In retrospect...

Well, I apologize for the serious delay in my final entry regarding studying abroad. However, I was too busy living and loving London during my last two weeks of residence to take the time to attempt to put words to my experience.

Leaving London was extremely difficult. I can't say the living situation was ideal, nor did I really want to continue writing final papers and studying for a final exam. However, the overall beauty of all that I was able to accomplish while abroad is something that will forever embellish the walls of my heart. Therefore parting with the city that I will forever associate with the purest form of wonderful was one of the most bitter sweet things I have ever had to do.

While abroad, I was forced to confront a change in my lifestyle, not just because of where I was, but because of who I was with and what I was doing. I learned how to jet-set around Europe at the cheapest possible price. I learned the in's and out's of British Parliament and how a government representative's office works. I learned how to navigate not just London, but the rest of England and many of the cities that I visited during my time abroad. And this is just the beginning... I can't even begin to delve into what I learned about myself and other people.

In fifteen weeks, my world was shaken and tossed about by the winds and tides of culture, time, distance and unfamiliarity. Was it perfect? In terms of the dictionary definition, absolutely not. I had a panic attack on the train to the airport before my trip to Copenhagen because the scrolling destination list was not working in the train car I was in, thus preventing me from confirming that the train was in fact going to Gatwick Airport (don't worry, it was). I spent many evenings pouting because I could not get Skype to work properly. I often opted to cover (insert food here) in Nutella and call it dinner on far too many occasions. Also, there are some things that I wanted to do and see, like Abbey Road, St. Paul's Cathedral and Paris, that I was unable to make the time or effort for. Yet, in my own understanding of perfection, my study abroad experience was exactly that. It was everything that I wanted and needed for it to be and I am forever thankful for all of the situations, people and opportunities that came together to bring me to where I am now.

I know many people who did not study abroad this past semester who get very antsy when my friends and I bring up how changed we are because of our experience. I can understand why because even if they had no desire to go abroad, hearing people wallow in nostalgia for the person they were in Europe is in no way entertaining. However, I hope that these people, at Wake Forest and elsewhere, who did not take advantage of an opportunity to study abroad or simply were not able to do so will at least be accepting of and interested in the changes we have undergone. I have said before that I know that a lot of what I learned while abroad probably has yet to surface and that my experiences in London and all over the world will continue to resonate in every situation that I am for the rest of my life. I would hate for people to assume that studying abroad is a skin-deep experience... I am not quite sure where I am going with this. However, I can say... perhaps as a segue into the next chapter of my life (and blog, if you're lucky)... that one of my greatest fears in leaving London was that no one will understand or care or even wonder how I have been impacted by the past four months of my life. Yet, only time will tell and I too owe it to those who did not the face the same trials and opportunities as I did this past semester to take it easy on the 'well, when I was studying abroad' anecdotes. After all, even I will admit that there is no way I could ever do the overall study abroad experience justice in words and therefore I cannot assume that people will just get it.

Enough with the rambling. I'm off my soap box and back on planet america where capitalism trumps freedom, food actually has taste and mom and dad are no longer a skype date away. My nugget to take away from all of this, something I may try to make a motif in my blog posts from now on, is this:

Sometimes things just do not work out the way you planned them. People flake. Rain falls. Tube lines close. Drinks are overpriced. Heels were a bad choice. Skype fails. Exams are hard. Flights are cancelled. Each of these happenings however are not the end. They are the beginning of a new challenge, the coming of a bigger conquest, the opening of a greater window of opportunity. All you have to do is look past the moment it all comes crashing down. Once you do, it's easy to see how with every door that closes, another one is begging to be opened.

Until the next adventure...

Happy Holidays!

Don't mind if I do...

I have been really good about withholding political/athletic rants this semester so I think I deserve the right to have at least one blog post about America. I have recently categorized myself as a cynic due to my lack of appreciation for how America is viewed from this side of the world. Don't get me wrong, Europeans don't hate America and they absolutely adore Obama. However, everyone is pro-their country and, having worked in a Member of Parliament's office for two months now, I have become a little bit... jaded... in my opinions of American politics. I also have become quite infuriated by what has appeared to be an extremely idle Obama administration. I have not done my research, so this could be entirely wrong. However, what I gather from the current events I have kept up on in the news is that the Obama administration has had a lot of talk, a lot of discussion, and a lot of unfilled promises. Yes, it is his first year of presidency and yes, true change does take time. However, until now I have not really seen much stride toward definite, immediate changes that were promised and reiterated throughout the Obama 2008 campaign. Key words: Until now.

Before I start to bleed red, white and blue (which is going to happen in the next paragraph, I apologize ahead of time), I have to take note of the Health Care Bill. Anyone who has brought this up in conversation with me knows my one-liners. It's longer than War and Peace. It has five times the words of the Torah. It's full of pork and there is no way that every single member of Congress read all 2000+ pages of the Bill front-to-back with an analytical and critical, yet compassionate mindset. I'm sure you've figured it out... I'm not a fan. However, Obama is making strides. The Democrats have done SOMETHING and I have always believed that action is always better than inaction because if the action itself does not correct the problem, it will at least bring the reality of the problem to light. Learning the hard way doesn't always have to be a bad thing because you are ultimately learning. Granted, in this scenario the government is hypothetically learning through incurring a sort of impending destitution on my generation. Yet, you get the picture. Something is being done and that says a lot for a legislative process that has come to revolve around which party is better at filibustering.

Now, here it comes... a letter of approval from the cynic of all cynics, the critic of all critics. I hate war. If you read the personal essay I wrote over the summer and posted on here, you know that I sing John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" at every opportunity, want a peace sign tattoo on my wrist, and firmly hold true the idea that you can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace. I am also a strong believer in the idea that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Thus, the concept of attempting to unite Afghan tribes under one, uncorrupt government by means of force (basically the same thing that the USSR attempted to do not too long ago), is something that I have highly disapproved. Yet, finally someone decided to stand in front of the American people and explain WHY we are in Afghanistan, WHAT we are trying to do, WHEN we will get out, and HOW we will achieve the goals that we did all want to achieve after our nation was viciously attacked on September 11, 2001. That someone was our President.

I was very skeptical of Barack Obama during his campaign and still am. I do see him as a beacon of change in America in that he is the first black President, he is younger, he appears to be more accepting, understanding, compassionate and compromising than most politicians. Yet, I could not fall for his fluffy speeches about a new era nor did I ever want to believe that one man's power of rhetoric and general persona could actually change the dynamic of my country. This has all changed now. Well... kind of.

I just finished watching President Obama's speech from last night at West Point and I would be lying if I said I didn't tear up or get the chills. I have always been entranced by the power of speech, so my watching President Obama orate is kind of like... a cocaine addict receiving a new stash FO FREE. Yet, there were many elements of President Obama's speech that invoked a new sense of American pride in me, something I especially haven't felt since I have been in London. Like I said, I hate the fact that we are at war. I hate the fact that young and old men and women are dying for something other than themselves. However, now we have a plan of action. Now, there are guidelines. Now, Obama is getting it done. I can't take the time to go through the speech again and dictate what I found most compelling, but here are a few things from my memory:

1. Barack Obama stating that the extremists on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, also known as the Taliban/Al-Qaeda, have distorted Islam, one of the world's greatest religions. I ate this upppp. When did George Bush ever stand up in front of the American people and express any sort of respect for the values that these people hold true? Barack Obama confidently spoke to America and said that the Islamist Extremists in the Middle East were using Islam to justify violence, manipulating the religion that is not really all that different from those that most Americans hold to be true in order to make up for the fact that they have been maliciously murdering innocent people around the world.

2. Barack Obama stating that American support for other nations, most specifically Pakistan and Afghanistan, will be conditional. I believe the phrase he used was 'there will be no more blank checks'. Instead of just handing over money and support, Obama vowed to check on the governors, local leaders, and national government to make sure that they are not corrupt and are remaining true to the Constitution. Finally, he gave these countries an ultimatum so that they see us as 'partners' not 'patrons', as Obama said. Genius.

3. Barack Obama made the most brilliant point that I have ever heard from a politician. One that put me over the edge and must have been the turning point for me in my opinions of America. He noted to all viewers that what sets America apart from all other super powers of years and decades past is that we have never asserted ourselves over a people, invaded a country to take complete control, gone into a nation and taken over simply for the sake of their natural resources, or overtaken a nation because we found our ethnicity/culture to be better and more worthy than theirs. Talk about calling out the greatest tyrannies of the 20th century, my goodness. I had never really thought about this though. I mean, we have been engaged in some pretty sketchy confrontations and of course we probably have some economic motive in all of our international endeavors. Yet, when we have gotten involved in international relations, even in Iraq, it has never been with the intention of making a global empire. Even Great Britain, my second love at this point, had the empire upon which the sun never set, also known now (in more politically correct terms) as the Commonwealth. Yet, America has always been about America. America was born out of a desire to not be oppressed, to uphold human rights, to maintain freedom and security for all, and to thrive as a nation, not as a domineering hub for imperialism. This had never occurred to me and I thank Barack Obama for bringing it up.

Leave it to Brobama to make me actually want to be American for the first time since Septmber. I know there were more things that Barack Obama said in his speech that sent chills up my spine or tears ALMOST flowing down my cheeks, but I can't remember them at the moment. I am still kind of mystified by the whole thing. Now, I promise I haven't been brainwashed and I am attempting to look at all that he said with as much realism as possible. No, I still don't like that we are at war and that my fellow Americans are dying for the sake of another people. Yet, as Barack Obama reminded us all in his address at West Point, our efforts in the Middle East were never necessarily about the Afghan people. They were about diffusing the volatility of the Pakistani/Afghani border where a safehaven for Islamic Extremists and terrorists has been brewing since our initial efforts after September 11th, 2001. Along the way, we have helped England and other nations who have been attacked by Al-Qaeda in their attempt to secure themselves and seek revenge. And yes, along the way we have assisted the Afghan people in democratizing and ridding their government form Taliban influence and an Islam dilluted with violence and hatred toward the West, a civilization that may defy the values of Islam, but does nothing to infringe upon it. Yet, in the end, by dampening the strength of dissidents in Afghanistan, by disarming and killing off the Taliban, and by erasing all leadership in Al-Qaeda, we are first and foremost securing a better, less fearful and more hopeful future for ourselves, our country and our world.

My point is basically this: the world is a miserable place right now, but there are some things that just take time. The economic situation will take time and recovery in Afghanistan will take time. For once, we have been reminded of why almost every single member of Congress (98-0 in the Senate, 148-1 in the House) wanted to go to war in Afghanistan in the first place. Also, we now have a President who realizes that dilly-dallying and hanging out while Osama Bin Laden and his biddies continue to plot is not going to bring about peace. We are moving forward and although this means sending 30,000 new troops to Afghanistan and ultimately means more lives lost, both American, Middle Eastern, European, and Australian, these are strides that must be made for the safety and security of our world. I don't know about you, but I have no intention of spending the rest of my life terrified of flying or taking public transportation or standing in a crowded area of a big city. We can do something about the terror that we live in. We have the power, the means, and the support and now, too, we have a leader who understands the reality of the situation at hand and has committed to bringing terrorism and extremism to an end.

I guess you can take the bleeding-heart out of America, but you can't take the American out of the bleeding-heart.

Celebrating the End of November

I would have to put this weekend at the top of the list of most productive and most enjoyed weekends in London. Then again, the list is very long.... and most weekends are tied for number one. As I said, there were a bunch of Wake Forest people visiting from all over the world for Thanksgiving. Although it was stressful to attempt to satisfy the group, the company was wonderful and we ended up accomplishing a lot in a short amount of time. (See Thanksgiving pictures at the end of the blog post).

After a great day at work on Friday, where I treated my co-workers to Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes (my favorite), I joined Evan and Caroline for some yummy leftovers then got ready for a night on the town. The whole Thanksgiving crew gathered together and went to Punk, a club in SoHo. It has been a while since we went out to a club so it was really fun to get dressed up and go out together. I also had made a few new friends throughout my travels earlier in the semester, so it was great to continue developing those relationships through the art of dancing to loud techno/pop mixes. By about 3:30 am, we had shed all of our Thanksgiving calories by dancing the night/morning away and retired to our beds. (See some pictures from Punk at the end of the blog post).
On Saturday morning, Louisa and I woke up and grabbed some breakfast at a cafe that I often go to near the Gloucester Road tube station called Cafe Forum. We then strolled around Hyde Park and over to Kensington Palace until the other girls rose from their beds.
A group of us ended up going to a quick lunch in South Kensington then headed over to the Natural History Museum. The museum is actually a five minute walk from where we live, but I hadn't gone yet so it was great to finally see what it looks like inside.
We explored the human biology and mammals sections of the museums and also got to see the new Darwin Centre which houses hundreds of animal/evolution researchers. Afterward, we went downstairs and took the ice at the beautiful seasonal Ice Rink outside of the museum.
As I'm sure very few of my... very few... readers... know, I used to figure skate when I was younger. However, after good old Planet Ice closed in 2000 or 2001, I was forced to quit and stick with dance. I'm pretty positive that I have not iceskated since then, but shockingly enough my muscle memory kicked in and I didn't fall on the ice once the entire time. I was pretty excited about that especially since, as Kendall noticed, everyone else on the ice was 'dropping like flies.'
After we spent an hour iceskating, we grabbed some hot chocolate and headed back to the Crofton for a little relaxation. We ended up bracing the cold rain and going to Wagamama for some Asian noodles for dinner, but after grabbing a quick dessert at Whole Foods, we headed back to the warmth of the Crofton. I ended up taking some time that night to work on the papers that I have due next week and fell asleep quite early.
On Sunday morning, the visitors from America departed. Kendall, Louisa, Rebecca and I went to the Brick Lane area and walked around the Spittlefield Market, which is a covered market just down the street from Liverpool Street. We braved the rain for a bit, grabbed some crepes for lunch at Crepe Affair, then headed back to South Kensington where we showed the girls our favorite cookie place, Ben's Cookies, then brought them back to the Crofton to relax before heading back to Florence. Although the weekend was not jammed and packed with travels and raging and wandering, I felt completely fulfilled come Sunday evening. It had been a beautiful few days full of new and old friends, new experiences in London and a first look at the 2009 holiday season.
This week will be my last week of work in Parliament, then next week will be my last week in London. I have a lot to accomplish, a lot to see, and a lot of studying/paper-writing to do. Yet, I hope these two weeks do not fly by too quickly. Who knows when I'll be back to this beautiful town? Hopefully sooner than later. Anyway, that is all for now. Be sure to check out some more pictures from the weekend below!

Kendall and I in our Thanksgiving Chic Outfits

Look mom! I can cook! Kind of!

Hard to believe that I didn't know Rebecca before October!

Hanging out with our visitors at Punk!

Thankful

Instead of giving you a generic update of what the past two weeks of my life have been like, I will give you a list of things that I am thankful for through the lens of the last 14 days.

I am thankful for the number of awesome things that have come hand-in-hand with being an intern for a Member of Parliament. Including, but not exclusive to, being able to stand right next to the Queen's carriage as she strolled by on her way to the State Opening of Parliament (see video).

I am thankful for the opportunity to see Kevin Spacey star in Inherit the Wind at the Old Vic Theater... and the opportunity to meet him and take a picture with him after.

(Picture coming soon)

I am thankful for having friends who love just grabbing a few pints of cider at the pub on a Friday night instead of choosing between the extremes of skyping with people from home (laaaame) or raging with sketch-balls in Picadilly Circus or Leicester Square (creeeeepy).
I am thankful for being in a major city where you can run into Taylor Swift at a street market and not have to fight off THAT many people to see her because people in the UK don't actually know who she is. Oh and yes... that is the Cooper family and yes they did get free tickets to the concert complements of Taylor's mom. NBD.
I am thankful for the opportunity to see Oxford University so I can have something to aspire to for the next few years and also earn some major street-cred with my Harry Potter loving friends.
I am thankful for Harrod's and icecream, especially when they combine forces. The picture says it all.
I am thankful for a lot actually. So I should probably stop here. I have been able to meet up with a lot of great friends, young and old(er), this week. Also, I saw more celebrities in person last week (the Queen, Kevin Spacey, Taylor Swift) than I ever have in my life. Tonight we had a major Thanksgiving throwdown complete with visitors from the mainland and a Whole Foods meal. There were a few epic battles titled Me vs. Mashed Potatoes, Caroline vs. Sweet Potatoes, and Evan vs. Turkey all coming together to form "Us vs. Thanksgiving", but in the end, all were fed and content. I can't lie, not being with the fam and picking on my mom, or my sister, or my dad, or my cat... or anyone really, was kind of hard. Yet, I know that in two weeks time I will be wishing I could rewind. So, I am going to embrace the tryptophan and go to bed knowing that tomorrow starts the end of this incredible Wilderness Journey.... Pictures from Thanksgiving to come soon. Just not when I am trying to digest my bodyweight in stuffing, mashed potatoes, and tur....zzzZZZzzzzZZZZzzzzzz....

Oh How I Love Celebrating the Days of November!

We decided a few weeks ago that in order to fulfill the inherent demands of the phrase 'carpe diem' that we will always refer to what we are doing on a particular day as how we are celebrating that day. So how did I celebrate the weekend of November 13-15? With food, friends and ENGLAND!

On Friday (the thirteenth...ah!) I met up with a few friends at Brick Lane, which is the very eclectic area of East London where Kendall has been interning. We wandered down Brick Lane and came upon a restaurant that Kendall has had her eyes on for a while and decided to go in for dinner. When we entered I felt as though I was walking into the tangible equivalent of the abstract paradigms of my mind. It was romantically lit and was wall-to-wall covered in tapestries, photographs and posters from all over the world. The soundtrack playing overhead consisted of everything from Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake to Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Instead of tables, there were dark wooden coffee tables surrounded by velvet couches and quilted cushioned arm-chairs giving off a very welcoming and comfortable feel. Not only was the atmosphere wonderful, the food and drinks were absolutely life-changing. The menu was some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern hybrid that brought in the best of Greek and Indian cuisine. Four of us opted for the sharing platter, which consisted of everything from fried chicken to feta cheese to be dipped in different sauces like hummus, a spicy red sauce, and a tart Greek yogurt. There was felafel, there was naan, there was eggplant... there was HEAVEN on the large platter of food. I have never been so satisfied by a meal simply because the tastes were so diverse and invigorating and the food filled me up just the right amount. After finishing our food and basking in the glory of our surroundings, we retreated to the Crofton to prepare for the day ahead.

On Saturday morning, a large group of us girls embarked on a journey with Boston University to Bath, a city about two hours or so by bus outside of London. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side. It rained the entire way to Bath, thus preventing us from truly enjoying our peak at the outskirts of the city. It continued to rain on and off when we arrived at Bath and wandered the Roman Baths that have been there since 76 AD. I found the Roman Baths to be very interesting because they are still in their original form and are functioning in the same manner that they did when they were built almost two thousand years ago.

From the hot springs to the baths themselves, the same drain system and overall structure are all as they were since their beginning. How those people were intelligent and crafty without any technology or research ability is completely beyond me. After exploring the Roman Baths, Kendall, Evan and I decided that we would rather remain in Bath for the day instead of embarking on the rest of the BU journey over to Avebury. So, we parted from the group and headed to an adorable little tea room that we had spotted from the bus on our way into town. Walking to the tea room gave us the opportunity to really look at the Roman and Georgian architecture of the town. Even with rain pouring down from a classic English overcast sky, even the most insignificant of buildings in Bath were beautiful in their own rite. After getting some tomato basil soup, sandwiches and tea, we decided to head up to the top of the hill in Bath to see the Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum. We literally battled the elements during our trek up the hill, as at one point I actually was blocking horizontal rain from attacking me by hiding behind my umbrella as I held it perpendicular to my body. Unfortunately, Evan's umbrella did not survive the fight up to the Assembly Rooms. However, hers was not the only one... every single rubbish bin that we passed on our hike was overflowing with impaled and injured umbrellas of all shapes, sizes and colors.

The Assembly Rooms and the Fashion Museum were both very interesting and beautiful. The chandeliers in one of the Assembly Rooms were made in the 1700's and have been hanging there since the room was first used around that time. The Fashion Museum was intriguing because it explored the 'look of the year' from the middle of the 20th century into the 21st century. I would have to say that the look for 2007 did not really appear to be too representative of what I wore the year I graduated from high school...

... however I guess it is supposed to be a distorted version of the style of that year? Maybe? Another aspect of the Fashion Museum that we enjoyed was the room where we could try on corsets and hoop skirts like those worn in the 18th and 19th centuries. Let's just say that even though it was fun for ten minutes to suck our tummies in and float around the room like members of the Tudor family, I am quite glad that it is generally socially acceptable to wear nike shorts and Chi O t-shirts in public on a daily basis here in the 21st century. After the Fashion Museum we wandered about Bath a little more, did some shopping in the vintage stores and boutiques, then made a pit-stop at a fudge shop we had seen earlier in the day before catching a train back to London. I really enjoyed seeing Bath because it had a lot of history to it and gave me a better idea of what an area of England looks like other than London. After returning from Bath still slightly damp from our battle with mother nature and exhausted from our day of wandering, Kendall, Evan and I threw together some dinner and relaxed as we attempted to work on our papers that are due this week.

On Sunday morning, Kendall and I awoke quite early and made a dash for another new destination in London named Camden. Camden is in the central, northern area of London and is known for its out of control market scene.

. And as you can see... it absolutely deserves its reputation for being one of the most incredible markets in all of England. From the copious amounts of smoking paraphenalia to the numerous Middle Eastern shops selling wall-hangings and pashminas, Camden Market has to be one of the most eclectic places I have been in London. The variety of stalls and shops we found put Portobello Market to shame and kept us busy for hours on end. One of the most incredible parts of the market is that its main part is built around what used to be a horse hospital!

Many of the shopkeepers and vendors set up their tables in and around the stalls that used to hold horses back in the 19th and early 20th century. So when you walk around, it is quite likely that you will look up to see bronze colored stallions cantering above your head.

Camden was hands-down my favorite place in London so far. I wish I had enough time (and money) to go back, but I have so many more things I want to do before I go home next month. I am glad that I experienced Camden Market on a Sunday at all and will absolutely recommend it to anyone that comes to London even just for a few days. I really feel as though Camden epitomizes the niche that I identify the closest with in London. It was overflowing with diverse and interesting people selling all types of crafts, styles and gizmos. The food was cheap and tasty, the people were kind (though sometimes aggressive when trying to get you to buy their things) and the atmosphere was cozy and crazy all at once. It isn't going to be Big Ben that I dream about when I'm back in Winston-Salem. Nor is it going to be the Crofton. It is going to be the rush of bargaining with a Middle-Eastern man in the middle of a bustling market, it is going to be stuffing my face with Asian noodles and almond, butterscotch and cream crepes knowing that within the hour my stomach will be churning with discontent, it is going to be embarking on journeys to new places only to find that there is so much more to a city than what meets the eye in a picture book or on a website.

I love this town. Please don't make me leave?

Dublin and such...

I have decided that Dublin is so named because it is basically a Double L: Lesser London.

This past weekend I met up with two fellow dance teamers, Kristen and Bridget, in Dublin. Kristen has been studying in London this semester, but I had yet to see her and Bridget is studying in Galway. We all convened at the Dublin Airport late on Friday night and made our way to our hostel. It was absolutely freezing outside! Much colder and windier than London. Our hostel, Litton Lane Hostel, was conveniently located just off of O'Connell Street, which is one of the major streets in the City Centre area of Dublin. The hostel was nothing special, nor were the 5 other snoring non-English speaking young men whom we shared a room with, but it was 25 euros for two nights and had a perfect location. After we dropped our things off, we went to a pub across the river/canal for a drink then headed to bed to prepare for our long day of tourist-ing ahead.

On Saturday we woke up bright and early to a still very windy and chilly Dublin. We wandered over to Trinity College on the other side of the water and checked out its many beautiful buildings.

The campus was gorgeous, but a lot smaller than I would have thought considering how well known it is. After Trinity College, we decided to begin our trek across town to the Guinness Brewery. On our way there, we saw many pretty churches, old government buildings and views of the surrounding areas. The Guinness Brewery was a really interesting experience because of the history behind the brewery. The premises is in a very conspicuous location and has been the location of the Guinness enterprise since the very beginning. Also, the beer has remained in the hands of the same family since it was created. Unfortunately you do not get to go in the actual brewery buildings when you visit the premises. However, we did get to learn a lot about the history of Guinness and how it is made to have such a unique taste. We also had the opportunity to pour our very own 'perfect' glasses of Guinness.

Who knew there could be such a precise method to pouring a beer? There were so many seemingly unnecessary elements to it like the amount of gas used on the tap and the amount of time you let it sit before drinking. Yet, the beers tasted as good as Guinness can taste (as I don't really like the taste all that much). After raiding the Guinness store, we headed back toward the City Centre and went to Rick's Burgers, the burger joint that Grace (who is studying in Dublin) had recommended to us. Though it is kind of embarrassing to admit that we basically had fast food in Ireland, the burger was absolutely amazing. Honestly had to have been one of the best cheeseburgers that I have ever had... and that says a lot because I have had many a cheeseburger in my day. After lunch, we continued to wander and made our way over to the National Gallery. We saw some Irish art, which tended to be more contemporary and realist, and some classic impressionist paintings like those of Monet. Then we continued to meander around the City Centre along some of the shopping streets and eventually made our way to St. Stephen's Green.

The park was absolutely beautiful. It definitely would have been even more gorgeous if it had been sunnier and warmer out, yet we were in Dublin... you can't expect sunshine in Ireland in November! We made our way through St. Stephen's Green, saw some mallard ducks, then headed back to our hostel to give ourselves a little rest. That night we ended up just finding a small Italian place to eat at (me? Italian? nooo...) then went to the same pub that we had been at the night before for a sider and the end of X-Factor. We were quite exhausted at that point and ended up heading back to our hostel to get some rest. It was great to see the girls and just hang out and discuss things that we haven't really had the chance to talk about in our months apart. It was also interesting to hear about how our abroad experiences are similar and different, with Bridget basically alone in Galway, Kristen studying in London through Wake Forest's Worrell House, and me studying in London through Boston University.

By early Saturday morning, we were definitely ready to head back to our respective locales. The weekend was great and I absolutely enjoyed the memories we made. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces, learn about Guinness, and see what Dublin is like. I would have to say, I would not necessarily recommend visiting Dublin simply because it just seems to be like London on a bad day. I know I have been spoiled here in London because this really is one of the most amazing cities in the world. Yet, I just found that Dublin did not really have its own character to it. It reminded me a little of Copenhagen, but then had the British feel to it. Unlike Copenhagen, however, it did not have its own unique architecture. And unlike London, it seemed slightly dull and mundane. Perhaps therein lies the problem I will face in four weeks' time... I surely hope that I can still find places to be beautiful and exciting even though they aren't in Europe.

Since I’ve been back from Dublin, my week has been relatively normal. I mean, not normal in terms of my American life. Yet, normal in terms of my London life like shopping for food in Harrods and working at Parliament. Today I actually got to go to the Prorogation in the House of Lords where the Royal Assent (the Queen’s approval of laws that have gone through the House of Commons and House of Lords took place for various bills like the Health Bill, Autism Bill, and Marine and Coastal Access Bills. As my colleague V said as we left the House of Lords, it was “just a little bit of history.” I had another one of those moments as I listened to the Queen’s Deputy give the Queen’s approval for the laws in question. I was looking at the gilded throne upon which the Queen sits during the State Opening of Parliament (which is next Wednesday) and felt a little pang of sadness for my impending return to the states. Where am I going to see golden thrones in the U.S., something that I have become all too accustomed to seeing? Oh… the burdens placed upon those American students who opt to take a walk on the wild side and fall in love with somewhere new. Anyway, this weekend I will be going on a daytrip to Bath and am hopefully going London-hopping on Sunday to different markets. One month left? No thank you.

Family, Friends, London, Copenhagen, AH!

Remember, remember, the fifth of November! Gun powder, treason, and PLOT!

Ok now that I acknowledged that it's Guy Fawkes day... WOW! I cannot believe it has been about two weeks since I wrote to you. Time is flying by over here and I'm starting to fear my inevitable fate... a long flight back to the US of A. I will try my best to recap what I have been doing these past two weeks and to give a little preview of what's to come in my LAST FIVE WEEKS here in London. Insert cries of horror here.

The weekend before last, the weekend of my lovely Alexandra Jane's 21st birthday back in the city of brotherly love (she survived, by the way), my sissy Briel and her male counterpart Jeremy made their way over to Europe for a week-long vacation. I met them on Saturday morning at the Gloucester tube station and welcomed them into beautiful South Kensington. Their nice small hotel was near the South Ken tube station and happened to be right above Janet's Bar... the one where we met Uncle Timmy two months ago... ahhh my life comes full circle. I was able to spend a lot of time with them wandering the city and seeing the more touristy sights in London. On Saturday afternoon we went to the British Museum where I got to see the Rosetta Stone and mummy cats then grabbed some Indian food for dinner at a restaurant right near where I live in South Kensington. On Sunday morning we went to the Tower of London, which was so fascinating because I have read many books about British monarchs and the strange incidents that occurred at the tower like beheadings and the disappearances of the little princes. It was also great place to go because Briel got to see what most think is London bridge, but is in fact the Tower Bridge, as seen below.

We then walked to Tate Modern where we saw a really amazing box/optical illusion exhibit and some Andy Warhol works, which are usually my favorite. We spent some time in a pub on the Thames and meandered quite a bit along the river in spite of the cold. On Monday morning I got to give my first ever exclusive tour of Parliament. I was really impressed with myself at how much I knew about Parliament to share with Briel and Jeremy as I walked around with them. I also felt pretty legit when a security guard told us that we were supposed to stay with our tour group, but immediately corrected herself, apologized and told us to take 'as long as we wished' after seeing my security pass. After Parliament, we went to Westminster Abbey and saw the memorials for kings, queens, playwrights, and scientists including Henry James and Isaac Newton. On Monday afternoon I had class and Tuesday I had work, but in the evening on Tuesday I met Briel and Jeremy at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, Maze, for an incredible dinner. The food was EXTRAORDINARY, the service was AMAZING, the cocktails were DELICIOUS, and the atmosphere was BEAUTIFUL. Let's just say Gordon Ramsay's establishments are not overrated. I won't lie... I kind of got sick from the food... but I enjoyed the taste and the experience too much to blame it on the food itself. I'm instead blaming it on my gluttonous, over-eating. On Wednesday evening we wandered the city a little more, ate tasty oriental food, and took Briel and Jeremy to my favorite frozen yogurt place, Snog, before having to bid them goodbye. It was sad to see them go, but we definitely accomplished a lot in those few days and I know that they were ready for the second leg of their trip in Paris come Thursday morning.

On Friday I made my way over to Copenhagen to spend Halloween with my lovely roommate from Wake, Rock. Like any best friend would, Rock picked me up from the Copenhagen Airport with alcohol in hand and a smile on her face. Note: she was wearing her Saved by the Bell costume under her peacoat as she stood there with her bag of goodies awaiting my arrival. I'm glad I will never have to question why we get along so well. She whisked me away via train (which is based on the honor system like public transportation in Munich) into the center of the city where we met up with some of her friends at a bar that I believe was called Kular Bar? It was a really fun atmosphere and I had great time... mostly because it was very, very refreshing to be dancing around with one of my best friends again. After Kular Bar we made our way out to the suburbs where Rock is staying with family friends for the semester. The house was adorable and the family was so welcoming. Rock's host-mother actually works for the Danish foreign affairs office in Copenhagen and has been spending a lot of her time assisting in the planning and execution of the climate conference that my MP and the rest of the world has been preparing for, which will take place in Copenhagen in December. On Saturday morning, we made our way back to the city where we got some delicious pastries and sat by one of the canals.

It was absolutely FREEZING outside, but the air was crisp, the water was beautiful and I was too distracted by the amazing scones and other delicious treats to notice that my body temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees per minute that we sat there. After we finished our treats, we wandered over to the Round Tower, which is the tallest tower in Denmark (I believe).

After a very long and steep climb, we made it to the top of the tower only to find this incredible view.

Every direction was like dessert for the eyes, from the windmills churning in the breeze just beyond Christiana (the independent city where drugs are legal) to the many gothic-inspired domes and towers of palaces and churches in the distance. I'm not going to lie, I did not expect Copenhagen to be so beautiful. Yet, Copenhagen has its own unique character defined by a juxtaposition between industrial/mod architecture and old baroque and gothic influenced buildings. I especially enjoyed going to Nyhavn, one of the most well-known areas of Copenhagen, and seeing all of the colorful buildings and boats.

We spent quite a bit of time wandering Copenhagen, seeing sights like the opera house and the palace where the royal family lives. Yet, we had to head back to Rock's home-stay early enough to prepare for what lie ahead... Halloween... at Sensation.

Sensation deserves its own paragraph. Actually, let's be real... Sensation should be a global holdiday. Here is a video to help explain why...

Basically Sensation is a white-themed rave in a soccer stadium. The entire stadium is shared by thousands of people and an elaborate set, made specifically to trip you out and react strangely when lights are flashed on its many pieces. Rock and I arrived and met up with her friends at approximately 8:30 p.m. and did not even think about heading home until around 2:00 a.m. There were intense/pulsating beats, crazy Danes, insane outfits and pyrotechnics galore. It was an amazing experience and I am so happy I went because I really felt as though I got a taste of that intense, club-going European culture. I can't say that I would frequent events like Sensation, but I would not trade that night for anything and would absolutely recommend that anyone goes. I also would recommend that you wear a toga or a tutu... clearly that worked out well for the roomster and I.

So on Sunday morning we somehow managed to remove ourselves from bed. Rock packed, as she was preparing to embark on her two week fall break around Europe, and then we headed off to Nyhavn for some breakfast before going to the airport. It worked out really well because Rock and her friend Tara began their two week trip here in London. So I got to spend a little bit of time with them showing them where I live, where I work, and some of the more entertaining attractions that London has to offer. On Monday morning I got to give Rock and Tara a tour of Parliament, then we headed east along the Thames toward St. Pauls cathedral so they could see the Millennium (a.k.a. Harry Potter) Bridge. I then left the girls at Tate Modern after showing them my most recent favorite view of London from the fourth floor terrace overlooking the Thames at Tate Modern.

I love it because you can see St.Pauls (to the left) and the Millennium Bridge all at once, showing a major contrast between one of the most important older structures in London (even Churchill apparently said that as long as St. Pauls remained untarnished, they were still winning WWII) to some of the newer structures like the bridge and Tate Modern itself. Unfortunately I had class on Monday afternoon so I couldn't stay with them, but I was able to meet up with the girls at Covent Garden after they spent the day wandering the city. I took them to Porterhouse, one of my favorite bars in London, before we retired for the evening.

Rock and Tara left on Tuesday morning and the week has flown since. Work has been relatively slow lately because of the postal strike, which inhibits even Parliament from getting copious amounts of unnecessary campaign letters from constituents. Yet, when I was at the gym tonight I noticed a news bulletin that said the postal strike has been suspended until after Christmas so who knows how many letters will be on my desk when I arrive at work tomorrow morning! I still love my internship a lot. The people I work with are great and I truly enjoy being able to have such a hands-on experience in politics. Last week I got to sit in on a meeting with my MP and take notes for his records. Today I began helping R research how diplomatic immunity applies to locally-engaged staff members of British embassies because recently an Iranian national who is also a top political analyst at the British embassy in Iran was sentenced to many years in prison for apparently having a major hand in the post-election Iranian protests over the summer. Of course the man had absolutely nothing to do with the protests, so R and the rest of the shadow foreign affairs team are trying to figure out why nothing has been done by the British government on this man's behalf in order to keep him from having to spend his life in prison for something he didn't do. So I was scouring the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 for an hour or two today, hoping to find some clause that says that the British government should be able to act on his behalf. I'm not sure if I have found anything yet, but I did get to write a question that my MP will be asking the Foreign Secretary to answer, which is kind of a big deal?

Anyway, tomorrow I head to Dublin to meet up with Bridget (VOT PRIDEEE!) and Kristen (who is studying in London and I have yet to see!) for the weekend. Can you say dance team reunion? Hopefully the night won't end in doing 8-counts... but hopefully it will end in doing quake. Then when I return to London on Sunday I will only have five weeks left here in London. Last night, Kendall and I were wandering Brick Lane, the Liverpool Station area, and then Oxford Street to see the Christmas lights when suddenly the reality of leaving this place dawned on me. The first half of the semester was rather slow for me and even though I was having an amazing time, I still always had the prospect of going home in a few months at the back of my mind. Now, while I am still excited to go back home to see my family and friends and to eventually go back to Wake Forest, part of me is very, very nervous about the reverse-culture shock and leaving London in general. I have really come to appreciate a lot of what London has to offer from its pub lifestyle to the history that you can find in even the smallest of nooks or crannies. Also, come January, I will have spent seven total months living and working in a city: Three months working for the New York Knicks in New York City and four months living in London, two months of which I will have worked for British Parliament. How am I supposed to go back to a small school in a small city in North Carolina after this? How will I fare not being able to walk or take public transportation everywhere? What will it be like to have to lock myself in ZSR for hours at a time only to make a mere dent in my workload? Maybe it will be refreshing. Maybe I will fall back into place right away. I guess I just never thought I could grow up this quickly. Don't get me wrong, I love and miss Wake Forest, but I guess I just never thought that I would even consider fearing that Wake Forest may just not be enough.

Until next time... which hopefully will be less than two weeks from now because that was just ridiculous... I hope all is well whether you're in South America, Europe, New York City or the good ol' Village of Tequesta! I can't wait to update you on my next adventures!

Britney Spears: Artist of Choice for MP Researchers

So just to give you a little tidbit on my working environment...

R = the probably late 20's, early 30's senior researcher and foreign affairs specialist for my MP, married to an American diplomat, thinks he's America, plans on becoming an American, has an Obama poster on his wall... seriously obsessed with all things America... like actually fought with me today when I said I prefer the British legislative process over the American one

L = the twenty-three year old tasmanian devil hidden in the body of a small computer geek, absolutely hilarious, puts my unintentional noise making to shame, always cracking jokes and keeping me entertained

V = the older woman, kind of jumpy, but still really sweet, basically my MP's personal assistant, always nice and kind of the target of most of R & L's jokes

I can't lie... I laugh at least seven times an hour with these people. The British humor... humour... is bitter, sarcastic, and down-right hilarious. I'm pretty sure this is where I was supposed to be born. I love the office culture because it makes everything pain-free. Such an awesome atmosphere to work in especially since a lot of political office work can get a little monotonous.

A story to explain just another 5 minutes in my MP's office...

At the end of the day as I was preparing to leave, L and R inquired about whether or not I think my internship placement is better than my friends'. I began my reply "yes, i feel so lucky" only to be interrupted by L who begins singing none other than "She's so lucky, she's a star, but she cries, cries, cries with a broken heart thinkin'..." and R joins in... "if there's nothing missing in my life then whyyy do these tears flow at night." Yes, two educated male British political researchers sang a late 90's/early 2000's pop song by none other than Britney Spears. And I must add that this was not the first time a Britney Spears song was sung today. The others included "My Prerogative" (not initially a Britney Spears song, but still... the coincidence cannot be ignored) and "I'm a Slave For You" (ring any bells, mom? hahahaaaa good times.)

Anyway I thought I would share how extremely happy I am with my internship. The environment I work in is amazing and now that constituents are receiving the letters I've been sending and ministers are responding to my case requests, I'm beginning to see how I am actually helping people. I can't wait to see what 90's pop songs await me in the next few weeks. Can't believe I have less than two months left!

Fast Times Abroad Style

I promise I didn't forget about you. In fact, I tried to write a detailed recap of my fall break extravaganza when I returned last Sunday. Yet, after writing a few paragraphs I was exhausted and realized that there was no way I could ever really do the trip justice. So, in summary, I spent my fall break last week in Venice and Florence. We flew into Venice and stayed a night in a hostel there. We were able to meet up with Tonis, a fellow deac who is staying at the incredible Wake Forest house in Venice called Casa Artom.

As you can see in the picture taken from the Academia bridge, the house is basically a mansion on the Grand Canal, something that is very hard to come by nowadays. I had already been to Venice, but I found that for everything I remembered about it, there were 500 things that I had not appreciated during our family tour of Europe when I was 12. For instance, I don't remember the entire interior of St. Mark's basilica (pictured below) being a mosaic.

Literally wall to wall, floor to ceiling mosaic of gold, mossy greens and other majestic colors. It is kind of unbelievable that a man-made structure of such elegance and ornate design could have been made before the advent of actual machinery. We also climbed the clock tower in San Marco square, something I had not done on my trip to Venice, where we found the most compelling view of Venice I've ever seen.

As you can see, it was a very foggy day. Yet, I had never really understood the layout of the island with all of its canals and lagoons until I got a bird's eye view. Otherwise, we wandered the island, took a gondola ride, indulged in far too much Italian food, then headed via train to Florence for the rest of our break.

I have also been to Florence before, but I have no recollection of the city being such a vibrant, entertaining place. I remembered it being beautiful with its lovely bridges over the Arno and its cobblestone roads.

Yet, I didn't remember it having such a bumpin' night life. I also definitely did not fully appreciate the sheer genius behind the David until this trip. Staring up at the large statue, which has been around since the early 1500's, I truly began to see how brilliant mankind is. I mean... this statue was made 500 years ago by a simple artist. A genius, but just another man... without machines, without computers. And yet even down to the veins in his hands and the shape of his calf muscles, David is perfectly imperfect. I have never been so in awe of a slab of stone in my life. I loved that Florence was small enough to walk almost everywhere you would want to go in about 15 minutes. I love that like most European cities you can walk around with plastic cups full of wine and no one will care. I loved the Duomo, pictured here, and how it is essentially the centerpiece of the city.

Other than Washington D.C., can you think of an American city that is built around such an amazing piece of architecture. I wish American cities were as inherently beautiful as European cities. I think Americans would appreciate the finer things in life much more if we weren't accustomed to only seeing skyscrapers and shoebox shopping centers all the time. Before we left Florence, we went out to Chianti and took a short tour of a vineyard. We got to learn about the process of making wine and we were able to try an assortment of wines and olive oils made at the vineyard.

My favorite part was the drive before and after the vineyard because we got to see the rolling Tuscan hills. Italy has such a gorgeous countryside - I honestly felt like I was watching a movie as our van sped over the hills and through the rustic villages and towns outside of Florence.

I have also decided that one day I will own a vineyard... or at least live on one. At the end of the trip, I was very grateful for how great our accommodations were, how relatively smoothly our travels went, how helpful our fellow wake students were and most importantly for this whole opportunity. It was so great to be able to go to Italy and run into fellow Deacs who aren't even studying there (Tonis in Venice, Sallie, Louisa, Rebecca, and Mary in Florence, then girls from Spain like Jess, Briana and Kristen who were there for the weeekend).

Granted, I came back 15 pounds heavier (not literally, but I did average two gelato's per day, two pasta dishes per day, 8 forms of bread per day, 3 glasses of wine per day... roughly). Yet, as I always say, trucking through Italy for five days with some great friends and indulging in the culinary and cultural wonders of the world... welll... yes... here it comes... THAT is what studying abroad is all about.

Now, I don't want to put you to sleep, but this past week was kind of a major week in my study abroad experience so I can't just stop with my fall break summary. I will make this short though. Basically, I am on the downhill slope in study abroad. This is the second half of the semester. I have started taking my last class, Contemporary Issues in British Politics, and it's amazing. It's going to focus a lot on terrorism and international issues, which will be great. During our first session we watched a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was so unbelievably eye-opening. I know for a fact I was not the only one cried as we watched a man walk through his friend's home and point out where his friend's daughters were sitting, playing or studying when their home was attacked. Four of the daughters were killed. Heartbreaking. Also, I started my internship with a member of parliament this week. For confidentiality purposes, I will leave my MP's name out of my posts. Yet, I will note he is very involved with foreign affairs and is a member of the conservative party. The office culture is brilliant. I work 10-5 with many breaks. I work closely with three people in addition to my MP in a very small office in the Portcullis House, which is right next door to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, etc. Quite a change of pace from the days of Knicks PR. My favorite part may be that the food is subsidized... so it is very cheap to eat any meal/drink coffee. That may become a problem. Yet, a close second would be going to the Prime Minister's questions this past Wednesday where I saw Gordon Brown get hammered by members of his party and the Opposition alike. At one point an MP stood up and asked Brown "if he would keep fighting on until the bitter end", referencing his recent lack of public support. Now please, tell me how that would go over in Congress? Gah I love British politics. Other highlights from the week... I went to the England vs. Belarus World Cup Qualifying Match at Wembley Stadium along with 76,000 of my closest friends. The stadium was gorgeous, the crowd was hilarious and David Beckham is sexy even when you can't see his face because you're so far from the field. This weekend, Laura visited from Barcelona so I got to revisit some of the touristy sites that I haven't seen since my first few weeks here. We took her all around London from Portobello Market to Westminster to see Big Ben, London Bridge, etc. then over to Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus, then finally to Covent Garden where we indulged in scrumptious cupcakes. We also went to Billy Elliot last night, which was incredible. Honestly my favorite show so far in life because it was the perfect combination of two of my life-long loves. Politics and dance. I laughed (a lot) and cried (sort of) and just truly fell in love with the entire cast.

I guess you could say I've accomplished a lot in the past two weeks. I apologize for how long this post is, but I owe it to you and myself to explain what's been keeping me from updating you for so long. Here's what the rest of my semester looks like.... I can't believe I'm only here for less than two months now! Thanks for being patient with me and for surviving if you've read this far down...

10/24 weekend = Briel & Jeremy come to London!

10/31 weekend = Copenhagen for Halloween

11/7 weekend = Dublin with Kristen to visit Bridgie

11/14 weekend = Day trip to Bath

11/21 weekend = Paris with Kaitlyn to visit Mel?

11/28 weekend = Thanksgiving

12/5 weekend = LAST WEEKEND IN LONDON WHAAAAAAAAT??????? it hurts to think about....

October Sky

Unfortunately for you I do not really have any crazy stories of boozing or traveling just yet. Unfortunately for me this is because I have actually had to use my brain since I returned from the chaos that is Oktoberfest. This past week was my last full week of class for the semester. I had a paper on the advantages and disadvantages of the BBC's license fee due for my British Television Studies course due yesterday, I have another paper comparing the Department of State to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office due for my British Political Institutions course on Monday and we also have an exam for each class on Monday and Tuesday. I decided that it would be in my best interest to take it easy this week in order to do what I needed to do with these papers and exams and prepare for what next week has in store for me. On Wednesday I will be parting for my mid-semester break with a few of the girls from my program. We are spending Wednesday night and most of Thursday in Venice then taking a train to Florence for the rest of our break. I actually went to both places with my family when I was twelve so I think it will be interesting to see what I remember and if I leave with the same impression that I've held for eight years now. The one night in Venice will be my first hostel experience so I'll be sure to let you know how that goes. Also, I am hoping that we will be able to catch up with some of the people who are studying in those two cities. One of my goals in all of my travels is to get a feel for what the city is like for people who live there, not just the tourist side. Obviously I did not have much time for that kind of exploration during my time in Munich, but hopefully being in Florence for a few days will allow us to creep away from the tourist attractions like Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi and toward some of the hidden wonders that Italy has to offer.

I must confess that I am in utter shock that it is October. When the calendar page turned, the temperature dropped significantly so it finally feels like I'm in London. Fortunately we still have not had more than two days of rain... hopefully that doesn't mean the rest of the semester will be one fluid downpour (no pun intended). When I return from my fall break, I will begin the rest of the semester, which consists of one class per week on Monday's and my internship with a member of Parliament four days per week. I have a friend visiting that first weekend after my internship begins and then Briel and Jeremy will be coming to visit the weekend after that (yay!!!). Then, I will be heading to Copenhagen for Halloween which will be ridiculous. I'm working on my plans to visit Bridget in Ireland and a possible trip to Barcelona and Amsterdam before the end of the semester. Unfortunately, I really do not have that much time left here. I was afraid that the semester might drag a little before I got here because I knew I would be out of my comfort zone and that every day would consist of new challenges and unfamiliarity. However, I am now beginning to understand why everyone says how quickly the time abroad goes. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in the pit in the Knicks PR Department. Now, I'm sitting in the kitchen in my flat in London, looking out at an October sky as I try to find reasons not to read about how the FCO is similar to the Department of State. 2010 is going to have a hard time topping 2009.

Beers, Cheers and Happy Tears: An Unforgettable Weekend at Oktoberfest with 50 of my Closest Friends

So after a week that seemed to last forever, I finally made the trek via EasyJet to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest 2009. We left on Thursday evening and arrived in Munich at around 9 p.m. or so. I'd have to say, I was very, very nervous in the car ride to the Munich Marriott where we were staying because of how hard Jessica and I had been working on the hotel situation since March. I was so afraid that something would go wrong with having 21 junior Chi O's sharing only 3 rooms with 2 double beds. I was afraid that the hotel would not be up to par and that everyone would be disappointed. I was afraid that it would be ridiculously far away from Oktoberfest and that people would complain. However, none of the above came true. Upon arriving to the hotel, we found that not only was the hotel gorgeous, but the rooms were absolutely large enough for seven girls each and there was both a cocktail bar and a sports bar like restaurant in the lobby of the hotel. Can you say, perfect? So when I arrived with my travel buddies, we were greeted exuberantly by some of the girls in my pledge class and whisked off into the whirlwind that is Oktoberfest. Thursday night was really great because everyone just convened in the sports bar downstairs at the lobby, well aware of the day we had ahead of us. While it was strange to be in a foreign country surrounded by 30 to 40 of my friends, within the first ten minutes of being together, it seemed as though everyone fell into place.

Friday morning... 545 a.m. .... the wake-up call that Jess arranged for us went off. We all arose in due time from bed and somehow made it into appropriate clothing and downstairs. We quickly discovered that Oktoberfest was relatively easily accessible from our hotel via underground. So we ventured over to the nearby S-Bahn and found the right train. I didn't realize this, but the German underground system is entirely based on the honor system. So, you can hop on and off trains without purchasing a ticket. However, if you get caught, like a few of my comrades did, you will be faced with a hefty fine of 40 euros or so, which really doesn't make it worth the risk. After switching from the U6 to the U4 train at the Odeonsplatz stop, all 20 or 30 of us filtered out into the breaking day... as it was about 630 or 645 am at this point... to find that Oktoberfest was basically empty. We were all quite confused because everyone whom we had spoken to who has gone to Oktoberfest in the past has told us that you have to get there extremely early to get in line for the tents. Otherwise, you won't be able to get in one and find a seat. Yet, there we stood, dumbfounded at how quiet Theresienwiese was. Luckily, a young man in lederhosen had found us and informed us that he worked at Oktoberfest and was just arriving, so we were a little early. He advised that we walk behind the tents and up the hill to the main street in the area and find a place to grab something to eat before coming back down to form a line outside any of the tents. So that we did... our mass of people wandered the streets of Munich, finally finding a small bakery with some beverages and pastries for us to indulge in while we waited. Once we were done fueling up (and had realized that those who came to Oktoberfest in years past had come on weekends, not on Friday mornings), we made our way back down to the festival grounds and walked over to the Hofbrau Haus tent. Luckily, we managed to find some other Wake Forest people there who had basically started the line in front of the tent. So, we merged in with them, waited for the doors to open at 9 a.m. and the rest of the day is history. Now I know I don't need to go into detail about all that occurred that day. For one, the below picture is what the tent eventually looked like after the waitresses began serving at 10 a.m.

And this is what a few American college students look like when holding their first real stein of good ol' Bavarian booze.

The mugs were so big that many of us were even sore the next day, mainly because every 10 minutes or so, the people in the tent would get very loud and all the sudden would start singing "OLE! OLEOLEOLE!" like they were at a footie game, or even better, would sing "heyyyyyy heyyy baby, ooo AHH, I wanna knowwww would you be my girl?". Why these international folk knew that song, I will never know. However, it made us silly American college kids quite giddy when the hundreds, if not thousands, of people raised their oversized glasses of beer above their heads and started belting out a song in English. By the end of the day, I had managed to catch up with all of my friends who were there for the weekend, including those who weren't staying with us at the Marriott, and was able to even make a few new friends. Around 4 p.m. or so, Rock and I decided to venture outside of the tent where we finally realized how much lederhosen there really was at Oktoberfest.

It was almost embarrassing to be walking around in civilian clothing simply because you stuck out more than those wearing poofy dresses and German-style overalls. After wandering around, and after somehow being peer pressured in riding a rollercoaster, we eventually headed back to the hotel. Everyone slowly trickled back, reeking of beer, sweat and happiness, but absolutely ready for a little nap. As time passed, we got a little hungry and realized that it would probably be best to have something in our stomachs other than the oversized pretzels we indulged in about 6 hours earlier. With an impending late-night hang-over grumbling in our tummies, Sallie, Rock and I made our way to a local Italian restaurant and feasted on pasta, salad and relatively well-priced carafes of red wine. After that, we went back to the hotel where everyone had gathered in the sports bar in the lobby. While it was tempting to join the few ambitious people who wanted to venture out into the Munich night-life, Rock and I were pretty set on giving ourselves, and our livers, a rest so that we could make the most of the following day. So, we settled into our bed for three and fell asleep to Dazed and Confused on her laptop. Roomies reunited at last =)

On Saturday morning, we were less motivated to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn. However, we did eventually make it outside the hotel and found a cute place to eat near our hotel. After that, a smaller version of the Chi O crew headed to the city center to attempt to find a bike tour so we could see some of the city. After arriving there and circumnavigating the political rally that was taking place, as the German elections were on Sunday, we found a man named Lenny who gave us an offer we couldn't refuse... a 10 euro beer-bike tour. So, the lovely group of ladies you see below hopped onto to the bar on bike wheels and took a tour of the central Munich area with a few other tourists and a tour guide who was nowhere near as funny as he thought he was.

The tour turned out to be really great though because we got to see some of the important locations during World War II, like Odeonsplatz, the original Hofbrau Haus, and a park where there happens to be a nude resting field overflowing with characters by the names of Tripod and Robocock. Thanks for the image, Lenny. We also were able to consume a little more Bavarian beer on the beer bike, which was nice since indulging in the theme of the weekend... booze... was our number one priority. Sorry mom and dad. After the beer bike tour, we all took the S-Bahn back to Oktoberfest and wandered around the rest of the day. It was really overwhelming to be wandering the festival grounds on a weekend afternoon because the crowds were very large, very drunk and very German.

Yet, I was able to try some German sausage and find the cotton candy I had been craving, which ended up being the biggest cotton candy I have ever seen... and I've seen a lot of cotton candy in my day (or is it candy cotton, mom?).

As the afternoon began to die, we headed back to the hotel once again to recuperate from the day's exploits. The rest of the evening was spent in the lobby of our hotel snacking on appetizers and sipping on the cheap red wine that we had found at a nearby grocery store. While it would have been fun to go out and explore Munich at night, we were all so exhausted and knew that what we wanted the most was to relax and just be in each other's presence for the last few hours of our time in Germany.

On Sunday morning, we made our way to the Munich Airport and boarded our plane back to London. As I stood on the transport bus that took us from our terminal to the EasyJet plane on the tarmac, I couldn't help but smile and get a little teary eyed. I know, I know... me, crying, so surprising. Yet, there were so many truly beautiful things about my weekend in Munich that far surpassed the act of drinking liters of beer and singing at the top of our lungs in importance. First of all, I was so absolutely proud to be a part of my pledge class. Almost all of the girls in my pledge class who are studying in Europe this semester had come together to spend a weekend in Munich. Of course it was not just girls from my pledge class that were there, as there were at least 50 or 60 Wake Forest girls and guys that gathered at the Munich Marriott for the weekend after following Jess' and my lead on where we had decided to stay. However, the fact that twenty-one girls were able to step out of their typical friendship boundaries and make their way from Copenhagen, Dublin, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Florence, Rome and Prague to be together and enjoy each other just really made me proud. I'm trying to avoid being sappy here, but that to me is what Chi Omega is really about. At the end of the day, we don't have to be each other's absolute best friends, we don't have to know everything about each other, and we don't have to spend all of our time together. Yet, we do still care about each other a lot and are never afraid to show how much we appreciate the diversity and enthusiasm that each and every other girl in our pledge class brings to our sorority. The other part of the trip that I could not help but fixate on was the fact that I was able to travel for a relatively moderate price to a foreign country and go to THE Oktoberfest with a large crop of my fellow Demon Deacons. I could not help but think of my token phrase of the semester "This is what study abroad is all about." From shouting PROST!!!! (cheers in German) at the top of my lungs, to navigating the S-Bahn without knowing a word of German, to snuggling up next to my best friend in a bed far from Babcock and Crown Oaks, to sharing a long table at the Hofbrau Haus tent with 20 of my Chi O sisters, to surviving on pretzels, sausages, and beer for a weekend, and finally to visiting a foreign city that I never thought I would see in person... all of these things and so many other aspects of my weekend is... say it with me... what studying abroad is all about. I am so unbelievably happy that everything worked out with our plans for Oktoberfest. I'd have to say that if I ever need something to motivate me to plan yet another gathering for my pledge class, I will always look back on my time in Munich. And also, I'll never forget how quickly your perspective on life can change. After being in Europe/the UK for a little over a month now, I cannot believe how much my general mindset has changed. It is going to be so exciting to live out these next few months and see the person that I have finally become when I jet back over the pond on December 12.