I Found the Beach and Some Sheep!

Hello, wow, I am just a little behind in my blogging here. Since we "spoke" last I have been to Brighton and Edinburgh. So, first we go to Brighton...

Oh, Brighton. Brighton was on my list of places to go, but I just did not know when I wanted to go. The tentative plan was to go to Southampton last Wednesday, until Amy found out a favorite musician of hers was going to be in Brighton. So she twisted mine and Alison's arms and we agreed to go with her . My first impression of Brighton was that it was going to be the death of me. When I stepped off of the train there was a bitter cold in the air. To keep warm we started walking to make our way towards the beach. The walk down to the beach was nice. It was like being in every beach town I had ever been in. There were arcades, souvenir shops, and that weird combination smell of cotton candy and hot dogs (except replace hot dogs with fish and chips). Upon seeing the beach I could not believe my eyes, where was the sand? The sand that I knew and despised from the beaches at home was replaced here with rocks. I actually liked the rocks though, they do not stick to you and attempt to blind you like sand does. I went to the boardwalk and watched Amy and Alison ride an upside down roller coaster at the boardwalk fair. We walked around and looked into all the quaint shops, but did not buy anything. Brighton had a weird feel to it, something about the atmosphere that was a bit off. Overall I enjoyed my time there. Moving on to Scotland...

Living here in England for the last month, the country has captured me. I love it here and feel so honored to have had this experience, but... Scotland has my heart. I fell in love with Scotland the moment my train crossed the border. The coast is so gorgeous and inviting. It looks so peaceful and blue. There are miles of cliffs covered in moss that just dive off into the water. There are just sheep grazing everywhere near cliffs. I was so worried that I was going to see a sheep plummet to its death my first time in Scotland. The sheep are marked by their owners so some of them are pure white with big blue splotches on their necks, how cute!

Amy and I arrived in Edinburgh to warm temperatures and sunshine. We immediately headed in the direction of our hostel to check in. We were put in the "Addiction Room". Amy was in the "drugs" bed and I was in the "sex" bed, yes I know a little vulgar, but whatever. We explored the Castle with the help of a very informed and funny tour guide. He took great pride in jabbing the Brits every chance he got. I saw the crown jewels of Scotland. They were very distinguished looking. We walked to Holyrood House and just looked around outside, but did not go in. The rest of out time was just spent wandering the streets and taking in the amazing mix of modern and ancient. In the States you could never walk down the main avenue of any big city and see a Castle or 11th century Cathedral in the distance, but you can here. In the hostel we were put in a room with 6 other girls who all came from Australia. We got to know three of them pretty well and went out with them one night. They were the nicest girls and a blast to be around. One day I will go to Australia and look them up, they insisted that I do so.

School work is bringing me down lately. I do not feel like I have accomplished anything and work just keeps building up. I got some news about my work deadlines today that did not make me happy at all. However, I am pushing on and know that I will be ok and able to do the work.

Today is Halloween! Some friends of mine and I are going out to the pubs to have some Halloween drinks, and then Friday off to Paris. I will be in Paris for my 22nd birthday (yay!). So, I will have a Paris update soon.

Cheers!

London and Such

Well, I made it back from London, oh about a week ago now. It was a great experience. Never being in a city so big before, I was so excited to see and do everything. When I first arrived in London via the Underground (which is an awesome/terrifying experience in itself) I will admit I was a little underwhelmed. Amy and I walked around and eventually came upon Buckingham Palace. It was a nice historical structure, but I was still neutral to the city. However, as soon as the sun began to fade behind the clouds, I started to feel something for London. You just can't beat London at night. Big Ben is shining, the London Eye is all lit up, and the River Thames plays like a mirror for all these sights. We did all of the touristy things like going to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, 10 Downing Street and so on. One of my favorite parts though was the Tate Modern. In my twenty one years I have never seen an original piece of artwork. So, in one day to see Picasso, Monet, Pollack and Matisse was something out of a dream for me. I enjoyed London as a tourist, but I am looking more forward to going back for casual walks and shopping! I did not make it to Harrods this time, but I hear the best time to go there is at Christmas, so I guess I will have to do as I am told.

At the start of the week I was feeling a little under the weather. I think a lot of it had to do with my diet as of lately which has been pasties and well anything loaded with carbs, starch or caffeine. I also think that the Underground mutilated my already suffering immune system. The public transportation in London is great. I think it is probably some of the best in the world, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the cleanliness department ,which I guess is to be expected. I will not go into details, but lets just say I hope I never blow anything that color out of my nose again!

Yesterday Amy and I decided that it was time to see some country side. We just walked out of the Uni parking lot and used to rolling green hills as our guide. After about a 3 mile walk, we came across some foot paths. The paths took us through some of the most gorgeous scenery I have ever seen. We got to see cows, sheep, and horses. We even stopped to pet the sheep and horses. I thought we were going to be charged by one of the sheep, he seemed like a testy fellow. We stumbled upon a spot called St. Catherine's Hill, which is one of the first places of settlement in Winchester. Coming down from the hill, we slowly made our way back into the city via a path by the River Itchen. It was a very tranquil experience, and I am glad that I finally got to see the natural side of England.

Classes have been going well. I am making some great friends from all over the world. My first assignment is due in about two weeks, so I should really start on that soon.

My next stop is Edinburgh next weekend. I am very excited for this trip, I think Scotland is just going to take my breath away. The hostel is book, train tickets bought, now the time to leave just has to get here.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

There's a Chill In the Air

Hello! I hope everyone is doing dandy this week. I am settling in to my classes and schedule, so things are falling into place for me. I am enjoying all of my classes in that nerdy business student kind of way. I am taking an Employment Relations/Law class, so we have been talking a lot about the Royal Mail strike, it is interesting stuff. I have been talking about how we never strike in the States anymore and then what does Chrysler do today? Stupid company making me look like a dumb American! All of my professors are nice gentlemen who seem to enjoy my Southern Belle charm, either that or they think I am a stupid Southerner and it is a look of pity instead of awe. I think I will adjust to the style of learning and paper writing over here quite well with a little help from some Brits. The one thing that will get some getting used to is the casual manner in the classroom. Never in my life have I had a professor tell me to call him Richard and then say f*** in the next sentence, it is very bizarre, but something I will definitely like.

Some friends and I went out to a pub tonight with a girl that lives in Winchester. She came here to study last semester from Lander and fell in love with a Scotsman. So, she packed up everything in the States and has come here to live with him in Edinburgh. She is a very nice girl and gave me lots of good tips and advice, which I am always happy to take. I love the pub atmosphere and how by the end of the night I always know some guy/girl's whole life story.

Well, I am finally headed off to London this weekend. The hostel is booked and I bought the train ticket today. I am excited to get out of Winchester and see what else England has to offer. I am sure that London will overwhelm me with its history and outrageous prices =). I also made plans and bought my tickets to Edinburgh. My friend Amy and I are setting off on that trip at the end of this month. Maybe I will use the seven hour train ride to do some studying, we will see.

The weather is starting to finally fell like proper British weather. It has been damp and chilly here for the past few days, and I actually do not mind it. It is like being in the mountains everyday with the crisp air and leaves changing colors. Although I am sure by November the novelty will have worn off and I will be cursing the climate.

I will definitely post some pictures and comments about London next week, so be on the lookout!

Cheers!

Up and Running...

Well, I know it is a little behind schedule, but here it is, my first entry. These first two weeks have been quite crazy and busy if you can imagine. When I got here it was straight into meetings. I was so tired and jet lagged that I don't remember a thing. I hope they didn't give out any sage advice, like how to get the Rugby players to like you. Oh yes, the Rugby players. So far they have pulled the fire alarm, twice, raided the fridge (luckily I did not have anything in there), and just in general annoyed people. I heard this afternoon that they are on the night prowl for unlocked doors, so I will be double checking mine tonight.

Winchester is a gorgeous city. The history that surrounds me on a day to day basis just blows my mind. To think that I am walking down the same streets as King Alfred and standing in the same area that Mary Tudor once stood leaves me speechless. Every corner I turn there are two things I am sure to find; a historical building or statue and a pub. The pubs here are great. I love the friendly atmosphere and cheap food. Ahh, the cheap food. Getting over the fact that everything costs double for me took a few days to get used to. There will be no Starbucks or shopping sprees for me, but that is alright. I gain so much more here. I feel like the gates of Europe are open for me and any and everything is possible.

My travel thus far has pretty much been based around the city of Winchester. I enjoy going to see the sites like the Cathedral, King Arthur's Round Table, King Alfred's statue, and the countless museums. I also went to Chawton and explored the home of Jane Austen. It was quite surreal to be able to see her own handwritten work right before my eyes. However, I enjoy just walking around and getting lost in the city the most. This past Sunday I left the University's parking lot and just started walking. I had no idea where I would end up, but I did not care. I was surrounded by trees, green grass and rolling hills that looked as if they went on for hundreds of miles. Eventually I wound walking up on a flea market in the city center. It is hard for me not to buy everything from these markets because I just want every piece of England that I can possess. Then I found a quaint park near the university. So I just sat there and read my newspaper and ate my croissant like a local, it was nice.

My travel itinerary is still in progress, but so far this is what I have:
Paris- Nov 2 - Nov 4 via Eurostar Brussels/Bruges- Nov 23 - Nov 25 via flight London- This weekend (probably) Southampton- Tomorrow (10/2) Somewhere in there I plan on definitely going to Stonehenge and Scotland, and of course day trips around Southern England. Oh, and did I mention, I am taking classes as well? I guess I will talk about that next time =)

This was a long first post, two weeks worth of information builds up fast. I miss you all and hope that you keep up with me and my blog so that you can be with me every step of the way in spirit.

Cheers!!