Day #103

I'm going to post this now just in case I lose wifi like last night! Alice and I headed to the catacombs today and got there at 9:15, 45 minutes before it opened. We then proceeded to wait for about 3 1/2 hours in line to get in- but it was well worth the wait. We had digestives to keep us occupied, and when we finally got inside the tunnels and bones were absolutely incredible. Some informational signs told us about how freaked out the Parisians were when parts of their city randomly started sinking since they didn't know there were tunnels underneath... How creepy is that? Here's a nice picture of some of the bones we saw:

After we surfaced from the catacombs, we grabbed some lunch at the giant mall from yesterday and I purchased a proper winter coat- it's colder here than I thought, and my light-jacket-with-a-sweater combo just wasn't cutting it. But now I will be warm and happy!

It's not 2015 yet, but I want to wish everyone a very happy New Years! The past year has had its fair share of everything, and I'm very thankful for all of it. To 2015!

Day #102

Another day, another early morning- this time so that we could get in line for Versailles! And it was completely worth it. The line wound around the courtyard and the guy in front of us estimated that there were probably about 5,000 people inside the courtyard alone, not to mention outside the gates and down the street. We stood in line for a little over an hour, which wasn't bad at all considering how long some people had to wait. The palace itself was beautiful, and after a few hours the fog finally cleared so we were able to see the sprawling gardens.

AND THE BEST PART?! WE SAW MORE SHEEP. 

I have decided I'm getting a sheep pillow when I get to Germany and don't have to carry it with me everywhere.

We left Versailles around 4pm and from there we went to the Galeries Lafayette, one whopping giant shopping mall complete with 7 floors and a rooftop view of Paris including terf and chairs and a patio. The Eiffel Tower turned on while we were watching, and then we went down and browsed some shops before heading back to our hostel. Tomorrow we go to the catecombs! 

Shoutouts go to my dad for being awesome at emailing and my cousin Sean because HE TURNS 16 TODAY! But real talk didn't you just 12 like yesterday?

Day #101

We were semi-successful at purchasing our train tickets for Eastern Europe, though we were slightly less successful at obtaining stamps for our passports. For some reason, France really doesn't like to give those out! But emails have been sent, and we are hopeful.

Our first tourist stop of the day was La Madeleine, a more recent church ("recent" as in the 18th century) that we happened upon which was dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Second, we visited the Palais Garnier, the Opéra de Paris, which is where the Phantom of the Opera is set. What an incredible space- the actual theatre and the rest of the building both. Here's a little glimpse of one of the rooms, complete with painted ceilings:

The grand staircase was just as stunning:

The Phantom of the Opera definitely was there inside our minds.

We consumed another baguette for lunch (they're served for breakfast at our hostel every day and we've gotten delicious baguette sandwiches for lunch the past couple days), then headed to the Eiffel Tower. I had to turn my camera sideways to get the entire thing in one picture. Uh, I mean, I meant this to be super artsy:

There was a cool giant life-sized snow globe under the tower with lots of real Christmas trees inside. 

Back at our hostel, we're currently enjoying some relatively non-spotty wifi and getting ready for our trip to Versailles tomorrow!

Day #100

100 DAYS SO FAR! And what a way to spend my hundredth day- lots and lots of fun around Paris!

We started off early with Sainte Chapelle, which is a beautiful chapel from roughly a millennia ago that still retains 2/3 of its original stained glass windows. Take a gander:

We can all just collectively pretend that any photo does it justice. After that we headed to Notre Dame, which brought back every singe childhood memory of the Disney Classic. The bells rang, the line moved us quickly out of the wind, and we got to see some of an authentic French mass inside while we walked through.

Then began our grand tour of museums. By which I mean two. First was the Musee d'Orsay, which used to be an old train station and how holds a TON (probably literally) of impressive art. Then we went to the Musee de l'Orangerie, which had 8 of Monet's beautiful water lily paintings. We finished up the day by seeing the Eiffel Tower all lit up from atop the Arc de Triomphe. 

And I finally bought some gloves to combat the unusually cold Paris winds! 

But best of all, even though the wifi connection was awful, I got to skype with my wonderful family for a little bit. They're the best :)

Day #99

Our bus arrived at Canterbury Station around 11:45, and I fell asleep as soon as we pulled away. However, neither Alice nor I knew that the total travel time fromCanterbury  to Paris included a two hour ferry ride! So, tired and confused, we left our bus and boarded a giant boat at 2:30am. I slept some more, this time on the floor. And then more back on the bus for another 3 hours.

We finally arrived in Paris at 8:45am (accounting for the hour time change). We dropped our bags off at our hostel and headed out to see the city! Ouais, baguette!

(Rest assured my French is steadily improving)

We checked out the Louvre, which is much larger than the misleading small glass pyramid jutting out of the ground. As always, I posed with some old (I'd even say ancient) friends.

I met this girl named Mona who smiled a lot but when I asked her about it she was pretty quiet and didn't say anything. Go figure.

Alice and I even managed to get the timer on my camera to work, successfully commemorating how gross we were after very little sleep and lots of travel! But we hide it pretty well

So we are back at our hostel and almost ready for bed. There was an adorable holiday fair downtown just like Edinburgh- I'm recalling digging this holiday spirit.

But even though Paris and traveling and exploring are all well and good, I can't wait to skype with my family tomorrow when I am more awake and less gross. I can't believe I'm missing a year with them, but I'll see all of their smiling faces tomorrow :)

Day #98

This post is coming early because I'm not sure when we'll have wifi, but I'll let everyone know!

Well, I am all packed up. The room looks just like it did when I first got here. Alice and I have been eating the rest of our mac&cheese (still delicious) and packing and packing and packing. But we rounded out the day with You've Got Mail, which is just as lovely as I remember. Digestives and Muddy Buddies await us on the long bus ride to Paris. Our walk to the bus stop will be in the rain, but pathetic fallacy always seems to follow everywhere so it seems very fitting. Goodnight, and wish us luck in Paris!

Day #97

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear"

Alice and I started off the morning by walking to the cathedral for the 11 o'clock mass, which I'm sure had a special name but I called it The Singing Mass because there was extra singing in this one. Because I've been away from the radio, I haven't gotten anywhere near my fill of holiday tunes, so I greatly enjoyed partaking in Christmas carols. The Archbishop of Canterbury was supposed to be at the mass, but unfortunately he was ill. Get better, Archbishop! 

We all opened our presents under our tiny Christmas tree- Ariel got some socks with bunnies (the signature animal of University of Kent) and Alice got fleece lined tights and leggings, which we will definitely need in the next month. Look at all that joy!

And the adorable Christmas jumper. That's the best part!

My family knows me well- I got socks (I UNIRONICALLY LOVE SOCKS SO MUCH), a large usb, headphones, and a way to charge my phone without my computer! They're too good to me.

Because they're awesome, my family also recorded themselves opening the presents I got for them, which made me feel like I was there with them. I skyped with everyone later in the day, and got to see my aunt, uncle, and two cousins in addition to my Papa, Grammy, and immediate family. And that was by far the best Christmas gift. *cue the awwwwwww*

For Christmas dinner, we made delicious kale and cauliflower mac&cheese with rolls on the side and Muddy Buddies (corn chex cereal tossed with melted peanut butter, chocolate, and confectionary sugar- the stuff of dreams and happiness and joy). After eating, Alice and I did some preparatory laundry that will hopefully last us a while! (We could use some extra fingers crossed on that front)

We closed out day with Elf, one of my favorite movies of all time.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from probably the only people left on campus!

Day #96

Merry Christmas Eve from Canterbury! As of now, it is officially Christmas here :) back in our house, we made a little Christmas corner:

I hope Santa likes digestives! I know I sure do.

Alice and I caught our train to York at 8:30, and were there by 11. We began by walking the wall (walls were key), which gave us an incredible view of the city inside. Here's York Minster:

There were even some adorable kids in costume getting ready for the Christmas Eve pagent! Good choice of city, mom.

Then we started the long trek to the University of York. It reminds me a lot of the University of Kent- relatively modern campus (given the age of the city it's named after), uphill from a walled city, and with a fabulous bus system. After the walk there, we gladly bused back. 

LOL THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY WHERE MY MOM STUDIED ABROAD OOPS. But we got in a good walk..... Right.....?

But everything was okay after some tea and soup and crumpets and sandwiches in the Castle Tea Rooms. Warmth radiated through us like holiday music on the radio the day after Thanksgiving.

We walked some more of the wall, saw a lot of the gorgeous city, and caught the train to London a little after 4 before getting the bus back to Canterbury (yup, gotta love that £5 London-Canterbury bus). Walking back wasn't so bad because a) we'd just come from Edinburgh which was FREEZING so this was positively balmy weather and b) I was so excited to show off Canterbury. Somehow, Canterbury feels like home after just three months. When we got back on campus, I showed Alice the view from up the hill with the city lights and the cathedral all lit up... It just doesn't get any better than that.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! 

Day #95

What I forgot to mention yesterday: our hostel has a Friends game!!! Take a look:

Unfortunately we didn't get to play it, but this seems like an ideal gift for any Friends fan, no?

We woke up in the wee hours of the morning, way before the sun (a whopping 6:30am), and were on our tour bus and leaving Edinburgh before 8. We got to watch the sun rise over the highway and saw SO MANY SHEEP. SO EXCITING!!!

We made stops at Glenco, various photo stops in the Scottish Highlands, Loch Lochy, and Loch Ness. Here is a little sample of our day:

I think that pretty much sums it up.

Alice also had her first official Jacket Potato and Fish and Chips today! There was a lot of bus time for only a little over 7 hours of sunlight, but we used that time wisely! Our boat across Loch Ness featured the beautiful sunset, and we did a good amount of sleeping on the bus.

York tomorrow, then back to Canterbury!

Day #94

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Metz! Alice would like you to know that she is alive and well and we are all safe and having a wonderful time :)

Our hostel had sanitary showers and a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs this morning (yum to the max), after which we went on a free walking tour of Edinburgh led by someone who works at the hostel. Stops included:

-the graveyard which contains the headstone of Thomas Riddell, who inspired Tom Riddle (aka Voldemort)

-the Royal Mile

-the Elephant House, where good ol' JK Rowling looked out over the graveyard and castle and wrote the very beginnings of Harry Potter 

-Calton Hill and it's (sadly) unfinished national monument (thus the frown)

-a statue of a dog who was buried in the graveyard at least 5 years before they let any women be buried there (no this is not a joke)

-Princes Street, including where the scots created a giant moat to help defend the castle; when they drained the moat, they found over 3,000 bodies of women who had been accused of being witches and thrown into the moat (still not kidding)

At my request, we went back to the Elephant House, and we got to eat lunch where Jo herself once sat. I'm glad I went into the bathroom, because every single inch of the wall was covered in quotes and thank you letters to J.K., thanking her for making their childhood magical. Just because we're friends, in going to confide in you that I teared up reading all of the thank-yous. Harry really has impacted so many lives for the better, including mine. In the words of Severus Snape, "It's real for us."

Tummies full, we hiked up to Edinburgh Castle which was quite a sight to behold.

We took a stroll down the Royal Mile before heading to the Christmas Fair, where we had some delicious carnival food and dessert and got to experience FOUR WHOLE LEVELS of Christmas cheer.

Tired and happy, we returned to our hostel early, ready for our bus tour tomorrow morning.

In the words of J.K., 

"Mischief managed."

Day #93

I GOT TO SEE ALICE TODAY YAYAYAY!!!!!

After the bus to London, we all met up in front of Big Ben before grabbing some noms (Alice has her first authentic Bangers & Mash!) and heading to Trafalgar Square. London was decked out in all its holiday beauty!

I sent home three presents today- the bigger of the few. I'll send the rest home with Alice so we don't have to carry lots of heavy stuff around with us!

We hopped on the tube to pick up Alice's things from the hostel and headed to the tube --> train --> airport. Dinner was some nice mac&cheese with cauliflower and kale (really embracing our inner Vermont), before our thankfully uneventful flight to Edinburgh! Thanks to helpful hostel directions, we found our hostel with ease. But seriously, Edinburgh is so beautiful. And that's only judging from what we could see at night.

Snug in our hostel beds, it's goodnight until we get to explore Edinburgh tomorrow morning!

Day #92

I grabbed an early coffee today with another friend downtown before she left, and then spent the rest of the day running errands- post office, Wilkos, Primark, all the ideal locations. The last days I'll be in Canterbury are Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day, so not much will be open. Thus, all the last-minute things today!

Two of my house mates and I visited the cathedral again, and took our Christmas card picture:

For those of you who have seen Love Actually, we answered Emma Thompson's question: "There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?"

Yes, Emma. Yes.

Speaking of endings, we also finished Avatar today, which was very sad until Netflix recommended the god awful movie they tried to make with real people...

IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF A JOKE, NETFLIX?!

I got to Skype with my family today and watch my Grammy open the photo album I made for her. I wish I could have been there in person, but I'm glad I got to see them!

Finally, finally, I am packed and going to sleep. London and Edinburgh tomorrow with Ariel and Alice! Scotland, here we come!

Day #91

Today I handed in my last final.

Today I said goodbye to too many friends.

Today I watched Avatar and did laundry and made food and played Cards Against Humanity. 

It's sad to screenshot snap chats of people instead of seeing them in person.

I don't think I've been able to process yet just how much these three months have meant to me. Exactly three months ago, I boarded a plane. I'll be boarding many more before I board the one that brings me back to the United States, back to Massachusetts, back to Longmeadow. But there are many planes I can board that will bring me Home and to Family, to different places and people all over the globe who have made a place in my heart.

Day #90

Well folks, they're done. I have finished both of my finals. I still need to hand in the hard copy of my second paper to the English office tomorrow before noon, but it's been written and printed and submitted online so let's all just heave a giant collective sigh of relief together, ready? PHEW.

When we went to the library this morning (before we knew we would be staying there for well over 12 hours) we looked at our essays and thought to ourselves:

But lo and behold, I'm actually very pleased with the way my werewolf story turned out. Not at all how I expected, but it's dark and mysteriously scary and was influenced by Poe, so you can't really go wrong there. Again, if anyone has any desire to read 927 words about a werewolf asking about the hypocrisy of humanity, be sure to let me know, yeah? 

One of my friends has almost exclusively done all of the planning for every group get-together and activity, from a family dinner in the beginning of the semester to our recent Secret Santa and beyond. To thank her, some of my friends got her a journal and pasted pictures from the term throughout it, mixed with messages from all of us. It was bittersweet to see her so happy about the gift, but we all had the same sad realization that this incredible experience is coming to an end. 

(Fair warning, it's about to overflow with sap like trees from Vermont) Each of us sacrificed a lot individually to come here, and tonight was definitely one of the many moments solidifying that everything was worth it. Starting at a different university for the third year in a row, having to make new friends for the third time, and knowing it would all culminate in a third tearful goodbye is a lot to acknowledge going into a situation, not to mention all of the other factors I had to weigh in making the decision to come here. But now I have wonderful friends all over the world, and I am so much better for the experience. 

I'm gonna go ahead and quite a song from Camp Bonnie Brae, the girl scount camp I attended back in the cool days of my youth:

"I want to linger a little longer, a little longer here with you.

It's such a perfect night; it doesn't seem quite right that it should be my last with you

And as the years go by, I'll think of you and sigh...

This is goodnight and not goodbye."

Day #89

HOW HAVE I BEEN HERE FOR 89 DAYS ALREADY?! Get me in a tardis so I can go back to the beginning. Also to get me out of finals.

I did a lot of research on my second (AND LAST) final today, and I was able to skype with Alice as well. As of today, I have every single travel plan booked until January 1st! We booked a day tour of Scotland, our bus tickets to Paris, hostel in Paris, and flight to Budapest. Thank goodness for Alice.

We made tacos for dinner, and watched some Avatar (we're determined to finish the series before the end of the semester) before going to the Canterbury couchsurfing meeting one last time... *insert tears here*

Now it's off to bed for me, and I will be finishing my werewolf story in the morning. Wish me luck!

Day #88

Finals are definitely upon us. I finished my first final this afternoon, which was a wonderful feeling.... Until I realized I have another to go. WOO HOO

But I did teach my French friend the expression "meh"!

My group of friends did a Secret Santa, so some of us went downtown to get presents. We also celebrated our friend Flo's birthday, and got her a cake!

Also two of my friends invested in foam swords, which reminded me fondly of all the foam weapons stored in my basement. Ah, a life with brothers.

We had dinner at a restaurant in Canterbury called the Olive Grove (not to be confused with the Olive Garden) where we exchanged gifts and sang happy birthday to Flo. My Secret Santa got me an adorable photo album to store picture from all of my travels. And look at this note she attached to the gift!

After dinner we went back to the library until about 1am to work more. The most helpful part, though, was getting to talk to Nolan and bounce ideas off of him since my last final is a piece of creative writing. I'll make an English major out of him yet!

But now it is finally, FINALLY time for bed. Goodnight, everyone and everything!

Day #87

Today was very productive. I got up, ready, showered, breakfasted, backpacked, and to the library by a little after 11. Where two of my friends and I sat for the majority of the day.

I took a break around 12:45 to go to my last theatre class, which basically consisted of snacks and motivational talk from my professor who told us that school and jobs don't matter and we're all too focused on money. Which I guess it true to a degree, but I'd like to argue that if you like your job, it doesn't feel like a job, so I'd like to do well in school so I can get a job I like, ya feel? But at any rate, the cookies were good. I brought them back to my friends studying at the library.

They were delish. Also the library is doing this thing during finals week where we're not allowed to bring warm food anywhere because the smell might distract others. Not because they're worried about us spilling or ruining books or anything.... Because of the smell. So, consequently, I bought a calzone and could not have it warmed up. It was a nice raw pizza inside bread. Just the way I like it. 

(Because sarcasm doesn't always translate so well over different sorts of text, I'll take a moment to point out that my last sentence about liking raw pizza is a lie)

Tangential to that thread, people (I realize I don't have a citation for this, but you're just going to have to trust me) are worried about my generation because oh no think about all the misunderstandings that come from texting and not talking in person and oh no we're losing touch with each other! well, I challenge those people to think about how long those darn snail mail letters took to send to each other and how sarcasm was just as hard to decipher in a letter 3 months after a person 100 miles away had written it, whereas with a text message, you can text back the next second and say "just wanted to clarify- was that sarcastic?" Instead of having to wait another 3 months for your carrier pigeon to get to them and another 3 months to get a reply, by which time they might be married to someone else already since you've had exactly 3 letters in 9 months, one of which was potentially misinterpreted. Isn't technology just grand?

But I digress.

I did a TON of research today and have a pretty solid rough draft of my first final completely done, so I'll be editing that tomorrow. If anyone would like to know anything about public ally funded theaters in the UK or their outreach programs (especially for students), I can definitely provide you with some enthrawling dinner conversation.

And on that note, it's time to read through one more time before bed. Sleep well, and may your dreams not be haunted by finals as mine are sure to be!

(More sarcasm)

(Hopefully)

Day #86

I ate a crepe today. It had Nutella and banana in it. 

That was the most important part of my day, so I thought I'd share it first. Crepes are important.

I went to town at noon today and grabbed breakfast there since, as you remember, I had no food left. I tried to get a vegetable pasty and tomato soup, but the guy gave me a cheese and onion pasty and chicken-bacon-veggies soup by accident (almost all pasties look the same from the outside, and he was definitely new). Disappointed, I treated myself to this famous crepe you've been hearing so much about. It was a good decision.

I did some homework at good ol' Caffé Nero and learned a lot about public ally funded british theaters and their outreach programs. I know, I know- riveting. Make sure you read slowly on the off chance that there might have been too much excitement in one sentence.

I succeeded in getting a little more food, and decided to purchase a tiny Christmas tree to boost the holiday spirit level in my room since you remember what happened when I tried to make paper snowflakes... But the tree is adorable!

It looks even cuter now that I decorated it with some of my dangly earrings!

I finally tried the pub on campus for dinner, and my lasagne and curly fries were delicious. How did I not know about this place since it has curly fries?! 

More research and one (only one... So sad) episode of avatar later, it's time for me to get to sleep and start on those essays again tomorrow. It's getting to that time of year, folks- FINALS!

Don't mind me while I crawl into my cave with my laptop and books and work forever.

Day #85

Although I wasn't very academically productive today, I got to skype with Alice earlier in the day and then my family at night! I was even able to talk to my Uncle Mark on the phone while I skyped my family (let's see if he ever reads this), which was a very pleasant surprise. But I'm getting ahead of myself...!

I am almost officially out of food (again), but I was able to use the last of my supplies to make an avocado, tomato, and cheese open-faced sandwich in the oven, and a few different kinds of chicken for dinner. Groceries are going to be necessary tomorrow. I even finished my ketchup, which means it's getting serious.

Alice and I solidified out plans, at least for the first part of our trip! We now have a place to stay in Edinburgh (I'm counting that as a win), and have travel arrangements for York and back to Canterbury on Christmas. I'm not big into religion, but even I'm excited to go to a mass on Christmas day at the Cathedral. I know it's just as commercial as the United States, but something about the holiday season just feels more authentic in the UK. Plus it's all just so darn PRETTY.

I was explaining to Alice how to navigate London and the tube, and that's when it hit me like a giant piano falling from the sky (or potentially like something a little less lethal) that I actually know this city very, very well. Look at all this fun independence and adult and self-reliance! Please, try not to let your applause run for too long. Well, okay, if you insist... *bows excessively*

Mu family and I decorated our tree together tonight (aka I told me dad where to put one ornament) and then we chatted up a storm. It's still a mystery as to where I'll be storing my luggage while I'm backpacking, so if any of you fine humans have any ideas, please let me know!

And because it came up while I was talking to Matthew and Nolan, here's just a little something I found one day while traversing the internet:

Definitely accurate. 100%. The ladies and lads love when you read them a good book. Crank that up to poetry analysis, and soon you'll have to be weary of swooning admirers.

TOMORROW IS HOMEWORK DAY. Wish me luck researching British nonprofit theaters and crafting a story psychoanalyzing a werewolf! What even are these classes I'm taking?

Day #84

...welp, I woke up in the middle of the night (morning?), and realized I never posted this blog post. So this post may be riddled with sleep, but stick with me. It'll be worth it, as it always is (maybe?).

I got lunch with a friend in my theatre class who is from California (dad, you met my friend and her parents in Canterbury when you came!). We went to a very hipster and adorable cafe which had delicious banana bread and (of course) gluten-free and vegan desserts! So hipster. I loved it.

The greatest news of the day is that I FINALLY GOT A BACKPACKING BACKPACK!! It was on super sale, and I am very pleased. I may wear it around campus as my regular backpack... You know, to all the classes I don't have since I just had my last week of classes....

I did some homework and then came back from town to eat dinner and watch avatar before hanging out with lots of friends- I can't believe that everyone is leaving in about a week. It's not real. I refuse. I have to say goodbye to too many people :(

This is Rachel who goes to UVM and is from NYC, and she is one of the many people I will miss from the semester. But I can't think about that until it's actually over, which is sad. So I won't be sad, I'll be happy! Yay, another week!

Apologies in advance if this isn't coherent. We'll see when I wake up for good in the morning. Cheers!

Day #83

Because day #82 was so long, I woke up pretty late today and finally caught up on some much needed sleep. I did a little research about my backpacking expeditin which is steadily approaching, and then prepared for my two presentations in class today. That's right, eveeybody, two. But it's a 3-hour class and they're both fun, so I wasn't too terribly worried.

In the first presentation, I played a man (complete with a men's sweater (thanks Matthew!), eyeliner mustache and beard, and hat to create the short hair look) who sat at a cafe drawing stick figures until he decided to follow this one girl around the room for he course of 6 songs, including Call Me Maybe, the Jaws theme, Your Love is My Drug, and the Pink Panther theme. When she realizes and gets creeped out, he's sad and sits in a chair for two days (we drew and sun and a moon on pieces of paper and held them up) until another girl walks by and he proceeds to follow her out of the room. Creepy, right?

We parodied a movie we watched called City of Sylvia (did I already talk about this in another blog post? Oops). The movie is very beautiful, but we wanted to prove that if you take away all the aesthetics (ruggedly mysterious handsome man, beautiful drawings, the streets of France,stringed instruments, etc) you'd really just be left with a movie about creepy stalking. Aesthetics are important. Also I'd like to point out that it's not cool (in fact, it's very problematic) to romanticize stalking. So there were lots of problems with this movie.

My second presentation was playing Foldy Foldy Draw Draw, one of my personal favorite games. It's similar to the game Telephone, but on paper. One person writes a phrase, such as "two elves eating cookies". The next person draws two elves eating cookies, then folds the paper so that only the new picture is showing. The next person writes what they think the picture is, the folds it over again so only the most recent words are showing, etc. At the end, it's great fun to see how the original phrase has changed. 

Our professor also brought us candy!

My classmates and I went out for dinner and when I got back my house mates and I watched some avatar. All in all, a very nice day back on campus, and a great last day of classes.

Because I like to try to have at least one picture in each blog post, here's a portrait made entirely out of jellybeans from a candy shop in Stratford upon Avon:

Day #82

Will elaborate tomorrow, I swear. But sleep right now. Sleep is good. I am back safe and sound, and Stratford-Upon-Avon exceeded every expectation. A+.

Also, I'm much funnier when I have more energy. Stay tuned, avid readers.

*scrambles to come up with jokes for tomorrow* 

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppppp

UPDATE:

Okay, so my day today (actual day #83) was very busy, so this may still be a tad rushed so I can sleep again, but I have to get it down or else the boogy man will get me. Aka it will never happen. Let's hope for some sleepy humor!

Yesterday I got up a little before 9 and went down to clear things up with the managers, on account of booking the wrong night and all. They were great and did not make me pay any extra fees, so that alone would have gotten them an A+ review! But they went above and beyond by giving me a fabulous honest-to-goodness map on a real piece of paper that I could write on. I also got breakfast there and purchased some very discounted tickets for attractions in town. Armed with my map, a full stomach, tickets, and a heavy backpack (which actually didn't have that much in it, I'm not sure why it was so heavy), I caught the bus into town.

Wowza, is Stratford upon Avon gorgeous. Maybe it was the blue sky, maybe it was the canal running through the town, maybe the cobblestone streets or the Christmas decorations or the dozens of swans (yep, real swans) swimming alone peacefully... Take your pick. But boy, was it breathtaking.

I started at the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre, which had original costumes from past productions on display. I was particularly interested in them since I worked in the costume shop at UMASS last semester and taught costuming to high schoolers over the summer. It was heaven and a half. Get a load of these fabrics, cuts, and designs:

I made some friends on the way to Trinity Church, which houses Shakespeare's grave.

(That's a picture of me and my friends, not Shakespeare's grave. Just to be clear. My syntax was a little misleading.)

Next I went to the first of three places included in my ticket: Hall's Croft. That's where Susana Shakespeare and her husband Dr. John Croft lived. They were super rich, which you could tell from their fireplaces, wooden beams showing in the walls, and REAL GLASS in the windows, even in the back of the house where nobody could see! Like, they paid to use glass for its actual use in addition to just showing off their wealth! See? Super rich.

There was also a painting in their house where some kid at a dinner table was giving a royal stink eye. We took a picture together to capture the tender moment.

THEN. Oh, friends.... The I found the costumes. Three cloaks with Shakespeare quotes on the inside. If I had money, I would spend it on those lovely things.

The poor:

The red cloak:

And the....black one:

I journeyed on to the second ticket place, Harvard House! The people working there were impressed that not only was I from the United States, but I was from Massachusetts! AND THERE WERE MORE COSTUMES. I really made use of the self-timer on my phone camera during this trip.

My snow boots really tied this look together, even though unfortunately they aren't pictured here.

There was a lot of lace going on.

"Help me, I'm poor" -college student

I went to the last ticket place, Shakespeare's birth place! There was a really incredible film detailing how Shakespeare is still so relevant in everything we do today, from tv shows to music to the words we use. I got to hear someone rap a soliloquy, which was SO COOL. Will and I took a nice picture together too

I wandered around after that, enjoying the adorable streets and the history they contained. There was another tree with a sweater (just like the one I saw in Cardiff!) and monument with beautifully detailed sculptures of Lady Macbeth, Falstaff, Prince Hal, and Hamlet. I did wonder why there were two characters from the King Henry IV plays, but there wasn't an explanation. I had an idea of where that thought was going when I started typing it (it was going to be really deep and philosophical, too), but I've lost it. Ah, well.

I caught my bus back to London at 6:35 and my bus from London to Canterbury at 10, before pulling into the Canterbury bus station a little before midnight. Over the past three weeks, I can't even count the number of podcasts I've devoured during these trips. Thank goodness from Stuff You Missed In History Class and Freakonomics. 

And that was yesterday- all's well that ends well. And it definitely did end well. Didn't some famous guy say that?