Hello, World!

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I received a few complaints: (1) you don't tell us enough and/or you tell different people different parts of the story; (2) we have no idea what's going on in your life; and (3) you need to entertain us. Here's a try.

I am not the most communicative person in my family. Compound that with my living the furthest away (besides Uncle Tim, who has lived far away for years), and you get an uniformed family and a disconnected daughter. My family complained about me telling one person about my house warming party, one person of my renting a parking spot, and about buying my ticket for Christmas, but no one knows the entire story of my life. While I am not promising to post as consistently as I when traveling, I will try to be a bit more regular than the recent trend of two months.

Much time has passed since my last post. Then I was in the middle of training, having spent two weeks in Baton Rouge, returning to DC for two weeks, shooting down to Houston for two weeks, and concluding training once back in DC.

During my time in DC between Baton Rouge and Houston, Alex and I found our dream apartment. (Praise the Lord!) Our place is great, and (miraculously) it meets all of our criteria: it is located between Logan and Dupont Circles; is a five minute walk from the metro, four minutes from Alex's work, five minutes to my yoga studio, eight minutes from Uncle Tim's. It is a beautiful two-bed, one bath with hardwood floors and a few exposed brick walls. It is amazingly quiet to be in the middle of the city. Our building's view is one of the top ten in the city - you can see the Washington Monument, the White House, the National Basilica and the National Cathedral, the Air Force Memorial.. basically the entire city.

A brief history of our building, the Cairo. Built in 1894, the Cairo is the tallest residential building in DC and was the catalyst for the 1899 Heights of Buildings Act, which limits building heights within the city to this day. Around 1900, the building was named the Cairo Hotel and became the center of DC society for social and political gatherings with many high-profile guests as visitors. Per Wikipedia, the building had a bowling alley and a coffee shop, and in the 1940s hosted a party with 500 canaries singing from chandeliers in the main ballroom. Quite a show, I'm sure. However, the building was sold as a 267-room hotel in 1957 and began to decline in the 1960s. After becoming a haven for squatters, the building was sold, restored and converted to condominiums in 1979. Thank goodness. Now the condos are individually owned and rented.

the Cairo.

Our landlord bought this unit in 2003 and had it completely remodeled. It is great! Alex and I are fairly sure that it is a gem in the building. While the building is continually undergoing renovations (they are trying to restore the original terrazzo floor and our water system is being updated next week), our apartment is beautiful, and neighbors expressed surprise at ours relative to others they have seen (or live in). Drum roll, please! Here is the grand tour!!

living room. [hallway and front door are behind the camera.]

living room. [front door is at left edge of photo.]

photo wall close up.

 

housewarming gift from mom and dad and desi and jason.

our faux-fireplace.

close-up.

 

dining area. [we bought and hung these lights - ikea.]

kitchen. cooking together is interesting.. like a dance.

perfect spice rack.

hi mom and dad; hi ms. chica and mr. cornel.

great window desk.

 

our bathroom.

alex's room!

dos.

my room.

dos.

We could not ask or hope for a better place to live. Parking is not included, however, but (as mentioned above) I decided to rent a spot in a nearby garage for the winter months. As a Mississippi girl, I am VERY intimidated by all of this snow talk and think it best to completely avoid scraping ice off of my windshield for this first winter in the city. I rented the spot last weekend, and the stress of finding a spot has faded away. aaah.

In other news, I graduated from training. Finally!!!!! I cannot believe it. Have I described training, my new group and my position? If not, here is my best explanation. As a preface, my degree is in chemical engineering; I took a couple business classes (micro-econ, marketing, accounting). I trained from July 19 until October 20 to be a lubricant salesperson. :-) Yes, lubricants. As in engine oils, transmission oils, and greases. You know, that stuff you have to get changed every 3,000 miles or so? Now that I have successfully graduated from the sales training, I have entered a completely different function - marketing. So why train in sales? Sales is critical to marketing as every bit of material that marketing creates is seen, touched and used by the sales force. Without completely understanding what our customers want and expect, I cannot adequately market. The training class also exposed me to different areas of the company that I may not have seen by entering straight into the marketing function.

Okay, now that I've tried to explain that, let's cover my new job: digital advisor. Within the marketing group, I am in the communications team. Communications is responsible for everything that is released to the consumer public, whether that be TV or radio commercials, magazine advertisements, or even NASCAR sponsorships. Further, within communications, digital encompasses internet advertisements, websites, and social media such as YouTube and Facebook. Basically, I have the fun job - the unchartered territory, the experimental area. I am SO excited to finally have a desk and a function. Although my list of responsibilities is somewhat blurry around the edges, I am learning more and more each day. Yay for communications. And, yes, I have a lot of training to do - remember: I have only taken one marketing class. Ever.

That's the brief on my new apartment and new job. That is not all that has transpired in the last two months - but it's a start. Perhaps I will fill in the spaces sooner this time.. 

...and 66 days later.

One must admit that they are a terrible blogger when they type their blog-site into the address bar, and their Mac doesn't recognize the url. So: I am a TERRIBLE blogger. There, I said it.

I must extend a very heart-felt apology to all of my loyal readers during the good ole traveling days. I have no excuse for failing to entertain you during your work day or in the evenings before bed. I do not want to promise that the blog will become more regular, for fear that I may disappoint you once again. 

On the other, brighter side, I have a lot to tell you about! I have been working for two months plus a few days, and, man, do I love it. Since I updated my profile (on the right side bar) today, I must explain my working situation. I graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in chemical engineering, but was hired on by a technical company to be a marketer. BUT I haven't began that job yet. I am in the tenth week of a fifteen week training program... AND it's actually a training program for sales people. In short, I am a chemical engineer that is training as a sales person to eventually work in marketing. Got it? Phew.

Training: I love my classmates. The majority (15 out of 17) are engineers, and we receive varying levels of technical presentations. We represent the country and hail from many schools. Our home states/countries include: Georgia, Florida, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Washington, Minnesota, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas(x2), Nigeria/Massachusetts, Mexico/Houston, Colombia/Miami and Panama. I have made great relationships with them all, and am not looking forward to them leaving when they are assigned to sales territories throughout the country in October and November.

I am also excited to finally live in the same state as my cousin Sarah. We grew up together, but have never spent more than a few days together. Now that we have the opportunity to become friends, we are taking advantage of it and spending time together. In fact, one night Sarah, Cate (my BFF classmate from Georgia), and I cooked dinner together and later met up with more classmates for a night on the town.

our delicious meal: grilled chicken; avocado, tomato, and 

cucumber salad; grilled peaches with goat cheese

sarah, me and cate.

bridgett, adam, jairo, and cate.

betsy, cate, me, and bridgett.

In the last two months, I also had the opportunity to go to a Nats game! My friend Chris (whom at met in choir at Mississippi State freshman year) came down to watch his favorite team, the Phillies, duke it out with the Nats. I enjoyed a barbecue with Pennsylvanians and saw a great game. Chris - how did we not get a photo together?!

the nats' stadium.

Although I have been working, it is safe to say that the traveling has not ceased. I have been on overnight trips to Paulsboro, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland - both very interesting and probably the right length of time. I was able to travel home for Labor Day weekend - it was so nice to see my family and sleep at home. And I spent the last two weeks in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Just when I had almost lost the majority of my Southern accent BOOM! back into Southern culture with fried seafood and Cajun-Southern speakers. Gotta love it. And I did.

For two weeks I lived in a Homewood Suites and drove a VW Bug:

hah.

Quite of few of my MSU classmates now work in Baton Rouge (chemical engineers, refineries, get it?). This was a great opportunity to see several that I haven't seen since December, and meet some of their friends, who actually became my friends over the two weeks. I stayed a weekend longer to enjoy SEC football and tailgating! The day began at Kevin (an old senior design group-mate) and River's house. They are recently married and very cutely domestic already. From there a group of new and old friends began the hike to campus. After many trucks passing by, eventually a wonderfully generous LSU fan let us hop in the back and ride closer to campus.

meghan(new), paul, dustin(new), kyle(new), me, and mitch.

At the MSU Alumni tent, I found even more friends! Yay for ChemE's!

aren't we cute?

This was my first time to tailgate and watch a game at LSU. I admit that I was pretty worried, but the day turned out great - only a few people shouted "Tiger Bait" at me. When it did happen, however, I did a little dance and bowed, and the chants died down fairly quickly.

moments before the game.

I was careful to enter the stadium alone, in black no less, to find our seats and make friends before Ben entered in all of his maroon glory. This actually worked out quite well. We had excellent seats, as you might can tell from the photo, that were positioned in a family-alumni section. By the end of the game, the seventy-year-old man directly in front of me was holding his hand up to high-five after a good M-State play. No one spilled drinks on me or jeered more than the normal "Tigah Bait" chant. I won't speak of the score more than to say that LSU's kicker is pretty good.

me and ben! (senior group-mate-II)

I arrived back in DC on Sunday for two more weeks of class - on October 4th I will head down to Houston for two more weeks of on-the-job training. This assignment could not be better - Mississippi State is playing at Houston the weekend in between! 

Now that I am in town for a bit, Alex (my future roommate and best friend from high school) and I have fully committed ourselves to finding an apartment before I leave town again. And what a struggle it is! We have seen four apartments so far this week and are applying for two. I am so fortunate to have such a great Uncle that doesn't mind his niece staying in his loft for a few months.. but I'm pretty sure he's looking for a boot to knock me out. Hah!

I was recently asked how my travel abroad helped me to adapt to change.. I'm not sure if I can answer that as nothing has remained constant since graduation in December. I packed up my apartment, moved home and worked for the Senator for a while, traveled to Hawaii and western Europe, mosied around the southeast visiting friends on my way to DC, moved in with Tim in the city, began work, and have traveled for business. It's time. Time for me to find an apartment, move in, begin my real, office job, and start a life here in my city.

Tomorrow's the "Big Day"

So I know I promised some recipes and updates on what I have done so far in DC, but you aren't going to get those tonight.. Tomorrow is more important than last week.

Tomorrow I start work. Tomorrow I have a big girl job. And I'm a grown up. When did this happen?

I have been thinking of July 19, 2010 since last fall some time, and now it is here - I can hardly believe it. Although I have REALLY enjoyed the last seven months of fun, I know it is time to enter the real world. I am honestly ready for a little bit of structure in my life. All this traveling, eating and practicing yoga can wear a person down. (Not really, just trying to make myself and all of my working friends feel better.)

I am having trouble articulating exactly how I feel. The whole idea of graduating, moving and beginning a career is surreal. Knowing I am a chemical engineer and possess the talents to work for such an amazing company is bizarre as well. To have a job at all in this economy is great, and it is a real blessing to be joining a group as knowledgeable and accomplished as this one.

Maybe I should mention a little of my last few days, as it may explain why I'm having trouble communicating. I have been in the city for a week and a half now with not much to do. I have decided to delay my apartment search until the end of August, so no apartment hunting. One of Tim's friends helped me come up with the best way to spend my time - in a yoga studio! I signed up for a month unlimited at a nearby studio and have been eight times since Monday. Some of the classes were more of meditation and deep stretching; one was a fuse between pilates and yoga; a couple were intense, similar to power yoga; and my favorite was Punk Rock Yoga. Wow. I have never "glistened", as my grandmother would say, so much in my entire life! And that's saying something coming from a Mississippi girl.

All in all, the classes have been a great way to calm me down, relax me, and entertain me over the last week. But most of all, this new work out schedule has really changed my eating habits, something I did not expect. I have spoken with people who have craved certain foods when beginning a strict work out regime, but mine has not been exactly rigorous. Nonetheless, over the last two days I have only wanted vegetables and fruit, especially those with lots of water, such as tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and pineapples. I tried to eat some spinach and artichoke dip but found it too rich; the girls I was eating with said it wasn't. (It didn't even have cheese.) I ordered a salad with chicken today and could only force down a few bites of the chicken while scarfing down all of the veggies. I was in line behind someone buying a candy bar at CVS and looked at it with a slight disgust. What's going on?! Those of you who know me well, know that I do not pass up most foods, especially sweet treats. And here I am, acting like a food snob who doesn't want any of your spinach dip, thank you! Oh, goodness. Further, I have also noticed how much better of a mood I am in: singing, smiling at strangers. Hah - after my punk rock yoga class, I was nearly walking on air I had so many endorphins pumping through my veins. I could get used to this!

But, now comes the real world. I'm getting up at 5:30, so I can leave by 6:30. Class doesn't start until 8:00, but I want to allow time for getting lost, stuck in traffic, etc. I'll bring my book in case I get there an hour early, hah! Realizing that I haven't been on a strict schedule since classes last fall, I may not even be able to get ready in a hour, and not leave until 6:45 (which would be pushing it).

I want to apologize if tonight's blog seems a bit jumbled; this at least should serve as a quick perspective of my pre-work emotions! :-)

Road Trip to ... Home!

Two weeks and twelve hundred miles since my last post..

I left the Mississippi Gulf Coast as planned on Monday and drove to my first stop, Starkville. While there Chelsea and I did what she and I have done together since freshman year - not much. We shopped around Starkville (we spend less money now then we did back then...); talked about random topics, such as face lotion, hair rollers, make up, clothes, sales - all very important stuff; and played on the internet. This is probably the most extended amount of time she and I have been able to spend together since, gee, junior year? It was AMAZING, but now I miss her too much. Thanks, Alex, for putting up with me for those few days! The McIntosh's are great hosts.

bye, Che!

I got to see more of my favorites: Father John Bohn (my priest), Dr. Donna Reese (my mentor), the Marzalek's (my scholarship group's leaders), Dr. McCarley (head of Honors College), Mrs. Sheila (scholarship group's WonderWoman). By some great luck, I was actually in town for Mrs. Sheila's retirement reception; what will the Distinguished Scholars do now?

And for the icing on the cake: Fran cooked an amazing homemade pizza for us to share! Ms. Fran is St. Joseph's Campus Minister and an exceptional woman. For those of you who don't know my eating habits, especially now that I am back in America, I am a bit obsessed with granola at the moment. Fran makes her own 100% natural and organic granola that is, OH! so good. (I brought eight bags to DC with me!) I can never get enough of our long, late-night chats. Fransky, you better start checking out plane ticket prices to come see me!

Although I could stay in Starkville forever, my journey had to continue. Next stop, to see my Laura in Birmingham! This Bham trip was way to short for my liking. I arrived Thursday evening, we had a pedicure, dinner and yogurt, and BAM! I was leaving the next day. Usually Laura and I try to have a cooking show when we get together, but there was no time for grocery shopping and cooking. That just means she will have to come and visit VERY soon.

Birmingham to Huntsville was a very quick drive, and I was very happy to see Faeh and Bryan. Every time I visit their home, it gets cuter and cuter. They have been married for a year and a half now - wow! We shared a great meal out and a few better meals in! They are both great cooks and always like to experiment. During the Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was there, Faeh and I did yoga, rode horses, took a walk, went to the grocery three times, mass once, cooked and laughed WAY too much. Thanks, Faeh for the black eyed pea cakes.. Sorry I made us delay our Fourth feast so long. :-)

i made them do it. look at their sweet yard and house, though. :)

With a belly full of great food, the drive to Chattanooga was a cinch. Here I got to see the latest newly-weds. Their townhouse looked great! Anna even has a room for her art studio. While Matt was hard at work studying for the Bar, Anna showed me around her new town. I think it is a perfect fit for the two of them. For a city in the South, it seems to have just the right blend of art and style to give Anna a great place to show (and sell) her work. The downtown area has a number of great shops and restaurants, at least enough to keep us busy for a while.

Although I could have stayed with the Jacksons (and been their child) for much longer, I was beginning to get the itch. It was time to go to DC!

I have been in the city and staying with my uncle Tim for a week now. I have a lot to tell you about, especially the meal I prepared tonight, so expect some good recipes next post!

My last night at Home. (Home home, that is.)

Over the last few weeks, I have had several people (worried and concerned people, I should add) ask me if I was continuing my blog. Some miss the break from work it allows them, others miss the sheer entertainment of my writing - hah! Well, it is time to dispel your fears: my Journey has not ended, and neither has the blog. I will not guarantee that I will be as faithful of a writer as I was while in Europe, but, let's be honest, my days will not be nearly as interesting from now on - especially since a third of my day will be at work and another third will be sleeping.

I have really enjoyed spending time with family since I have been home. Although it has been only three and a half weeks since I left Europe, it feels like a lifetime ago. Six weeks passes by very quickly, and the memory of that time seems even shorter. When not visiting with family, I spent loads of time packing, unpacking and repacking. Amid all of that packing, I organized and sorted through almost every single item I own. Wow. I have WAY too much stuff. Hopefully my future apartment has good cabinets and closets.

While home, my parents, sister and brother-in-law were able to fit in a family vacation to Destin with me. We have been taking family beach trips for a few years now and were able to get one in before any oil was found around Holiday Isle. We stayed in a three bedroom townhouse near the beach - it was perfect. From Wednesday until Sunday we were able to get our fill of sun, seafood, shopping, and sand. Amazingly, the oil had not even affected the wildlife and fishing! We went on a four-hour chartered boat tour and caught plenty of snapper and king mackerel. It was a perfect Father's Day weekend, even though Dad isn't too big on the beach. :)

But now the time has come. Tomorrow I am leaving. My car is tightly packed; my furniture, etc. is ready and waiting for the movers; I am anxiously wishing to find a spacious, clean, affordable apartment in a safe area. Oh! And there is an update on that, as well. I have so many things to tell you! My best friend from high school Alex is going to move up to DC and room with me! I am VERY excited that she's coming, even though I'm not exactly sure when that will be... Regardless, it is going to be great! Yay!

My plan changes by the hour, but CURRENTLY I plan to drive to Starkville tomorrow, Birmingham on Thursday or Friday, Huntsville on Friday, Chattanooga on Sunday or Monday, and DC on Wednesday. About twenty hours worth of driving spread over ten days. Once I am in the City, I will really hunker down on my apartment search.

It is really weird sitting in my almost-empty bedroom. While packing, I also sorted through most of my childhood trinkets and such. Now all of the remaining stuff is piled neatly in my closet, just waiting to be downsized and boxed again if my parents move. Speaking of parents, I think Mom is going to take my leaving a bit hard; if you live around here, it's time for you to step up to the plate! (Don't worry, Mom, you can come visit ANY time!) Even though DC is a thousand miles away, it is easily accessed within a day by plane or automobile, unlike Europe. And I am blessed to have an AMAZING job with an AMAZING company. Aah! I'm pretty excited.

I guess it's time to be a big kid now.. Well, at least it will be time in 21 days..

Aaah. The South!! - Post Europe Blog

I have officially been home for a week now! And it is the strangest feeling - now that I am home, I feel like I never left. It is as if the last month and a half was all a dream, and I only have the memories, pictures, and a few extra pounds to prove that I ever left the country.

I won't lie, I thought I was going to cry on the bus from Bristol to London last Monday. I was not ready to leave my dream world, not ready to return to reality. The morning of my departure, I didn't have time to fret: I woke up at six and my plane left at nine; thank goodness for airport hotels! As soon as I set foot on the plane, I heard the flight attendant's sweet southern drawl and started to get excited. Funny how thoughts of hamburgers and fried chicken didn't excite me, but something as small as an accent pulled my heartstrings and made me miss home. My Europe trip was great, amazing, wonderful, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But it was time to go home.

During the ten hour flight, I watched The Hurt Locker and Dear John, made friends with an 87 year old lady, and read two London newspapers - how productive! As soon as we landed, I realized I could a simple device that had become a luxury to me - my cell phone. I could actually use my cell phone to call friends, check email, look at Facebook! Wow! I was in Georgia - the South - with tons of Southerners! Everyone spoke English, and without a funny accent! No one cared if I said k(r)wäˈsän  or k(r)wäˈsänt (for the word croissant)! I couldn't believe my eyes or ears!

The novelty of the United States amazed me the entire time I was in Atlanta. I am sure I looked a little bit crazy; I was like a child in a candy shop: amazed by the smallest things. I called some friends and actually giggled when I heard voicemail recordings. I kept forgetting to walk on the right side (instead of the left like in England) and would laugh at myself. I drank lots of coffee - hah, surprise! 

When I finally arrived in Gulfport, I had been awake and traveling for over sixteen hours. Needless to say, the novelty had worn off - I was ready to be home. My sweet sister picked me up at the airport and brought me home to my parents. I immediately began unpacking and doing laundry. I was finally home! It was time for real life.

Since last Tuesday, I have had the chance to visit with my grandparents and immediate family. Chelsea drove down from Starkville to visit, and we spent the weekend together: Sex and the City, shopping, picking blueberries - perfectly American. Unfortunately, I have developed a bit of a cold or virus or infection. It began on Thursday, was most violent yesterday, and is still lingering today. Hopefully tomorrow will bring more strength and less coughing, headaches, and weakness. The to-do list of my "real life" is quite long! I must get well so that items can be checked off soon, soon, soon!

This week I hope to unpack everything that I meticulously packed at my Starkville apartment in December. My company offers a moving service (whew!), but they must pack every box themselves to ensure no broken items. While this will be a huge job, it will allow (or rather, force) me to reevaluate my belongings and decide whether or not they are necessary for my new life in Washington. 

For months and months I have been procrastinating; I kept saying that I would do this or that "after my trip". Well, now it's time. I need to unpack, reorganize, find an apartment, plan my itinerary for getting to DC, and create a budget. It is finally time to grow up. I am going to have a big girl job. And pay my own bills. Wow. 

I start work in 41 days. The countdown has begun.

Is it really my last day??

This morning began VERY early for me. I forgot to lower the shade before climbing into bed last night, and woke promptly at FIVE this morning to a beautiful sunrise.

It was absolutely gorgeous, and at least now I can say I have seen the sun rise in England. After snapping a few photos, I lowered the shades and hopped back in bed for a few more hours of sleep.

Once I finally got out of the bed and showered, I talked with Milly while eating cereal. It’s funny how much this place still feels like home. A bit later, we were all up and ready to head to the town center. There I shopped with Megan and Harriet, who were very helpful in assisting my every need! I bought two pairs of tights and two blazers from the super-cheap Primark. Finally – some clothes! An hour or so later, we met back up with Debbie and Milly and drove to the suspension bridge for a little walk.

Designed in the nineteenth century by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the bridge is very high and makes for a great scene with Bristol in the background.

The bridge spans 600 feet over a large gorge including an estuary; the estuary is very tidal and was at low tide during our walk and these pictures.

my family from behind. left to right: Megan, Debbie, Harriet, Milly!

Next we went back home for a great lunch and a game of Scrabble. Although we were all far from professionals, I think we did quite well in almost using up every letter with real words! Yay for me and the Dooley girls! Unfortunately though, I had to leave soon after our game was over. Although my visit with them was very short, I am so glad to have been able to see them. The girls have grown SO much, and they are all adorable. Plus, I got some great ideas for my new apartment! :)

Megan, Harriet, Martha, me and Milly!

Martha, Harriet, Debbie, Milly, me!

The bus ride from Bristol to London took a little over two hours; at Victoria station, I hopped on a thirty-minute train to Gatwick. Now I am safe and relaxed in a hotel that is linked to the airport. I believe I have packed for the last time and will be ready to fly out early, early in the morning.

I cannot believe that six weeks can pass by so quickly. This trip has definitely been the trip of a lifetime. I have learned a lot about traveling, other cultures, and myself. I have spent time with Italians, an Argentinian, a Brazilian, Australians, and a Frenchman, plus day-to-day interactions with others randomly. Marco and Thibaut, my Italian and French friends, respectively, helped me get a better perspective on differences between our countries, little things that may not seem like much.  I do not have words to express how great this experience has been. And I will not lie: I could stay here much longer. Deep down inside I am a true traveler; I will not tire of traveling anytime in the foreseeable future. Especially when I realize how short my vacations will be over the next years! :)

Thank you to everyone who I have met along the way. I enjoyed every minute of spending time with each of you! I am excited to be moving to DC, and even more excited about the thought of showing my new city to visitors!

I'm at home! but in Bristol...

After packing and storing my luggage, I was able to catch mass at Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales (ref: Wikipedia). The church was beautiful and quite unique, which is really something considering the number of churches I have toured over the last weeks. As you can see below, the baldacchino (which is the free standing arch above/behind the altar) is very striking, especially in front of the dark walls and ceilings, which almost give the church a gothic-like feel. Above the baldacchino, the mosaic on the far wall immediately calls attention to one entering the church.

I tried to capture the third eye-catching detail, but I'm afraid I am lacking in the photography area. The large crucifix, portraying Jesus in front of a striking red background, dominates the whole of the Cathedral. It is beautiful.

This was my first English mass to attend in quite some time, and it felt great. Besides talking with and seeing my friends and family during this trip, I think hearing the mass in English was the only thing that I have missed from America thus far. And, look, I can find that in England! Now all I have to do is get my friends, family, and job over here, and I'll be set!

the front of the Westminster Cathedral.

Careful not to waste precious time in the city, I did not linger long after mass, but quickly hopped a bus to Waterstone's bookstore near Piccadilly. I have already finished the two books I bought in Paris. With the help of a saleslady, I found three books that caught my attention. (I could not turn down the 3 for 2 deal; I am obsessed with books, I know.) I bought One Day by British author David Nicholls, Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I am ready for Tuesday's ten hour flight!

With three new books in hand, I picked up my bag and headed for the coach station. While my ticket read the bus was to leave at 15:00, the bus was lined up and ready to leave at 14:30 - glad I got there early. The bus ride was not bad at all (probably because of my books!). I arrived in Bristol, and memories came flooding back. I only lived in this city for about a month four years ago, and my memory is generally pretty terrible. Still, I remember the bus station near the hospital: we were once late for the bus and got lost, so we hailed a cab and the cabbie drove us around the block to the station. I passed a restaurant and remembered having mussels and a beer sampler there, for lunch, I think, with Paul and Greg and Kate. I got a bit lost and wandered thru areas I had no recollection of. Did my group not thoroughly explore the city, have things changed, or have I simply forgotten? I have changed and grown up so much since then - four years is quite a long time at nineteen.

around the harbor.

I rang the Dooleys, found them to be home, and jumped in a cab. Yay! The girls have each grown SO much, Debbie and Joe look the same, and the house is beautiful. They have done quite a bit of remodeling and redecorating in the last few years, and now I love the house even more. I have decided to take some pictures tomorrow, in order to remember exactly how I want my future apartment to look. We all shared a fantastic Sunday dinner - steak, chips (fries), salad, tomatoes, bread - yum. The girls and I compared music for awhile, then sat down for a nice movie night. And, although I was only here for about four weeks, this place still feels like home. I am getting so sad just thinking about leaving them tomorrow; I feel as if I will be homesick for them once I return to Mississippi.

Tomorrow Harriet, Megan and I are going to go into town, possibly for some shopping. I believe Martha has some revisions to do on her work; she has the remainder of her finals next week. After that I will head back to London and prepare for my journey home. 

Friends and family, start preparing yourself now: you will act as my distraction from thinking of Europe 24/7 once I arrive back home! :)

Do May showers still bring flowers?

This morning I allowed myself to sleep late, and it was perfect timing as the weather was dreary all day. It was a typical British day: cold with rain (sometimes that thin mist in which umbrellas cannot help) and wind. The only odd thing is that it is the end of May! Where is summer? I am dreading feeling the wet Mississippi heat in three days... After finally leaving the hotel, I went to a "laundrette", not a laundry-mat, for some clothes washing. I was very careful not to bring anything of value and watch my bag as closely as possible - I believe my camera was stolen in Florence while I was washing clothes - and it seems that everything made it back to the hotel with me.

With the weather so nasty, I just wanted to find a nice warm pub and have a meal that would warm me up, and, goodness, did I find one! Somewhere between Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden, I found (with the help of Rick Steves' London) a perfect spot. Cozy in a back corner, I order the steak and mushroom pie and a half pint of ale. Look how much food I accidentally ordered!

Regardless of the amount, this meal was delicious. It is hard to see in this picture, but the juicy part of the plate is a sort of puff pastry stuffed with steak, mushrooms and ale - just like a personal pot pie. One of the best parts is that the pie holds heat very well: while it took me a long time to eat this plate (NO I didn't eat it all!), the steak and pie was hot the entire time. Between it and the ale, I was completely warm and ready to venture back outside.

Tomorrow I am going to visit my family in Bristol. [Not sure if I have explained or not, but I studied in Bristol during the summer of 2006. I was hosted by a family with four girls: Martha, Megan, Harriet, and Milly. If my memory is correct, their ages then ranged from eleven to four, so that would be fifteen to eight now.] I want to bring the bring the girls something special, so after lunch today I went in search for one of the best candy shops in London. At Mrs. Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe I bought a variety of candies for them to share. Hopefully, they will enjoy them as a treat.

With that objective taken care of, I decided to check out Covent Garden Market. While still a market like those I visited yesterday, Covent Garden Market differed in many aspects. It reminded me a bit of the Galleria in Milan with its high glass ceilings. The market had a number of halls in which permanent stores are situated, and further back into the complex, a daily market sets up for temporary vendors. Parts of the week offer different wares: Saturdays are for arts and crafts. My favorite part, though, was the entertainment. Street performers were set up at the end of some of the halls and around the entrances. I listened to a guitarist play and sing Bob Dylan, a man balance a ladder on his head while dancing, and a comic show. Who knew all of London's performers reside in Covent Garden?

main entrance.

down one of the halls.

Once I had my fill of performers and crafts, I traveled to Bond Street to try shopping one more time while in Europe. There I walked up and down Oxford Street, which felt like the Times Square of New York without the flashing lights and converging streets. People were everywhere! Unfortunately, I was still too cheap to buy a thing. Well, I guess unfortunately for my wardrobe, but fortunately for my back account. Hah. Nonetheless, I trudged up and down the street, visiting shops like Mango and Zara, of course, but also Primark and Selfridges. The clothes are adorable but I am still not convinced - especially with the pound to dollar conversion. Oh, well. At least I know what is fashionable once I get back home to the dollar.

Though it doesn't sound like I accomplished much today, I was exhausted. I came back to a restaurant near the hotel and had a quick bite to eat. I've just finished packing for my trip tomorrow. I cannot believe I only have three days left!!!! The past forty-five days have gone by way too quickly. While I am excited to see my family and friends, I cannot honestly say that I am ready to come home. But I am getting ahead of myself. Bristol and the Dooleys, here I come!

London Markets Aplenty

Mom flew over the Atlantic today, and I have already had a day that she would have enjoyed. I will avoid repeating myself over and over by saying now that I wish she could have been here and experienced the day with me. She would have loved every encounter made from the moment her taxi pulled away this morning until I got back to the hotel late tonight. It is too bad that she left so soon.

After seeing Mom off to the airport this morning, I went in search for interesting markets, and I found two! First I jumped off of the Tube at London Bridge for the Borough Market. Divided by type of product, this market has a plethora of items to sell - from fresh cut flowers to apple cider, from authentic baklava to British cheese, from fresh mussels and fish to organic granola - most of which were fresh and all sorts of meals.

entrance to the market - fresh flowers.

fruit and vegetable stand.

huge sauté pans filled with different curries.

the closest one contains mussels and other seafood.

My lunch consisted of a half pint of cider and a fresh loaf of multigrain bread; I munched amid the stalls people watching and reading. It was glorious. After enjoying the sites, smells, and tastes (some give samples) of this wonderful market, I made the trek up to the Camden Lock. Here I found the supposed fourth highest tourist attraction in the city. While I'm not too sure how this statistic was conjured, I can see why many are interested. Also, my guide book said the area was becoming "too punk" for some of its readers... The area definitely increased in punk-ness within the few hours I was there, i.e. the number of people with piercings, tattoos, and unnaturally colored hair in unnatural configurations increased (maybe) exponentially. Nonetheless, this was another great spot!

railway bridge.

the lock and dam.

this is one of the MANY alleyways that comprise the market (hard to see)

This market also had many meal-food vendors, but the best part to me was the number of vintage-y shops. The vendors in this area sell dresses, t-shirts, shoes, purses, arts and crafts, handmade jewelry, etc. - similar to what you would find at one of our Mississippi street fairs. I definitely lost track of time while in this area, and seemed to walk in circles for a while. There is so many stalls, each vendor has tons of stuff, and many vendors have the exact same inventory. I know for a fact that I did not see every stall, so I am sure that I missed lots and lots of the wares. Either way, I had a great time and found some unique items.

I left Camden in time to jump the Tube to Westminster for the 5:00 evensong service. Unlike the other day at St. Paul's Cathedral, this service was much more intimate, and I understood the tradition and readings. The Anglican church is very similar to Catholicism, but very different at the same time. The Westminster Abbey is closed to site-seers at this time, so I was lucky to see the interior of this church by attending this service. It was beautiful - the church and the choir - and definitely allowed me a chance to calm down after all of the running around amid throngs of people today.

Since seeing Macbeth and Avenue Q earlier this week, I have been in the theater mood. I decided to continue this by checking out Billy Elliot. I realized that it was quite ironic for us to see Avenue Q, which is set in New York, here in London, and to counteract this, I found it proper to see Billy Elliot, which takes place in County Durham, UK. I showed up at the box office literally ten minutes before showtime and got a ticket! Sure it wasn't a great seat (second row), but I was so close to the stage that I could feel the acting. The twelve year old main character was brilliant. His (and the complete casts') singing and dancing were inspiring. And, yes, some tears rolled down my cheeks. Just a great show!

I am not sure what tomorrow holds; now that I am alone again there is no telling how many miles I will walk!