tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40548702431223032782024-03-12T21:17:05.037-07:00Em Lu Travels The EUEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-17433761917628367772010-06-02T16:22:00.000-07:002010-06-02T16:33:25.803-07:00Goodbye England!Just a little video about my thoughts on leaving. Hope you Enjoy.<div><br /></div><div>xoxo,</div><div><br /></div><div>Em</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre; "><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mRn68ufLzSQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mRn68ufLzSQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-32673144844347047092010-05-30T05:09:00.000-07:002010-05-30T05:12:11.945-07:00Instead of Revising...<div>I'm not sure exactly who I want to be yet, but last night, cooking a big meal of baked ziti for some of the best friends I'll ever have and eating it straight out of the pan, felt pretty right.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykUNwPzKXJxgDG0aZeRzLXy9Q8dFBeP0QO4o6ZhEIqARgrTmBMz7vrMqFzQ8DT162a11uXVLe0F0Itv_wfC6xK78vpHhyphenhyphenqD9TgE1URb1HhglMdV0RwrGHWnW92WEvW3ziTZ9x5-fECSrG/s1600/DSCN0826.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykUNwPzKXJxgDG0aZeRzLXy9Q8dFBeP0QO4o6ZhEIqARgrTmBMz7vrMqFzQ8DT162a11uXVLe0F0Itv_wfC6xK78vpHhyphenhyphenqD9TgE1URb1HhglMdV0RwrGHWnW92WEvW3ziTZ9x5-fECSrG/s320/DSCN0826.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477034639927055666" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-16073035372853872422010-05-28T03:39:00.000-07:002010-05-28T03:55:48.956-07:00Thanksgiving...In May...In England<div>Sarah and Laura had the brilliant idea of cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the Brits. It was kind of funny to watch them stare at all of the food in amazement that they were supposed to eat all of it!<div><br /></div><div>I also loved fielding questions like "Do you give presents at Thanksgiving?"</div><div><br /></div><div>It really gets you thinking about how silly the Thanksgiving traditions are though and it was definitely an experience I'll never forget.</div><div><br /></div><div>Christina, Phil, and I decided to match for the event. Go England!</div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkqipHeIGRbFE6JOU3ZpHZ8sZ8_SemC7EuK9Ny0HfhDHKx2nK5JiMU3qvqY5OD0tRJe7SjuI_Tzcwy7f9sO9mKusaLkFJzReV0CEg-kWq07X_iEUu6XbVX3KHWjXObWowL30sxNINOdnZ/s1600/DSCN0935.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkqipHeIGRbFE6JOU3ZpHZ8sZ8_SemC7EuK9Ny0HfhDHKx2nK5JiMU3qvqY5OD0tRJe7SjuI_Tzcwy7f9sO9mKusaLkFJzReV0CEg-kWq07X_iEUu6XbVX3KHWjXObWowL30sxNINOdnZ/s320/DSCN0935.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476272380545532722" /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkqipHeIGRbFE6JOU3ZpHZ8sZ8_SemC7EuK9Ny0HfhDHKx2nK5JiMU3qvqY5OD0tRJe7SjuI_Tzcwy7f9sO9mKusaLkFJzReV0CEg-kWq07X_iEUu6XbVX3KHWjXObWowL30sxNINOdnZ/s1600/DSCN0935.JPG"></a>Mmm. Salad :) Greens, walnuts, dried cranberries, oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and greek dressing!</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7n0ndd6S7MjzjrdwARTOZU3OieqGcIB1pjtKXKzP1FjFKujASRvzBqcItIpJyKj5M60umnNA4txfA1yPxkmSX1fWQ-CiYSriE1NezFDHmNXHT8mMRB44frGC8d6N6VqiV6E6bkAR69HA/s1600/DSCN0906.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7n0ndd6S7MjzjrdwARTOZU3OieqGcIB1pjtKXKzP1FjFKujASRvzBqcItIpJyKj5M60umnNA4txfA1yPxkmSX1fWQ-CiYSriE1NezFDHmNXHT8mMRB44frGC8d6N6VqiV6E6bkAR69HA/s320/DSCN0906.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476272376120456274" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7n0ndd6S7MjzjrdwARTOZU3OieqGcIB1pjtKXKzP1FjFKujASRvzBqcItIpJyKj5M60umnNA4txfA1yPxkmSX1fWQ-CiYSriE1NezFDHmNXHT8mMRB44frGC8d6N6VqiV6E6bkAR69HA/s1600/DSCN0906.JPG"></a>Garlic mashed potatoes!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVWyZNgST8PYeluFAxohKXklmNcB3avdPeBKXLve89ffSFDb_zjjHLHokLFc-fC1gu94wcqQxzy8NQ7RVDtivEFfv_yvabS0g2djXOKb2anPB0l1IhxluFELiL6Y-odI2PG6vAEqGCowB/s1600/DSCN0904.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVWyZNgST8PYeluFAxohKXklmNcB3avdPeBKXLve89ffSFDb_zjjHLHokLFc-fC1gu94wcqQxzy8NQ7RVDtivEFfv_yvabS0g2djXOKb2anPB0l1IhxluFELiL6Y-odI2PG6vAEqGCowB/s320/DSCN0904.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476272262895452786" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVWyZNgST8PYeluFAxohKXklmNcB3avdPeBKXLve89ffSFDb_zjjHLHokLFc-fC1gu94wcqQxzy8NQ7RVDtivEFfv_yvabS0g2djXOKb2anPB0l1IhxluFELiL6Y-odI2PG6vAEqGCowB/s1600/DSCN0904.JPG"></a>L.C. rolling green beans in bacon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDgeMsoWL0-hCgZzaIDFjH2UZFoW35E3trfbnG7HNuF5o_CYWc4VYGjTLvsCphorXMNbkLaUG3kp4RW9bLjPCbExdvoJq__2bTMuGP6rQPn6E9ZleeFJu0IFigMZxaXS-_3K9HSZGUAdW/s1600/DSCN0911.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDgeMsoWL0-hCgZzaIDFjH2UZFoW35E3trfbnG7HNuF5o_CYWc4VYGjTLvsCphorXMNbkLaUG3kp4RW9bLjPCbExdvoJq__2bTMuGP6rQPn6E9ZleeFJu0IFigMZxaXS-_3K9HSZGUAdW/s320/DSCN0911.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476272258580095330" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDgeMsoWL0-hCgZzaIDFjH2UZFoW35E3trfbnG7HNuF5o_CYWc4VYGjTLvsCphorXMNbkLaUG3kp4RW9bLjPCbExdvoJq__2bTMuGP6rQPn6E9ZleeFJu0IFigMZxaXS-_3K9HSZGUAdW/s1600/DSCN0911.JPG"></a>Learnin' up on how to carve a Turkey!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiyhNrv16RKh0cdaG8uhIhIU9ziz8n6KPYLqQoJzsJYo_I6jwUXSPX_Lb0sCH69mXG5ciygl-bFY94ZJLS98P1LYEdp0FjMMmAph5HUEdNZPvL0oZ2uDwCKbmXbHvLZOU5tTUY7jsXkLQ/s1600/DSCN0922.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiyhNrv16RKh0cdaG8uhIhIU9ziz8n6KPYLqQoJzsJYo_I6jwUXSPX_Lb0sCH69mXG5ciygl-bFY94ZJLS98P1LYEdp0FjMMmAph5HUEdNZPvL0oZ2uDwCKbmXbHvLZOU5tTUY7jsXkLQ/s320/DSCN0922.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476272116656712642" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiyhNrv16RKh0cdaG8uhIhIU9ziz8n6KPYLqQoJzsJYo_I6jwUXSPX_Lb0sCH69mXG5ciygl-bFY94ZJLS98P1LYEdp0FjMMmAph5HUEdNZPvL0oZ2uDwCKbmXbHvLZOU5tTUY7jsXkLQ/s1600/DSCN0922.JPG"></a>Look at the spread!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q4NKL6_XrMa0s0f_6dXOEoaMEqFxmWliPcpaeqrY5no9o8QqnmzIX7tczt1DYMyLuLwXFJVBgy7JCDSNz0sQNmENyTonQrRhHH0f9HlkKxLhCb15-kN8QNW8-VH6VrMaye13AgzQz9Bg/s1600/DSCN0921.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q4NKL6_XrMa0s0f_6dXOEoaMEqFxmWliPcpaeqrY5no9o8QqnmzIX7tczt1DYMyLuLwXFJVBgy7JCDSNz0sQNmENyTonQrRhHH0f9HlkKxLhCb15-kN8QNW8-VH6VrMaye13AgzQz9Bg/s320/DSCN0921.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476272110637582642" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0q4NKL6_XrMa0s0f_6dXOEoaMEqFxmWliPcpaeqrY5no9o8QqnmzIX7tczt1DYMyLuLwXFJVBgy7JCDSNz0sQNmENyTonQrRhHH0f9HlkKxLhCb15-kN8QNW8-VH6VrMaye13AgzQz9Bg/s1600/DSCN0921.JPG"></a>Eat up!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinCkMqI312JdYpQJcXwNbwaHEPBLwJTCg82f8oGNfamrsLH9UUHcUq2tV84mh5eWvndXjEOem2JoSBLFWnS4oorYYDfiO4kSLn1umlyDcXgKG9K6FraZAc_BsJTJZvuiKsqgz8lH2pE6T/s1600/DSCN0933.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinCkMqI312JdYpQJcXwNbwaHEPBLwJTCg82f8oGNfamrsLH9UUHcUq2tV84mh5eWvndXjEOem2JoSBLFWnS4oorYYDfiO4kSLn1umlyDcXgKG9K6FraZAc_BsJTJZvuiKsqgz8lH2pE6T/s320/DSCN0933.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476271979685640034" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>Love to all!</div><div><br /></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-87323233275758841752010-05-28T03:28:00.000-07:002010-05-28T03:39:33.672-07:00Trip to The Ashton Memorial<div>Way back in my entries that were still concerned with giving you history lessons about Lancaster, I mentioned that Lancaster was famous for its linoleum. Well, the man behind that industry, Lord Ashton, has a memorial dedicated to him on the top of a beautifully high hill in Lancaster.<div><br /></div><div>A couple of weeks ago, Laura, Sarah and I hiked up there to meet Toni and her visiting friend, Emily, for a picnic and an afternoon of taking in the views.</div><div><br /></div><div>The walk up was spectacular. We had to walk through these woods that seriously reminded me of an enchanted forest.</div></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_B44FxAMDh4BQy2j3wb0L_qjtz00z-ONAUVQokBJShpkYZTyGTBf6ieu3Im3d9rq7Ymw0N6w2TFPCtKhzwV0CZbLNzwdW-TP4iQ5Hu653Y880dgltHB663klYMJ22O9k7KEMWAcXzeUq/s1600/memorial+1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_B44FxAMDh4BQy2j3wb0L_qjtz00z-ONAUVQokBJShpkYZTyGTBf6ieu3Im3d9rq7Ymw0N6w2TFPCtKhzwV0CZbLNzwdW-TP4iQ5Hu653Y880dgltHB663klYMJ22O9k7KEMWAcXzeUq/s320/memorial+1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476268236170361426" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_B44FxAMDh4BQy2j3wb0L_qjtz00z-ONAUVQokBJShpkYZTyGTBf6ieu3Im3d9rq7Ymw0N6w2TFPCtKhzwV0CZbLNzwdW-TP4iQ5Hu653Y880dgltHB663klYMJ22O9k7KEMWAcXzeUq/s1600/memorial+1.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCH9_57NTlZgX7ymQKjUuX646kLzjkHZxddr4BzKUCu8VKCERhlaBfTOJAvaFouAMvlmah2tcDDI4zegYV_LKw4uFCh4gFFxWo5NvzWmQI0AWRFvn5fTXoOVO3eJyNgGyq2AXBNuFzqfM/s1600/memorial+2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCH9_57NTlZgX7ymQKjUuX646kLzjkHZxddr4BzKUCu8VKCERhlaBfTOJAvaFouAMvlmah2tcDDI4zegYV_LKw4uFCh4gFFxWo5NvzWmQI0AWRFvn5fTXoOVO3eJyNgGyq2AXBNuFzqfM/s320/memorial+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476268125219501986" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCH9_57NTlZgX7ymQKjUuX646kLzjkHZxddr4BzKUCu8VKCERhlaBfTOJAvaFouAMvlmah2tcDDI4zegYV_LKw4uFCh4gFFxWo5NvzWmQI0AWRFvn5fTXoOVO3eJyNgGyq2AXBNuFzqfM/s1600/memorial+2.jpg"></a>I'm beginning to understand the allure of British summers. Even though most days are still very cold, the few warm days are incredible and the sky here is a shade of blue we just don't have in Missouri.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWicvgkJSy7G-vFLzBkYLCRGN5iEmKds9HpLChjHIsMWFpGHKZd5gDRi3pTmGvTo-HIhpkYZVkoKJVs3dABUEyz4ZYURjWabyX7oWMX1nFyDYqWPAoZEWXmMNkeaapD1aNUoyi8WgkGxS/s1600/memorial+3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWicvgkJSy7G-vFLzBkYLCRGN5iEmKds9HpLChjHIsMWFpGHKZd5gDRi3pTmGvTo-HIhpkYZVkoKJVs3dABUEyz4ZYURjWabyX7oWMX1nFyDYqWPAoZEWXmMNkeaapD1aNUoyi8WgkGxS/s320/memorial+3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476268123293381058" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWicvgkJSy7G-vFLzBkYLCRGN5iEmKds9HpLChjHIsMWFpGHKZd5gDRi3pTmGvTo-HIhpkYZVkoKJVs3dABUEyz4ZYURjWabyX7oWMX1nFyDYqWPAoZEWXmMNkeaapD1aNUoyi8WgkGxS/s1600/memorial+3.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0grakmmlKuF8vc7ePOZKGTMjnbGAaRg0QEATb7si-5ju_QDFrN7kk1rIVxXX5xpPH-WGITjsl_Eui22Qisx_zmz8psFi5uNMvShtcVHHlGRUhMTM6x1rKeSKAybUPpJMFibE4SNAL8OLL/s1600/memorial+4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0grakmmlKuF8vc7ePOZKGTMjnbGAaRg0QEATb7si-5ju_QDFrN7kk1rIVxXX5xpPH-WGITjsl_Eui22Qisx_zmz8psFi5uNMvShtcVHHlGRUhMTM6x1rKeSKAybUPpJMFibE4SNAL8OLL/s320/memorial+4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476268117283326962" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0grakmmlKuF8vc7ePOZKGTMjnbGAaRg0QEATb7si-5ju_QDFrN7kk1rIVxXX5xpPH-WGITjsl_Eui22Qisx_zmz8psFi5uNMvShtcVHHlGRUhMTM6x1rKeSKAybUPpJMFibE4SNAL8OLL/s1600/memorial+4.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuFVIWiawm4rnpWALtHrPF_t5XavmnDj5baSb5WPRuA9HQAEllGCwaPceErnNu8v5kFdxEis74WE9gPR_nBX5GtECNSJtK3Z4RcjYSvPqLvXpN_Q1G6vN44F3ae2PKFJW1x9p0MXzsK-G/s1600/memorial+5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuFVIWiawm4rnpWALtHrPF_t5XavmnDj5baSb5WPRuA9HQAEllGCwaPceErnNu8v5kFdxEis74WE9gPR_nBX5GtECNSJtK3Z4RcjYSvPqLvXpN_Q1G6vN44F3ae2PKFJW1x9p0MXzsK-G/s320/memorial+5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476268111658294226" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuFVIWiawm4rnpWALtHrPF_t5XavmnDj5baSb5WPRuA9HQAEllGCwaPceErnNu8v5kFdxEis74WE9gPR_nBX5GtECNSJtK3Z4RcjYSvPqLvXpN_Q1G6vN44F3ae2PKFJW1x9p0MXzsK-G/s1600/memorial+5.jpg"></a>There is also a butterfly house and a small zoo on the grounds. We found the most adorable snuggly birds!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dzoduUVyF3zeX5-40RsXbiqHL3kfmK6T2qh2-iKHCc1ApsVdFIvqPLLmpY6ZVbF2Tnq7stBjVQTrdlF7FntoBp8dPOS4-XQo5l8FumFfWpsIgms-d6gkr0bj4LbWWrmfZgcWYL6k7DbQ/s1600/memorial+6.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dzoduUVyF3zeX5-40RsXbiqHL3kfmK6T2qh2-iKHCc1ApsVdFIvqPLLmpY6ZVbF2Tnq7stBjVQTrdlF7FntoBp8dPOS4-XQo5l8FumFfWpsIgms-d6gkr0bj4LbWWrmfZgcWYL6k7DbQ/s320/memorial+6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476268109116301154" /></a><br /><br /><div>I didn't have my camera this day, so all the photo credit goes to Sarah. I hope you can appreciate how beautiful it was!</div><div><br /></div><div>Love to all.</div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-12664304158215657022010-05-06T15:27:00.000-07:002010-05-06T15:30:56.327-07:00It's Spring! Sort of...<div>England is a strange place. It's May. The flowers are out. But it's still 50 degrees here every day.<div><br /></div><div>My essay scores are starting to roll in, and I'm so far pleased with the results. I'm starting to study for my finals, and am starting to get excited about this semester (well, two terms, really) to be over and to enjoy those beautiful summer months where there is little hanging over my head.</div><div><br /></div><div>At least the flowers are really, really pretty.</div><div><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE5eTVIQ-JGJFQXu2CExCHDVj06OzWVpnO8-WXNC9iLPWguJi6b4wVv3N2thM28rgnciGhZR0S28eaDBeXTsw45A88IOX7KCPnF2_caw2P1EGY1AkGPFW_zSyYSSzU2a6zcBZvEtjeYEM/s1600/Tulips.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE5eTVIQ-JGJFQXu2CExCHDVj06OzWVpnO8-WXNC9iLPWguJi6b4wVv3N2thM28rgnciGhZR0S28eaDBeXTsw45A88IOX7KCPnF2_caw2P1EGY1AkGPFW_zSyYSSzU2a6zcBZvEtjeYEM/s320/Tulips.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468287963583350466" /></a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-22683203573140923632010-04-26T09:52:00.001-07:002010-04-26T10:33:14.854-07:00Barcelona<div>So I realize I'm writing this almost an entire month after I was in Barcelona, but I hope you'll forgive me. I just really hated giving up any moment I had with Erin to do much of anything.<br /><br />Luckily, Barcelona was so fantastic it literally feels as though I was there just a few days ago. The entire experience was so incredible. I mean, come on. A European vacation with Erin? There isn't really anything better.<br /><br />We started our journey unbelievably early in the morning (3:30 am!) with a cab ride to Liverpool. We had a lovely driver named John who was prompt, nice, and let us sleep peacefully in the back seat. We were so excited (especially Erin) when we got to the airport and realized it was the John Lennon Airport. The motto is "Above Us Only Sky." How cool is that?</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_1sVmp5h0admuJOc7C5CFRxLRiG94_L9x4AB3jX5IA-OzQvAujc0RHb7N2sVCBnKH1l3rCEkkXBjjRZSzMHbNQseuxcJRk534iDjszw4fWIpn3w-d9Gbx2KfbThG9R4sZpPCvyxIeegw/s1600/DSCN0706.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_1sVmp5h0admuJOc7C5CFRxLRiG94_L9x4AB3jX5IA-OzQvAujc0RHb7N2sVCBnKH1l3rCEkkXBjjRZSzMHbNQseuxcJRk534iDjszw4fWIpn3w-d9Gbx2KfbThG9R4sZpPCvyxIeegw/s320/DSCN0706.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499448883920514" /></a><div><br /></div><div>We flew EasyJet to Barcelona which ended up being lovely because it meant we got to walk on the runway at the Barcelona Airport. It was literally the first time in 6 months I had been outside without a coat on. It was amazing.<br /><br />We took the Aerobus into Barcelona. We were a little confused about how to request a stop, so we ended up getting off at Plaza Catalanya, instead of Plaza Espagna, where our hotel was located. It was so beautiful and we were so excited, though, that we didn't mind the lovely 30 minute walk through the heart of the city.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_1sVmp5h0admuJOc7C5CFRxLRiG94_L9x4AB3jX5IA-OzQvAujc0RHb7N2sVCBnKH1l3rCEkkXBjjRZSzMHbNQseuxcJRk534iDjszw4fWIpn3w-d9Gbx2KfbThG9R4sZpPCvyxIeegw/s1600/DSCN0706.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikovVrsWP7ydoSlD68gqxSjzsiyazLEh4OQk7UC2zzqOMRAagJsGX6742jEzKbX5az3EyLgb2Of9LKGqW7NONiDSVtT-8Mu-wTfdEzf3mEjj5AjhOCmVld8YZMaZxzt4OoXIbcI9PVGhLf/s1600/DSCN0711.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikovVrsWP7ydoSlD68gqxSjzsiyazLEh4OQk7UC2zzqOMRAagJsGX6742jEzKbX5az3EyLgb2Of9LKGqW7NONiDSVtT-8Mu-wTfdEzf3mEjj5AjhOCmVld8YZMaZxzt4OoXIbcI9PVGhLf/s320/DSCN0711.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499439376075282" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikovVrsWP7ydoSlD68gqxSjzsiyazLEh4OQk7UC2zzqOMRAagJsGX6742jEzKbX5az3EyLgb2Of9LKGqW7NONiDSVtT-8Mu-wTfdEzf3mEjj5AjhOCmVld8YZMaZxzt4OoXIbcI9PVGhLf/s1600/DSCN0711.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntVDUDNtLfhM1CxT7y0i6pdh_IL1pKIyeA5sYBm6uPZLE5p1B68zCwpgNlfP22xtljTrgVVnETsMl19zaSGTX3poUX-KEOr-OrjKUmbztvEaOHcAKj_QQCVVTMtS78XYVr4xomn-osMGh/s1600/DSCN0715.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntVDUDNtLfhM1CxT7y0i6pdh_IL1pKIyeA5sYBm6uPZLE5p1B68zCwpgNlfP22xtljTrgVVnETsMl19zaSGTX3poUX-KEOr-OrjKUmbztvEaOHcAKj_QQCVVTMtS78XYVr4xomn-osMGh/s320/DSCN0715.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499424221700370" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntVDUDNtLfhM1CxT7y0i6pdh_IL1pKIyeA5sYBm6uPZLE5p1B68zCwpgNlfP22xtljTrgVVnETsMl19zaSGTX3poUX-KEOr-OrjKUmbztvEaOHcAKj_QQCVVTMtS78XYVr4xomn-osMGh/s1600/DSCN0715.JPG"></a>When we got to the hotel, my friends Christina and Laura (who were at the beginning of what ended up being a 5 week backpacking trip around Europe...thanks again volcano!) were already waiting for us. I was so happy that Erin got to meet some of my friends and we all got to spend some time in Barcelona together.</div><div><br /></div><div>We started our journey by walking back to La Rambla (which is by Plaza Catalanya) and having our picture taken over and over again by Laura Clark who decided to be Erin and I's personal paparazzo. We walked for what seemed like forever until settling on lunch at this nice restaurant by the beach. Luckily, the journey there was filled with awesome street performers and wonderful views. Enter our first pitcher of Sangria and an amazing sandwich and salad.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jysGlrNC9FPACGDLNYYhVKsm4_q_4u3_mqoHnzZDO-9-Q9bBWvqprt5oJyhMABLcSLZdV4hz2EXUQ7F27XhsJcOkREe9EwEGoMqg5zmmWEkDw7PScNVX41wRl4dDZvfD1zYX9jvAMIGa/s1600/DSCN0722.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jysGlrNC9FPACGDLNYYhVKsm4_q_4u3_mqoHnzZDO-9-Q9bBWvqprt5oJyhMABLcSLZdV4hz2EXUQ7F27XhsJcOkREe9EwEGoMqg5zmmWEkDw7PScNVX41wRl4dDZvfD1zYX9jvAMIGa/s320/DSCN0722.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499418096778514" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jysGlrNC9FPACGDLNYYhVKsm4_q_4u3_mqoHnzZDO-9-Q9bBWvqprt5oJyhMABLcSLZdV4hz2EXUQ7F27XhsJcOkREe9EwEGoMqg5zmmWEkDw7PScNVX41wRl4dDZvfD1zYX9jvAMIGa/s1600/DSCN0722.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhGfhh77GCjdIUbRmK6WXjDRyTMAk4wIs-QSXhzJ8eZzPyKwZLVB_Sz5tdYNjnVVqW3vNOWltA8qlrTgxIkamsyBYmfEXTkbRpmnR4YIebFn8-FWceMbJ0XMDWgmmiD3Smg3iC-rwxT3-/s1600/DSCN0732.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhGfhh77GCjdIUbRmK6WXjDRyTMAk4wIs-QSXhzJ8eZzPyKwZLVB_Sz5tdYNjnVVqW3vNOWltA8qlrTgxIkamsyBYmfEXTkbRpmnR4YIebFn8-FWceMbJ0XMDWgmmiD3Smg3iC-rwxT3-/s320/DSCN0732.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464499403632900530" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhGfhh77GCjdIUbRmK6WXjDRyTMAk4wIs-QSXhzJ8eZzPyKwZLVB_Sz5tdYNjnVVqW3vNOWltA8qlrTgxIkamsyBYmfEXTkbRpmnR4YIebFn8-FWceMbJ0XMDWgmmiD3Smg3iC-rwxT3-/s1600/DSCN0732.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZjPhl4BPs1dQVAz8OwxZVjfOOzF-nmFCtqEDYWBBUoVrBf3BzvBr-781pRuZ_FXcGO3eV1YprR2Nlw_XMKrUoLWrO_mW_W36EX-FdUHfPeEhbY_RNKHRtjp9m6T59v_OD5uGr7AmVS4X/s1600/DSCN0735.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZjPhl4BPs1dQVAz8OwxZVjfOOzF-nmFCtqEDYWBBUoVrBf3BzvBr-781pRuZ_FXcGO3eV1YprR2Nlw_XMKrUoLWrO_mW_W36EX-FdUHfPeEhbY_RNKHRtjp9m6T59v_OD5uGr7AmVS4X/s320/DSCN0735.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464498080887565954" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZjPhl4BPs1dQVAz8OwxZVjfOOzF-nmFCtqEDYWBBUoVrBf3BzvBr-781pRuZ_FXcGO3eV1YprR2Nlw_XMKrUoLWrO_mW_W36EX-FdUHfPeEhbY_RNKHRtjp9m6T59v_OD5uGr7AmVS4X/s1600/DSCN0735.JPG"></a>Next, we went and sat on the beach. I've only been to the beach a few times in my life and I was so excited to lay in the sand. It was a bit chilly (hence Christina's hobo getup), and we had some less than polite encounters with the locals, but all in all, it was fun.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUoC1_bFSdtg3K7xtR63PQ-pho77mPbqSoNitZg78cgO-a3X6tlnfr5q6OqDneEwArV6EuvwuvU9H-nhoe69G-nD9dImMvbCZS-dGsIM3jRafIUOFe6w91ZTEfc2HmQjUFRB1xjuwMo85/s1600/DSCN0737.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUoC1_bFSdtg3K7xtR63PQ-pho77mPbqSoNitZg78cgO-a3X6tlnfr5q6OqDneEwArV6EuvwuvU9H-nhoe69G-nD9dImMvbCZS-dGsIM3jRafIUOFe6w91ZTEfc2HmQjUFRB1xjuwMo85/s320/DSCN0737.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464498071511716370" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUoC1_bFSdtg3K7xtR63PQ-pho77mPbqSoNitZg78cgO-a3X6tlnfr5q6OqDneEwArV6EuvwuvU9H-nhoe69G-nD9dImMvbCZS-dGsIM3jRafIUOFe6w91ZTEfc2HmQjUFRB1xjuwMo85/s1600/DSCN0737.JPG"></a>Next, we headed to the famous Gaudi Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia and stood in awe of the construction for quite awhile. We got there too late in the evening to really make paying the admission fee worth it, but it was marvelous to look at from the outside.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3fIm_LIsubglgplMFi-k4Em1w_fwwQDj6wx9Wr_SXv8MbB7_ROAiZmoRMV6W5w3M8atUdYsZlEXelAu3vrvuJHHsfaWEeGuyPC4_bgrCjEWlr4GaVq970xm7b0IiI20h8lUvg0omVc8z/s1600/DSCN0750.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3fIm_LIsubglgplMFi-k4Em1w_fwwQDj6wx9Wr_SXv8MbB7_ROAiZmoRMV6W5w3M8atUdYsZlEXelAu3vrvuJHHsfaWEeGuyPC4_bgrCjEWlr4GaVq970xm7b0IiI20h8lUvg0omVc8z/s320/DSCN0750.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464498066198083074" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3fIm_LIsubglgplMFi-k4Em1w_fwwQDj6wx9Wr_SXv8MbB7_ROAiZmoRMV6W5w3M8atUdYsZlEXelAu3vrvuJHHsfaWEeGuyPC4_bgrCjEWlr4GaVq970xm7b0IiI20h8lUvg0omVc8z/s1600/DSCN0750.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD0w67840f1sn70sQ06zGv3CrMJwThsAUFE1_nlfqjJhvFbSIhD1FojhH_HkT0U8XNuf3jBb6t4M4WtBKFRYx3Kl0uu_O1E1XqC8nMSSMkqUqOM6yTgbnzlmoTV5Q32Rg9L_Le7nIwB1S/s1600/DSCN0745.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD0w67840f1sn70sQ06zGv3CrMJwThsAUFE1_nlfqjJhvFbSIhD1FojhH_HkT0U8XNuf3jBb6t4M4WtBKFRYx3Kl0uu_O1E1XqC8nMSSMkqUqOM6yTgbnzlmoTV5Q32Rg9L_Le7nIwB1S/s320/DSCN0745.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464498054594749554" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD0w67840f1sn70sQ06zGv3CrMJwThsAUFE1_nlfqjJhvFbSIhD1FojhH_HkT0U8XNuf3jBb6t4M4WtBKFRYx3Kl0uu_O1E1XqC8nMSSMkqUqOM6yTgbnzlmoTV5Q32Rg9L_Le7nIwB1S/s1600/DSCN0745.JPG"></a>After the church, we took a break and went for a nap. We bought a T10 card so we could use the subway to get back to our hotel and it was great.<br /><br />That night, we met up again for dinner and shared some paella and tapas and of course, lots of Sangria. We also booked reservations at Ice Barcelona, a bar made entirely of ice! It was so cold, but a really awesome, once in a lifetime, opportunity. To warm up, we spent our night sitting on the beach, testing each other with Harry Potter trivia (ok, really Erin, Laura and Christina tested each other and I listened) and taking in the experience.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5ExRoRBVYwlo__R1wmxnXXkDe5qnIHjwu7cIazc3QzOHUCrJ6YsesVL61V8KSDV1SijB95a62V7zXVwgLU0Hp3oLiGidR78g6g0Ekg84nR8nsLb8S-NU_KjhcMuUBm5TNPzlaiXU27jm/s1600/DSCN0760.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5ExRoRBVYwlo__R1wmxnXXkDe5qnIHjwu7cIazc3QzOHUCrJ6YsesVL61V8KSDV1SijB95a62V7zXVwgLU0Hp3oLiGidR78g6g0Ekg84nR8nsLb8S-NU_KjhcMuUBm5TNPzlaiXU27jm/s320/DSCN0760.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464498045185714018" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5ExRoRBVYwlo__R1wmxnXXkDe5qnIHjwu7cIazc3QzOHUCrJ6YsesVL61V8KSDV1SijB95a62V7zXVwgLU0Hp3oLiGidR78g6g0Ekg84nR8nsLb8S-NU_KjhcMuUBm5TNPzlaiXU27jm/s1600/DSCN0760.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeZOglgEY364xxjuNap5ZdHDeZpU78gDVTkfpkwhjVMLecVnecUGLXDuKfUXqeb__UsXZdqf3nO4rtfGVZG6F6f86EszbtMM_wLzUeI9J1jw2TwJ1p3j66oVAXKFftjp3qmcncdhi3tOQ/s1600/DSCN0764.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeZOglgEY364xxjuNap5ZdHDeZpU78gDVTkfpkwhjVMLecVnecUGLXDuKfUXqeb__UsXZdqf3nO4rtfGVZG6F6f86EszbtMM_wLzUeI9J1jw2TwJ1p3j66oVAXKFftjp3qmcncdhi3tOQ/s320/DSCN0764.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464496258097074978" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeZOglgEY364xxjuNap5ZdHDeZpU78gDVTkfpkwhjVMLecVnecUGLXDuKfUXqeb__UsXZdqf3nO4rtfGVZG6F6f86EszbtMM_wLzUeI9J1jw2TwJ1p3j66oVAXKFftjp3qmcncdhi3tOQ/s1600/DSCN0764.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTRfajCeBoZz9WiLPhwn0oVh3WZapxh61spGX__eoBJmxiIvJvDBmAkv15a0tC68ANTI-aR1v3ao_FTKolqkrivsDok8nW7V7aG4NFcjZ6B-US9NHjg8MrK8lhDJZzQGTNo0zXdm2Ourl/s1600/DSCN0761.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTRfajCeBoZz9WiLPhwn0oVh3WZapxh61spGX__eoBJmxiIvJvDBmAkv15a0tC68ANTI-aR1v3ao_FTKolqkrivsDok8nW7V7aG4NFcjZ6B-US9NHjg8MrK8lhDJZzQGTNo0zXdm2Ourl/s320/DSCN0761.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464496250585162738" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTRfajCeBoZz9WiLPhwn0oVh3WZapxh61spGX__eoBJmxiIvJvDBmAkv15a0tC68ANTI-aR1v3ao_FTKolqkrivsDok8nW7V7aG4NFcjZ6B-US9NHjg8MrK8lhDJZzQGTNo0zXdm2Ourl/s1600/DSCN0761.JPG"></a>We said our goodbyes to Laura and Christina that night and headed back to the hotel. The next morning, we set our sights high and went out to find Parc Guell without much clue where it was. We also wanted to have a picnic lunch. We finally found the Parc, big loaf of bread, fruit, and olives in hand, and began what would turn out to be one of the most beautiful days of my life.<br /><br />It's hard to describe how incredibly beautiful Parc Guell is. It was the brainchild of Guadi, and no matter where you look, there is something that catches your eye. Additionally, the view of Barcelona is incredible.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ77v2afEKe95d9Zv4zfVXQOphv32YmpgcC1aGaX8Jan0qo-zCxyrbqMn8EcziP3IhoQyql8XcQUonUSbv3_P8fQqlpmv77wMlI7XWjeR4SeQelq7UTY5oEocGimZupOv13F3rBE2URPXE/s1600/DSCN0776.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ77v2afEKe95d9Zv4zfVXQOphv32YmpgcC1aGaX8Jan0qo-zCxyrbqMn8EcziP3IhoQyql8XcQUonUSbv3_P8fQqlpmv77wMlI7XWjeR4SeQelq7UTY5oEocGimZupOv13F3rBE2URPXE/s320/DSCN0776.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464496247447559938" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ77v2afEKe95d9Zv4zfVXQOphv32YmpgcC1aGaX8Jan0qo-zCxyrbqMn8EcziP3IhoQyql8XcQUonUSbv3_P8fQqlpmv77wMlI7XWjeR4SeQelq7UTY5oEocGimZupOv13F3rBE2URPXE/s1600/DSCN0776.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXtdznIyxw9CBEfyn5_fx7d_rwX9z2zCjZHk5o-JMZenST28PFGMafSmo5M0wP3hD3lM5KbWpTpIOIowODPjYSSkj_RafzSr7v9f2A1_BH8o2DEFTY10mPzRaiB6zkZGpUBUlPuRf_YSO/s1600/DSCN0789.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXtdznIyxw9CBEfyn5_fx7d_rwX9z2zCjZHk5o-JMZenST28PFGMafSmo5M0wP3hD3lM5KbWpTpIOIowODPjYSSkj_RafzSr7v9f2A1_BH8o2DEFTY10mPzRaiB6zkZGpUBUlPuRf_YSO/s320/DSCN0789.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464496236769607634" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXtdznIyxw9CBEfyn5_fx7d_rwX9z2zCjZHk5o-JMZenST28PFGMafSmo5M0wP3hD3lM5KbWpTpIOIowODPjYSSkj_RafzSr7v9f2A1_BH8o2DEFTY10mPzRaiB6zkZGpUBUlPuRf_YSO/s1600/DSCN0789.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI52PnghhUZxysfkyPX9y6ko0xczy7-5dI0He5HAxcYPH5slZv7KDXIHbS71Lbh-jtiifNqSFq6kdS1mlkHzH6RezFkS6ROPwFZicTFxy_JOfHe709FroOirwcAW9ni5Tw5UfRK3ywwXTY/s1600/DSCN0793.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI52PnghhUZxysfkyPX9y6ko0xczy7-5dI0He5HAxcYPH5slZv7KDXIHbS71Lbh-jtiifNqSFq6kdS1mlkHzH6RezFkS6ROPwFZicTFxy_JOfHe709FroOirwcAW9ni5Tw5UfRK3ywwXTY/s320/DSCN0793.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464496228675793138" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI52PnghhUZxysfkyPX9y6ko0xczy7-5dI0He5HAxcYPH5slZv7KDXIHbS71Lbh-jtiifNqSFq6kdS1mlkHzH6RezFkS6ROPwFZicTFxy_JOfHe709FroOirwcAW9ni5Tw5UfRK3ywwXTY/s1600/DSCN0793.JPG"></a><br />Our last night in Barcelona we spent once more eating tapas, paella, and drinking Sangria. We also spent a good amount of time tending to our blistered and swollen feet-a truly small price to pay for our amazing time.<br /><div><br />The next morning, we headed back to cold, windy, rainy England, but I think we both left a bit of ourselves in Barcelona. </div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-19086426280322422982010-04-17T22:54:00.000-07:002010-04-17T22:56:12.627-07:00VolcanoesI still need to blog about Barcelona. I suck, I know. I've just been happy and busy.<br /><br />For now, for those wondering, my travel back to Lancaster is in limbo. I'm hoping to arrive Monday morning, but nothing is for sure. It could be quite a few days until I get out of the states. Stupid volcanoes.<br /><br />Posts to come once I finish my final essay, get over my jetlag from going back to the UK (when that eventually happens) and have the emotional energy to go through the pictures of Erin and I's time together.<br /><br />Love to all.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-30124089274872074372010-03-28T07:39:00.000-07:002010-03-28T07:52:29.837-07:00London Swings<meta charset="utf-8">I had an amazing time in London. There are loads of pictures up on facebook, but I'll share some of my adventures here, too.
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<br />Day 1
<br />
<br />My amazing host, Francisca picked me up from Euston and we headed straight to the British Museum. It was super awesome and I loved seeing my first mummy. Then, we headed out for cocktails and AMAZING Mexican food from <a href="http://www.wahaca.co.uk/">Wahaca</a>. It was a great start to my trip.<div>
<br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT35NfsA-ozoU-HIP1kJ5aqCZqMFtB9OkoLmvyAQStn4uL6MP2LHfDiLbfuQOD2yLfe-cZd08fbxsI00UD0DtLJ1WCcWaCZEorVRO3aU7XlkXSjmeyvFJR3RLevrHsZm2GN6H-PCZfXdGw/s1600/DSCN0620.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT35NfsA-ozoU-HIP1kJ5aqCZqMFtB9OkoLmvyAQStn4uL6MP2LHfDiLbfuQOD2yLfe-cZd08fbxsI00UD0DtLJ1WCcWaCZEorVRO3aU7XlkXSjmeyvFJR3RLevrHsZm2GN6H-PCZfXdGw/s320/DSCN0620.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453697099453181986" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT35NfsA-ozoU-HIP1kJ5aqCZqMFtB9OkoLmvyAQStn4uL6MP2LHfDiLbfuQOD2yLfe-cZd08fbxsI00UD0DtLJ1WCcWaCZEorVRO3aU7XlkXSjmeyvFJR3RLevrHsZm2GN6H-PCZfXdGw/s1600/DSCN0620.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3H5P61pM3SmYeIgLhSfMVkAEoiYlMb5lvyR7k7Y4YvW9dXVfgIZX5HtrcSpTWQVoTWfxixp0NUjagZImfzk0klKpZT7rnQNwWR2tC4mr5hDEYMODGjbcnFQfhsk9dsJmUZejE2_ImFuv/s1600/DSCN0624.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3H5P61pM3SmYeIgLhSfMVkAEoiYlMb5lvyR7k7Y4YvW9dXVfgIZX5HtrcSpTWQVoTWfxixp0NUjagZImfzk0klKpZT7rnQNwWR2tC4mr5hDEYMODGjbcnFQfhsk9dsJmUZejE2_ImFuv/s320/DSCN0624.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696957423778642" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3H5P61pM3SmYeIgLhSfMVkAEoiYlMb5lvyR7k7Y4YvW9dXVfgIZX5HtrcSpTWQVoTWfxixp0NUjagZImfzk0klKpZT7rnQNwWR2tC4mr5hDEYMODGjbcnFQfhsk9dsJmUZejE2_ImFuv/s1600/DSCN0624.JPG"></a><div>
<br /></div><div>Day 2</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Francisca and I headed into the city early to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The guys with the big furry hats are awesome!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Later, we walked through Hyde Park (in the rain...) and then went to see Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.</div><div>
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8XwghqMQ2iCss4DevAFHI7GM9s5bFjn66nEhbpxOZzdbhWB2JnEeKjyDH7bQs1F5wgbl9nu65G25XxVEvwNeSZyeadMsczT_67CFF1bRY3ZxydnMZLh269nyyCu3I8RItEQ57ljLn0pF/s1600/DSCN0641.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8XwghqMQ2iCss4DevAFHI7GM9s5bFjn66nEhbpxOZzdbhWB2JnEeKjyDH7bQs1F5wgbl9nu65G25XxVEvwNeSZyeadMsczT_67CFF1bRY3ZxydnMZLh269nyyCu3I8RItEQ57ljLn0pF/s320/DSCN0641.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696949274322194" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8XwghqMQ2iCss4DevAFHI7GM9s5bFjn66nEhbpxOZzdbhWB2JnEeKjyDH7bQs1F5wgbl9nu65G25XxVEvwNeSZyeadMsczT_67CFF1bRY3ZxydnMZLh269nyyCu3I8RItEQ57ljLn0pF/s1600/DSCN0641.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PVvVScYtvkSYxrxnuO5qqqwrYh2oaP_mfm8-je49k_XSR-Ww3x9rAOy1Gow3BX02sH6RCLn7eJrkW8WkabVBYEXTdXUknFlEuFBoDEvSTmuZOvHWfoC8lGGqohLaWBjqUtj_EQnz_LCe/s1600/DSCN0643.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PVvVScYtvkSYxrxnuO5qqqwrYh2oaP_mfm8-je49k_XSR-Ww3x9rAOy1Gow3BX02sH6RCLn7eJrkW8WkabVBYEXTdXUknFlEuFBoDEvSTmuZOvHWfoC8lGGqohLaWBjqUtj_EQnz_LCe/s320/DSCN0643.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696937207644146" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PVvVScYtvkSYxrxnuO5qqqwrYh2oaP_mfm8-je49k_XSR-Ww3x9rAOy1Gow3BX02sH6RCLn7eJrkW8WkabVBYEXTdXUknFlEuFBoDEvSTmuZOvHWfoC8lGGqohLaWBjqUtj_EQnz_LCe/s1600/DSCN0643.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBENfwShEMzluJRcbxpWEwVVX5ggmyhX_-2Mluv4cEPMnSAtpMt4EaF1p5e7XT8LQnP-1neY_PFoKHCL0NRTL3TE0p7kk8P5I-6GVnIaX-Up6Z_GH3UixKRX0hzCbAH3ve87IaAsGsal2/s1600/DSCN0659.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBENfwShEMzluJRcbxpWEwVVX5ggmyhX_-2Mluv4cEPMnSAtpMt4EaF1p5e7XT8LQnP-1neY_PFoKHCL0NRTL3TE0p7kk8P5I-6GVnIaX-Up6Z_GH3UixKRX0hzCbAH3ve87IaAsGsal2/s320/DSCN0659.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696928652790514" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBENfwShEMzluJRcbxpWEwVVX5ggmyhX_-2Mluv4cEPMnSAtpMt4EaF1p5e7XT8LQnP-1neY_PFoKHCL0NRTL3TE0p7kk8P5I-6GVnIaX-Up6Z_GH3UixKRX0hzCbAH3ve87IaAsGsal2/s1600/DSCN0659.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJQJ4wJvjyOoOySNjw6oLQMFBNQQG_r4YOWRK1p870FQZ5cqVfbQovKGwFBh2Irb0Gip-54PyKVTg9-JDV-UViO1tocjzU_zYrBykQHGoH9wMwLgkPR132Rw-fKeT8dyEhmqAnNUCcyUW/s1600/DSCN0658.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJQJ4wJvjyOoOySNjw6oLQMFBNQQG_r4YOWRK1p870FQZ5cqVfbQovKGwFBh2Irb0Gip-54PyKVTg9-JDV-UViO1tocjzU_zYrBykQHGoH9wMwLgkPR132Rw-fKeT8dyEhmqAnNUCcyUW/s320/DSCN0658.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696925422561586" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJQJ4wJvjyOoOySNjw6oLQMFBNQQG_r4YOWRK1p870FQZ5cqVfbQovKGwFBh2Irb0Gip-54PyKVTg9-JDV-UViO1tocjzU_zYrBykQHGoH9wMwLgkPR132Rw-fKeT8dyEhmqAnNUCcyUW/s1600/DSCN0658.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryaR09am6SifECzV6IEDSSmPWZU6KEJ_e_3gBEkzm7BAIGEOEkeVTcTl4WkVHgbpUnqk8Ub80tB3luqwiF2UH3CmoD2lr_85IdCQI96XzPV2WwKYi-Hl_mz9YUY_AMSQyI8CbtHklHR78/s1600/DSCN0667.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryaR09am6SifECzV6IEDSSmPWZU6KEJ_e_3gBEkzm7BAIGEOEkeVTcTl4WkVHgbpUnqk8Ub80tB3luqwiF2UH3CmoD2lr_85IdCQI96XzPV2WwKYi-Hl_mz9YUY_AMSQyI8CbtHklHR78/s320/DSCN0667.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696471286250786" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryaR09am6SifECzV6IEDSSmPWZU6KEJ_e_3gBEkzm7BAIGEOEkeVTcTl4WkVHgbpUnqk8Ub80tB3luqwiF2UH3CmoD2lr_85IdCQI96XzPV2WwKYi-Hl_mz9YUY_AMSQyI8CbtHklHR78/s1600/DSCN0667.JPG"></a><div>
<br /></div><div>Day 3</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I went on a free walking tour through the <a href="http://www.newlondon-tours.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=43">same company</a> as we used in Edinburgh. It was awesome, and I got some great shots of the city.</div><div>
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WDREOOjehFNjAvS3U8anFNqYihyV1Vm5M0kO9q4NLnH-BATTXjBJkSnZbslZstVLINhpfoInD4kIKhYjm64-Jg0oCQc7dw-Vw88wo5uF_yz0TxFPfn3wnBWaODY8bC9W9IG4Lp_kcv-f/s1600/DSCN0669.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WDREOOjehFNjAvS3U8anFNqYihyV1Vm5M0kO9q4NLnH-BATTXjBJkSnZbslZstVLINhpfoInD4kIKhYjm64-Jg0oCQc7dw-Vw88wo5uF_yz0TxFPfn3wnBWaODY8bC9W9IG4Lp_kcv-f/s320/DSCN0669.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696459816830066" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WDREOOjehFNjAvS3U8anFNqYihyV1Vm5M0kO9q4NLnH-BATTXjBJkSnZbslZstVLINhpfoInD4kIKhYjm64-Jg0oCQc7dw-Vw88wo5uF_yz0TxFPfn3wnBWaODY8bC9W9IG4Lp_kcv-f/s1600/DSCN0669.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu1jJ2cHGhsE9VHMrYCure-yVVFzKWR5VqiBiXCL6Xxw8ITiphF2t91od103E4IdjyxHihpHuB5s8shedOxIdouHrdbvPN3M-6mShtw63tFyGlRe5ummyLpybcCW2pTb2rTCXLoyvFU0L/s1600/DSCN0672.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu1jJ2cHGhsE9VHMrYCure-yVVFzKWR5VqiBiXCL6Xxw8ITiphF2t91od103E4IdjyxHihpHuB5s8shedOxIdouHrdbvPN3M-6mShtw63tFyGlRe5ummyLpybcCW2pTb2rTCXLoyvFU0L/s320/DSCN0672.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696456085134418" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu1jJ2cHGhsE9VHMrYCure-yVVFzKWR5VqiBiXCL6Xxw8ITiphF2t91od103E4IdjyxHihpHuB5s8shedOxIdouHrdbvPN3M-6mShtw63tFyGlRe5ummyLpybcCW2pTb2rTCXLoyvFU0L/s1600/DSCN0672.JPG"></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-6VKqzaDUI3pOyoxee5nPndR9yMAcBYO71hG_lF6pF93NKOSfnLr5vnJAwhPiPneGbyMK9JqjWd8N32skqf2VjMSb1fV5IgKInTnPVPJOP9mrGTpG6XLRCgoY756UW0DwIls67pGRe_F/s1600/DSCN0688.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-6VKqzaDUI3pOyoxee5nPndR9yMAcBYO71hG_lF6pF93NKOSfnLr5vnJAwhPiPneGbyMK9JqjWd8N32skqf2VjMSb1fV5IgKInTnPVPJOP9mrGTpG6XLRCgoY756UW0DwIls67pGRe_F/s320/DSCN0688.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696447391811234" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-6VKqzaDUI3pOyoxee5nPndR9yMAcBYO71hG_lF6pF93NKOSfnLr5vnJAwhPiPneGbyMK9JqjWd8N32skqf2VjMSb1fV5IgKInTnPVPJOP9mrGTpG6XLRCgoY756UW0DwIls67pGRe_F/s1600/DSCN0688.JPG"></a><div>
<br /></div><div>Day 4</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Time to go home! But first, Francisca and I went on a hike of sorts along the North Downs. It was beautiful.</div><div>
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8-zaIxnmxZVzQ2VC0XDXotwPrf0tphMQoIT2SMBYQHGD6P1ImVMNFCPkgqiaDCgvQwiwfZZT_ja5BQtXzFisy4NJ_TCHbuQ96RYajSKAs2ir3nPHFTFKC-Lh6V8vyxW1MPjQoks9OOdw/s1600/DSCN0694.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8-zaIxnmxZVzQ2VC0XDXotwPrf0tphMQoIT2SMBYQHGD6P1ImVMNFCPkgqiaDCgvQwiwfZZT_ja5BQtXzFisy4NJ_TCHbuQ96RYajSKAs2ir3nPHFTFKC-Lh6V8vyxW1MPjQoks9OOdw/s320/DSCN0694.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453696438276060818" /></a><div>
<br /></div><div>Love to all! </div></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-39582684583536675902010-03-23T07:29:00.000-07:002010-03-23T07:31:23.463-07:00Quick UpdateTomorrow morning, I'm heading to London for a few days. Blog entry and pictures to follow for sure.<br /><br />Next up, Erin arrives Sunday! (There should be some kind of punctuation for when something is more than exclamation point.) <br /><br />Monday, we're heading to Barcelona (yeah, yeah, yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise, but I ruin everything). <br /><br />Friday, we'll both be flying back to the states. Cuz that's right, I'm coming home for a 2 week visit :)<br /><br />Lots more to come.<br /><br />Love you all (and see many of you soon!)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-47624411496642866562010-03-12T14:20:00.000-08:002010-03-12T14:23:44.393-08:00Having a bad day?Here's what gets me through mine:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fORAPkfVV_A&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fORAPkfVV_A&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-65096920734500432582010-02-28T10:35:00.001-08:002010-02-28T15:34:24.229-08:00Trip to Bath/StonehengeFinally! An exciting weekend! (and a blog not about school work!)<br /><br />This weekend, my friends and I went to Bath and Stonehenge on a trip organized by the University travel agency. We took a bus to Bath, and since we had all had, ahem, a "long night" beforehand, the 8:00 am departure was a bit difficult. But we pushed through and pretended to be all smiles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUoEnAOQjDMEm4Y-i0uBjWOMtycxCzWt5PXP2RKDI3TOwFKUFYsBXgk4VY98ubS-vNmWnQYm9PUDxF5HbqMD8b-J-s3OriJB6MUknjxUXOkIawMAuRZ1r7Ehcr2ELNuVrwh8r6-zKJknB/s1600-h/DSCN0510.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUoEnAOQjDMEm4Y-i0uBjWOMtycxCzWt5PXP2RKDI3TOwFKUFYsBXgk4VY98ubS-vNmWnQYm9PUDxF5HbqMD8b-J-s3OriJB6MUknjxUXOkIawMAuRZ1r7Ehcr2ELNuVrwh8r6-zKJknB/s320/DSCN0510.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443370117817574578" /></a><br /><br />Also, while stuck on the bus, somewhere in The Midlands, we saw the bluest skies we've seen since we got here. Too bad we were stuck on a bus :(<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjca5oCTvj8C024szWjg4unSvWs4x2YCm7ZOAlUn7WTUMm56XM1DR6zLD0Uk04TTrIO6oL3Rx2n7y2NxUvocpWV9lwF5n84Mfhn3tmyitnuiNNiTfNqOhFTKnbf9-2ZgDXu8z7OY28wtlw3/s1600-h/DSCN0509.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjca5oCTvj8C024szWjg4unSvWs4x2YCm7ZOAlUn7WTUMm56XM1DR6zLD0Uk04TTrIO6oL3Rx2n7y2NxUvocpWV9lwF5n84Mfhn3tmyitnuiNNiTfNqOhFTKnbf9-2ZgDXu8z7OY28wtlw3/s320/DSCN0509.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443370115242841874" /></a><br /><br />Our first stop in Bath was the Bath Abbey. It was founded in the 7th Century and most of the current construction dates back to the 12th and 16th centuries. As my friends and I commented, there were tiles on the floor with inscriptions "older than America!" Also, the church was absolutely beautiful. It is one of the few remaining Abbeys of its kind that was not severely damaged during WWII. It was pretty awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRidVdInJxppQthpE2d9R0gQ0YnhlqbIlk8IwHi7bPdv-BSmHws6-XKbnCcP2Fx6UfWplukK82MGnOGnhj5ecqu9qxuQCfuirpr2CIyX01pXuoEMXWAUJYFANFntVF2IS53Ab_UhsizJ0/s1600-h/DSCN0529.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRidVdInJxppQthpE2d9R0gQ0YnhlqbIlk8IwHi7bPdv-BSmHws6-XKbnCcP2Fx6UfWplukK82MGnOGnhj5ecqu9qxuQCfuirpr2CIyX01pXuoEMXWAUJYFANFntVF2IS53Ab_UhsizJ0/s320/DSCN0529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443370106692010450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hY_WjTU7l-hcyJ6kf04y7Jwc1yPwgn-D20t0o05WVHLmzs4ZFhYReczIFkNnCogeRXWBEwkZJzLyghd6U8i0NXeYWDCTnUI7FeqND4s-DH63JWYCctK0MZnyE7Ju30m2IkdsV9lq2eSn/s1600-h/DSCN0524.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hY_WjTU7l-hcyJ6kf04y7Jwc1yPwgn-D20t0o05WVHLmzs4ZFhYReczIFkNnCogeRXWBEwkZJzLyghd6U8i0NXeYWDCTnUI7FeqND4s-DH63JWYCctK0MZnyE7Ju30m2IkdsV9lq2eSn/s320/DSCN0524.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443369716732430946" /></a><br /><br />Next, we stopped at the reason Bath has such a funny name: The Roman Baths. 2000 years ago, when the Romans first took over England, they found the hot springs flowing through Bath and built a temple/bath house/gathering area. (Before that, it is believed the springs were used as a worshipping place of the Ancient Celts.) The Romans believed the waters had healing powers and that Minerva accepted offerings and gave her blessings from the steaming baths. What remains there today is the bath area (still untreated and as true to the Roman form as possible), the drainage system, and a museum that explains all the ruins that remain and how the Baths were used thousands of years ago. It was pretty neat, but we all (ESPECIALLY CHRISTINA) had trouble not diving into the waters to warm up from the frigid weather.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x0FCBTTUznuRfo5XarcpM_hRYTm4LQ4Qg_ZO_O93mM_2YpPBi242uprEKBcYeDrUfvr9wuxSWFd__O-pRrTYBny0W39XCQQABXE5ofhtfubEeJ9Pee-sZM0h0hvqRNPQjpo3P30_GI6X/s1600-h/DSCN0547.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x0FCBTTUznuRfo5XarcpM_hRYTm4LQ4Qg_ZO_O93mM_2YpPBi242uprEKBcYeDrUfvr9wuxSWFd__O-pRrTYBny0W39XCQQABXE5ofhtfubEeJ9Pee-sZM0h0hvqRNPQjpo3P30_GI6X/s320/DSCN0547.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443369710179840642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdPCVL_9J51uFBClEc3j9AD37HEFo3wSkzZzUhxYj9h-IWi9IHoOp4OPxVXVsIwA74PVCTgur1c7RMhyphenhypheneDNI24sTK7HNXayZAHiR0exNprMmfPt8Nd0uGLlCQs2D6sB3zBVx1LbFmHmCH/s1600-h/DSCN0551.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdPCVL_9J51uFBClEc3j9AD37HEFo3wSkzZzUhxYj9h-IWi9IHoOp4OPxVXVsIwA74PVCTgur1c7RMhyphenhypheneDNI24sTK7HNXayZAHiR0exNprMmfPt8Nd0uGLlCQs2D6sB3zBVx1LbFmHmCH/s320/DSCN0551.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443369692781011426" /></a><br /><br />The next morning, we all rallied from our night out (which for Christina, Phil and I really meant sharing a beer and going back to the hostel to play Scrabble) and got on the bus to Stonehenge. Stonehenge was amazing. It's hard to really understand the size of the stones from pictures, but they were massive, and marveling at how in the world it was constructed, let alone the rocks that form it (which are from Ireland and Wales-many of hundreds of miles away) got there was awesome. Plus, getting to see Stonehenge was one of those life goals that I get to check off my list. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa_WTpa98R8xhM9VtzGljci0dnp5rtBVrGfGw4zurbFS7_R8GgBwSJMsli-p93GQX-o-FRVV4Z7zDjFAN5YjTSi5geJpHQdu1vCAxEdL_MrtYBKqxWuMPtYb3nsA-CmZrZyWDIHV8QICK/s1600-h/DSCN0602.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa_WTpa98R8xhM9VtzGljci0dnp5rtBVrGfGw4zurbFS7_R8GgBwSJMsli-p93GQX-o-FRVV4Z7zDjFAN5YjTSi5geJpHQdu1vCAxEdL_MrtYBKqxWuMPtYb3nsA-CmZrZyWDIHV8QICK/s320/DSCN0602.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443369691426708370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYzeXqFRN8ujJyLcg4qMDII5U2BPvmrNThZmM6YRWlTyh4BmudMiUaaiV7QbaXibRGbsd4vQLTi9MbGFjv2nXeoaQbMYnsn6TilxXevwzxfO0-ZQ_k91wscySGmT129vU7jzwWnXgDhkW/s1600-h/DSCN0606.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYzeXqFRN8ujJyLcg4qMDII5U2BPvmrNThZmM6YRWlTyh4BmudMiUaaiV7QbaXibRGbsd4vQLTi9MbGFjv2nXeoaQbMYnsn6TilxXevwzxfO0-ZQ_k91wscySGmT129vU7jzwWnXgDhkW/s320/DSCN0606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443369671371696482" /></a><br /><br />This weekend was a much needed a very welcome break from the stress of essay writing and general schoolwork, but now it is back to the books.<br /><br />Much love to you all!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-87877572087507356192010-02-23T04:48:00.000-08:002010-02-23T04:52:34.008-08:00Coping Mechanisms<a href="http://socialmediasoapbox.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/nutella2.jpg">Nutella</a> and <a href="http://willrunforcake.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/oreos_1.jpg">Oreos</a> may be the only things that get me through this next month and my <a href=" http://andromeda.plymouthlibrary.org/blog/libchoice/images/woman-screaming.jpg">six papers.</a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-68434268491172214382010-02-16T14:48:00.000-08:002010-02-16T14:52:29.245-08:00HmmmmOne of the things they don't really mention a lot when you get ready for studying abroad is that a lot of times you'll be...well, studying.<br /><br />I know my entries about going on adventures and trips are much more exciting, but I've got five 10+ page papers due in 4 weeks, and apart from my booked-long-ago trip to Bath/Stonehenge in two weeks, I'll mostly be studying and writing for the next month or so.<br /><br />My apologies for letting you down. I mean, trust me, I wish that studying abroad really just mean going around Europe for 6 months, having adventures, an unlimited bank account, constant internet access, and inexhaustible energy.<br /><br />But it's doesn't. Also, it's cold. And rainy. I mean really, I knew I was coming to the UK and I couldn't expect nice weather, but the day-to-day climate here is downright depressing.<br /><br />I can't wait for spring and hikes and studying under trees. <br /><br />I should have gone to Fiji. <br /><br />Love to all.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-73623313030695793622010-02-14T03:45:00.001-08:002010-02-14T03:48:56.595-08:00Love!Happy Valentine's Day everyone!<br /><br />I'll be spending the day getting ready for the last performance of Vagina Monologues and wishing I was home with my Valentine.<br /><br />I know that Valentine's Day can be a contentious issue, but for anyone who doesn't feel like celebrating, I then urge you to remember the important work that the V-Day foundation is doing and spend this day working to end violence against women around the world.<br /><br />For more information, check out their website: http://www.vday.org/home<br /><br />Valentine's Day love to all.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-76113866334374551282010-02-10T14:21:00.001-08:002010-02-10T14:25:52.861-08:00Birthday!So, my apologies for a major fail on postings, but I've been so sick I've had little to report on. I'm finally feeling better and have celebrated the last two days accordingly.<br /><br />Tonight, we went to <a href="http://www.bar1725.co.uk/">1725</a>, a tapas bar in Lancaster. It was amazingly delicious. One of the highlights was my delicious cocktail. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIntJ5xXyvibl8CsDV1rSDv_k8kl6OtAaTiqmm6y5oPx-Rkz7oNaci0Azz-VMp5iI_-MrX6fUKGu1jYSxr_OhEssrMMSU7ntkIbc0XcEjgcUv5B3l27OvWiHjQ4YUzGn6Ay2xIZxGMU2l/s1600-h/DSCN0499.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIntJ5xXyvibl8CsDV1rSDv_k8kl6OtAaTiqmm6y5oPx-Rkz7oNaci0Azz-VMp5iI_-MrX6fUKGu1jYSxr_OhEssrMMSU7ntkIbc0XcEjgcUv5B3l27OvWiHjQ4YUzGn6Ay2xIZxGMU2l/s320/DSCN0499.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436743852472388754" /></a><br /><br />The other highlight was this amazing fudge cake. Unfortunately, I'd finished the cocktail by the time it arrived and didn't quite have the presence of mind to remember to photograph it for your viewing pleasure.<br /><br />I've had a really great birthday. Yesterday, the ladies all cooked me dinner and made mimosas. Check out my facebook for pictures of the debauchery. I'm really enjoying not having to end my age with "teen" and excited about this next decade of my life and all the excitement it will hold.<br /><br />Love to you all.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-63296814025902854332010-01-31T04:29:00.000-08:002010-01-31T04:38:21.526-08:00Still SickI've been cooped up in my room for almost a week now with this illness. I made it to the pharmacy today so hopefully things will turn around quickly.(Shout out to Christina for waking up early on a Sunday to ride into town with me.) Ya know, learning to navigate the British Healthcare System wasn't one of the things I hoped to learn here, but I guess I'll enjoy all the knowledge I'm gaining. <br /><br />So being in my room and sick and pathetic has given me quite a bit of time to muse on the things I miss most about the States. Now, missing these things is different than being homesick-I really am enjoying my time here. I would just, ya know, like some comforts of home every now and then.<br /><br />1) ICE. They don't use it here, and it's ridiculously hard to track it down. Those of you who know me, know I like to fill my glass to the very top with ice, and adjusting to iceless drinks has been very difficult.<br /><br />2) <a href="http://www.nrn.com/images/4204/4204NRN_Valuemeal-fig3.jpg">Taco Bell</a><br /><br />3)<a href="http://www.koamart.com/images/products/1053_default.gif"> Ramen Noodles</a><br /><br />4) My bed at my parents' house. Oh, and the parents of course. And the brothers. But that's all obvious.<br /><br />5) Erin and my friends. <br /><br />6)<a href="http://images1.cafepress.com/product/87734131v2_480x480_Front.jpg"> Ranch Dressing</a>. They seriously just don't have it here. And if you ask for it, they all laugh and say "it's not America!"<br /><br />Well, back to bed to dream about ranch dressing and ice water.<br /><br />Love to all.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-49238877647436596772010-01-28T10:07:00.001-08:002010-01-29T03:56:34.410-08:00This is the Ugliest Weather I've Ever Been UnderJust a quick update because I'm not feeling too well. I'm keeping busy with school and Vagina Monologues, and am starting to settle into my life here.<br /><br />No new adventures this week, so my apologies. <br /><br />Back to bed-trying to make sure this chest cold doesn't become pneumonia. (Man how I hate having chronic pneumonia...illness can never be simple for me!)<br /><br />Love to all.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-14134094055847692872010-01-25T09:28:00.001-08:002010-01-25T09:55:25.949-08:00Long Post About a Long, Amazing Weekend in Edinburgh<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Wow. It was a crazy, amazing, wonderful, whirlwind, exhausting weekend in Edinburgh. Six of my friends and I headed up north on the train to celebrate my friend Christina’s 21<sup>st</sup> birthday weekend and we had a great time. We started off our weekend with a breathtakingly beautiful train ride from Lancaster to Edinburgh. The incredible scenery we got to see out of our window was fantastic.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQcCMdyZFRNQ3LWPIu4ZTOVVBPSGT_d0NN3UxZtRDSvPdnvAxLaD16u-3CVKTZpVC609gq8Y7PsvqhmiR2XIh3tJEiYacso_s7OxcMCiSw7lBSD2FLQ_I6KBya8uYyh_g1RB4knbXVztd/s320/DSCN0208.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430732200603042018" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><!--StartFragment--> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Once we got there, we wandered around fairly aimlessly, not knowing where we were going to stay or what we were going to do. Naturally, we decided our best option was to eat first, and headed straight away to a….Chinese Buffet. That’s right. 7 Americans ate in a Chinese Buffet in Edinburgh. Sarah even got a Mexican beer. Hello there globalization. </p> <!--EndFragment--> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRcwafqqldCUhHUgRN_ekVnzPYnfTXU69ZCVQIRasjosbj2p4cJnPCcMAeBxIXQHXAQ4SI2i65InK8iM_e8mEj9WN8EluDwZP384CroC8AMr23Md2fJYvw6RUDdGUgCMf9UD10Q27GY4h/s320/DSCN0228.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430732189033234562" /></p><p class="MsoNormal">After that, I used my fancy phone to look up a hostel near all the places we wanted to see and picked (fairly randomly) the <a href="http://castlerockedinburgh.com/">Castle Rock Hostel</a>. And what a fantastic pick it was! The hostel itself was beautiful and ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CASTLE. It also had a great atmosphere and a great price. I’d also like to point out that from the time we found the hostel until we left, we heard bagpipes playing almost constantly. It was surreal. </p> <!--EndFragment--> <img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGA0G6VvjQOtep3pNxjeRjAiZo-PZjcB7uFd-leNQ4716eGmt7Q5rtqPOGjBUDv09rSUY9HeLRGQLcQbQjjhr65MNae7osqi-An2uj5IVeL_mzO06kU9ZWkIWEtHs2jyNFlEPHq4seTLLW/s320/DSCN0440.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430732187795752978" />
<br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">That night, we went out to the bars and clubs in Edinburgh to start celebrating Christina’s birthday. The best stop of the night, hands down, was The Scotsman, a tiny pub filled with old Scottish men and a live band. It was fantastic.</p><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwkGmCk5JZjuj_h_ep_DQ7ngWc_stEAnt38cPlT01LXiUuUTGVzuK00WJQjzZ_VeKzycqs3chDYVVsv9LKVfSbyhk_Wtr0vaLqKGEAUX_4wkZjtFRgLkjFGsCJHWHEVhkGQfzvlvRmSmH/s320/DSCN0324.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731927952210610" /></div><div>
<br /></div><div>The next morning, we drug ourselves out of bed and onto a three hour walking tour of Edinburgh. The tour was through a company that specializes in tours for budget travelers. The tours themselves are free and the guides are paid on a tip-only basis. The tour was fantastic and gave lots of great history. Our guide also indulged our obsession with Harry Potter. He showed us the building that inspired Hogwarts, the café in which JK Rowling wrote the first book, and the graves that inspired some of the names of her characters. We also got to see all of these incredible old buildings. Here are some pictures of how beautiful Edinburgh is.</div><div>
<br />A church just up the street from our Hostel.
<br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlFh9pn_3urOlYfPia079ntXWxhZyccc7oL1rlyFJv2oYpSu-Art0dahCwm4EeP4s104HjCAqgUW3i06A38As4TKUsYBSi4HXbTcX5mIY7q0t6Rha7-QUp6qdXq69DAnsWjkIr5oMmKbp/s320/DSCN0349.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731921673537906" /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The cemetery with graves of many of the people that provided the names for Harry Potter characters. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMi7sfGjH846lWzy9Rz3bqJOU-Z55w8_gfuFReuzSz1A9WP2h5rBmF2WtvrDu6esXII1ADWB8op-4n2ct7X0h2Rnz0IkiMsFOwzPVp_Bna0pODRawvIuHew25fCOfKQqiqIsnod0SjZeq/s320/DSCN0358.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731911653167810" /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The building that inspired Hogwarts!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkqkT3G6XIEoc82wTdQgD5DmWvmtynuCVjFweikQYrPDkfwcPaLYFxg-NJ1WSRUzeFs9uJc5WIIeJToRMh4RlT6LgFmO9rQAh_fQ9LKx7eoRWAqxwu_J0pa3aT41QkBI32fXn3NzwVCte/s320/DSCN0353.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731907202125826" /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Later, we headed to <a href="http://www.elephanthouse.biz/">The Elephant House</a> (where Harry Potter was written) for lunch. We had decided we wanted to try haggis, and The Elephant House happened to be serving it. As we sat there and ate our traditional Scottish fare (which, though I didn’t have a whole plate myself, I did try and must say was DELICIOUS) we looked through the window JK Rowling did as she wrote. It was such an awesome nerd moment.</p> <!--EndFragment--> This is the view Rowling had as she wrote!
<br /><div>
<br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMa39G8UGw3I-C2Hqz8-V_oy1XskzmCMFzLmR8J5ZNcpN51Zdjmmpj-5pN9b00GWp2mgBY_TOuGQ28oAlUl9tdTu6XWi6XBDG4NVN6Buguic8SDWHTUY0pYEcRuwD41zZRAaddG2jLNPM/s320/DSCN0370.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731902538447570" />
<br />
<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis">Haggis</a>. It's so much better than you would think.
<br /><div>
<br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXQfgU0HLecbz4_RE5-933sr6xTgryLOAnUQRVCyj23cpQDhm3qcySbb_SEjb-ksFpIqRsQJeiRsBILmjqxBsachRRSYUoCR29clDczFL90Hl28AIHO6fvakWAygMgtSO_iekH0d_aV1y/s320/DSCN0372.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731262386450514" /></div><div>
<br /></div><div>Later, some of us headed up to the castle for the tour. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Castle">Edinburgh Castle</a> is built onto a cliff of volcanic rock from way back when the land, that much later became Scotland, was covered in volcanoes and was located by the equator. The Edinburgh Castle must be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen and the view from the top was incredible. Not to mention, we got to see the Scottish Crown Jewels!</div><div>
<br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViln6T6iQ9zIA9sLtDnobuySNXVagPpdpuxTj8kw-nhRU2a3NhOVu312IEYenIkvzucc1HzgfHuAvq-OjNS35uyS9WPsE2uU9vbkOrQOR_Tt0dyTiIIR25rFzy-GrYs3OIhA4t96r2Fj0/s1600-h/DSCN0351.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViln6T6iQ9zIA9sLtDnobuySNXVagPpdpuxTj8kw-nhRU2a3NhOVu312IEYenIkvzucc1HzgfHuAvq-OjNS35uyS9WPsE2uU9vbkOrQOR_Tt0dyTiIIR25rFzy-GrYs3OIhA4t96r2Fj0/s320/DSCN0351.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430733439853854834" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>
<br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELvw4uO9xSqNkY0gl9MrJfEGlmL6y_zky_muNrIg8AvjFYU-pmfKH_SXi5qocBFr_8RP7a3BxYD2Z0Gt2oJ3xF-FXH_cl2c6r1XW7HYRI-CSj_laGOGxAAgVg2apOgH1A3-Nra00KTJ9S/s320/DSCN0418.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731254617321586" /></div><div>
<br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fmn93menIluPv1V8pstb5TQechu0cKvaXU1fwuDNHzcr2UD9BxY-U5IrXzdv5Ej11dIdxzHBMlUd-2cEZbnhmgRDwwT1Qj5-CcqLEY7WwB6IHfPv8s59XWAWjpoGLmA5-yPjmHG-3lTu/s320/DSCN0388.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731248634554050" /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">It was also the home of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Margaret_of_Scotland">St. Margaret of Scotland</a>, the saint I picked way back in 7<sup>th</sup> grade when I was confirmed. The chapel built in her honor is the oldest building on the castle grounds and was built by her son after her death. It was really cool getting to see it.</p></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpj8Fg6BgUY4dDxMiMWlULti84scDr94S-tXc86ssfloi5FqOst4imMaHfCRzgD_STAyioJUwSG3J1lFXWTYDQVZUM30jnmgJo8E8NykXaqwJinC94di058makYF3XZvMAAqeMVk7z1QAo/s320/DSCN0422.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731240178318514" /></div><div>
<br /></div><div>After all that touring and exploring, we were pretty exhausted. Since it’s the UK and everything closes early, there wasn’t much to do except sit and wait at the train station until our train arrived that night. We were all exhausted.</div><div>
<br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvBq2jXIv1-QXbInlw1wGG_YJ2oCvzk8NIOHMhA8OZwa6yC_xKvMSKJsR37VhPHxycyKM6b4_Yubu7Ad2A-H8cu9gB0eaks_HVQpnBHQvnWAzMexzyBF0TzT4rrH7EMldTmEbbMj-WrFN/s320/DSCN0447.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430731232794801522" /></div><div>
<br /></div><div>I have to say that being in Edinburgh was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had here so far. It really made it sink in that I’m in the UK, living and studying for six months, and I get to have all of these incredible experiences. I hope you enjoy all the pictures (there are 188 up on facebook…) and I love and miss you all. <3</div></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-10922278984266884162010-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:002010-01-22T10:02:52.534-08:00Trust Women<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px; font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><a href="http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/choice-action-center/bfc10-main.html"><img src="http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/graphics/bfc10-icon.png" border="0" target="_blank" /></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px;font-size:11px;"> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This blog is going to be a little different. Dare I say, a little bit more important than what I usually write here.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But today is a little different. Today is important.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">January 22, 2010 marks the 37</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> anniversary of Roe v Wade, the court case that effectively secured women’s access to safe, legal abortion services.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This year, the anniversary feels a little different for me than it has in the past few years. Typically, the day was celebrated by my fellow pro-choice activists and I as an important marker of women’s fight for bodily autonomy. And while it was a reminder that the fight is not over, as a woman’s right to choose is still under constant attack from anti-woman political ideologies, it was a joyous occasion. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But not this year.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Because it was only a few months ago that Dr. Tiller was murdered. All that Dr. Tiller did was perform a medical service for women who desperately needed it. He broke no laws. He had no motive other than to help women who needed his help. And for that, he was murdered.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As many of you know, I have worked for or with Planned Parenthood in one capacity or another since my sophomore year of high school. Though Dr. Tiller was not technically a part of the Planned Parenthood family, he was known and loved by many people at PPSLR and PPKM. While the media coverage of his death has long since ceased, the feeling it evoked in all of the reproductive justice community has not.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And I think that’s why this year feels different. This year, the anniversary of Roe v Wade serves as a reminder that while that court case secured rights for women, it did not secure abortion services providers from violence. Every time I walk into a clinic, whether I’m there to work, volunteer, phone bank, or provide support for a friend, it crosses my mind that I may not be safe. I don’t think that walking into a medical office should evoke that feeling and I think it’s despicable that it does.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The point of this post is a reminder that without abortion services providers, abortion rights mean little. It’s a reminder that regardless of your feelings about the “morality” or abortion, Roe v Wade has saved thousands of women in the US from early deaths or infertility-the complications of illegal abortions. It’s a reminder to thank the women and men who continue the fight to insure women have access to necessary medical procedures. They deserve it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I feel the most appropriate way to end this is with the mantra of Dr. Tiller.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TRUST WOMEN</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks and love to all.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span></span></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-11904828782586551462010-01-19T13:28:00.001-08:002010-01-19T15:21:10.585-08:00Cultural ConfusionI haven't done much worth blogging about in the last couple days. I am getting into the swing of my classes, etc., and have been planning some weekend trips. (This weekend to Scotland and at the end of February to Stonehenge!) But I still want to try to stay in the habit of blogging at least every couple of days, so I figured I would do something a little different.<div><br /></div><div>Before I came here, I really had the (ethnocentric) idea that England was just the US with accents.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here is a list of some of the most confusing/entertaining stories about navigating a new country and a confusing language!</div><div><br /></div><div>1) I had to very quickly learn to hide my confusion when the BBC described 2 inches of snow and 33 degree temperatures as "Britain's Great Freeze." </div><div><br /></div><div>2) The first few times I ran into my flatmates, they would always ask "Are you ok?" Now, in the States, this is a very probing question. It's really only appropriate if someone looks upset or if you want to have an emotional conversation about their feelings. So naturally, every time they asked, I would have a major crisis and worry that my eyes were puffy or I was dressed inappropriately or I was giving off some other kind of vibe that indicated I needed to be checked up on. After this happened like 5 times, I asked my other American friends if that had been happening to them and we all collectively realized that it must just be a standard greeting like "what's up?" or "how are you doing?" in the US and is actually not at all a deep probing question. I have to say though, even with this realization, I still get jarred every time someone asks me if I'm ok!</div><div><br /></div><div>3) People's questions about America are sometimes classic. After I told someone I was from the Missouri, which I always describe as the middle middle of the country, she asked if I made it out to the coasts often. I kindly explained it was a 2 day drive to any kind of ocean. Another person was completely boggled by the idea it took the same amount of time to get across the state I'm from as it does to get across most of the entire UK. </div><div><br /></div><div>4) The campus here is filled with independent businesses like grocery stores and restaurants. At Mizzou, essentially everything on campus belongs to the University in some respect, so I feel very much a sense of ownership over the campus. That just isn't the case here. This came very apparent when my American friends and I tried to go inside to a restaurant to eat our fish and chips (which is sold from a stand that doesn't have any seating of its own) and was asked (not so politely) to leave and told it was very "cheeky". (Later, we asked some Brits what "cheeky" means and they said it means "naughty!") At Mizzou, every eating establishment, building, room, outside space is open to and designed for student use and that is simply not how it feels here. This has been one of the most difficult adjustments.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) The first day I got my phone, I decided to use it as an alarm to wake me up the next morning. I set it, charged my phone, and thankfully, added an alarm to my iPod just in case it didn't work. It didn't. I was distressed, but figured I'd give it another try the next morning. Once again, it didn't work. I asked my friends and none of them seemed to be having a similar problem. Then, in a flash of brilliance, it dawned on me that I was entering the date of my alarm in the American order instead of how the rest of the world writes it. No wonder my alarms hadn't gone off-after all, I'd set them for November 1st and December 1st. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure that these stories will continue to make themselves apparent and I'll be sure to share.</div><div><br /></div><div>Much love, especially to my school friends who all started class today. The semester will be over before you know it!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-29120951339889904032010-01-17T12:50:00.001-08:002010-01-17T13:02:19.640-08:00Tour of Lancaster Castle<div>Today, we ventured into town to go on the tour of <a href="http://www.lancastercastle.com/home.php">Lancaster Castle</a>. It was really fun and filled with so much interesting information. Unfortunately, photos inside are not allowed because of the castle's status as a functioning prison and court, but I did get some pretty great shots outside of it and of the priory next to it.</div><div><br /></div>The view from the top of the hill the castle sits on is incredible. This picture so does not do it justice.<br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqdQY3GAgKpmATuT-KQKKUqPXKymuG-LsibQllOp0slQ0ZFtgX5yoGqaOVTVYKvQB-G03ccx53-YVPf74WlV9Qtxsb4RJATp7GwRWQOSjh9kZFTh1CDBS5GtV8tP8CXzCeHqGIdX8DQ3g/s320/DSCN0149.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427814930669673170" /><br /><br />The Priory next to the Castle. The most interesting story about it is that since the ground churches are on is consecreated, which means that anyone who dies/is buried there can't go to hell, they were very careful to hang the prisoners off church grounds and bury them under what is now the Castle car park. Oh modernization....<br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivF9EtHOodEV2q_K0Vr-i1Ay9uNiraptFIC9ghXfd9CEODskFSJ2fjvOb4rQ1zfqzLSkqR6dtEf38yhf4JE0EbfYz4uL86NAaXODrVOAay4s5QeJkUoSKdsB-DyiSpBtRaKmeXHbpvyhm/s320/DSCN0146.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427814925489969394" /><br /><div><br /></div><div>This is my go-to tourist pose. </div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRD8U5jvGn5XDZ7w_S4bUTjsY5TrmPKG7k2x8C4OTqR_J97FBc1FD30iudnfxio0PrkP6j7wpekfiuj2lZeIOdJE1RT1WZ2Mt2PVJOnj_DNOKNa0YUYK7undI0ZSL_4OPJeg-tjI_3OfA/s320/DSCN0145.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427814918990964018" /><br /><div><br /></div><div>Close up view of the outside of the Castle. </div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzdGdeREV-a3wSQJQBeVzQ9290DWHUL9onjLYtQazNWbbE9_3xl149zNu4z9JGzqxelJ0z31TKV9sEW0W_bZH3LJ9bCni9O7x-1rQiF-aN9vvhYEq4Mnnbu6T23cQdny6RKu1MZH7IOnz/s320/DSCN0136.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427814917602395794" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh. And I started to feel the homesickness I'd been doing so well at defeating creep back in tonight. So I bought a lot of chocolate. Judge me. I dare you. </div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB6YG4XZb0FZcn0E64Lw-uutRm5CWOi-CUs1hvgy7796waetb5-UtwI0mFP3OXYPS1YZlFfi9SBUpxtW6NvhPBUp5akkTGRMF3y0kj3TOlHoMv0Bz5LThOzSDo_pZ2HQxa9C2j8bxXqqI/s320/DSCN0158.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427814908970412770" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Love to all :)</div><div><br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-51298261552521734552010-01-16T16:23:00.000-08:002010-01-16T16:39:54.251-08:00I blog about food a lotAnd I'm going to do it again. Perhaps the secret inner foodie in me is coming out here, but exploring the food here is one of my favorite things to do.<div><br /></div><div>I had two really delicious meals today. The first was at the Wibbly Wobbly on campus. I was really worried I wouldn't be able to find something to eat there, because as most of you know, I do my best to eat a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarian">pescetarian</a> diet [except of course when someone cooks meat for me, as refusing a meal that someone prepares for you with their hard work and love is far too rude for me to ever swallow. (pardon the pun)]. But anyway, I was pleased to find they had SEVEN vegetarian burger options. I chose a Mediterranean Veggie one and it was super delicious. The cook suggested garlic mayo and a chili sauce to top it and the tomatoes, of course, were my addition. Note the Fanta. It's so much better in Europe than it is in the States. </div><div><br /><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpYgZ6MV1rPA86kYiA66gJNS4N-gvHmkaP8LNj7Xb8nTtUBBR6wyNlo692Frkr8XmJ4a2VNcHbZ3i9oqtyp1U7d5pKp3iTc1nIrUHy5ybiloBpklXCnwKUH_Ir4Re9uygTLq-Y6A472-e/s320/DSCN0131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427499780573142578" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tonight, the crew and I headed into town to check out a few town pubs. It only took two to make us realize we all just actually wanted to eat. When they all suggested McDonalds, I was once again weary, but it turns out that the McDonalds here have delicious veggie patties as well! I'm not sure if it's just because of the large Hindu population or because European diets tend to be a bit healthier, but I'm lovin' it. </div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, I finally met the feminists! It's too long of a story to tell here, but by the end of last night, not only had a met a new group of friends, I had landed a role in <a href="http://www.vday.org/about/more-about">The Vagina Monologues.</a> It's such an amazing opportunity-to work with amazing women for such a great cause. I'm really excited. (P.S. There are Vagina Monologues shows in nearly every city in the US. Most shows are the weekend of Valentine's Day. All the ticket proceeds go to causes both domestically and internationally to end violence against women. If you've never been, you must go!)</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm doing my best to post here every couple of days and keep you all updated. Hope all is well. Love you lots :)</div><div><br /></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-1776979381367407982010-01-14T15:37:00.000-08:002010-01-14T15:44:59.400-08:00Fish and Chips!Today marked my first encounter with real fish and chips! The place that we went to was on campus and just a short walk from my dorm. It was so delicious.<br /><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacNqZ4BSnzgBsiKzQsgHCFeRFmKAvgRVsBkiy2l7voFcypi_-lRCPLwcmBPGwJtbWHxvaACWkhdWZM2BOmLQo-IHWzINaw_YoBffxbGACYukjKneJLXXOQTpTNLtW0DQpWEiroa929iiz/s320/DSCN0116.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426744694646949650" /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacNqZ4BSnzgBsiKzQsgHCFeRFmKAvgRVsBkiy2l7voFcypi_-lRCPLwcmBPGwJtbWHxvaACWkhdWZM2BOmLQo-IHWzINaw_YoBffxbGACYukjKneJLXXOQTpTNLtW0DQpWEiroa929iiz/s1600-h/DSCN0116.JPG"></a>Before. It tasted even better than it looked.</div><div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmD4iSNL5lbHvjw05nOuCNxXp5hoeP35AIl48KiTrM8lIVOvyZqtdpixNaexZmpiGgoQ3-35uyWad7nxRSiBtdz9jeQnzLCjyfrxlXWIIWeqBd92A8uVcCOuvm77mHk7BR9_dsSTskJFuk/s320/DSCN0113.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426744691051325042" /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmD4iSNL5lbHvjw05nOuCNxXp5hoeP35AIl48KiTrM8lIVOvyZqtdpixNaexZmpiGgoQ3-35uyWad7nxRSiBtdz9jeQnzLCjyfrxlXWIIWeqBd92A8uVcCOuvm77mHk7BR9_dsSTskJFuk/s1600-h/DSCN0113.JPG"></a>EATING!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0PVIBO38Vhymqj5bRQ5zAubxngbDLrbK9ce4O0PN_vIDLzLJP9hUJ6F4Lh7bJOXR26grZGKmqMBAnXTfc8MMxP4gP-0NVzj0yBxO9Qh-uFqI66H6ZDjBxFsWM9Ru6HN23YrJ8dQAc6cj/s1600-h/DSCN0114.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0PVIBO38Vhymqj5bRQ5zAubxngbDLrbK9ce4O0PN_vIDLzLJP9hUJ6F4Lh7bJOXR26grZGKmqMBAnXTfc8MMxP4gP-0NVzj0yBxO9Qh-uFqI66H6ZDjBxFsWM9Ru6HN23YrJ8dQAc6cj/s320/DSCN0114.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426744685523793522" /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0PVIBO38Vhymqj5bRQ5zAubxngbDLrbK9ce4O0PN_vIDLzLJP9hUJ6F4Lh7bJOXR26grZGKmqMBAnXTfc8MMxP4gP-0NVzj0yBxO9Qh-uFqI66H6ZDjBxFsWM9Ru6HN23YrJ8dQAc6cj/s1600-h/DSCN0114.JPG"></a>After. I could only finish half. I was so disappointing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkmICfBFjEv3J7JXIWuuwrqRTvh82qpuxDjOPAaHbXB6NsPJQdtTmrW1C7YtSRbdss6J1S2W0NtHoI8YgTgb6Zb1JbZ8ZZBSi2x87V6PMtgVXAC5skAX_QtFFIQXmrNNQHKbs3xAEXVDE/s1600-h/DSCN0115.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkmICfBFjEv3J7JXIWuuwrqRTvh82qpuxDjOPAaHbXB6NsPJQdtTmrW1C7YtSRbdss6J1S2W0NtHoI8YgTgb6Zb1JbZ8ZZBSi2x87V6PMtgVXAC5skAX_QtFFIQXmrNNQHKbs3xAEXVDE/s320/DSCN0115.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426744677840579650" /></a><div><br /></div><div>We all had a really great time and a really great meal :)</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTgItnAvyPKQw6kgAssowtXYAXFrgcEbEF_M2LTAkmo8H2mRwYHwAM9VH9jJYd3rU87VEFo-Jjzilk8PDGLUn0tpkONpivORI2oTZ3AZOVYWcvDUf6HgP1n02Dwy6ZDc8vANP2tnEgJmA/s1600-h/DSCN0112.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTgItnAvyPKQw6kgAssowtXYAXFrgcEbEF_M2LTAkmo8H2mRwYHwAM9VH9jJYd3rU87VEFo-Jjzilk8PDGLUn0tpkONpivORI2oTZ3AZOVYWcvDUf6HgP1n02Dwy6ZDc8vANP2tnEgJmA/s320/DSCN0112.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426744674272704882" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Getting less homesick each day. Love you all so much.</div></div></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-26252904632428411432010-01-13T09:23:00.001-08:002010-01-13T09:30:54.263-08:00On HopeHope. It's more than Barack Obama's buzzword. It's more than a philosophical belief and it's more than something you can chose. For me, hope is a physical experience. It's a spiritual one. Hope is elusive, but necessary, and here, it's fleeting.<div><br /></div><div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXGulZYcwTRoddleAT2UvFWdTmaiuF7_thq1BRh0ozft2jM0HhgNMVFkY0s4xR25fAhtuYWgKZfSlrjAJkwaCuWKesYC02guAEd_ML-HpPAu_EfUqGF2ESjJlmV2ajtKPDLdYyBNVN4Ku/s320/DSCN0106.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426277912498506098" /></div><div><br /></div><div>But I keep seeing this white bird everywhere I go and it's almost always by itself. I saw it with two other white birds today. The other ones quickly flew away, but it walked right up to me. Let me take this picture of it. I've filled my journal already with pages of contemplation about what it means-what signs unasked for really signify. Why some universal force seems so determined to remind me to fight through the homesickness and remember hope. I need things of comfort, so I think I'll stop questioning why this bird is following me and just let it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4054870243122303278.post-66349443891916262402010-01-12T03:04:00.000-08:002010-01-12T03:14:59.215-08:00One week Down (163 days to go!)Not too much to update about. I've been horribly homesick, but doing my best to still put myself out there, meet new people, go to the parties, etc., but it's been hard. <div><br /></div><div>Classes started yesterday and it felt good to go back to something I feel good at. School here is evidently much easier than American college, which I'm not sure is a good thing. School is really what comforts me when all other things seem to be going crazy and out of my control, so since there isn't really a lot to do here in the way of classwork or papers or quizzes or tests, I'm worried it will make my stay here even more difficult.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess I should explain the school system a little better. I am here for the Lent term (which started yesterday and ends in the middle of March) and Summer term (which starts in the middle of April and lasts until exams end). Most classes end after Lent term and all of Summer term is meant for preparation for your exams, though if you asked most students here, they would say it was meant for 7 night a week partying. Anyway, you would think that if you are give an entire term to study for exams, they must be exceedingly difficult. </div><div><br /></div><div>You'd be wrong. Not only is it University Policy that all old tests must be posted online for students to study from, but they are basically essay tests-a specialty of mine. Almost all of my courses are graded completely on a 3,000 word or so essay due at the end of this term and the exams in May. </div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't figure out how they actually manage to learn anything. But, I guess I'll figure it out?</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night, I had dinner with some American girls, went out to Trevor, the old fashioned pub on campus, and got some late night pizza.<br /><br /><div><br /></div><div>Christina is a really good cook!</div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-61JiC4M7TpzjkZKyCTVa879pbiVGQZ1IBUm2jtM1-CXyNnI2TAgyZpBPLZkKII8sG3BdPHAk0MYmvynRMdGlqwI2kK1eMFB4THuopq53totofgX27n434N8JWgRNVY1u5LOyYOOpzG0N/s320/DSCN0076.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425807859628453682" /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've already been to the late night pizza place a few times (cooking for yourself in a kitchen that is equipped with appliances the size of EasyBake ovens is just not something I'm that into) and the guy there is getting to know me. They always make fun of my accent and how I talk, etc., so last night, I made him take a picture with me. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9FMa6lPEIWMM1YC-et2EeSuQCZlNxEyZMqKxVoM69uqpAKTYOmxj93-BZXiGHJ-bTWbb_Pr3XRxvzRD1gmQvYpTkHaiTt-W7KR0WPXmHxJEydFIGCXBrLM8e6TVdQ4in8Au_GzkR2jMS/s320/DSCN0082.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425807869471082466" /></div><div><br /></div><div>I miss you all so much. I check my countdown all day long to see how long it is until I get to return.</div><div><br /></div><div>Love.</div></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02377243924169462030noreply@blogger.com0