grace duVal

The past two days have been intensely filled with traveling across vast distances in the Land Rover. We left Switzerland on Friday, though we left considerably later than we meant to—as in, around three in the afternoon instead of ten in the morning. It’s not surprising we left so late considering the boys and I haven’t managed to be on time for anything the entire trip (except for the ferry). It’s understandable that we weren’t in a rush either, as it was an insanely beautiful day with weather so warm we were in shorts and tee shirts, sprawled out on the front steps while we chatted with Lindy.

I just have to say that Sam and Lindy are incredibly spectacular for hosting us.  They really are extended family to me, so I’m glad that I could finally meet them. It is incredible that without ever having met any of us they opened their home to us, fed us and provided fantastic company. Since being at their house, though, I understand why they were so hospitable to travelers—their house is practically a hostel already! While we were there we met two other travelers who stay with them on a frequent basis, and some other visitors called to ask if they’d left something behind! So we were not the only people that the Carmalts have hosted. When I own my own big, quirky house, I hope I can host people just like they do… it makes life far more fun.

We whiled away the beautiful afternoon lying on the steps, talking to Lindy and watching Kingy practice his juggling. Finally we decided we needed to get a move on if we wanted to get to Paris before five in the morning, so we got in the car and hit the road. The rest of the trip was rather uneventful with the exception of our stop on the side of the mountain we were climbing to have a ridiculous photo shoot with the Alps in the background. We were just meant to stop to see the view, then to take one group picture, and then suddenly we were climbing all over the car and setting ridiculous self-timer shots and Jim carrying me around piggy-back and falling in the snow and all manner of ridiculous things.

After the photo adventure we piled back in the car, flipped on the DVD player and sat back to watch movies while we traversed the French countryside. Around midnight we finally pulled in to the hostel, and though we meant to go out and see the Parisian night life we were so knackered that we all ended up collapsing on the bed and doing nothing of importance. 

Yesterday morning we were up surprisingly early, and by ten we were out the door. We knew we had very limited time in Paris if we wanted to catch the 8pm ferry from Dunkirk, so we decided exactly what highlights we wanted to see, programmed them into the sat nav and hit the road. That was the most whirlwind tour of Paris from the back passenger window of a car that I think has ever existed! First we drove right into the heart of Paris and started with the Arc de Triomphe, which is the world’s biggest roundabout, which of course we had to do since Jim was the navigator… In we went and ended up circling at least three times while I tried to take pictures as I hung out of the back window and the boys tried desperately to figure out which exit to take.

Once we escaped that we kept driving down random roads as I kept my head out the window like and over-excited dog with her ears flapping in the wind. I was soaking up every moment of the experience, looking at the beautiful architecture and absorbing the wonder of the city of love.

Next stop on our whirlwind tour was the Eiffel Tower, which suddenly appeared on the horizon before us! The sat nav lead us right to it, where we spent the next fifteen minutes trying to find parking (to no avail). Luckily we have no qualms with bending the rules, so we drove right to the foot of the tower and parked in the bus lane and left the hazards on. The bus drivers yelled at us, but we didn’t really care—we were in Paris! We jumped out and ran around taking pictures like mad while Kingy calmly sat on the sidewalk and made us all croissant sandwiches (or “buttys” as Jim seems to call them). We stayed there till we were satisfied that we’d seen enough, [plus an official man started walking towards us with a purpose], so we decided it was best to mosey on.

The final stop on the Paris Express was the Notre Dame. This time we were able to find parking, though it was an incredibly tight squeeze for the Land Rover! Seriously, for a car made by the English it’s really not tiny enough for the European roads. Off we went to the Notre Dame where we were able to go in for free to wander around. I can’t even explain how phenomenal and breathtaking it was inside. I’ve studied it in my art history classes and it was surreal to finally be standing in a place with so much history. There were hundreds of people inside, but everyone was silent or whispering, and midday prayer was happening in the center of the church. We must have stayed there at least forty minutes, quietly looking and taking it all in.

We finally finished our top three places to visit in Paris and still had some time left over, so we took to the streets and wandered around for an hour, stopping in various shops and perusing. Eventually we realized that we needed to get a move on so we weren’t in a ginormous rush to the ferry. Back in the car we went, arranged the sat nav and hit the road. I very promptly passed out in the back seat, as we didn’t go to bed till half three and were up by nine. The boys laughed at me the whole trip because apparently any girl who sits in the backseat of the Land Rover automatically falls asleep, so the entire time if I was lying down one would inevitably say to the other “is she asleep yet?” and the other would turn around to look and I’d be like “why the hell are you staring at me?” It’s nearly impossible for me to nap, so they were always surprised to find me awake—but not this time! This time I passed out for at least two hours. and it was delicious.

We arrived at the ferry early, so after getting our ticket and parking our car in line we turned on the DVD player and watched Hot Fuzz while it poured rain on the car. Eventually the ferry opened, we got on and spent the entire time in one of the restaurants where the boys ate and we all complained about how slow the internet was while trying to break through to Facebook with a proxy (unsuccessfully, I might add).

Soon enough the ferry landed, we got back in the car and made the final leg to the hotel for the night. It was great to be in a place with legitimate beds after spending so much time in the car, but it was BLAZING hot in the room so we were all sweating up a storm. Jim proceeded to go on a mission to turn off the heat, fiddling with the radiator and eventually taking Kingy’s knife and going on an expedition to the attic to find the source of the heat. Unsuccessful and unable to open the windows in our room, we had to settle for lying as still as possible on the beds so as to stay as cool as possible.

The night passed and this morning I was up at 6:30, packed my things and got the shuttle to the airport, which Jim was kind enough to get up and walk me to. I’m stunned and heartbroken that my trip is over. I tried to so hard not to cry this morning, but as I drove to the airport tears streamed down my face. I feel like I’ve only just arrived here and at the same time I feel like I’ve been here forever. England feels comfortable to me, it feels like home. Some of my best friends in the world are here, and seeing them all again only made me remember how much I love and care about them all.

So this is to you, my friend, who is reading this right now. Whether are are in the US or Europe or anywhere else in the world, this is to say thank you. Thank you for being my friend. I am nothing without you, and I am eternally grateful that I know you. My friends make my life complete, and I have been blessed with some of the best in the world. This trip has made me remember that.

I am now in the Heathrow airport, an hour from departure. I wish I could run away and stay here, but I can’t. My life at home is a complete train wreck of work and stress that I don’t really want to face, but my flight home says I have to. So thank you for a beautiful two weeks and a reaffirmation that life is, indeed, spectacular.

Let the adventure of life continue.

Jim showing Lindy all the snazzy things he did to the Land Rover

Lindy helping Kingy juggle

comfy comfy Carmalt living room

the start of the Alps photo shoot

and then Jim carried me around because I wasn’t wearing any shoes…

Arc de Triomphe

parked at the bottom of the tower:

Notre Dame!

yesterday we decided to get an “early” start, and so we managed to get out of the house by 1:00pm, which was an improvement from the day before! Sam and Lindy and recommended a small town called Saint-Cergue that was up on a mountain and would have great views and snow. Once again it was a beautiful day as the three of us piled back into the Land Rover and made our way up the incredibly twisty, winding mountain roads, gasping as we got higher up and could see more of the Swiss Alps across the way.

We got to Saint-Cergue pretty quickly but none of us were in the mood to stop and get out to look about, so Jim kept driving up the mountain, deeper into the snow. Pretty soon we crossed the border into France and found a little patch of land that was covered in snow. Well, as I covered previously, the Land Rover is equipped with brand new tires and Jim apparently has a substatnial hankering to break them in. Off the road we went and right into the middle of a big field we went, just so he could get a picture of the Land Rover on snow. We were greeted by a big, friendly French dog. Even though we couldn’t understand each other, paw gestures sufficed just fine.

After we drove across the field, down a steep embankment and back out onto the real road we came across a cute French town that was at the mountain peak. We parked the car and started to wander around, trying to find a good place to eat. Then is hit us: Switzerland isn’t part of the EU, so it still uses Francs as currency, while France is officially and solely on the Euro. Even though we were right at the border not a single place would take Francs, though to figure that out involved lots of hand gestures and talking very slowly while pointing at things.

Even though we couldn’t eat we still wandered, looking in shops and eventually finding our way to a great old church to the side of town. We ended up exploring the graveyard, which is full of incredibly old tombstones with beautiful carvings in them. I found out we were able to go in the church, so we went in to see the beautiful old interior. It was so strange because it was relatively warm outside, but inside it was absolutely freezing! We could see our breath as we walked through the pews and looked around. It was absolutely silent, and it was awe-inspiring to stand in the middle of an old church on the tip of France and listen to the silence echo off of the stone walls.

After the church we hopped back in the car to go back to Switzerland, where we could hopefully now pay for food. We managed to get stopped and searched at the border because the border patrol didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak French and everyone was generally confused. Instead of trying to talk they asked if they could search our car to look for whatever it was they wanted. We had nothing to hide, so we let them at it. Ironically the boys had brought a giant ammo case full of kerosene for their fire performances (just in case they needed it) but for some reason the guard didn’t even notice our highly suspicious container!

Free to enter Switzerland Jim and Kingy quickly got distracted and spent all of their energy trying to locate the best sledding hill EVER, and we shortly managed to find a great one. The boys donned their waterproof clothes, grabbed the sleds and ran down the hill. I then proceeded to laugh hysterically for the next hour while they ran about sledding down hills, running into each other and trying to get the fastest speed possible. I swear I’m actually on a road trip with two ten-year-old-boys trapped in twenty-something bodies.

Once we were all properly soaked through we got back in the car and decided to head towards food. Instead we decided to keep driving on and on and eventually ended up completely on the other side of the lake. (This lake is giant. check a map. this was not a twenty-minute journey). We didn’t really have anything in mind other than just going somewhere and doing something. It was assumed that we would easily find a great restaurant in the city we stopped at, but as soon as we got out of the car (around 8pm) and started looking around, everything was CLOSED. Note to everyone who wants to eat out in Switzerland: DON’T. They just don’t have restaurants anywhere. Or we were looking in all the wrong places, but there were none to be had anywhere. It was truly bizarre. We finally found an expensive little Italian restaurant and decided that was our best bet, so we hungrily sat down and dug in to some amazing pizzas.

While we were eating we started discussing the trip back from Switzerland to London on Saturday, in which it was concluded that we would have to leave at 3amin order to get to the ferry on time. None of us seemed too keen on this idea, so I proposed that we break the trip into two days and stay over in Paris. Voila! an idea was born! The guys thought it sounded like a good plan, plus we get to spend all of tomorrow in Paris and the ferry is only a few hours away. Brilliant!

So that’s the new plan. Though right now it’s noon and Jim and I are on the couch and Kingy is definitely still asleep upstairs and we’re supposed to leave in an hour… I guess we’ll see if that actually happens. No matter! At some point in time today we’ll be in the car and make our way west to Paris. OUI!

the sledding hill

wet pants no socks Kingy

you can’t tell, but those are the massive Alps across the way

Yesterday was rather uneventful, as all three of us were still recovering from the eighteen hour day we’d had on our way here. So we all slept in and spent the entire morning lounging on the couch and watching a Robin Williams stand-up comedy routine that Kingy found at the house. Around two we finally got ourselves into gear, got outside and suddenly realized that it was BEAUTIFUL! It must have been nearly 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We didn’t even need our coats or scarves.

We walked to the train station, which is only ten minutes away, and as soon as we crested the hill by the Carmalt’s house we were stunned: right in front of us was a massive, beautiful, snow-covered mountain range. We obviously hadn’t seen it the night before because we arrived in the dark, but there they were, clear as day. It was stunning to see such an incredible, beautiful and completely unexpected sight right in front of us.

We waited around and caught the train into Geneva, where we started wandering aimlessly, searching for something to do or somewhere to go. Kingy decided we needed some beer and a pizza, so we went on the hunt, eliminating restaurants that were insanely expensive (aka: most of Geneva) and eventually landed at a nearly empty pizza place on a side street. The food was great and the owner of the restaurant, who didn’t speak a lick of english, entertained us by borrowing Kingy’s deck of cards and showing us a few card tricks. It was really amazing to have a complete interaction with someone but have it be completely void of speaking.

I’ll also admit that I’m really fascinated by language and I enjoy trying to understand it and pick it up. My spanish gives me a really basic key into French and Italian, so if I really pay attention I can figure a lot out based on cognates and similar grammatical structure. I found myself listening to people speaking just so I could try to figure out what they were saying. My favorite is to listen to parents speaking to children, because I can guarantee that they are using the simplest grammar and the most basic vocabulary. While it certainly won’t teach me french, I still really enjoy trying to pick it up and understand it.

After the pizza place we went back out and wandered down the streets towards the lake, which we had seen earlier. (For those unfamiliar, there is a super massive lake that runs through most of Switzerland.) Pretty soon we were put out right onto the water and presented with a spectacular view out across the water to the old buildings on the opposite bank and the towering white mountains behind those. Geneva has a giant geyser-type-thing that reminds me of Old Faithful but runs constantly. I guess it’s just a giant fountain…

We wandered the shore and quickly found a peninsula that jetted out into the lake, complete with a great beach full of smooth stones. We promptly plopped ourselves down in the sun and Jim and Kingy immediately took to skipping as many rocks as possible as far as possible. It must have been an hour that we sat in the sun, the boys searching for the best rocks while I bemusedly observed. There was a mother with her little boy, who couldn’t have been more than a year old, also playing on the beach. This little boy was completely entranced by Jim and Kingy’s rock antics, and he sat and would follow every ripple that the rocks would make.

Eventually we went to the end of the Peninsula, had a look around and then decided to go home. Back on the train to the Carmalt’s we went, where we spent the rest of the evening in the living room, Kingy teaching Jim chess while I did positively nothing. I think we were all still exhausted, so it was nice to have a day where we didn’t have to think or do anything (and where Jim didn’t have to drive). Today we’re setting off to a little town called Saint-Cergue. Our only real desire is to get to places that are beautiful, mountainous and full of snow. Lindy recommended this place, and Jim decided it would be perfect because, judging by the map, it requires driving incredibly twisty turny mountain roads to get to it.

So it looks like that’s our next stop. Hope the weather is just as amazing today!

juggling in front of the Carmalt’s house

REALLY excited about the weather

Yesterday was beyond exhausting, albeit much fun and much adventure. It started at four am at the Rob Roy Bed and Breakfast, still deep in the dark of night, when one by one our alarms went off and, one by one, we grunted, whined, shut them off and tried to go back to sleep. Luckily by 4:30 we had managed to wake ourselves enough to get out of bed and grab some breakfast downstairs before heading out. None of us were awake by any means, but the ferry left at six so we needed to hit the road. By five we were out the door, down to the Dover dock and by five thirty we were on the boat.

I have to say, I was impressed with how fancy the ferry was. The upper levels had cafes and restaurants and windows wrapped the whole boat. The three of us found a spot with comfy couches where we hunkered down and watched as the sky lightened. After the boat took off Jim and I went to the bow of the ship where we could see an amazing sunrise. We must have stood there twenty minutes sleepily talking about nonsense while we watched the sun peek up over what would soon be France. The rest of the boat ride was spent with me in the middle of the couch and a boy stretched out on either side of me completely asleep. I don’t blame them, we had a long day ahead of us.

Once we got off the ferry we started our drive across France, which was really unremarkable, in all honesty. The part we drove through is VERY flat and mainly farmland with big electrical towers running through the middle of it. Tons of open fields everywhere. Through the countryside we drove. and drove. and drove. and by “we drove” I mean JIM drove. He drove the entire way by himself, poor thing. Kingy and I had the pleasure to just sprawl out in the car and relax the whole time. I got the whole backseat to myself and stretched out like it was a giant couch while Kingy took the passenger seat. Thank god Jim had outfitted the Land Rover with a DVD player because we spent the vast majority of our trip across the French countryside deeply engrossed in movie after movie. huh, maybe that’s why the land seemed so boring….

France is my first non-english speaking country, and I have to say that it feels different. I think mainly it feels that way because I feel guilty that I don’t know their language. In some ways I feel like I’ll be judged as an ignorant American who walks into foreign countries and expects everyone to speak english, which is totally untrue considering I know lots of Spanish… I just don’t know French. It’s definitely strange to know that whenever we stop at a gas station or a convenience store, there’s a good chance we won’t understand anyone and vice versa.

So along the road we went, until we got to a toll road and had to pay twenty Euro and realized that HELL NO we weren’t going to blow 100 euro just on roads. So we pulled over, readjusted the sat nav to exclude toll roads and made our way. That decision was definitely one of the best we made. Instead of keeping us on the interstate it took us down into legitimate old french towns and villages full of old stone buildings and small town centers. That’s when the landscape started to get really beautiful. That’s also around the time we stopped watching TV…. coincidence? You decide.

On and on and on the driving went, stopping for fuel, stopping to eat, la de da de da, you know the story. Beautiful French countryside with steeples peaking out of the hills every few miles. And now we’ve officially been awake for fourteen hours. And it’s only six o’clock. Oh dear. Only five more hours till we get there! We trudged long into the night, Kingy and myself providing occasional moral support to poor Jim who was stuck at the wheel. We listened to more music, sang along at the top of our lungs, Kingy did endless card tricks for me (he’s really really good), I tried multiple times to lie down and nap but then got too excited by the terrain and quickly sat back up.

The point is, NOTHING HAPPENED all day. Because we were in a car. Still a really good time though, considering we were essentially in an eight-foot-square box. The real fun started when we were ascending the mountain passage into Switzerland which we were unfortunately doing in the dark. It was so incredibly twisty with tons of hairpin turns and a sheer cliff just a few feet to our right. Lots of fun to drive in late at night after being awake for eighteen hours. Down the other side of the mountain and BOOM there in front of us was a spectacular view of the entirety of Geneva, city lights ablaze as far as the eye could see. We stopped the car and stood at the overlook to see what we’d driven so far for and overhead were millions of stars. It was a truly incredible moment to stand on that ledge in the freezing cold and look down into Switzerland.

Twenty minutes later, on the other side of the mountain we follow the sat nav to the border crossing which, turns out, is very much closed, with a big red gate blocking the way saying that it closes from 1900 to 0700. At this point it’s more like 2230. Well, the boys being ingenious realize that:

1. there is a dirt road off to our right
2. we are currently driving in a Land Rover
3. Jim just put new tires on the Land Rover before we left.

Obviously 1+2+3= LET’S GO OFF-ROADING TO GET INTO SWITZERLAND. So off we went down the side road, deeper into the forest, the boys determined to get into the country by an alternate route. Luckily pretty shortly down the road it got too muddy and the boys had enough sensibility in them to know that the easier answer would be in call Sam and Lindy and ask where another entrance into the country, as there surely would be. Back to the gate, we stop and I call Sam who immediately gives me easy directions to the main entrance into Switzerland. Meanwhile Kingy and Jim have exited the car with flashlights and are messing about in the woods to the right of the barrier. I call them back once I have directions and I hear them groan in disappointment as they get back in the car. Turns out they were only moments away from concluding that we were simply going to drive AROUND the barrier, do a quick detour through the woods and then voila, we’re in Switzerland. Totally legal, I’m sure.

Instead we took the way Sam told us and ten minutes later we were at their front door. For those who are confused as to who Sam and Lindy are, the short answer is that they are family friends. The long answer is they are my best friend Amy’s mother’s (Sally, my other mother) cousin and wife, who just HAPPENED to live in Switzerland, the totally random country that Jim and I decided we wanted to go on a road trip to. Convenient, huh? I tell you, this world is tiny. Sam and Lindy are wonderful to host us, and they were incredible and had a traditional Swiss meal all ready for us when we arrived at 10:30 at night. So amazing that they waited for us!

We all exhaustedly sat down around the table and talked while we ate, explaining how the heck I knew two English guys and decided to go on a road trip to Switzerland with them, what we all do, what we’re interested in, etc etc etc. Although we were very tired it was great to be in a real home with a family. After dinner Kingy was amazing and did a bunch of mind-boggling card tricks for Sam and Lindy that completely captivated them. It was a great way to end the evening.

After dinner and an explanation of where the trains were and what we should do in Geneva all of us went up to our respective beds and proceeded to very instantly fall ASLEEP. The time was 1:30am.

Suffice to say, it was a very long day. It’s great to be here in a wonderful house that Sam and Lindy have so kindly allowed us to stay in. It’s phenomenal to be able to share this trip with Jim and Kingy, two of the most fun, easy going and smile-inducing guys. Great travel companions. Great trip, great people. Could life get any better? I’m currently sitting on the sun-spattered couch in the living room listening to the old clock tick while the boys are still asleep upstairs. Peaceful. Lovely. Today we explore Geneva. Onwards!

and the boys are, once again, asleep.

Well it is currently 12:44 at night and I am still awake, downstairs at the bed and breakfast in Dover. I’ve been traveling all day with Jim and Kingy, and now we’re awaiting the ferry to take us over to France. The boys are completely crashed out while I, per usual, cannot sleep. Which is seriously lame considering we have to be up and out the door by 4:30am. At least we’ll get to watch the sun rise over France!

As I said, we’ve been in the Land Rover all day, which Jim has outfitted with a  great sound system and a DVD player, so we’ve spent the ride down watching tv and lounging about. Total fun! We had to make a pit stop at AJ’s because I left my best bra there (oh dear…) and it was right on the way, so I got to give her one more hug!

I have to say, it’s great to see Jim again. It’s been since October that I’ve seen him, though we keep in pretty frequent contact, but it’s good to be reunited. Kingy, Jim’s best mate who’s traveling with us, and I already get along swimmingly. We’ve been chatting over the internet loads because I’ve been helping design the logo for the fire performing company that they’ve started so I feel like I know him already! Honestly the three of us seem to get along great—we’re already finishing each other’s sentences and giving each other a hard time. Though honestly it’s really difficult to NOT get along with Jim, and it seems like Kingy is the exact same way.

So there we are. A rather uneventful day full of traveling, sitting around, and enjoying the company of fabulous people. Not a bad life, huh? Off to France in three hours! Maybe I’ll go try to have a quick sleep…

It’s been a great two days in Lancaster! Sorry I haven’t written, I’ve just been busy out living life and having a great time. But now I’ll back up an explain. Saturday morning I was still at Jono’s, where he took me out to a local restaurant to get me a traditional English Breakfast. I have to say, Jono has by far been the best at making sure I get all of the traditional English things, so I got to enjoy a breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon (the English version) sausage, beans and tomatoes. After breakfast we wandered around a bit before he walked me down to the train station where I ALMOST missed my train but managed to slip on at the last second.

Waiting at the other end was Helen, who I was soooo glad to see! I haven’t seen her since September, so it was amazing to be back with her. She picked me up in Manchester so we stopped by her friend Caramel’s house before we scooted back up to Lancaster. As soon as we arrived we ran into her friend Max (though they call him Schoolboy, as all of the guys have nicknames at her school). Now let me stop and explain that a large number of Helen’s friends are on the American football team, including her boyfriend. American football?! in England?! yeah, I know, I was confused too.

Anyways, Schoolboy is incredibly loud and boisterous and amusing, so it was hilarious to hang out with him. He ended up bringing a bunch of the football guys up to Helen’s room (which is TINY) and we all packed in and hung out for a bit. After that Helen, Schools and I drove into the town of Lancaster where they took me for a walk in a park that has a massive monument in the middle of it. It was really beautiful and there was a great view of the city below, so we watched it while the sun started to set. Then we went into town where Helen and I got some Italian food and got to catch up. I have to say, it’s been so great to see her. We were together all the time at camp so it’s nice to be back in the same time and place to talk and just be together again. In fact we missed each other so much that all of the boys have a running joke that as soon as I came to Lancaster Helen would dump her boyfriend just so she could be with me. Didn’t happen, of course, but they gave us as much of a hard time as they could muster.

Following dinner and a small ramble around the town, which is cute and English and small and stone just like most of the other towns, we went back to campus and ended up at an outdoor student concert that was going on. It was fun to see a real uni feel, which is very similar to ours, but then very very different. For instance, they have campus bars where students can go drink. Because the drinking age is 18 they don’t even card because they assume that if you’re at that bar you’re a uni student and must be of age. So strange! Even though it was fun to be on campus I was really exhausted, and so was Helen, so we shortly went back to her place where I promptly proceeded to pass OUT. Slept fourteen hours. Obviously needed it.

Yesterday was really fun as well. The football team had made it into the final rounds of the championships, so Helen and I spent our entire afternoon down on the football field cheering and taking pictures. It was so strange to be in ENGLAND playing American football, a sport that traditionally gets laughed at by the English. It’s also strange because they play very differently, like they don’t have goalposts, or yard lines, or even a scoreboard! They also don’t let the clock stop running. All of these changes are due to budget restrictions or other things, but it’s still amusing to watch them alter the game in ways that seem so essential to me.

So from one to four Helen and I took pictures on the sidelines and hung out bantering with the boys who weren’t playing. Helen is really close with all of them, in fact I’d like to say she’s like their mascot, as she’s always cheering them on, running around feeding them, giving them painkillers or filling their water bottles. You can tell that they really love her and have obviously adopted her as one of their own. So I got to know the team through Helen (though apparently they already knew who I was because I get mentioned semi-frequently…) and she and I would run up and down the sidelines taking photos and cheering.

Sadly the boys lost, but they gave the other team a run for their money! I have to say, that was the first time I ever actually watched a live football game from beginning to end, actually paid attention, and actually enjoyed myself! It was lots of fun. It was also a nice change from touring around, as much as I love that. It was nice to just be in somebody’s life doing what they do.

After the game was finished we went over to Helen’s boyfriend, Tim’s, house where a few of the boys were all gathering. We cooked a big dinner and then went to the living room where we spent the rest of the night crashed out on the couch. Honestly, that was so great, to just hang out with a bunch of friends and relax. I used to have a huge group of guy friends when I was in high school, and we’d always end up on the couch after a big meal just watching TV or playing video games. Since I’ve been at school I haven’t had that camaraderie and it felt really great and really familiar to be sitting on a couch, surrounded by guys bantering, watching as they played Mario Kart. It was also wonderful to get to cuddle up with Helen, no matter how much they guys made fun of us, and just spend time with her. Overall it was a really great day, and made me want to stay at Lancaster with all of them.

Today is the start of another huge adventure. Around noon I’m hopping on a train to Preston to meet Jim, where we are hopping in his Land Rover, picking up his friend Kingy and heading to SWITZERLANDDDDD!!! I am SO excited!!! On with the adventures!

no time to type now, as last night I ended up sleeping fourteen hours! Apparently I was exhausted! But suffice to say I am at Helen’s and it’s amazing!!

Yesterday was a truly lovely day in the English countryside! Jono was super smart and realized that I had yet to see a proper English countryside, so he’d planned a trip for us out into the land. So around noon we hopped on a (double decker !!!) bus and took a nice hour long ride out to a little village called Castleton. Of course my first day out in nature England decided to show me what its weather is ACTUALLY like, so it was drizzly and grey all day. Still, I wasn’t bothered!

For one thing, it was amazing to sit on the top floor of a double decker bus, which I’ve never done. It was a perfect location because we could see a 180 degree view of the entire landscape as we drove through it. Even ten minutes outside of the city and it was open fields full of sheep. Truly beautiful. We went through a bunch of quaint, tiny villages that were as typically English as you could imagine. Eventually we got to Castleton, which took the cake for traditional English. The town is incredibly adorable, with all of the buildings made out of stone and a little stream running through the whole town. Jono had been there before alot, because he comes there to holiday when when he’s on break from uni, so he knew his way around.

We went to a few gift shops, but then he took me to the most amazing and hilarious little junk shop EVER. It was piled to the rafters with random little trinkets and gifts, and everywhere you turned there were hilarious little handwritten anecdotes from the store owner, such as “Please note the layer of dust is there to add authenticity and not just because the proprietor is lazy.” Pretty soon the owner of the shop came out and basically started putting on a show for everyone who was inside at the time. It was HILARIOUS! He started blaring the theme song from the Titanic, got out a megaphone and passed a life vest to one customer and a big ship’s steering wheel to the other. Why? I have no idea, but it was hilarious as he started singing karaoke along with Celine Dion. Later he told us that he’s not interested in making money in the shop, he just wants to brighten people’s days. Job well done!

From there we wandered a bit, stopped in the visitor’s center to look at their tiny museum and then started our hike up into a really narrow cliff pass. We didn’t have any sort of directions or a map so it was all just random wandering, but it turned out pretty great! The pass was really incredible, but once we got out of it we came to a plateau where there was a massive herd of sheep and a bunch of horses. Well, apparently in England I am a horse magnet, because they all came over and started nuzzling me for treats, which I didn’t have. Still they persisted and ended up following me and Jono around the field for a long time while we tried to persuade them that we were, in fact, empty handed.

I have to say, the view from the top of the ridge was spectacular. It looked out over the whole valley, and you could see all of the divided fields, the one farmhouses, the sheep… everything. It was beautiful and very English. We started our hike down the face of the hill/little mountain, which turned out to be more difficult because the rain had made it very, very muddy. Luckily I had my new Frye boots to keep my feet dry! After a long tack down we made it to the bottom and walked along by a bunch of sheep fields, where I couldn’t help but sing the sheep’s code from Babe (Baa-ram-ewe. Baa-ram-ewe. To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true. Sheep be true. Baa-ram-ewe) They responded, so I must have done something right!

Once we were back in the town we were both proper nackered (really tired) and decided to stop in an old pub and get some food. PERFECT idea!! We found an incredible, legitimate old historic pub that was absolutely beautiful. I got my first bangers and mash (which is sausage and mashed potatoes), which was absolutely incredible, especially for someone who just hiked a very long ways and was really hungry. We sat and ate our food next to a giant open fire and I took in the traditional English pub vibe. Amazing. After that we caught the bus back to Sheffield where we spent the rest of the night hanging out and watching tv, including an episode of Top Gear where they go to America. Let me tell you, they do not paint a kind portrait of us! Still, it was hilarious.

Today I’m moving west to Lancaster where I will meet up with my dear friend Helen! Very excited to see her!! but first Jono has insisted we go get a traditional English breakfast before I go to the train station. Should be fun!!

on the way up on the bus

you can’t tell, but I’m on the top floor of  double decker bus going through an alley as wide as the bus.

the first friendly horse

Yesterday I made the journey towards the northern part of the country. AJ and her mom dropped me off at the train station and I wound my way through train and tube stations to get to King’s Cross St. Pancras, where my train was leaving. Somehow there managed to be a massive delay so I got to sit around and hang out for a while, which was totally ok. Turned out the train must have been cursed, because halfway through the journey they made us get off and switch trains! Crazy. Still, it was a pleasant ride and I got to watch as the city melted away to endless rolling hills. Traditional English countryside.

I finally got to Sheffiled where my friend Jono greeted me and we went to his flat. We ended up wandering around his town for a bit while he showed me random things about the town. It’s a college town, and you can tell as there are tons of student-type people wandering about. It’s a really beautiful town, lots of old brick buildings mixed in with the new ones. Totally different from London, obviously. It’s interesting because even though it’s only two hours north it’s VERY different up here. The main difference I can notice is the accent—it’s alot thicker and stronger. I find myself asking “what?” alot more often… It’s amazing to me that two hours can make such a difference, because two hours is what it takes for me to get from home to uni, and there’s not a very noticeable difference between groups. Or maybe there is and I’m just used to it…

Anyways, Jono was amazing and cooked us dinner and we hung out with his mates for a bit before we went out to a comedy show that he had bought tickets for. I have to say, it was hilarious! I was worried it would be all English humor and I wouldn’t get it, but I followed along just fine. Good thing I spent three months prior with English people so I understand their slang and humor… After the show Jono took me on a bit of a pub hop and we went to some of his favorite pubs. That was tons of fun because we don’t have the pub atmosphere in America (as I think I said earlier) and they’re really great places to go. Don’t know how to describe them really, I guess you just have to go!

Well after that we came home and went to bed. Today Jono’s taking me up into the countryside of England. I’m excited! Unfortunately the beautiful weather just turned and it’s raining for the first time since I’ve been here. But I can’t complain really, that’s typical England for you!

view from Jono’s window

at least it’s pretty?

(I wrote this last night, so don’t get too confused by the timeline. Today I’m off to Jono’s!!!!)

Today was absolutely exhausting, albeit really great. I got up around eight and left with AJ’s mom (mum) so she could drop me at the train station to London. First we had to stop by the barn where she keeps her horse. It’s about a ten minute drive from the house down tiny tiny tinyyyy English roads. Seriously, I can’t explain how small these roads are here. There’s not real American comparison, even in the remote country where I live. Suffice to say what they call a two-lane road we call a small gravel driveway wide enough for a go-cart. It’s positively terrifying to drive down those roads at full speed and happen upon a vehicle coming from the other direction. But hey, gotta live a little!

Anyways, we drove down through the tiny roads into legitimate English countryside full of rolling green hills and pastures with sheep and horses, through the adjacent town that really is hundreds of years old, complete with houses with thatched roofs and family graveyards that must be centuries old. It’s amazing to be in a place that truly is ancient. We may think America is old, but we’ve got NOTHING on Europe. You can feel the history in the air around you. It’s crazy.

As we drove AJ’s mom, Susan, told me all about local history, pointing out buildings and telling me who lived there or what it was originally used for. Soon enough we got to the barn where she took me out into the field to introduce me to her horse. She’s an appaloosa so she has really beautiful and distinct markings that are totally unique. She’s also quite a character!—she kept nosing Susan and me trying to get treats out of us, nudging us in the back as we walked to another field.

It was surreal to be out in the English countryside early in the morning, mist still in the field, leading a horse around to a different pasture. It really is like being in a different world, and it’s lovely. I love it here, I have to say. I feel drawn to it in some way. I feel like I’m just supposed to be here—it’s all so natural. Maybe it’s just being back with all of my close friends and having that easy connection with them that I definitely lack in Richmond. Whatever it is, it feels good to be here and it makes me happy.

After we took care of the horse Susan dropped me at the train and I took it into London for the day. My friend Emily was AMAZING and texted me a list of all of her favorite places to go while she lived in London, so I just took her lead and mapped out her suggestions and followed along. I find the best way to know a city is to ask a local, so her list was SO helpful!

I started off by going to Camden, an area that both Emily and my friend May told me I should go to. I have to say, it was BEYOND magical. It’s completely quirky and alternative. The main line of shops down Camden street are all goth/punk shops so they’re loaded with leather goods and things full of studs and metal. The people that walk up and down the street are full of piercings and are decked out in an incredible array of clothing finery that I haven’t seen in ages. Proper good punk rock gear. Even the shops have incredible sculptures that come out of the front of them and are painted in all sorts of bright colors. It’s a great place to people watch, that’s for sure.

More than anything the entire of Camden consists mainly of open-air markets. There was a huge one that was full of clothing and accessories, but once you get over the bridge there’s an area called Camden Lock (because there’s a lock, obviously) and all along the water they have more stalls and vendors in little houses. Then across the street there are converted stables that have even MORE stands. The entire area is full of them, and I literally had to pry myself away from the area or I would have wasted my time in Camden. Just too many pretty/colorful/shiny things to look at.

Next I hit up Islington a little bit further down the train line, which is known as the antique district. Emily said to just wander the back streets and I’d bump into things, and boy did I ever!! The side streets and alleys are FULL of street vendors selling their wares: old china, vintage jewelry, antique anythings, old cameras, the lot! I can’t even list everything they were selling. Each booth was totally unique and full of beautiful things. If I can give one suggestion if you’re visiting London, it’s to walk the back streets and alleys. Unlike America, most of them aren’t dangerous but instead are full of the best hidden treasures like vintages shops or antique stands. Amazing!

After that I went another stop down the train to Liverpool Street where I hit up an open air market that, unfortunately, was starting to close down. Still, the perimeter was lined with a bunch of posh and VERY expensive boutiques that were fun to look at but no fun to buy. There was another street up the way that had a bunch of vintage shops, so I wandered that for a bit and then hopped back on the tube down the Picadilly Circus where I tried to catch the National Portrait Gallery. Let me tell you, right around that area is RIDICULOUSLY confusing because there are about five major roads intersecting in one place and I still haven’t gotten the hang of how they label their signs. Needless to say, with my confusion I only managed to get ten minutes in the gallery before it closed. Still, what I saw was pretty awesome!

After that I decided to retrace my steps back to Carnaby Street where I’d been a few days later. That was another serious challenge, as it’s right in the rigamarole of streets and intersections that I couldn’t get the hang of. After a lot of asking, however, I managed to locate it and spent dusk wandering through Carnaby Street. It’s lovely because it’s like a city within a city. It has its own roads and side streets, restaurants and shops, and if you can find the right entrances and exits it’ll take you back out to the rest of London—otherwise it stays hidden.

Luck was in my favor because after I left Carnaby Street and walked towards the tube I bumped right into Liberty again, which I’d wanted to see one more time but figured I’d miss! I especially wanted to see it since my friend Anne told me that Liberty fabrics has teamed up with J. Crew (she works for them) and that they’re also working on a line with Target in the future! Fabulous! So I went back and spent some quiet time in the overpriced bowels of Liberty. It’s beautiful and full of jaw-dropping things, but absolutely nothing is within my price range. Definitely a look-don’t-touch scenario.

After my final moments in Liberty I bid farewell to the glistening city and walked into the underground to catch my train home. Which turned out to be a total fiasco. I won’t go into detail, but I caught the wrong train and ended up having to wait an extra half hour at another station to get the right onw home. Ohhhh well! No matter, I ended up at home and in pajamas and now I’m in bed for my final night at AJ’s. I have to say I’m really sad to be leaving. I’m barely a third of the way into my holiday, but this has been a good home-base for me. I love AJ, of course, and her parents are really great.

Tomorrow I pack my bags and head north to Sheffield to see my friend Jono. Let the adventure continue!!

the farmhouse adjacent to the barns

typical country road:

park in London

the start of Camden…

the locks! hence Camden Locks

the start of adorable side shops in Islington

Big Ben at dusk in the distance

Yesterday was in incredibly chill day around these parts. AJ had to work, but not until the afternoon, so we spent the morning lazing about in our pajamas watching tv and futzing on our computers. Around one I got the urge to get up and do something, so I donned some real clothes and decided to take a long hike up to the adjacent town of Beaconsfield (pronounces beckons-field). It’s probably a three or four mile walk over the English countryside, and it was lovely to get out and see actual country instead of just the massive city of London. It’s not entirely out of the city—I’d say it’s about half English subdivisions and half farmland. I passed a big old farmhouse as well as an agility course for dogs.  The final bit I walked through is a really posh neighborhood full of giant (for England) houses. It’s kind of like the west end in Richmond, for those who know what I’m talking about.

The actual town of Beaconsfield is quaint and adorable with a WHOLE bunch of charity shops. FYI: in England thrift shops are called charity shops. I never really got it, but it’s because they are run by legitimate charities. I know Goodwill and Salvation Army are charities, but this is different… They’re not chains, just individual shops. Anyways, there are TONS of them in Beaconsfield, I was thrilled to discover, and I went nuts! Bought tons of random little trinkets and cute things for people back home. I was glad to see not everything is that expensive over here!

I spent most of the day just wandering, getting a cup of coffee, checking out the little subdivisions tucked away behind the storefronts. I have to say, it’s interesting to be overseas. I am so OBVIOUSLY American that I find myself being sheepish to speak because it usually doesn’t illicit a pleasant response. At the very least everyone turns and stares, but most of the time people that were pleasant to another customer are suddenly icy with me. It’s strange how that happens. Once in a while people are super nice to me and that makes me feel better, but more or less I’m shy about speaking and giving away my accent.

Around five all of the shops closed (just like home in Lexington!) so I started my walk back down to the house. I ran into a bunch of ponies in a field and stopped to have a chat with them. They were so sweet and we stood and talked for a bit while they nuzzled me. The sun was setting over the ridge at the same time, so I had a lovely view of the fields as I walked home. By the time I got to the top ridge overlooking High Wycombe the sun had set so I got a nice view of the town lights.

Overall it was a lovely day. Quiet, lots of time to just enjoy being here and looking at the land I’m on.

the first view on my walk up, overlooking High Wycombe

look mom, a dog agility course! it’s right by a local farm

a door in a shrub wall… so English.

old church in the town

two way street… can’t you tell? (and yes, those cars are parked)

my super awesome new vintage watch from a charity shop!

ROUND ABOUT!! they scare me so much…

Another fabulous day in London! AJ and I took the train into the city and ended up meeting up with my friend Jenni from camp. It was SO GREAT to see her! She’s got this way of making you laugh hysterically for no reason. Got a really great spirit. The three of us went over to the Tate Modern, where I was told I absolutely HAD to go by my friend Isia as well as my friend Jono. So we wandered the floors, taking in the amazing architecture and of course the awesome art. The entire time, though, we were too busy chatting and catching up to actually pay much attention to the art. We also spent the time trying to sneak American snacks like Cheetos and Crunch Bars (which I brought AJ and Jenni) while we were walking through the exhibits. Not very respectful of Pablo Picasso, huh?

After the Tate we kept walking along the river bank, which has a walkway that runs the length of it so you can take in all of London from the opposite bank. I got to see the Eye of London, which is MASSIVE, as well as see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey from across the way. Then we walked down to the Globe theater where we tried to (unsuccessfully) sneak into a show. Afterwards we caught the tube back into the heart of the city and went on an adventure to find an art supply store where I could pick up some supplies that I needed. AJ was magical and managed to find the most epic art store EVER. It was huge and beautiful and we must have spent half hour wandering and looking at awesome art books.

Once I’d gotten my supplies they took me to this incredible market called Covent Garden. It used to be the flower markets of London but then they turned it into a bunch of shops surrounding a central part that’s an open air market. There were vendors everywhere selling vintage jewelry and other beautiful things. I could have stayed for hours just looking at all of the beautiful and quirky things that they were selling. There was a balcony that looked into a lower level where a string quartet was playing. People lined the while the quartet played Mozart and danced around. It was truly incredible—the music echoed through the market and mingled with all of the sounds of market people haggling and running about.

After that we kept walking about and chatting till we came upon the most AMAZING bakery ever and got huge pastries that dripped chocolate when you eat them. So while we were eating those we went over to this store that specializes in selling American candy and sodas. Let me tell you, they are SO EXPENSIVE over here!!! Now I understand why all of my friends wanted me to bring over American candy… a box of Lucky Charms cereal over here is seven pounds (which is about FOURTEEN DOLLARS!!) AJ needed to stock up on her root beer collection, which was running low, so I got to gawk at the prices on candy I see every day. crazy!

Once that was done we decided to part ways and went back home. AJ had a rehearsal at seven so three of her friends came over and they practiced songs that they are singing for a concert coming up. It was really fantastic to just sit on the sofa and listen as they did four part harmonies and sang for hours. Lovely.

and now I’m just hanging out. Quiet day here. I might walk up to the nearest town and look about, but I’m not really sure. Nothing wrong with wandering aimlessly! I mean really, I’m in England!

the Eye of London

THE view

amazing graffiti skate park:

the sticker says it all!

Tate Modern!

Millennium Bridge/Cathedral out of the Tate window

The Globe! and an ice cream van (“lorry”)…

SO stoked on Shakespeare

the amazing art store AJ found!

Covent Garden

amazing pastry shop:

YUM!

the American candy store! (yes, that’s Homer Simpson in the window…)

sunset on the way home

Yesterday AJ and I traversed into London for my first trip to that famous city. We drove in and caught the tube down to the most MASSIVE Primark I’ve ever seen (granted that’s the second Primark I’ve ever seen, so my word is not to be trusted). We met up with Emily Fashion, from camp there, and it was COMPLETELY amazing to see her! I haven’t seen her since camp, so it was wonderful to get to see her again. Ironically, she’s a buyer for Primark, so she was able to give me a grand tour of the store and tell me all of the fabulous things to get. I should never shop with her, though, because she kept encouraging me to get things that I really shouldn’t be getting. Still, it was super incredible and I ended up buying a few too many things, but I’m not fussed because I’M ON HOLIDAY!

After the mega Primark experience we started wandering the city. Em really knows her way around, so she was a kind of tour guide. We stopped in another popular clothing store over here, and then went on up the street to this INCREDIBLE store called Liberty. They’re really famous makers of specific fabric prints, and they’re located in this incredibly old and historic building; they’ve been there forever. We wandered the floors looking at everything, finally landing in the fabric section where I nearly fainted. It was incredible! Too bad everything was at least twenty pounds a meter, or I totally would have bought some fabric.

We spent the rest of the time wandering the city and winding through all of the amazing side streets that the city has. That’s where most of the incredible, quirky shops are—hidden down tiny side streets. Eventually Emily had to go so AJ and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering. She took me to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, a few really famous London landmarks. Then she took me down and we walked down the long entrance to Buckingham Palace. Honestly, it wasn’t nearly as exciting or amazing as you would think! They don’t even have the guards out front anymore! What a pity! Still, it was neat to see it.

After that we were both pretty tired so we walked to the tube and caught a ride back to our car. We had dinner at home, a traditional English roast, and then went out to a gig that AJ’s friends were seeing. It was hilarious, because it turned out to be a bunch of hardcore bands from the states, so I ended up chatting with them about where we were all from. Funny how when you’re abroad and find someone with your accent you automatically bond with them!

When the concert was over we went home and I completely crashed. My body is definitely still adjusting to the time difference, though it’s not as bad as it could be! Today we’re going back up to London and meeting up with JENNI! So excited to see her! She said we might take a double decker bus around the city and do the traditional tourist stuff. Should be great!!

the underground!

American goodies!

me getting super excited about my new coat…

I promise, those aren’t all of my bags…

the biggest Primark EVER!

trying desperately to get the Flipz open…

taxi!

Amazing buildings. Liberty is on the left!

the amazing Liberty fabrics…

the store from the top floor… amazing.

Carnaby street, one of the most amazing, quirky side streets in London:

itty bitty candy store. case in point: that is the entire thing. I’m backed into the corner to take the picture…

best frozen yogurt store EVER

Trafalgar Square:

entranceway towards the palace

closer towards the palace:

the palace!

palace gates:

statue in front of the palace. you can see the eye of London in the lower right hand corner…

Green Park:

not enough room to park your car on the street? no problem, park on the sidewalk! no, seriously…

My first day in England was really great, albeit incredibly sleep deprived. As I said below, AJ, my roommate from camp, picked me up from the airport bright and early at eight o’clock. I was already starting to babble senselessly from sleep deprivation, but AJ’s lived with me long enough to know to just smile and nod and I’ll manage to pull it together. She took me to her house which is this adorable little house in the outskirts of the town of Wycombe. It’s pretty tiny, so we have to climb over each other to get to anything, but it’s homey and feels good to be here. AJ’s parents are really great—her dad is super sweet and cooks us meals and sits and chats.

We spent most of the morning going into the town of High Wycombe, wandering the shops and getting something to eat. It was super exciting for me because I’ve heard SO much about their shops, specifically Primark, Argos and Tesco, that I HAD to go see them and get my picture in front of them. AJ and her dad were laughing hysterically while I made them take my picture and act like a SUPER tourist. I went crazy in Primark, (which is an English clothing store… kind of in the vein of Wal-Mart, only better style but just as cheap) because everything is SO cheap (which I’ve been told before, but I had to witness it myself) but I made myself not buy anything because I’m meeting up with my friend who works for Primark today…

We also went out and bought me a cheap little phone. Only ten pounds! It’s really adorable, and now I can text my English friends for the first time ever!  I’m sure I’ll drive them crazy. Also got to go into Argos, which is a catalog store. Basically, it’s just an empty front store with tons of catalogs, and you flip through them and press in the item code to see if they have it in stock in the back. If they do, you go to a sales clerck and get it! I was so stoked to go into one, just because we don’t have anything like that in the states. It’s actually a really dodgy shop so everyone is super amused when I say I want to go to Argos.

We got some lunch at a local pub and then went to Tesco, their big supermarket (though apparently it’s actually a really small one). I know how silly it sounds that I’m so excited about stores that seem so average to them, but I’ve witnessed what it’s like the first time my English friends went into Target, so they’ll just have to cut me some slack!

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at the house and watching Top Gear while I tried not to fall asleep on the couch. Around eight AJ and I went down to the local pub and hung out with a few of her friends. It was super fun and awesome to see the night life over here. I wish we had the sort of pub atmosphere back home where everyone just comes and hangs out. It’s different than being in a bar, that’s for sure. I loved people watching and seeing what everyone was wearing.

Luckily AJ was awesome and had me home by ten because I was exhausted. I was immediately asleep once my head hit the pillow. and now we’re up (it’s about ten am here) and we’re getting ready to go into London! We’re meeting up with Emily Fashion, and hopefully Jenni UL by the end of the day! Should be fun times! I know we’re hitting a super massive Primark, so that should be incredible. Hopefully I won’t be too overwhelmed.

So yeah, I’m in England and it’s awesome. We’re sitting here watching Matlock (yes, America is everywhere) in a tiny little English house near the countryside. Gotta love it.

(more pictures to follow when we’re not in a hurry to get to the train!)

downtown Wycombe, complete with farmer’s market:

the wait time at Argos:

AJ demonstrating the laminated pages to “catch the tears of joy”

POUND WORLD!

WRONG SIDE OF THE CAR!!!

AJ, really excited about the peanut butter pretzels that mom gave me (thanks mom)

Well, after a few long flights I’ve finally arrived in England!!! The flight was totally painless, managed to sleep most of the way. AJ picked me up bright and early at eight this morning, and now we’re just hanging out at her house. We’re going down to town soon to explore for a bit. So excited to be here! The only real difference I can tell between here and home (so far) is driving on the wrong side of the road. Super trippy to ride in our driver’s side and not be driving. CRAZY! Good to be here, great to be with friends.

I can’t believe it’s already here, but I am about to fly off to ENGLAND for a two week adventure!! I am soooo excited, though I have to say it’s still totally surreal that I’m actually going. I feel like I just booked the flight yesterday. But hey, who can complain about super exciting events getting here sooner than you planned?! So I’m off to the Roanoke airport, then hang out in Detroit for a few hours, then VOILA! I arrive in London where my roommate AJ picks me up! and then let the adventures ensue!!

I finally managed to have a great photo shoot with Mel for promotional materials for the fashion show Anne and I are putting on. VCU was kind enough to let us into the Scott House, which is this huge mansion on Franklin Street that’s full of beautiful old furniture. I’m really pleased with how they turned out! Now if only I can find the time to finish making everything….