London: Rock n' Roll adventure

Good afternoon from London! I'm gonna try to catch up today on my posting since I am about a week behind.

So today I am going to show you the Rock n' Roll tour I went on. This was about a two hour tour and was wonderful! To all the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistol and Jimmy Hendrix fans out there GO ON THIS TOUR!!!

We started the tour by going to Soho. Soho is the area where London rock and roll was born. So much happened in this part of London that shaped the world of rock and roll.

Meet my tour guide. His name is Barry Bennett and he was a fantastic tour guide! So lively and enthusiastic. You could tell he was a rock fan by the way he spoke about some of the places he went to. 

Our first stop was the Palladium. 

This building plays a very important role in the life of the Beatles. This is where Beatlemania began. Many rock bands have performed on it's rolling stage.

The next place we went to was Carnaby Street. It was a street filled with different clothing shops. This is where the Beatles got their suits and many other rock bands acquired their signature clothing. It was an area that had cheap clothes for bands that were not very well of to begin.

The sparkly union jack was a nifty touch to the street. 

This was a sign that stood outside a local pub.

While walking down the road we came across a painting on the wall.

This is the Sprit of Soho mural. St Anne is lifting her skirt to show a map of Soho.

Our next stop was a club called the Bag O' Nails.

This is the club where Paul McCartney met his first wife and also where Jimi Hendrix played.

A very exciting place for Rolling Stones fans is Sounds of the Universe.

In the first floor of this building is where Mick Jagger auditioned for manager Andrew Loog Oldham.

The next few places we went to are no longer open and it is rather sad to see some of the birth places of British rock n' roll no longer used.

This was an exciting building to stand in front of. Since the closing of the coffee bar I believe it has now turned into flats.

This dear rock n' roll friends is where so many famous pieces have been recorded. Some examples alone are The Beatles, Elton John, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Supertramp, Black Sabbath and Genesis. 

The building is closed down, but it still stands today and many fans will come and stand in front of the doors marveling at this piece of rock n' roll history.

Our next stop Beatles fans is where a living Beatle has his business.

McCartney Publishers Limited. This dear fans is where you are most likely to spot Paul chilling in his office. He will go to a local pub around the corner and drink Guinness. You can also sometimes see him in his office which is decorated with his gold and platinum albums.

An interesting place for some classical fans out there is the home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart while he was in London. 

This is where he composed his first symphony at the age of eight. 

Another very popular place for Rolling Stones fans is Regent Sounds Studios.

This is where The Rolling Stones recorded their successful first album. The bar is still open and people can go hang out where other bands like Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix were.

Just down the street is also the home of The Sex Pistols.

The tour itself was absolutely incredible and was wonderful to see where so many bands made their mark.

And to our wonderful tour guide Barry Bennett. You were fantastic!! 

London: The London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament

Man I am far behind on my posting. Hello everyone! I am sorry I haven't been blogging, I have been really busy with classes and getting accustomed to living in London. So many little things you would not expect are different. Like how I need to veer left to avoid people instead of going right. Since everything is backwards I almost ran into multiple Londoners who have given me sneering looks. I'm such an American.

So my real first day in London we took a trip to some very iconic London scenes.

Our first stop was the London Eye. Now for all of my fellow Whovians we know that the London Eye is really a big signal that turns all of the manikins into living plastic. Plus the Nestine Consciousness lives underneath the eye so it was even more exciting for me as a Doctor Who nerd.

It was so surreal to see this image in person instead of on a TV screen. What made the experience even better, we got to go onto the London Eye!!

While waiting in line for the London Eye I caught a glimpse of Big Ben! That is when it really hit me. I was in London. Big Ben is right in front of me!

I took photos while on the London Eye. Most of them are from the top of the Eye, and yes I took a selfie at the top. It was an incredible experience to see the entirety of London on my second day.

After getting off the London Eye I walked towards Big Ben and Parliament. 

I was speechless as I got closer to Big Ben. Seeing a sight that I have only gazed on TV or pictures was now right in front of me. I almost skipped down Westminster Bridge towards the large clock. Another Whovian moment I was thinking about alien spaceships crashing into Big Ben and splashing into the Thames below me.

One of the best things about that area of London were the street performers.

They ranged from musicians, to living statues, to bubble makers. All of them were incredibly friendly and put a smile on my face. I gave a few pence to the musicians but the living statues would not take money, they just wanted to make people smile. 

Later that evening I partook in a treasure hunt of London. My group and I had to find specific clues and places in central London. There was also a basic quiz asking questions like who is the Prime Minister and where does he live?

We did our best, but in the end we just wandered and enjoyed the scenery around us.

Later that evening we went to a local pub and drinks were on the University! I got a glass of wine (since the beer options were a bit lacking) and then ended my day with some bangers and mash.

That was my second day in London.

Until next time. Cheerio!

London: A Whole New World!

Hello mates!

So the beginning of my adventure into the city of London starts off with me falling asleep in the cab. I was so exhausted and the jet lag began to set in that I passed out in the back seat of our cab. So most of London I missed.
I was able to wake up just before pulling into my new home for the next six weeks.

It's a small little flat in Hoxton. I get my own room and share a bathroom and large kitchen with eight other students. We all get along very well and understand who's food is who's so there is no confusion.

After hauling my suitcase into my room we all walked to the closest underground station and purchased Oyster cards to use on the tube and busses. It cost be about £31 for a weekly pass, which came to be about $60. I about choked when I saw that conversion. It is not cheap to live here, but I love it anyways.

After purchasing Oyster cards we all decided to head back and unpack. I unpacked enough to clear off a space on my bed. I then passed out and got a good hour and a half power nap. Amazingly that power nap then had me on UK time. I was really surprised with how quickly I got adjusted to the new time zone, but I am not complaining.

After completing my unpacking I joined a large group and we walked around Hoxton. We ended up splitting up (because our group was over 16 people) and then went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

After dinner we looked for some local pubs. We walked around until we found ourselves at the entrance of The Red Market. It is a night market and street food place with a bar and dance floor. We stayed for almost an hour and I had my first legal drink in the UK.

We then hopped to a local indoor pub and watched the football game England vs Italy. I got another drink and we stayed for a bit. We left before the game ended and I decided to go home. I arrived back in my flat about 23:30 UK time (that's 11:30 PM).

In all my first day in London was amazing! I look forward to catching everyone up on the rest of my trip.

Cheerio!

Flight to London

So I am now in London! Arrived two days ago and finally have a chance to sit down and write.

Well the last you heard from me was before flying to Charlotte. Well, I got there but not when expected. I got on the plane and I was sitting next to a mom and her four year old son. He was such a cutie and was so talkative. So because of thunderstorms on the East Coast we had to delay our flight. So we sat in the Philadelphia run way for about a half hour before finally taking off. The flight itself was smooth and quiet. Got to talk to the woman sitting in the seat across from me (I had an aisle seat).

We landed in Charlotte around 5:00 p.m. Not bad, but then we had to sit and wait for 40 minutes before getting to the gate. So by the time I got into the airport I had just enough time to grab a Starbucks tea, run to the gate and charge my phone a bit before boarding the plane to London.

Getting onto the plane was exciting. I was already hearing the accent around me and was getting jittery. I got my passport checked and got to my seat. I flew US Air and they gave us a small pillow and blanket since it was a night flight. As we began to take off it hit me that I am flying over the ocean. I was ecstatic when the plane flew into the sky.

So during my eight hour flight I ended up watching TV on the little movie screen available to me. I watched Young Frankenstein during dinner. They served pasta with a small salad, a roll and a brownie. After dinner I watched The Lego Movie. Then I tried to fall asleep, but couldn't so I turned on LOTR Fellowship of the Ring. I ended up falling asleep near the hour mark and woke up to the credits. So I started the second one, but couldn't finish it because we began to land!

After landing I had to find my way to terminal 3 to meet with the CISabroad members. I went through the boarder and got my luggage. Heathrow airport is huge! I had trouble finding the terminal at first, but eventually got there.

As we waited for the other students I bought a bacon and croissant sandwich and talked with the other students already there.

In all the trip itself was smooth and uneventful. I am so blessed to be here and I will write more about my first few days in London soon.

Cheerio!

The Adventure to London Begins!!!

So today is the day! I leave the United States to go live in the UK for six weeks! I am currently sitting in the Philadelphia airport waiting for my flight. I am a few hours early, but that gives me time to get settled and charge my electronics.

Well let me begin my story of preparing for my adventure. The realization still has not hit me, but I did have my anxiety attack two days ago when I was packing. I still did not have everything I needed and I began to panic. I am the kind of person that needs to have things prepared and put together and when it isn't I get anxious. So needless to say I was running around my room shaking and clutching my belly with nerves.

I finally was able to find everything I needed yesterday when I did a last minute run to the mall. Found the perfect messenger bag to take with me for school work. It holds my laptop and an assortment of odds and ends that I carry around.

I was also able to get my hands on some British money. My grandparents have helped me so much with preparing for this trip. They have been abroad numerous times and so they have been so excited that I am beginning my abroad adventures. They mailed me some leftover money they had from their last trip to the UK. I have about £10 with me at the moment. That is in a £5 bill, three £1 coins and several different values of pence coins. It was really exciting to look through foreign money and think that this is going to be my currency soon.

This morning I did all of my last minute packing. It was difficult trying to get everything in one suitcase. I don't have to pay for one checked bag and I needed to keep it under 50 lbs. When we got to the airport it weighed in at 39! So all of my panicking and transferring liquids into smaller bottles paid off.

My mom and I had a teary goodbye hug in front of airport security. She watched as I walked into the line to get into the gate.

That is all I have for now. I will be continuing to update as I sit in the Charlotte airport for my two hour layover, but for now cheerio!

Pennsylvania Welcomes Me...

I am back in the land of farms, cows, Amish buggies and the closest coffee shop is a half hour away.

I have been home for over a week and I have done nothing productive. I did clean my room and put away all my LR college stuff, but now I am preparing to pack for London. I got to see some of my high school friends and got to see my best friend who just had her first daughter.

Annaiyah Lisa

She is such a beautiful baby and I am so proud of my best friend! She is such a fabulous mom and I am so happy for her. I got to see her twice and hold her little munchkin. 

So my welcome back to the state of Pennsylvania… It was an interesting one. The day after I got back I was driving to see my brothers concert and I got stuck behind three buggies and a wagon in under three hours. Also it is the season of beginning to farm for the summer, so all of the farms around are spreading manure and it is not a smell I missed. It is also cold again. 

I like to call myself a delicate tropical flower, and so 50 degrees is not for me. I left North Carolina in shorts and a tee shirt. By the time I got back into PA I was in jeans and a sweatshirt. I am very cold sensitive, and I was used to the 70-80 degree weather days at school.  

It is slowly getting warmer, but I am still wearing clothes I wish I wasn't. At this point I am wearing yoga pants and a wind breaker. I'm going to have to make sure I pack weather appropriate clothes to London. 

I do not have anything else to report. The next two weeks are dedicated to packing, earning as much money as possible, cleaning my room, getting a track phone and calling my bank. 

COUNTDOWN TO LONDON: 2 WEEKS

LONDON IS OFFICIAL!

Everything is complete! Tuition is paid, ticket is purchased, classes are picked and everything is prepared for me to study abroad in London! I am so excited I cannot contain myself! My grandparents are going to be giving me all the advice they can.

I just want June to be here now!