Born in the USA

Our all-nighter was a complete success! I drank one Monster at 7 p.m. and it kept me wide awake until 11 a.m. the next day. Yeah caffeine and I don't mix well.

We played loads of games all night, ate pizza and sweets, and took tons of photographs. It was the perfect way to end the semester!

  

We did temporary tattoos (like Hannah's lovely shark) and had a dance off. Above Eric and Ryan are having a lovely time, haha. 

Now the other photo needs explanation. Ryan and I were challenging Hannah and Eric to dance battle, Ryan and I were doing really good until this point. He had the brilliant idea of swinging me between his legs like they did back in the day. Our kitchen floor has no sliding power at all. So because I couldn't slide I just fell straight on my back. Stephen's face is the best in the entire photo. Then Hannah is laughing and Eric is thinking, "You absolute idiot..." 

I could not have asked for better people to stay up with. Everybody was so supportive of us Americans who were leaving. It was so sad to leave, I have not cried in front of that many people since I was a child. Everyone staying up and saying farewell meant the world to me. THANK YOU SO MUCH ERIC, GEORGIA, HANNAH, RYAN,  and STEPHEN!!! 

We got to Heathrow at 7 a.m. (yeah we left at like 5.30) and got sorted and all that by our caretakers Sandy and Denise. Absolute gems, they are! So to pass the time before our flight, Emily and I laughed and sang "Fergilcious" (above we are flying first class). 

The flight wasn't bad at all and seriously the food on British Airways is amazing. You should go just for the food, I swear by it! 

My family was waiting for me at the terminal and we went home and got IHOP on the way home. I was dying for proper American pancakes! 

Now that I'm home it's quite odd. Everything seems exactly the same as when I left. I don't know what that says about Williamsport but it may be that nothing happens here. 

Does this mean my blog is over? Most likely yes. We'll see.

Did I enjoy living in England? Absolutely. Do I want to return? If I could go right now I would.

I miss England and my friends very much but I know that I will see them all again soon. 

Farewell and thanks so much for reading/skimming my blog for these past few months. :) xx

I have to leave why?

So the world is making me return to America tomorrow and my question is, why? I really don't feel like not sleeping tonight, sitting on a coach for two hours to sit in a flying tin can for almost 8 hours. I am quite content staying in England, why can't everything else just move here?

It is inevitable though. I must leave this wonderful country filled with some of the most wonderful people on this Earth. At least I had a fantastic week of good things to make my leaving bearable (or did it just make it all worse?).

On Tuesday we celebrated Kirsten's 21st birthday at one of her favourite restaurants, Harvester. There was supposed to be more people present but our friends on film course had to continue working on their movie. Their film is going to be amazing so they were all forgiven. We still had a lovely time with good food and friends. 

Wednesday flat 4100 and 5300 had a game night where we played Cards Against Humanity with homemade cards that they wrote up last term. It was a laugh! Some of the oddest things that I've ever experienced during a game of CAH. After that Kirsten, Eric, Hannah, Ryan, and I went to the cinema to see the midnight premiere of X-Men Days of Future Past. All of us really liked it! Hannah, Kirsten, and I especially enjoyed Evan Peters from American Horror Story as Quicksilver. 

Yesterday I said goodbye to Kirsten which was absolutely awful. She has been my best friend while here in England. I could not have survived without her. She's now back in Cardiff to see McFly and Busted for her birthday.  

But before she left we had to do one more prank on Eric. We cling filmed his door but it kind of failed because he saw it before we walked into it. Boring! To get me back Eric tried to do it back to me when he thought I was still at uni. I happened to have just gotten back and heard him putting it up. It literally just looked like a massive cocoon on my door by that point.

Then that evening the flats had a video game night where Eric and Daniel from upstairs played a game called Amnesia, then we played Slenderman (I wasn't even scared, so disappointed), and then most of us had a go at Surgeon Simulator. Ellie and I did the best of the group by far. Go us! After the games her, Munya, and I were listening to some old tunes like Chingy, Pretty Ricky, and Snoop Dogg. What a laugh! 

Tonight we are pulling an all nighter!! WHOOO!!! I'm actually pretty jazzed even though all of us are going to look like Eric in the photo above. We are going to drink energy drinks, eat pizza, probably play games and go to the park if it's not raining. Should be a laugh. Should be amazing. Should rule.

A Good Laugh

Life has been great since uni is now over for everybody (except Eric and Hannah)!! On Saturday we watched Eurovision which is a singing contest which goes on across all of Europe. Austria won and the UK didn't come in dead last, I guess it was a half decent turn out.

Monday we went out to say goodbye to our friend, Sean who is going back to America this week. Sad day. Everything got pretty insane when Sean got punched in the face by some guy who called him a "faggot". Crazy stuff!

Then Kirsten and I got Rick rolled in real life! They played "Never Going to Give You Up" by Rick Astley and the lines "never going to make you cry, never going to say goodbye" got to Kirst and I. We had a moment in the middle of the dance floor.

I don't want to leave but I know that it is inevitable and I know that I will see everybody again sooner or later. It is not goodbye, it is see you later.

Anyway, back to something less real.

Tonight we played hide and seek between our flat and 5300. We hid in each others rooms so of course it got crazy quick. My first place was probably the best. I went in Kirsten's room and dumped all of her clothes out of her laundry basket, placed it over my head and covered my legs with blankets. She found me in a hot second. Sorry for that, Kirst.

                       

    

Last night Kirsten told Eric that he could do her makeup. So she did hers which turned out as well as you think it did. Fantastically. After he finished with hers he wanted to give it another go so I offered my face as a canvas. He called it, "Cleopatra who commands respect". Yup.

The rest of the evening was dedicated to Ryan doing Kirsten and I's, Kirsten and Hannah doing Ryan's and Eric's, and Bri and I doing Ryan's.

Of course on a night like this Eric and I had to come up with something that was hilarious. So he spit water on his crotch and then we continued to make Snapchat videos of him spitting up water. We were weak!

Nights like this are what people remember from going to uni. Sure studying is important and all that, but the friends that you make and the stupid stuff you get into with them is what you remember. I'm not going to cherish the moments that I was stuck in the library doing work, I'm going to relish in the days of staying up late to make chips, go to the park, and do each other's make up.

PREACH.

My Favourites

This post is inspired by my lovely friend, Emily who wrote about her favourite films and books that have altered her life for the better. I thought that I would actually write a fun post for once in my life. As much as I love writing, I hate writing blog posts. I just feel that they are a nuisance to the Internet but I am going to get over it and just write this dumb post.

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

This is the best book that I've ever read in my 21 years on this planet. I read this for the first time when I was 16 or 17 in high school because I couldn't decide which other book to read for Mrs. June's honours English class. I had read of the book and assumed that it would probably suck like most of the books that we read for school. For once it didn't suck at all, not even a little bit! I immediately fell in love with this book because it is so honest and hilarious. Salinger is one of the most brilliant writers ever published. Seriously, if you haven't read this book go out and get it.

2. Midnight in Paris

I have always had a difficult time selecting my favourite film but this one is without a doubt my favourite. I saw it for the first time over Christmas holiday because I had heard so many good things about it and it did not disappoint. Just like Catcher I immediately fell in love with it. It is about time traveling (which I love) in Paris (also love) to the 1920s (love) where Owen Wilson meets famous writers and artists (love). They bring up a lot of themes of golden age thinking which is believing that the past was a better time than the present which is how I have thought for most of my life. It's a great film, just watch it.

3. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

These books made me love reading. I remember reading them in school, borrowing them from friends, and spending hours upon hours reading them. This past semester I read a fantastic book called Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman which made me feel the same way that these books made me feel the first time I read them. So I have been rereading them and it's been wonderful. You have probably read these and can vouch for their greatness. Seamus Finnigan rules!

4. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 

This story is amazing and it just in general makes me so sad. It's about a boy named Bruno whose family loves outside of a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. Bruno meets Shmuel and they become friends. The end makes me cry but it's still a great film.

That's about it. Do I need to have five? Is four okay? I think this is fine. Yay books and films!

Holiday and English life

So here's the story, I started to write up a holiday post but then it didn't save so I really cannot be bothered to write up another entire post about my trip. A general overview is that it was wonderful, my favourite places were Paris, Venice, and Amsterdam. I would go back to any of them in a heartbeat. I became better friends with Emily and Laura which was fantastic. They helped make my holiday the best ever (Ben made it truly hilarious).

Today is the last full day that my friend Ben will be here in England with us. Sad day. But the good thing is that him and I go to Messiah together so we will still see each other in America. Him and I have been friends for ages but our friendship has really grown this past semester. I could not be more glad to have had him in the flat with me.

On Monday the lot of us celebrated Ellie and I's birthdays which was a laugh. Kirsten got very bruised.

Last night we went out to the Frog and Fiddle to celebrate our friends' engagement. There were about 15 of us sitting around a table talking and laughing. The pub closed at 11 so we left and Bri, Eric Kirsten, and I went out to the park. The park is sometimes all we have to look forward to.

Today is our newly blue haired friend Stephen's birthday so we will all be celebrating that tonight. As always, it should be fun! 

There has been so much to celebrate and there is only more on the way. This weekend Kirsten's friend from home is coming down then in a week or so there will be more going away and birthday parties to be had. May is going to be a crazy month!

Uni wise I have more or less finished my magazine layout. I just have to be at peace with how it looks, tweak a few bits, and print it all out. After that's done I have papers for my study abroad programme to do then I will officially be a senior! 

WWHHAATTT! One more year of college and I will never be in school again. A sigh of relief and an anxiety attack. I love going to school but I abhor schoolwork. I cannot wait to never have to complete another graded assignment again. 

Until later xx 

What is life?

Life has been insane! What has made things quite crazy is because I haven't had my Mac for a week. It decided to randomly die (because why not?) so I had to take it into the computer hospital. They took care of it and fixed it right up after taking a large sum of money out of my bank account (and mainly my generous father's). But with that behind us all, I shall recap my life in photographs and words.

On the 29th, my baby brother had a birthday! Look at this birthday boy. He turned 19 (which I guess isn't very baby). It sucked that I didn't get to be with him on his birthday but I did ring him. I also bought him a t shirt from one of our favourite bands, Modern Baseball which I got sent to the house.

  

This week Kirsten, Ellie, Emily, and Laura filmed a music video starring America's favourite blonde, Cait! She sang and played a Coldplay song called "Yellow" on her mandolin. It all turned out quite well, I am proud of all involved. The best part was having the ducks and geese walking up to us asking for food. So we shouted at them and made them run away.

Last night a whole lot of us got together to hang out in flat 5300 to play Cards Against Humanity. Once Kirsten, Eric and I left we sat about in the kitchen and decided to head down to our favourite place in Cheltenham, Pitville Park. We honestly go here at least 4 times a week to go and see the ducks. So at 1 a.m. we went to see the ducks and rode around on Eric's pennyboard which was a laugh. Eric fell down thrice while we were out and got this tic-tac-toe board type print on his jumper. It was quite an eventful evening. And the ducks are doing great.

              

                   

In other news about my life, I have only two more assessments and I am finished with my term! I have a paper due on the 29th and then a magazine layout due on 8 May. So I'm going to go to uni with Kirsten tomorrow to do some work. This break is going to be dedicated to finishing work and also having most of my European dreams come true. I will be on holiday for two weeks which should be absolutely lovely. I will write all about that when the time comes.

Also I have all of my classes signed up for for fall semester which will be insane! I have three difficult classes (Communication Theory, Senior Seminar, Theology of Religious Pluralism) and then my journalism practicum, Beginner Pilates, and Cultural Anthropology. Then we have also got a lovely flat for next year as well! YAY! I am living in Smith B 101 (which means nothing to anybody who doesn't know Messiah) with Mandy, Sista Salsa, Laurie Sue, and Corinne. It should be a giggle.

That's about it for now.

This thing Kirsten made me do

So Kirsten posted this blog thing (check it here) that I thought was neat. This is massively long so you really don't have to read the whole thing (unless you're my real friend).

-20 dreams you have

1. to work at a magazine
2. travel to South America
3. live in Seattle or Portland
4. see Saintseneca live
5. see the Eiffel Tower
6. see "Starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh in person
7. Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain like Lizzie McGuire
8. go to Berlin
9. speak Spanish, French, and German well
10. watch every Woody Allen film
11. go to a midnight premiere of a movie
12. pull an all nighter with my British friends
13. read every book by Ernest Hemingway
14. visit the Museum of Modern Art in New York
15. see my brother graduate from university
16. have my own flat/apartment
17. go vegan for one month
18. get a second job for the summer
19. go on a European adventure with my friend, Micheal
20. never stop dreaming

-19 quotes you love

1. "Perhaps I should not have been a fisherman," he thought. "But that was the thing that I was born for." -Ernest Hemingway in "The Old Man and the Sea"
2. "I have this problem where I want to be everything I'm not." - Touché Amoré
3. "I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member." -Woody Allen in "Annie Hall"
4. "I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying." -Oscar Wilde
5. "Everything has a purpose, clocks tell you the time, trains take you to places. I'd imagine the whole word was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always comes with the exact amount they need. So I figured if the entire world was one big machine...I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too." -Hugo Cabret
6. "Everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for." Ernest Hemingway in "Hills like White Elephants"
7. "Traveling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream at Naples, at Rome. I can be intoxicated with beauty and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I see the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. "That's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life is unsatisfying." -Midnight in Paris
9. "All morons hate it when you call them a moron." -Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye
10. "That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and write "F*** you" right under your nose. Try it sometime. I think, even, if I ever die, and they stick me in a cemetery, and I have a tombstone and all, it'll say "Holden Caulfield" on it, and then what year I was born and what year I died, then right under that it'll say "F*** you." I'm positive, in fact." -Holden Caulfield
11. "I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." -Vivie in "Mrs Warren's Profession" by Bernard Shaw
12. "Don't you be led astray by people who don't know the world, my girl." -Mrs Warren in "Mrs Warren's Profession" by Bernard Shaw
13. "I can't be running back and forth forever between grief and high delight." -J.D. Salinger
14. "I'm afraid that if you look at a thing long enough, it loses all of its meaning." -Andy Warhol
15. "I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process." -Vincent van Gogh
16. "You can judge a true man's character by the way he treats his fellow animals." -Paul McCartney
17. "A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral."
18. "FFS." -Kirsten Bryan
19. "Sweet corn is just corn that is sweet." -Eric Larkin


-18 names you like

1. Andrew
2. Cameron
3. Bruno
4. Ellie
5. Ryan
6. Hugo
7. Cherish
8. Shiloh
9. Ollie
10. Eric
11. Pablo
12. Amir
13. Benjamin
14. William
15. Ferris
16. Paul
17. Kirsten
18. Hannah

- 17 words you like

1. baby
2. rachet
3. hilarious
4. gargle
5. tinny
6. pop
7. tacos (said in a British accent)
8. aubergine
9. Ood
10. plum
11. shack
12. leggo
13. bombastic
14. tabernacle
15. diva
16. eggnog
17. wizard

-16 things you like to do alone

1. drink coffee
2. watch artsy films
3. read
4. sleep
5. dance
6. sing
7. write
8. flip through girly magazines
9. pet cats
10. bake
11. clean
12. knit
13. shop online
14. dream
15. think
16. question everything

-15 things you like to do

1. spend time with the people I love most
2. laugh
3. talk
4. listen
5. eat pizza and burritos
6. shout
7. dance
8. write
9. read
10. watch films that don't suck
11. bake
12. make other people laugh
13. go grocery shopping
14. do make up
15. ride trains

-14 books you've read/want to read

1. The Catcher in the Rye (best book on the planet)
2. The Outsiders
3. The Old Man and the Sea
4. Nine Stories
5. Franny and Zooey
6. The Great Gatsby
7. The Picture of Dorian Grey
8. Macbeth
9. Great Expectations
10. The Importance of Being Earnest
11. Harry Potter series
12. The Sun Also Rises
13. A Series of Unfortunate Events
14. Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?

-13 songs you can't stop listening to

1. Animals by Martin Garrix
2. We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus (no shame)
3. Home Away from Here by Touché Amoré
4. I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor by Arctic Monkeys
5. Rory Shield by Sorority Noise
6. Takmit by Saintseneca
7. Just Exist by Touché Amoré
8. Your Graduation by Modern Baseball
9. Still the One by One Direction (still no shame)
10. Head to the Ground by Neck Deep
11. Clairvoyant by The Story So Far
12. Girls by The 1975
13. The Layers of Skin We Drag Around by The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die

-12 facts about you

1. Ginger
2. Almost 21
3. American
4. living in England
5. in my third year at uni
6. Never been out West
7. My favourite film is Midnight in Paris
8. My favourite book is The Catcher in the Rye
9. I would never want to meet Woody Allen or J.D. Salinger (even though he's dead)
10. Insects and spiders are disgusting
11. Burritos and pizza are my favourite food and I could never choose which is better
12. I can't go to sleep before 1 a.m.

-11 things in your room

1. dirty clothes
2. bed
3. pictures of my family and friends
4. magazines
5. make up
6. shoes
7. my teddy
8. paper
9. The third Harry Potter book
10. pens
11. journal

-10 people you cannot live without

1. my mum and dad
2. my brother, Kevin
3. Micheal
4. Sista Salsa
5. Mandy
6. Bo
7. Kirsten
8. Eric
9. Ryan
10. Hannah

(sorry if you're offended, this isn't a real thing or anything, so don't take it personally)

-9 videos you like

1. Jake and Amir: Reddit
2. Jake and Amir: One Almond
3. Jake and Amir: Brownie
4. Jake and Amir: Road Trip 7
5. Jake and Amir: Laundry
6. Jake and Amir: Vegan
7. Jake and Amir: Rolex
8. Jake and Amir: Bus
9. Jake and Amir: Corduroy Pants (and everything where Jake is a tool)

-8 favourite foods

1. Pizza
2. Burritos with loads of beans and guacamole
3. Tofu stir fry from Sabrina's Cafe in Philly
4. Chips and gravy
5. Black bean soup from Panera
6. Ramen noodles
7. Peanut butter
8. Yogurt and granola

-7 artists you like (musical and painters)

1. Touché Amoré
2. Vincent van Gogh
3. Lee Krasner
4. Bob Dylan
5. Saintseneca
6. Alberto Giacometti
7. Jake Bugg

-6 things you cannot live without

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Music
4. A journal to write in
5. A good book
6. A good laugh

-5 photos with your friends

- 4 places you want to

1. France
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. Argentina

-3 letters written to different people

1. Dear 1st Person,
We are dreamers and schemers. One day we will accomplish all that we've hoped for for 5 years.

Dear 2nd Person,
You're an absolute gem! I am so glad to have met you and will be sad when we must be separated. Come to America and you can live in my flat.

Dear 3rd Person,
Arivader.....CHI!

- 2 languages you wish you knew

1. French
2. Italian

-1 phrase to describe you

1. Ginger.

A Post

This past weekend all of us Americans went off to visit the Queen at Windsor Castle (who actually was in when we were there). We saw the changing of the guards which takes ages to go through the entire process! Ben, Cait, Landry, Kendra, Sean, and I all went off and looked around at stuff then went off to lay around in the grass at a nearby park. Afterward everybody got Subway and Cait and I got milkshakes form Shakes 2 Go.

The other day Kirsten, Eric and I went to the park which was lovely even though the sun didn't come out until we left. We played on the tyre swing, played with ducks, and climbed around on the waterfall.

Photo by Kirsten Bryan 

Yesterday Kirsten and I had the brilliant idea of making Coke floats. So we went down to Tesco and picked up some Tesco brand Coke and Cherryade and ice cream. They turned out wonderful and everybody who had one seemed to enjoy them. 

Other things that've been going on have really just been doing work. I just finished up my first art history assessment, I've just gotta edit it then it'll be alright. After that I have another assignment for art history which I have to begin. Once that's all done I've got two other assignments to do then I'll be finished with all my uni work! WHOOP WHOOP! 

Today our friends Austin and Jazmin are leaving today for America which is sad. Even though I've only had three months with those kids, I have had amazing moments with them. Luckily they go to college near me so it'll only months until I see them again. 

That is all for now. I dunno when I'll post again but certainly before I go on holiday for April.

There is a sun

Photo cred: Stephen Roberts

Yes, that is a picture of me actually playing football/soccer. I haven't played an actual game of football since I was about 13 so you could say that I'm a bit rusty. But this photo is awesome because it looks like I know what I'm doing and I'm pushing Ben which is just funny.

Today was absolutely lovely out! We didn't even need jackets on it was so warm. Eric, Hannah, Ryan, Brienne, Ben and I walked around the park for a bit and then eventually joined kids from flat 5300. We played a hilarious game of football, I don't think I've enjoyed playing sport like that in ages! People get so competitive at sport but this round wasn't at all.

(This photo is my favourite of the three of us ever taken.)

Oh yeah, and Eric and I went to Cardiff from Friday to Saturday! We stayed with Kirsten and her lovely mother, Cathy. Kirsten showed us around Cardiff and we got to hang out with her and her friends for the evening. Then on Saturday we walked down to Cardiff Bay which was so nice! The entire city was nice for that matter. We went to the Doctor Who Experience which was awesome! We got to "fly" the TARDIS, look at old Who stuff and relish on our favourite episodes of the show.

After a long day around the city and eating chips and Welsh cakes, Eric and I missed our train. Oh joy. We felt incredibly intelligent at that point. But no worries, all was okay. We got on the next train  (£17 later) and made it home by 7 or so in the evening.

So overall a really, really good weekend. Couldn't have asked for a better time. Now this week my roommate from Messiah is coming to visit me for a couple days. I am going to show her the English way of life. Should be a blast.

Oxford and Football Friends

Last weekend our programme took us Americans to visit the lovely town of Oxford. There were loads of people everywhere like there was a fair going on or something. It is very much a college town, students on bicycles everywhere!

Other than London it is my favourite place in England by far. It has a great atmosphere and it's very lovely. I would like to go back again but I'm not quite sure how possible it would be with all that is coming up in my life.

March is almost here and I am up to my ears in schoolwork. I've got projects, papers, exams and everything else you could think of due in the next couple weeks.

I hate schoolwork, I wish I could just learn and not actually have to do the dreadful parts of uni.

One of my projects Eric, Hannah, Kirsten and Ryan (this is alphabetical order, guys) helped me out with. I am doing a photostory about uni life and I needed some pictures of people who appear to be friends.

So since today it only rained once we got to go out to the local park to take photos and kick around the football. We stayed out for over an hour climbing trees, laughing and getting incredibly muddy. Our shoes were all caked with mud!

Lovely, eh? 

March also means my roommate from my college in the States is coming to visit me! She is currently living in Ireland so she'll be flying in for her spring break. I am so excited to see her. The only thing I know that we will be doing is going to London for a day which should be wonderful. I love London. 

I will write again once all this dreadful schoolwork is complete. 

London

Yup that's Big Ben. Pretty sweet. I didn't see it close up, this was just taken from the coach I was on.

Have you ever felt when you go to somewhere completely new and you feel as if you've been there before? That's how I felt coming to London. Sure, I had no idea where I was going since in reality I had never been there. But as I was walking around I didn't feel uncertain or out of place, I felt as if I fit right in.

Future moving to London plans? Maybe! Once I have money it is certainly a consideration.

My tour guide today was my lovely roommate from Philly, Kayla! She's living in London doing an internship programme and meeting Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter).

She showed me where she's living (the area is so posh), her school, loads of landmarks (St. Paul's, Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye), Piccadilly Circus (the Brit's version of Time Square), the TARDIS and we visited the British Museum (where the English have Greek stuff) and the Tate Modern Art Museum.

It was such a lovely time, it couldn't have been better! It was wonderful to see her again and I am already planning on returning next month.

Also I had the absolute best falafel ever at Piccadilly Circus! It was spicy and also had non-spicy bits to help soothe the spicy bits. Delicious, I highly recommend it.

At the Tate I was so glad to be able to see works of art that we had been talking in my art history classes. Loads of work by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter, Alberto Giacometti and Francis Bacon. Being able to see such famous pieces is such a privilege to somebody with close to zero ability to create visual art.

So yeah, London is fantastic and you should go if you haven't been. It is well worth the trip!