November 27, 2008 - the fourth Thursday of November - 3 more days left in November - less than a month left until Christmas - Oh! And it's Thanksgiving!
My, my has time flown by. I can't believe it's Thanksgiving. Yes, the time has traveled quickly, but I more or less can't believe it's Thanksgiving because I'm typing this from my desk at work.
Last night, I spent my evening peeling, coring, and slicing apples for my first attempt at a purely made-from-scratch and made from my own recipe apple crisp. I spent just over 2 1/2 hours on this dish. It has been quite an adventure for me since signing up to bring dessert to the Intern Thanksgiving celebration. Assuming I'd be able to find a can of pumpkin puree' at the local market, I volunteered to make a homemade pumpkin pie for the celebration. After searching markets in Cardiff, Swansea and even London, I was left pumpkinless.
I spoke with my mom last night, boasting my success on an absolutely incredible apple crisp. I could hear the disappointment in her voice as she uttered, 'I miss you,' and hung up the phone.
Thanksgiving is, as it is in most familes, one of the largest and most important holidays. Everyone is typically around on Thanksgiving. For the most part, cousins that are married are with our family for Thanksgiving and are with their spouse's family for Christmas. This is the holiday that we all get together, eat in the early afternoon and spend the rest of the evening in a food coma, watching movies, playing games and drawing names for the Christmas secret Santa exchange. It's the holiday where my cousin takes out the good dinnerware and we eat in the dining room instead of at the kitchen table. It's the holiday where we go to bed early that night so we can get up early to help the retail world move into the black on Black Friday.
Although I'd rather be spending this holiday with my family and friends in good old Ohio, this isn't the last place I'd want to be. The shared feeling of homesickness is present in all of us, at least for today. I'm rather excited to eat turkey...even if it wasn't prepared by a relative.
So what am I thankful for? I'm thankful for the opportunities I've been given here; the things I've seen; the places I've visited; the friendships I've made; the friendships I've maintained; the family that I have and love; and this meal I'm just a few short hours away from eating.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope your day is truly blessed!
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Monday, 24 November 2008
It's amazing how much the weather changes things
This past weekend, I went back to London. After my trip prior, I vowed not to waste my time returning to London, as I was appalled by the wind and rain that ruined two pairs of shoes and left me feeling cold and dirty.
However, Marie, a friend from high school who is studying in Italy, flew out to London with some mates from her program for the weekend. Obviously, I was not going to miss out on seeing her in a foreign city and I quickly searched train timetables and started a countdown on my Facebook status.
I woke up early on Saturday morning and dashed to the Cardiff train station to make the 8:25 train that would bring me into Paddington around 10:30. I was set to meet Marie and her friends in Piccadilly Circus at 11 and caught the Bakerloo line just in time to meet them outside of the station. We grabbed some coffee since they've been deprived in Italy and headed off toward Buckingham Palace.
We walked through Green Park and saw some of the largest pelicans I have ever seen.
We eventually made it to Buckingham, and because the skies were clear and the weather was delightful, I could see Big Ben peaking up through the trees.
We walked back past the park and headed towards Westminster Abbey and Parliament to get a better, more close up shot of Big Ben. The skies were so blue and beautiful that Ben's toffee color contrasted beautifully.
The sun set while we were on the train heading for the St. John's Wood Underground stop to walk the short walk to the legendary Abbey Road crosswalk where The Beatles crossed to get to their Abbey Road recording studio. We stopped traffic to walk in Paul's bare footsteps and smiled as we imagined George, Ringo, John and Paul walking back and forth every day.
I made plans to meet up with Toby, a friend from camp, later in the evening so we made the trek back toward King's Cross to meet him for a drink. We crossed the footbridge near the London Eye to take some photos of the River Thames and the London sky in the dark.
We met up with Toby around 8:15 for drinks at a little pub in Covent Gardens. I met his girlfriend Alexa and we all giggled and chatted about the beautiful weather in London that day. I had to leave just after 9pm to catch the Tube back to Paddington to make the last train back to Cardiff at 10. Proved to be one of the best daytrips I've taken while I've been here and I'm so glad that I was able to have a good taste of London, rather than a rainy and windy one.
Sunday, Dianne and I woke up early to catch a train to Swansea for the day. We'd heard much about the beauty of the beaches there and wanted to experience them firsthand. Praying hard for bearable weather, we grabbed the slow train to Swansea and made it there just after 12. Swansea's train station was about a 15 minute walk from the city centre so we headed down to the centre to look for the bus station. We grabbed a bus to Mumbles, the birthplace of Catherine Zeta Jones and were taken aback by the beauty of the coastline.
The water was choppy and chilly and the smell of saltwater danced through the air. I smiled as I realized that this was the same ocean that touched the States. It excited me to think that this was the final angle I needed to see the Atlantic from.
The wind picked up and a dark cloud came over the top of the mountains. Dianne and I ducked into a waterfront cafe' and grabbed a tea and some cake while the short rainstorm passed over the area. We walked back outside to find a rainbow diving into the water.
We kept walking toward a pier we saw off in the distance and found a small, secluded beach set at the end of a giant cliff. The waves crashed onto the sand and water sprayed, stinging my windburnt face just a bit.
We noticed several paths heading up to the top of the cliff. We climbed to the top, unsure of what we'd see to the other side. We looked out over the ocean and looked down on another beach.
We climbed down to go look around at the beach. The view was breathtaking. I was standing in a Utopia. My own little slice of Heaven on Earth. The chilly wind blowing through my hair, the icy water splashing onto my shoes. A perfect world of blue skies, turquoise water and deafening wind. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, filling my lungs with the pure, cold air. I snapped back to reality as Dianne stumbled on some stones a few feet away.
***
The trips this weekend made me realize how much I'm going to miss it here. The beauty. The purity. The culture. The life.
However, Marie, a friend from high school who is studying in Italy, flew out to London with some mates from her program for the weekend. Obviously, I was not going to miss out on seeing her in a foreign city and I quickly searched train timetables and started a countdown on my Facebook status.
I woke up early on Saturday morning and dashed to the Cardiff train station to make the 8:25 train that would bring me into Paddington around 10:30. I was set to meet Marie and her friends in Piccadilly Circus at 11 and caught the Bakerloo line just in time to meet them outside of the station. We grabbed some coffee since they've been deprived in Italy and headed off toward Buckingham Palace.
We walked through Green Park and saw some of the largest pelicans I have ever seen.
We eventually made it to Buckingham, and because the skies were clear and the weather was delightful, I could see Big Ben peaking up through the trees.
We walked back past the park and headed towards Westminster Abbey and Parliament to get a better, more close up shot of Big Ben. The skies were so blue and beautiful that Ben's toffee color contrasted beautifully.
The sun set while we were on the train heading for the St. John's Wood Underground stop to walk the short walk to the legendary Abbey Road crosswalk where The Beatles crossed to get to their Abbey Road recording studio. We stopped traffic to walk in Paul's bare footsteps and smiled as we imagined George, Ringo, John and Paul walking back and forth every day.
I made plans to meet up with Toby, a friend from camp, later in the evening so we made the trek back toward King's Cross to meet him for a drink. We crossed the footbridge near the London Eye to take some photos of the River Thames and the London sky in the dark.We met up with Toby around 8:15 for drinks at a little pub in Covent Gardens. I met his girlfriend Alexa and we all giggled and chatted about the beautiful weather in London that day. I had to leave just after 9pm to catch the Tube back to Paddington to make the last train back to Cardiff at 10. Proved to be one of the best daytrips I've taken while I've been here and I'm so glad that I was able to have a good taste of London, rather than a rainy and windy one.
Sunday, Dianne and I woke up early to catch a train to Swansea for the day. We'd heard much about the beauty of the beaches there and wanted to experience them firsthand. Praying hard for bearable weather, we grabbed the slow train to Swansea and made it there just after 12. Swansea's train station was about a 15 minute walk from the city centre so we headed down to the centre to look for the bus station. We grabbed a bus to Mumbles, the birthplace of Catherine Zeta Jones and were taken aback by the beauty of the coastline.
The water was choppy and chilly and the smell of saltwater danced through the air. I smiled as I realized that this was the same ocean that touched the States. It excited me to think that this was the final angle I needed to see the Atlantic from.
The wind picked up and a dark cloud came over the top of the mountains. Dianne and I ducked into a waterfront cafe' and grabbed a tea and some cake while the short rainstorm passed over the area. We walked back outside to find a rainbow diving into the water.
We kept walking toward a pier we saw off in the distance and found a small, secluded beach set at the end of a giant cliff. The waves crashed onto the sand and water sprayed, stinging my windburnt face just a bit.
We noticed several paths heading up to the top of the cliff. We climbed to the top, unsure of what we'd see to the other side. We looked out over the ocean and looked down on another beach.
We climbed down to go look around at the beach. The view was breathtaking. I was standing in a Utopia. My own little slice of Heaven on Earth. The chilly wind blowing through my hair, the icy water splashing onto my shoes. A perfect world of blue skies, turquoise water and deafening wind. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, filling my lungs with the pure, cold air. I snapped back to reality as Dianne stumbled on some stones a few feet away.***
The trips this weekend made me realize how much I'm going to miss it here. The beauty. The purity. The culture. The life.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Why I love being a Bobcat...
Here I am, on the home stretch. I've come to realize a few things since my last post. Yes, I really am going to miss it here. Plain and simple. I'm going to miss my friends, my job, my apartment. I'm going to miss the tea, the Welsh cakes and the quick and (basically) easy travel. But oh how much I can't wait to get back to Athens.
I spent much of my day today rekindling some of my favorite YouTube videos through the use of My Favorites on my own YouTube account. I found the video shot from a dorm on South Green during a ridiculous lightning storm my sophomore year. I can remember watching the same lightning storm with Kelsey and Rachel out the window of our Scott Quad triple and seeing the electric bolt hit just a few hundred feet from our window. We nearly peed our pants.
I came across some videos of the OZONE doing chants at basketball games. And my personal favorite, I came across one I remember happening during MillFest last year - some idiot riding a razor scooter down the road and flipping into a blow up pool.
I then decided to search videos tagged with Ohio University to kind of keep up with what some of my fellow students have been up to while I've been gone. I came across many videos from this year's Halloween celebration (as expected) and I came across videos of the event my friends couldn't stop talking about - the Oaktoberfest 2008 street fires.
Now let me preface this by saying that my friends are not a bunch of arsonists and are not responsible for these fires - they just happen to live on the street. While some may find my friends to be rather irresponsible and stupid, I find them quite interesting. I can't say what I would have done had I been present for these fires, but I will say I wouldn't have reacted in the same way as a couple of idiots, caught on video, did by trying to jump through the 8 foot high flames. Please do not assume these morons are my friends and please do not assume I would ever be THIS stupid.
Aside from those videos of my fellow students being complete and total idiots, I discovered a couple that had been put together to mock the NBA's "Where Amazing Happens" commercials. I will not tell a lie, a tear came to my eye. As a near-graduation senior, I can't help but be sentimental about EVERYTHING that I've experienced while at Ohio University.
I can remember trying to make the choice between Ohio University and Ohio State University. I had already made plans to be a Buckeye - and then the acceptance letter from Scripps came in the mail. I took it as a sign from God that I was going to graduate a Bobcat. And to be completely honest, I thank God every day for that letter. Had it come a day later, the title of this blog would be 'Why I love being a Buckeye...' and I'd talk mostly about jumping into Mirror Lake, football and staying so close with high school friends.
I am so proud to be a Bobcat for all of the above reasons. I'm proud to call people who cheat death through their alcohol consumption, crazy antics and drunken shenanigans my best friends, acquaintances and classmates. I'm proud of everything Athens has to offer and everything that Athens doesn't have to offer. If I walk into an interview later on down the road and they say, 'Oh, you went to OU. That's quite the party school.' I'll say, 'Yes. Yes it is,' and keep my head held high. I will NEVER be ashamed to be a Bobcat and I'll never let anyone from the outside try to degrade my intelligence and dedication because I learned how to handle my booze while I was in school.
I have made the best friends, the greatest connections and had the best time - all thanks to Ohio University.
I spent much of my day today rekindling some of my favorite YouTube videos through the use of My Favorites on my own YouTube account. I found the video shot from a dorm on South Green during a ridiculous lightning storm my sophomore year. I can remember watching the same lightning storm with Kelsey and Rachel out the window of our Scott Quad triple and seeing the electric bolt hit just a few hundred feet from our window. We nearly peed our pants.
I came across some videos of the OZONE doing chants at basketball games. And my personal favorite, I came across one I remember happening during MillFest last year - some idiot riding a razor scooter down the road and flipping into a blow up pool.
I then decided to search videos tagged with Ohio University to kind of keep up with what some of my fellow students have been up to while I've been gone. I came across many videos from this year's Halloween celebration (as expected) and I came across videos of the event my friends couldn't stop talking about - the Oaktoberfest 2008 street fires.
Now let me preface this by saying that my friends are not a bunch of arsonists and are not responsible for these fires - they just happen to live on the street. While some may find my friends to be rather irresponsible and stupid, I find them quite interesting. I can't say what I would have done had I been present for these fires, but I will say I wouldn't have reacted in the same way as a couple of idiots, caught on video, did by trying to jump through the 8 foot high flames. Please do not assume these morons are my friends and please do not assume I would ever be THIS stupid.
Aside from those videos of my fellow students being complete and total idiots, I discovered a couple that had been put together to mock the NBA's "Where Amazing Happens" commercials. I will not tell a lie, a tear came to my eye. As a near-graduation senior, I can't help but be sentimental about EVERYTHING that I've experienced while at Ohio University.
I can remember trying to make the choice between Ohio University and Ohio State University. I had already made plans to be a Buckeye - and then the acceptance letter from Scripps came in the mail. I took it as a sign from God that I was going to graduate a Bobcat. And to be completely honest, I thank God every day for that letter. Had it come a day later, the title of this blog would be 'Why I love being a Buckeye...' and I'd talk mostly about jumping into Mirror Lake, football and staying so close with high school friends.
I am so proud to be a Bobcat for all of the above reasons. I'm proud to call people who cheat death through their alcohol consumption, crazy antics and drunken shenanigans my best friends, acquaintances and classmates. I'm proud of everything Athens has to offer and everything that Athens doesn't have to offer. If I walk into an interview later on down the road and they say, 'Oh, you went to OU. That's quite the party school.' I'll say, 'Yes. Yes it is,' and keep my head held high. I will NEVER be ashamed to be a Bobcat and I'll never let anyone from the outside try to degrade my intelligence and dedication because I learned how to handle my booze while I was in school.
I have made the best friends, the greatest connections and had the best time - all thanks to Ohio University.
Friday, 14 November 2008
A month from today...
A month from today, I will be boarding a plane.
A month from today, I will have officially been away from home for 3 months and 5 days.
A month from today, I will be jumping into the arms of my parents, who will probably cry and hug me at the same time because they missed me too much to take turns.
A month from today, I will be happy.
A month from today, I will be sad.
A month from today, I'll sit next to three more strangers, all with different stories and destinations.
***
It's so interesting to look back on the last 2 months and think about my experience. I've made so many mistakes here, some I'm too embarrassed to even publicly admit, and some that were just silly. I've met so many people from so many walks of life. I've been on TV, on the radio, in newspapers. I've travelled to places that most people can only dream about travelling to. I've taken beautiful pictures and taken everything in the best I can.
Two months ago, when I was waiting for a connecting flight in the Amsterdam airport at 6am, a gentleman took a seat next to me in a pretty sparsley populated terminal. After exchanging stories and company, we parted ways, thinking we'd never see one another again. I exercised my amazing Facebook stalking skills and found him. After exchanging numbers, we agreed to meet for coffee and have spent at least one evening a week together since. Two months ago, I met the guy who has been my closest friend and breath of fresh air here. We laugh about it all the time, watching TV together, about how we met on a plane. How cliche'. How surreal. How perfect. Of course we'll miss eachother when I go back, but we know we can't spend the next month dwelling on it. We've got 30 more days to be ourselves, being just as mean and silly to each other as we have been since we met.
Two months ago, I walked into a quiet office to meet my boss (so weird to call her that). After about 5 minutes of gossiping, we realized how much it is that we have in common and I've never looked back. We've developed a communication mechanism that is secret to anyone else and invisible to the naked eye. We've talked about the tough stuff and our love for Britney Spears. We've laughed and we've cried. And after the passing of her father, I remembered what it was like to be sympathetic and available to a friend who has just lost something so important. It feels good to know that I've made such a great friend in Rhi. I will miss her at home just like I missed my friends from home while I've been here.
Two months ago, I moved into a "flat", terrified that it would be no match for my apartment back at school. I moved in with a roommate who I really knew nothing about and who was completely different from anyone I've ever lived with before. Not only have we made it work, but we enjoy it. And let's not even talk about how much I'm going to miss the flat once I'm back in the States.
It's strange to think that I've built a life somewhere besides home. It's even stranger to think that I've built this life with a deadline on the end of it, all the while living more for the moment and not for the duration. I've adopted a sense of apathy toward certain consequences, yet have paid more attention to most consequences because I'm growing up.
This post may not make any kind of sense - mostly because I'm so overwhelmed with different emotions about the conclusion of this trip. But there is one thing to be sure of - I cannot wait to see what it is that life has in store for me next.
A month from today, I will have officially been away from home for 3 months and 5 days.
A month from today, I will be jumping into the arms of my parents, who will probably cry and hug me at the same time because they missed me too much to take turns.
A month from today, I will be happy.
A month from today, I will be sad.
A month from today, I'll sit next to three more strangers, all with different stories and destinations.
***
It's so interesting to look back on the last 2 months and think about my experience. I've made so many mistakes here, some I'm too embarrassed to even publicly admit, and some that were just silly. I've met so many people from so many walks of life. I've been on TV, on the radio, in newspapers. I've travelled to places that most people can only dream about travelling to. I've taken beautiful pictures and taken everything in the best I can.
Two months ago, when I was waiting for a connecting flight in the Amsterdam airport at 6am, a gentleman took a seat next to me in a pretty sparsley populated terminal. After exchanging stories and company, we parted ways, thinking we'd never see one another again. I exercised my amazing Facebook stalking skills and found him. After exchanging numbers, we agreed to meet for coffee and have spent at least one evening a week together since. Two months ago, I met the guy who has been my closest friend and breath of fresh air here. We laugh about it all the time, watching TV together, about how we met on a plane. How cliche'. How surreal. How perfect. Of course we'll miss eachother when I go back, but we know we can't spend the next month dwelling on it. We've got 30 more days to be ourselves, being just as mean and silly to each other as we have been since we met.
Two months ago, I walked into a quiet office to meet my boss (so weird to call her that). After about 5 minutes of gossiping, we realized how much it is that we have in common and I've never looked back. We've developed a communication mechanism that is secret to anyone else and invisible to the naked eye. We've talked about the tough stuff and our love for Britney Spears. We've laughed and we've cried. And after the passing of her father, I remembered what it was like to be sympathetic and available to a friend who has just lost something so important. It feels good to know that I've made such a great friend in Rhi. I will miss her at home just like I missed my friends from home while I've been here.
Two months ago, I moved into a "flat", terrified that it would be no match for my apartment back at school. I moved in with a roommate who I really knew nothing about and who was completely different from anyone I've ever lived with before. Not only have we made it work, but we enjoy it. And let's not even talk about how much I'm going to miss the flat once I'm back in the States.
It's strange to think that I've built a life somewhere besides home. It's even stranger to think that I've built this life with a deadline on the end of it, all the while living more for the moment and not for the duration. I've adopted a sense of apathy toward certain consequences, yet have paid more attention to most consequences because I'm growing up.
This post may not make any kind of sense - mostly because I'm so overwhelmed with different emotions about the conclusion of this trip. But there is one thing to be sure of - I cannot wait to see what it is that life has in store for me next.
Friday, 7 November 2008
A sense of self
I know I'm supposed to leave this as a travel blog, but sometimes there is more emotion associated with travel than there is actual exciting happenings.
With just over a month left until I pack my bags, board a plane and dive back into the arms of my parents, I have set my mind on figuring out one thing before I leave: myself.
I had a conversation with one of my best friends back at school about the fashion here in the UK. I told her, referring to a recent purchase of "shoobs" for £6 at Primark, that she and all of my friends were going to be completely terrified of my fashion sense upon my return to the States. After 2 months here, I have transitioned into a high-heel-dress-and-tight-and-scarf-wearing kind of girl. Before I left, the thought of buying a pair of cheap and uncomfortable high heels made me cringe and actually wearing them made me even more uneasy. But I find myself creating outfits assuming that I'll be wearing heels with them.
Prior to my trip here, I very rarely wore anything besides a comfortable pair of skinny jeans, an American Apparel unisex V-neck and a pair of flip flops or TOMS to go with. Now, I find myself wearing dresses from H&M and Top Shop along with matching tights, shoes and accessories - and that's on a pretty close to daily basis.
But as I was walking to work yesterday morning - wearing a pair of black skinny dress pants, a purple turtle neck and a mint green jacket with a pair of black high heels, I thought about how strange it was of me to be wearing high heels on my walk to work. I started to feel as though I was finally stepping into the career woman light and that high heels were no longer a barrier or an obstacle. At school, the only time it is appropriate to wear high heels is for a dressy night at the bar and you would never catch me trying to manoeuvre my tipsy stumbly self around the brick streets and sidewalks of Athens - yet I was attempting to manoeuvre around the brick sidewalks and stone streets of Cardiff.
I thought to myself, 'Wow - maybe I'll be able to wear heels out back in Athens! I'm doing just fine on these bricks!' As I was thinking this, I started to cross the street and while looking around for cars, I noticed that a dapper looking young man with an Ipod in his ears had been following close behind me. I immediately flipped the switch to include a sexy strut with my heels in order to catch his attention. As I started across the road, my heel caught a stone and my ankle rolled, causing one of the loudest scuffing noises I have ever heard in my life. I cringed with embarrassment and let the young man walk past me while hiding my face. But it was at this moment that I realized I haven't changed one bit since I've been here.
I came into this situation and opportunity thinking I was going to come out of it as a completely different person with a whole new agenda and mentality. I thought I'd return to Athens with no desire to go to the bars with my friends during the week and more of a desire to stay in and read a book or watch TV or something. I thought I'd adopt a lot of the British way of life - being proper and graceful and thin (I've lost a few pounds here, by the way) and healthy.
But, much to my surprise (and relief), I still find myself belching at the most inopportune moments, tripping over non-existent hazards, drinking in excess whenever possible and skipping my workouts on a day to day basis to just sit on the sofa and eat junk food. I find comfort knowing that while the time has changed and a few months have passed since I've been in the States, I'll return and will have no trouble going back to my old ways.
Along with that, I think I have done a pretty good job of adapting to the life of an adult - going to bed at a decent hour, staying in, not spending money on stupid things on a day to day basis and having a drink with dinner and not dinner with drinks. The taste of life that I've gotten while here won't go unnoticed upon my return, but will more so be put on hold for those last 6 months of irresponsible living before I graduate and am forced to live this kind of life for the rest of my days.
I am so excited to arrive back in the States, but am sad to be leaving such a wonderful and beautiful place. I cannot wait to be back in the presence of some of the most amazing people in the entire world, but I'm so glad I've had this experience to reassure me that I have the greatest friends I could have ever asked for to occupy my college years.
***
Tomorrow, I am heading up to Lampeter to visit Katie Saylor since I haven't seen her since September. Should prove to be a great trip.
Hope all is well! XXOO
With just over a month left until I pack my bags, board a plane and dive back into the arms of my parents, I have set my mind on figuring out one thing before I leave: myself.
I had a conversation with one of my best friends back at school about the fashion here in the UK. I told her, referring to a recent purchase of "shoobs" for £6 at Primark, that she and all of my friends were going to be completely terrified of my fashion sense upon my return to the States. After 2 months here, I have transitioned into a high-heel-dress-and-tight-and-scarf-wearing kind of girl. Before I left, the thought of buying a pair of cheap and uncomfortable high heels made me cringe and actually wearing them made me even more uneasy. But I find myself creating outfits assuming that I'll be wearing heels with them.
Prior to my trip here, I very rarely wore anything besides a comfortable pair of skinny jeans, an American Apparel unisex V-neck and a pair of flip flops or TOMS to go with. Now, I find myself wearing dresses from H&M and Top Shop along with matching tights, shoes and accessories - and that's on a pretty close to daily basis.
But as I was walking to work yesterday morning - wearing a pair of black skinny dress pants, a purple turtle neck and a mint green jacket with a pair of black high heels, I thought about how strange it was of me to be wearing high heels on my walk to work. I started to feel as though I was finally stepping into the career woman light and that high heels were no longer a barrier or an obstacle. At school, the only time it is appropriate to wear high heels is for a dressy night at the bar and you would never catch me trying to manoeuvre my tipsy stumbly self around the brick streets and sidewalks of Athens - yet I was attempting to manoeuvre around the brick sidewalks and stone streets of Cardiff.
I thought to myself, 'Wow - maybe I'll be able to wear heels out back in Athens! I'm doing just fine on these bricks!' As I was thinking this, I started to cross the street and while looking around for cars, I noticed that a dapper looking young man with an Ipod in his ears had been following close behind me. I immediately flipped the switch to include a sexy strut with my heels in order to catch his attention. As I started across the road, my heel caught a stone and my ankle rolled, causing one of the loudest scuffing noises I have ever heard in my life. I cringed with embarrassment and let the young man walk past me while hiding my face. But it was at this moment that I realized I haven't changed one bit since I've been here.
I came into this situation and opportunity thinking I was going to come out of it as a completely different person with a whole new agenda and mentality. I thought I'd return to Athens with no desire to go to the bars with my friends during the week and more of a desire to stay in and read a book or watch TV or something. I thought I'd adopt a lot of the British way of life - being proper and graceful and thin (I've lost a few pounds here, by the way) and healthy.
But, much to my surprise (and relief), I still find myself belching at the most inopportune moments, tripping over non-existent hazards, drinking in excess whenever possible and skipping my workouts on a day to day basis to just sit on the sofa and eat junk food. I find comfort knowing that while the time has changed and a few months have passed since I've been in the States, I'll return and will have no trouble going back to my old ways.
Along with that, I think I have done a pretty good job of adapting to the life of an adult - going to bed at a decent hour, staying in, not spending money on stupid things on a day to day basis and having a drink with dinner and not dinner with drinks. The taste of life that I've gotten while here won't go unnoticed upon my return, but will more so be put on hold for those last 6 months of irresponsible living before I graduate and am forced to live this kind of life for the rest of my days.
I am so excited to arrive back in the States, but am sad to be leaving such a wonderful and beautiful place. I cannot wait to be back in the presence of some of the most amazing people in the entire world, but I'm so glad I've had this experience to reassure me that I have the greatest friends I could have ever asked for to occupy my college years.
***
Tomorrow, I am heading up to Lampeter to visit Katie Saylor since I haven't seen her since September. Should prove to be a great trip.
Hope all is well! XXOO
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Yes We Did!
Congratulations, Barack Obama. You truly are an inspiration and I hope that your Presidency is quite a success. Defy each and every one of those who didn't believe you could do it. Congratulations, and as Mr. McCain said, 'God speed.'
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
The UK Press is all over this Obama Supporter!
Here is article #1 that I was interviewed for:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/11/04/we-voted-in-us-election-from-cardiff-91466-22175870/
We voted in US election from Cardiff
Nov 4 2008 by Gerry Holt, South Wales Echo
AMERICAN citizens have been voting for the next President of the United States – more than 6,000km away from home – in Cardiff.
As America today goes to the polls to decide between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, American interns working for Wales’ own politicians in Cardiff Bay gave their views on a contest which could go right to the wire.
For many of the students, today’s election will be the first in which they have been allowed to vote.
And for Kadi McDonald, who is from the swing state of Ohio, that will only make the experience even more memorable.
“It’s the first presidential election I’ve been able to vote in and I do think maybe I should have been at home to watch it,” she said.
“But, especially with working at the Assembly, I feel more involved than I ever would have been at school back at home. I probably wouldn’t have been that concerned with it if I’d been there.
“I think that being here makes it a much more interesting experience for me.
“I’ll be able to tell my kids that I voted for the US President in Cardiff, Wales!”
Kadi, 21, is a registered Democrat and says she voted for Obama in the poll. She voted by post just weeks after arriving in Cardiff back in September.
She originally supported Hillary Clinton but, after the New York senator was dumped out of the race, she educated herself about Obama and now believes America will have its first black President.
“The one thing he has done wonderfully is that he is really connected to the younger generation,” said the Ohio University politics and journalism student, who is working with the Welsh Labour group.
“It sounds really lame but he reaches out on Facebook and 99% of college students in America have one.”
Jill Zumbach, 19, who is also from Ohio, says she too has voted for Obama in what is her first election.
Jill, a politics student, says she believes Obama represents change in America.
“I really hope that he can bring about policies in the US that benefit people my age and future generations,” said Jill, who is working for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
Jill says she is “unbelievably excited” about the election and says she plans to stay up all night to watch it.
“It’s quite cool... it’s really beneficial to see how the rest of the world views the election,” said Jill, who hopes to study law when she returns to the US.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Devils hockey player Jay Latulippe, who is from New York and has lived in Cardiff for about two months, says he hopes McCain will be victorious.
He said jokingly: “I would vote for McCain because I like his hair better!”
This morning, I was interviewed on BBC Wales 'Good Morning Wales' radio program. I have posted the interview and the quality is a kind of crappy, but you get the idea.
I was also filmed 'casting my vote' at an American Deli in Cardiff for ITV. This is the link to the online story, which was different from the newscast. http://www.itvlocal.com/wales/politics/?player=WAL_Politics_15&void=254471
Here is the newscast version of the story - once again, I apologize for the quality.:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/11/04/we-voted-in-us-election-from-cardiff-91466-22175870/
We voted in US election from Cardiff
Nov 4 2008 by Gerry Holt, South Wales Echo
AMERICAN citizens have been voting for the next President of the United States – more than 6,000km away from home – in Cardiff.
As America today goes to the polls to decide between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, American interns working for Wales’ own politicians in Cardiff Bay gave their views on a contest which could go right to the wire.
For many of the students, today’s election will be the first in which they have been allowed to vote.
And for Kadi McDonald, who is from the swing state of Ohio, that will only make the experience even more memorable.
“It’s the first presidential election I’ve been able to vote in and I do think maybe I should have been at home to watch it,” she said.
“But, especially with working at the Assembly, I feel more involved than I ever would have been at school back at home. I probably wouldn’t have been that concerned with it if I’d been there.
“I think that being here makes it a much more interesting experience for me.
“I’ll be able to tell my kids that I voted for the US President in Cardiff, Wales!”
Kadi, 21, is a registered Democrat and says she voted for Obama in the poll. She voted by post just weeks after arriving in Cardiff back in September.
She originally supported Hillary Clinton but, after the New York senator was dumped out of the race, she educated herself about Obama and now believes America will have its first black President.
“The one thing he has done wonderfully is that he is really connected to the younger generation,” said the Ohio University politics and journalism student, who is working with the Welsh Labour group.
“It sounds really lame but he reaches out on Facebook and 99% of college students in America have one.”
Jill Zumbach, 19, who is also from Ohio, says she too has voted for Obama in what is her first election.
Jill, a politics student, says she believes Obama represents change in America.
“I really hope that he can bring about policies in the US that benefit people my age and future generations,” said Jill, who is working for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
Jill says she is “unbelievably excited” about the election and says she plans to stay up all night to watch it.
“It’s quite cool... it’s really beneficial to see how the rest of the world views the election,” said Jill, who hopes to study law when she returns to the US.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Devils hockey player Jay Latulippe, who is from New York and has lived in Cardiff for about two months, says he hopes McCain will be victorious.
He said jokingly: “I would vote for McCain because I like his hair better!”
This morning, I was interviewed on BBC Wales 'Good Morning Wales' radio program. I have posted the interview and the quality is a kind of crappy, but you get the idea.
I was also filmed 'casting my vote' at an American Deli in Cardiff for ITV. This is the link to the online story, which was different from the newscast. http://www.itvlocal.com/wales/politics/?player=WAL_Politics_15&void=254471
Here is the newscast version of the story - once again, I apologize for the quality.:
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