San Antonio & D'Hanis

It's about a week until I leave for London, and things are starting to get busy! I've started packing and making sure I have everything I need for the trip. So many blogs and articles I've read have provided detailed packing lists and tips, but the best piece of advice I've gotten has come from my dad, who always seems to know what's best. When I came to him with questions about what I should bring from home, my dad told me to leave as much as I could at home. Part of the fun, he said, will be shopping for the UK versions of things back home and finding new things. I had never even thought of this, but what great advice! It'll be part of the study abroad experience shopping UK style. After having this revelation, I've been waaay less stressed about packing. I'll pack for the first week and bring basic clothes, but then if I need another pair of jeans, no problem- I can just buy a new pair in the UK. No wool socks (on almost everyone's packing list)? No problem. I'll just get a special new pair in England.

Right now my packing process is paused while I'm out west visiting my grandparents and some of my extended family. Yesterday I went out with my younger cousin to throw out hay with my Papa, then we all had a lovely family dinner. This morning my uncle took my cousin and I out to shoot the 22 rifle. Considering I don't get target practice very often, I did alright! All fifteen bullets I shot hit the target and one hit the edge of the bullseye. It made me feel like a true Texan. Earlier in the afternoon I rode in my uncle to San Antonio and met with my aunt and ran some errands with her. 

Right now I'm sitting in a Starbucks off Broadway St. waiting for Caitlin to pick me up. I'm going to be spending the next two nights with her at her apartment and it should be a lot of fun. 

Well, that's all for now! I'll update this later with some pictures.

***

1 week later...

Well, I never finished this post like I said I would- things were very busy! I'm actually finishing this post from a train in England! (I'll write another post in a few days about my first week in the UK.) Anyways, back to my trip to west Texas. Spending time with Caitlin was and always is great. No matter what we're doing, and even if we're doing nothing, we always have fun. On Friday evening after Caitlin picked me up we went to eat at Panera with her super nice and cool roommate. After that we went back to the apartment and watched 22 Jump Street. Watching movies like that with Caitlin always makes them waaaay funnier! On Satuday we got a late start and had lunch at a little family owned Pizzeria near her apartment named Sorrento's. We had been there once before and the food was just as delicious the second time. We ordered a mushroom pizza to share- yum! In the late afternoon we headed to Caitlin's cousin Stefanie's house to visit her and her family. I've known Stefanie for quite a while, and now she is married with three wonderful kids! It was great to spend some time with them and we had a wonderful evening. Added bonuses: we learned the "Cups" song from Pitch Perfect and Stefanie lent me some winter clothes to take with me to England. 

On Sunday we ate at Freddy's (not healthy but so delicious!) then stopped at Old Navy for some shopping. I got a cute dress and a few other things for my trip. We visited my Aunt Mary, who is recovering from a car accident, then headed to my Aunt Sherrill's house. After saying goodbye to Caitlin, Aunt Sherrill and my two cousins Julie and Justin did a little more shopping for my trip, ran a few errands, then finished with a shrimp dinner at their house with my mom and Uncle Joe. It was wonderful to spend a little time with them all. That evening we headed back to D'Hanis, and the next day we returned home. 

I wasn't sure how this trip would work with my study abroad timeline (considering I had so much to do), but I'm so glad I went. It was great to see some of my extended family before I left and I always forget how much I love D'Hanis. 

Anyways, after I got home I was busy busy busy, but now I am here in England! I'll post more soon about my flight and adventures from my first week abroad. Until then! 

Nicaragua!

Buenos dias, everyone!

This past Saturday I returned from a nine day journey to Nicaragua with my best friend Caitlin and her family. Caitlin and I have know each other for over 15 years, and her family is like a second family to me. I've done quite a bit of travelling with Caitlin's family and it's always a lot of fun. Her family traveled to Nicaragua for the first time three years ago and had such a good time that they decided to return, and this time I was lucky to get to come along! 

We stayed near Rivas, which is on the Pacific side of Nicaragua to the west of Lake Nicaragua.

In Nicaragua we stayed in a rental house near a resort which had a lovely beach, restaurant, and spa. Our time was split between leisurely beach time and time for activities and excursions. On days we stayed near the house we spent time sunbathing, swimming, and enjoying the company of the howler monkeys which liked to hang around the house. Through the resort we were able to do morning yoga on a platform overlooking the beach, attend a chocolate workshop in which we learned about cocoa beans and even go to make our own truffles, and have a relaxing spa session on the last day. 

Homemade chocolate truffles!

Our two main excursions were to Granada and Ometepe Island. In Granada we went zip-lining and toured a volcanic crater cloud forest. The plants were very pretty and interesting (we saw poisonous spiky plants and hallucinogenic mushrooms!) and we got to see a sloth! In the afternoon we took a boat tour of Lake Nicaragua. One of the stops was a small island called "Monkey Island". A veterinarian who has a house on one of the small islands looks after the monkeys. One of the monkeys named Linda had a small baby which rode on her back. It was muy amable (very cute)! 

Linda with her baby. 

A few days later we took a ferry to Ometepe Island and visited a interesting natural phenomenon called Punta Jesus Maria. It is a sandbar that is created from volcanic dust that stretches out far into Lake Nicaragua. The name means "Jesus on the Sea" because if you walk to the end of the sandbar it looks as if you are walking upon the water, just as Jesus did. After that we hiked through a nature trail and got to see lots of plants and animals, including lots of butterflies and a tree snake. In the afternoon we went to a volcanic mineral spring to swim. Caitlin and I didn't swim, but we sat with our feet in the water and shared the place's signature drink- coconut water and rum- called a "coco-loco". Other than the two excursions, my favorite part of the trip was getting to go rappelling off of a 340 foot cliff. I'm not afraid of heights, but rappelling was definitely a challenge. Going over the edge is very scary! I was almost too scared to do it, but I'm so glad I did! The view was amazing, and I felt so brave afterwards! On the last day we visited the Masaya Volcano National Park, which was also very cool.

Punta Jesus Maria

Although I would have liked to, I didn't learn much Spanish during our visit. Latin, Greek, and German are already enough for me to handle! I did learn a few new words and phrases, though. Even without knowing the language I feel that I got a good impression of the country. Although the standard of living seems much lower than in the USA, I think that the simplicity places the focus on the more important things in life. Everyone I met was very friendly, happy, and everywhere I looked I saw families spending time together, kids playing together, neighbors chatting, and people enjoying nature and community. Even though Nicaragua may be behind the USA developmentally, I think there is a lot we can learn from the Nicaraguans. I know that seeing the differences in lifestyles- both positive and negative- between the USA and Nicaragua gave me a lot to think about.

View into the volcano at Masaya Volcano National Park

In case anyone reading this is interested in visiting Nicaragua, the place we stayed was near Playa Gigante. I reviewed most of the attractions and restaurants we visited on TripAdvisor, so if you are interested in checking out which places I recommend, take a look at my TripAdvisor profile. Also, we had two tours through Macua Tours. When Caitlin's family visited Nicaragua for the first time they met a young man named Edwin who has since started his own tour company. Both tours and guides were excellent, and I definitely recommend Macua Tours to anyone planning to visit Nicaragua. Of course, if you have any questions or comments about my visit, feel free to post them in the comments section below. 

Our beach in Nicaragua. I rappelled from the highest point on the cliff!

When we finally boarded our plane back to Texas, I was sad to leave the land of lakes, volcanoes, monkeys, dragon fruit, plantains, and rum! I had a wonderful trip and I hope to return to Nicaragua someday. 

Pre-London Update #2

Hello everyone!

At this point it's about seven weeks until I set off on my adventure in England. In the past few weeks I've been doing lots of researching and planning with my friend Gabby, who is also coming. We've finially finished our plans for the first week (we're arriving about a week before our school meet-up date so we can do a little travelling before the semester with Gabby's dad). 

During our first week, we're starting in London, then spending a few days in Keswick and York, and then  back to London again. I'm very excited that we're going to visit the Lake District! It was one of the places that I wanted to visit, but wasn't sure we'd be able to fit into our travelling schedule because it's a fairly long trip. Although it's not home to as much history as a place like Canterbury or Bath, the Lake District is said to be one of the most beautiful places in England. In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie visits the lakes with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiners, and the beautiful landscapes also inspired poets such as William Wordsworth. (Correction: Lizzie and the Gardiners originally planned to go to the lakes, but only made it to the Peak District.) I'm thrilled that Keswick will be one of the first places we get to visit! 

After spending a few days in Keswick, we'll take a train to Carlisle where we'll sight-see for a few hours before catching a second train to York. In Carlisle I hope we get to visit Hadrian's Wall, Carlisle Cathedral, and Carlisle Castle (I'm also excited because I have a friend whose ancestors are from Carlisle!).  I'm not sure exactly what we'll do in York, but we are definitely going to visit Castle Howard. I don't know too much about it other than that it's a beautiful home and is where the BBC mini-series of Brideshead Revisited was filmed. I have a long list of books to read, and hopefully I'll get to read Waugh's classic before my trip! After York it's back to London for a few days to see the sights. During our time in London we may take a day trip to Windsor or Hampton Court. There are some bike tours I've been looking at online which seem like a lot of fun! Our accommodation and main transportation has been booked, so the framework for the first week is set.  We haven't decided exactly the places we'll visit and things we'll do, but I'm sure whatever we decide will be awesome. I think since it'll be our first week abroad we'll just be so excited, a little bit in shock, and we'll have a blast whatever we end up doing. 

Planning the first week was exciting and fun (because I like to plan and research things!), but it was also pretty stressful. Here are a few tips I've learned for planning trips...

1. Start early! This tip is everywhere, but it can't be said enough. For example, if you book accommodations early, you can make sure you find a quality place to stay in great location for a good cost. The longer you wait, the more you'll have to compromise. 
2. Come to terms with the fact that travel, especially if you're going somewhere like London, is going to be expensive. For me, I'm all about finding cheap prices, even if it means I'm paying for less quality. However, you really do get what you pay for, and you won't be able to enjoy travelling if you're in staying a terrible location or in a dirty, cramped hotel. Travel can be expensive, but embrace it. Save money where you can, but don't cut corners so much that you end up having a stressful trip.
3. Check out hotel alternatives. Like I said, travel can be expensive, but if you look around you can find some great options for accommodation and transport. For example, some universities in London rent out dorm rooms in the summer for travelers. Hostels are great, there are flat rentals at airbnb.com, and you can find some great locally owned bed and breakfasts.  
4. Do your research. While planning for the first week, I've fallen in love with TripAdvisor. I've been able to find valuable information and reviews of everything from hostels to restaurants to tourist attractions. Furthermore, the forums are surprisingly active! I've asked several questions on the forums and have gotten multiple responses on all of them within a day. Also, take advantage of sites like Priceline and Kayak. They don't always have local B&Bs listed, but they can help you can snag a good deal. For smaller places, there are plenty of B&B search engines on the web that can help you find someplace local to stay.
5. Buy advance rail tickets. Not much more to be said here. Advance tickets go on sale up to 12 weeks in advance and can sell out quickly. However, if you buy in time it can be the difference between a 12 GBP ticket and one costing 65 GBP!
6. Don't get stressed out. Even if you don't manage to book the hotel you really wanted or the train time that was perfect, it's okay. There are plenty of great options available, and you may find that your second choice is even better than your first! 

That's all I have about London for now! My summer has been spent working at the YMCA, hanging out with my sisters, and watching the World Cup (Deutschland!). In a few days I'll be setting off for a week long adventure in Nicaragua with my best friend Caitlin and her family- but I'll save that for a blog post after I return. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a post below. Until next time, all the best!

Apricot Almond Cake

Happy 4th of July!

The past month has been very busy for me- finishing my junior year of college, moving home, training and beginning work for my second year at my local YMCA day camp, planning for my semester abroad (more on that to come!), and everything else in between. Now that summer has settled into something of a steady schedule, I'm happy to have a little more time for blogging.

Yesterday was my dad's birthday, and to celebrate (albeit a day late) I made him an apricot almond cake. I enjoy trying out vegan/alternative recipes, and a year or so I came across a recipe for "Apricot-Glazed Almond Cupcakes" in the cookbook "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" (a book which I own and love!). The recipe was a hit with my non-vegan friends, so I decided to try it out on my family (also non-vegans, but a tougher crowd) as well. I substituted non-vegan ingredients for the vegan ones and the cake still turned out beautifully. My family loved it- especially my dad! Since then it has become his regular answer to my frequently asked question- "What should I make?" The recipe is easy, elegant, and delicious- without further ado, here it is!

Apricot-Almond Cake

modified from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World"

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1/3 c. canola (or vegetable) oil
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. yogurt (I normally use non-fat Greek yogurt, but any kind will work; to make the recipe vegan use soy yogurt)
• 2/3 c. milk (any kind- skim, whole, soy, almond, rice, etc.)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 3 t. almond extract
• 1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (sometimes I substitute 1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose white)
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/3 c. almond meal
• approx. 1/3 c. apricot preserves/jam, or to taste

Optional glaze:

• 1/3 c. apricot preserves
• 1 T. water
• 1/3 c. sliced almonds (to garnish)

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350'F and grease a small approximately 8 x 4" baking pan. 
2. In a bowl, mix oil, sugar, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and almond extract with a whisk.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and almond meal, and mix until just combined. 
4. Pour batter into pan. 
5. Scoop apricot preserves into a small dish and mix well to break up clumps. 
6. Distribute small amounts of the preserves over the top of the cake. (I like to do this by making lines of preserves across the cake. Don't worry about having more preserves in some places than others- just do the best you can to evenly distribute it.)
7. Cover the preserves as much as you can by swirling or scooping the surrounding batter over the preserves. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect!
8. Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. 
9. The cake will be fairly dense and an inserted toothpick may not come out cleanly as the cake is filled with gooey preserves. If the top is golden brown and the center of the cake doesn't jiggle, it's done.
10. You can either serve as it is, or cover with a glaze- if making the glaze, combine preserves and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
11. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
12. Boil for about a minute, turn off the heat and stir for another 30 seconds or so, then remove from heat. There will be apricot clumps in the glaze- this is okay! 
13. Pour the glaze over the cake and distribute with a pastry brush. 
14. Finish by sprinkling with sliced almonds.
15. Note: If you would like to make cupcakes (makes 12), pour batter into lined cupcake tins and put a small dollop (approx. 1 t.) preserves into the center of each cupcake, then cover with batter. Bake for the same time, and apply the glaze with a brush. 
16. Serve and enjoy! 

Cupcake variation

Traditional Foods for Good Friday

Hi again, everyone! I hope you've all been having a good Triduum. Since today is Good Friday, I decided to make Hot Cross Buns. Hot Cross Buns are a traditional Lenten food whose origins go back to the time of ancient civilizations. Here's an interesting excerpt I found on the web:

"Hot cross bun, a round bun made from a rich yeast dough containing flour, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, currants, and spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. In England, hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday; they are marked on top with a cross, wither cut in the dough or composed of strips of pastry. The mark is of ancient origin, connected with religious offerings of bread, which replaced earlier, less civilized offerings of blood. The Egyptians offered small round cakes, marked with a representation of the horns of an ox, to the goddess of the moon. The Greeks and Romans had similar practices and the Saxons ate buns marked with a cross in honor of the goddess of light, Eostre, whose name was transferred to Easter. According to superstition, hot cross buns and loaves baked on Good Friday never went mouldy, and were sometimes kept as charms from one year to the next. Like Chelsea buns, hot cross buns were sold in great quantities by the Chelsea Bun House; in the 18th century large numbers of people flocked to Chelsea during the Easter period expressly to visit this establishment."

-Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson 

Hot Cross Buns are simple to make and delicious. The Kitchn food blog has a recipe here which I modified to make my own. Although I didn't make any today, I've included the recipe for another traditional Lenten food: Franciscan Penitential Biscuits. I invite you to give one of the recipes-or both- a try!

Hot Cross Buns

makes 12

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup lukewarm water
• 1 packet of dried yeast
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon mixed spices or to taste (I used 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves)
• 1/2 cup currants or raisins (optional- I didn't use any)

For the "cross" topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup water
• milk, for glazing
• oil, for greasing
• syrup or honey, for glazing (optional)

Steps:

1. In a small bowl, stir together lukewarm water, yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Heat the butter and milk together in a small saucepan over a low heat until the butter has just melted; remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Whisk in the egg.

butter and milk

butter, milk, and egg

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the remaining flour, salt, mixed spice, and raisins/currents. Pour the yeast mixture and the milk mixture over top. Stir together until there are only a few floury patches remaining. Tip the contents of the dough out onto a work surface and knead until smooth, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or with some oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

before rising

5. Divide the risen dough evenly into 12 pieces and roll them into balls. Place onto a parchment-lined baking tray spaced a few inches apart. To form balls, grab a piece of dough and smooth the top and sides and tuck pieces underneath (this is a bit hard to explain, so please refer to the pictures). Slash a cross into the top of each bun using a sharp knife or razor. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes until doubled in size.

after rising

piece of dough

smooth top

smooth sides and tuck underneath, forming a mushroom or little sachet shape

tuck nicely on the bottom- this side will go down on the pan

don't worry if you don't have a very sharp knife- just do the best you can

6. While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

7. Make the "cross" topping by stirring together the flour and enough water to make a loose paste. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small, plain tip (or a sandwich bag with the tip of one of the corners cut off).

flour paste and milk for brushing

8. Brush the risen buns all over with a little milk then pipe the cross mixture into the cross-shaped cuts.

after rising

to get the paste into the bag it's helpful to flip out the top of the bag so that the top stays clean

after brushing with milk and applying the flour paste

9. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown all over. While still warm, brush them with golden syrup. Cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

freshly baked!

I brushed mine with agave- yum!

10. Enjoy!

The next recipe is a favorite among my friends. The recipe is from a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. Although they're called "penitential" biscuits, they really aren't penitential at all!

Traditional Franciscan Penitential Biscuits

a copy of the recipe handwritten by a friend

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bran
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 and 1/3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

Steps:

1. Mix ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Shape into balls with an ice cream scoop (a helpful tip I've learned is to spray the scoop with cooking spray first).

3. Place on a greased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

4. Serve with butter or honey butter.

the penitential biscuits are on the top and bottom plates

5. Enjoy!

My thoughts on the no-shampoo hair method

A month or so ago I was talking to a friend when she mentioned that she had began using baking soda and vinegar to wash her hair. Your first reaction may be "Ewww!!" or "What?!!", but there is actually a huge group of people who insist that using regular shampoo is harmful for hair. I won't go into why they think this, but if you'd like to know, just google "no-poo" (as the method is affectionately called) and plenty of websites should come up. Since a few people I know had tried it, I decided to give it a go. I went about seven weeks without shampoo, but today I decided to go back to my normal routine. What follows is some basic information on the method, my results, and why I switched back to regular shampoo and conditioner. 

Here's a quick overview of the method. Basically, you wash your hair with a mixture of baking soda and water, rinse, and then condition with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Advocates for the method claim it's cheap, easy, and eco-friendly, and although it definitely is cheap and eco-friendly, I found it more of a hassle than regular shampoo and conditioner. For the "no-poo" method, you have to premix the ingredients and the resulting mixtures are very liquid-y. Once you apply the baking soda mixture to your hair, you massage it into your scalp. There is no lather, but only a gritty and slightly tingly feeling. For the vinegar mixture, you pour it all over your hair and wait. Although the vinegar smell does rinse out, the in-shower experience isn't particularly pleasant. 

My very curly hair!

Those who use the "no-poo" method also claim it helps with hair manageability- you don't need to wash your hair as often and some say they no longer need product (frizz cream, gel, etc.) at all. Since I have very curly hair, product is a normal part of my hair routine. After showering I apply a frizz cream or leave-in conditioner to the ends of my hair and a gel throughout, then run a wide-tooth comb through and I'm done. I tried not using products during my "no-poo" experience, but my hair is just too curly- it might have frizzed less, but the curls were not defined and were more limp. For a while I forwent shampoo but still used product. Some days I loved it and other days I didn't, which is how it was when I used shampoo, too. I'm not sure if my hair ended up being less greasy. I don't nomally need to wash my hair everyday, so I didn't notice too much of a difference. I started getting a little bit of dandruff, though, so maybe my scalp was getting a little too dry!

After weeks of using baking soda and vinegar, today I made the switch back. For me, the biggest issues were the smell of the vinegar, non-lathering effect of the baking soda, and the dandruff. As I mentioned before, the vinegar smell does wash out, but what's left is just a hair smell. Normally I use Herbal Essences Color Me Happy shampoo and conditioner (I don't have color hair, but it smells amazing!) and I missed having wonderful smelling hair. 

Other than the scent issue, my results may not have been typical because of how curly my hair is. Most reviews and testimonies I read online were from people with straight or slightly wavy hair who probably didn't use much product to begin with. Overall, I'm glad I tried it. Although it wasn't a big success for me, I still recommend trying it, especially if you have straighter hair. If you have any questions feel free to ask, and if you try/have tried the "no-poo" method please share your results in the comments section below! 

Pre-London Update #1

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in my first post, one of my reasons for starting this blog was to document my study abroad experience from start to finish. It's about five months until I leave, and I plan to record updates at least once a month until I'm up and away. 

Just in case you missed my first post, I'm in the process of arranging to study abroad this upcoming fall semester, fall 2014. The university I'm applying to is about 30 minutes outside central London to the south-west. My university here in the states has a partnership with the one in England, which played a major part in why I decided to study abroad there. In case you didn't know, studying abroad is very expensive, and I'm certainly not rich. Because our universities are partners, my home scholarship will cover my tuition abroad, which alleviates a huge expense. My parents are paying for some of the cost, and I'll be paying for the rest. Since making the decision to study abroad, I've tried to be extremely frugal and have taken on extra hours at work. It's a big commitment of time and resources, but I haven't spoken to anyone or read any testimonies online from people who regretted their decision. I know that if I had decided not to go, I would have regretted it. 

So anyways, five months. It seems so far away and yet so soon (cliche, I know). It's especially nerve-wracking because nothing is official yet. I've made arrangements to make arrangements and talked to lots of people and starting planning, but nothing is set because I haven't been officially accepted into the program. Although my friend Gabby, who is studying abroad with me, and I have been making plans to study abroad for over five months, it was only last week that we were able to submit applications. I'm not sure when we will be notified if we've been accepted...but hopefully soon! If/when we are accepted we can apply for housing and pick our courses. 

To prepare, I've been studying British history. Considering that my dad is a professor of British and Irish history, my knowledge of the subject is embarrassingly limited. By the time I leave, though, I will be an expert! I have a very basic textbook of English history that I've been making my way through and have been supplementing it with several other history books. Right now I'm about at 1668 during the reign of Charles II. I've really been enjoying my personal studies, and I know that when I'm finally in England I'll appreciate the historical sites so much more since I know the stories behind them. (I'm also visiting the Magna Carta exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science this weekend- yay!) 

Bayeux Tapestry: Harold is crowned

In addition to learning history, I've been reading and watching YouTube videos about other people's study abroad experiences and advice. Most people say pretty much the same thing: it was great, plan early, and don't over-pack. Gabby and I have already started planning some weekend trips around England. Two places I really want to go are Edinburgh and Bath. There are lots of places accessible by train from London, so it's tempting to try and do them all, but we've been trying to narrow down the list so we can make sure we have time to do the things that we really want. We haven't made a final decision about our big study week trip, but we're thinking of going to Rome and Assisi. (Although I've always wanted to visit Germany and Austria, I don't think that this study abroad trip is the ideal time. After graduating hopefully I can teach English overseas! I've been practicing my German so I'll be ready- I'll get there eventually!)

Edinburgh, Scotland

Five months is a long time, but I'm already so excited! I have an adventurous spirit and tend to let my imagination get the best of me, so I have really been trying to be realistic and practical about this trip so I don't get let down. I know that inevitably not everything will go according to plan and that we won't visit every place we want, but I know that even if it's not perfect, studying abroad will be a fantastic experience. 

I should also mention that I'm now officially a whovian. My family watches some Dr. Who and my sisters are fans, but before now I'd never watched enough to get addicted. That's changed, though. In the past month or so I've made my way up though series 4 of Doctor Who (Doctors 9 and 10), and I can officially say I'm hooked. Whenever I hear the theme music a shiver runs up my spine...I'm worried I'm forming an obsession! I still have all of the 11th Doctor to go and then Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor in the fall! I can't wait! 

The Doctor and Rose Tyler

The grammar enthusiast in me loves this! (4.5: The Sontaran Stratagem)

Have a wonderful weekend!