Lions, and Tigers, and Royalty... Oh My!

I find it so hard to believe that school is actually over with! It feels like just a week or two ago I was trying to find the room for orientation! But this past week marked the end of classes and the beginning of the exam period, which unfortunately means it is getting closer and closer to the time where I will have to start packing and head home.

These past 2 weeks have been among the most stressful I have ever had. Many assignments, big projects, papers, labs and presentations were due, and it was also the first time we had received any grades back. The grading scale still somewhat confuses me and it just feels weird celebrating a 67% even though it truly means an A-. I even had a Skype interview for a job on campus to add to the craziness. But I will say I think that the final week of classes is the same no matter what country you are in; it consists of no sleep, too much caffeine, and camping out in the library. Among school work, all of the study abroad students are trying to squeeze in anything and everything we have not done before we leave, as well as saying goodbye to the students already leaving soon.

However, I was very thankful to be able to get some breaks during the two crazy weeks. In London, there is always, always, ALWAYS, something to distract you from what you should be doing.

Richmond

On one of the nice days a friend and I headed back to Richmond Park to try and tackle the rest of the largest of the royal parks. Our goal was to head to one end, rent some bikes, and ride through the rest. But unfortunately when we got to the bike rental area they were much more than expected, not only in price but also in style. In our heads, we pictured renting the cute bicycles you are able to rent all over London, but what was available to us was intense, and very uncomfortable looking mountain bikes. Needless to say, people take their biking seriously in Richmond Park, so instead we settled on some ice cream bars and walked through what we could. Again, we found ourselves leaving through the gate leading to Richmond so we could catch a glimpse of our favorite area. We headed to the same little pub on the water we had been before and ordered our favorite drinks, which we swear taste much better in Richmond. While we were there we made talked with a friendly group of people sitting next to us and talked about some of the differences between the States and living in England. It was a wonderful way to escape. And I can only dream of someday living in such a wonderful place as Richmond.

On the weekend some friends and I went out in London to celebrate making it to the last week of classes. It was really fun and memories were made by all that will never be forgotten. That weekend we also made it to the London Zoo which was by far the best zoo I had ever been too. I felt like I was a 5 year old girl again running to gorilla kingdom and tiger territory. The whole zoo was so big that it took us about 4 1/2 hours to get through! We saw monkeys, hippos, penguins, owls, tigers, lions, snakes, lizards, jellyfish, lemurs, turtles, camels, giraffes, zebras and so much more. Again, it was another great chance to relax and forget about school for a bit.

On one afternoon I came back from my evening run to find Emily over at the house. I am always glad to see her and I went outside in the garden (yard) to find a wonderful tea party set up for her and her various stuffed animals and of course Tigger the cat. As I sat down and joined her we talked about almost anything, and of course talked to her friend bear the stuffed animal. One of the more interesting conversations...

Tea time with Emily

Emily: "can I tell you a secret?! I have a boyfriend! His name is Freddy and he doesn't even wear glasses. He saw me at lunch today and he looked like someone who needs a girlfriend, so I smiled at him and played with him at recess...Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: "No, boys are silly.."
Emily: "Well go out and find one! You have nice hair, so boys will like you. And I know I know!!!! If you can't find one, Tigger really likes you, so he can be your boyfriend!!!"

She never fails to make me laugh, and brighten my day even though apparently my boyfriend is a cat.

After our British Life & Culture exam on Wednesday, all of the international students celebrated by going on a boat party on the Thames River. I will say it was one of the most fun things I have done since I have been here. We were able to go out on the deck and watch the sunset as we cruised along the river. The whole top floor was a giant dance floor by the end of the night, and we were even able to get our lecturer (professor) and the international director on the dance floor busting moves to 'Thrift Shop'! Although I will say the highlight for me was when all of the students, of all cultures and ethnicities, were singing 'Im On A Boat' at the top of our lungs. It was definitely an unforgettable night, and a great way to celebrate the end of classes.

On Thursday, a friend and LAS cohort member, who is studying in France was traveling and was in London! We met in front of Buckingham Palace (Casual right?!) and then made our way around London. We went to Camden Market, SoHo, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Borough Market and Kingston. She was the first familiar face I have seen since I have been here so it was really nice to be able to catch up!

Prince Charles! 

At one point when we were heading to a tube station, we noticed a large amount of people peering over the edge of a balcony on the street with cameras ready, as we walked by we decided to check it out. As we got there, we looked down to a street filled with people! As people started exiting the a building located on the street, everyone started to cheer. Even more people started to gather around to see what was going on and we kept getting asked who everyone was waiting for, but we had no idea! Suddenly everyone went wild and we looked down to see Prince Charles exiting the building, and waving to all! Although it might not have been Prince Harry or the the Queen herself, it was still pretty cool to see royalty, especially unexpectedly like that. That day we also passed a giant premier of the new Star Trek movie! Just goes to show that there is no such thing as a dull moment in London.

This weekend I have been catching up on some sleep, working on my last assignment I have left, studying for my exam, and watching way too many episodes of Downton Abbey, which is my new favorite show. Last night, my host dad and his friend, who is in a band, asked me to join them and go to his gig at a pub. Of course I said yes. I can never say no to live pub music, it is definitely one of my most favorite things to do here. It was quite an interesting experience and quite a funny one. We watched the band play and the local's at the pub dance to the music. All in all, it was another great night to add to the list of many.

This weekend is a bank holiday weekend which means tomorrow (Monday) almost everything will be closed and almost all will be off of work. My host parents invited me to join the barbecue that apparently is taking place at their house tomorrow. I am excited for another day of sunshine (knock on wood) and fresh air.

This Wednesday I will be leaving for Scotland with some friends! Also, my mom is coming to visit the week before I leave, so we have been planning and figuring out our game plans! There is so much I would like to show her!

Trafalgar Square

Because the time is ticking, and I only have about a month left here in England, I have been thinking lately of all that I will miss, but the thing is, it is so hard to pin point certain things I'll miss when I honestly will just miss it all! I also think that I have already gotten used to the differences here that it has been hard for me to recall all of the daily differences between here and the U.S. For example, I now call fries 'chips' without thinking twice, and when someone says 'cheers' instead of 'thank you', I automatically say it back or say 'no problem'. It's in all the little things that I am going to notice the differences in again when I get home.

One day last week, I stayed after one of my classes to talk to one of the girls who sat behind me, who I had never seen before. I was asking her about the class but it soon turned to talk about how much I loved London. It was funny, how I did not know her, yet I suddenly found myself telling her how much I loved London and how although I would be glad to see my friends and family once I am home, I knew I would miss it terribly and I hoped to be back someday, hopefully sooner than later... She stopped me right there and told me the most meaningful advice I have gotten since I have been here. She said "At least you have had this chance and you know how you feel about it, don't dread leaving, you can always find your way back here. Go home and finish what you started there, then who knows maybe your next chapter will start here, but you will never know until you finish the chapter you're on..." It was just what I needed. Although I love it here so much, I know I am where I am meant to be right now at CMU. I have started an amazing adventure there and I need to focus on finishing it before I think any further ahead. I am so thankful for every opportunity I have been able to have. I have met countless incredible people from all over the world. This experience has taught me more than I will ever be able to express, and I have made so many memories that a scrapbook and a few photo albums will never be able to do justice. But I will always know what I felt during those moments, and those feelings and memories will never go away.

Here Comes The Sun

Another gorgeous London sunset!

Another week has flown by. I can not get over how fast the time has gone and the fact that I only have 7 weeks left! Everything has gone by so fast that it all seems like a blur... so I am glad I have lots of pictures to remember it by.

Last Sunday, my host family asked me to join them for a family barbecue in a nearby town. It was the first beautiful warm day in England. Apparently the first nice day of every Spring, my host family and their family members get together and have a barbecue! It was wonderful! I was able to meet some more family members, and of course hang out with their 6 year old granddaughter Emily. We played Chinese Whispers (or 'telephone' as it is called in the U.S), and some tether ball. We had hotdogs, and burgers on the grill and sat outside in the warm sunshine. On the way back, we drove through Wimbledon so I could see what it looked like. My host dad is a driver for Wimbledon players during the tournament and has driven many players who have made it to the final rounds. He picks up players and brings them to the courts. So he was able to tell me all about the area and the courts and the inside of them where we weren't able to see. He also was explaining how hard it is to get a ticket now because it has become such a popular tournament. Wimbledon was a gorgeous area, and there were many people out and about walking and sitting in the grass enjoying the warm day.

Some of the many deer in Richmond Park! 

Monday was the first day back to school after 3 weeks so it felt like quite a long day, especially after finishing and turning in a 33 page report for one of my classes. I had a lot of things due this week: the grade in all my classes depends on only a few assignments so after doing mostly reading all semester it felt like a lot of work. After 2 research papers were turned in, and a presentation was done and over with, it was finally Friday. Although I can't complain about the work I do here, because living in London makes it bearable.

On Friday, I saw a friend at a cafe where I was working on some homework, and she asked me to go to Richmond park with her. Although I was not dressed for it, I said yes without the thought of walking miles through a park with my heavy backpack. But it was worth every second and my very sore back the next day. Richmond park is the largest of all the royal parks in London and it is perfect. It is also where part of the course for the 2012 Olympic cycling race was held. We walked through it for about 3 hours. It had everything! We saw some people galloping through on horses, we saw a ton of deer and sometimes you could get really close to them, even though there were signs everywhere that said not to. We stopped at a cafe and banquet area we found where a wedding was being held, and had some coffee on a large hillside where you could look down on all of Richmond.

Alex looking through the telescope at Thames Valley! 

Then we made our way to what is called King Henry's Mound in the park. The mound is the highest point in the park with amazing views. There is a telescope placed in the middle for even better views. One one side of the mound you look down on Thames valley. There are arrows on the ground pointing to monuments such as Windsor Castle and telling how many miles away.

We had heard that there was an excellent view of the famous St. Paul's Cathedral from the mound! We were looking through the telescope and couldn't find anything or any signs! Suddenly we looked behind us and saw a hole through the bushes behind the telescope, then we looked down and saw an arrow in front of the bushes pointing towards the hole that read 'St. Paul's Cathedral - 10 miles'. As we looked through, and then realized the telescope could be turned around, we were able to look through it, past a distance of 10 miles and see St. Paul's Cathedral. It was gorgeous. The view is protected, so although there is park all around, you look through that hole in the bushes, and see 10 miles of clear pathway so you can see the cathedral.

After squinting through the telescope for awhile we decided to walk towards it. It didn't take us long until we came to this gate that was installed in 2012 to celebrate the tercentenary of St. Paul's cathedral. The gates looked like something that belonged in a fairy tale. It was beautiful and at the top were the words 'The Way'.

A tee-pee we found in the park! 

The park was a perfect get away. There were many times when we were walking through areas where it was only the 2 of us, and a few deer. It was quiet and nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a little while. We were so excited to just be walking through woods and fields, that it made me realize how much I take my surroundings, and ability to walk through woods, or by the lake at home for granted. After our legs couldn't take anymore walking we exited out of the Richmond gate which led us to the city of Richmond.

Richmond is known as one of the wealthiest areas of the United Kingdom, so of course everything was perfectly placed and incredibly beautiful. Another fun fact I learned about Richmond is that it was also assessed as one of the happiest places to live in the United Kingdom, and after walking through I would not doubt that one bit. Every little park we passed, or outside cafe was full of people sitting outside enjoying the day. We walked along the river and passed some people making boats, and many little river side cafes. We stopped at a busy little pub along the riverside and sat and told each other we would be back in Richmond park as soon as possible, except next time maybe with bikes.

Saturday morning came to early. We met at the school and hopped on the coach (I got in trouble from the driver for calling it a bus...) and we were off on our last class field trip to Stonehenge and Bath. It took us about an hour and a half to reach stonehenge, but the scenery from the top of the double decker coach was stunning. It was all rolling hills of country side. Fields, little cottages, and sheep were all you could see. It looked like it was all from a movie scene.

Although I had heard and knew what Stonehenge was, I did not know much about the facts or reasoning behind it. Nor did I know what to expect as we got there. But as our coach pulled into a field parking lot, and we got the first glimpse of Stonehenge, it was another thing that looked so surreal. Against the green grass and blue sky, there was the formation of rocks. There was a roped off area all around it that people walked around. So we were not allowed to get close.

While our professor was explaining some of the facts to us about the stones, it occurred to me that it was ok that I did not know much about them, because neither do archeologists, scientists, or anyone else for that matter. They have guessed that the earliest building of this world famous monument probably started in 3100BC. It is also known that it has served as a giant burial ground. People are unsure why this area was so significant, but more importantly how people made this formation so long ago. The total of all the stones is equivalent to about 84 elephants. So the thought of this formation being built that long ago with out any technology or equipment we have today is astounding.

After walking around Stonehenge, we hopped back on the 'coach' and headed to the city of Bath. On the way, we all had to practice saying Bath, because it is not at all pronounced like 'bath' as in a "bubble bath". It is pronounced more like' Bah-th'. So the whole coach full of students rehearsed pronouncing it on the way.

Once we arrived, we were free to go anywhere we liked for lunch. One of our friends is vegetarian, so we all decided on a cute little vegetarian pub we found. Of course, they all ordered vegetarian food, and I ordered the only non-vegetarian thing on the menu...a burger. We were able to sit outside and take in some of the city of Bath.

After we wandered through some of the streets and then headed to meet for our walking tour through the city. Bath is an incredibly old city. Also it is incredibly beautiful. All of the buildings built are of the same color so the city is uniform. All buildings that are built in Bath must match this golden color of stone. In our tour we were able to learn about much of Bath's history. We also walked into the Royal Cresent which is a very popular area of Bath which includes a famous 5 star hotel where many celebrities such as Tom Cruise have stayed. We also passed a house in Bath which was owned by Nicholas Cage that he sold only months ago.

The main reason for our visit to Bath was our tour of the Roman Bath's. Which is a giant spa area where (much like it sounds) the Romans used to bathe. There were four main features we were allowed to tour: the sacred spring, the Roman temple, the Roman Bath house, and the museum itself which held many artifacts and objects found there. The natural bubbling water which averages at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit or above, fills the Roman bathing area and gushes out of the natural hot springs. There is now a spa in Bath that accommodates this hot spring that people can use. It was advised not to touch the water in the Roman Bath because of the temperature and contaminants. To say the least, it did not look like anything I would want to bathe in. But like everything else in the city of Bath, it was gorgeous and truly unbelievable.

Yesterday (Sunday), was yet another sunny day, and I was able to spread a blanket out in the garden (backyard, they call it the garden here) and do some studying in the fresh air and then go for a long run through some areas that I have not been yet. Also I have booked my tickets to Scotland that will be coming up very soon on May 8th through the 11th!

I also have a Tigger update. He is now to the point where when he hears my voice when I come in, he comes running to me. I can always count on him to be in the kitchen keeping me company when I make dinner, and also sitting in the chair next to me at the table purring away. The other morning I again woke up to him on my bed laying on his back waiting to be pet. I told my host parents about this and they were completely shocked. Apparently he usually doesn't like the students that stay and has never done that before. They even said that now when I come through the door, he will even jump off his favorite spot by them on the couch to come and see me. So basically, I will be secretly bringing Tigger back in my suitcase. Although I highly doubt he would fit...

This week is another busy one with school work. I have a big presentation tomorrow, as well as a couple more reports due and some studying for an exam next week. It is so hard to believe that there is only 2 weeks of school left! Time flies.

Here is the link to my album of Stonehenge & Bath photos! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200918854630548.1073741830.1140914263&type=1