Pains of Leaving

Driving away from the manor is the hardest when you don't know if you'll ever come back. We can hope and wish but you never know. 

Luckily last night was the perfect way to go out. With my roommates and a few other friends we scaled the roof and to the very top. And last night there was a meteor shower. It was do beautiful. I've never seen so many stars, let alone a meteor shower. I was so terrified because I was so high up but I was literally on top of a castle. I am so glad we climbed up there. #YOHO 

My war wounds from the stuff I've done the past week are reminders that even if there's nothing to do, there's something to do. My elbows, knees, legs, and a few spots on my face are proof that at Harlaxton you do things you'd never think. 

I had been studying for two days straight and the break from it and packing was much needed. My roommates were perfect. I couldn't have gotten a better luck of the draw. We all became so close at the end. And then I became so close with people from other schools. Telling them goodbye is the hardest part. It broke the dam. The tears still haven't really stopped. I don't know how to leave behind this semester. You can't just pack up Harlaxton in a bag. If you could it wouldn't be here. I'm so sad to be leaving. This semester had changed me so much. I'm excited for the adventures to come in the next week. They will be fun but also hard because I won't be returning to this beautiful manor. The journey I've been on has taught me a lot. 

This is a thank you to everyone who helped me along the way. I'm so grateful for this experience. 

Now onto Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Hopefully I find a map soon after arriving. 

Bise Bise

Does it have to end?

Today was the last day of British Studies. Our last SGA event is tonight. Everything is ending. Today the tears started because no one wants to leave. 

A few of us have started to pack, but we don't want to. We're having to check out. The bins for stuff we don't want or need any more are out ready to be filled. But why does it have to end? Why do we have to leave this amazing semester which has had magnificent weather? Why must we return back to our respective schools, when we have made such amazing friendships here? You can't make us leave. Even the raging goose that could probably kill all of us won't scare us into leaving. 

When I look back at all I've learned, it amazes me how much you can learn. This semester has taught me a lot about the world, myself, and others. I may have wanted to sleep through class on an occasion or two because I had stayed up late watching movies or just talking with friends or my roommates, but each day has taught me more and more. I guess we have to leave so that others have a chance to experience all that Harlaxton has to offer. Maybe we have to leave because we won't really know what we've learned until we're gone, but I think we have to leave because there's a larger lesson waiting for us. That although we never want to leave this gorgeous manor with amazing views, sunsets, and people, to return to a place that hasn't changed as much as we have, but enough to make everything weird. 

Having school five days a week will be hard. Not going to a new country or exploring a city will be even worse. What will be the hardest though, is knowing that here we got to do so much and still never did enough. I know that the travel bug has hit me hard. The thought of staying in one place for an entire summer even just makes me cringe. So someone tell me why I have to leave my castle on a hill? Tell me how to go back to America and live a life where I don't see a new country or befriend people from all over the world on at least a weekly basis. Then I may be coaxed into leaving. 

It's strange how any other semester we would all be dying for classes to end, but here we don't. We don't like the homework and exams but it means that the semester is over. Tonight we have Karaoke and after that there's only a few classes and exams. I'm excited for my travel after my exams but I'm so sad to be leaving. 

I'll either find a place to hide in the manor or accept that I'm not facing the world without Harlaxton, I'm just facing it after Harlaxton has changed me. 

Bise Bise

Winding Down but not Settling Down

This past weekend was the last weekend of the semester. Well we have finals this coming weekend so it was the last real weekend. It was crazy and fun but also humbling. It started with Thursday night at the Collegiate choir performance. It was all about the last time of this or the end of the semester. There were tears all around. It finally dawned on me that I'm in England. It's crazy that it took this long but it did. That night a lot of the college went out into Grantham. It was so much fun to hang out with everyone. The next morning was rough for a lot of people because we left at 8am to go on out London field trip. 

When we arrived in London I was given a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral by Dr. Kingsley. I didn't learn a lot for the exam but I learned a lot of fun information. Then I walked with two of my roommates down to the national galleries to see some portraits of people we've studied and since we had time to kill we got to see some of my favorite painters as well. Then I met up with some other friends to go to Tate Moderne and see some modern art. I didn't really like most of it but I saw some Picasso, Modrian, van Goh, and Monet so I was happy. Then we came back to the manor and I slept for what felt like days. 

Saturday was a blast. All day long the whole manor was getting ready for the costume ball. It was like getting ready for a formal, only better. We started with a reception to celebrate the Gatsberade and then got dinner. After dinner it was time to dance. Spice Girls to Cha Cha Slide to Cupid Shuffle to Kesha helped is dance the night away. Then a group of us went up to my room and hung out. After chatting for a while we hiked into the woods to find one of the bunkers that the British had used to hide from the Germans during the world wars. It was cold and dark but also a ton a fun. Then we rolled down a hill and it was the most perfect roll down a hill ever. Then I slept for hours and hours. Then I spent all of Sunday in bed watching ridiculous movies. 

This being the last week of classes ad I don't like it. I don't want to leave this magical place. I don't want all the new friends to disappear or my roommates and I to have different schedules. I'm going to miss cuddle puddles and group nap time and just going for a hike in the woods at 1am because we're bored. 

This semester is almost over but the impact of it is only just beginning. 

Bise Bise

PICTURE UPDATE :D

Throwing with the Eiffel Tower. NBD. 

Trocadero

Spring time in Paris is beautiful

Louvre photo shoot 

 A light for my loved ones passed away

smug mona lisa selfie

I MET CINDERELLA AT DISNEYLAND PARIS

Throwing photo session at Eiffel Tower

Life's a Beach

Well it's April. Any other year that would be a welcome statement. Actually probably any other time the months changing would be ok. Except here. Time has gone by so fast. We can count the days no problem in how many we have left. So we're making the most of every second we have. There's so much to soak up and experience. SO MUCH. Like exploring all the areas of London we didn't know existed. Seeing the amazingness that is the north sea and just being in England. 

Friday was a shopping day. I actually probably shouldn't go shopping but I did really good. Like really good. I just got the things I needed. Which were presents for other people and one thing for me. I was so proud of myself. The problem is that London is so cute that you just want to buy every single thing and then you realize after being in a store for about 20 seconds that you're about to buy over $100 worth of stuff that you don't even like. Luckily I walked away from everything. I didn't even have to think about it. I've gotten to a really good point with my addiction to shopping. Like I'd rather handle finances planning a trip than in the store Primark. It's like crack for a shopaholic like myself. Also we avoid the kids section because everything is too dang adorable and it's so easy to think of a cute little kid that deserves all the dresses and shirts and leggings and shoes, etc. After visiting a super neat west end area of London that had some cute boutique style shops it was time to face Oxford Street. If you know anything about London you know that Oxford St is shopping heaven and tourist craziness. Literally the streets were packed at 1pm on a Friday. What? Don't you people work? Oh wait you're tourists. Gah. (More about that feeling later) Then after Oxford St it was time to go to a nice calm book store that made life easy again. Something that could be faced and handled. It was glorious. You walked in and could hear yourself think and breathe more than anything. It was wonderful. I wanted to buy all the books. That's why my Kindle is my best friend because I just get a bunch of free books and read all those. I read so fast that owning books is not ideal. I can read a book in hours rather than weeks for most people. But I just loved sitting and reading an actual book in an actual book store in London. It was so peaceful. Then it was come back and read books so that my mind could just be stress free. Planning out life is hard and trying to plan life in the US when you're in the UK is harder. 

So we were taking the Tube to the train station and this guy dropped his ticket and I had already placed my Oyster card on the sensor so the turn style locked up on me and I had to explain some dude had gotten me locked out to the worker and he fixed it but for real #LondonTourists. This guy like I know how to work the tube, come on. Stop being a tourist. (I feel like my life is complete when I feel like a local in a different country.) People asked us for directions and we were able to lead them there no problem. It was a great day of blending into London. Especially enjoying Chipotle because oh how every person at Harlaxton misses Mexican food more than anything. 

Saturday was nice in that I just woke up and went off. I went to Skegness with Madeline and loved it. Literally that city is so quaint and relaxing. We considered riding a ferris wheel and that was the excitement of the day. Just walking through sand and in the North Sea was glorious. I may have picked up a few too many sea shells up. Maybe 30. I literally said in all seriousness that 'I may have been a mermaid in a past life.' Which is not what Buzzfeed said but alas I feel that I was. But we continued just enjoying the life that was beach life. I did a message in a bottle and it was so fun trying to chuck a bottle out past the tide. I did :) then I walked under a pier. Which is one of those things you see people do in movies but does anyone actually do it? Well I did because You Only Harlaxton Once. Then it was time to see if we could find Madeline a dress or something for the costume ball coming up. Unsuccessful shopping lead to hunger which led to dinner. Then we figured when the next train back was and realized we could visit the beach once more. It was stressful and I was nervous we wouldn't make it but we did. I'm so glad we did because it was more gorgeous as the sun was beginning to start setting. It was marvelous. The water is freezing because well, it's the North Sea and is way too north to even think it could be luke-warm. The train ride back was fun and entertaining as we just laughed the whole way back. Then I finished reading a book and got to catch up on  my sleep. It's so nice to wake up without an alarm clocking quacking at me. 

Today in a secret event, that can later be discussed, we went outside. I decided to take a selfie with a goose. Well apparently you aren't supposed to look a goose in the eye. First mistake. Second breaking off eye contact. Third being with people who were afraid of geese. Well the goose decided we were all up in his space and decided to charge at us. When that happened the like 7 people I was with all fled in different directions screaming and jumping onto things. Apparently they had forgotten geese can fly. That goose continued to follow us around outside and then could sense us through the windows of the manor and was ready for us to come out and he would attack. Yup I now know that if a goose attacks they would try to eat me and that I am never looking a goose in the eye again. 

Well after all the excitement and loveliness of this weekend I should do my homework. Maybe or take another buzzfeed quiz or two. Oh wait I saw something earlier I wanted to look at... 

That's what this semester is, exploring buzzfeed while exploring the world. 

Bise Bise