Good-bye, Au revoir, Ciao, Cheers!

Wow, within a blink of an eye, my adventure in Europe is over. As I am leaving to go home tomorrow, I want to thank AIFS for giving me this opportunity to blog and share my travel adventures with you. Without AIFS, my experience in London would not have been the same. So, thank you, AIFS-you guys are the best!

Over the course of 10 weeks, I have learned not only a lot about myself, but about traveling as well. And I want to share some tips that I hope will help future/current travelers and study abroad students. 

1. When you are uncomfortable, you are growing. Yes, when you are UNCOMFORTABLE, you are growing. This was my mantra throughout my entire trip. Almost everyday, I did something outside my comfort zone. And, it wasn't anything dramatic like skydiving, but taking the Tube by myself or asking a stranger for directions. Many people think that being uncomfortable is correlated with negativity, but that's not true. Being uncomfortable allows you to challenge your limits and learn to defy those limits. 

2. Do NOT waste a single second sleeping. We all like to sleep, but you can sleep all you want when you arrive home! I'll be honest this is a hard one, but get up, grab an espresso and GO! You will regret it if you don't. 

3. Travel for the right intentions. It's fun to party (I KNOW), but don't let partying and drinking be your main priority. Your abroad to travel, to see the world, share stories about your cultural experience. That story about you and your friends going to a club, yeah, that gets old. 

4. You can have more than one home. "You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere." I left a family behind in London to go home to my family in California. London was an experience I will never forget and I call it home. 

Well, that's it. That's all I have. 

Traveling has made me realize that the world is HUGE and there are still many places that I want to explore that I still have yet to see. Also, traveling has taught me that I am truly blessed to know so many wonderful people. THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me (in both big and small ways) along my journey, each of you will always have a special place in my heart! 

Xoxo,

Mon

Prague Blog (that rhymes)

Ahoy! Hello!

EARLY Monday morning…let me clarify…4AM Monday morning, I arrived in London from the lively Prague, Czech Republic.  

I spent my days devouring savory goodies, touring medieval castles and dancing the nights away. 

If there is one thing the Czechs know how to do right...it’s snacks. Czech food is primarily made up of carbs on carbs on carbs and savory red meat. In the center of town, there are stands where roasted hams are spinning on pikes, sausages are being grilled and seasoned for hot dogs, potatoes are diced for potato skewers, and best of all TRDELNIK. Don’t ask me how to pronounce this treat or how many I had…Trdelnik is rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick, then grilled, and covered in cinnamon-sugar. OMG. My mouth is salivating again…and to compliment your pastry, a cup of hot wine hits the spot (Yes, HOT wine…it’s magic). 

Trdelnik and Hot Wine. 

Czech munchies. 

During my short stay in Prague, I visited all the major tourist attractions like the Astronomical Clock, St. Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle, and the John Lennon Memorial Wall. 

Aside from the vibrant sights and yummy snacks, Prague shares a more serious and moving piece of history. 

On the last day of my trip, I visited the Lidice and Terezin memorials. The Lidice memorial commemorated the 82 lives of innocent children who were gassed and killed in concentration camps during WW II. When seeing this memorial, I walked in silence-only able to hear the shuffling of my feet. How this happened? Why did this happen? What motivates a person to take an innocent child’s life away? 
I thought of my own brother and sister, Justin (7) and Alyssa (11) who are just around the same age as most of the kids who suffered this tragic incident; I thought of how frightened and confused they would have been if they were suddenly taken away from my family and brought to a strange land. My heart aches for these children and their families. 

These children had feelings; these children played games; these children fought with their brothers and sisters; these children were like you and me, the only difference? They didn’t have the chance to fall in love, go to college, have a career, start a family, or grow old. It disgusts me to think that this is not a one time incident, evil like this is still exists throughout the world today. Innocent people: children with futures, adults with families—their lives end shortly and abruptly because of malicious and unnecessary acts. These people are like you, these people are like me.

Today, I encourage you to reflect on how grateful we are to have the opportunity to live in countries like the United States and United Kingdom and how lucky we are to be able to have that chance, the chance to go to college, the chance to fall in love, the chance to have a career, the chance to raise a family, the chance to grow old. 

Lidice Memorial. 

Terezin Memorial. 

8 reasons why you should visit Scotland

1. Men wearing kilts. I thought men only wear kilts on special holidays...No, it's their normal everyday attire. 

2. Picturesque scenery. Did Van Gogh paint this? 

3. Historic architecture. When you mistakenly think you see a castle, and in actuality it is an ordinary shop...

4. The YES Pub. The Yes Pub is relative to the recent Scotland Referendum..someday, Scotland...someday and its only the best place to dance the jig to live Scottish music and spend your 19th birthday!!

5. Eternal river of beauty. Legend has it when you dip your face in this river for 7 seconds, you gain 7 years of eternal beauty. 

6. Loch Ness. Where are you Nessie? 

7. The Elephant House. A cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone. 

8. Haggis. Don't ask how it is made or what it is made out of-just try it. 

London MYTH BUSTERS

Well, I am a little over the half way mark for my stay in London, and I can proudly say that I have learned so much about the culture in such a short period of time.

Before arriving to London, I had a few expectations about the lifestyle. I thought British food would be awful, Londoners only drink tea, the British people are standoffish, and that it would rain all the time, let me tell you, I was soooo wrong.

British food is not awful, there is too much of a variety of food for it to be awful. You can find anything from Indian curry to Fish n chips to a hot dog. Some of the best places to have lunch? The local markets! Walking around the markets with a nice baked good in my hand while browsing at other foods on display is one of my favorite activities to do in London. BUT, I will say this...the Mexican food here is not like at home; nothing like home. My friends and I bought guacamole from the store and it looked like this:

I question myself and ask if there are actual avocados in this plastic, squeezable bottle.

One of the many markets in London. 

I don't know what this is, but it was so delicious!!

Londoners only drink tea. Once again, I was wrong...I find that more people drink coffee here than tea. It seems that every other shop I walk past is a coffee shop. One of my favorite places to have coffee is a modern, hipster independent coffee shop called "Shoreditch Grind."

So far, I have had some of the best experiences with the British people. The other day while I was waiting for my bus, I had a conversation with man and I discovered that he recently visited America, so I asked him, "What do you miss most about America?" His response-"the CORN MUFFINS!!" He doesn't miss the warm weather? Beaches? Mexican food? Cute American girls? But he misses the corn muffins?! Are you serious? I couldn't help, but laugh out loud. The locals are actually quite funny and always willing to help.

As for my assumption about the rain, I discovered that the weather is absolutely unpredictable. For the first 4 weeks, London was nothing but sunshine. Flo even joked that Jay and I (the Californians) packed the sun in our suitcases and brought it to London. Now, as Autumn is taking its course, it does rain, but not for very long. Sometimes it will pour for 20 minutes while other time the clouds will sprinkle for 5 mins, it all depends on how God is feeling that day. I used to check my weather app everyday, but now, I see no point.

Jumping in the puddles on my way to school. 

Somedays, I forget that I am in London because it feels like home. I am a Londoner now and I have never been happier.

XOXO,

Mon

"When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie. That's amore"

What did you do this past weekend? Did you fly to Paris? Milan? Did you sit at home and watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians? Don’t lie. Well, like most 18 years olds, I spent my weekend in the BEAUTIFUL city of Rome! It was a weekend filled with dancing with gladiators at the Colosseum, examining the masterpieces of Michelangelo, sipping wine with the locals, and simply “doing as the Romans do.”

A group of my friends and I booked a weekend guided trip through a program called “Weekend Student Adventures” (WSA). WSA provided us with our lodging, front of the line passes to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica & Sistine Chapel, and a super awesome tour guide, Rhianne. 

Rhianne, who lives in Rome, actually, she lives right next to the Colosseum…did a fabulous job of embracing us into the Roman culture. I don’t think my experience of Rome would have been the same without her. Rhianne guided us through all the touristy hot spots as well as all her local favorites. I felt like a queen on her throne this weekend only eating the best of the best; Pizza, Tiramisu, Pasta, Bruschetta, Vino, and GELATO. Pizza Hut does not do justice…once you have tried pizza from Italy, you can never go back. 

Not only did I learn about the ancient architecture and art history of Rome, but I learned about the culture and the lifestyle of the Romans. Something that I was not expecting to see in Rome were Gypsies. Gypsies are very common in Europe and I guess extremely popular in the metro of Rome. Basically, Gypsies pry off of distracted tourists; they find a target, snatch, and run. My friends and I actually saw a Gypsy steal a woman's purse right out of her hands and run off. Unfortunately, for these Gypsies, this is a lifestyle. Once our groups identified the Gypsies, we Americans started to feel a little pugnacious and wanted one of them to come up to us so we could “call them out.” 

Around every corner of Rome, you can find either an Italian restaurant or Gelato shop, but you have to know the tactics of finding the BEST ones. And I learned just how to do that. So, next time you travel to Rome, take me with you and I’ll help a friend out. 

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the last day. We all woke up early to attend mass outside of St. Peter’s Basilica and then waited for the Pope (let me say that again, the POPE) to appear out of his little window and say hi to the people of Rome. My fellow Catholic friend (Vanessa) and I were hollering and screaming when the Pope came out. It was a dream come true and now, I can die content. 

Screaming Italians, Pope paraphernalia, Say Bella, gelato, piazza, Catholics unite, Vatican postal office, rappin’, Vino, Gypsy, Go Pro, markets, hot, pizza, hostel, fun, cute Italian boys, more gelato-all words that sum up my perfect and memorable weekend in Rome. 

Ciao!

Mon

Just one of the many beautiful Cathedrals. 

Colosseum. 

Heeeyyy, Frankie!!

Walking the streets. 

GELATO! Can't get enough. 

Catholic girl at her prime level of happiness. #Pope'sCrib

Gorgeous weather!

Shake it, Shakespeare!

"He is at once the best known and least known of figures" -Brill Bryson

Who is this author referring to? The one and only: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!! Lately, my world has revolved around this man of many words, literally (no pun intended). One of the classes I am taking is a Shakespearian course which requires me to read one of Shakespeare's plays each week. It's Shakespeare all day, everyday.

So far I have read Henry IV Part 1 ("Thou mad mustachio purple-hued malt worms!"), Julius Caesar ("Beware the Ides of March"), and I am beginning Hamlet. There are times when I want to rip my hair out because who the heck knows what "purple-hued malt worms are?!" But oddly enough, I keep craving more...oh what thou done to me, Shakespeare! Curse thou!!

I have a love/ hate relationship with Will. With this being said, I took our relationship to the next level and visited his birthplace. There is very little that critics know about Shakespeare, but this we do know: Shakespeare grew up in a small, quaint town named "Stratford Upon-Avon" (just two hours outside of London).  While I was in Stratford, I was able to see where little Willy attended grammar school, where he once strolled the streets, and his burial ground at Holy Trinity Church. I was overly excited-to the point where my friends were embarrassed to be seen with me. Most girls "fangirl" about their favorite boy band, me on the other hand, I "fangirl" over a dead writer...

Along with reading Shakespeare's plays and visiting his walking grounds, I went to Shakespeare's Globe and watched the tragedy of Julius Caesar! The Globe is an Elizabethan playhouse where Shakespeare’s plays are staged as they were when Will was first beginning his career. My friends and I purchased standing tickets to add to the experience of seeing a Shakespearian play. The performance was phenomenal! The actors would run through the crowds, lead chants, and splash blood on the audience-this play was nothing like I have ever seen! At the end of the play, the cast performed a jig which had the entire audience standing up, clapping, and cheering. It was hands down the best activity I have experienced in London so far.

The short period that Will and I have been together has been unforgettable and hopefully, our relationship will continue to blossom as time goes on. Well, tomorrow I am off to Stonehenge...one of the Wonders of the World. But for now, from the man himself: 

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I say good night till it be morrow.”

Xoxo,

Mon

The Globe!

Hunted the actors of Julius Caesar down so they could sign my book! 

I love thee. 

London Living

Hey, Mates!

I have finally settled into the rhythm of what I like to call “London Living.” Never did I imagine that London was filled with so many kind and diverse people. Throughout this week, there were many highs followed by many lows (adjusting to public transportation). One of my highs this week was meeting and interacting with my home stay family. 

Even though I met my home stay family merely a week ago, I feel like a member of their family. My “parents” aren’t like normal parents-they have really cool jobs! Carroll, my “Mum,” is a musician and has her own recording studio in her backyard. Actually, the entire neighborhood is filled with musicians and sometimes when my roommate (Jay) and I are walking home from school, we can hear our neighbors playing the violin or the piano-we are so lucky! Dotun, my “Dad,” is a book publisher as well as a radio talk show host for BBC. Yesterday night, he took Jay and I to the BBC studio and gave us a tour. The family I am living with is quite big and always on the move. Carroll and Dotun have three children; the oldest is in his late twenties and he lives in the house with his expecting girlfriend, Flo, so in less than a month we will have a baby in the house! Carroll and Dotun also have two daughters Temi 16 and Lewa 13. Temi and Lewa go to an all girls school and are very musically talented. They play the Cello and the piano. The house Jay and I are living is very spacious, so the family has enough room to also host their Great Aunt from Nigeria and their Grandma from Jamaica. The first night that Jay and I arrived, the family took us out for a classic Fish and Chips dinner, was it yummy? Let’s just say I enjoyed the chips more than the fish. The entire family has been so supportive and welcoming. For instance, I bought raw chicken the other day, but didn’t know how to cook it, so Flo showed me how to bake the chicken and make a nice meal for myself. And Mum always asks us how our day was, and to clean our room-just like any mom would. I am so thankful that I don’t feel like a stranger in their home, but a member of their family! Oh! And they have a trampoline!!! Weeeee!

Even though I am so blessed and excited to be in London, I do miss home a lot and have come to appreciate it so much over the past week. Never have I been away for such a long time, but I keeping thinking, “if I feel uncomfortable, I am growing.” That has been my mantra this past week and I hope to continue to learn and step outside my comfort zone. 

Also, when I am homesick, I try to look forward to different activities. For instance, this week I am going to Stratford-Upon Avon (birthplace of William Shakespeare), House of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace (I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for pics with the Queen ;))

Xoxo,

Mon

Made Chicken and veggies with Flo!

View outside my window. 

Walking to school is always an adventure!!