Back to America

Even though my journey in the UK and Europe is over, I still miss it a lot. I have had to tell the my favorite place to travel to a million (maybe not exactly a million) people and every time I think of another event that could be my favorite. People who haven't spent considerable time abroad do not really understand how much you miss it. It really is hard to put what I felt while I was there into words. It was the experience of a lifetime. I made great friends, traveled to six different countries, had 36 different beers, and got to do things that I never thought I would do.

 My new puppy Oscar

 Marshall walking across the stage

My new Haircut!

Other than remembering all of the great times that I had in the UK, my life back in the US is pretty normal (so far). I start my summer job on Thursday (24 May) working for family friends. I got the puppy that I found online (My parents are amazing). I went to Evansville to see my best friend graduate from UE, I saw my little brother graduate from Coweta HS, my grandparents visited, and I have slept in almost everyday. My summer is going to be great. I am looking forward to working, and going on a mission trip to KY. I am also doing a 5k in June with my brother and my best friend. I hope to have great pictures of that. Enough ramblings for the day. See ya later

xx
liz

Time to pack?!?

Hello, 

I cannot believe that I have already been here for 99 days and my finals few days are coming way to quickly. It has been the most amazing experience of my life. I got to travel Europe and the UK. I learned a lot about British history, myself and being on my own. I will never be able to forget this. I encourage everyone to study abroad now. It really does show you the world. We had our last day of classes today (Thursday), then a dinner to celebrate our time being here. It was great to be surrounded by people who have shared the same experiences with me. I even signed the wall to leave my mark at Harlaxton for future people to see. 

My name on the wall in the Bistro

Looking back at my time at Harlaxton I have learned so much about myself. This really made me grow into a more independent person. While it is hard to put everything I learned into a list here are some of the BIG things that I learned...

1.  I didn't need to pack my WHOLE closet. While I didn't really pack my whole closest there was things that I didn't even wear this semester. It would certainly make packing up easier.
2. I CAN travel on my own. I took me awhile to be confidant of this, but I can now navigate London with just a map. I am no longer afraid of the tube system. I know how to book a train, make travel arrangements, get a hostel and get through security at an airport with no problem at all. Travel by myself (granted with a few friends) doesn't scare me anymore. 
3. I am not afraid to try new things. Sounds cliche but I will try a new food when I am in a different country. Most of the time I stuck with what I knew was going to be good, but I did try new things. 
4. Get involved. I know this is cliche as well, but when I came to Harlaxton, I didn't want to get TOO involved because I thought that I was going to be traveling all the time. Granted I traveled a lot, but the groups on campus really do work around the weekend schedule. I made amazing friends because I made the choice to get involved. 

While this list is not complete, it diffidently shows the major things that I have learned. This semester was amazing. I learned a lot about myself and about British culture. I am going to miss this place they call Harlaxton. My adventure in England is not done yet, but is coming to an end. I still have finals to conquer as well as London with my Nana.

Good bye for now

Liz

Only Three weeks left of School

Hello,

I can't believe that I will be going home in about three weeks. This has been amazing experience and I would not change anything that has happened this semester. I have learned a lot and become a more independent person. As the semester is winding down we took a field trip to London and had a costume ball. Our field trip to London included a trip around St. Paul Cathedral and the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery. I really enjoyed the trip. After the field trip we had time to explore London. My group decided to try and see a play that didn't work, so I saw movie instead. We saw, This Means War. It was a great Romantic Comedy. We had a great time. Enjoy the few pictures that I took this weekend.

At Trafalgar Square

We also had the costume ball for the school. It was a lot of fun to dress up in a costume and then dance the night away. I dressed up as Boo from Monsters Inc. It was just so much fun to just have fun with my friends as the semester winds down. It was a highlight of the semester. Oh, I also won the Easter gift Basket. This truly has been an amazing semester.

My gift basket that I won

Boo!

Everyone dancing, and being all dressed up as different people.

I was recently asked to view a blog for Cancer awareness. It means a lot to me to support the people for a fighting against something horrible in their lives. If you are reading this could you please take a moment and look at there blog and say a little prayer for support as these people fight for their lives against Cancer. The Link is http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/ .

xoxo and see everyone soon

Liz

An Epic Failure Everyday, but Still Wonderful

My last big trip is over. It is really sad to think that I will be home in less than 1 month. I am now at the end of this wonderful learning experience. It has really taught me a lot of things. Enough of that. I just returned from Paris. I didn't realize that there was SO much to do. I thought that It would be easy to tackle Paris in 4 days. Haha not true. Everyday we had something go wrong, but the trip was still wonderful. We left London on Wednesday afternoon. After arriving in Paris and getting to our Hotel, we took a "short 15 minute walk" to the Eiffel Tower, the reality was that our walk was really about 45 minutes. It was great to see the Eiffel Tower at night. We found a Crepe Stand I had a Nutella crepe. Amazing. We then spent about an hour sitting at the tower and talking. We then bought a single ticket to ride the Metro back to our hotel. It was a really good day!

Crepe in front of the Eiffel Tower

On Thursday, I started our day at the Louvre. We where supposed to meet our friend Susanne at the Entrance, little did we realize that there was TWO entrances. oops. we waited for 30 minutes then decided to go ahead and go inside. We did send search parties to try and find Susanne. I saw the Mona Lisa. I can also say that I got lost in the Louvre. We walked around the Egyptian exhibit and couldn't find the exit. It was still a good adventure. Our next stop was Lunch. We wanted to test the theory the McDonalds or McDo sells wine with their meals. It is not true. After lunch my friend Shelby and I where going to go to some other Museums but Susanne got a hold of us so we met up with her and had wine and crème brûlée. We then Headed to the Arc de Triomphe. We wanted to go to the top but the workers where on strike that day. We then headed back to the Hotel to meet up for dinner with Liz and Jordan. I had cheese bread and kier. It was a great second day problems and all.

At the Louvre

Mona Lisa

Wine and crème brûlée

Arc de Triomphe

Dinner

Day three started with a trip to Notre Dame, which was breath-taking. It was so pretty! I was going to go to Mass but that didn't happen due to timing issues. We then proceeded to find a Lock Bridge and Shelby and I placed a Lock in honor of our sisterhood. We then went back to the Eiffel Tower to try and go up to the top but the line was SUPER long so we got more crepes and set in the grass beside the tower. We ended up playing Rummy for over 2 hours. Not realizing that we still had a BUNCH to do. We then headed out to Sacré Cœur to see the chapel there. It was great! Our original plan was to do this all before lunch and then Shelby and I where going to go out to Versailles. We did not go because at this point it was almost 6 pm. Even though I didn't get to go I still loved ever single minute of that day. After we had dinner we went back to the Eiffel Tower and bought Tickets to climb 670 stairs and then take a lift to the third level. It was totally worth every step. The city was amazing at night. We also had Champagne at the top!

Notre Dame

Placing our Lock

Lunch at the Eiffel Tower

playing cards

sisters!

Sacré Cœur

at the top looking over the city

Day 4 was filled with a trip to Disneyland Paris with Jordan and Shelby. It is very similar to both in the US. My favorite part of the day was only waiting 5 minutes to ride Space Mountain. We planned to do everything in Dinseyland and then Park hop (since we had a two park pass) around dinner. We where getting ready to leave the park when we asked if we could get into the other one and the lady said it closed at 7pm (it was close to 8:30 at this time). We where kinda disappointed because we wanted to ride Tower of Terror. We got to do everything that we wanted to do though. It was great. We had a great time at Disney. It was so cool to go to one where English is not listed first. Around 9pm we decided to beat the crowds to the RER line and left the park. It was a lot of fun!

Disney!

Space Mountain.

Sunday we planned on going to Mass at Norte Dame, but because of times that we had to leave Paris we did not get to go. It was still an amazing trip. I was so tired. I also learned that there is a lot to do in some cities and you have to be flexible when it comes to travel. Things are not always going to work out. Paris was a wonderful trip and I will never forget the memories that I have mad this semester.

Another thing, I learned that my Great-Grandmother passed away on Thursday (March 22). I will not be flying home to attend her funeral, but I wish that I could be with my family right now. Another side note I am now the proud sister of an Eagle Scout.

xoxo

liz

Arbeit Macht Frei

Another weekend down, only 7 left.

This weekend was filled with a trip to another country. I went to Krakow Poland. Which was amazing. First we celebrated Jordan (my host sister) and Aaron's (my host dad) birthdays. Also Jordan's family came into town so we had tea with the family. It was wonderful and I have such a great host family.

Our Tea time meal

Krakow, Poland. Where do I begin? This was the trip of a lifetime for me. Words do not really describe how I felt the whole weekend. I loved every single moment of it. I would love to go back and spend some more time visiting other sites in Krakow. I spent most of the day Saturday at Auschwitz and Birkenau. Being in a place of so much history was absolutely one of the best moments of my life. I don't really know words to describe how I felt being there. I guess the feeling that I have is relieved as well informed. I always thought that Auschwitz-Birkenau was two separate concentration camps but really it was one complex. I learned so much and will never forget the experience that I had there. While I want to write more about Auschwitz-Birkenau I just can't find the right words to describe it (sorry). I also wanted to take more pictures but could not do that. This is basically the extent of the pictures that I have because I just couldn't take pictures in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I also got to have traditional Polish food while in Krakow. It was great and I loved trying new things. I also enjoyed walking around the Grand Market and walking through the Cloth Hall. I loved the atmosphere and want to go back to Krakow sometime soon. Also I will book the Hostel for the right nights. On this trip I booked my hostel for the wrong two nights, so I ended up paying for three nights and only staying for two (oops). It all worked out in the end. Wandering around the streets at night is a little sketchy and I would not do it unless you absolutely need to. Over all I enjoyed the City and I want to go back. Enjoy the Pictures that I did take :)

Sign over the Entrance to Auschwitz- "Work Makes (you) Free"

Barb wire fences

Cyclone B-used in the gas chambers to kill prisoners

Eye glasses Display

Guard tower

Cattle Car that held up to 100 people at a time

Looking down the tracks at the entrance to Auschwitz II (Birkenau)

Ruins of the crematoria at Birkenau.

Women's bunks that up to 3 people slept in

My pierogis

Polish Zloti

I am not doing anything next weekend (finish up homework?) and then I am going to Paris!!! I am so excited for that trip. I have always dreamed of going to Paris. I think that it is going to be amazing because I am going with a Phi Mu sister!! Until the next post (should be soon)..

Much Love

liz

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!

Another weekend in the books. This weekend was filled with different activities. We did not have classes on Friday so my sister and I volunteered to cook for our host family. We went to ASDA and got all of the supplies needed after some confusion on the conversions. After all that was sorted out we proceeded to head to there house and cook dinner for them. Our menu consisted of Tater-tot casserole, pineapple souffle, green beans and derby pie for dessert. I think that we did a pretty awesome job and it was really yummy. Here are some pictures from the night and some other visits as well.

Kate feeding the boys (Sam and Danny) Derby Pie, it was a home run with them :)

Playing with Sam one afternoon. I am currently being buried under cushions

Our meal that we cooked

On Saturday we travel to Lincoln again. This time it was purely for fun. We met up with some of our British mates and had lunch at a restaurant called Nando's. It was a chicken restaurant. It was super good and a really nice change from the food at Harlaxton. We then wandered around Lincoln before catching the last shuttle back to Grantham. I am so happy that I have made friends while living in England. Also it was a terrible night for the UE family. The Theatre department as well as the school community lost a student. Please keep the family of Evan Nasky in your thoughts and prayers as well as the whole student body.

Our group that went to Lincoln

Sunday was a typical English day, but despite the weather, my friend Hayley and I trekked though it to go see Fulham and the Wolves play. It was a 5-0 game with Fulham winning. We had great seats and got to see Clint Dempsey (a fellow American) score 2 goals. I was watching highlights and I can be seen at the 0:21 mark in this video (I am like half crouching/standing behind the guy in the blue hoodie). It was so much fun. We had a wonderful time and it was a blast to go to. I want to go watch another game soooo bad. Seeing this game was something that I can cross off my bucket list. Enjoy the Pictures!!

Hayley and Me at the game

literally not zoomed in. This was how close we where to the field!

Clint at the end of the game!

We won!!

I have classes this week and then I am off to Poland! I am so excited to go since this is another bucket place list.

Much love

-xx-

liz

Field Trips...What??

I'm in college and I get to take field trips. Yes that statement is true. Today we took a field trip to Southwell Workhouse and toured the Manor. Yes I know touring the Manor that I live in?? It was to see how the Manor is very Victorian in the layout and how the house functioned. It was interesting to see this division. I guess I knew that it existed but to actually see it and realize that this happened was a WHOLE different thing. The Southwell workhouse also correlated to what we are studying in British Studies. The workhouse was separated into men and women oh and children had there own wing. The whole idea behind the workhouse was to strip the identity of the people who came to work to try and convince them to find a job. The jobs at the workhouse where tasks that would keep people occupied not really jobs that had any meaning or value to them. If you where able bodied then you worked. They also trained the children to try and get jobs in country manor homes, so that they could live in a better place. I think that i would want to work in a Manor house. I just think that it is cool that I am in college and I get to take field trips.

-xx-

liz