Trouble Comprehending

I am encountering some SERIOUS difficulty understanding the cold. When I woke up today the weather was forecasted to be 34 degrees, as in Fahrenheit, as is WAY below the 70 degrees that I am accustomed to. Basically I am wearing a good majority of my wardrobe. I mean I am seriously questioning what the hell I was thinking. Ok not really, but I am concerned. As I was getting dressed today, I was wondering how I am going to manage all these layers when I go to yoga. I need some yoga in my life. I sacrified yoga for the past 2 weeks for Caitlin and I am really starting to feel the stress of that sacrifice right now.

Its hard to think of all the differances in my current world in comparison to the world I was so quick to leave behind. I almost feel like I cannot dive back into the OC life I once lead. I have been so affected by my time here and I am so much of a different person than when I left. I guess I am almost afraid to go home. It hard for me to explain it, I guess my fellow classmates would be the people who would understand more so than I am able to put words to. I just know that as I am getting dressed putting layer on after layer as I glance outside and see sunshine thinking "there is NO WAY I am going to be cold with all this on" and then stepping outside, getting hit with a wall of cold wind and instantly wishing for more clothing. How am I going to survive this??! HELP!

Time Flies

So here we are quickly approaching Christmas break and I am JUST now getting to posting, I apologize for the delays, but I've been busy getting to know this city and some of the people who bravely face it each day with me.

Caitlin just left and as I was mentally comparing her trip to Andrea's (who was here a few weeks before her), I realized that there was little comparison to be had. The girls are like night and day in their own respects, they are polar opposites and their trips were reflections of their opposite nature.

Now that I am alone in the city, embracing the solice for the next couple weeks, I am beginning to really feel the pressure of school. Welcome to crunch time. The previous 9 weeks have been relatively easy. Now facing the coming weeks is overwhelming to say the least. I am planning on being at either the library or Starbucks everyday day working on projects. I am particularly feeling the pressure since my background is so foreign to these instructors.

Many of the case studies we are reading and examining are American company based, but instead of praising the economic progresses and efficiency models, instead we are focusing on the jobs lost and the peoples lives displaced. Its depressing. American society is based on being the best possible version of yourself that you could possibly be, and if you get laid off and need to further your education to survive, that's exactly what you do. And the people here have no understanding of that. They so innocently believe that you are either blessed, lucky, or deserve retribution. Bull shit. The generation that was born along with me has every opportunity I do to better their lives. Retribution died along with their great great grandparents.

Not sure if you can tell but I am a little fired up about this right now. I just got into a heated discussion with a fairly ignorant English woman who has no concept of this type of thought. I hate feeling extreme for feeling like me. But as an American living in a British city, I am constantly feeling like a fish out of water. (God how I would love to be submerged in water right now, I am missing the ocean big time.)

Speaking of water, I might be heading to Brighton tomorrow. I need to see the sea, and feel God's power. I find myself openly praying for Gods hand of protection (as I stumble home from the pub @ 2am on a Tuesday), but I haven't felt him in my soul since I arrived. I need to see his power through the waves and know how small I am and how insignificant my current scope of problems are in compared to his plan for my life. (sorry to go all religious on you, but that's where I am at right now).

Well, here we are approaching the pubbing hour. I am meeting some classmates at our favourite Tuesday night spot just between campus and the tube called The Hoop and Grape. Let the memories, laughter, love and life flourish through the comfort of a warm location and ease of an alcoholic beverage. As the Brits say "cheers".

and then I found myself on a pole....

After 12 days Andrea Rivas, my first official visitor, boarded a plane (still drunk) and headed home. I can't believe how fast the time went and how little I actually remember of it. Here is a synopsis of what I vividly remember in sequential order.

Day 1: After her arrival to my tiny flat, we sorted her crap ;) I mean belongings, and headed to Covent Garden for late lunch/dinner. We ate at a place called Fire, it has fire installations surrounding the rope enclosed pattio. Fire is on the outside broder of Covent Garden, and overlooks a large pattio area that street performers tend to frequent in search of tourists with big hearts and easy pockets. Following lunch we headed back home to freshen up for the social. Every Thursday my friends and I organize a "Social" each week its held at a different location, and is just a way for us to check out new places and get to know each other a little better. So having Andrea arrive to London on a Thursday was a nice way to ease her into my new world.

Weekend Days: My good friend Steph (or Lady Gaga as Andrea called her all night) celebrated her birthday this weekend and invited us along for the ride. It was a great opportunity for Andrea to see what party-ing "downtown" in Leicester Sq (pronounced "Lester" cuz that makes sense) is all about. We bar hopped our asses all over that place. We began our night earlier than the rest of the group, we caught HH at All Bar One (where we met a Bartender and old men) and Zoo Bar before heading to dinner at Chiquito (the Brits have NO IDEA what good Mex food is all about....its so sad). Following dinner we went back to Zoo Bar, we did a shot of Gold Schlauger and then I found myself dancing on a pole. I distinctly remember Andrea joining me in my pole dance after leaving the bloke she was talking to, and as she climbed up the platform she yelled "Those are MY friends!" We continued to hop around to the different bars and pubs before catching the last cab home at 3am. What an adventure!

The Next Week: After repenting for our sins on Sunday Morning at Mass, we decided to casually see the city all planning based on weather predictions for the week. We walked around the Thames a bit, saw what the SouthBank area had to offer. We also went up to Regents Park and walked down into Camden. Sunday afternoon we decided to stop for a drink at The World's End in Camden. We met some drunk 12 year olds who ended up entertaining us for a few hours. Over the next few days we went to Portabello road, SoHo, went for a run in Regent Park, Oxford Street/Circus, we saw Oliver in Convent Garden, Angel, debated on seeing concerts, but mostly ended up partying.

It was so difficult putting her on a plane on Monday morning. The night before I took her to watch American Football at The Sports Cafe. We met some really cool guys and had a great time "getting to know them" (aka making out). Watching her leave was tough. If I wasn't so homesick, it would have been much more of a relief getting her homeward bound, but I sillily found myself jealous of her ability to go home, no strings attached.

Present

I'm having trouble living in the present. This is me being totally honest. I feel like I am floating somewhere between the here and now and the future. This feeling in likely due in large part to the fact that I put my entire life on hold to come out here and go to school. I keep wondering if this is a temporary feeling, or if I am going to snap out of it and live for today.

The mystery of tomorrow used to excite me. Here I have a hard time tapping into that excitement.

In the past week I've been more filthy than I have ever been, higher in the sky, or lower into the earth...

The next day we spent doing Sarah's choice of activities. Aka at Paris Disneyland. It was interesting. Sarah will agree with me on this, we met more RUDE people who were Disney employees than we met in the city. IRONIC. Needless to say, they are getting a letter from me.

We had one more full day in the city following our days of selfish activities. So, we decided to pack it FULL of the final monuments, shopping, and eating! We of course went to Notre Dam, and it was breath taking. Once we walked through the cathedral we saw a line outside to go up into the tower. So of course, we jumped in line. (Duh!) Now, as we're in line, I'm looking up to evaluate just how far we'll be hiking and I could only see heads about 1/2 way up the tower. So, I'm thinking that this day in age, thats a reasonable height. There is no way they'd let people up higher.

Um, ya. I was WRONG. And as I mentioned earlier to my father, I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong. I could not have been more mistaken in this situation. Talk about misjudging something, by like 400 feet. So up we go, through a small spiral stone staircase that was only slightly wider than me. As I was climbing I was progressively getting more and disoriented and dizzy. A great combination as we climb hundreds of feet into the sky. Once we got to the top, I was SHOCKED at the amount of exploring they allowed us to do. We could go into one of the bell towers. And I think I figured out how the hunchback of Notre Dam acquired his hunch. The door to get into the bell tower was no higher than my knee and barley wider than my thigh. No exaggeration. So you all can imagine the song and dance that was required to get my booty through that "doorway". Song an dance it was...and some shoving. It was cute. Real cute.

From the roof (as in the ROOF) we had one of the best views of the city. It was amazing. We just kept pointing at structures and guessing what they were or mapping out a way to get there. Like everything else, it was amazing. We continued to explore the city, roaming around with giant grins. Eating crepes along the way.

Fortunately for us, our hotel was about 4 blocks away (MAX) of the red light district. Get your mind out of the gutter! We didn't use the red light district for the debauchery it offered. Instead we treated it like Vegas. This includes, drinking directly out of the bottle of wine/beer on our way to see the Moulin Rouge. Then drunk shopping our way back to the Hostel. Between the sex shops were chotchkies stores offering a variety of souvenirs (including bottle openers ;)

I ;) Paris

Up to this point, this trip/temporary move had been a series of well thought out, planned steps (in no particular order) that had been in the works for essentially 12 months. Except for Paris. Paris had been in the works for as long as I can remember. This mini vacate was one of the best things I have ever done. Paris is truly magical, there really is no other way to describe it. It's like there is something in the air; the sense of love, romance, history...or just the aroma of freshly made crepes street side anywhere you may happen to find yourself in the city.

Sarah and I being the brave souls that we are, decided to stay "dorm style" in a local hostel. For those of you who have stayed in hostels, and are familiar with the song and dance you can fully appreciate the coming description of the place we payed to essentially sleep, shower, and store our luggage at.

Upon our very timely arrival into the city we went directly to our hostel, finding it with very little effort (yay) to drop off our luggage. Unfortunately for us, we were unable to "check in" immediately, so in the mean time we decided to make good use of our time and head right out to see la tour eiffel.

Some little girls dream of their wedding days and the elaborate party they will once throw to celebrate their undying love. I was never that girl; instead I dreamt of the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Priceless Art, and Architecture that was built with passion. The instant we stepped off the tube at the Champs Elysees I knew I was in heaven. We strolled down the sidewalks of the Champs Elysees window shopping our way along, until we came to the Arc de Triomphe. Where I nearly cried. (Ok, that might be a SLIGHT exaggeration, but only slight ;) As we stood there, gazing at this breath taking monument. I found myself (in awe among other things) but truly taken aback by the beauty of the city. Surprisingly the circle surrounding this monument was not crazy busy with traffic. Don't get me wrong, traffic there was, but it was comparable to any normal day at the circle in orange.

While we were making our loop around the Arc, we encountered several street side art vendors. Now, it has to be said, I have one hobby that runs true to form, every place I visit that leaves a mark on my heart, I buy a piece (or 3 or 4) of Art to memorialize the trip and the feelings of being there. So naturally when we saw vendors, a little light bulb went off in my head that said 2 things "Jackpot!" and "Suckka!".

They key in dealing with these vendors is going into the situation knowing exactly what you want and also knowing that you are going to get exactly what you want. (It's very much like men in bars....more to come on this later). So, as we approached the first vendor, I knew that I was going to walk away with a huge ass painting for no more than 20 Euro. Fast forward 5 mins, we walk away with not one, but 2 huge ass paintings for 20 Euro each. Done and done. Piece of cake.

From there, we began to head toward the Eiffel Tower. It was amidst this journey, to find the illusive monument, that I began to realize that Paris is like Vegas. I came to this realization on 2 counts. #1) The Eiffle Tower was so huge, that it could be easily be seen from MILES away, and yet appeared to be an easily walkable distance. Turns out, with our shotty map and our inexperience with the city, it took us far too long to get there. (reminiscent of 2 very memorable barefoot treks between the MGM and Mandalay bay). The second count in which Paris reminds me of Vegas is simple. Drinking in public is not illegal. How could anyone hate this city??!

Once we finally arrived at the Tower, we were blown away. By this time it was only about 2 pm in the afternoon, so the amount of people around the Tower was fairly minimal. It gave us ample opportunity to

take as many pictures and be as obnoxious as we wanted. :)

So we strolled around, did several loops, and just took in the environment. It was so picturesque. As you can see from the image, it was a beautiful day. As we walked through the surrounding parks we saw several couples taking photos on their wedding days. Just adding to the magic.

After breathing in as much of the beauty as possible, we decided to take a brief tourist break and head back to the hostel to shower and nap. I'm not sure I've ever needed a shower as badly as I did at that moment.

Following the most divine shower of my life, we headed back out to see the Tower at night all lit up. Not without getting a crepe from our favorite crepe stand first though!

Our hostel was located just down the hill from Sacre Coeur, so there was no shortage of crepe vendors or chachski shops! It must be mentioned that of the 15 or so crepes I ordered while in the city, the Toffee Carmel crepe was the best thing I have ever tasted. SO GOOD!

By the time we got back to the Tower, it was a zoo!! Everyone had come out to see the amazing structure all lit up. Of course, like everyone else there, we wanted to go as far up that thing as possible and then instead of taking the lift back down, we wanted to walk the stairs. (This was Sarah's idea, and I too almost crapped myself, she shocked the shit out of me.)

So up we go, in a lift jammed with people from all over the world, we braved the integrity of this antique and head up. Turns out, this ginormous structure is a laughable 3 stories. So, once on the 2nd floor, you need to switch lifts, to get out of the base and over to the center of the tower and then its another trip up to the top!

Upon arrival to the 3rd floor, I was blown away with the view. Inside, they have taken the care and time to mark cities on the windows in the directions of their location. It's undeniably the best view of the city. Seeing the city of lights from above just filled my heart with hope and possibility. (Cliche, I'm aware) We headed out to the balcony and continued to take extraneous pictures.

Pictures simply cannot capture the beauty of the view and the feeling of being there. As you can see from the below video, I was able to catch the light show on camera. There are no words that can give it justice, its simply amazing.

Sarah so graciously agreed to give me one full day at the Louvre. We started out this perfect day at a street side cafe, enjoying breakfast in the courtyard outside the museum. Since we were planning on crowds comparable to our experience at the Vatican City, we gave ourselves ample time for lines that did not exist. Instead we enjoyed the simplicity of being one of the first to enter this famous museum for the day.

I'll spare you from details of our 6 hour long journey through the museum. I'l just say this, it was a day I will remember for the rest of my life, and we were fortunate enough to find the balcony cafe and were able to have lunch there. It was amazing. The palace that houses the museum is one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. (No joke. It's delicate, yet powerful. Its adorned with guardians, ancestry, and historical markers, and still is completely elegant in the process. Its beyond amazing.)

Here are some pictures from our arrival to the Louvre!

I feel like this says, "Look I'm symmetrical bitch!"

Awww sisterly love!

And then we screwed around.

Our view from our table at lunch!

It's just a 10 min walk up...

Let's sight see! As the new few days unfolded, Sarah and I spent our days in a mixture of hunting for more essential items, and sightseeing at the same time. We did all the touristy things. For example, we went down to Buckingham Palace and watch the guards stomp around. which by the way I am in no way intimidated by those dudes wearing fuzzy hats stomping around inside their gates. (I could SO take them) BUT those officers with the automatic rifles, now THEM I'm afraid of. (I mean, shit)

So true to form, we decided to just wander around. There are so many things to see in a somewhat compacted space, so walking between monuments seemed to be the best course of action. And after all, whenever we asked someone for directions the response was always "oh, yes, it's just another 10 min walk up the road...."

Ok, I don't know what these people are using as they "walk" (allegedly) BUT each of those 10 min distances was sure to take Sarah and I AT LEAST 20-35 minutes. Sarah affectionately guesstimated that we walked 10 miles in one day. While I realized that I was straight up laughing at her, I found myself thinking that she might actually be right. So now you know, if a European says its a 10 min walk, just double or triple that right away, Americans are not accustomed to speed walking their way around.

So as the days passed on, we began to find the beauty in the city and the more calm areas. Again, as T (and Angela) can attest to, I am a non stress type of person, I like to be surrounded by a calm environment. My favorite phrase being "now worries, no stress". And that attitude is how we approached our exploration of the city. None of this speed walking nonsense.

We focused on getting a healthy dose of monuments mixed in with an equally healthy dose of essential accumulation. We were directed to a store called Argos, as an "Ikea" type store. Turns out that Ikea actually does exist in the city...so we could easily have saved ourselves some confusing hunting.

As we wandered we found ourselves stumbling along some really cool places. Several being Hyde Park, Oxford Street (hello shopping!), Diagon Ally (yes, from Harry Potter. Don't judge me.) Soho, Westminster, and of course Leicester Sq and Piccadilly Circus. I simply adore Leicester Square/Covent Garden. More to come on those places soon!

While we were at Diagon Ally (pictured to the left), we decided to stop at a pub called "New Moon" for an afternoon drink and snack! In the states my favorite beer is actually something called a black velvet (sounds gay, I know)...which is a delicious mixture of half Guinness and half Pear Cider. (mmm so tasty) Well, I decided that it would be a good idea to order one of these yummy concoctions at New Moon. In the States, we use delicate care to keep these two very opposite beers separate while in the glass. In London this same delicacy is not respected. So while yes, there was Cider and Guinness in the same cup, they were all kinds of intermixed like a Catholic Party gone awry. It was an adventure, and I drank it all, but it was not the same. I'm either going to need to A) teach one of these bar tenders the cool touch of separations, or B) just become a bartender myself and have access to these delicious liquids on tap all the time...it's a toss up. I will say we learned another valuable lesson while in this process. Apparently a traditional "Snake Bite" (a mixture, equal parts, of Lager and Cider) is illegal here. Go figure! Apparently mixing these two alcohols ups the proof percentage of the drink and thereby making it illegal in England. (What kind of ass backwards place did I move to?!)

I will say I have EVERY intention of continuing to order black velvets in search of that amazing bar tender who is savvy enough to keep the two entities separate and able to float the Guinness atop the Cider just like magic.

Following our drink at New Moon (which is simply too ironic) we continued our exploration of the city. Eventually, we had all the necessities that we simply could not go one more day without. Items such as, towels, an air mattress, sheets, an air mattress, pillows, an air mattress...I think you get the idea. As much as I love to share a twin with my sister, it was high time we got her her own sleeping area. (seriously)

Soon enough it was time for our mini excursion to Paris!

Take me to....um what's my address again??

Where to begin. This journey really began over a year ago when I suddenly became determined to go to Grad School. At the advice of a Professor at Chapman, I chose to explore the possibilities of International Studies. And now, a mere 12 months later I find myself embarking on this journey. So here it is, a travel blog, for those I love and miss at home, and eventually for myself for memories long forgotten.

I think it best to start this blog at my official OC going away party. My best friend (Therese) threw me an amazing party that I will never forget. The night was magical (at least for me) to be surrounded by my chosen family and to share laughter, tears, stories, food, and OC adventures. Following the party I had but a few days to pack up my life and get myself on a plane with all the earthly possessions I simply could not live without.

The following days are somewhat of a blur to me. I must acknowledge my amazing sister, who spent those days folding and packing up everything I placed in "must go", "eh", "hell no", and various give away piles. Without her, I never would have fit everything into 3 suit cases. Yes, 3, don't judge me. Do you know how much space Uggs take up?? Well, let me tell you, its no easy task getting those jammed into a small space.

My last day in the States quickly approached. And my bff being the amazing person that she is, agreed to get up at 5am to attend one final yoga class with me. (I know, who goes to yoga @ 6am?? Nutzo.) But we did it :) and we got SO SICK in the process. In the past, we would normally attend the night classes, allotting for a fully day of eating, digesting, and water consumption. Now for those of you who are familiar with Bikram Yoga, you know just how important the above activities are. That was the first class where I saw T take breaks during postures, and seriously thought I wasn't going to make it to the end of class. Now, you may think I regret getting my ass up at the crack of dawn to torture myself. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I would have done it again in a heartbeat. I miss yoga, and that was my last chance to practice at a Studio I know and respect.

What's the logical lunch following a hellish Yoga session?? In N Out of course. (duh!) My last meal at home simply HAD to be Animal Style Fries :) T came with my family and I as we classed it up at the old In N Out. And then we were off. Off to LAX where I was sure to be felt up by some airport attendee who had determined in their head that I embodied the image of trouble.

Fast Forward through 10 hours of movies, too much wine, cramped spaces, and awkward sleeping; landing safely at London Heathrow International Airport. After making it safely through customs, where the female officer interrogating me nearly made me crap my pants (where are the "opps I crapped my pants" when you need them?? SNL reference, anyone? anyone?) Sarah and I managed to make it out to the Taxi landing where we hopped in a cab that would be the single most expensive cab ride I am sure I will ever pay for. 60 pounds later (or nearly $120 USD) we safely arrived at my flat. As I check into my building, got my keys and the low down on the works, I begin to realize that "this is it" this is what I had been planning for the last 12 months...truly an odd feeling.

So up we go, up to room 3.01 , or "home for now" rather, and begin the process of moving in. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that there are few things in life I hate more than unpacking. If Sarah wasn't here with me for the first few days, I would still be living out of those 3 suit cases with contents such as; 35 pairs of underwear (ya, I know, I rarely wear them, but it didn't feel right to simply not pack them...weird, I know) somewhere in the realm of 40 tank tops, 3 bikini's, oh and 1 coat. I am SO prepared. I know EXACTLY what I am getting myself into. (sarcasm intended)

So, thanks to Sarah, all the clothes made it out of my suitcases and got placed somewhere in my flat. The adventure really began when I started hunting for items I was sure I brought. Like toothpaste...ya, finding that was fun. And wifebeaters, I mean, how they ended up where they did is news to me, but at least I don't have to sleep in my birthday suit pressed against a floor to ceiling window that overlooks neighbors and the communal courtyard anymore. (yay for making new friends??)

Following our initial arrival, Sarah and I went on an excursion in search of essentials. We were directed to a store called Sainsbury's as a one stop shop, where we could get bath towels, food, ect. Well, "bath towels" was a bit of a stretch. We ended up coming back with hand towels that we had to use for showering. (Camping much) Sainsbury's is definitely no Target, but it for sure helped me get a solid start.

Thankfully I could get a fair amount of the missing"essentials" directly from my building. This came in handy immediately when I needed bedding, pillows, and dishes. I simply called down and had them delivered to my room! (Much appreciated.) Since we arrived in the afternoon, we didn't have enough time to make it out to purchase an air mattress before the stores closed, so as you can imagine, our first night in the flat sharing a twin sized bed was COZY to say the least.