(Kinda) Getting Ready to Leave

With the walls in my flat becoming more bare and the contents of my room are slowly starting to make their way into my suitcases today it's starting to hit me that I'll be home in just a matter of 2 days.

While I am excited to reunite with my family and friends, the truth is that I would really appreciate it if time slowed down a little. I just don't feel like I'm ready to leave yet. You would think five months is enough time but I know saying goodbye to the amazing city of London is not going to be easy.
I've started saying my goodbyes to my friends and flatmates and some of my favorite sites in the city.
This week my flatmates and I went out to the ever popular restaurant of Nandos for one last get together. It's sad and kinda strange not knowing when I'll see them again. They definitely have become great friends and I hope to keep in touch with them all since they have truly taught me a lot about British culture and made me feel very welcomed.

I'm also even more sad to say my London BFF / partner in crime, Vethina, has left me to go home. I don't know what I'll do without her in London for 2 whole days! We definitely made so many great memories together on this trip but I'm sure we will make plenty more back in Chicago.

Alright, I know I'm getting a little cheesy / sentimental here!

 So now I might be getting the urge to unpack everything and just pretend that I'm not leaving. I've taken the liberty to forewarned my mom that if she gets a call from Harrow Halls saying I won't leave my room she shouldn't be surprised.

I Can Now Die Happy

I can't believe the day has finally come and gone. I have been anxiously awaiting for the day I would be visiting the Warner Bros. Harry Potter tour since I arrived in London.
Now I've already had my fair share of Harry Potter moments since being in London from seeing the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to seeing Daniel Radcliffe himself but seeing the studio where it all happened pretty much takes the cake!

The backlot tour is located about 20 minutes outside of London in the suburb of Watford. When we exited the tube station in the burbs there was a bus covered in Harry Potter pictures ready to take us to the studio. Needless to say I couldn't stop smiling I was so excited.

When my friend and I arrived at the studio we were like two kids in a candy shop struggling to be patient to wait our turn to get in. After watching a short film inside about how Harry Potter has become the world phenomenon it is today we were whisked into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. As cliche as it sounds it really was a magical experience. Having grown up with the books and movies that I've seen way too many times I still can't grasp that I was standing in the middle of the most iconic room from the series.

After touring the Great Hall we were escorted into the main studio area to explore the sets. It was absolutely amazing how no detail was spared in the making of the films. From seeing the intricately painted labels on the wand boxes to the selection of chocolates for the Yule ball I felt like I could have stayed there hours longer just to take it all in.

Here are a few of my favorite sets from the tour!

Potions Classroom

Diagon Alley

 Number 4 Privet Drive

The Gryfindor Common Room

Now one of the things I was most excited to do at the tour was try butter beer! My friends and I attempted to make it awhile back but we somehow managed to forget the all important ingredient of butterscotch. Our tour guide in the great hall made the cruel joke that they had run out of butter beer for the day. I was not pleased at all for the 5 seconds I believed him but I was quickly relieved that he was only joking. The butter beer tasted  delicious if I do say so myself. It reminded me of a root beer float but even better.

The tour finished with the big finale of seeing a HUGE model of Hogwarts Castle. As much of the film is completed by adding digital touches. Most of the exterior shots of Hogwarts were used using this model. Different effects were added such as snow or different lighting on top of shots of this model.

I still can't get over how amazing it was to get to see all the sets and costumes and props from the series in person. As soon as I get home I know I'll be watching the films again from start to finish.

I am going to forewarn everyone that I am now going to be that annoying person when watching the movies. You can expect me to be saying, "I saw that and that...o and that" about every few minutes in the movie.

Chasing a Banana through Hyde Park

I thought that title might get your attention!

Yesterday I participated in a 5k through Hyde Park with a couple of my old coworkers from TogoRun. It was great going back to the office to see everyone again  and go for a nice run in one of the prettiest parks in the world I might dare to say.

So you might be wondering what the deal is with the banana....
The 5k was called "Beat the Banana" which involved all the participants including myself to sport a bright yellow t-shirt. One lucky participant was THE banana that we ran after through the park. I must say he was one fast banana since I never caught up with him. But I guess if you have about a 1,000 people chasing after you I would run pretty fast too.

I must say I always love just chatting with people from work about random cultural differences between the U.K. and the U.S. Yesterday definitely was no different as my coworkers asked if we had runs like this in America. I told them about the Hot Chocolate Race that is quite popular and they seemed baffled about the idea that people run for chocolate. I guess it's another one of those "only in America" things.

It was definitely hard to say goodbye since I don't know the next time I'll be seeing them. But I just love knowing that the next time I'll be back I'll have some great friends to visit!

To the Beach!

Last Saturday the U.K. rain finally decided to take a break which was perfect timing for my day trip to Brighton!

The city is only about an hour south of London by train but it feels like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of the big city. As Brighton is located right on the beach and comes with its own version of a Conney Island like pier needless to say I wasn't in London anymore.

We started our day by visiting the Royal Pavilion which is a palace where the royals would come to get away and escape for a vacation. The palace is definitely unlike any of the others I've seen in England. The exterior reminded me of something you would see in India and the interior was completely filled with Chinese decor. No pictures were allowed inside unfortunately....womp womp

When we finished up our tour inside we walked over to the pier to get a proper British meal of fish and chips for lunch. The pier was quite adorable as it was filled with old fashion roller coasters and arcade games. I felt like I needed to get some cotton candy or a funnel cake at this point to complete my experience.

After I was filled up on my favorite British meal  my study abroad group and I took a walking tour around the city. I had heard before from my flatmates and coworkers that Brighton is known for being home to the boy's town of Europe and really celebrates diversity. I appreciated hearing the tour guide talk about this as well and how proud the people of Brighton are to be so accepting of others from all races, religions and sexualities. I think the rest of the world could learn a thing or two from these people!

But anyways, we managed to take a nice stroll along the beach and then make our way through the city. The Brighton Festival was also going on so the city was definitely lively with people out and about enjoying the day.

When our tour was over we were free to roam around the city as we pleased since our train ticket was open ended. My friend and I decided to check out some of the cute little shops selling all things British for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee coming up. It's been hard to resist buying everything in the stores but I've been "trying" to remind myself that all my stuff does need to find its way back home to Chicago some how. After taking one last stroll along the beach we made our way back to London (hopefully) a little more tan than when we came.

Barcelona: A Treat for the Senses

I must say I think I have a new contender for my favorite city that I've visited and it's Barcelona!
Everything was such a delight for the senses from the architecture, to the bright flowers and unique fruits sold in the market, to seeing the bright blue water of the sea (which was a nice change from the dreary London weather).

Over the course of the trip we visited and explored many of the famous architect, Gaudi's creations.

The Sagrada Familia Church was unlike anything I have ever seen. Seeing such an iconic church with the towers soaring high above me took my breath away. The interior was equally if not more amazing than the exterior that the photos really don't do it justice. It's still hard for me to grasp that this church is still a work in progress and isn't set to be completed until 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. It seems that all the famous churches in Europe are hundreds upon hundreds of years old so it's neat to think something so iconic and amazing will be completed in our lifetime.

After visiting the church we found another one of Gaudi's masterpieces, the Casa Batllo. The building itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there is absolutely no question as to why. Going inside this architectural gem made me feel like I had been transported to a different world. There doesn't seem to be a straight line anywhere in the building as all the windows, doors, and supports are curved in some way. The rooftop terrace was my favorite part as the bright tiled roof in many ways resembled fish scales, and bright white curves felt like being in an underwater escape. 

I could go on and on about all the different Gaudi sites that we saw but another one of my other favorite experiences was visiting the food market. There was such a wide assortment of fruits, meats, and other goodies that I had never even seen before. There were fruit drinks that came in every imaginable color and sea creatures that looked ready to climb off the stands.

I tried a couple of different types of fruit from the market. The first one caught my eye as it was bright pink. It didn't have much of a taste but I'm still glad I gave it a try. My friend Vethina then insisted that we had to try the prickly rumbaton fruit that looked more like a sea urchin to me than something edible. I'm all for trying new foods and I must say it was quite delicious and sweet! I should add that you luckily peel of the prickly shell and don't eat that part.

I absolutely love how travel allows you to try new things and experience new sites.

I think it's safe to say that I have caught the travel bug!

More London Adventures

Being back in London this week has definitely given me more time to cross some things off  my "To Do List" before I head back home in just a few weeks.

For starters, my friend and I had booked tickets awhile back to take a tour of Wimbledon and we finally got around to going on the tour this past Friday. I honestly don't know that much about tennis but it was really interesting learning a bit more about the tournament. I was even educated on all that goes into cutting the grass here and let me tell you the practice of cutting grass in tennis is quite intense.

And here's a fun fact for you!

Wimbledon itself functions as an exclusive tennis club with only 500 members when it is not hosting the tournament. To become a member you have to apply and have 4 current members recommend you. Once you've been recommended there is a waiting list with over 1,000 people on it. The tour guide wouldn't say how much it costs to be a member but she said it was surprisingly lower than you would guess and that it is more about how talented you are which is pretty cool.

Center Court

The Press Room

And while the weather has been cold and rainy here it hasn't slowed me down! Today I was able to cross off another thing from my To Do List as I finally tried a doughnut from St. John's Bakery. Eating a doughnut may seem like an odd thing for a to do list but I was told about these famous creations from Check, Please! host Alpana Singh awhile back. I checked out their website which said they only opened shop on Saturday mornings at a small market stand so I figured they must be quite the treat.

When we arrived on the street my map assured me it is located on I was starting to think my directions were wrong. The street was quite empty with a few market stalls and random shops placed inside little archways under the train tracks. I felt like such the local though when we finally found the bakery that is definitely not your typical tourist destination.

The creme filled doughnut was quite delicious and I'm thinking my friend (who is equally obsessed with desserts) and I will have to stop back again before we head back home to the states.



 Tomorrow I am off to my very first football match here in the U.K. which I am quite excited about. My friend who I met up with earlier this year from Birmingham was able to get us second row seats for Fulham's final game. I don't know much about Fulham but I can assure you I'll be rooting for them.

Then after that I am off to Spain for a few days this week! Lets see how many people I can meet that share the same last name as me.

Backpacking Trip Highlights

After a whirlwind of traveling these past few weeks I have made it back to London. So many great memories were made that I don't even know where to begin. So to give you the Reader's Digest version of my trip I'll share some of my favorite pics here.

Germany:
Visiting the most famous beer hall in the world, the Hofbrau Haus was just about as much fun as I imagined it would be. Eating the over sized pretzel and drinking beer while listening to the German band in the background was  the typical German experience I have been craving.
 I was  on a mission to take a picture with a guy wearing lederhosen and I knew the Hofbrau Haus was the place to look. As I saw a whole group of people in the traditional wear I knew I had to ask to take a  picture with them. They were so nice and I definitely think this picture is a finalist for best picture from the trip.

Vienna:

While we may have been directionally challenged in Vienna, making it to the Schonbrunn Palace was the one site that we managed to find a-ok. I had just read about the history of the palace last year in my German class so seeing it in person did not disappoint. The palace was quite expansive and reminded me a lot of Versailles with the gardens and never ending hallways and rooms. I didn't know much about the history of the Austrian monarchy before so I really enjoyed coming out of the palace knowing a little more.

Greece:

While seeing the Acropolis in Athens was pretty amazing, taking a spontaneous trip to the island of Aegina was one of my favorite parts of the entire 3 week trip. The hour boat ride out to the island made for some pretty spectacular views of all the different islands. When we got to the island we spent our time wandering around the tiny streets and eating lunch right on the water. Couldn't have asked for a more picture perfect day!

Italy:

We made 4 stops over 10 days in Italy which included Rome, Florence, Pisa and Venice. I enjoyed each city as much as the next but I might dare to say that Florence was my favorite. There was just enough to do there to keep you busy but it was quite fun to relax and stroll the streets...not to mention that the city had the best gelato!

Ready to throw our coins into the fountain.

Can't go to Pisa and not take this picture.

Finally found my lobster tail in Florence! It did not disappoint.

Enjoying a beautiful day in St. Mark's Square.

The heart became our go to picture pose (after being inspired by some creative tourists)
and GROM became our favorite gelato shop!

 As nerdy as it may sound I am now so invigorated to read up and learn more about the different places I've been to and their own unique history. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world for having the opportunity to experience so many different cultures and make so many amazing memories!