Bath is beautiful. I love it here. Leaving Oxford was really hard...i contemplated just staying there a second night. But i really want to see Stonehedge...so off to the train station the three of us went.
Yesterday Hailey and I couldn't find the boys (who had woken up much much earlier then us to go buy pens) so we went shopping and had a cup of coffee at the starbucks on the corner of the street. Every Italian between the age of 10-16 was in Oxford that day! The British literally had all Italian tourists. After i met up with Tully, Hailey went to go on a tour, and we (tully and I) went off to lay in the grass outside of Christ's Church University. There were kids playing cricket on the lawn, a band playing, the sun shineing, and the breeze blowing. It was a great relaxing day. After a couple hours of chilling (which i now realize i sorely miss....the next time you decide to travel make sure you give yourself a day of rest) Tully and I headed over to Eagle and Child Pub where, as i said before, Lewis and Tolkien sat. Hailey was to meet us there. Tully and I had a the best fish and chips ever! (chips ps are french fries here). When Hailey came back she had an Irish boy with here. He was here studying and had decided to come to Bath with us! He did chicken out at the train station but it was fun to meet him all the same.
We had to take two trains and a bus to get to Bath. I was realy irritated until i stepped out of the train station in Bath onto her streets. Like i said before this is a beautiful city. Tully, Hailey, and I set out for our hostel which we knew was 1 mile away. Thinking we are tough stuff we decide to walk. What we didn't know is that the hostel is more than 1 mile and is on the top of the tallest hill in Bath. Needless to say my butt and thigh musceles are still sore from that hike. (walking with all your luggage is not fun). The hostel is cute. Cuter on the outside then inside but that's alright. I slep the best i have thus far, last night. There were no loud parties going on outside the hostel window, there was a nice bed and covers. All was well. There were a few mosquitos but who cares.
In an hour i am meeting up with Hailey and Tully and we are going to see Stonehedge. This has been on my bucket list for a very very long time. I tried to upload pictures to this blog but it looks like its not oging to work...so sorry. Tonight and the next night i will be sleeping at Best Western in London. Hopefully they will have internet. If not then i will have to track some down in Paris. There we (Hailey, Tully, Taylor, and I) are all meeting up with two other girls Becca and Sarah. Matt the fifth member of our crew left us yesterday for Brussels but will be meeting up with us in Paris. Currently Taylor is in London by himself waiting for Hailey, Tully, and I. Since London is my least favorite place we have been i might just sleep alot of the day so i can be fresh for Paris. We'll see i guess. Have a fantastic evening and i hope to write to you all soon!!!!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
I was rereading my last post and i do believe that is the worst grammatical job i have ever done. Pretty awful...i do apologize. Since i havn't been able to get to a computer in such a long time I was a little panicy that the internet would time out or poop out and all that writing would go down the drain....this has happened to me before.
I was really really hoping to talk to someone in my family via facebook chat but no luck. When i'm home everyone gets on facebook...but it seems they have all decided to quit...then again they might just skip going on in the middle of the day. I think that is around right with the time change. Here it is midnight. I am really tired but am a little afraid i might not be able to sleep. This beautiful hostel that i was so gung ho about before is now a rocking sleeping house. What i didn't notice before...during the daylight hours was the four night clubs directly underneath this hostel. It is so hot outside that to close the windows would be certain B.O. death. One needs a certain amount of oxygen to live. (daddie i havn't had one asthma attack but i have excercised everyday...its almost like doing intermuruals!) The people in england never sleep. Oxford coupling a university town and a tourist attraction makes it a 24 hour crowd. Of course all those cute english students i saw sitting on the sides of the street, on benches, reading are now tucked away some where on the outside of the town. And as for me? Why i'll be sleeping in a bunk that will rock me to sleep to the beat of beyonce. They have no original music. All American. Lady Ga ga seems to be their favorite. The night life is really not for me. I don't need to go experience this to know it i can experience it from my hostel by the level of noise. The things these idiots yell are the stupidest thing i have ever heard.
Tomorrow we'll be heading to Bath. I am exstatic to see Stonehedge but maybe after that i will sleep. I'm feeling a bit sleep deprived. Here is the vicious cycle. First is the traveling across many times zones. Then you add the excitment of being in a historical place that holds so much knowledge even if you did site see all evening you could never see it all. Then you have the whole sleeping in a different place each evening. Then there is the heat. All in all i am almost used to it. I have adjusted to the time zones....i know this because i have started to get very tired in the morning and very awake in the late afternoon. This may be due to the Coffee ( which by the way mom my traveling
I was really really hoping to talk to someone in my family via facebook chat but no luck. When i'm home everyone gets on facebook...but it seems they have all decided to quit...then again they might just skip going on in the middle of the day. I think that is around right with the time change. Here it is midnight. I am really tired but am a little afraid i might not be able to sleep. This beautiful hostel that i was so gung ho about before is now a rocking sleeping house. What i didn't notice before...during the daylight hours was the four night clubs directly underneath this hostel. It is so hot outside that to close the windows would be certain B.O. death. One needs a certain amount of oxygen to live. (daddie i havn't had one asthma attack but i have excercised everyday...its almost like doing intermuruals!) The people in england never sleep. Oxford coupling a university town and a tourist attraction makes it a 24 hour crowd. Of course all those cute english students i saw sitting on the sides of the street, on benches, reading are now tucked away some where on the outside of the town. And as for me? Why i'll be sleeping in a bunk that will rock me to sleep to the beat of beyonce. They have no original music. All American. Lady Ga ga seems to be their favorite. The night life is really not for me. I don't need to go experience this to know it i can experience it from my hostel by the level of noise. The things these idiots yell are the stupidest thing i have ever heard.
Tomorrow we'll be heading to Bath. I am exstatic to see Stonehedge but maybe after that i will sleep. I'm feeling a bit sleep deprived. Here is the vicious cycle. First is the traveling across many times zones. Then you add the excitment of being in a historical place that holds so much knowledge even if you did site see all evening you could never see it all. Then you have the whole sleeping in a different place each evening. Then there is the heat. All in all i am almost used to it. I have adjusted to the time zones....i know this because i have started to get very tired in the morning and very awake in the late afternoon. This may be due to the Coffee ( which by the way mom my traveling
the 4th of July
I apologize to all my lovely followers! I have been out of internet for the past couple days. And what a past couple of days i have had. You are going to get the snippet bits. here goes.
Dublin: Brilliant. I wouldn't recommend anyone going to this city...rather i would recommend staying in the country side and visiting the city. The city is a little bit depressing. Dirty. The Avalon House is probably the coolest part of the whole city. Well actually Saint Patrick's cathedral was pretty cool. beautiful. But all in all you could skip Dublin. We did this walk along the coast of Ireland and THAT was AMAZING! the mist rolled over us as we snaked our way through the tall grass while the sound of waves could be heard mixed with the call of the sea gulls.
The most hellish day i have ever had in my life: A.K.A TRAVEL DAY FROM DUBLIN TO LONDON: i don't know how much to say about this awful day. We rode 1 plane, 5 trains, and walked at least 5 miles if not more. We traveled all in all for 9 hours. Our first hostel never received our booking which was probably a blessing in disguise because although we were exhausted it was located in the grossest part of london i have ever seen. I would say it was the ghetto....After much growning and contemplating how we were going to find somewhere to stay in London when this is the weekend of WIMBLTON!!! everything was booked. Finally the Best Western came to our rescue and five of us piled into the smallest room i have ever seen. Three of us where on the floor and the other two in the bed. Although the floor was hard i was jsut so happy to not be moving, not be in the train station (talk about packing people in one small tube like sardines) and happy to not be on the street. All in all i am happy this day is done. I learned...never book a hostel the night before you need it. ALWAYS call to confirm. ALWAYS ask the train attendent where to go. and NEVER pack to much stuff. Good thing i packed dresses becuase it was so bloody hot. OH yah not only were we traveling from 7 am to 6 pm but England had its record high heat wave making everything the muggiest humidity you have ever felt. I thought i had gone to the Sun.
A perfect day in London. Waking up the next day was so relieving. We got to leave our luggage in our room. Uninhibited by luggage we braved the unknown of London. Our hotel was in the nice part of town..i would equate it to Queen Anne. Most of the people milling our were going to our competing in Wimbelton. We found a free tour which was AMAZING!!! i love love loved it. We saw everything in three hours. The changing of the guards. All the palaces. Parliment. The tower of London. We did see the Tower bridge...but the London bridge is the lamest bridge i have ever been on. They moved the cool London bridge to Illinois or somewhere in the states. The tower bridge is very neat though. I have some cool pictures i will try to up load. We also saw where Shakespear performed his plays. We didn't get to go in but we got to go in to the building built around it. Everything in London is expensive. A man in Dublin told me that when he went to London he wanted to throw his wallet at them and say, "Here....i didn't need it anyway!" and that is exactly how i felt. But non the less i am actually doing so much better with my money then i thought. The food is SO SO CHEAP. And praise the Lord that there are Starbucks everywhere!!! I have started to take pictures of them in each spot. That evening we moved to a different hotel just one block down the street. That one was nicer. It had two beds. I still slept on the floor because it was SO hot. I have never been in such hot weather in my life. On the bright side we have finally mastered the tube....its a language of its own. If you just moved your feet the crowd would sweep you off in every direction. Poor hailey and her suit case kept getting stuck in the train doors which sent matt and i pulling at her until she was in the train.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! today has been my favorite day.
I LOVE OXFORD! Although it is the 4th we keep forgetting....the British don't really care about our brave day but every so often we'll look at each other and with bright eyes remember our great country. We slept in and took our time getting ready in our tiny hotel room. We then caught the tube to the train station and took a train to oxford. Hailey, Tully, and I are all staying in the Central Backpackers Hostel! which is the coolest place i have ever been. The entrence is only a door, which is sandwhiched inbetween two buildings. To get in you ring. The door then opens up to two flights of straight stairs. There is a patio up here, free internet hurray hurray, a cool kitchen, rooms, two tv rooms.....it is heaven. When you travel you appreciate places like this. Nothing is like home so you have to make due with what you have. After getting rid of our luggage we went and found Eagles and Child's pub...where non other then my hero C.S. Lewis, his brother and Tolkein ( all formerally known as the inklins) met to discuss things. I had a latte and at that moment i don't know if i could have been any happier. I sat at the exact table!!!! It was so so so so so sosososososososososo cool. I almsot didn't leave. But there was all of oxford to see. We had no idea where to go or what to see so we meandered around. We past a castle, the gardens, and all these colleges. I can't believe that christo gets to go to school here. This is an amazing city. It has 30 colleges so it has a young laid back feeling. People are reading everywhere! On the street, on steps, in cafe's, on the lawns. You can pop a squat anywhere as long as you have a book in your hand. And the book stores are on every corner. The river that runs through has gaundoles. I love it. Some day i want to come back here. I want to bring my family. If you were wanting to write a book or to romance someone you would need to bring them here...then fly to vennice.
Random thoughts in random order:
I have yet to make an overseas friend. I was hoping i would make one in each spot but i have yet to make one. Lots of smiles and many conversations but no facebooks exchanged. I guess there is still alot of time. Time...i feel like my trip is like a giant piece of chocolate cake. You see it and your eyes get big and you think, "yes! i want the triple decker, double choclate, with fugde cake!" then you get it and realize you should only have had the regular cake...but i will get through and i will learn alot. I need to figure out this phone thing becuase i am not going to be able to go for very much longer without talking to my family. I need their voices. Like i need sleep, like i need oxygen. I have been without coffee, intenet, texting, and facebook for almost three days. It makes me appreciate being born in the 21st century. I don't know how i could live without them for my whole life. The time difference makes it hard to get anybody on facebook chat. Everytime i get on i excitedly look to see if anyone is on....but then i realize it is like 3 am at home!!! rrrr. Alright i have so much more to say but i need to see what the gang is up to. I will try to upload pics later! i love you all so so sosos so much.
Dublin: Brilliant. I wouldn't recommend anyone going to this city...rather i would recommend staying in the country side and visiting the city. The city is a little bit depressing. Dirty. The Avalon House is probably the coolest part of the whole city. Well actually Saint Patrick's cathedral was pretty cool. beautiful. But all in all you could skip Dublin. We did this walk along the coast of Ireland and THAT was AMAZING! the mist rolled over us as we snaked our way through the tall grass while the sound of waves could be heard mixed with the call of the sea gulls.
The most hellish day i have ever had in my life: A.K.A TRAVEL DAY FROM DUBLIN TO LONDON: i don't know how much to say about this awful day. We rode 1 plane, 5 trains, and walked at least 5 miles if not more. We traveled all in all for 9 hours. Our first hostel never received our booking which was probably a blessing in disguise because although we were exhausted it was located in the grossest part of london i have ever seen. I would say it was the ghetto....After much growning and contemplating how we were going to find somewhere to stay in London when this is the weekend of WIMBLTON!!! everything was booked. Finally the Best Western came to our rescue and five of us piled into the smallest room i have ever seen. Three of us where on the floor and the other two in the bed. Although the floor was hard i was jsut so happy to not be moving, not be in the train station (talk about packing people in one small tube like sardines) and happy to not be on the street. All in all i am happy this day is done. I learned...never book a hostel the night before you need it. ALWAYS call to confirm. ALWAYS ask the train attendent where to go. and NEVER pack to much stuff. Good thing i packed dresses becuase it was so bloody hot. OH yah not only were we traveling from 7 am to 6 pm but England had its record high heat wave making everything the muggiest humidity you have ever felt. I thought i had gone to the Sun.
A perfect day in London. Waking up the next day was so relieving. We got to leave our luggage in our room. Uninhibited by luggage we braved the unknown of London. Our hotel was in the nice part of town..i would equate it to Queen Anne. Most of the people milling our were going to our competing in Wimbelton. We found a free tour which was AMAZING!!! i love love loved it. We saw everything in three hours. The changing of the guards. All the palaces. Parliment. The tower of London. We did see the Tower bridge...but the London bridge is the lamest bridge i have ever been on. They moved the cool London bridge to Illinois or somewhere in the states. The tower bridge is very neat though. I have some cool pictures i will try to up load. We also saw where Shakespear performed his plays. We didn't get to go in but we got to go in to the building built around it. Everything in London is expensive. A man in Dublin told me that when he went to London he wanted to throw his wallet at them and say, "Here....i didn't need it anyway!" and that is exactly how i felt. But non the less i am actually doing so much better with my money then i thought. The food is SO SO CHEAP. And praise the Lord that there are Starbucks everywhere!!! I have started to take pictures of them in each spot. That evening we moved to a different hotel just one block down the street. That one was nicer. It had two beds. I still slept on the floor because it was SO hot. I have never been in such hot weather in my life. On the bright side we have finally mastered the tube....its a language of its own. If you just moved your feet the crowd would sweep you off in every direction. Poor hailey and her suit case kept getting stuck in the train doors which sent matt and i pulling at her until she was in the train.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! today has been my favorite day.
I LOVE OXFORD! Although it is the 4th we keep forgetting....the British don't really care about our brave day but every so often we'll look at each other and with bright eyes remember our great country. We slept in and took our time getting ready in our tiny hotel room. We then caught the tube to the train station and took a train to oxford. Hailey, Tully, and I are all staying in the Central Backpackers Hostel! which is the coolest place i have ever been. The entrence is only a door, which is sandwhiched inbetween two buildings. To get in you ring. The door then opens up to two flights of straight stairs. There is a patio up here, free internet hurray hurray, a cool kitchen, rooms, two tv rooms.....it is heaven. When you travel you appreciate places like this. Nothing is like home so you have to make due with what you have. After getting rid of our luggage we went and found Eagles and Child's pub...where non other then my hero C.S. Lewis, his brother and Tolkein ( all formerally known as the inklins) met to discuss things. I had a latte and at that moment i don't know if i could have been any happier. I sat at the exact table!!!! It was so so so so so sosososososososososo cool. I almsot didn't leave. But there was all of oxford to see. We had no idea where to go or what to see so we meandered around. We past a castle, the gardens, and all these colleges. I can't believe that christo gets to go to school here. This is an amazing city. It has 30 colleges so it has a young laid back feeling. People are reading everywhere! On the street, on steps, in cafe's, on the lawns. You can pop a squat anywhere as long as you have a book in your hand. And the book stores are on every corner. The river that runs through has gaundoles. I love it. Some day i want to come back here. I want to bring my family. If you were wanting to write a book or to romance someone you would need to bring them here...then fly to vennice.
Random thoughts in random order:
I have yet to make an overseas friend. I was hoping i would make one in each spot but i have yet to make one. Lots of smiles and many conversations but no facebooks exchanged. I guess there is still alot of time. Time...i feel like my trip is like a giant piece of chocolate cake. You see it and your eyes get big and you think, "yes! i want the triple decker, double choclate, with fugde cake!" then you get it and realize you should only have had the regular cake...but i will get through and i will learn alot. I need to figure out this phone thing becuase i am not going to be able to go for very much longer without talking to my family. I need their voices. Like i need sleep, like i need oxygen. I have been without coffee, intenet, texting, and facebook for almost three days. It makes me appreciate being born in the 21st century. I don't know how i could live without them for my whole life. The time difference makes it hard to get anybody on facebook chat. Everytime i get on i excitedly look to see if anyone is on....but then i realize it is like 3 am at home!!! rrrr. Alright i have so much more to say but i need to see what the gang is up to. I will try to upload pics later! i love you all so so sosos so much.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Avalon House DUblin
I thought the adventure would never start...but silly me all i had to do was step foot in the sea tac airport and walla! My flight was canceled and three lines later i was off to san francisco where i then ran around like a chick with my head cut off trying to find the right terminal. Stupid airport is shaped like a U with the international terminals at each end! Anyway my flight mates were first the oldest gay couple i have ever seen that acted more like junior high girls then adults. Then I sat by a lovely family who's three year old decided to to scream NO NO!! over and over till i to wante to scream NO! I almost missed my flight to san fransisco becuase i wasn't payin attention...
But on the bright side I am here! I was so excited when we landed that i giggled the whole way out of the terminal. I think the passport guy was a little creeped out.
My first day in Dublin started with being lost on the bus....walking up and down the streets till i realized that i was walking right past my hostel over and over. Then Taylor took me to the park which is BEAUTIFUL! Then to Trinity college. I tried to take an afternoon nap but after you havn't slept for so long it is hard to start...your afraid you'll miss somehting fun.
Daddie I am happy to report that i did what you told me and went to church. Saint Patricks Cathedral service just this afternoon.
Momma i ate real dubliner cheese...it wasn't as good.
Seth everything here is green. It's like it rained green and Irelnad came out.
Jon I have kept to my word and not talked to any interesting Irish people!
Adam. YOu'd love all the accents. TOday on the bus this guy asked me if i was from the west side of the US. I said ya why and he said he could tell from my accent!!!! We have accents...who knew!
I love you all! It's hard for me to know when to call but i'll figure it out and be talking to you soon.
But on the bright side I am here! I was so excited when we landed that i giggled the whole way out of the terminal. I think the passport guy was a little creeped out.
My first day in Dublin started with being lost on the bus....walking up and down the streets till i realized that i was walking right past my hostel over and over. Then Taylor took me to the park which is BEAUTIFUL! Then to Trinity college. I tried to take an afternoon nap but after you havn't slept for so long it is hard to start...your afraid you'll miss somehting fun.
Daddie I am happy to report that i did what you told me and went to church. Saint Patricks Cathedral service just this afternoon.
Momma i ate real dubliner cheese...it wasn't as good.
Seth everything here is green. It's like it rained green and Irelnad came out.
Jon I have kept to my word and not talked to any interesting Irish people!
Adam. YOu'd love all the accents. TOday on the bus this guy asked me if i was from the west side of the US. I said ya why and he said he could tell from my accent!!!! We have accents...who knew!
I love you all! It's hard for me to know when to call but i'll figure it out and be talking to you soon.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
where i will be
Chapter 1
june 29 fly out of seattle arrive in dublin 8:40 am
june 30 Dublin (probably a day in the country..possibly galaway)
july 1 Dublin
july 2 fly from dublin to london
july 3 London
july 4 Train from London to Oxford
july 5 train from Oxford to Bath
july 6 London (matt leaves our humble crew)
july 7 excursion to Brighton
july 8 chunnel from London to Paris meet up with Kaitlin and Bekka
july 9 paris
july 10 Paris
july 11 MEET UP WITH Dr. Davis!!!
chapter 2
I have no idea...i will be everywhere in France. Taking 10 credits.
chapter 3
ash arrives!
august 11 meet up with ash in the de gall airport in Paris
august 12 paris
august 13 Fly from paris to Rome
august 14 Rome
august 15 Rome
august 16 Rome
august 17 Train Rome to Florence
augsut 18 Florence
august 19 train from Florence to Venice
august 20 day in venice then off to Verona
august 21 Verona....train to Munich Germany
august 22 Munich
august 23 Munich
august 24 Day in Munich then flight from Munich to Dublin
august 25 Dublin
august 26 flight back to AMERICA!
August 27 Claire and Reece get married!!!!
Tomorrow is the day.
Tomorrow i leave. I have been laying in the sun in denial which may turn out to have been a bad idea because i think i burnt my body. Great! I'll be in a plane for 24 hours burned and squished. Oh well.
I'm no longer nervous about the details of the trip but i am concerned about the details for when i get back . My house. Moving. The mentor thing i'm apart of. Pre law club. Or the LSAT! yuck. I posted my travel plans on my parents refrigerator so they can know my where abouts for the next 52 days. I also looked up internet cafe's in dublin in london...so i should be able to keep up with this blog. Hopefully get some more pictures up. I have been reading your blogs (mike, olivia and dave) so impressive! I hope one day my blog will be so majestic and high tech as yours. As it is i am having a hard time focusing enough on spelling to make this readable. I think i have ADD. Because my attention span only lasts for 20 minutes. Hmmm.
It is 70 degrees here in Washington state. The lake is sparkling. A perfect beginning to an adventure. You always read about Frodo and the other valiant characters leaving their home on a bright sunshiny day! With high hopes and full backpacks they start into the unknown! I think i need a valiant name. To be a character on this grave adventure. Its probably the most perils adventure you have ever read because there is no foreseen enemy or problem. Just a plan to go there....and back! I think I shall call myself LA LA. No not like the tell-a-tubbies. Silly people.
THe first line of my adventure will read...with steely determination La la sets off for the land of the lucky.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
two more days
They are all there...all the friends i'm backpacking with. Taylor has been there for a couple days. Hailey and Tully just arrived and Matt is in the air! As i went through my normal, american, saturday morning it was hard for me to picture that for 52 days i will be in europe. I've gone through the excitement of the adventure and lows of leaving home for so long. I want to thank you for praying for me while i'm over there!
I am ALMOST done listening to Dr. Davis's lectures for the trip. Just three more hours to go. I really want to avoid bringing the lectures on the plane because i want to sleep and listen to music. I wonder if anyone interesting will be on the plane? Perhaps a writer, on her way to her villa on the coast of Ireland to write her next fairy novel. Or how about a performer who plays a leprechaun! I really really want to avoid watching those plane movies. Who wants to watch those anyway. Actually what i probably will be doing on the plane is studying for the LSAT. Yes, i'm bringing study material for the LSAT....a students got to do what a students got to do.
There are very few details i still need to get together. I still need to put a playlist on my ipod and charge it. I still need to put my schedule outline out for my family and friends. Yesterday I took care of applications for jobs next year. Next year might be more of an adventure then either of the other two years before! I have my rent in for my house and pretty much have my furniture lined up.
WOW! i am going to miss you chelsey! I hope you end up going to walla walla so i can see you when i get back. Thank you for all your advice on traveling.
Ashley!!! I can't wait to see you in Paris De Gall airport. Don't forget not to move. I'll find you! Lol. It is a grown up version of hide and seek. I guess we are like private investigators....trying to find one another?
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