Amsterdam and the Final Days

After Italy we only had a 24 hour layover to repack a bag and get ready for Amsterdam the next day. This time I was lucky enough to have some girl company thanks to the lovely Olivia. I also have her to thank for planning the trip (transportation, directions, activities, etc.) since I knew almost nothing about Amsterdam before going.

Embarrassing story: Our first day of getting to Amsterdam was mostly focused around flying there and then getting to our hostel. When we got to the hostel I made a very American mistake when we were greeted by a young Italian guy. He saw my last name on the reservation and asked if I was Italian. I've always been very proud of being Italian so I answered, yes of course! To which he started asking me if I spoke Italian and where I was from in Italy. After explaining that I didn't speak Italian, only knew the general region where my family was from, and that I studied in America he started to realize that I was not from Italy. It was about this point that I also realized he did not consider me to be Italian and that to him I was American (duh). So, I meekly told him that my great-grandparents had lived in Italy and I was from America as I tried to finish the paperwork as fast as possible. Luckily I didn't see him the rest of our stay.

Our trip wasn't very long but we got to see the famous Red Light District (of course) and learned the difference between a cafe and a coffee shop. We also went to see Anne Frank's house where her and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II. Unfortunately, the palace and churches were closed to prepare for the coronation of the new king which was happening later that week but we still got to explore the city and Olivia and I went to the Rijksmuseum while the boys did the Heineken experience. Overall, I found Amsterdam to be a beautiful city and it definitely exceeded my expectations so I was happy we went.

Derek and CJ in front of one of the many canals

Olivia and I in front of the Rijksmuseum 

One of my favorite things: Whipped cream with a bit of waffle

After Amsterdam we headed back to England for the start of finals. Just by luck, I didn't have any actual exams and only had to do final papers. Unfortunately, this also meant that I had weeks of nothing to do while everyone else was busy studying and taking tests. So, I decided that I wanted to surprise everyone (especially my mom) and come back early.

My last days in England were spent seeing London a few last times and soaking in my whole experience. And, of course, for my last meal I had to go to a pub and have the best steak and ale pie I'll probably ever have. Then the day arrived for me to say goodbye to the place I had called home for 4 months and return to the U.S.

I planned it with my dad that he would tell my mom he was working late and come get me from the airport then I would sneak into the house and surprise her. When we got home, she was upstairs on the phone and when my dad told her he needed her downstairs she told him to wait. I hid for about 10 minutes until she finally came down. Here's the soon to be infamous reaction- fair warning, it will be loud: 

  

The time I spent in England was an experience I will never forget and I am so grateful for every second. I got to spend 4 months abroad, visit 3 other countries, and make countless memories. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to go and supported me through the ups and downs, because there are downs even if you don't expect there to be. I still plan to write at least one or two more posts about what I learned and some advice for anyone going in the future but for now I am home and happily reminiscing about my fabulous time abroad. All I have to say is I will definitely be going back one day. Until then, cheers London! I'll miss you!

Tips for the First Time Traveler

This post is dedicated to my little sister, Stephanie, who is coming all the way to England to see me. It's her first time traveling alone and since I feel like I know a plane better than I know a car these days I thought I would write a post to help her getting ready and flying alone for the first time.

Packing

1.) Check the baggage requirements and allowances- Before you do anything, even book the tickets in my case, I check how much luggage the airline allows me for free or how much it would cost for extra. Most international flights allow a checked bag, a carry-on and a personal item (purse or laptop bag) so we'll work with this.

2.) Plan out your clothing- Check the weather, think about what you'll be doing, and plan outfits ahead of time. If you're only going for a week you want to think strategically about what you want to bring so you're not lugging around a bunch of unnecessary stuff. Always bring a few extra pieces though in case anything gets dirty or you just want to wear something different.

3.) Roll your clothes- My sister is actually much better at this than I am so I really don't have to tell her but if you roll your clothes instead of folding them you'll save a ton of room in your bag. You can also stack the rolls on top of one another doubling your space.

4.) Weigh your bags- There's a funny story to go along with this that involves me being sure that my bag was under the weight limit, letting my dad drop me off, and then having to call him 5 minutes later to come take stuff as I frantically rummaged through my bag trying to get rid of stuff but I won't go into details. The point is know how much the airline lets you take and don't go over it! If you do you'll be looking at a huge extra fee that's just not worth it. Weigh them at home so you know before you go if you need to get rid of stuff or not. Otherwise you'll have a lot of people laughing at you at the airport.

5.) Use your carry-on and personal item to your advantage- Coming abroad I knew I was looking at 5 months without going home to get things and I needed to use up all my space wisely. Enter in your carry-on and personal item. For a carry-on go with one as big as you can, usually a small rolling suitcase. I know businessmen who can fit a whole weeks worth of clothes into these (don't ask me how) but obviously that means you can fit a lot in them. Also, instead of a purse, I often bring a backpack or tote as my personal item and stuff my purse inside this way I can fit more things.

At the Airport

 

1.) Print out your itinerary- I would always recommend printing out your itinerary or at the very least having it saved to your phone so you can easily access it. This way you know where to go and you have your flight details in front of you in case you don't know where to go and need to ask for help.

2.) Use the Check-In Kiosks- Personally, I love using these little kiosks because there's hardly ever a line and if you're even a little tech savvy you should be able to use them. Some airlines, *hem United *hem, don't really make this any better because they still make you wait in line with everyone else to check your bags but most other airlines will have a quicker line to just drop off your bags if you already checked in yourself. Saves you tons of time and waiting!

3.) Security- People always say that going through security is so hard but it really isn't. Maybe for families with little kids or older people but if you're traveling alone and able it should be no big deal. Just follow the basic rules: no liquids above 3 oz and put all your liquids into a little ziplock back, take out all your electronics from bags and take off any shoes, jewelry and jackets before you go through the metal detector. And please don't be the person who argues about taking out your things or who tries to sneak through a drink. It just holds up the line for everyone.

4.) Wear appropriate clothing- This is a two-fold advice. First, wear clothing that is appropriate for both where you are coming from and where you are going. I've traveled from the Northeast in the winter to Florida so I know this can be difficult, but try to find something you can wear at both places without freezing or dying of a heat stroke. Next, wear clothing that is easy to get through security with. You're going to have to take off your shoes, belts, jackets, sweatshirts, etc. so make sure that they're easy to remove so you're not hopping around on one foot as you try to unlace your knee-high converse.

5.) Bring snacks and magazines with you- The only thing you should buy in the airport are any drinks you want to take on the plane and any hot food you may want to eat before you leave. Other than that, bring the snacks and any magazines or books with you otherwise you'll be paying a fortune on stuff you could get for half the price outside the airport.

Flying

 

This is probably the scariest part for someone who hasn't traveled by themselves before but it's really not that bad. Whenever I sit down on a plane I like to make sure I'm comfortable and ready to sit still for a while. I put my carry-on in the overhead bin and keep my personal item with me.  I then unload everything I'm going to need such as my book/magazine, headphones, water bottle and pillow. Anything I'm not using at the moment I put in the pocket on the chair in front of me and put my bag underneath the seat. Then just sit back and enjoy the ride. These days most planes have individual TV's, radio, and movies so there's plenty to keep you entertained. Or just put on an eye mask and take a nap and before you know it you'll be on the ground again.

I hope this helped my sister and any other first time travelers. If you have any other questions leave them in the comments below and I'll get back to you! Good luck! 

Observations Part Two

Hi everyone and happy day-after Valentine's Day! Sorry I've been MIA and been a horrible blogger for the past few weeks but I unfortunately got a bit sick last week and have been playing catch up since then. However, I am back and ready to inform you all on my latest doings...

Unfortunately, since I was sick, there's not much to tell. I did have my first clubbing experience in London this Wednesday which was great! We went to a club called DSTRKT and it made me realize how great it is to be a girl. The ladies all got to go to the front of the line, got to sit on the raised couches and got free drinks all night. The club was amazing and I had a great time and it only made me more excited that when I go home I will be 21 and able to go out to bars and clubs.

Yesterday was also Valentine's Day as I'm sure anyone could figure out after looking at their Twitter feed for even a second. Since CJ and I decided to celebrate on the night I went to see Les Mis (see last blog post) but because I wanted to do something special for him I decided to make a dinner of all our favorites. We had shrimp for an appetizer, steak, potatoes and broccoli for the main course and a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream for dessert.

Valentine's Day Presents: CJ surprised me with a little care package of all my favorite treats! I also got a wonderful gift from my mom who sent me a bottle of my favorite champagne, champagne flutes and a cute little beanie baby who's my new favorite companion!

Other than that the last few weeks have been pretty uneventful. Therefore, I decided to compensate by making this my second installment of observations I've made since I've been here. Enjoy!

• Group projects in the UK just like group projects in the US are horrible! 
• The kettle is the best invention ever. I don't know why more people don't use them in the states. It heats your water so fast! 
• Even though the semester is only 10 weeks long here they still have a reading week where people don't have class. However, only one of my classes actually gave me the week off but still. 
• People are much more interested in face-to-face communication than email here. It's actually a little annoying. 
• Everything closes really early here. Like by 6 or 7pm most shops close. 
• The train is your best friend here. If you learn how to use it and get it for the cheapest price it will help you so much. 
• Guys are not allowed to sit on the couches at night clubs here. I don't know if this is the same as back home though.
• Eventually you will start to think of pounds as dollars instead of pounds. Meaning, instead of doing the conversion in your head every time you buy something you'll just think that pounds are dollars. Ex. The Chinese food is 8 pounds...that's just like 8 dollars. Wrong, wrong, wrong!!! 
• Anything American is a hundred times more expensive...Maybe this would be obvious for most but when you start craving something you get at home you'll realize just how much more expensive those things are. 
• The fast food portions here are much smaller than in the US. For example, at Subway it is common for people to get 6 inches all the time, not footlongs. Also, the McDonald's menus are completely different and their sizes of drinks and fries are smaller as well. And they're more expensive (see previous observation). 
• Everyone wears Uggs! This was something everyone I talked to told me they did not do, yet almost every girl I see has a pair of Uggs on...it makes me long for my pair which I left behind. 
• They don't have NyQuil or DayQuil here. However, luckily Amazon has everything!
• Never eat at a 24 hour food stand in London. I guess this might be a universal truth everywhere though. Excluding diners of course.

Well, those are all my observations for now. I hope you found them funny or informative or at least distractive for a few minutes. I'll be sure to post more soon once I have stuff to report. Cheers!

Observations Part 1

After living here for over a week I've discovered many differences, but even subtle ones that you may not hear about. But first, a quick update about me, my registration got fixed and I've been to all my classes. Things are going well but it is definitely very different from the US. This brings me to my first observation...the way that classes are run.

In the UK most classes have a lecture and then a seminar or workshop with smaller groups. This isn't totally foreign since many larger colleges at home have this system. However, one major difference is the way they grade. Most classes only have 1 or 2 assignments throughout the whole term and that is their grade for the whole class. They also grade by going up from 0 instead of down from 100 in the US. Therefore, if you get a 70 or higher you get an A, and if you get higher than an 80 you should be teaching the class. This is something I'll definitely have to get used to.

Also, they have 3 terms and the third term is devoted simply to finals for both the first and second terms. I don't know how people do it but they actually take finals for classes that they took 5 months before. However, a lot of classes are also full year courses so I guess that helps. Personally, I'm happy I don't have to do it though.

Another thing I have to get used to is the partying over here because that is really different. People go out on different nights of the week than in the US. It's not just the weekend they look forward to. The school even held a huge club-like party on Wednesday. Random! But then Thursday was completely quiet and no one was doing anything. I'm still trying to figure it out so I'll let you know if I ever figure out the pattern.

Now, here are some random things I've noticed:

• There are tons of sheep just on the side of the road here. It's actually really cute and makes you feel like you're in the country.
• People here are so polite, like all the time, and especially guys. Apparently, chivalry didn't die in the UK. 
• Going to the pub or drinking happens every night and it's totally casual. Luckily I don't like beer otherwise I would come back with the "study abroad 15".
• There's not really one style of dress here. Hopefully I'll have another blog coming soon devoted to just this subject. 
• You have to pay for grocery carts here...well, it's more like paying a deposit and you get your pound back when you put the cart back but still. 
• People here actually do say "Cheers!" all the time. And I absolutely love it!!!
• There is a pound store which is just like a dollar store except it has all kinds of things you actually want and only for 1 pound. I was in heaven!

Well, tomorrow we're heading into London to go exploring and do some sightseeing so I'm sure I'll have plenty more exciting things to tell and show you. Until then, cheers!

Getting There is Half the Fun

Well, I didn’t think I was going to be writing another blog post until later this weekend but due to unforeseen circumstances I had the opportunity to write this mostly at the airport and then finish it tonight. To say my travel here was hectic would be an understatement. 

I got to the airport nice and early and got through check-in and security without any problems. Saying goodbye to my family was definitely the hardest and there were a lot of tears but by the time I got to the gate I was actually feeling okay about it.

We got on the plane and were pleased to hear that due to wind flows (or something like that) we would actually arrive over an hour early. This would have been awesome if we could actually get off the ground. 

Unfortunately, because of mechanical problems after sitting on the plane for an hour they told us we would have to de-board and switch to another plane. However, it then took them another two hours to get the second plane up and running and board us on that one. Overall, a three hour delay to my flight was not the way I imagined starting off my adventures abroad.

Fast-forward to this morning we did wind up landing after only six hours of flying, however, we were still two hours later than expected. Because of this I couldn't find the student guide that was supposed to collect us and bring us to the shuttle. I wound up spending about two hours wandering the airport trying to find him and luckily I finally did. 

The rest of the day was spent trying to navigate campus with my two huge suitcases, carry-on and heavy backpack, until I finally got my room key and made it to my flat. 

On a positive note, everything since then has been great. My flat is super nice! I have my own bedroom with a full size bed and my own private bathroom. Also, I've already unpacked most of my stuff and only have half a suitcase left. Here are some pictures.

Also one of the weirdest things I've noticed so far is that the lights in my room will only turn on when I put my room key in this scanner and leave it there. I guess it's one way to make sure we turn off the lights when we leave the room. 

Well, that's about it for now. I just wanted to let you know that I'm all settled in and made it through my own personal travel hell. Now to get some sleep before my first day of orientation tomorrow!!!