Change: Learning to Live in a City

There are lots of things I have learned since I've been here. I think half the things I've learned I'm not even aware of. I am using words like "queue" and "lift" on a normal basis without thinking of them. I am walking around London without much thought of which street to turn onto. My feet have officially learned to autopilot around to my regular spots like the tube, my (sometimes) daily run, or school. 
I'm learning to live away from my family and friends. This has quite possibly been the hardest part. I'm used to having a support team available to me 24/7. I have never in my life been without my family this long, but I think that it is a positive thing to experience. Lots of changes, but most of them for the better. 
I haven't set a foot in the market in probably two weeks (something I'm not proud of, but oh well. Sushi or Wagamama take out is cheaper than cooking- welcome to city life). I don't look up, around, or backwards at all the buildings anymore- even at Picadilly Circus (this is maybe an unfortunate change). I look left and THEN right before I cross the street. This is was especially important to learn early on since cars and cabbies don't stop for pedestrians... ever. I've had a few close CLOSE shaves with being run over (you think I'm being funny.. I'm not.) I become oddly mad when people don't respect the social rules of the "queue". You DON'T cut, you DON'T push. You just don't. Buses take hours, so if you want to spend 2 hours (instead of 20 minutes on the tube) with 20 loud, screaming British children on their way to or from school then by all means... save the pound and a half. 

I've traveled quite a bit since I've been here as well. It hasn't been as easy as I thought, but well worth the hassle. For fall break I visited Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna, Austria. I know this might've been a little ignorant (or maybe just not thought through beforehand) but I didn't expect the language differences to be such a barrier. Vienna= German, Bratislava= slavic. A bit difficult to communicate (and read menus- didn't think of that did you? Me either.) I will say though, the eastern europeans know how to build their palaces in style! Lots of great sightseeing! 

The fall is also beautiful in both cities in late October. The bright colors reminded me of Bentonville/Bella Vista/Fayetteville Autumn. 

Bratislava was rougher around the edges, but still beautiful. Very peaceful, too. I enjoyed being in the centre of town (No cars allowed!) and having a piece of Sissy cake and tea at the Mayor Cafe. 

One of the coolest things we did was take the local bus to Devin Castle. It was possibly the prettiest place I've seen here. The area had just finished its tourist season, so we were practically the only three people there. We took lots of pictures and (illegally?) climbed the castle wall to get a higher view. It only cost us 7 Euros (13ish US Dollars) for travel and admission. Not bad at all for the most beautiful place ever! It was the perfect time of year for the trees and the weather. Couldn't have asked for a better day. 




The last day in Bratislava, the group of girls decided to get fish pedicures! This sounds and looks pretty weird and a little gross, but it was an experience I'll never forget. As a very ticklish person, I thought I'd lose my marbles a bit. I did at first, but after a while it was soothing.