forks.

Whaaaat?! The fact that I have been living in London for two months is INSANE! It feels like yesterday when I left New England to come over here and start this crazy ass chapter of my life, and while it has definitely been hard (I still cry every time I talk to Amanda or Regina on the phone), they have definitely been two of the most fun months I have ever had!  I like pictures way more than words, so let me highlight some of my favourite moments and parts of this outstanding city:

1. My course mates! These people are the most amazing ever and I would feel so lonely without them!  We are a very international bunch and I feel so fortunate to have met everyone. 

They are: Nick (Toronto), Daigo (Japan), Vicky (Netherlands), Hester ( London), Joey (Nottingham), Leo ( London), Kirsty (Devon), Claire (Paris), Cati (Berlin), Manuel (Naples), Gustav & Emilie (Copenhagen), Aceil (London), Donnie (San Fransisco), and Kazushi (Japan).

Not pictured: Brenna (Montreal), Jin (London), Charlotte (Oakland), and Erin (LONG ISLAND!!)

These guys technically aren’t on my course, but they are a big part of my life here!

2. Seeing my cousins Kacie and Danny!  It was such a relief to see familiar faces in London and the three of us had so much fun running around the city for a couple of days!  Kacie is studying at Oxford this semester and her bro, Danny, came to visit for a week!  We paraded all over the touristy sites (including the Tower of London!) and had an absolute blast!  I got to stay in their swanky hotel with them (Thanks Aunt Pat and Uncle Rich) and it was like a mini vacation.  

3. Educational Walks Around London

As part of one of my courses, Conceptualising Cities, we all had to go on two educational walking tours of London.  Aside from being very informative and eye opening, they gave me a chance to explore some gorgeous parts of the city and take some fantastic pictures.

A view of London from Greenwich Observatory…simply outstanding!

One of the smallest pubs in London!

Ah, there’s Brenna! 

4. Stunning bus tour of Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, the Cotswolds, and Oxford

My second cousin Brendan lives in London as well (Chelsea to be exact, how very posh!) and his parents, Linda and John, came for a visit last week!  They are quite possibly the most generous people ever and soooo much fun to be with!  When the asked me if I wanted to join them on a bus tour, I jumped at the chance!  Despite going to bed at 4am the night before, it was an amazing day.

This is my favourite picture from the day!  The foliage in the town of Warwick (pronounced Warrick-NOT like Warwick, RI) reminded me of fall in New England and the castle was gorgeous!  John, Brendan, and I climbed up the ramparts and were treated to the most stunning views of the English countryside.  I can’t wait to explore more of it!

The birth place of the great William Shakespeare…a little anti-climactic if you ask me, but a fun bit of history.  Regardless, the surrounding town was exceedingly cute and I can now check it off of my list of places to visit.

Christ Church College, Oxford University.

This place served as J. K. Rowling’s inspiration for Hogwarts castle and I was blown away by how gorgeous it was.  I took about 50 pictures in the Great Hall alone and, for a moment, allowed myself to daydream about attending Hogwarts.

There are probably 12 more things I could post on here, but I feel like I have been writing this forever and I’m a little tired :)  The next few weeks are going to be so exciting with Bonfire Night, a weekend trip to Madrid, American Thanksgiving, and starting my job as a Specialist at the Apple Store in Covent Garden!  I’ll have to throw in some readings and essays somewhere in there too, I suppose.  

(Don’t mind the spacing on this thing-I can’t figure out how to make things fit where they should X)