Catching up

Oh my goodness. I'm so frustrated with this internet. I have been trying and trying to type this stupid blog for about about two hours now and every time I click publish, it gets deleted!!!

I'm going to try and post pictures in a separate post because I think that's what slowing this process down.

Ok, let's glance at the past few weeks of my journey here in London:

Three weekends ago: My class took a trip to Canterbury and Dover. Nothing too interesting to really tell you about it, most of it was history that I can't remember :( (But, I thought it was super cool at the time!!!) I got to see churches, castles, the English countryside, and the infamous white cliffs of Dover:) It was pretty excellent...mostly a picture-taking opportunity. We woke up pretty early and took a coach out to Canterbury. Our tour guide, Sean, told us awesome stories that obviously didn't stick...but I was pretty tired. Like I said, the sites were BEAUTIFUL.

Two Wednesdays ago: My class took a trip to Parliament!!! YAAAY. I felt giddy once I stepped inside the building. My heart started pumping quickly and my pulse sped up. It was a nerd-overload. The building has so much history (it has been around since Queen Victoria's reign) and is STILL functioning. WAY cool!!! We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but I will relish the photographic images I took with my brain....haha. Seriously, it was worth every pound I spent. And there is an awesome park outside Parliament with statues of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, and one of the only statue of a standing Abe Lincoln. Way to go, Brits!

Last weekend: Nothing but work really. Aaron and I went to Notting Hill to the Portobello Road Market on Saturday morning....it was chaos. But, tremendous. I bought a camera! One just like the one that my mom uses for her photography! (A Canon AE1)....its really awesome. I have already taken a whole roll of film. Later that day, Aaron and I met Natalie for tea at a cupcakery!! It was so filling...but delicious. Come to think of it, Saturday was a GREAT day for food...and my stomach. The cupcakery, Bea's, gave us a brownie, scone, crumpet, blondies, jam, clotted cream, a cupcake, and tea (of course!)....so so so mouth-watering...and a serious sugar overload. On Sunday, more homework...but Aaron, Natalie and I rewarded ourselves for our productiveness with fish and chips from a local place called Rock N' Sole Plaice. We walked in and immediately heard Turkish. It was the best combination of my two favorite cultures! (It turns out a Turkish family runs the place). The fish and chips were well-worth every penny. They were salty, hot, and crispy. Yummmmm.

Thursday/Friday: Workworkwork and too much coffee...

This weekend: I took a trip to Wales!!!! Part of my program went to an Ecolodge called Perseli near the coast in Wales. After two long train rides, we were picked up in a small Welsh town by a staff member (from Perseli) named Libby. She greeted up so warmly, I knew it was a good predictor of the rest of the weekend. My suspicions were confirmed when we actually arrived at the lodge and we were given the absolutely BEST vegetarian lasagne.

In the early morning, after a full breakfast, we went kayaking! I got to wear a wetsuit (I've never done that before!) and enjoy the coastline...we even saw seal pups! After lunch, my group went on a seven mile hike along a trail that followed the coastline. We walked through fields with sheep, cows, and plenty of wildflowers (I made a flower crown!) It was so relaxing....even though it was seven miles. That night the staff made a bonfire for us, and we got to eat dinner enjoy hot chocolate outside :)

The next morning, my group went "coasteering", which is a combination of swimming, rock climbing, and cliff jumping. IT WAS AWESOME. Very cold, but awesome. I was climbing on cliffs, swimming in the freezing Atlantic, watching seals play in the water, and jumping off rocks. It was a little bit outside of my comfort zone, but definitely worth it. Sadly, then I had to ride THREE trains back to London...only to have to confront more homework.

Anyway, that catches me up. I promise to do better! I'm going to Paris on Wednesday for five days and four nights, so I should have plenty to write about when I get back. I promise to try and post pictures before I leave. This internet is driving me CRAZY.

Sidenote: I got an assistant director for my Model UN committee that I have been working so diligently working on. She seems really awesome and I can't wait to meet her. YAAAAY. And check out my committees: http://www.imuna.org/committees.asp?cID=2&p=nhsmun