Athens and Venice!

After Mykanos I took a ferry toAthens. Athens was cool but there was not loads to do. I enjoyed walking around and looking at the ruins. My hostel was so close to the Acroplis and had an amazing view of it from the roof top bar. I just had a few lazy days walking around the area by my hostel and the acroplois called Plaka. It was nice and it was a great hostel where I meet lots of cool people. I got to venice last night at 11. Iflew from athens to milan then took a bus from the airport to the train station and the a train to venice. I have no idea why i did that but it was fine and i got here. Last night as i was coming out of the train station I complelty fell. I had flip flops on and it was raining. I finaly made it to my hostel though and they had saved me some dinner. Today I just walked around and found st. marcs square and the grand canel. I love just walking and finding all the amazing things. It is amazing to stop and think sometimes that I am here. That I am doing excatly what I want to do and that I can do it on my own and love it! I hope you are all great and cant wait to catch up this summer. lots of love Ang

Greek Islands!

I got to Meykanos yesterday and am really enjoying it. It is so beautiful. The weather was nice until about two hours ago when it started to rain and be really windy. Which is why I am in a warm and dry internet cafe. I am planning on getting a four wheeler tomorrow to drive and explore the island on. There are scooters also but I dont want to do that after what happened on my Birthday in Tuscany! Sarah can vounch for me that it would not be a good idea. It is really beutiful and the people are nice the language has not been an issue which I figuered becuase it has so many tourists. There were a few cruise ships here yesterday which made me want to do a cruise becuase they all looked like they were enjoying themseleves and it makes travel easy. But also not want to becuase you only see such a small part of a place. But maybe it would be good to see different places and then you could go back and spend more time there latter on. My hotel is nice a big room with my oen bathroom, but since it is a hotel more then hostel I can not meet people so i will be on my own for these next few days till i am in athens when I can hopefully meet people in the hostel. I hope you are all doing well and can not wait to catch up in person!

Scotland!

This past weekend I went on a three day tour of Loch Ness and Isle of Skye. It was nice to go back to Edinburgh to spend more time and see different things. I took the train up from London it was four hours but such a beautiful ride and very relaxing. When I got to Edinburgh it was wamr and sunny so I checked into my hostel and went and had lunch. It was the same hostel that Sarah and I stayed in for Christmas so it was nice to be somewhere familiar where I new the area. 

    On Friday morning I went and checked in for my tour. I ended up speaking with an Aussie girl who I ended up hanging out with the whole time. We had to sit in the very last row, with every seat taken. It was great though the people that I sat by were great and are who I hung out with for the weekend. There were ten of us that hung out besides myself there were two american girls and all the rest were aussie's.  The tour was beautiful and it was a lot of fun to see the sights and meet and share travel stories. We spent both nights in a hostel in a very small village on loch ness. It was great! the first night a few of us got some crap wine and went and drank it on a dock on loch ness. It was amazing!  Of course I did not see the famous monster, which I do believe is there but sadly it did not happen. We all spent the evening in the bar of our hostel enjoying music by a local and just talking. The aussies I was with kept using different words and I was so confused. I though I new most of the slang having lived with and aussie couple for four months but of course I did not know all of it. So we ended up having a long group talk about the different words. They know all the american slang from all the american tv they get. 

     On Saturday we visited a castle that was cool. But I was really sick that morning from the bus ride. We were on single lane roads that are never straight, I was in the back row and could not see far in front of the bus because of the mist. BUt once I felt better the day was fine. After the castle we went to the isle of skye. It is a small island that has legends about it. One was of a stream that had been blessed to make those who dip their head in even more beautiful. It was raining and windy, but I did it. I have to say i dont think it helped my zit did not disappear as I was hoping. That night we got food from the chip shop and wine from the gas station, I know classy and went back to our hostel. We ended up sitting in our room for about two hours drinking and talking it was a blast to get to know the girls I was in a room with better and share ridicules travel stories. We wneded up being told there was a disco in the village that was just past the chip shop. So 7 of us girls and one guy went to the disco. In side it was pretyt much a pup that had a dance floor and a strob light! It was great fun! It was five local old men and us, but it was fun. We got kicked out at 12:30 which I guess is closing time in the village. We went back to our hostel and hung out for the rest of the night. 

    On Sunday I woke up and my voice was gone. This is the third time since being here that I have lost my voice. It sucks. That day we went by the battle ground where william wallace fought and went back to Edinburgh. A group of us went to dinner and then out to a pup. Cause I could not talk they gave me paper and I had to write down what I wanted to say and then one of the girls read it for me. It was actually fun cause we could look back at it. 

    The next morning four of us meet at Elephant House for coffee which is where J.K. Rowling wrote a lot of Harry Potter and the Sorceress Stone. Then we went and had lunch before I had to catch  the train back to London. It was a great tour because of the people that I meet. Unfortunately I was on the bus more then I would have liked to have been but it was fun still. 

    On Monday I leave for Mekanos, a greek island. From there I will go to Athens, then fly to Milan to catch a train to Venice. Then I fly to Barcelona, Lisbon and Paris. Then take the train to Amsterdam, Berlin, Prauge and meet my cousins Will and Lisa with the daughter Lexi in Krakow then to Warsaw. Then I fly back to london and home to seattle on the 19th of May. It will be a little over a month and I will only have a few days in each city but it is a start to experiencing Europe. 

    I have absolutely loved my time and experiences I have had here. It has been the hardest thing that I have done and am so happy that I did! I dont feel like there is another challange that I could do that would have been more benifitial. I have grown so much as a person and a teacher which is a nice bonus. I am so happy that I did this and am so thankful for the support and some time straight up lecture on sticking with it. I will miss living here and being able to do so much and even just going next door to Many Thanks a little store that I go to. TO be able to walk and take the bus. To hear so many different languages and accents all around. I will miss is so much and know that I will be coming back to london soon. I hope everyone is well and has a great easter. I can not wait to be home for a bit and catch up with everyone! Lots of love Ang!

My parents came to visit!

My parents came over to London to visit for a week, it was great! They got to London on Tuesday and we were lucky to have amazing weather, it was sunny and warm. We wen to lunch then got a coffee and walked around the park across from where I live. It was great to show them my area and allow them to see what my life has been like since I have been here. We just hung out the night at their hotel which was really close to my flat. We had fish and chips for dinner, wait: they had fish and chips and I had a burger from a take away place. On Thursday we went to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard. It was the same as always but I think my parents liked it. We went to lunch at the Hard Rock, which is the first in the world, and was definite american food that was nice. We then walked threw Green park and St. James Park and ended up at Parliament and in front of the London Eye. We went back and hung out at my flat for a while, then went and had dinner at a little Italian place by us.  We then went and hung out at their hotel. 

     On Friday we went to Burogh market, which is a food market. We walked around and sampled all the great food and got really great grilled cheese sandwiches. From there we walked to Tower Bridge and across it. We then did the tower of the tower of london. It was cool, we had a beefeater as a guide. From there we went back to the area around me and had dinner at a greek restaurant. 

On Saturday we went to Portobelo Road in Notting hill. It was crazy busy but fun to show mom around. Dad decided to stay at a book store at the top of the hill, cause he does not love large crowds. It was fun! From there we went to the South-bank area which is where the London Eye is. We decided that since it was clear it would be a good time to do it. It was fun, it is something that I have done before but it was fun to do again and have my parents do. After that we went to a Spanish Tapps restaurant, it was really good and my parents really liked. My plan was that my parents would like the different foods and like traveling and want to do more of it. That night mom and I went and saw a movie. It was just nice to do things that we always do together. 

    On Sunday we took an open top tour bus ride. That was really fun and we saw different areas of london and things we had already seen. We also took a river cruse which was fun, it was a different way to see the main sights that are on the river. That night we had dinner at a pub on the water. 

    On Monday we went to St. Pauls and looked around that area. We then went into the center of london and looked around and shopped a little bit. That night mom and I went to see Hairspray and that was really fun, it was a good show. 

   On Tuesday we went to Appy Road where the beatles took their famous Abby Road Album photo cover. We saw the studios where they recorded a lot of their albums. From there we went to the London zoo, it was fun cause it was a nice day. After that we went to Kings Cross station so my parents could see the platform 9 and 3/4 sign. From there we went to Covent garden and had a nice dinner at an Italian place.

On Wednesday we went back to notting hill cause mom wanted to visit a store again. We then went a had lunch at a Portuguese Chicken restaurant that was really good. We went back to my place and  I packed a little so that my parents could take it home for me. We then went to dinner at the Italian place we went to the first night. It was a great thing to have my parents come and see me. It was a lot of fun and great to see them. Hope you are all doing well!

The emerald Isle.

This past weekend I went to Ireland. I flew into Dublin and spent the night there, then started a tour of Northern Ireland. It ended up that it was just me and another girl on the tour, she was a teacher who is a nanny in Ireland. We also had a girl guide so it was great fun! We went up to Derry and stooped a few times on the way. We were able to learn about the history of the city and Bloody Sunday. It was really interesting to learn about the history and the fighting that took there and why. I had thought that I had know what it was about but I did not and it was great to learn and be able to see it. We even went to the Bog side, which is where Bloody Sunday happened and saw Free Derry. It is a part of the city that during the fighting declared itself free and not a part of the UK. 

   The next day we went to the Giants Causeway. It is an amazing place, it is a rock formation that was caused when lave was coming out of the earth and froze. It is amazing it looks like a stairway into the ocean. I went on the tour so that I could see this, it is something that I had wanted to see for a while and am so happy that I have. We got to Balfest that night, which is when I caught a stomach bug. LAME! But the next morning I was ok. We went on a black taxi ride. It takes you through belfast and into the catholic and protestant areas. As well as by the peace walls. The driver tells you the history as you go. It was so strange to see a wall about 50 feet high with cameras all around it in a modern world. I kept being reminded of the segregation that happened in the states. I could not understand how people could still hold onto past grudges and choose to live in this way. I was able to understand towards the end just how deeply it still effects people. But that there is also progress being made. I had asked are driver if he was Chatolics or Protestant and at the end of the tour he told us that he is Protestant. he said that he has children and he and his wife have chosen that they go to an integrated school. A school where both Protestant and Catholics go.  The night we were in Belfast was the same night that the shooting of the two british soldiers occurred. It was the first violence since 2000. The city as well as the whole region were in shock and really seemed afraid that they might return to the old ways of fighting. 

 

When we got back to the hostel I went and got food from a shop with a girl from my  room and ended up in the hostel talking with some other people staying there. I was sitting there talking with these people that I had just meet and we talked about what we all have in common, travel. It was great a canadian, Swede, german, Argentinean and myself.  It was great to sit and eat together and share travel stories. 

When I got home on Monday I was told that I new roommate was moving in the next night. I meet him and he seemed nice enough. He is an Italian guy who moved in the next day and is nice and I think it will be fine. Today a french couple moved in. They seem nice and I like her it will be nice to have a girl in here to talk to . I think it will be great and I do only have another month left so it will be ok even if it is not a perfect situation. 

Roman Holiday! Minus Gregory Peck...

The past week I went to Rome for six days. It was a great time and really nice to get out of London for a bit. I flew out on Monday and just walked a bit around when I got there. As I was there I got a text message from my flat mate that our shower had leaked into our land ladies shop below us. It just seemed like karma coming back against her cause she is really dodgy. That day I had lunch at a really nice little mom and pop restaurant and they were so cute and they were really cute. I walked around a bit and ended up at the colosseum it was great it was night and it looked amazing. On Tuesday I went on a double decker open top bus tour. It was nice and I definitely saw different parts of Rome then I had seen before. I walked around for a bit and went to the Vatican. I went to get a ticket to attend the Papal Audience. After that I went to the Vatican museum and spent time walking around. I was able to see the Sistenth Chapel which is amazing. From there I went back to my hostel and read for a bit. I went to dinner at a place by my hostel. It was nice and I was given free champagne which always makes it better. I went back and talked with some girls from my hostel for a bit. 

On Wednesdays and is free to attend. It was interesting the Pope came out in the pope mobile and he was driven around and waved to the crowd. He spoke and there were different cardinals who spoke different languages, it was interesting just to be there. I obviously only understood parts of it. After I walked around a bit and ended up at Piazza Navona and sat for a while in the sun and had really great tirmasu. I walked on and went to Pathenon. I ended up at the colosseum and took the metro back to my hostel. I went back and had dinner at a place by my hostel and hung out in the bar with some girls from my hostel. 

    On Thursday I Went to a gallery in a park. It was a great place and the building and art were so great. I walked around the park for a while and enjoyed it. I ended up at this lookout with and amazing view of the city. I ended up at the Spanish steps and hung out a while and went in to all the high end shops that are around. I was followed in Chanel because I apparently look like I steal! I hung out and had dinner with the girls from my room. 

   On Friday  I went back to the Vatican and went up into the Dome. I walked up it all 500 some stairs. It sucked and was hard but I am happy I did it. I jung out up there and sat in the sun. I walked around from there and when to some new areas that my book suggested. It was really nice a different part of Rome that was not overly touristy. I went to dinner with the girls from my room again.  On Saturday  I went in a few shops and then had to catch a bus to take me to the airport. It was a great trip and really relaxing. 

some more

Photobucket Album

Four months into it.

This past week I have been at a special needs school. I have been in the same room the whole week and it has been a very great learning experience. Every day there is somethings new, from not being given any lessons for the day, or from having a kid throw a chair because he did not like being asked why he was leaving the room. This weekend I went to Portebello market with my flat-mate Kate. It was full of lots of people and tons of tourists. It was still fun though. I leave for Rome tomorrow and am really excited.  I have not left London since Christmas time and it feels like forever. I will be there for five days and want to just walk around, eat a lot and drink nice Italian wine. This pictures are from the market that I went to yesterday. Hope everyone is well, lots of love. 

Why does snow have to melt?

On Wednesday most of the snow was gone and all forms of transportation were running again. I  went to a school that I have been in a lot. It was a nice day and went fine. On Thursday and Friday I was at a Special needs school that I just love. They were good days, the kids are all great and the staff is really friendly. On Friday we all went out to a pub then came home and played Wii. On Saturday I went to Burogh Market. It is a food market that sells the most amazing stuff. It is so nice to walk around in and sample all the great things. I had lunch there and got a great Germany sausage with sour kraut , mustered and ketchup. It was really good. I went home and spent the night watching movies with my flat mates. On Sunday I went to a great book store. Half the store is just travel books. I spent so much time there looking at books and taking photos of the books so I can try and find them at the bookstore. I am trying not to buy books, which for those who know me is incredibly difficult. I am trying to save money witch is also incredibly hard for me but I just do not want to have the mail them home when I leave here. I found great books to look for at the library. Across the street from the book shop is this great mexican food. Finally good mexican food, I have tried some places and just could not find a good one so I am really happy to have found this place.  Not a lot going on right now I leave for Rome a week from Monday and am excited for that. I hope everyone does well and had a nice weekend. lots of love ang

Time in London

Photobucket Album

The Most Snow in 18 YEARS!

On Sunday night it started to snow really hard and was actually sticking to the ground. That night my self and two of my flat mates went for a walk in the snow at the park across the street. It was so great to look at and I just felt like a kid hoping for a snow day. That night while I slept I would wake up every once and a while and check to see if it was still snowing. It was great when it was and I just kept hoping for a snow day. In the morning the city was blanketed in snow that was ankle deep. There were no buses running and all but one of the tube lines were down. No one really understands why the tube would shut down since it was underground but it did. I did not work that day most of the schools were closed and no one could go anywhere. I went for a walk and took lots of pictures. It was nice to see all the people out playing in it, it made me feel like a kid. It was so great, I wanted to get into the city to take pictures of Big Ben in the snow but it would have taken about 2 hours to walk each way. So I decided against that! I went and got coffee with my flat mate Kate and then went to the store and got things to bake and make beef stew. We went home watched movies and baked. It felt like christmas.  By the afternoon the buses were running again and some tube lines were running. 

    On Tuesday I got up and checked and my tube line was still closed. So if I were to leave I would have to take a bus to get to different tube stops. I tried my agency a couple of times and no one answered so I assumed that there would be no work that day. I spent the day in the flat hanging out and being lazy. I made it to starbucks and read a little. I ended up taking a nap which was the hight of my laziness.  I have work for tomorrow and hope that all the lines will be open and I will be able to get to the school. 

Fun Weekend!

I worked everyday this week and Friday was a crap day so I was happy to have the week over. On Friday night we went to a pub for dinner. Marsela my flat-mate got engaged on Friday night so that was exciting. ON Saturday I went out to Stonehenge for a half day tour. It was good to see, it is something that I wanted to see, so it was great. It was not as great as I had thought it would be. They have a rope all around it and there is a major motor way going right by it. It was nice to see it and to see more area around England. Saturday night we went to a pub for dinner and hung out for a while to celebrate Marcela engagement. We ended up going to a club after that was a little sketch. One of the funniest things was on our way home we wanted food, so we had our cab go to McDonalds. So we had to wait in line as the fair kept getting higher and higher. Nice conversations with the other people in line at McDonalds at 2 in the morning. It was just funny, cause every one was dressed up but wanting burgers. It was a good weekend !

Is is summer yet?

I just want it to be summer, I want to be home and be able to go to the beach. To drive with friends and sing stupid songs at the tops of our voices. I keep thinking about coming home early but I know I wont. My flat-mates are all moving out at the end of February. That is going to be hard for me, they are the only people I know here. And I really like them they are great people and I have been very lucky to be able to live with them. It just makes me sad and think how much easier it would be to leave early and go home. But I would always regret not being brave enough to see this through. When I started this plan, I did not think it would ever happen. I think a lot of those people close to me did not think it would happen. I was not sure if I could do it, but I have so far proved myself wrong and am very proud of myself for it. I have about 2 and a half months left on my visa and have some great travel planned in that time. Including my parents coming to visit for a week in march. This has been such a great and difficult time for me so far, I can not wait to see what else happens and know that I can do this in a different country not knowing anyone. I was not sure I could do that in the beginning. Hope everyone is well and miss you all loads. 

   Ang

NKOTB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This past weekend was great, on Saturday I went to aerobics class and hung out in the flat with my flat-mates. Kate one of my flat mates and I had tickets to TKNOB and were listing to the music and watching videos online all day. For those who do not know TKNOB is The New Kids on the Block! AKA the first and best boy band ever! Kate had tickets to the concert and I was lucky enough to go with her!!! It has been 15 years since they toured and I was only 8 when they were at the highest point, but they were amazing! They were so great, they did new songs and old songs. It made me fall in love with them all over again. After kate and I got home from the concert on Saturday night when we were very excited and possibly a little tipsy we decided to buy tickets for the standing stalls for the next nights concert. 

    When the morning rolled around we did question our choice but we did go and had a great time again. We had to wait for about an hour to get in then an hour of the opening act, which was not very good. It was great to be so close that you could see them talking to each other and making faces at each other. It made me like them even more! That could be bad. But it was a great weekend full of childhood memories and dreams revisited! 

    On Monday I worked a half day in the morning at a school I go to quite a bit, and it was a good day.  

Much better....

Since last week when I wanted to quite things have gotten better. Last weekend was a nice weekend, I went to an aerobics class at a studio up the road and it was a lot of fun. I came home and then went out to lunch with the girls. We went to this really great italian place up the road about three blocks. It was really good food, lots of it for only about 8 pounds which is pretty amazing. Kate and I walked around for a while after that just around Fulham and looking for baking things since our kitchen did not have any. Up until this point when we needed to measure anything with Milliliters for baking we used a medicine cup that I got with cough syrup. So it is nice to have proper stuff now, well more proper! We went home and kate baked Peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies which were really great. That night we went and saw Slumdog Millionaire which was great!!! I really enjoyed it. On sunday I walked around a few street markets and then the south bank witch is my favorite spot in London. It is nice to walk when it is sunny and just take loads of pictures. I am sure I know have a picture of big ben and the london eye from every angle as my family would attest to. 

     On Monday I worked, it was fine nothing to exciting or depressing. That night I went to a hip hop class again. It was fun and I released that everyone kind of sucks so I am less self cautious of my skill level or lake there of I should say! On Tuesday I worked at a school that I have been at before I was in three different classes throughout the day. Two of the three were great and the other was horrible. I got home as fast as I could and watched the inauguration. It was great to see and made me really excited.  I found out that I could have gone to the was museum for free that night and have my picture taken with the was Obama. All America citizens gout in free, but I did not find out until it was to late to go. 

     On Wednesday I worked at a new school and it was a really great day. I had started to feel sick so I went home and fixed Chicken Pot Pie. I have only ever made it one other time and it was better the last time, but it still has not tasted as good as my mom's! I was meant to work at this Jewish school I have gone to a few times, but I called in sick. I woke up with no voice and a horrible headache.  I spent the day hanging out and watching movies that had gotten delivered that day from I love film, its like netflix. 

    ON Friday I worked just a half day in the morning, the school is one I have been there a bunch. It was a fine day and went quickly. I do not want to quite like I was wanting to last week. 

Ughh...

On Monday I worked and I feel like I got pimped out by my agency! I called into work and said I was available to work I waited and did not get a call until about 8:45 in the morning which is leaving only 15 min in the window for them to call me. I was told to go to a tube stop and that directions would be sent to my phone. I was only sent an address, and then had to call and say I needed more then that. When I finally got to the school at about 10:30 I was told I would be a teachers aid, which I was fine with. The day went fine, when I was filling out my time sheet they said no I dont do a teach London time sheet because I was with Global. I said no I am not I dont know who that is, they said that is who booked me. Well in my agencies office there are other offices so I figured it was someone who was in the office and associated with my agency. I called my agency and they transferred me to who sent me and I asked how much I would be getting paid since it was a different agency and he said half what I normally get paid because I was the teacher aid not the teacher. I told him that its not right I was not told I would be an aid or that I would be getting less. He said that was what they were paying me and I would have to talk to my agency about it. I did call my agency and I said it was not fair, I was called and told I had work, nothing was said about being an aid, or a different agency or less money. I was pissed they called me back and said that I would get paid my normal rate. I was so annoyed and pissed at my agency, I just felt like I got pimped out. That night I went to a hip hop dance class at a studio close to my flat. It was for beginners and was so much fun. It was a really great work out also! I will definitely be going back. 

   On Tuesday I went to a school I have been to before it is a ways a way but I was in reception and nursery. So it was a really easy day. 

     On Wednesday I went to an Orthodox Jewish school. I was the Literacy teacher so I had three different classes at different times. It was interesting! They had prayers in the morning and it was all in Hebrew, I just had to sit there. I had to wear a skirt that covered my knees and could not bring any meat and if I did I needed to bring my own cutlery. So I just eat the school lunch. 

   On Thursday I woke up in a horrible mood hating with a passion my agency. I was ready to quite right then. I do not know why I just woke up in that mood. I wrote my mom and email saying so. I was just sick of traveling about an hour and half each way most days. Or feeling like my agency is lying to me. I have asked why I am not placed in schools closer to me in the West of london and am told that most of their schools are in the east! I cant stand it!!!! I did work and it was a school I had not been to and it was kind of a bad day. It was just annoying kids as bad as that is to say. They complained about one another and where just really trying in my nerves. I talked to my mom and she said well just do not work tomorrow and take a day off. It's hard because I have been here for three months, Wednesday was my half way mark. I love being here and living in London but am so sick of my agency! So I called and said I would not be available for Friday and am happy that I did. 

    On Friday I decided to go to Burogh Market, which is a food market. It has great cheeses and oils and olives and sweets. Its great you can sample a lot of stuff. I had lunch there witch was pumpkin ravioli from a stall and it was great. I bought cheese that was wrapped in rosemary it is really good and have been eaten it the rest of the day. I walked around Lecister square area and went into a bunch of used book stores. It was a really nice day. I came home and had some of my cheese and some nice wine and watched a movie. I hung out and watched tv and talked with my flatmates. Which is a pretty typical night here but it was nice. The photos are from the market, and one of them is the great cheese I got! Hope all is well!

A couple great London days!

I was able to work last Tuesday and Wednesday and I was in the Nursery so it was just a couple of fun days playing with play-dough! I did not work on Thursday and just had a very lazy day, I went to starbucks and read, took a nap went and rented a few movies and watched them. On Friday I called and to work and was called at 8:30 to go and work at a school in the east. It took me two hours to get there! I had to take the tube, a train and a bus. The school thought it would only take an hour for me to get there and I had told my agency it would take me that long to get to the train station. The day was fine and thank goodness it was Friday. When I got back to my flat the girls and I made cupcakes. We were going to order in and watch movies but our internet was down so we could not order whet we wanted. We ended up just going to a pub and hanging out for a while. We went back and watched a movie and then the girls and I just talked for a while. 

   On Saturday it was about 25 degrees. It was ridiculous! I had planned on going to a few outdoor markets but that was out of the question. I hung out in the flat for a while and went to starbucks and read. It is nice to just go hang out and enjoy my book. I am reading "The Posinwood Bible" it is really go and would recommend it to anyone. Today, Sunday it was about 45 degrees and sunny! I went and walked around Hyde Park. It was so great there were lots of people out and it was great. The lake was slightly iced over but it was almost warm. I ended up in Speakers corner where anyone can go and speak. People bring their own step stools and climb up and yell what ever they want to. Its funny to watch, other people yell back and it is just great to watch! Hope you are all doing well and having a great January! Lots of love Ang

Second Part/ Second Week!

On December 26^th we woke up in time for food and did not have to go search the city for it, which was nice. As well Starbucks was open so that was great! Sarah myself and the two other girls that we hung out with on Christmas day spent the day walking around Edinburgh. We started the day by taking a free walking tour, they actually have them in a few cities all you do is tip the guide at the end if you want. The tour was great and covered a lot of old Edinburgh and the guide told us a lot of great stories about the places we were visiting. One of the highlights was to see the school that helped inspire Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry but the winner for highlight of the tour was the Elephant house. Which is where the great author J.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  So that was really fun for me!  We went and had lunch after the tour at this place that was like an American restaurant. It had all kinds of car pictures and gas signs from the 50’s-60’s it was good food and they had soda with ice which is defiantly important enough to talk about and those of you who have ever been to Europe know that is true! We walked around the city and the large park that is in the middle of the city, it was really cool and strange that there is a huge park with this almost mountain in the middle of the city.  We went into a few different shops because there are huge sales everywhere from Christmas till the end of January. We were all so full from our late lunch that we just found this place that had proper milkshakes. Again in the UK a chocolate milk shake is like frothy chocolate milk, so for a real shake we were all pretty excited. We headed back to the hostel and Sarah and I packed because we had an early flight the next morning. I watched the old Hairspray in the lounge that night which was nice; it was a very homey nostalgic day.

 

On December 27^th we flew from Edinburgh to Dublin again on Rynair, this was the only time that I was charged for by bag weighing to much. We got in to Dublin no problem and then waited in line at customs for an hour and a half. I have never waited more then 10 min in any customs line at any airport in any country. We finally made it through and took a bus to the city center and found our hostel. It was not that nice it actually ended up being the crappiest one that we stayed in the whole time. We left our stuff and then went walked around Dublin for a bit and got some lunch. I started felling really gross, so we went back to the hostel and laid down for a bit.  Sarah went and walked around for a bit, and I just stayed in bed. It was a kind of lame day but I was just happy that I never got really sick.

 

            On December 28^th We took a tour into the country side. We were able to drive by the coast, I never knew Dublin was so close to the water, it was cold but a really sunny day which made the tour so much better. The tour took us by this house way out into the hills and had amazing gardens. We walked around for a while and just took pictures and walked through the amazing garden. It was such a beautiful place!  We went and did a little shopping in the souvenir stores in the city. After we were both done buying enough crap to put our bags more over the weight limit. We went back to the hostel when we went to our room our keys did not work, so Sarah and I went to the desk and then another girl from our rooms key did not work. We finally got into our room and as a new girl was entering and the door shut the doorknob fell of the door from the outside. Someone went and told the hostel and they were like oh ya we thought that would happen. So what they ended up doing was tape the handle to the door. It worked but it was just so ridiculous! We went out to dinner with a few girls from our room. Then went back to the hostel and we all just hung out in the room and talked. All the other girls where going on a tour through our hostel, which is what this hostel is famous for. Sarah and I had signed up for a tour but it ended up that they were not running it. So it was sad to have fun girls going on a tour and hearing about other tours and not being able to go one. We were meant to go the second day we got there not the one with the girls but still, it would have been nice.

 

            On December 29^th We went and toured the Guinness factory. It is a really great tour, I had done it three years ago but it was great to go again. It talks about the history of Guinness and how it is made. I was able to pull my own pint of Guinness and I even drank most of it. We hung out in the Sky bar, which is on the 7^th floor. It has great views of the skyline of Dublin. From there we just walked around the city for a while then we went back to our hostel got all our crap and headed off for the airport. We got back to my flat at about 10 at night. It was nice to be back in my flat and feel at home and settled.

           

            On December 30^th we just slept in and hung out in my flat for a while. We ended up walking around and re visiting sights that I had dragged Sarah to the first day. We went back to my flat and hung out, watched movies. We made dinner that night which was nice since we had been eating out so much and it was a salad, which was double good since I felt like all I have been eating, was brown fried food.

 

            On December 31^st we hung out at the flat and walked around my neighborhood a little bit. We hung out during the day, we did not want to be outside all day to only stand outside even longer that night as we waited for fireworks. We watched the fireworks from the embankment right across from the London eye. The fireworks were light off literally from the London eye as well as boats below it on the river. It was such a cold night at 10 that night they started playing music, old music including salt and peppea “ Push it” and “Whop there it is” it was funny that they played so much old music but we danced non the less just cause it was so freaking cold and it warmed us up a bit. There was a countdown and big Ben is what rang in the new year. It was a pain to get home. They closed Tube stations right in the center because they did not want them swarmed, what you had to do was walk in the direction you were going for a few miles and go to a tube stop in the direction of your home. We walked to the tube station and it was crazy so many people and the bussed where all so crazy. We were waiting for our bus and I saw Kate and Rory my flat mates walk by. We walked with them for a while and were crazy lucky to find a cab to take us home.

 

            On January 1^st Sarah had a flight at 11 and to get to the airport you have to take a train. So we went to the tube station at about 7:30. I went back to my flat after she got on the train and just slept. I was so tiered. I did not really do much on the first or the second. I was a bit of a hermit just hanging out in my flat and watching movies.

            Toady the 5^th I called into work and there was none but I have work for Tuesday and Wednesday. It was sort of snowing off and on today. But not nice snow it was almost like hail but smaller and still fluttered. It did not stick except in the parks a little. I went to the Natural History Museum and went to a photography exhibit for nature photos. The photos were amazing and made me want to devote time to doing that only. It even said what cameras and lenses people used and they were all supper fancy expensive photos so that is lame. I went and read in starbucks and watched the strange snowfall. Not to bad of a day. I also got a Christmas card from Dennis and Tessa which made me think to say thank you for the birthday cards and Christmas cards that I was sent. I love them, thank you. It is so nice to get  mail, hint hint.  800 Fulham Road, Fulham London SW 6 5SL Hint Hint. Kidding sort of! Ok hope everyone is well and had a fun and safe New years. Lots of love Angie

The first week of traveling!

I do not even know where to start. These past few weeks have been completely crazy Sarah a friend from High School came to London to visit and we traveled around for two weeks. We were in 6 different countries (7 but Germany does not count), more trains than I can count and saw so many amazing things. 

    On December 15^th Sarah flew in to London, I meet her at the train station that has a link to the airport, and because the tube line that I am on sucks most of the time, I was an hour late to meet her. We were told our trains breaks were not working and had to wait for about half an hour until they could get a different train for us all to get on. When I meet her she was exhausted but that did not stop me from dragging her all over London that day. We went back to my flat to drop of her stuff then set out. We took the bus into city center so she could see more of London. We got of at Piccadilly Circus and walked all over ending at the London Eye. It is probably about a three mile walk that takes you by Lesciter Square, Trafalgar square, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Westminster Abby, House of Parliament and ending with the London eye. We then got on the tube and walked down to London Bridge and Tower Bridge (not the same thing by the way) and then to the Tower of London. We went back to my flat and figured out the last details of the trip and then went to Pizza Express for dinner. It is a chain but has pretty good Pizza in my opinion.

            On December 16^th, my dad turned 60 or 61! (we cant get a very definitive answer out of the man) and Sarah and I went to Paris! We took a 5:20 train out of Kings Cross station, but you have to be there 45 min before for security and check in. But the tube does not run that early, so we had to call a cab and come pick us up at like 4 am. So that sucked. But we made it in to Paris at about 9:00 I do love the Chunnel! When we got into Paris we decided to get our train tickets for the next day to Salzburg. We had bought a Euro rail pass, it allows you to have unlimited travel on 5 days in three countries or that is the one that we bought. WE picked France, Austria and Italy, the countries have to be touching and those where the places in Europe that we wanted to go to. But since to get to Salzburg from Paris we would have to go through Germany and switch trains there we had to pay for the part of the journey for when we were in Germany. We were a little disappointed that we had to pay because we did not think we would have to with our pass. But we did not completely understand it before but now we do.

            We went and checked in to our hostel and left our stuff. We took the metro to the Louver, we did not go in but walked around it from there we walked to the Champs Elise and to the Arc De Triumph. We then walked down to the Seine and to the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately it was cloudy and we were not even able to see the tip of the tower.  We took all our photos from every angle then went and had hot chocolate at a café. It was so cold! We then took the bus to Notre Dame and toured inside of it. It is an amazing cathedral the work and detail in it is beyond amazing to look at! We went and had dinner at a place that I had eaten at last time I was in Paris. We both ordered Onion Soup, which is French, and Frittes, which are French Fries. So we had French onion soup and French fries in France, I love it! We took the bus back to the Effie tower and got there just as it started to sparkle, it is an amazing site to see. So we took more photos from every angle then took the metro back to our hostel. We were so tiered from our early train and had another early train the next day also, but we had girls who were ridiculous in our room. Granted it was about 10 at night but there were about 5 girls trying to sleep in our room but two turned on music and were just taking as if they were alone in the room. No one said anything so the fault is ours I guess. We should have spoken up instead of lying there not sleeping getting annoyed, I learned my lesson so next time watch out.

            On December 17^th we woke up and grabbed a chocolate croissant from a bakery and took the metro to the train station. We were on one train for about three hours and another for four. It sure felt like we were wasting valuable time on the train already. It was really pretty though going through the countryside. We stopped at a train station in Germany and had lunch. I had McDonalds not very authentic Germany food but that is what I had. We got back on a train and finally got to Salzburg. We again got our train ticket for leaving the city. We decided that it would take so long to get from Salzburg to Florence so we decided to take a night train. We found our hostel and checked in that went and had dinner at a place the guy at our hostel recommended. It was good food and the wait staff was very helpful with speaking to us in English. So on that day we had breakfast in France, lunch in Germany and Dinner in Austria. We went and walked around old town Salzburg for a while. It is a really amazing city it has a castle on one side and sharp cliffs on either side. There were Christmas lights everywhere and it was a very magical fairytale city.

            On December 18^th we had breakfast at the hostel and then got picked up for our sound of music tour. We were able to go to different sights farther out of the city that they had filmed such as the gazebo and the back of the house where they filmed the backyard scenes. We were also able to go out in to the hills and look at a few small towns where different scenes where filmed. It was really fun they told little secrets about the movie and the real family. It was fun they played music and people sung! When we got back to the city they told us where to go to see more sights mostly from the Do-Rae- Me scene so that was fun. When we got back into the city it was snowing so obviously so cold. We walked around a little then went and had a hot coco at a hotel where they have a café on the top floor with windows all over the place so it was great to watch the snow fall and drink coco. We went and had dinner at the same place we had before and then hung out for a little at our hostel before our night train. We took one train that was 2 hours and then switched to a different one. We were in a sitting car with three other people. We were both in the middle seat, I was between to large Italian old men and Sarah was next to an Austrian women. It was so hot in the car and I could not get comfortable to I went and slept at the end of the train car by bike storage on the floor. I wrapped up in my coat and had my travel pillow and actually slept.

            On December 19^th we got into Florence at about 7 am. We found our hostel and I tried to talk the guy into letting us into the room then instead of wait until 1, but there were people in the room so we could not do that. We went and got breakfast at a bakery nearby, Sarah ordered a hot chocolate and it was sludge. We ended up taking a day trip to Pisa; it was about one hour away from Florence so it was nice we were able to sleep on the train again. We walked around the city a little and made our way to the tower. It was incredible to see it in person. I have seen so many pictures but never understood how dramatic you incredible it is that it is still standing. We took the must have pictures of us holding up the tower and walked around for a while. We had lunch in Pisa and went into a few different shops I got a pair of earrings that I like but are not really my style but I still love them! We took the train back to Florence and were able to check into our hostel and so we took naps and showers, which felt great after the night train from hell.  We went to the Muse De’ Academia to see the statue of David. You are not able to take pictures, which I don’t really understand because its stone you cant hurt it but that was the rule. Again I had seen pictures of the statue and how large the statue is. The statue from head to foot was probably 20 feet tall. We walked around the museum for a while and looked around and then headed back to our hostel. We had dinner there and ended up playing cards with people at the hostel and drinking wine.

            On December 20^th I turned 23! The night before we had signed up do a vespa tour of Tuscany. We meet our driver and guide it ended up that it was just going to be Sarah and I with the guide. He was a few years older than us and I was a little concerned that it would be uncomfortable but it was not. We drove a way out of town and rented two scoters. Sarah did not have her driver’s license so she was not techniquly meant to drive so she was going to ride with the guide. We did a little test-driving in a little car park, Sarah went first and did well, and then it was my turn. I was having trouble turning with out putting my feet out. I also had trouble slowing down on turns not speeding up. So I was trying to turn and I jumped a curb, and ran into a light post. Only my arm hit the post and then I jumped off the scoter and let it fell. When It fell the mirror broke off, so at that point I thought I had just bought a scoter. I ended up riding with the guide, which was fine with me because it allowed me to take pictures as we went. It was not strange until at one point he said he would be my Italian stallion, but it was ok. It ended up being a great day, and a fabulous birthday! We went to three different little villages in the area and stopped in them. At one we got coffee and at the next we had an amazing lunch. We had four different types of wine to sample from the region, a meet and cheese plate, three different pastas the best definitely being the one with truffle sauce, now I see what the fuss is all about with truffles.  We even got a few different desserts to sample. The whole meal was amazing and possibly the best meal I have ever had! We made our way back to wear we started and I had to pay for the mirror which was not as bad as I thought so I was ok with it. Our guide took us back to Florence and dropped us off at the Square of Michelle Angelo, which has a great view point of the city. We were able to take photos and saw the sunset from there which was amazing. We walked down and along the river and across the bridge. I don’t know the name but it is one of three in the world where there are shops and homes on the bridge. We got gelato, I got tiramisu flavor and that was my birthday cake.  We walked around a while and looked at all the different stalls at the markets all around the city. We went back to our hostel and ended up playing cards with some people again. It was a really great hostel called PLUS they have them in a few different city’s but it was just really nice.

            On December 21^st we took the train to Rome, we got to Rome no problem and found our hostel and checked in. We started walking and went all over the city. We walked to the Coliseum, the Parthenon,  a few different plazas that were beautiful and the treve fountain. We went back to our hostel and found out that we are in a room with smelly boys, we did not care about the boys but that they smelled so rank!

            On December 22^nd we walked to the Vatican, it was far away and is its own country which is amazing. I brought my passport hopping that I would get a stamp but I did not L.  The Vatican was un real to be in a place that is so old and has seen so much it makes you feel small and a part of something much larger all at once. While we were in line to go through security there was a nun walking by me who sneezed, I said bless you as I do to anyone who sneezes, she smiled only after she walked away did I think that it was strange that I just told a nun bless you. It is definitely a high light! We took the audio guided tours and that was great it gave us a lot of information, I little bit to much at times but it was still really great. We also went into the copula that is the dome on top of the Vatican. We took an elevator half way up then walked up stairs so small with walls leaning in you had to lean on the other wall to keep walking upward. There were also spiral stairs that were so skinny and also so many of them that we had to take breathers every once in a while. You are able to stand on the inside of the copula looking down at the Vatican and able to see all the mosaics up close. Up towards the top there are a ton of mosaics of cherubs and saints, they are so detailed that it is so incredible the detail and time that must have gone into them. Then you walk up more stairs and get to outside of the dome at the very top. The view of Rome was amazing; the weather was so nice it was sunny and warm to us. I walked around in jeans with a long sleeve shirt and jeans on which is incredible compared to all the snow in Salzburg. We hung out up top for a while then went down a level and walked around on the roof. There is a little shop up there which is sad yet I still went in. Inside there are nuns who are working, they were all so friendly and it was great to talk to them. We then hung out in the sun for a little while and overheard a young priest whom it looked like was with his parents where the pope’s room is. It was so funny to look at the windows and think that Pope Benedict could be right behind the curtains. We went back down and got food from a street vendor, luckily we looked to see what time our train left that night, it left 3 hours early then we thought so we had to hurry, We skipped the crypt of other popes but went to the Vatican museum. We pretty much ran through it because it was important to both of us that we see the sis tenth chapel. It was amazing to stand under it and gaze at the detail as well as the affect that it had on others around us. I wish we would have had more time to spend there and in Rome in general. We went back to our hostel and packed and headed for the train station. This night train was so much better than the last; we were in a sleeper car!!!!! There were three beds and we were in the top two, the other person came into our room in Florence, it was a women who seemed nice but was a little strange. It was so great to be in a bed and not have strange Italian men in the room with us.

            On December 23^rd we got into Paris and checked into our hostel, it was the same one that we were at last time so it was nice to know where it was and all that. We went up to Sacla Cur ( SP?) which is this temple that overlooks the whole of Paris it was a sunny day and it was nice to sit up there and just take in being in Paris. We then went to the Eiffel tower and were able to take pictures of it now that we were able to see all of it this time. We then went over to the Catacombs. It was creepy but mostly walking to where the bones were, you have to walk in long tunnels where there were sometimes no one else with you. When we saw other people we definitely tried to stay with them so it was less creepy. When we got to the bones it was kind of amazing and you were able to look at them with out thinking that they are bones in designed patterns. That was the strange part, that they made patterns, at one point there was a heart made out of skulls! It also got really slippery so now I was so worried that I would trip and reach for the walls to hole me up and I would freak out because they are made of BONES! We left and got wine at a café by the tower and waited for it to sparkle again because it is so magical to watch. We went back to the hostel and ate dinner with a few girls in our room.

            On December 24^th we went to the airport which was a pain to get to, we had to take the metro for an hour and then ride a bus for an hour and a half. It was a crappy airport but that is what you get when it is just a ryanair airport. We flew to Glasgow and took a train into the city center. When we got there we asked about trains to Edinburgh on Boxing day and where told that there would not be trains that day. So we decided to go to Edinburgh that night so that way would be able to make our flight in two days. We took a train that night to Edinburgh and went to our hostel. We hung out and watched Muppet Christmas Carroll which was the movie for move night.

            On December 25^th when we woke up the hostel had hung stockings from all of our beds. There was just a bag of crisps and candy but it was just such a nice thought and it made it feel more like Christmas. We went and walked around the city and looked for food since we missed breakfast we finally found snacks at a news agent which was all that was open besides tourist shops, which we also went into. When we were waiting for Christmas lunch we started playing cards with a few girls and ended up eating with them and a brother and sister. It was nice to have a Christmas dinner. It was not as good as moms cooking but it was still really nice! After lunch Sarah and I and the other two girls went in search of dessert, we ended up buying ice cream bars at the news agent and went up to Edinburgh castle and ate in the parking lot over looking the city and looking at the stars. It was my first Christmas away from home and I thought I would have been a mess, I defiantly missed home and would have loved if I could have been transported home for that day but it was a pretty great Christmas day considering. 

The christmas season!

Marcela and her boyfriend Jullian threw a great christmas party on Saturday! It was a lot of fun. THe pictures are of my flat-mates and myself. This past week I taught everyday at different schools and they went pretty well. Sarah comes into London tomorrow and we will travel around for about 2 weeks ending in London. I am excited to have a friend here, to travel and to not ork for the next three weeks! 

This last weekend I met up with some girls who are on the same visa as I am and hung on in London. We went to a few different open air markets then went and saw Spamalot. The markets were amazing and had great food and really great mulled wine! Spamalot was Monty Pithon and the Holy Grail set to music, it makes fun of itself. It ends January 3rd so I am really happy that I was able to see it when I was. On Sunday I went for a jog, it was really sunny but so cold there was frost on the ground. I never jog so it was more jog/ walk but it still felt good to get out and do that. 

On Monday I went to the Special Needs school again I really just love that school, I went back on Tuesday as well. That night I was told that I would be going for a trail day at a different school that would be three days a week. The class I would half of that time is so difficult. I was then told they extended it to five days. I struggled with that because I do not want to work 5 days a week every week or have to do that. I want the flexibility to be able to travel and not work if I want to. I went back today, Thursday the class is so difficult but somehow have grown on me. I was offered the job and am thinking about it. I do not think i will accept it though. My heart is just not in it. It also takes ma about an hour and a half each way to get from home to the school. I have to take two buses and a train. 

     When I was on the train home I got a call about a long term position ever Tuesday Friday at a school which I might be interested in. I have never been to the school before but think that I am going tomorrow as like a trail day. To see if they like me and I like them. 

    Next week Sarah comes and we begin our travels! Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a very happy new year! Lots of love Ang

Twilight!

I got back into London on Tuesday afternoon and went to my flat. I just unpacked and talked with my flat-mates. On Wednesday I did not work. I was super tiered from the flight and I also wanted to go to the Twilight Premier in London. There were so many people- girls there, a lot of them were Americans also who were studying in the city or around it. My flat-mate Kate came and kept me company for a little while and brought me hot coco. It was crazy but I saw Edward, Robbert Pattison and Bella Swan, Kreisten Stwert. They were the only start there and also the director. I really just wanted to see him and was happy when I was able to! I was like 10 feet away from him but had a little trouble taking pics. I worked today at a new school and had a really hard time finding it. I have work lined up for tomorrow and that is great. 

You can go home again!

After I had a great weekend with someone from home, I subbed four days the following week. Two of the days were at a school that is completely a special needs school. Most students are high needs and were not thriving in a general education school. It was great to see the different ideas that the teachers had for different students needs. On Friday of that week I flew home to go to my brother Dennis's wedding. I got home at about 11 on Friday night where my parents and the newest Mr. and Mrs. Linderman met me. It was great to see them all and to be in the states. I had a lay over in Chicago for about 2 hours and it was great. I was able to get a pumpkin spice latte which is my favorite and they  do not have in the UK because they do not have Thanksgiving. I also got McDonalds for dinner which was so gross but so great all at the same time. 

     On Saturday morning the fam all came over. Rob & Misty, Den & Tessa , Mom & Dad. It was nice to have an American breakfast with normal beacon. Its funny the stupid little stuff you miss. We went to a movie after that, mom made me go to Twilight with her. We have both read the books and were pretty excited. It was not that good, but with that said I saw it again in the week and am thinking about going to the premier in London in two days in hopes of seeing Edward. I know I am Lame! No need to tell me!!! After the movie we went to Red Robin, of course I wanted a real burger and that was definitely what I needed.  We just hung out at the house the rest of the night and it was nice. On Sunday mom and I went shopping in Portland and it was nice to just walk around, I felt a little like I was in London. That night we just hung out and mom cooked dinner it was great. On Monday I got mexican food which was much needed!  I think we just hung out but now I cant remember. On Tuesday I met Shannon and Erin at Bridgport for lunch and to see Twilight again. It was great to see them and catch up. After the movie we grabbed coffee and dinner then waited for the preview of Milk. Shan got us passes. Adam, Kyle and Shan's sister Hallie and her husband Scott came and saw the movie with us. It was really good. It was about Harvey Milk the first openly gay public official elected. After the movie we went and got drinks. 

    On Wednesday I went up to Timberline with my brothers. They went skiing and snowbording, and I hung out in the lodge and read. That is so relaxing for me. When we got home Sarah came over and we planned out what we are going to do when she visits for 2 and a half weeks in December. It was fun to see what we are going to do and plan it all out. After that I helped mom make pumpkin pies for Turkey day.   On Thanksgiving day I helped mom make breakfast and get the food ready. It was a relaxing turkey day and we were able to watch movies. Uncle Charlie and Aunt Wilma came in time for dinner and we ate way to much. My cousin Corrine got in to town in time for pie so all was well.  On Friday we, my mom, aunt, cousin and I went to Target and did a little shopping and then just hung out until the lingerie shower for Tessa. It was fun and not uncomfortable as I thought it would be considering my mom was there with her future daughter-in-law. After the shower we all went to Greek Cousina for a non-rehearsal- rehearsal.  It was a lot of fun, we threw plates on the floor and they taught us Greek dances. It was a lot of fun, and really good food.

         On Saturday mom, my aunt, cousin and myself went to Summer’s baby shower. It was great to see them because we normally only see them once a year.  It was exciting to celebrate baby Jackson’s arrival. After the shower we went home and got ready for the wedding. It was beautiful, there were tons of candles and it was just family. There were about 45 people and it was so nice and intimate.  The ceremony was amazing. Tessa looked fabulous! The reception was at the Portland City Grill down town. The food was really good and there was great music and lots of dancing.

      On Sunday we made breakfast at the house, and then mom, aunt Wilma and I went and did a little shopping. That night we had a family dinner with both brothers, both sister-in-laws, my aunt and uncle and my parents. It was nice to have one last dinner together and to have a great meal before I left. On Monday I packed and had Mexican with my parents, I needed to get my fill before I left. I went home and hung out with Dennis and Tessa who came over to say good bye then my parents took me to the airport. I flew from Portland to Seattle. Then Seattle to London, in Seattle I was able to get my last bit of Mexican at Quadoba before I got on the plane. I got back to my flat about two hours ago and have just been unpacking and getting re-settled in.