Village Wandering and Liverpool Tourist Time!

I’m writing this from the airport and I’m very sad to say that I am about to go home. I didn’t have much time to upload the past two days, so I am doing a double post. Enjoy!

Sunday:

We all woke up rather late considering we didn’t get in from the night before until late. Holly’s family from Scotland was over at the house in the garden enjoying the unexpected hot weather. I actually had to borrow two outfits from Holly since I didn’t pack for Florida-type weather! Holly’s mom cooked up a full English breakfast for Holly, Lauren, and I, which was delicious as always.

The three of us then went out and explored Holly’s village of Port Sunlight. We walked through a park, where I took some awesome pictures. I didn’t even need Holly for most of the pictures this time! After strolling through the winding park path, we visited other areas of the village, like the WWII memorial, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, and even Holly’s old primary school. The village was beautiful with flowers in bloom, clear blue skies, and families enjoying the warm weather. It’s a very peaceful area.

I guess I still can pull off some dance poses!

The venue where Holly held her birthday party

WWII Memorial

The Lady Lever Art Gallery

Holly’s primary school

Forgot to snap a pic of Holly’s awesome cake so here it is!

After finishing exploring, we headed back to Holly’s home. Since it was Father’s Day, the family celebrated by having a barbecue at Holly’s brother’s home. Him and his wife’s garden was absolutely stunning and I made sure to snap some pictures. They even had an awesome bar area that they built! The food was wonderful and it was nice to sit out and enjoy good company and weather.

Strike that pose, Holly

Holly, Lauren, and I finished the day by going to another open mic night at a bar/restaurant. There was some really good talent that night and I loved listening to the singers.

 

Monday:

After taking Lauren to the airport and getting ready for the day, Holly, Tom, and I went to explore some of Liverpool’s more touristy areas. We took the train into the city and walked around a bit before heading to the Museum of Liverpool. The museum was free and hosted some great exhibits. They had exhibits about the Beatles, football, and even writers in Liverpool (my favorite bit, of course). There even were two shows that we watched: one about the Beatles and another about the rich football culture in Liverpool and the rivalry between their two teams, Everton and Liverpool.

I’m not sure what this was that we walked into, but it was fun

Super lamb bananas!

Dressed up in Chinese inspired fashion of the early 1900s

Did some karaoke to some Beatles music!

After leaving the museum, we went to a rooftop bar. Again, the weather was warm and perfect for that type of thing. It was cool to see the views of Liverpool surrounding the rooftop.

Once leaving the bar, we went to the Albert Docks. We strolled down the pier and had a snack at a double decker food bus. We then meandered by some of the shops. After that, we decided to go back home because Holly wasn’t feeling well. I took the time to pack and get all of my stuff sorted while she slept.

When she woke, she still wasn’t well so we just ordered a take away Nandos. I was a little disappointed because they were out of chicken on the bone, so I had to get a butterfly chicken. But, I still found the butterfly chicken amazing (#nandosloverprobs). I think anything from Nandos is amazing. While waiting for the Nandos, Tom and I went to the Asda to pick up some last minute British treats for my flight.

We then went home and ate our Nandos while watching Hook, which I’d never seen before. I was missing out!

Well, that concludes my second blogging venture. I hope you enjoyed my posts! Hopefully, I’ll be blogging again soon about my next adventure abroad. Thanks for sticking with me!

–Courtney

Holly’s Fancy Dress Party!

The main event of yesterday was Holly’s birthday party and I had such a great time! I started the day with a relaxed morning while Holly went and picked her friend, Lauren, up from the airport. Lauren and Holly were roommates when they both did the International College Program at Disney last summer. Lauren is from Northern Ireland near Belfast.

We then met up with another of Holly’s friends and went to a small café called Blooming Skull. The café was very quirky and hip, with the menus presented on clipboards and trendy food items like avocado on toast. I got an avocado on sourdough toast with scrambled eggs.

After filling our stomachs, we went to the Asda, a grocery chain owned by Wal-Mart. It was pretty much the same as Wal-Mart, except their theme colors are green instead of blue. Also, they have these cool self-scanners that you take around to scan items with. Once you’re done, you just go to the register and pay for the items you already scanned. At the Asda, I got about six huge bars of Cadbury chocolate. No regrets there.

Then it was time to head back to the house and complete the tedious process of hair and makeup for the party. Holly got her makeup and hair done by her cousin whom is a professional makeup artist. To no surprise, Holly looked fabulous.

Holly looking gorgeous in her Cinderella gown!

At about 6 p.m., we headed over to the Lyceum Club. Holly actually bartends there and used the space for her party. The decorations were astounding. It looked like a wedding reception, with the tablecloths, chair covers, centerpieces, balloons, a sweet cart, and a pop up photo booth area.

The party had a great turn out. All of Holly’s family and friends were there and dressed up in creative costumes, or fancy dress, as the British call it. Holly was dressed as Cinderella, Laruen as Moana, and I as Anna. I was impressed with how all out everyone went with his or her costumes. There was Carl, Russell, and Kevin from Up, Peter Pan, Alice, Tinker Bell, Cruella de Vil and her Dalmatians, Marry Poppins, and Robin Hood.

The party included sweets, a buffet dinner, doughnuts, and cakes. There was also a DJ and a dance floor and a full bar. The photo booth was really cool too because the photographer had a green screen and he imposed backgrounds into the photos.

After the party finished (although it never really finished), Holly, Lauren, Tom, and I went out to some clubs in Liverpool. I noticed that British clubs play different music than American clubs. There is more throwback pop music, which is fun to sing along to.

We got back to Holly’s house in the early morning and we were all very tired. We didn’t sleep that long into the morning, but there’s no time to be tired!

Thanks for reading!

Liverpool Pub Crawl!

Yesterday wasn’t too jam-packed, but I still had a wonderful time! I started the morning with a breakfast of eggs and soldiers, a meal I’ve heard about from watching English Youtubers. It’s basically soft-boiled, dippy eggs that you dip slices of toast into (the soldiers). Again, Holly’s mom made a delicious breakfast. I was so happy that I got to try another typical British dish.

That evening, Holly’s older brother, Tom, took us out on the town to some popular Liverpool spots. First, we went to HUS, which has a panoramic rooftop bar. The weather was slightly chilly, but it was worth it to see the views. Again, Holly snapped some awesome pictures.

On the way there

Then, we were all hungry so we went back to the shopping center, Liverpool One, to eat some Wagamamas. I wanted to try this restaurant when I was studying in London but never had the chance to. It’s essentially a noodle restaurant. I had noodles with veggies. It was definitely worth the wait! Also, Holly had duck and I decided to be adventurous and try a bit. To me, it tasted like beef, and I wasn’t really a fan even though I like beef.

Glimpse of Liverpool One

Next, we went to get drinks across the way at The Clubhouse. The place reminded me of an American Southern restaurant, with white shutters and a beach side theme. It was here that I tried Pimms for the first time! Pimms is a typical British summer drink.

Storefront at Liverpool One

After that we went somewhere top secret. Tom led Holly and I down an alley way and to a red telephone booth. We had to go inside and ring the telephone to someone inside. Once it was confirmed that we had reservations we were allowed inside and led down a staircase to a hip, underground bar called the Exdirectory. It was such a cool experience. I had a cute drink that was coated in confectionary sugar that tasted a bit like licorice.

Once finishing at Exdirectory, we went to a place called Turtle Bay. It reminded me of Margaritaville in America, with a tropical theme and laid back vibes. We settled down on their patio with the Cavern Club right across the sidewalk. The Cavern Club is famous because it is where the Beatles first played.

After Turtle Bay, Tom, Holly, and I headed home because today is Holly’s big birthday party and we all needed the rest!

Today should be so much fun!

P.S. Shout out to Tom for being an awesome Liverpool night scene tour guide!

Chester and the Carvery

Another memorable day done! The morning began with a highly anticipated full English breakfast from Holly’s mother, whom I’ve heard makes amazing breakfasts. And I can attest that, yes, the breakfast was amazing. I missed having baked beans with breakfast and even putting them on toast!

After we were fueled and ready for the day, Holly and I rode a train to Chester, a nearby town. Chester has charming buildings mixed with ancient Roman remains and 18 and 19th century castles and arches. It’s quite the historic melting pot. We popped into a few shops (Primark of course being one of them), including a fudge store that makes freshly made fudge daily.

Picture in front of train tracks because I thought it would be cool lol

Once we tired of the shops, we wandered around scenic paths that led us to a river embankment. It was yet another great weather day, sunny with cool gusts of wind. At this point, Holly took over the camera; so the pictures you see from here are mainly her photos. I didn’t complain because Holly always takes great photos.

We ran into a huge horserace track! However, there wasn’t anything going on.

I bought an extra suitcase at Primark to bring on the plane but I had to roll it around Chester lol

Not sure why I did this

Holly and I took whatever path we thought would lead us somewhere interesting and it was fun to be spontaneous. Eventually, we came across a long pedestrian bridge that crossed over the river. This bridge used to be covered in lovers’ locks, but Holly found out that the locks were removed by the city due to safety concerns. But, as predicted, there were already some new locks there to replace the old ones.

There I am with the suitcase again.

We then strolled through a park where families picnicked and played football (soccer). I wished we had a picnic basket full of goods and sprawled out across the soft grass and tanned. Finally, we took the train back home.

Once home, Holly’s mother whipped up some scones with cream and jam, along with a cup of tea. The scones were lovely and were just what we needed then. At one point I said to Holly, “I don’t ever want to finish eating this scone.”

Feeling a bit sleepy, Holly and I thought it was a good idea to take a nap. I never resist a nap.

After waking, we went to a carvery—a restaurant that serves a roast dinner. How it works is you choose which size plate you want, then go up to a buffet style set up and select which meat you would like carved. I opted for turkey, but they had gammon, turkey, and beef. You then served yourself some sides. They had Yorkshire pudding (which I’d never had before), stuffing, peas, carrots, green beans, cheesy cauliflower, roasted potatoes, and—the most important part—gravy.

After stuffing (get it?) ourselves with a warm meal, we headed to another open mic night, this time at a place called the Telegraph. While on the motorway on the way there, there was a beautiful sunset that I desperately tried to capture. Not sure I did it justice, though. At the open mic night, there were some of the same singers there as the pub we went to last night, yet it was a new venue. We had another fun night and returned home once everyone finished singing.

Tomorrow I’ll link some of Holly’s information so you can check out some more of her awesome photography skills!

Thanks for reading!

 

New Brighton & Cheshire Oaks

Today, Holly and I accomplished a lot, but I had such a great day. To start off, we went to New Brighton, a seaside area with plenty of fish and chips shops, large, sandy beaches, a pirate ship, and ice cream to die for.

The weather was beautiful—nice, warm, and just a few temperatures shy of what it’s like back home. It felt great to roam the beaches and feel the sea breeze. I wish it were like that in Florida year round.

While strolling along the beaches, we stumbled upon a playground pirate ship. I managed to snap a few silly photos because how can you take serious photos on a pirate ship?

Eventually our stomachs led us to a well-known restaurant, Harry Ramsden, that has fish and chips for a good price. We ordered the food as a take away and brought it to eat on a bench in front of the water. While there, we saw a few swans and I learned from Holly that it is illegal to kill a swan because Queen owns all the swans.

After devouring the fish and chips we found room for some ice cream. I had to get a signature British delicacy of a chocolate flake in my cone.

Holly and I then headed home. Holly went to teach a dance class and I rested. Once she arrived back home, we went to an outlet mall called Cheshire Oaks. I made it a priority to hit strictly British exclusive stores, like Cath Kidston and Wittard of Chelsea Tea. Again, I picked up a few too many goodies, but I don’t really have any regrets.

While shopping, we stopped for a few must-do photo opportunities.

Once we finished shopping, we ate dinner at Pizza Express, another British exclusive restaurant that I remember loving from my time studying in London. Holly and I shared a margherita pizza and dough balls.

Finally, we ended the day by going to two different pubs to meet up with some of Holly’s friends. I met some lovely people and was able to watch an open mic night that hosted some wonderful singers. I finally got to drink my Strongbow, too! I missed it very much.

Can’t wait for tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

P.S. Shoutout to Holly for being an awesome photographer!!

Holly Turns 21!

Today, Holly turned 21! Even though 21 isn’t the legal drinking age in the U.K., turning 21-years-old is actually still a big deal. Holly had visitors in and out of her home all day, giving her presents and wishing her a happy birthday.

I loved meeting some of Holly’s close friends and family and learning more about the British culture. In just a simple conversation, I can pick up the similarities and differences between our cultures and it’s quite fascinating.

I tried some new foods today! Holly’s mom laid out an incredible spread of hors d’oeuvres and dishes that changed as different party guests arrived. For instance, I tried a pickled onion flavored chip and I had my first ever “official” chicken curry. Let’s just say I definitely enjoyed the curry over the pickled onion flavored chip. It tasted similar to a Lays salt and vinegar chip, but the aftertaste in your mouth was much worse.

Holly’s family went all out with the birthday decorations

 

The weather was beautiful today: sunny, 65 degrees, crisp air, so we took advantage and sat in the garden.

The birthday festivities included all ages, the youngest being 11 months! I had a lot of fun minding and playing with the baby for a while and Holly snuck some sneaky shots of this. I even fed the baby from his bottle!

 

Holly ordered an “Instagram frame” to take with us to her party Saturday. But as you can see, it’s already being put to use!

Well, tomorrow I have a long day and I am just about falling asleep writing this.

Thanks for reading!!

Arriving in Liverpool!

After two years, I can finally say that I am back in the United Kingdom! This time, instead of studying abroad, I’m taking a step back as a student and tourist and staying with my friend Holly in Liverpool for a week!

Last summer, I met my friend, Holly, while she was working for Disney at Typhoon Lagoon for the International College Program. We’ve kept in contact and now I’m visiting her home in Wirral, U.K.! Tomorrow she turns 21 and on Saturday she’s having a Disney themed costumed birthday party!

After a surprisingly smooth eight and a half hour flight, I arrived in Manchester, England, where I then took a train to Liverpool. Holly and her mother welcomed me at the train station and we went to Holly’s home.

Sunset photo I captured about an hour after I departed Orlando.

Radio Station Tower

Outside Liverpool Lime Street Train Station

Welcome to Wirral!

After settling into my cozy space in the home’s loft, Holly’s mother made us cheese sandwiches and tea. This was exactly what I needed to increase my energy level for the remaining day. The tea and sandwiches were lovely and exemplified a proper British snack!

Holly’s welcome sign–the first thing I saw when I walked up the ladder to my loft! 

Holly and I then rode a bus to Liverpool One–a shopping center–to check out a few British shops that I was curious to check out, like Primark, New Look, and Topshop. Let’s just say I went a bit overboard on my first day of shopping. I walked out of Primark with a huge bulky paper bag that I was sure was going to tear at the handles. I may need to buy an additional small suitcase, but I’ll just take it one step at a time.

Holly snapped this photo of me inside the store River Island

Once we returned home, Holly surpassed her already exceptional hostess duties by running me a bath concocted with a blue, glittery bath bomb from Lush. Normally, I’m not a fan of baths, but Holly may have flipped my view around.

To finish up the cozy night in, we ordered a take away Nandos!! For those of you who know me, you know I am OBSESSED with Nandos. It doesn’t help that I’m deprived of Nandos in Florida.

And that concludes today’s summary of events. Tomorrow should be fun as it is Holly’s birthday!

Here’s a link to Holly’s blog. Check her out! hollyshideaway96.blogspot.co.uk

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Dublin sightseeing and Cliffs of Moher!

Sunday:

Today we got a late start. We all didn’t get out of bed until 10 a.m. By the time we got moving we had missed the free breakfast at the hostel so we decided to find a restaurant to eat breakfast at. It was rainy and cold outside and an overall miserable day. The weather made us feel sluggish so we weren’t as productive as we normally are on sightseeing days. I had to layer up and wear all of my rain gear. We went to a café where I got a traditional Irish breakfast (the vegetarian option) with tea, apple juice, and a scone (I tried putting the beans on my toast–it was good!).

Took this while waiting for the bus:

After breakfast we boarded the hop on/hop off bus to the Dublin Castle. Although this castle dates back to the 1100s, it did not resemble a castle at all. It looked modern (in terms of the 18th century). A lot of it had been redone in the 1700s so a lot of what we saw was that kind of decor. Today, the castle is used as a tourist attraction and for political matters, such as presidential inaugurations. The interior of the castle was probably my favorite out of all the castles I visited while in the UK.

    

Irish proclamation for independence from Britain:

The castle was a rather quick visit and we then took a bus to Kilmainham Goal. This is a jail used up until after the Irish rebellions in the 1920s. It was then converted into a tourist attraction in the 1960s. We had to wait in a long outside queue huddled and shivering under our umbrellas, for they could only let a certain amount of people in to buy tickets at a time. By the time we got tickets, we still had two hours until the guided tour time slot we were given. So we went upstairs and warmed up with some tea, coffee, and cake. We still had some time left so we ran over to the Guinness Storehouse to check out how that experience worked. We ran back over to Kilmainham jail just in time for our tour to start. The guide delighted in telling the group all about the history of the jail and I really enjoyed her commentary. A lot of the inmates were criminals of petty crimes, such as food theft during the potato famine of 1845, and the rest were prisoners for political reasons. We walked by cells of some famous inmates from the Easter Rising of 1916 such as Patrick Pearse, James Connelly, and Joseph Mary Plunkett. We also saw the courtyard in which they were executed for their heroic acts of fighting for the Irish Republic.

The jail’s chapel:

Next we travelled over to the Guinness Storehouse. This was an amazing experience and well worth the admission charge. Plus, you get a free pint of Guinness. It was basically a seven floor, high tech, interactive, and innovative exhibit and museum showing the process of making the world famous Guinness beer. On the fourth floor they even had the “tasting rooms,” a highly sensory experience aimed at teaching you how to taste Guinness properly. They provided small samples and I actually liked it. The woman leading the tasting experience asked if it was anyone’s first time trying the Guinness. I raised my hand so she had me ring a bell. It was a little embarrassing, but funny. We then went to the Guinness Academy, where you learned how to pour a perfect pint. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to drink a whole pint, so I was the picture taker for my friends as they poured their own pints. Even though I didn’t do it, I know how to pour one now, which can come in handy one day. We then went up to the gravity bar, a room that offers 360 views of Dublin. I decided to redeem my free pint of Guinness for a Coke (lame, I know) but the building was closing soon so I didn’t think I would be able to finish a Guinness that quick, especially since I’m not an experienced drinker.

 

Ringing the bell (sorry for the darkness):

The Guinness Academy students:

We were all starving so we set out to find somewhere to eat. Lo and behold, we found a Nandos!! It turns out last Thursday’s Nandos wasn’t my last one! I’m so glad we got to have it one last time. It was late so we went back to dorm afterwards.

Monday:

Today we said goodbye to one of our friends as she left to go back to London to meet her family. The remaining three of us then set out early in the morning because we had a coach tour booked for the Cliffs of Moher. I made sure I was really layered and ready for the cold. The bus ride to the cliffs was about two and a half hours and we stopped for breakfast at this rest stop called Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall. Supposedly a few years ago, Obama traced his ancestry and found out that his great, great grandfather was Irish and from this town. He then made a visit to the city where he went to a local pub and drank a pint of Guinness. The rest stop even had an exhibition dedicated to Obama and his Irish ancestry! It was a little bizarre, but funny at the same time.

The Cliffs of Moher were amazing. They rest right on the Atlantic Ocean, where they give way to rushing and thunderous waves. There are trails that allow you to walk right at the edge of the cliffs. We explored two different routes, where we trekked up and down stairs, up steep inclines, though mud, and muddy puddles. I’m glad I wore my rain boots, but they’re now covered in mud. Also, the wind was reckless and I felt like I was going to get blown over or blown off the cliff! At one point I turned around to take a picture of some cows, and I turned around and the cliffs were covered in a thick fog! I could no longer see the beautiful views. However, it eventually cleared after about ten minutes.

The cliffs through the fog:

 

After we left the cliffs, we stopped for a few moments at what I called the “mini cliffs.” The wind chill and wind power at this location were unlike anything I’d experienced before, especially since I’m used to Florida weather. I felt like the wind was attacking me. I was only able to snap a few photos and then headed back to the bus.

We eventually reached the city Galway. It was a cute little Irish town that was centered around a shopping street that had multiple quirky pubs and stores. The tour guide gave us a short walking tour of the city. We then separated and stopped to get some crepes. I got a banana and maple syrup one. It was nice and hot and warmed me from the cool Irish summer air. I then took a short stroll by the river that runs through the town.

Everyone then boarded the bus one final time and we headed back to Dublin. We didn’t get back until 9 p.m. and I slept the entire ride back. I actually slept every time we were on the bus. I was just so comfortable in all my comfy layers. We went back to hostel to drop some things off and printed our boarding passes for our flights the next day.

Even though the hour continued to grow late, we decided to go out to Temple Bar for some food and drink. We found this cute restaurant called Elephant and Castle that was still serving food. A lot of pubs ceased to serve food so our options were limited. I had a mushroom risotto and an Irish cider. They were both delicious.

We then headed back to the hostel and packed our belongings for we were all planning on heading out early to the airport in the morning.

Right now I am at the airport and I am about to go through security. This is my last blog post for my time abroad. I had a wonderful time in the UK and Dublin and I am so glad I decided to complete the study abroad program. Thank you to everyone that read my blog posts. I hope you enjoyed them.

Goodbye London…Hello Dublin!

I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning because our taxi was to arrive at our dorm at 6:10 sharp. I booked a taxi specifying that it need to accommodate luggage for three people, so a mini van showed up. Once we arrived at the airport, we learned that all of the systems were down at the check in and baggage drop areas, therefore there was a huge line. It took about an hour until we were able to check our bags in, where we then went to security which was another long line. Luckily we got there early enough so that we weren’t worried about missing our flight. Even with the check in delays the flight was on time. It was only an hour flight so I barely had time to sleep after getting little sleep the night before. It was British Airways which is a very nice company. They provided breakfast and tea and coffee for just an hour, intercontinental flight!

The Dublin airport was a breeze. It was quiet and there were barely anyone there. We exchanged vouchers that we printed for a ticket to a hop on/hop off sightseeing bus. The package we got included an airport shuttle to and from the city center. It was about a half hour journey to the stop closest to our hostel. Once we got off the bus, it turned out to be a straight route to the hostel, yet a really long one. It’s about a ten minute walk, but it’s much longer when you’re lugging around heavy suitcases and wearing an overstuffed backpack.

We eventually made it to the hostel and I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. The hostel is pretty big compared to the one we stayed at in Edinburgh. It almost feels like an old large home converted into a hostel. There wasn’t an elevator, but the girl at the front desk carried all of our suitcases up the stairs for us! She was really nice and told us all of the best pubs in the area. When we first arrived it wasn’t time for us to check in yet, so we dropped off our stuff and went to a cute café down the road. I got a mozzarella melt. It was so good!

When we got back from lunch we checked in and settled into our room. The room is a pretty decent size that contains a set of bunkbeds and a queen sized bed for the four of us. The bathroom isn’t bad either. All in all, I’m happy with the hostel so far.

We then set out to explore Dublin. We went straight to Trinity College because the front desk girl told us it’s best to go there when it’s not raining and today is the only day that we don’t anticipate rain. The campus was beautiful, with buildings from the 1700s. A lot of well known academics went there such as Oscar Wilde. We took a tour of the campus and learned about the history. The tour was led by a student guide so it was cool to hear about the campus from a student perspective. After the tour we went into the Old Library where the Book of Kells is held. We walked through an exhibit and then got to see the original books. It was fascinating to admire the smallest of details and artistry put into these illuminated manuscripts.

The campus:

The Old Library (photos weren’t allowed in the Book of Kells exhibit):

After our visit to Trinity college, we decided to ride the sightseeing bus tour around the entire city route in order to get a feel for the city. By the end of the hour and a half long route we were all feeling extremely tired and hungry so we unboarded the bus with food on our minds. We went to a pizza place called La Pizza that had a rather enticing dinner special going on. The special included an 8-inch pizza with two toppings, fries, a side salad, coleslaw, and a drink for one euro extra. It was a pretty good deal and we walked away feeling satisfied.

Photos from the sightseeing bus:

The President of Ireland’s house (kind of looks like the White House):

Only in Ireland:

We all decided to call it an early night since we all had early starts to our days with little to no sleep. Tomorrow we will use the bus tour again to visit all the main sights on our list.

Last full day in London

Today was the perfect last day in London. I finally got to experience the typical London day that so many people have described to me. It was consistently raining throughout the day, but I was prepared with my rain boots, rain jacket, and umbrella, so it wasn’t that bad. However, I’m grateful that pretty much every day I was here was either sunny or cloudy with no rain. Other than today, I probably used my umbrella once.

I started my day at Pret with a friend where I got a hot earl grey tea in the chilly, rainy weather. We walked over to Waitrose because there was a sale on Cadbury chocolate (it’s like Waitrose knew I was leaving) and I needed to buy a ton to bring back with me. I left my friend and went to a comic book store. It was the first time I travelled by myself. I’m really confident when it comes to the Tube and I knew where I was going, but it was strange traveling by myself. I was in the comic book store for quite a long time because I was searching for a comic book that was specifically made for the UK. Pretty much all the comics they have are American, with the prices in dollars and everything. They simply stick a sticker on the book to mark the price in pounds. After asking the associates for help multiple times and a long phone call to my dad (sorry for waking you up at 6 a.m. your time) I finally found some 1970s comic book magazines that were uniquely make in the UK.

I then met up with my friends where we headed to Leather Lane Market, like we did last Friday, to go to the food stand Grill My Cheese. We were worried that Grill My Cheese wouldn’t be at the market because of the weather, but to our utter joy, Grill My Cheese was there despite the annoying rain. I got the same sandwich as last time, the Mac Attack.

My victory pose after we traveled through the rain and puddles to get our grilled cheese sandwiches.

I went back to the dorm for a couple hours to pack and finish my assignments. I ended up finishing all of it and now I just have to do my two final exams and two papers, but I’ve got time on those.

The faculty of the program organized a farewell Afternoon Tea session so a few friends and I went to that in the evening. It was held at a community center and we all had to huddle into a small preschool classroom because of the rain. Normally it would have been outdoors, but we all would have got soaked. However, it was still a nice time. Supposedly the company that catered our tea catered tea for the Queen in the same location a few years back. The Queen’s event was intended to create awareness for the school center in order to attract donors. The food selection and tea were perfect. It was all served on gold rimmed fine china by some very nice butlers. There were an assortment of cakes, scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches, and of course tea. The tea was nice on a rainy day; it was light and smooth and I didn’t have to put any additives into it. Our program director gave a farewell speech and thanked all of us for attending the first USF in London program. It was a lovely afternoon.

It was still pretty early in the evening so I went back to the dorm and finished up packing. My friends and I then went out for some last night drinks at a traditional pub that’s right around the corner from our dorms. It’s called the Skinners Arms. Interesting name, I know. There were a lot of people in the pub and it had a lively and warm atmosphere. We were able to find a small table where we enjoyed our beers or ciders. It was the perfect way to celebrate and end such a great month in London and it was hard for me to say goodbye to the wonderful friends I made here.

Tomorrow I leave for the airport at 6 a.m. to catch my flight to Dublin! I’ll be staying there with a few friends for three nights, where I will then fly home on Tuesday. Can’t wait!