48 hours of Hell

I know I said I was done posting because I was leaving...but my exit of England is simply too ridiculous to not document.  Before I go on, I want to go ahead and wish my friends well and I hope you all get back safely and in time for Christmas...big believer in Christmas miracles, you are all in my prayers.

OK!  So, Saturday morning:  10am.  Matt, Jessie and I load up all of our luggage into a cab and get to the bus station for a 2.5 hour bus ride to London.
11:30: Bus leaves.  I might add that at this point I'm 90% sure I have pneumonia, and a fever, and I really just wanted to be in bed and not move.
12:00: It starts snowing, traffic goes insane, bus starts going 2 mph.
16:00: We make it to London, Jess and I say goodbye to Matt, and we find a cab to take us to the hotel.  He doesn't want to drive to the hotel because he's a Douche Lord, so he takes us to a train station, where we have to buy 20pound train tickets for a 10 minute train ride that was delayed...and I may or may not have yelled at the woman, while I had no voice because she wouldn't give me my ticket and kept telling me to calm down...Jess thought it was hilarious.
After the train, we got lost in Heathrow for a couple of hours, I literally thought I was going to pass out.  I have never felt that run down in my life.  finally, we get to the outside of the airport to fetch a cab...and we have to wait in line...in the freezing cold...with my pneumonia stricken self...for 2 hours.  We finally get in the cab to take us .5 miles down the road to the hotel, and he charges us 11pounds...yeah that happened.
Finally we get to the hotel, and Jess finds out her flight is cancelled...I had to take a bath to try and loosen up my respiratory system and breathe...it worked pretty well.  After that, Jess was able to book another flight, we watched Bridget Jones and ate room service in bed, and it wasn't a horrible night.

Sunday:
5:00: I try to check in for my flight online and I can't, so I go down to the concierge desk to organize a cab to the airport.  The concierge tells me that the terminal I need is closed, they aren't letting people in, and all flights are canceled...which isn't true because on both Heathrow and Virgin-Atlantic websites my flight is still on, he refuses to believe me and suggests I extend my stay.  So I wait in a long line to get to the reception desk and he tells me that the hotel is booked, and so is everywhere near the airport. So basically, they were telling me that I couldn't stay there, and I couldn't go to the airport, and, mind you, I still had no voice, so they were about to throw my sick dying person out in the cold.
9:00: Jess and I finally got a cab to terminal 5 of Heathrow, we got separated, I had to take the tube to terminal 3 where they weren't letting people in...and I still had no voice.  I finally make it over to the Virgin-Atlantic check in desk and I find out that my flight is one of 2 leaving that day.  There isn't a time attached to it, but it will be leaving.  I literally almost cried...I'm not even kidding.  So I walk around, drink my body weight in Vitamin Water, until I can check in.
13:00: I finally get to check in for my flight and proceed to the gate!  Happiness all around
15:00: the flight takes off and I'm on my way back to America!!!
19:00: flight lands in Washington....now I have to wait in yet another line to try and get on a flight to North Carolina.  I just want to say, that the airport workers in America are so much more helpful!  I had no trouble, the guy was super nice to me, he didn't charge me for my bags, and he even changed the destination of my flight!
23:00: I'm home! It was literally probably the worst 48 hours of my life, but I can't let myself complain because I know that my friends have it so much worse.  Best of luck to you all!  and Merry Christmas.

All I Want for Christmas is You!

Well, this will most likely be my final England blog!  I never really thought this day would come, but it finally hit me today.  I must say, we went out with a bang.  On Monday, everyone went to I love Monday's and it was Christmas themed and fantastic.  I could not have asked for a better night, with the fake snow, (and the tears Miss Tamaryn...), and all of my friends being in one place FINALLY.  Even though my feet ended up bruised and I didn't make it home until 5:30 am, it was totally worth it, and I can't have asked for anything more.

 Looking back on this whole experience, I realize that I had a few goals that I wanted to accomplish while I was here, and after a certain point, I didn't think all of them would happen.  I'm proud to say that everything I hoped would happen while I was here has (with the exception of Prince Harry....hey, you can't have everything).  I can't really write anymore because I will cry, again, for about the 5th time today, but!  this has been an unforgettable semester, I have made some unbelievable friends, and even more unbelievable memories.  My life is so fabulous sometimes.

The End's Not Near, It's Here

Well!  First, I'm sorry about the lack of bloggage lately.  I've had a life full of essay-writing and things that I can't blog about for one reason or another, my life has been lame, so I'm sorry this thing has reflected that.
Let's see! The last thing I think I wrote about was when it snowed several weeks ago...honestly not much has happened since then.  We've gone to the same clubs and parties with similar turn outs and stories as previous posts, so I won't bore you with that.

But!  We did have a Study Abroad Cocktail party the other night.  Ok, well I mean it wasn't super awesome, but it was something out of the ordinary.  It was way fun to get all dressed up with my friends and go out.  They were giving out "Study Abroad Awards" kind of like Prom King and Queen, and I have to say, I have the best friends ever, because they all definitely won.  What's up.  Tam (of course) won Beauty, Matt won the Stud, Walter won Party Animal, Jess won embarrassing moment (still one of my favorite nights here I might add), Mike was the star, and there were some other awards I think that I can't really remember...there are photos on facebook, just go look for yourselves.  Anyway, that was fun.  We really did dance like nobody's business.  Aside from dancing, and Carla and I taking a picture of a SICK (open to interpretation) side-part, it was business as usual.

Oh, and Tam punched Dean in the face.  But I can't really write about that because I wasn't there, I really hate that I wasn't though...sounds awesome.

Oh! and Friday night we had an impromptu Hastings Party.  Matt, Sarah, Jessie, and I were going to watch Inception...but then we decided to try and get into the 3rd story of the house to see what was up there even though it was blocked off....with a padlock.  So then Chelsea and Walter joined us, and we still couldn't get in.  So Jess started looking for a homemade tension wrench, so I made Prash bring a paperclip so we could make a homemade tension wrench...and while all of this was happening we were also stacking up chairs trying to climb up into the crawl spaces...I know it sounds like this can't have lasted more than a few minutes...but it definitely lasted for about 3 hours.  Then all hell broke loose, and Matt and Jessie went running screaming through the house, some of the lady bugs in Jessie's room decided to make a baby, and someone who will remain un-named youtubed horse breeding...because she didn't think it could possibly be as terrifying as Matt and I said it was.  Again I say, I have the best friends ever.

Okay, now comes the real point of this post.  I just found a birthday card signed by my friends and I got all emotional...I just have a lot of emotions ok!  Goodness.  This has seriously been one of the best things I have ever done, and will probably ever do.  I have seriously met the most awesome people here and I am SO sad that we have less than a week left.  In the past 3 months I've checked off almost all of the things on my Bucket List, including seeing Wicked in London with great friends, and going to Paris (!!!...which I still have a hard time believing actually happened)  Every time I hear Defying Gravity or For Good from Wicked I think of when Tam turned around and looked at me and we were both sobbing...it was a tender moment ok, leave us alone.  Eating Greasy food at 3 am and Glee will remind me of Matty...because lets be honest, Blue Point is on Speed Dial on my phone...whoever thought of putting fries in pita bread with Cheese is an effing genius.  Plus, he was there every time I was having boy issues.  Modern Family will constantly remind me of Sarah...."I allllways dooooo ;)".  Well, Modern Family and attempting to do Pilates in my room...which resulted in lying on the floor and watching the video.  haha.  and Of Course Jess!  With her city of lady bugs and ingenious idea of using the blow dryer to heat our bodies haha.  Our sleepovers are the best even when she passes out mid-sentence...or asks me   if I've been kissing and texting people in her sleep.  Honestly, if I could even begin to say how much everyone I've met here means to me it would take forever, so I'm not going to do that.  But!  know that this week is going to be super hard, and I will make it to South Africa...to swim with sharks...or something...hint hint.  Not that anyone reads my blog, but even if I didn't mention you know that you are awesome and my hands are tired! I need to get back to packing...Heaven help us all.

Holy Frozen %$#@.

Well folks.  I have a lot to write about this week, because it was Thanksgiving, and let's be honest, it's only the second best holiday of the year!  At first I was kind of down about the whole thing because 1) I wasn't going to be with any of my family this year and 2) there would be no christmas decorations happening up in this beyotch.  But as it turns out, when you live with people everyday for 2 months they become your family.  This was one of the best thanksgivings that I can ever remember.  Everything was great, and there really isn't much more to say about it.  It was fairly uneventful, but it was full of love and food, which, let's be honest, is all Thanksgiving is really about anyway.

Friday night, IT SNOWED!  My dear friends Tam and Dean saw snow for the first time and that was a fantastic experience to share with them.  Therefore, we had an impromptu snow party at 4am...and you would be surprised how many people were actually out doing the same thing!  We climbed trees, people attempted to teach me how to make snowballs, it was a great deal of fun.  The party wound down around 5:15 and I was pretty happy about that.
  The next morning it started all over again but was 10 times bigger.  We wandered around the botanic gardens and people kept throwing snow at me (ahem Prash) and that kind of sucked because I flashed back to when Zach used to sit on me and shove my face in the snow, and then I would cry, and Debbie would tell me to stop or my tears would freeze to my face...and people wonder why I hate when snow gets near my face.  But anyway!  That was special, fun was had by all, and it was probably one of the best weekends I have had here with all of my friends.  It was one of those almost perfect days that makes me very sad to be leaving in 3 weeks.  And now I'm going to bed.

In the Words of my New Friend Alicia...WTFN?

Ok, so I'm going to go ahead and warn you people:  I have been awake since 4 am and am SUPER exhausted but I have to stay up for another 3 hours so I'm blogging...and after some things that I've accidentally said tonight, nothing I can write here can be much worse.
OK so.  This past weekend I got tired of Leicester and ventured out to Paris!  The city of lights...and love...and all things awesome that start with L...like Louvre, and Louboutin, and Louis Vuitton, (not to be confused Debbie!)

The cab came to pick me up at 3:15...or it was supposed to.  It actually arrived at 3:40 and I almost missed the shuttle...but I didn't!  Then the airline couldn't find my reservation, so after a big to do they were able to find it and I was on the plane woo!  Yeah, I pretty much passed the ef out.  So I land in Paris, I'm super proud of myself because I got on the right train and everything.  Enter Claver.  He didn't speak so much English, but he asked me a question in French and I responded.  Apparently, he saw that as his go time card.  He kept kissing my hand and telling me that I could move to Paris and be his wife.  At this point (in French) I told him I was engaged and my fiance wouldn't really like me moving to Paris to be someones wife...at that point he gave me his email address then tried to get my phone number.  After saying no about 20 times he finally gave in and then hugged me on the effing train.  I mean I hate hugs anyway...especially from strange creepers.  After this long embrace, he kissed my hand again and then decided to hold it...well I'll leave that at that.  So we get off the train and he asked me which hotel I was staying and where I was meeting my friends and at this point I pretty much just walked away from him and talked to a Po-lice man...exit Claver and my first encounter with a Frenchman.

I finally found the hostel, got all settled in and met my first roommate, Amy, from Korea.  She was a super sweet girl.  I hung out in the room long enough the charge my phone then decided to go exploring.  I'm pretty sure I got somewhat lost...but I don't think getting lost in Paris is a bad thing...it's more of an adventure.  I found the bridge from the very last episode of Sex and the City where Big tells Carrie she's the one...ahhh the romance.  I had a tender moment reliving that moment on the bridge...well really I was just thinking about her dress, because I do love that dress...but this is getting off topic.  SO.  After that I went to the Louvre...words cannoy describe, it's fantastic.  I got lost...for several hours...in heels...so that kind of sucked.  But whatever, at least I looked fashionable.  After the Louvre I made my way back to the hostel.  On the way there I was using the GPS on my phone to find my way back, and I got lost because I'm me, and ended up on this sketch alley road and my GPS map said "Christian Louboutin" and I thought I misread...but then I started flipping out and looked up and was standing right in front of God's Gift to Footwear.  One of the best surprises of my life.  After that I finally made it to the hostel where I met my Russian roommate.

This girl deserves a paragraph all to herself.  I tried to be friendly, I really did.  But she literally wouldn't talk.  She got there before I left for the Louvre and she went straight to sleep.  I got home and she was still sleeping.  She got up, said a curse word, grabbed her stuff and left, came back 20 minutes later, went in the bathroom, snorted around for a while, then went back to sleep...only to repeat this several hours later...and throughout the night.  I'm convinced she's a crack whore, but that's just me.  Then, at 1 am the 4th girl in our room showed up and couldn't find her key and said Russian ho-bag made a big deal out of  it and pretty much yelled at this girl...then tried to get me in on it, but since she woke me up every time she left for a rendez-vous I told the girl to take her time finding the key and to leave the light on (I was tired and grouchy, sue me).

When I woke up the next morning creepy crack whore had vacated the premises (thank heavens) and I left to enjoy my sunny day of the Champs-Elysees.  More importantly, Chanel.  My day started in the Jardin des Tuileries.  I walked around there for a while, then made my way to the Place de la Concorde.  Where, I might add!  I had my very first crepe, and it was delectable.  After that it was time for the Champs-Elysees...which was everything that I've ever imagined it to be.  I first walked all the way up to the Arc de Triomphe, then climbed the tiny spiral staircase to the top of that and saw Paris, then I made my way back down that sweet, sweet road.  I stopped at Cartier, Swarovski, and Louis Vuitton, which, I might add had a book store inside of it.  Happiest thing in the world.  After Louis, I made my way to the Ave. Montaigne where I was instantly surrounded by Ralph Lauren, Dolce and Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Dior, Fendi, Valentino, Celine, Harry Winston, and CHANEL! Ok, let me just tell you how effing fantastic this experience was.  There was literally a runway in front of Chanel...a runway.  And!  when you walk up to the door there are sexy Frenchmen in suits to open every single door and greet you...It was literally heaven on earth.  I think I could have died there and would have already thought that I was in heaven.  In fact, thinking back on it I'm still kind of fantasizing about it...Moving on!

After heaven on Ave. Montaigne, I ended up at the Eiffle Tower...which is quite breath taking the first time...well until the gypsies show up and start jingling Eiffle Tower figurines in your face (Priss and Chelsey...you're welcome.  I got some gypsy goods for you haha) I didn't really find out until after the fact that that's illegal...so let's keep that on the DL...thank heavens not many people read my blog.  Anyway!  in addition to being ridiculously annoying...these gypsies also try to rob you.  My friend Alicia got her iPhone4 stolen by a gypsy and here's how it happens.  They come up and shove things in your face, be it babies, or fliers donating money to the deaf/dumb association or something (that's what they tried with me) and then when you are distracted, their henchmen come up and steal your stuff.  Which is how her phone got jacked.  Luckily, All of my valuables were either in my pockets or buried at the bottom of my ridiculously huge handbag. TAKE THAT GYPSIES.  Yes, in a Borat voice I did ask if I could steal their tears (in my head at least).  Once up in the tower, I couldn't go all the way to the top because it was "closed due to congestion"? Granted, if it's congested I REALLY don't want to be up there, someone would push me off, I just know it.

After the Eiffle tower, I got lost...so I went to a random bistro for dinner and ended up talking to a really nice guy who worked there about why Paris was better than England.  He kept me company, it was nice.    After that I got REALLY lost, good thing Kristi taught me how to find the metro in French last semester.  However, on the way I managed to find a random store that had really great christmas decorations...I had to indulge.  Needless to say when I finally made it back to my Hostel I passed out.  Very quickly.

The next day when I woke up Alicia was in my room.  I kind of love her, she's fantastic.  That morning we all went and had brunch...oh PS.  Sunday will from here on out be known as the day of amazing food.  I ate way too much, and then came vintage shopping.  Ok, well she was vintage shopping, I was pastry shopping.  I had the best pastry of my life, and will now describe it.  It had a graham cracker crust, followed by a layer of cheesecake, and then cherries, raspberries, blackberrys blueberries, and just about any other kind of berry you can think of.  I think I literally blacked out while I was eating it.  It was seriously that amazing.  After that she shopped for a while longer, and then decided to get dinner.  WHERE! I am pleased to announce that I ate escargot.  Yes people.  I ate snails.  I have to admit they were actually kind of awesome!  Not at all disgusting like I thought they would be. I am actually kind of craving them right now if we are being honest here.   After that we ate frois gras (which is goose liver) and creme brulee to complete our Parisian experience and I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life.

All in all it was a great weekend, psycho crack whore roommates and gypsies included, Alicia was telling me how people kept asking her why she came to Paris alone and she would just tell them WTFN, why the fuck not? and that was her motto.  So People who are wondering why I took a vacation alone, I ask, why not?

Tutu's, and Glowsticks, and Neon, OH MY!

Well, I feel like I should blog before I get too behind...and it's not because I really want to, I would rather be sleeping right now.  So you people better appreciate this.  Well!  Thursday night was the "Study Abroad Society UV Rave Bar Crawl"...that's the longest name ever.  ANYWAY!  I had a lot of work to do so I wasn't going to go, but then I realized that even if I didn't go I still wouldn't get any work done, so I picked the social option.  Before that started my good friend Jessie and I went to hear Mike sing/play at Open Mic Night, and he was amazing (Which is why he won 1st place...ya know, no big deal).  But the other acts...(if any of you read this I'm sorry).  This one guy sang a song about a Scientist, Darwin actually...he got really angry and started screaming "Why are they still alive!?' I was scared...and confused...it was just not good...But anyway, after Mike sang Jess and I left to get to the bar crawl.  On the bus we had no idea exactly where we were going, so we just followed people similarly dressed in neon colors...it worked out!

  We get to the 2nd bar and it is insane.  There are shirtless men with paint all over their bodies, boys in tutu's, I'm still shocked at how well these people party...I've never seen anything like it.  We stayed there a few minutes then made our way to the next bar....and immediately onto the next one. 

  We get to the varsity, people start ordering the stoplights, and the fun really begins.  I owed Jess a drink, so I asked what she wanted, she said something strong, so she got tequila shots...What is stronger than that?    I just want to say that the music was AMAZING.  It was just like being in America again...I mean any DJ who plays Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, and Jason DeRulo is ok by me...in every sense of the word.  Needless to say there was a great deal of dancing happening...So much in fact I was a little sore yesterday...which hasn't happened since senior prom.  Things got intense.  lol.  At one point all of us were on a table dancing...and then Sarah tried to get down and consequently ended up on the floor...so I laughed at that...and I just remembered that at this moment, so you're welcome ;).  We danced into the night, and then this 40 year old creeper randomly made his way into the middle of the circle and kept trying to dance with all of the girls, and by with, I mean on all of the girls.  So Tory took one for the team and suggested he gtfo...which he didn't really understand, but I'm assuming he eventually got the picture.

  Shortly after that I left with Tam, Thandeka, and some of the boys who live in their house.  We got back to their house, I called one of the boys a dick, and he carried me to the house...I don't really remember why I called him that...but I was tired of walking, so it worked out!  We sat in Tam's house for a bit, then everyone went to bed.  On my way home I saw Tilman, Max, and Jen standing outside of Tilmans house (while Tilman was still wearing tights and a tutu) because he lost his key, so they were waiting on the subwarden...that poor man.

  I get home to a quiet house, then Jess pops up on Facebook slightly inebriated...ok, significantly inebriated wanting food.  So we ordered pizza while she skyped with one of her friends...and fell out of her desk chair a couple of times.  Between the two of us we ate large pizza's in about 20 minutes...and then I literally could not stay awake anymore...so it was bed time.  And that is how we do an SAS UV Rave Bar Crawl.

Halloweekend

Well, I wrote this one once...and then it deleted itself...so that was a load of crap.  But whatever.

Before I get to my Halloween adventures, I would like to point out that it is officially November, which means that I can officially start celebrating (aside from Tam's birthday!) CHRISTMAS! I am sooo excited, Christmas-Palooza here I come!  I'm torn though, because I cannot wait to be home, with my family and friends, and my christmas lights (coughdaddycough) and my christmas music.  It will be great.  But at the same time I cannot imagine not seeing my friends everyday.  I've officially been here for a month, and it still blows my mind that it's been that long, but in that month my friends have turned into my little family.  We have had our drama, and at times disliked each other, but we still have dinner every night at 5:30 (the university picked that time, we aren't senior citizens).  I seriously love these people and can't or don't want to imagine everyday life without them.  So I'm moving on before I turn into an emotional little girl.

So! Aside from my Christmas season starting, it was Halloween weekend this past weekend, I know you're all shocked.  But! In England...they celebrate Thursday-Monday.  My friends, being the overachievers that they are, decided to tackle all 5 nights.  Well...we'll get to that.  Queue Thursday night.  Everyone was super excited to get dressed up and go "Shake our tail feathers", if you will.  We had pre-drinks at my house...which is always fun.  We took pictures, played random music and finished getting ready.  By the time we all left pre-drinks, a few of my friends were a little tipsy, which is never a bad thing because it's quite entertaining.  We made friends with some random British girls on the bus.  One was dared to go sit on our friend Josh's lap, but wouldn't do it...I'm not sure why, he's a very nice boy.  But whatever!  So after we traipse through City Centre, we make it to the bar and go inside to shake what our momma's gave us (if you will).  The first thing I noticed was a drink called a stop light.  Basically, it was 3 bottles of VK vodka (Cherry, Apple, and Orange) all turned upside down into a pint glass and drank through a straw.  It certainly looked pretty, and people seemed to be enjoying it...I'm just glad it didn't get spilled on me, lets be honest.  I wish I could talk more about what happened that night, but a few of my friends have asked to never talk about that night again, so I'm going to respect that.  BUT!  Just to ease the curiousity.  After that night, most of my friends made it to the party at Allison's, then about 5 or 6 made it out to the club after...then the next night even fewer made it out...then last night I think maybe 3 people made it out...Maybe.  So, the moral of this story is, if you party right, you only have to do it 1 night a week!

I need to do homework....