a natural hot spring set in a bowl of hardened lava basically. So you're swimming in a natural pool built by cooled lava and filled with a natural, sulfuric spring. The water is this milky, baby blue color and it ranges in temperatures from Luke-warm to scalding hot. We did everything. We got drinks/smoothies from the swim-up bar, we applied the natural facial masks that they provide, we stood near the geyser to get the warmth of the foul-egg-smelling steam on our faces, we hit up the waterfall and the sauna. We got our money's worth. And it was all worth it. The best part was that we were outside the whole time so while we soaked, we got to see the full moon come up and the stars pop out. It was absolutely gorgeous and the perfect way to end our trip. Little did we know that although we were leaving the lagoon, our perfect night had yet to end....

 

Like I said, the Lagoon was out in the middle of nowhere. When we got on the bus (the last one to leave the lagoon and head for the city) we noticed everything around us turn green. The Northern Lights had finally come out to play! Once everyone got on the bus, our driver took us away from the lights of the lagoon and let us take pictures for a while. I must say, I LOVE MY CAMERA. Although they would have turned out better with a tripod, I was one of the few people with a camera able to capture the lights. So enjoy what I got even though they're blurry and grainy. It was absolutely wonderful-definitely the perfect way to end our trip. Everyone was having all these reflective, retrospective life moments and I could only thank God that He created this world with things like the Lights to keep us constantly in awe of His splendor. Honestly, it was mind-boggling to see His artistry in watching these lights dance above us and I'm honored that He chose to share them with us. 

Monday was our last day so naturally, we headed to the burger place for lunch and then to the airport. As wonderful as Iceland was, I was ready for London. I missed my computer and thus my contact with all of you. I will say, however, that the silence of Reykjavik will be missed GREATLY. It was so quiet and peaceful compared to London. 

I'm back for the day and am going to see Wicked for the 8th time tonight! It really never gets old! But tomorrow, Isaac and I are headed to Paris for the day. He'd never been so I offered to go and show him around...what I remember, at least. We're leaving at 3am and we get back between 10 and 11pm. It'll be a long day but it'll definitely be fun. And tomorrow is a special day for another reason! Steven Jones turns 21 tomorrow! Happy Birthday, Honey Bear!!!!!!! (Don't hate me for advertising your birthday, I'm allowed to celebrate your life. So just hush.)

I'll probably post again later this week. After Paris, I don't have anything planned so I'll probably just be relaxing around London and doing some things I haven't gotten to do yet. So ya. Hope you enjoyed and you're doing well!!!

(For More Pictures, as always SEE FACEBOOK)

Today 34 Americans Died Attempting to Climb a Small Hill

My Dear Readers,

I must warn you that the following Blog post is going to be a novella, if not a full length novel. Please read the following responsibly.

Lots of Love,

Jacquelyn

Our Tour Guide, Richard

The past four days have been the best of the trip so far. I know every time I write I keep saying “this has been the best so far” and literally every time, it gets does get better.

We left for Scotland in the wee morning hours on Thursday, trudging from tube station to tube station to get to King’s Cross train station before rush hour. When we finally got to our train and got settled in, it was a six hour ride to Edinburgh. This being my first train ride, I was thrilled. And let’s not even mention the gorgeous English and Scottish country sides that we got to see from the windows. We got to Edinburgh around two in the afternoon and were promptly picked up by our tour guide, Richard, who generously reinforced the Scottish “men-in-kilts” stereotype. He was great fun, so he was. He talked a wee bit fast and in his slightly thick accent, his stories were hilarious but occasionally hard to understand. By the end of the weekend, though, we had acclimated enough to have me writing this in a proper Scottish accent twenty four hours after hearing Richard last speak (if you couldn’t already tell). He took us around the city sharing its history and interesting stories of famous Scottish people that I had never heard. It’s a bit sad how little Americans know about Scotland. But then again, it’s been so closely connected to Britain both geographically and politically, most people just assume the history isn’t that big of a deal but it’s actually quite fascinating. After our walking tour, we were taken to our hotel which was possibly my favorite thing about the trip. IT WAS SO NICE. The bed was like a cloud, something I’ve missed sleeping here in London on my rock of a mattress. It was seriously heaven to get the luxury of that hotel. Laugh all you want. I challenge you to come try out my bed here and see how it feels.

ANYWAYS, our wakeup call had us up early Friday morning as well and getting ready for a long day. We headed out to the Scottish highlands after breakfast, a normally three or four hour drive except that we stopped at several little “photo stops” along the way. The first was the memorial to a Scottish war hero (of course I’ve forgotten his name already…he’s the guy from Braveheart but I never saw that movie…). The memorial was set on top of a “hill” but in Scotland when they say “hill” they mean mountain. Granted it was a small mountain but it was definitely not a “hill.” We got our blood pumping and calves aching marching our way up to the top but it was worth it. But of course, we’re Americans so we had to complain the entire way up which led our CAPA representative Ollie to give the headline that became my blog title and Facebook photo album. After some war stories and history of the monument, we made our way back to the bus, happy to give our legs a rest. From there it was back on the road, passing AMAZING things that I wish we would have had time to stop and see including but not limited to Dune Castle which they used for the Frenchman’s castle in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!”), Hagrid’s house and the Forbidden Forest, and the station that housed the Hogwart’s Express.  You can take a regular train for the same ride for six pounds or you can actually ride the Hogwart’s Express for thirty pounds. I would have paid the extra twenty four pounds for that experience. SO COOL. But alas, we kept moving. (Unfortunately, the bus was moving quickly and I was on the other side so I don’t have pictures of any of those things but I do have memories so lucky me!, sorry guys). Our last stop before the live museum (which was really cool, by the way) was a “photo stop” in the middle of the highlands. We got off, took pictures and expected to get back on the bus but instead we were lead out into the middle of the fields and up and over the hills (which were actually small hills compared to the mountains surrounding us. None of us had expected this and we were all in the wrong shoes, most girls were in flats and I was in my black boots that I had been fighting to keep in pristine condition. We were basically trudging through swampy ground, completely ruining our shoes. It was disgusting….but I got great pictures. With wet socks, shoes, feet, and jeans, we made our way back to the bus, shivering and mourning the destruction of our shoes. Eventually we got to the live museum where a man dressed in head to toe Tartan plaid showed us how ancient highlanders lived and told the stories of traditional kilts. It was incredibly fun and a few people got to get dressed up to boot. It was great fun, so it was. Afterwards we checked into the REALLY nice hostel and slept the night away.

Saturday came with another early morning as we headed out to Loch Ness just after sunrise. It was absolutely gorgeous, complete with a rainbow. Sadly, we didn’t find Nessie but we really did try! We headed out to Blair Castle (my home away from home) and got a tour. It was lovely and I would definitely live there if it weren’t for the excessive use of antlers in their decorating. But it was definitely fun. Afterwards we hopped on the bus and had a few more photo stops around the country, one included the Hamish forest. It was absolutely stunning. It was awesome to see the beauty of God’s creation in an entirely different atmosphere.

Loch Ness

Blair Castle

Forest

The rest of the trip was relaxing and wonderful and a complete joy to be there. Seriously, it was incredible and I’d love to go back to Scotland, particularly to ride the Hogwart’s Express. Maybe someday.

It’s nice to be back in London, though. We’re all back in the routine around here and settled in for another slightly crazy week. I’m sure you’ll get another update soon. On a completely unrelated note, Happy Six Months, Steven Jones! Also, for more pictures, SEE FACEBOOK!

 All Done For Now!! That wasn’t so bad, was it?

In West Philidelphia Born and Raised...

Pretty Castle

I can’t believe it’s been almost a week since I wrote! And it hasn’t even been a particularly busy week that I remember. Sorry about that!

Yay Chivalry!

On Friday we meant to go to Spitalfields Market but didn’t feel like braving the weather to shop outside. Instead, we waited it out and caught the last Yeomen tour of the Tower of London. It was actually really amazing to be inside the Tower walls and walk the ancient cobble stone streets that so many historical figures walked. We saw the site where Elizabeth I was held captive and where Anne Boleyn (and countless others) was executed. We got to go inside the chapel where I found proof that Chivalry does in fact exist (other than in the SU chapter of Kappa Chi’s that is) and see all the crown jewels. Yes, that’s right. Crown Jewels. As in, the largest cut diamond in the world that is part of the Queen’s scepter. I want a freaking scepter!

The Globe (I actually took this on the HP tour)

Saturday and Sunday were slightly boring work and shopping days but Monday was great. Not only was it Hermione Granger’s birthday, but I got to go on a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater AND a Harry Potter Walking tour. The Globe was amazing because we got to see the tail end of a rehearsal for Much Ado About Nothing. To our surprise, the guy that played Jeffery in the Fresh Prince of Bel-air, is in the cast! And we get to see the performance next week! I LOVE JEFFERY!! It was really cool. I can’t wait to see the show next week.

I wish it would have gone through...

After the Globe, we rushed to King’s Cross Station to begin our Harry Potter walking tour. We went to a lot of places where they filmed the movies, most of which we’d already been to just wandering around London but it was still pretty neat. Unfortunately, it was a night tour so all of my pictures are really dark. It’s kind of disappointing. But we definitely got great pictures at Platform 9 ¾!

Yesterday was busy and kind of dreary but there were two particularly great highlights: I got to stand up for my God in two different situations! Once was in class when we were discussing the language of scripts which naturally led to a discussion about bad words. She asked us to list the worst words we could and she would write them on the board and I passed and got to talk about why which was really cool! The second time was after we saw our Tuesday night performance of Faith Machine. Go google it because there’s really no good way that I can think of to summarize it for you. But you can tell by the title that it sparked some interesting conversations. It was definitely a great experience and I can only hope and pray that it leads to more conversations, particularly in class next week with my professor.

Tomorrow we head out to Scotland which should be really, really great! We’ve got completely packed schedules and it looks like there’ll be lots of bus time for some relaxed reading which I’m almost equally excited about! I finished reading BossyPants (Tina Fey’s book) and that was absolutely hilarious (thanks, Jessy!) and now I’m on to Water for Elephants. I think the next thing I read will be the Other Boleyn Girl since it’s based on things I’ve actually seen. And thanks to Jenn and Shawn, I can take them all with me on tubes, trains and busses on my Kindle!

I won’t be taking my computer with me this weekend so it’ll be a while before I post again. I guess that just means I’ll catch you on the flip side!