This is me.

A lot has happened since I last posted something on here. Sometimes I still think about my months spent in London and have a hard time believing I was actually there. I’ll watch movies with the Clock Tower and Parliament in the background and think to myself or yell out to whoever is listening, “Oh my gravy, I’ve been there in real life!”

Since my return from London, I moved into an apartment, made it through a packed semester of REAL classes, survived the God-forsaken class of Calculus II, traveled to Xela, Guatemala with other Ball State students on a medical brigade, learned that wellness is more than a number on the scale, experienced heartbreak, watched my brother graduate from Ball State, realized exactly what I want to do when I grow up, and figured out a few things about myself along the way.

That seems like a lot of stuff for just a few short months. Some of it’s been hard, sad, and confusing - but it’s also been good, happy, and thought-provoking. I went through a time where I didn’t really like the person I was becoming. I would like to say that I do not regret anything about that time, but that’s not entirely true. Someone once told me, referring to a certain situation that “it is what it is.” And as much as I hate that line, it’s true. Almost too true. So maybe I do wish I could take a few things back, but I can’t. Instead I just have to learn from those mistakes. And I think I have.

Going to Guatemala for a week changed my life in so many ways. It’s an experience that would humble anyone. The Guatemalans are so thankful for our medical supplies and help – and their gratitude showed every time they smiled. I am definitely not an expert in Spanish, so I communicated by simply smiling back. It’s the universal language – smiling doesn’t know language barriers.

The experience also changed me on the inside. It made me realize I have way too much to give and live for than to just settle for what I was allowing myself to become. This is what I want to do – I want to become a doctor so that I can travel abroad and help people so that they can become better for their families, their communities, and our world.

I was so happy the day my brother graduated. He isn’t quite as responsible as some people would like to think he is, considering I was carrying his graduation attire the day of graduation. And that I helped him get dressed about 5 minutes before the procession began. But nevertheless, I was proud of him. Proud of what he’s been through in the past and the way he’s overcome the challenges.

When I think about our lives, there was our life before the accident and life after the accident. Two very different and distinct areas. I realize I said “our lives” instead of “Jeff’s life” because it really did affect our whole family. If the accident had never happened, all of our lives would have been so different. One thing is for sure – I would have been in Colorado watching his graduation take place, instead of watching it in Worthen Arena. I probably would not have decided to attend Ball State University, but instead followed my brother to the Air Force Academy. I’m not normally a follower, but I do tend to follow Jeff. Mostly because we push and encourage each other to be better – because we both know what the other one is capable of. Even if we don’t know it ourselves sometimes.

Before we found out Jeff had been accepted to medical school, I was talking to him online one night about what he might do if he didn’t get accepted this year. He said something about how he would feel like he’s failed if he didn’t get in. I told him that was definitely not true. If he hadn’t been accepted, then he would have to make different plans. Take a different path. That path wouldn’t be better or worse, it would just be different.

So after the accident, he had to take a different path. Not better or worse, just different. And it’s not like this different path is any less extraordinary than his original path – hello, medical school, future radiologist – yeah, that’s pretty extraordinary. And Jeff will find a way to jump out of airplanes whether or not he’s still in a wheelchair. And for some reason, I have a feeling that I’ll follow him there as well. :)

One of Tessa’s guy friends recently told her that he could never date me because I’m “too much of a liberal hippie.” He and I would have never dated anyway – and I even took what he said as a compliment. I do have several characteristics that represent the term “hippie” – I recycle and actually get a little twinge in my heart if I see you throw something away that could be recycled. I even have recycling cans in my apartment. I keep moving closer and closer to becoming a full-blown vegetarian – I have more meat-free days than ones containing chicken, turkey, or fish (the only meats I even consider eating). It actually hurts my heart to use Styrofoam and I wish McDonald’s and every other company would stop using it just because it’s cheaper to purchase. I would choose to wear a tie-dye dress or a shirt that says “More Love, Less Waste” over anything Prada, Coach, or Versace every single time. You will NEVER find me wearing real fur – just think how silly a mink would look if he was wearing your skin. I have two tattoos (one is a heart with a peace sign), and I plan to get more. When I grow up, I want to have a vegetable garden, compost, eat organic foods, drive a smart car, hybrid, or motorcycle, and have solar panels on the roof of my house.

So yeah, that’s me. I don’t care if you think I’m a hippie freak or a treehugger. Because this is who I am. I’m not perfect - there are times when I throw a plastic bottle in a trash can or eat a turkey sandwich. But that’s okay. Because at the end of the day, I still love who I am.

As far as what I’ve learned about relationships, I’ll say this: There’s a difference between changing yourself for someone and making sacrifices for them - a difference between waiting around for that person and creating time to spend with them. A relationship or friendship will never work unless the other person is willing to make sacrifices and create time for you too. And if that person really cares about you, then they will. Amazingly enough, it really is THAT simple.

But having said that, I’m grateful. Because the change it caused in me needed to happen. Thank you for that.

So there it is. My spring semester. I’ve learned a lot, but I’m definitely not done yet. And that’s probably a good thing, considering I still have two years left to go. Yikes. I’ll probably look back on this entry when I’m graduating college and think, “Wow, I really was a hippie freak.” Oh well, I still love me.

Peace&treehugs,
Rach

Don't waste it.

So it’s probably about time I updated this, right? Sorry for the delay, but I was always going to post again… it was just a matter of when. And now that question has been answered.

January 3^rd. Today is a big day. Not just because we’re having the majority of my mom’s family at our house for a belated Christmas celebration, but for another reason too. It has been exactly one month since I left London and everything that I had grown to know and love during the past three months of my life.

In the days leading up to December 3^rd (D-Day – as in ‘Departure Day’), I thought it would be easy to leave. I thought I would be ready. My grandma Jane had come to visit a few weeks before. And then my parents came during the week of Thanksgiving. They left five days before I was supposed to leave, so I thought that would make me more ready to go. My mom kept saying that I should just fly home with them – she was joking of course, but still. They were obviously ready for me to come home, along with many of my friends. But the question was if I was ready to leave.

I would say that during the final weekend before D-Day, I was ready to go. I was in the process of mentally ‘checking out’, especially since all my London assignments had been completed and turned in. I really started to miss my friends and family back home and was just ready to be around people I loved and who loved me. But on Tuesday, December 2^nd, my feelings definitely changed.

I woke up fairly early because I didn’t want to waste my last day by sleeping all day. I ran some errands in Islington (a northern district of London) - I bought boots at a store there earlier in the week and somehow I was given two completely different boots. Different size, different style, everything. But of course I didn’t notice this until I opened the box back at my flat. But whatever, I got the whole boot situation straightened out and then I was off to enjoy the rest of the day.

I did a lot of random shopping at Selfridges and a bookstore – last minute gifts I had thought of for people. I stopped at a Starbucks on Oxford Street. Made sure I rode a double-decker bus at least one more time. Ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant because they are my absolute favorite. Went to the National Portrait Gallery once it started raining in the afternoon. Made my way down my street and back to my flat to finish packing. Out to dinner at a ‘hole in the wall’ Indian restaurant near Paddington Station with my three favorite friends from the trip. Back to Oxford Street at night to photograph the Christmas lights lining the street and the amazing window displays at Selfridges. And finally, back to the flat one last time via a double-decker bus.

The greatest thing about my last day was that it was just like any other day I spent in London. I never wasted any of my days by sitting in the flat or sleeping the day away. I tried to stay as busy as I could because I never wanted to waste a minute of this incredible opportunity. I wanted to see and experience everything I could. Of course there were things I didn’t see and do that I really wanted to – especially a day trip to Hampstead and a visit to the Cabinet War Rooms. But when I think about those few things I missed this trip, I can easily count them on one hand. When I think about everything I DID see and do, in both London and Europe, it’s impossible to count - a tour of Parliament, meeting American celebrities on British soil, eating at a favorite Chinese restaurant on Thanksgiving, literally falling on a man while riding the Tube, breaking at least three umbrellas during the downpours, buying six-packs of white English muffins for 68 pence and eating one EVERYDAY for breakfast, planning a tour of London for my parents using public transportation buses, watching a seeing-eye dog lead its master on the Tube, running in Regents Park and Hyde Park, listening to all the opinions, views, and perceptions at Speaker’s Corner, finding art that I actually enjoy learning about, and becoming more aware of the environment and the world – just to name a few.

On the flight home from London, I wrote in my own personal journal everything that I was feeling at the exact moment – excitement, apprehension, sadness, relief, anticipation, self-assurance, and appreciation. It makes sense that I titled that entry “Mixed Feelings”. But at that moment, I really had no idea how I would cope with leaving London and returning to America. It obviously helped that I would be around my friends and family, but nevertheless, I was anticipating some serious culture shock once I arrived in Indiana.

After being home for a month, I feel like some of that initial culture shock is wearing off. I distinctly remember looking out the window as our plane was landing in Indianapolis and seeing a K-Mart. I’m not exactly a fan of K-Mart because the one is Muncie is quite ‘hick’, so really I was hoping the plane would just turn around and take me back to London. Getting used to the people and the Muncie culture (if that’s what you want to call it) again has been the hardest thing for me.

I was talking to my friend, Adrienne, who studied abroad in Ecuador about that feeling you get when you come home. It’s really hard to describe and the only way to truly understand it is if you have left America for a while. You just don’t feel like you ‘fit’ as well as you did before you left. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different. Maybe I’m not as comfortable here as I used to be. Maybe I’m just more ambitious to get out and do things because I know there is still so much to see and experience. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but all I know is that it’s good for me. And I never want to lose that feeling.

With 2009 arriving a few days ago, I began to think about what this new year will hold for me. It definitely will not bring another three months in London, but I have a feeling I will think about this past semester very often and everything it has done and changed for me. In March, I am going on a trip to Guatemala for spring break with a group from Ball State. We’re going to various clinics to provide medical care for children. Currently, I am beginning to train for a mini marathon, which is scheduled for this summer (thanks to my brother and Adrienne for that one!). And within the next week I will be moving into my apartment that my best friend and I will be sharing in the fall. Oh, and somewhere in there I’ll be going to school and working and doing all that jazz.

It’s hard to know how to end this. This won’t be my last post. I’ll probably have several sporadic ones here and there when something exciting happens or when I just feel like writing. But I think the best way to end this entry and period in my life to share what I believe to be the most important lesson I learned from my time in London: Strive to be an individual. The world only has one of you. Don’t waste it.

Three rows from Josh Hartnett... Does it get much better than that?

Thursday morning I had class as usual and then went to Covent Garden to meet my grandma and her friend, Pam, for lunch. We went to a lovely Thai restaurant because I really just can’t get enough of Asian food. I would be completely okay with eating it for every meal – including breakfast. :)

After lunch, we walked to the Palladium Theatre where “The Sound of Music” musical is playing to see if we could get tickets for that evening’s performance. Tickets were available and we actually ended up with very good seats for not too much money. Then we went by a few shops on Carnaby Street, a somewhat trendy area, and walked into a shop with really unique shoes. I got a fabulous pair of black flats with silver polka dots (thank you, Grandma Jane) and Pam bought a cute pair of dancing shoes. Then we went by Berwick Street Market, which mostly just had fruit and vegetable stands – but really, whenever I see the word “market” I have to go.

We decided to head to the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square because the weather was getting pretty rainy and dreary, which is just typical London weather. On our way to the Gallery, we walked through the “XXX” rated side of town… if you know what I mean. That was definitely unintentional, according to my grandmother, but you never know…. Hahaha, only kidding. The National Portrait Gallery was lovely. I really enjoyed it just because it was different from the other art museums I’ve been to – there was a lot of photography, which was a nice change of scenery for me. And I enjoyed all the captions by the pictures because they usually tell you something interesting about that particular person that you probably didn’t know before. For example, before Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, she was a research chemist, among other things. And of course I think that makes her even more fantastic.

Then we all had tea in the café located at the top of the Gallery. It gave a beautiful view of the Clock Tower (Big Ben is the bell, not the tower) and the London Eye (the giant Ferris wheel). After tea, we walked back to Carnaby Street in the London mist and participated in a silent disco while they lit the Christmas lights. We all had headphones on, so we could only hear the music; therefore, it was silent to everyone else! So I’m sure we all looked fabulous to them since we were dancing to music they couldn’t hear. And Christmas lights were never technically lit, but we did get confetti sprayed on us, which was fun. It was just a really random, memorable experience. I mean really, how many people get to say they went to a silent disco on Carnaby Street in London to watch Christmas lights being lit?

After that, it was onto dinner at an Indian restaurant. I have never had an encounter with Indian food, so this was all new to me. But since it is somewhat Asian, I was a fan. :) I got chicken thali, which was a variety of chicken with yellow curry, rice, an eggplant mixture, and potatoes in a special sauce. It was definitely delicious. I better learn how to cook Asian food… because we all know Muncie’s options for ethnic food are hopeless.

After dinner, we went to see “The Sound of Music”, which was spectacular! That was one of the musicals I had really wanted to see while I was here. I used to watch the movie with Julie Andrews all the time at my Grandma Luba’s house. And the live musical was just as fabulous.

On Friday, I met Pam and Grandma Jane at the tube stop near Pam’s house. We all left from there in Pam’s car and went to Cambridge. The town is adorable, lots of cute shops bustling with college students. The university is old, but still very beautiful – it’s actually hard to believe it’s a university at all! It’s seems like it should be a museum or something. It’s just very different from what I’m used to at my beloved Ball State University.

After a wonderful lunch of fish and chips at a pub, we went on a punt ride down the river Cam. A “punt” is what they call the little boats they use. So instead of a walking tour of the university like we do at BSU, we had a river tour with our own little guide paddling the boat. It was a really fun time and it didn’t rain, so yay for that! Do you want to know why the town is called Cambridge? Because of a bridge was built over the river Cam… and that’s how they got “Cambridge”. So clever.

Today I went “cheap clothes shopping”, as Pam calls it, with her and Grandma Jane at a market in East London. I didn’t find any clothes, but I did find a handbag VERY similar to the green giraffe print one that got stolen! So I was PUMPED about that. It’s kind of large and in charge, but I love it and it was cheap. :)

After the market, Grandma Jane and I took the tube to Leicester Square and went to the theatre where “Rain Man” is playing. That’s the production that Josh Hartnett is currently starring in. Luckily we were about to buy some tickets for the matinee performance. Before the show, we had lunch at a restaurant in Chinatown because the theatre is nearby there. I know, surprise surprise that I ate Chinese food. And of course it was fabulous – we had peking duck as part of our meal… AMAZING.

“Rain Man” was absolutely wonderful! I’ve never seen the movie with Dustin Hoffman, so the storyline was brand new to me. And it was the first drama I’ve seen since I’ve been in London. And we were three rows from the stage… meaning I was only three rows away from Josh Hartnett. So yeah, put all those things together and I had a wonderful afternoon. :)

Tomorrow, I am going to church at St. Paul’s Cathedral with Pam and Grandma Jane. And then we’re heading to Pam’s house for a traditional English dinner… I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m sure it’ll be wonderful!

Until next time,
Rachel

“When you sneeze, we catch the cold.”

I know that I have been neglecting my blog lately and am very sorry about that! It’s just that this whole experience is slowly winding down and I’ve been busy trying to spend time out and about in London and doing all that unwanted homework that I HAVE to do. But I guess, technically, I am supposed to be “studying” while I’m here. :)

Last week was mostly spent doing things in and around London – I went to the O2 Centre in Greenwich is see a movie. This is a huge monstrosity of a building planned by the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has a celebration for the millennium. Well, it wasn’t done is time, cost taxpayers way more than what was expected, and is in a horrible location that definitely does not attract many visitors. So basically, it’s a waste. I mean, it was a really cool building, but it wastes an enormous amount of energy every day. I also went walking through Kensington Gardens one day and stumbled upon a memorial for Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband. I have no idea how I never knew it was there because it definitely large and in charge.

This past weekend I went on a group tour of Wales. On Saturday we stopped in a few towns to see a very old castle, the ruins of a famous abbey, and to shop around in all the different bookshops. Sunday was that day I was really looking forward to because we were going horseback riding in the countryside! The countryside in Wales really reminds me of upstate New York. So anyway, on Sunday we left the hotel and it’s raining. We arrive at the horse stables and it’s raining. We mount the horses and start riding… and guess what? It’s still raining. It pretty much rained the entire time we were on the horses, which made all of us decide we wanted to come back a little earlier. I basically went numb about two-thirds through the ride because I was completely soaked and shivering. It seriously looked like I walked into the shower with all of my clothes on. But on a brighter note, my horse, Smokey, was fabulous. They called him a “gentle giant” and he really was. I felt completely safe while I was riding him – he liked to stop and eat every chance he had, but can you really blame him? I mean, most of us like to do that too. :)

On Monday I had British Life and Culture class – we spent a lot of time talking about what had happened the previous week in the States with our presidential election. It was amazing to be in London during that time and to watch the reactions of the British. The day after the election, I walked into a newspaper shop and Obama was on the cover of every major newspaper in the United Kingdom. Pretty amazing. And everyone here is so thrilled about his victory – but it also presents the question that our British professor brought up on Monday… Will the Brits ever have a black Prime Minister? They’ve already had a woman, which we are yet to do, but what about a minority leader? One man we talked to in Wales said something that really stood out in my mind – he was referring to the actions of the States and said, “When you sneeze, we catch the cold.”

That night we went to the musical “We Will Rock You”. It’s based entirely on Queen’s music and was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I know I say that about most shows I see, but this one was truly extraordinary. Everything was wonderful – the band, the lights, the stage, the performers – it was awesome. The storyline was a little weak at the beginning, but the music definitely made up for it. By the end of the performance, the whole audience was singing and clapping along, and I don’t think any of us wanted it to end. It was definitely the best musical I’ve ever been to.

On Tuesday, my first visitor came to see me! My Grandma Jane arrived in London on Monday night, but I didn’t see her until lunch on Tuesday. We ate at the Chinese restaurant that we both loved when we were here together several years ago – and of course, it was just as good as we remembered. She brought along gifts with her – Orbit sweet mint gum and candy corn. Can you believe they don’t have candy corn anywhere in London? That’s just ridiculous. So anyways, we had lunch, went to Oxford Street to find her a cheap, pay-as-you-go cell phone, and then headed to Harrods to do a little belated birthday present shopping for me. She bought me this fabulous, environmental day planner made from recycled paper – I absolutely love it! And then we had traditional English afternoon tea there too. The tea was lovely, along with small sandwiches, raisin scones topped with clotted cream (talk about a heart attack waiting to happen – but still amazingly delicious) and strawberry jam, and a few assorted pastries. It was a lovely English day with my grandmum. :)

Wednesday is our weekly day trip day, and this week we went to Brighton. It’s on the southeast coast of England and is very much a “beachy” sort of town. The Royal Pavilion is there (I believe it was built by King George IV), which is considered a royal palace, but it is definitely not as large of a residence as Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. The inside is definitely extravagant and over the top, with a very, VERY prominent Oriental theme going on. There is also a very long pier in Brighton, which is sort of “carnival-ly”. If you’ve ever read the book “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”, this is exactly the scene in which I imagined that book to take place. Funny story though - I was walking on the pier eating a small piece of fudge and then before I even knew what had happened, a HUGE dinosaur seagull swooped down from behind me, landed on my hand, and snatched the fudge right out of it! It was ridiculous because that thing was huge and freakishly fast. And it must have been stalking me for quite some time to spot that piece of fudge. So it’s safe to say after that happened, I quickly turned around and headed for the shore.

My favorite part of Brighton was DEFINTELY all the unique shops they had there. I had lunch at a little “hole in the wall” Chinese restaurant (but of course those are always the best) with one of my friends and then we went shopping all around town. One shop we found was called Vegetarian shoes and their motto was “Treats for your feet for those who don’t eat meat.” I thought it was hilarious – and very clever too.

After we rode the train back from Brighton, we went to this new shopping centre in London called Westfield. It’s humungous, brand-new, and very modern and contemporary. One part of it is called The Village and only contains designer shops, like Armani, Gucci, and all those stores that are way too expensive for my lifestyle right now. :) But there were also shops that I can actually afford, like Levi’s, H&M, and places like that.

Today I will be spending most of the day with Grandma Jane and Pam. I don’t know what they have planned, but I’m sure whatever it is will be tons of fun! And I promise I’ll try not to go so long before I post again!

Until next time,
Rachel

Thank you, Eiffel. For the Tower.

A weekend in Paris. Interesting to say the least. Not a bad trip – just interesting. And it was very quick. We arrived in Paris Friday morning and left late Saturday night. The first day was wet and chilly, so after lunch at a cute, little French restaurant with crepes, we headed to the Louvre Museum.

The Louvre is where the Mona Lisa is housed, so it was cool to see her. She’s much smaller than you would expect. But for anyone who knows me, I’m not a huge fan of museums and I don’t know much about art, so after about an hour, I was good to go. I just think it’s more fun to explore a city that I’ve never been to than to spend my day in a building. But we stayed a little longer since the others wanted to look around more. Really though, that place is HUGE, and it would probably take about 4 and a half days to make it through the entire thing.

After the Louvre, we walked towards the Arc de Triomphe. We walked through some gardens and parks along the way, which were lovely with all the leaves on the trees changing colors. But fall is definitely not the ideal season to visit Paris – spring or summer would be much better because there’s just so much to see that’s outside. By the time we made it down to the Arc, it was dark because it was actually a lot farther away than we thought. But it was fun walk and it was cool to see the Arc at night.
After that, we headed to our hotel. It was by the airport, which is definitely not in the centre of Paris, so we had to take a train back out to it. Thank goodness for public transportation – otherwise we definitely would’ve been in trouble. When we got to the hotel, it was actually really nice – but of course there has to be a story to go along with it. There were four of us who went on this trip. Well, when we walked into our room, there was only one bed. Awesome. How that happened I don’t exactly know, but regardless, there was still only one bed. So me and a guy slept on the floor. He took the curtain down from the window and slept on that. I, on the other hand, used my towel for a blanket. So yeah, not the best sleep ever, but at least it was only for one night. We ate dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, which was one of the first hot meals I’ve had in a long time that did not consist of English muffin and American cheese sandwiches. :)

The next day when we checked out of the hotel, it was raining. Not exactly pleasant, but no matter what, I was going to see the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower, because really, that was pretty much the whole reason I went to Paris in the first place. Before we went to Notre Dame, we went to a restaurant where I had a croque (I think that’s the name of it). It’s basically two slices of bread with some sort of cheese, either mozzarella or asiago, melted on each slice. Then they are stacked on top of each other with tomatoes in between and an egg on top. Probably one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. Seriously, it was delicious.

Notre Dame Cathedral was beautiful and HUGE. We toured the inside while mass was happening, which was probably somewhat awkward for them, since random people were walking around them, taking pictures, and staring. I really wanted to climb the stairs to the top of Notre Dame because you get to see the bells and the gargoyles along the way, but the line was too long and not everyone wanted to wait.

Then we FINALLY headed to the Eiffel Tower. Unlike the Mona Lisa, it is much bigger than you would expect. We rode the elevator up to the second level, because the very top was closed due to the weather (But I don’t really understand why… It’s not like it was foggy or snowing… just a little rainy). But the views from the second level were still extraordinary. It was so beautiful – and the sun even started to come out while we were up there. After taking tons of pictures, Mel and I decided to go back down to the bottom because we thought the boys were already down there. WRONG. After standing on a bench underneath the Eiffel Tower for at least 45 minutes looking for them, they were nowhere to be found. So, we decided to walk through the Parc du Champs de Mars to get pictures of the Eiffel Tower from a different view. After that, ee decided to walk under the Eiffel Tower one more time and look for them, but if we couldn’t find them, then we were just going to meet them at the airport. Well, somehow in that crazy mass of people, we saw them. Amazing. They said they had been looking for us the whole time, but I find that hard to believe. You know how boys are – they probably got distracted and then finally realized that we weren’t near them anymore.

After the Eiffel Tower, we headed over to a street near there, went into a few shops, and ate dinner. We went to a sandwich and dessert café, which was absolutely adorable. I got a baguette sandwich (because that’s just something you have to do… hello, it’s called a FRENCH baguette for a reason!) filled with goat cheese. It was AWESOME. And then for dessert I had a chocolate éclair – really, you just can’t go wrong with French pastries.

By the time we left there, it was dark outside, so we walked by the Eiffel Tower one more time to see it all lit up. It was spectacular – I can’t even describe it. It’s just something you have to see in person – and even then it doesn’t actually seem like you’re really there looking at it.

After that, it was time to head to the airport. We made it to London without any major problems, but it just seemed to take FOREVER. It’s just one of those things – when you’re traveling home you just want to be there. You don’t want to take a plane, a shuttle, a train, and the tube – you just want to instantly be at your place. Is that too much to ask? Ha.

But all in all, it was a good trip. I saw almost everything I wanted to see, and learned that springtime in Paris is probably better than fall in Paris. And as much as I love traveling, there’s just something about coming back to London that makes me feel all warm and cozy on the inside. :)

Until next time,
Rachel

The good and the bad.

So, I know I have neglected posting on here since my return from Italy. And you would think that was because I have been relaxing, sleeping, and recovering from that trip. WRONG. This past week has actually been one of the busiest weeks I’ve had here, so there’s definitely a lot to share.

Okay, let’s start with last Saturday, two days after I returned from Rome. The whole time I’ve been in London I really wanted to take a day trip out to the coast of England to see Dover. So I took the train and journeyed out there by myself. It was lovely because I didn’t have to worry about other people complaining about walking or not wanting to see what I wanted to see – it was MY trip. And I loved it. I spent most of the day roaming around Dover Castle, which is absolutely humungous and sits on a hill high above the city of Dover. The views from up there were quite impressive – because Dover sits right on the water, it was clear enough for me to see the coast of France! I mean, obviously not the best view considering it is 40 miles away, but nevertheless, I saw it. I also took a tour of the Secret Underground Wartime Tunnels, used in the Napoleonic Wars and, more recently, during WWII. Very interesting – my dad would’ve loved them! And I learned about a man named Bertram Ramsey (a vice admiral in the British navy), who basically saved all the English, Belgium, and Holland soldiers who were trapped in Dunkirk, France during the war. For some reason, he is highly underrated. I had never heard of him until that day, and it seems like his name should’ve been all over our history books.

Besides the crazy winds that were blowing most of the day, it was a really good trip. And as much as I love traveling with people, sometimes it’s just nice to have a day for yourself – which was exactly what I did. :)

The next eventful thing happened Tuesday night, but this is definitely not as pleasant as my fun, little trip to Dover. I was sitting with a friend at this restaurant, called Wok in a Box (fast-food Chinese – actually really good), when I got up to leave and noticed my purse was missing. Yep, it had been stolen. NOT COOL. And the crazy thing is that it was on my leg, and somehow I didn’t even know when it was taken. It was just not a good night. When I realized that it was nowhere to be found, I felt so sick to my stomach – one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. I think I was initially in shock because I didn’t actually start crying until I made it back to my flat and was talking to my dad. But I tried to pull myself together as much as I could and tried to figure out what needed to be taken care of. There was a lot of stuff in there – all my cards, most of my identification, my iPod, my camera, my UK mobile, the keys to my flat, and of course all of it was in my fabulous green giraffe print purse that I bought with Daniel in Las Vegas. I filed a police report that night and Mom and Dad and I called all the credit/debit card companies and all that stuff. So everything was pretty much taken care of fairly quickly, but it still just was not fun. I do not understand how a person can justify doing that to another person – how they can even think that it is an okay thing to do. But I guess that’s why I’m not a criminal. On the optimistic side of things (it’s always good to try to find the silver lining), all of my pictures were off my camera, my journal and laptop were not in there, and my passport was safe and sound back at my flat. So it definitely could’ve been worse.

My dad sent me an email shortly afterwards that basically sums up how I feel about the situation: “Do not let this ruin your time in nor your perception of London and of England. This kind of thing could happen anywhere… you can't stop living and doing all the fun things you had planned. The thief only should get what is in the purse, don't let him / her ruin anything else!” Thanks, Mom and Dad. :)

So onto happier news… Wednesday morning we left for an overnight trip to Manchester and Liverpool, England with the London group. We went on tours of both cities and were to observe the regeneration, industry, and other things about each city. It was a really interesting trip because most of the time when you think of England, you think the only big city is London. That’s definitely not the case. London is more like its own country than a city, I think. Both Liverpool and Manchester are quite large and each is unique in its own way. Both of the cities remind of big cities in the states - Manchester is sort of like Indianapolis and Liverpool has been compared to Gary, Indiana by other students, but I wouldn’t say it’s quite as rough. My impression of Manchester was that it was really new and contemporary (hence, regeneration), with lots of modern shopping and art centres. We DEFINITELY did not have enough time there. And we saw the Manchester United Football Stadium, which was cool just because it’s so famous AND because David Beckham used to play there all the time. Then we went to Liverpool Wednesday night, stayed at a very nice hostel, and went on a tour of the city the next day. It didn’t grab my attention quite as much as Manchester, because it was a little rougher and not quite as fun and new, but it was still very awesome because of that one band that started there… Who were they again? Hmm… I can’t really think of their name right now…. Oh wait… THE BEATLES. The city definitely attracts a lot of attention because of them. We actually drove on Penny Lane, which was really cool. We headed back to London later that day, which took longer than expected because a big bus and London traffic don’t exactly mix. I was content though – the girl I sat with on the bus had her laptop so we watched episodes of “The Office” and the movie “Sex in the City”. :)

The next day, I went to Paris with Mel, Kenny, and another boy, Sam. And it just happened to be my 20^th birthday. :) I will write all about the adventures of Paris in my next entry, so stayed tuned!

Until next time,
Rachel

Roaming around Roma.

The adventure to Rome began with a minor catastrophe that made me freak out for just a tiny, little second. We were on the train from Florence to Rome, when the announcer said, “Roma Termini”, and we were like, “Hey, that’s our stop.” It was about 10 minutes earlier than our planned arrival time, but for all we knew the train was going to arrive ahead of schedule. So we got all of our belongings together and got off the train. Yep, not the right stop. Great. As it turns out, we only got off one stop too early, so we were able to figure out the Metro system and take the tube to our intended destination. Like I said, I just had a small moment where I was like, “Oh my gosh, it’s dark, I’m in another country, I’m dragging around luggage, and I don’t know where I am.” But everything turned out okay, and we found our way to Roma Termini and eventually to our hostel.

This hostel was different from both the Venice and Florence hostels we stayed at earlier during this trip. I would describe this one as more of “real” hostel… if that makes sense. It wasn’t as sketchy as the Florence one, and the whole area just seemed much safer. It was me and one other girl from our group in a room with four other people we didn’t know. Then in a completely different area of the hostel were the three other girls from our group. There was a co-ed group bathroom, which actually turned out better than I thought it would because there was never a problem finding an available shower. The other people in our room seemed pretty safe – they were American girls studying in Copenhagen, Denmark. They had three weeks to travel all over Europe, which would be nice, but that’s a very long time to be living out of hostels. One night we had a homeless man in our room, but nothing bad happened. I guess he needed a place to sleep that night just like everyone else.

Our first real day in Rome started off with breakfast at this cute restaurant right down the street from our hostel. Out of all the lattes I had while I was in Italy, they definitely had the best one. Then we hopped on the Metro and went to Vatican City. The place is definitely amazing, just because of all the incredible architecture, and because of all the people who go there to visit. We went to St. Peter’s Basilica first. There were signs that said you weren’t allowed inside if you had a tank top or shorts on. So basically, if you dressed skanky, you weren’t getting in. Hahaha, I just thought it was really funny. So all of us cleared security and were within the limits of the dress code, so we were allowed inside. The inside of the Basilica was amazing. And I know I’ve seen a lot of churches and I say this every time, but the inside was seriously AMAZING. It was humongous! The ceilings were so high, the statues were so detailed, and the length of the Basilica just kept going and going. Two things that really stuck out in my mind: Number one, there was a pope who had died quite a while ago that was in a glass box on display. He hasn’t decayed at all… kind of stange… they don’t have an explanation for it… so yeah, that was interesting. Number two, the statue by Michelangelo of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after he’s taken down from the cross was in there too – very cool.

After St. Peter’s Basilica, we went to the Vatican Museums. Luckily we did all of this in the morning, so nothing was too busy. The Vatican Museums stretched on forever and ever too because there was just so much stuff to look at - tapestries, statues, paintings, etc. Really all I wanted to see was the Sistine Chapel, along with everyone else there, but in order to get there you have to walk through all the other rooms. So it took a little while, but we eventually made it. It definitely did not disappoint – absolutely breathtaking. Everything was so detailed and precise – and the room is huge, so no wonder it took Michelangelo so long. I can only imagine what he thought the first time he walked into that room, “Really I have to paint all this? That’s not overwhelming or anything.”

After that, we had lunch at a pizzeria, went to a “supermercat” (grocery store) because that’s the only place they sell inexpensive water, did some souvenir shopping, and just walked around Rome. Along the way, I decided to I was thirsty, so I took a sip of the water I had just bought… Well, in Europe they have two types of water: sparking and still, gas or no gas, with fizz or without. Somehow I had gotten the sparking one, which means it’s carbonated, but there’s no flavoring. So it’s like flavorless Sprite. Eww. And when you aren’t expecting to have carbonation and you get it as a surprise, it’s just not a happy time in your mouth. So yeah, that was gross. We also saw people filming a movie with a very cute Italian actor. I’m assuming he was famous because all the girls were running over to him and screaming.

We were trying to walk towards Trevi Fountain, but along the way we found the Spanish Steps. Those were really fun, and busy, but I still climbed to the top just to say that I did. After that, we went on to Trevi Fountain, which guess what, was under construction. And I’m not even kidding, but the crane was all up in his business… I don’t know if it was maintenance work or what, but the man was definitely cleaning “the family jewels” of the main statue man. After that we tired, so we got some much needed gelato. Then we walked a little more towards the Pantheon, but we got distracted along the way by markets and other shops, so by the time we reached it, it was dark.

We had dinner back by our hostel and then went back to our rooms because it was getting late and we were all sleepy girls. There was a little drama amongst the roomies from Copenhagen that night. Apparently they all went out to a “pub crawl”, and along the way one of the girls decided she didn’t want to do it anymore. So she left BY HERSELF after she had been drinking for quite a while. When everyone else came back later, the girl who left was nowhere to be found. So everyone was freaking out and calling the embassy because they had no idea where she was. Apparently she showed up a few hours later, so everything turned out fine. But really, have we learned nothing from Aruba? Keep track of your people.

The next day in Rome was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. We went to the Colosseum! I had been waiting the entire Italy trip to do this, so I was definitely excited. It was just awesome. So big and well preserved… I loved it. It’s hard to believe that they were actually able to flood it at one point. It would have been awesome to see it during its prime with all the people in it. It was just extraordinary. That is something everyone should try to see at some point during their lives.

As we were leaving the Colosseum, these men dressed up as faux gladiators came up to us and told us to pose for a picture. So we did. And then they said they needed five euros from each of us for the picture. I was not a happy camper, so I told them I would just delete the picture because they should’ve told us that before the picture was ever taken. Then they said something about paying them for their time… what, like 30 seconds? So, I was about to argue some more, but then one of the girls just paid it for everyone, but if she hadn’t done that, the attitude was about to come out. It was just really rude because they thought they could take advantage of us because we’re young, American girls. Not cool at all.

After that fiasco, we went to the Roman Forum and walked around there for a bit. That stretched on forever and ever and after a while it got a little overwhelming. We didn’t really know the historical importance of everything we were looking at because we didn’t do a tour, and in retrospect, that probably would’ve been something informative to do.

Then we had lunch, went back to the Pantheon and actually went inside this time, ate gelato, and walked over to Piazza Navona. That place is famous for its three fountains, but during our little visit, the one in the middle was under construction. Surprised? That seems to be a reoccurring theme. We spent some time in that area looking at different paintings artists were selling and going into shops. It was a really cute and unique area. We ate dinner in that area and then had tartufu (basically chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate shavings with a cherry in the middle) for dessert. It was DELICIOUS! In Piazza Navona that night, there were masses of birds flying around – it was crazy! All you could see were waves of black that kept moving all over the place. Samantha got bird poop on her shoe and after that everyone ran away seeking shelter. I just stood out there and filmed it for a while and luckily didn’t get anything dropped on me. Then we walked by Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum, so that we could see them both at night, which of course was incredible.

The next day, Samantha and Tara left early because their flight was at 10:30 AM. Megan, Magdalena, and I weren’t flying out until that evening, so we just had a leisurely day shopping, eating, and talking. Everything went fine with getting to the airport, checking our luggage (I was afraid mine was going to weigh too much, but it was good!), and finding our gate. Our flight was delayed, which was not a surprise with EasyJet because they are ALWAYS running behind. But because it was delayed, we didn’t back to London in time to use the tubes, so we had to take buses back to our flat… all while dragging our luggage and lugging around my backpack. It took about an hour longer than it should have, but when we finally got off the bus near our flat, we were all just so happy to have made it back.

Italy was so beautiful and amazing. I learned so much about the people there, saw so many incredible things that I will remember forever, and made some really good friends. But when I got off the bus on my street and saw my flat, it definitely felt good to be back “home” in London. :)

Until next time,
Rachel