Day Fifty-Four:: Borough Market

I found my place today, the spot where I belong and feel like everything is gonna be okay.  That place is Borough Market.  Why you may ask? The answer is simple: FOOD!!!!!!!

It's like a farmers market done completely right.  A bit of produce, a bit of entrees, some ice cream, bread, sweets and basically everything else.  I had probably the best avocado I have ever tasted today, and the two salted caramel flavored desserts that I had samples of reminded me how deeply in love I am with salted caramel.  And my grilled cheese sandwich! It was literally just cheese and bread (as I don't like onions and I requested that my sandwich did not contain one third of the ingredients) but it was amazing!  I am not sure, though, if this hints at how much I miss the grilled cheese at Zupas, as my love for the cheese toasty that I partook of today may have just been a desperate manifestation of the fact I have not gone without a grilled cheese for this long in quite some time.

With all the love I have,
Kelsie

Day Fifty-Three:: Wicked

I finally saw a show that I wanted to see while here in London.  Yep, it's been fifty-three days and I finally bought my own ticket to a real musical.

I saw Wicked once before.  I was twelve.  It had been long enough.  When I was twelve I didn't cry.  I am now nineteen and I cried.  You see I have this best friend and we have grown so much together and he means the world to me and unfortunately basically everything reminds me of him.  Unfortunately that means that when they were performing "Defying Gravity" and  "For Good" I lost it.  I MISS YOU ADDISON!

But the rest of the show was great.  I have a few critiques, but I will not dwell on the negative at this time.  But seriously I live somewhere where I can run to the theatre after class and pick up tickets and then five hours later come back and see it.  Seriously so crazy.  Also I love the girls here so much, almost as much as I love Addison.

Day Fifty-Two:: Salisbury/Winchester/Chawton

HAPPY DOUBLE HUMP DAY.  Yes it is Wednesday, yes I have hit the halfway mark of my time in Europe.  Please enjoy this photo my dear friend provided me with to celebrate the occasion:

And of course, to celebrate my ultimate hump day, the entire program went to Salisbury, Winchester, and Chawton! How nice of them (jokes, the purpose of that trip was not to celebrate me being half way done).

Note: It seems like I am desperately counting down the days until I get home as if being here is terrible.  It's not actually.  I kinda love it.  I just miss my family and my best friend.

Salisbury Cathedral.  It's a big name in the Early English Gothic architectural style.  It also has one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta in the chapter house, of course we were not allowed to take pictures of it, but here are the pictures of the rest of the cathedral.

Probs like the world's oldest clock of something like that

On to Winchester! Now if you are a Supernatural fan, as am I, you will have a hard time keeping the Winchester family off your mind as you walk through the city, and will possibly find yourself muttering "saving people, hunting things, the family business" under your breath while fully acknowledging that the city and the show hove absolutely no correlation beside the name.

Nonetheless, Winchester Cathedral is where Jane Austen is buried and it is also awkwardly in three different architectural styles.  I got really excited to see Romanesque architecture, it was quite refreshing after all the gothic architecture I have seen lately (woe is me right?)

Also we saw the Round Table.  It was made by Henry VIII, but I think that it still counts.  It was up on the wall though, I was disappointed.  Like why is the table on the wall? Does that not defeat the purpose a table??

So I am not a Jane Austen fan, given that I have never read one of the novels and the period in which she lived and set her novels is not my cup of tea.  But at least i can say that I went to her house! I obviously wasn't all that interested, as this is the only picture I took there.

But after the sweetest Tiffany got me a slice of cake at this cute tea shop.  They had tea cups hanging from the ceiling and there is an eighty-five percent chance I will do that in my future home.

Happy Hump Day,
Kelsie

Day Fifty-One:: Attack of the Birds of Hyde Park

I had no plans for today past acing my Shakespeare presentation (I implied there that I did really well, however that probably wasn't the case) and eating lunch.  This caused me to end up on a walk through Hyde Park.  Bros, there are few things better than walking by oneself with both (noise canceling) headphones in, playing your favorite songs, especially in Hyde Park or off the shore at Saint Michael's Mount.  Somehow I have been lucky enough to have gone both of those in the past six days.  Oh and you gotta strut (like you mean it) as you walk, pretend it's your debut music video and you have the world ahead of you, BECAUSE YOU DO MY BABES.

Unfortunately Lizzie McGuire and I are highly kindred spirits, and my music video strut was interrupted by my general bad luck, which I am starting to think is an actual curse that was mistakenly placed on me when I was a young child.  Some people thought that feeding the trillions of birds located around Round Pond would be good fun.  I am sure it was for them, for me it was not.  I had entered the proximity before the bread had been pulled out, putting me in the line of fire for the possible millions of birds that flocked the owners of the bag of bread.

I was on enemy soil and I was vastly outnumbered.  My chances of survival did not seem high, but I did not let that deter me and I attempted to dodge the oncoming intruders.  I had been successful until I took a hit in the back.  Yes, a bird flew straight into my back.  I hate birds and you can literally see the germs and nasty on these birds.  I had been hit and there was nobody around that would laugh it off with me, only amused bystanders that stared at my misfortune.

I was still in the middle of the battlefield though, I had to get out.  I looked up and accepted the fact that I would probably get bird crap on my beloved J. Crew coat as I ventured on, still dodging the intruders.

I made it out with out any poo being plopped on my coat, but I didn't manage to avoid the emotional scaring that came with the hit from behind. Also it was really embarrassing.

Keep Calm and Carry On,
Kelsie

Day Fifty:: FIFTY DAYS IN LONDON

Fifty things about London (sorta kinda):

1. I am now really good at looking the correct why when checking for cars when crossing the street
2. The double decker busses still haven't gotten old
3. The homeless person on Glouster Road has gotten old
4. Ben's Cookies is heaven on earth
5. Hyde Park is so great and I need to go more
6. I have become really good at cooking in a tiny kitchen with a lot of girls in it
7. I love public transit
8. I have began to say "Sorry" in a British accent when i accidentally run into someone
9. I run into people a lot
10. I am good at telling what compass direction we are headed.facing and I don't even have the Utah mountains as a reference here, I am amazing
11. They hand out the newspaper for free here
12. I read the newspaper here
13. I mainly read the fashion related stuff though
14. My shower is super tiny, but I no longer feel super claustrophobic (only a bit claustrophobic)
15. I miss having my own room
16. I am tired of my bunk bed
17. I am tired of not having a mirror in my bathroom
18. I climb 5 flights f stairs to get to my flat and I was hoping my now that I would not get winded in that ascent, I still get winded
19. I really enjoy going to the grocery store alone
20. I heard that Brits loved how nice Americans are but I think that I have met a higher abundance of nice people here than in the States
21. Things close really early here, which I didn't think would be that case, and it results in people doing their grocery shopping while on their lunch break, only making it stranger to me.
22. St. Paul's doesn't get enough credit, it's absolutely stunning
23. The art scene here is a trillion times bigger than I ever expected, I am absolutely not complaining.
24. HOLY CRAP EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE HERE
25. Even sending a letter to home is expensive
26. Diet Dr. Pepper is not a thing here, it's a shame
27. I am so grateful for FaceTime
28. Sometimes I have moments where I am doing something and it hits me again that I am in London, how crazy is that?
29. I haven't gone to a J. Crew in over 50 days.  I didn't know that was possible for me.  But there is one here that I intend to go to, but I am afraid that it won't small like it does at home and that scares me for some reason
30. I have blogged everyday for these fifty days
31. Crepes are much easier to find here.  This brings me joy
32. My iPad battery always seems t be between thirty and ten percent and how that is confuses me
33. Cathedrals are all over England
34. Seriously so many cathedrals
35. Still no celebrity sightings, but if I did you better know I would be super respectful
36. I was at a Fashion Week show.  Still not over that.  Never will be
37. The phone booths are never used anymore, seriously just a decoration now
38. It is amazing how the world will expand if you put your phone down
39. I can now (finally) properly pronounce Thames
40. I cook dinner every evening and I really enjoy it
41. They really like coins here, there is not a one pound note, just a coin.  It adds up quickly
42. I have learned to make the most of every moment
43. I haven't driven a car in fifty days which seems weird
44. I have 40 new friends
45. It really does rain all the time here
46. The sunshine is highly sought after
47. They don't refrigerate their eggs and it kills me
48. I am always busy
49. Starbucks is everywhere.  You will find five Starbucks before getting to the next tube stop probably
50. I LOVE MY FAMILY AND ADDISON SOO MUCH

Happy day,

Kelsie

Day Forty-Nine:: Taco Bar

Well today marks the one-week anniversary of me going to the Topshop Unique show and last week when I was out and about I learned that Sunday is a really cool day to walk around London.  Unfortunately I was inside doing homework.  Next week though I promise I will be all over that. But for today, if anyone has anything insightful to say about Shakespeare’s Henry IV part one, please come foreword.

The main event of the day though was conceived from a lack of good Mexican food here in London (never take Café Rio for granted my dear Utahns), ‘twas a flat-wide taco bar. Olé! (I can’t find the stupid upside down exclamation mark on here and it has ruined the entire thing.) 

We have a lot of taco meat left and we are starting to get creative about ways to use it.  Moms are really good at that.  I wish my mom was here to make a casserole or something out of it for me/us.

I am almost halfway done with my London experience, so naturally I started planning two trips for this summer.  Everyone please help me convince my dad to go to Chicago with me.  It’d be cool I guess, like I kinda like Chicago.

Sorry this post is super boring,

Kelsie

Day Forty-Eight:: Kensal Green Cemetery

So I am studying abroad here in London, and that means that I have to do classwork and that means that sometimes I get assignments to go to cemeteries.  Totally normal.  Actually it was my midterm, if that helps.

So I am in London and like why would I take time that I could be using doing things like finding members of One Direction (or more importantly Harry's sister, she is literally my idol, I want to be her because she is the coolest person on the planet), riding in the London Eye, taking photos in the red phone booths, or eating kebabs walking around in a field of dead bodies?

Luckily the cemeteries here are way more full of personality than the ones in the states and they have older dead people which earns major bonus points and the organization is almost non existent, further proving that the Europeans still do not understand the grid concept.  But they make up for that with the freaking mausoleums.  I want to be wealthy just so I can buy my family a big plot, build a Greco-Roman tholos and put all my dead family members in it.

Unfortunately I stepped into a mud puddle, a very typical thing of me to do, which put a significant damper on the day.  That shoe is currently trying to dry after taking a cleansing shower.

Cheers,
Kelsie

Day Forty-Seven:: Random Totes Thought Provoking Thoughts from Today

I took a midterm today.  I was not very prepared as we got back from our trip at 10:30 pm yesterday and I had minimal studying time.  I took the fact that my hair was the softest it's been since arriving here as a sign that this test would be okay.  That was a lofty dream.  I also took the fact that the sun was shining as another good sign.  Again, that was lofty.  Moral of the story: early British literature is not my forte.

I am related to my roommate and one of my flatmates.  That is what happens when you mention that your mother is a Call from Wyoming.  I also learned that my great great great great grandfather had 38 kids (thanks to multiple wives).  My family loves the name Anson.

I really like butternut squash and sweet potatoes.  I had some today and was reminded of that.

I can't stop listening to the BRITS performance by Lorde, Disclosure, and AlunaGeorge. It's the best thing I have seen recently.

Apparently Google Docs are more frequently used than I ever imagined.  People here love them.  I don't.  Luckily I have not yet started a riot based on their use.  But seriously I think that people sit around waiting for the opportunity to make a Google Doc.  It's foreign and I am experiencing culture shock.

In other words, I took a test, got some groceries, and did laundry today and those were actually literally the highlights of the day and I am unfortunately super tired and that doesn't say impressive things about me.

Goodnight,
Kelsie

Day Forty-Six:: Land's End/St. Michael's Mount/Exeter

I am so EXHAUSTED so this shall be brief. Today started at our haunted hotel in Newquay which was basically on the ocean and I had an ocean view from my room.  Totally crazy.  Oh yeah I love the beach, like a lot.

Then we drove to Lands End.  Apparently it's not just a clothing company but also the westernmost part of England.  My love for the ocean continued.

Saint Michael's Mount continued the beach love affair. And we got to ride a boat car and the nice guy at the castle let us go up and take pictures even though we didn't pay for tickets because we didn't have enough time, but it was so nice of him and I wish that I could write him a thank you note.  I got some seashells.

Then we went to Exeter to see a medieval manuscript that supposedly had Beowulf in it.  It didn't.  It was a missive waste of time.  I just wanted to get home.

But I am home now.  Yay.

Peace out,
Kelsie

Day Forty-Five:: Glastonbury Abbey/Tintagel

Most days since I got to England I wake up and don’t know what to expect.  Today that was most definitely true. I got on a bus at seven in the morning sort of knowing where it was going to take me.  Here I will tell you what I figured out.

Glastonbury Abbey.  We had a tour guide that none of us believe was sober and that all of us were surprised when they noticed the wedding ring that he was wearing.  Basically Henry VIII destroyed it mostly and some monks thought that they found the graves of King Arthur and Guinevere and then used that as their claim to fame and a way in which they could get money to try and fix the abbey after the fire that occurred before Henry VIII’s little temper tantrum.

Tintagel. HOLY CRAP we were at the beach today (kinda), we saw the ocean and it was so beautiful and windy and I am so surprised I didn’t slip and fall down one of the cliffs, given how clumsy and uncoordinated I has proven to be in the past.  But don’t worry mom, I was not among the group members that got right along the edge or sat on it with their feet hanging off that edge.  But I want to go back to Hawaii again.  It’s been what like three months since we were last there? THAT IS TOO LONG!

Well my life is basically like John Tucker Must Die.  I am now in a hotel with all my classmates.  Wanna hear about the hotel? Of course you do! It smalls like dead gramdmas and looks like those dead grandmothers decorated the place.  I am expecting ghosts to come out of the walls and spite me for writing these messages. Our rooms have a twin and a double bed.  Why???

But I am here watching the BRIT awards, moping a bit because I am not in London at the O2 seeing all the celebs enter, but crying because I am so proud of my boys for winning Global Success.  LOVE YOU BABES. But for real Addison I miss watching award shows with you.

ttyl,

Kelsie