Day 67 - "The air of London is sweeter for my presence"

Me in a cable car over the Thames River!

While going home on the tube tonight, my face felt stuffy holding back tears.

I hugged my friends and looking behind them, I glanced at the glistening Thames river through misty eyes.

Today has been wonderful despite the usual tube line disruptions and riled up people. I had to spend my last day in London doing something I can feel good about.

Day 64 & 65 - School's out!

The last two days were as fun as they were bittersweet. As much as I am SO GLAD that I don't have to do any more homework until Summer quarter, there is something very different about spending these last few school days in such a memorable way.

They involved one more musical, a couple more assignments, and a good ol' party in a pub.

Day 66 to 70 - How to make your moments count

The days I spent recently have been a mix of excitement in a good way and excitement in a "Oh, Please, Not Right Now" kind of away.

While me and the rest of our class laments about or individual countdowns of the days we have left in London, I spent some of it attempting to make up for the things I still haven't done yet that I can for sure do.

That involved a visit to Peter Pan, a little more theatre, exciting marching, an uncomfortable feeling of losing something, and then gaining a new perspective on that situation, then finding a silver lining in those moments in between.

Day 61 to 65 - Where you been, Jillian?

Since the last post, I have had to withdraw from an ATM because I had a moment of mild panic. Don't worry, nothing bad happened. It has to do with the fact that I wanted to buy things for when I get back!

What happened on those days? Well, they were filled with lots of interesting things, but some of those days were slightly hindered by muggy rainy days.

So, here's a long post about rainy days and the need for sleep.

Day 60 - The countdown begins

Today isn't too eventful except the big MCM London Comic Con that is happening this weekend. There's also some big playoffs happening.

But while I take into account all the things that are happening around London, I can't seem to escape the inevitable countdown that me and all my other classmates are constantly thinking about. In two weeks, I'll be wrapping up this program and saying goodbye to this city.

Wow.

I have been looking back at my blog posts and pictures with a melancholic stare.

At least we have some assignments to keep us in the moment. I have 3 essays to do! I also have to prepare for my day trip to Birmingham tomorrow, so I should at least make most of these moments while I am here.

Time to make these two weeks work out for the best!

Day 59 - From Rosetti to Freud

I'm getting ready for a big weekend, but before I try to slip into bed, here's what I did today!

Even with fickle weather, I managed to get a few things done around the big excursions.

Day 58 - Diners and Downpours

Today involves a delicious indulgence of American diner food and torrential rain.

Talk about a culture clash!


For lunch, some friends and I ventured to a place near Euston station to eat at a restaurant that claims to serve quality American diner foods. It definitely gave a diner-like vibe and the food was really good! There's even a REALLY good Nutella milkshake and I'm so glad I finally had it after hearing my peers talking about it.

Afterwards, a couple of us split and then a friend and I walked around the area and came across a place for postage stamps and found the British Library!

It's an impressive place that has a few permanent and temporary exhibits inside. The major surprise I had was seeing several historical documents that featured Davinci's notes, Mozarts music sheets, copies of the Magna Carta, and some scribbled notes on The Beatles' songs.

It's definitely worth going inside, especially after we avoided the sudden cloudburst that occurred. There was even a few thunder and lightning episodes! Apparently, one of my classmates in the program said that a lightning bolt struck The Shard today.

There's always something happening in London when you least expect it! Make sure to be prepared for abrupt changes in weather.

Day 57 - My adventure in Sissinghurst

The names "Sissinghurst" and "Vita Sackville-West" may not mean anything to most people, but after today I will forever keep them in my growing collection of unforgettable sights of England.

The village of Sissinghurst is part of the county of Kent in the Southeast of England. The garden in Sissinghurst Castle is known to be the most famous garden in the country and the world. I've seen beautiful gardens in Hampton Court and various places in London, but something about this garden rivals the royal botanical gardens that England's culture creates.

Day 56 - "Take a chance on meeee!"

I'll cut right to the chase. The main highlight of my day was seeing "Mamma Mia!" on this night.

All I can say is that this was a day filled with memorable moments, and seeing the show was the topping on the cake.

The entire production was brimming with high quality technical elements and even higher levels of talent. I have seen the movie with Meryl Streep and it follows pretty close to the way the story goes overall.

There was even three extra songs at the end to wow the audience. I still have the songs stuck in my head!

I'm pretty sure they keep changing the cast.

Day 55 - "His Shakespeare, Your Shakespeare, Everyman's Shakespeare"

Nothing could have prepared me for the incredible amount of joy I would experience when I went to watch "Much Ado About Nothing" in The Globe.

I KNEW THOSE YEARS OF READING SHAKESPEARE PLAYS WOULD PAY OFF.

Day 54 - "ever yours truly..."

Today, I had the chance to visit the house where John Keats lived in!

My knowledge of Keats' life is about as short as his own life, though that's what I expected to find in the charming little house. Although it's simple in the assorted artifacts of his life and work, there is still something I connected with when I visited since I love reading his poetry.

Days 49 to 53 - The Long, Winding Adventure Week

This update includes Shakespeare, Shakespeare's house, Shakespreare theatre, and more West End theatre!

I'll admit, because of how adventurous I've been this week, I had very little time to actually update this blog. Though, once you read this blog, you'll find that my reasons were wholly justified. :)

Day 44 to 48 - Honestly, I'm gonna admit my procrastination and give you this post.

Since my last post, I've been fighting off bouts of nausea and other little events in between that involved more excursions and another birthday!

In order to hit all the points, I'll present them in bullet format~

Day 43 - The bells of St. Paul's Cathedral

Word of advice to the ambitious ones: stairs are as much a challenge than you think!

If any of you remember my last encounter with the fantastic structure that is St. Paul's cathedral, then you should know that the whole building itself is already an impressive sight! I couldn't take pictures of the inside, but was allowed the stairways in one side of the building.

I am told that this stairway is famous in films like "Harry Potter"!

Day 42 - a kingdom for a War Horse!

If there is anything I can brag proudly of this week so far is that I became a lucky lass for fourth row seats to see "War Horse"!

*rowsing cheers*

The details on how I scored those seats? Just ask me in private. ;)

But that really became the highlight of my day. It has to be one of the most impressive shows I've seen yet!

Ahhhhh, it's things like these that remind of the things I love in life at the moment. 

Day 41 - Did I remember my sunscreen lotion?

That isn't what I think about when I think of London: to pack sunscreen lotion. Apparently, that's how a classmate of mine ended up with one yesterday when the weather happened to be really nice!

Today, I had a lot of time this morning and started to catch up on homework. That's when my hostmom suggested I should visit Alexandra Palace (or "Ally Pally", as it is affectionately nicknamed!) since the day was sunny and warm.

Day 38 to 40 - "Home"ward bound!

The last couple days became a long decrescendo as Heather and I made the most of our remaining time in Edinburgh.

Because I've been so busy, I've combined all my major points into one post, so here we go!

Day 37 - Epic times in the Highlands

There is beauty in every crack and crevice in this mystical country. Taking a 12-hour coach tour around the Scottish Highlands was completely worth every pound.

The trip included breathtaking views of the misty vistas carved from ancient glacial paths and gorgeous lakes that stretched further down deep river basins. 

Of course, the main highlight was a 1-hour ferry cruise around Loch Ness!

Pictures just don't seem to do it justice when I look back at my photos, but they are going to be wonderful stories to tell when I return stateside!

There were so many castles along the trip! One of them I took a picture of right on Loch Ness, Urqhart Castle. 

Some castles were abandoned and left for ruin. Others are still maintained with a lot of funding. We even passed by many sites of famous battles, like William Wallace (Braveheart, anyone?). Also, a lot more history on some famous royals, like the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots. 

This whole day has been a wonderful opportunity to see this country away from the bustling city. I always love seeing rolling hills and towering mountains, much like home. 

If only I could take Nessie home with me!

Day 36 - The rains of Edinburgh

At the risk of admitting that I still have not seen an episode of "Game of Thrones", the title best describes the day's events. 

Weather in Edinburgh is quite like a lot of other cities this side of the hemisphere. So, with the rain pouring down all day, Heather and I made the right choice to spend most of it indoors.

After a late morning start, we ate breakfast and visited the National Museum of Scotland and saw A LOT of things only on one floor. It's such a gorgeous place and the exhibits were amazing!

Later on, we stumbled across The Elephant House cafe, which is famous for being the place where JK Rowling wrote the "Harry Potter" books. 

Also, at the delicious cost of some coffee!

With the rain still at it, we braved the "storm" to get into Edinburgh castle. I didn't take pictures because of the amount of wind and rain, but the place is incredible! It's a beautifully old castle that sits atop an old hill with an awesome view of the rest of the city below. 

We got to see 3 exhibits: two on the Scottish regiments and war histories, and the Scottish Crown Jewels. 

Later, we met up with a friend from the program and had dinner. Now, we're relaxing and preparing for tomorrow's next big excursion: the Highlands tour!

That's all for now! I'll leave with a picture of one of the souvenirs I bought today that I proudly own. 

Day 35 - A warm Scottish welcom!

Our trip to Edinburgh made Dublin feel like a distant memory upon seeing the large rolling green hills near the city. 

I believe the bus rides we have taken are quite efficient to get a feel for a city and also a lot cheaper! To be able to go back to pounds after a couple days felt nice, although even the Scottish notes look a little different.

This city is gorgeous, I tell you! I love the idea of rolling hills with old cathedrals that line the streets.

Heather and I are settled in nicely at our hotel. We'll be ready to take on the sights  tomorrow and make more memories.