Day 3

Day 3 January 29th, 2011:

As the morning of the third day arrived I had great anticipation as we were going to a modern art museum-> Tate Modern. A lot of people are not into modern art because it is unique and different from more contemporary or classic art forms. And I will admit that some are much stranger than others, but it is all about opening up your mind to the different ideas they can give you and the different things each artist personally had in mind. For one of our classes we had to pick out three pieces that “spoke to us” or were meaningful to us. I haven’t picked which ones I like the most yet because I am interested in many of them but below are some of the pictures I took of the different ones I enjoyed.
Mehr Licht by Juliao Sarmento

Forget Me by Juliao Sarmento

Black Virtue by Matta

Film Star by John Latham

ANNND many many more that will be on facebook soonish!

After I was done going through most of the museum since a lot of the girls didn’t seem to like it as much we made plans to try to get on the London Eye for a ride! But… Forgetting it was Saturday; we had a good walk along the South bank and taking pictures of different cultural things in London. Along the beach of the river there were local sand artists doing sand sculptures and entertainers on the street/walkway some playing statues others doing magic tricks or someone even standing on stilts dressed up as Elvis! Enjoying some sort of snack that consisted of peanuts and clusters of something deep-fried and sugary that is sold along the side of many roads in London, we decided instead of going on the London Eye because of the huge crowd to walked across the river to Big Ben so we could see it during the day! Along with seeing the famous Big Ben we went nearby to Westminchester Abby and made it just in time for a choral church service! And that is something not everyone gets to experience in a lifetime. It was PRETTY dang sweet in my opinion. It is one of the most gorgeous places in the world inside this westminchester church and although we were not allowed to take pictures because it wasn’t visiting hours I will not forget how beautiful it was. It gave me chills listening to the choir sing while admiring the wonderful scenery of this church.

After another day of lots of walking my hip flexors were telling me I needed a break but once I got back to the hostel and had dinner some people mentioned going out to a club to Ministry of Sound that was across London and had an assortment of DJ’s playing in different rooms of this place. Although I wanted to just go to sleep after having a few hours of girl talk in our room I got up and met the group downstairs to head off! We all being very smart brought no map with but found our way with the help of some locals and only a short line was waiting for us once we got there! It was pretty awesome also. Each room had different techno/house music playing, my favorite being a room with music that had very loud bass! The bathrooms even had perfume, brushes and combs, and other items for your use for free! Clubbing and dancing is different than in the U.S. and it is more of a laid back setting where people are dancing by themselves just listening and feeling the music, or just too drunk to move a lot. I met someone from Poland and tried to learn a few words with no luck. On the way back to the hostel since the trains were closed for the night we caught a bus back to Russell Square! And sat on the top of a double decker bus! We even got to speak with two other English men who we got to talk about America with, places to go in London, and how they liked OUR accents! Something I had never heard before. Getting back around four in the morning with sore feet I knew my plans of getting up early to have breakfast and go to St. Paul’s church probably wasn’t going to happen so I will have to go there some other time while I am in London. As for day 3 it was pretty awesome!!

Day 2

Day 2 January 28th, 2011:

After a lovely night’s sleep we met outside the Generator and were about to start or first day of class for INTS going to the Imperial War Museum! We had to navigate our way around on the tube underground system using a nifty little card to get through called an Oyster card. The train system is MUCH easier than driving or at least it seems like it is. If you are in Wisconsin or Minnesota, pedestrians usually have the right of way if you start walking across. In London, if you are even looking like you are about to walk across the street you get honked at and almost run over. Buses, cars, motorcycles, even bicycles have their own lane and the right of way! Besides the crazy traffic a lot of people do seem to be in a hurry much like the U.S. which I wasn’t expecting. Then again, it could be because it is their winter with a low of 30 or 25  (and we complain about it here! It’s probably -30 at home!) Anyway, the train system is awesome and very easy to get around, as long as you get on the right track, and even if you don’t, you get off and take the opposite one!

We found our way to the museum and it is in the old Bedlam hospital for the mentality insane (the new Bedlam we are going to next week!). Huge canons and a piece of the Berlin wall are on the grounds as you enter and the building is wonderfully built like most of the other architecturally beautiful buildings in London. The museum has different levels with lots of different pieces of the history of London and of the UK and Europe in general. They cover anything from WW1, WW2, The Children’s War, The Holocaust, some general history things in London and the UK and other exhibits that would have been too much information for my brain! It is somewhere you need more than one day to go to but very cool and interesting I was glad we got to go there for class. The Holocaust exhibit was the one I spent the most time in while I was there. And I’ve been to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. which is also stellar but I really liked the layout of this exhibit and learned a lot about more about it then I did before; plus I was much younger when I went to the museum almost 5 or 6 years ago. It is a place that everyone should still go to because it keeps you focused on what is really important in life and how absolutely good life is now for most people in the world.

After a long day of learning about different history topics a group of girls and I thought it would be fun to go to London Bridge and the Tower of London. We didn’t want to pay to get in but we got to see the outside and some of the inside from the window of a yummy restaurant we ate at called Wagamama. It was sort of Chinese/Thai food, very very good!

After another long day of walking and adventures around London and on the tube system it was wonderful to get back to the Hostel, do a little homework and fall asleep instantly!

Day 1

Day 1, January 26th-27th, 2011:

The day felt like it would never come and never begin. The majority of my day was spent with nervous energy, too much coffee which worsened it and looking over packing plans, my bags and just trying to make time pass! My stomach was filled with butterflies as mom and I headed toward the grand MSP airport, stopping at taco bell along the way, probably worsening my nervous stomach problems. Once I got to the airport things were getting better. I knew some people already but the wait went by kind of slow being that we had an almost 3 hours’ time to wait. After some cruzin around in the airport and a sundae at The Rock Bottom in the airport, it was time to board! And let me tell you nothing could get me down! Not even a center aisle seat in the middle of the plane! But it was kind of cool anyways because I got to talk to some of the other students on the trip who I hadn’t before!
The plane ride was long but Inception, The Social Network, and Easy A made it go by relatively fast. I got no sleep though the food was semi-decent for plane food. Once we got to the airport things were still going well until I got to the security check place (forgot what it’s actually called at the moment). After standing in line for about 30 min I got towards the front and saw one of the girls with our group almost about to burst into tears and thought to myself jokingly, bet that will be me; turns out I wasn’t far from that! I got my chance to go and I was excited because I’d officially be in the UK! She started asking me some questions about where I was from, going, and what I was doing in the UK. Then she asked me for my acceptation letter to be able to study there and... we were never Given, a letter… so I’m rifling through my papers asking her what could work for proof trying to explain that I’m with a group, not studying at a school specifically... After about 7 min another man comes over and asked if I was with the HUGE group standing right behind us I the waiting area and he let me through. I get the point of needing proof but for this program we didn’t specifically need a letter of acceptance. So after almost crying from being interigated I got through, my baggage was safely there, and the whole group made it!

Once we got to the hostel and we were all to say the least, VERY tired, but we still were going on a group walk around the city around four thirty, once the time came we learned how far it was really going to be.. five miles. So after a very long and slightly stressful five mile walk around what seemed like the entire city of London we made it back for some food and sleepy time in the tiniest room a six foot one girl could maybe ever be in. (pictures later) As for day one I was out like a light with Rihanna and Katy Perry playing very loudly below us. Ironic but sort of expected! Can’t wait for the rest of these days!

And we're off!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

Tonight at 10:00 I will be on my way to London! It seems way to sur-real, still! I can't wait to get to the airport and pinch myself to make sure its really happening!!

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings." ----Lewis Carroll


And some encouragement from my aunt :) Travelers Psalm, Pslams 121

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore

Less than 24 hours!

In less than 24 hours I will be on my way to London town! Our first stop on this grand adventure! I don't know if I'll sleep much tonight even though its MUCH needed. Nervous-exited-a little scared-but mostly just so pumped to get on and leave! I can't wait to experience these different countries and learn about them! And the learning will start right away; not with just school things but with what I can handle and getting to know myself more, which is one of the best parts to a psych student!
This will be my parting blog - last one in the US for the next 4 months or so! I hope everything goes okay! Then again I know it will because someone else is in control when you really look at the big picture. :)

AHHH!! Here we go!!! :D

The Clock is Ticking!

One more week till probably one of THE best experiences of my life! My suit case it packed (sorta) and my paper is.. getting there haha. I just don't have a ton of motivation for school related things when I don't have to have it! But in one week that will all change. My new best friend, according to Rik, one of my teachers and our leader, will be my Contemporary Europe book, how sweet? ;) And my sleek little Asus friend will by accompanying me all through Europe for me to type about all my experiences. I am going to be keeping a more personal written journal so I'll try to spare you the mushy details. As for now I'm going to start getting finished on my paper and you can look at some pictures of my lovely packing job!

This is my new little Asus (that I'm typing on right now! :D) He's been a babe with only one problem so far and it was only minor. This is my first notebook/net-book whatever you call 'em so I hope it works well! The camera seems to be really nice for such a small guy (almost more clear than my big computer! No joke!) And the internet connection has been great so far so we'll see how it works for international things.

My suit case A 21-inch Roll Aboard. From the Rik Steve's website, given to me by my very generous aunt Laurie Hill :) Enclosed for cloths for the next 5 months is 3 pairs of jeans (including the ones I'll be wearing), a pair black leggings, black dress pants for 'dress up' days, a black dress for nights out, a pair black tights, 10 socks, 15 underwear (though I have enough to probably last me 5 months haha), 4 tops/t-shirts, a pair of shorts and a pair of capri-pants for sleeping, a zebra/multi-print over shirt thing that will go with all outfits to mix it up a bit, 2 long sleeve shirts, 2 scarves black with flowers and one red, my rain coat that should work great with 50 degree weather they are having now! :D And that should be it for cloths!

Other things in the suit case are a pair of dressy flats, sandles for shower or hot days once I get to spring, a sleeping sack (also from Laurie its blue silk! So nice!!), a cloths line for washing cloths, two fast drying towels, two wash cloths, an umbrella for those rainy days, some health care things baniads and some medicine stuff, hair products (I've worked at a hair salon for 4 years! I need some), shampoo and conditioner, my hair straightener for days I feel like doing something, my makeup bag, a bag with other things like hair pins, nail clipper or other random things I can't bring on the plane, deodorant, tooth brush and paste annnd.. I can't think of anything else! And can you believe it its only just under 40 pounds haha! It feels like a lot but I really tried to bring thing I would only need for 5 months, its a long time!

Then for my carry on I'm bringing my school backpack with a smaller day pack inside for days I just need a few things like my camera and a notebook or something. In here I have my school books, only two thankfully, two notebooks, one will be used as a journal for a class, two planners, my travel guide, my purse will also hopefully fit in here which I will have my camera with its other memory card, battery and charger and my computer, iPod, money and some other smaller important documents. The larger ones I will keep in the backpack all together in a folder we get on the day we leave! Pens and pencils are also somewhere in there and a flashlight, adapters for different plug ins, and charger for computer. I also want to bring my drawing pad and some pencils but I am going to think about it more and debate weather I will use it enough to bring it and carry it also every day.


It seems like a lot but it also seems like such little for so long! Now to get finsihed on that paper of mine on Greece. That will be my next trip to Europe in 2013 its already planned :)
Ttyl!

Count Down!

Only 10 blissful days left until the group of I.T.Cer's (as we call ourselves) depart from Minneapolis airport on Wed. January 26th, 2011 and 10:00 PM! It is starting to hit me that soon I won't be in my comfort zone or be around things I'm used to.. no pets, comfy bed, schedule, phone and work! YAY! Finally!
WELL.. kinda. I will miss my family, friends, pets and bed.. but that's okay.
Like my mom said, "You have to live your life too. Can't just live at home forever where I know where you are all the time!" And this is true. I will be a little sad to leave for these next 4 months or so but I am so so so so so incredibly excited that I know it'll all be okay!

With ten days being all that's left I have to finish getting things together and being the wonderful procrastinator I am, finish at 15 page paper. Its not that I don't want to write about my subject, Greece, I just have no motivation to do it when I'm distracted by so many other things at home. One of these days I'll muster up the courage and just spit it all out and hopefully not sound terrible. ;) To be honest I'm quite exited to learn about Greece because -cross your fingers- I'll be going there for graduation in 2013!

Now lets see how these next few days go before we depart!
I will be attempting to write in this blog almost every or every-other day while in Europe. I have a few other journals (paper ones) that I have to write for school so I'm not sure how much computer time I'll even want but I'll try!