L & C in London and Edinburgh

My best friend from home, Lori, came to visit last week. It worked out so well because we were both on spring break at our respective schools. She arrived in London on Saturday morning and we hit the ground running from there! 
The week before her visit it had been in the 50s and sunny. This weather unfortunately did not want to stick around because it was cold, cloudy, dismal and snowing at various times in the trip! We had a schedule of things planned so we could get in as much as we could in her week here. We visited the Lichtenstein show at the Tate Modern and the Light Show at the Hayward Gallery at South Bank.
We walked around London from Piccadilly Circus, to Trafalgar and Leicester Square, and finally Big Ben. 

 I introduced Lori to the concept of kicking pigeons. Most of you will think to yourself, "Oh my gosh, that is cruel! Call ASPCA!" Pigeons, unlike squirrels, are the nastiest creatures- they are flying rats! Lori took the challenge whole heartedly and has probably kicked more pigeons than I have. At one point, she made full body and beak contact. When we were on the escalators inside the tube we saw a man swerving back and forth ahead of us. Lori, standing directly behind him on the escalator that climbed up 3 or 4 stories quickly realized it was probably not a good idea since he was so intoxicated/on drugs. We passed him at the top and climbed the next escalator. As we looked back at the stumbling man, he stepped onto the escalator and 1/4 of the way up we see him slowly fall straight back and hit his head on a metal stair with a boom, continue to fall all the way down to the bottom, and continue falling as the stairs moved up. Finally, someone hit the emergency stop button and the man was escorted out. We would have been dead if we hadn't moved to get in front of him!!!

 Monday, we visited Tower Hill where we saw crown jewels, swords, and other historical objects from the Tudors and on through the 1700s.

Later Monday afternoon we visited the Kensington Palace Orangery for High Tea. This is one of my favorite things to do here in London. If you want to feel like a princess I suggest you stop in for some cakes, clotted cream, and a pot of tea. 

Monday night we went with Kate to see the Lumineers. They were fabulous in person! They played most of the songs from their newest album including 'Hey-Ho' and 'Classy Girls', my two favorites. 
On the tube on our way home from the concert, Lori spotted an asian Jacob from Twilight... of course we got pictures- who do you think I am?? 
<--------see asian Jacob here

Tuesday morning Lori and I left from King's Cross for Edinburgh, Scotland.

Scotland was a really fun time! Edinburgh is really cute and very historical. The buildings are beautiful. It had snowed so the distant mountains were covered and the views were amazing. Our second day in Scotland we went on a Highlands Tour! We saw highland cows, a few castles, Glencoe, Loch Ness, and really beautiful valleys. 

On Thursday when we returned home we went to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and the Avett Brothers (thanks to my friend Suzie for giving us the tickets!) Another great show in London. Grace Potter is amazing. 

Friday, we went to Borough Market and walked around the South Embankment for a while, then we went with my friend Jessica to HARRY POTTER FILMING STUDIOS!!! So awesome, we got to see all the original sets, costumes, props, etc. I got my picture on a flying broom..I know I'm really cool. One of my favorite things about the tour was getting to try the butter beer! It was delicious. It reminded me of cream soda but a bit thicker, and it had a thick butterscotch cream on top that gave us mustaches. Dinner at Da Marios (my favorite restaurant in London) followed and then the group headed to the tunnels for some fun.

Gryffindor common room----------->

Finally, the sad morning came for Lorigirl to leave. The trip went WAY to fast. I'm so glad that she got to come see where I've been living and what I've been up to! 

Lori leaving the flat

Paris: City of Lights, City of Love... and Cats.

It just so happens that I was the luckiest girl in the world for my birthday this year. Since we are in Europe I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to go to Paris for the weekend of my big 25th. The group included Kate, Dani, Lisa, Aleks, and me.
The city is beautiful, historic, and SO LARGE. I always envisioned it as a quaint little town with the Eiffel Tower in the center. The city is, in reality, expansive. 
I quickly realized that Paris was not only the city of Love and Lights but also CATS! Most of you know I love cats. They were everywhere! Cat posters, cat memorabilia... thank you Toulouse Lautrec.
My birthday morning came and we headed to class for the morning, then jetted to King's Cross Station for our 2.30 train, luckily having the spare time to knock back a Bloody Mary- cheers, its my birthday.. I can do what I please, right?

We arrived in Paris and dropped off our luggage at our hostel in MonteMarte and headed to the steps of Sacre Coeur with a bottle of champagne, wine, and some cheese and crackers. I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time and the city was magnificent from the top of the hill. 
We popped the bottle and cheers to my quarter life milestone, laughing and talking. I will never forget it!
I put on my gold party dress and we had dinner at a bistro around the corner. 

The next day we visited the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, and had crepes and wine throughout. It was pretty cold but we tried to bundle up as best as we could. 

Saturday, we walked to the very top of the Arc de Triomphe for another expansive view of the city. We could make out the Eiffel Tower through the fog and haze. Later in the afternoon Aleks and I made the trip to the very top of the Eiffel (both afraid of heights, we didn't stay very long at the top). We rewarded ourselves with nutella and strawberry crepes and hot chocolate beside the Seine River.

Our last dinner in Paris we went to a French bistro right in front of the Eiffel Tower. At the beginning of each hour we'd see it light up and sparkle! So delicious, too. 

Our last morning in Paris we went to the steps of Sacre Coeur again to see the city during the day and visit the church. It was spectacular in a new way with the sun shining. 
Kate, Dani, Aleks, and I headed to Notre Dame and toured through the sanctuary- the stained glass was breathtaking. Since it was Sunday there was a noon mass taking place. 
We saw so many things but our tour of Notre Dame might be my favorite!
The trip will make my next few birthdays seem pretty mundane- not sure I can top this one. We'll see what the future holds!

Action Duchenne Race- Finsbury Park, London with Wawa

Lisa and I ran a race with Action Duchenne for muscular dystrophy in children this weekend at Finsbury Park in North London. On the forty minute tube ride we got some odd looks thrown our way at our american flag doo-rags and bright blue and pink race get ups (and probably because of the fact that I had nike shorts on in 35 degree weather). 
We were really good about running in the mornings before class last semester, but we have been a tiny bit lazy this semester (mainly me, not Lisa). So the last mile was a strugfest! I don't want to make excuses, but most of the race was UPHILL.. 

okay its an excuse, but a good one.

Luckily we had some good friends leave with us at the crack of dawn (on a Saturday morning no less). The signs Kate made for us said, "Run, Wawaa, Run!" and "Durn, Carly! You iz fast!" respectively. Kate and Aleks held up the signs as we passed them each lap (see pics below)

After a that last mile of Lisa dragging my butt through the park we finally made it to the home stretch... where I started puking twenty feet before the finish line. I'm sure this does not surprise my running pal from Arkansas, Katie Surly. Never fear- I finished the race without stopping (glad you have that visual.. huh?) We finished in under our goal time, so that is all that matters. 

We were happy gulls that we FINISHED THE RACE AND COMPLETED THE TASK! Thank you, Lord Jesus! -Acts 20:24

Back to the Grind

Leaving home this time around was harder than leaving to begin with in August. The first time, the pain of leaving my friends and family was masked over by the fear of moving, alone, to a new country I'd never been. Since I'm not exactly the best person at adjusting to new situations, going from London to small town Bentonville then back to London was a little rough. 

Its nice to be back in my normal schedule. The takeoff in Bentonville was rough, but the feeling I had touching ground again in London Town was wonderful.

I love being in a city surrounded by thousands of things to do and see. People ask me all the time what my favorite thing about London has been and I don't really have an answer- its more about just BEING here and walking around and seeing all the different buildings and architecture. Its about being a small fish (from Arkansas) in a sea of different things, places, and people to experience. 

I love the rare days when I go out on my own and explore and get completely LOST.. I need to implore that adventurous bone in my body to exercise more often.

Kate, Lisa, and I went to Hayward Gallery on Monday to see the Lights Show (click here to see the website- amazing.) It was an INCREDIBLE show. It became less about the 'art' and the 'artist' and more about the visitor's experience- and finding your relationship to the art and the light. 

In one artwork the room was broken into four separate spaces of white walls and dozens of neon colored florescent lights (first picture shown above). Each color changed the space in an all-consuming way. I could tell by our uncontrollable laughter that the endorphins in our brains were rocketing. Another work was a telephone booth sized box. You stepped inside and were surrounded by one way mirrors reflecting back at you. In the floor and on the ceiling it looked like a never ending abyss of lights and darkness (see the second picture shown above). It was dizzying and disorienting and fun! Kate wanted to go again.

Today, we went to Westminster Abbey for the noon Ash Wednesday service. It was breathtaking. We were surrounded by tourists on the outskirts of the room watching the service curiously. We sat next to the pulp that the bishop of Canterbury had preached in during King Henry VIII's rule. INSANE! 

My time here in London has been full of these experiences that make me so thankful to be living life to the fullest in such a great city. I'm going to make each week, day, and moment count!

Mumford and Sons

I didn't think it was possible for anyone to outdo Florence, but tonight was incredible. Mumford came on the stage and captivated the audience every minute afterward. 

The video above shows how they make their big entrance. I thought my heart would burst with excitement!

They then continued to play every song they've ever made that has touched my heart and pulled my soul into a misty, dark but brilliant place. 
They opened with Babel- a large screen pulled back and the band practically burst into flames. Lover of the Light, Below My Feet, Hopeless Wander, I Will Wait, Little Lion Man, Awake My Soul, The Cave, Roll Away Your Stone, White Blank Page, Lovers Eyes, and more! I wish I could live it all again. I think my personal favorite was lover of the light. The lighting, sound, the excitement of the crowd was all such an amazing experience. 
I felt young and free and perfect tonight! This is what living your God given life to the fullest is all about.

Its Hard to Dance with the Devil on Your Back

Last week we went to Florence and the Machine at the O2 in North Greenwich. It was the best concert experience I have had yet in my life (which is saying a lot because Coldplay was unbelievable). 

She is a great performer- running around, talking (but not too much), and singing better than she sounds on the album. It was neat to see her in her hometown, and we could tell she was happy to be surrounded by 10s of thousands of people. She explained that she had some of her best hangovers and wrote some of her best songs here in London (thanks, Florence.. haha) 

The pictures don't do the set justice, very cool!

My friend Kate's birthday was over this weekend! We had to wake up a bit earlier than we would have liked for a meeting with our Graduate department. Afterwards, a few of the girls in our program went to a restaurant on High Street Kensington called Giraffe. Then we went to the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland! For all you peeps at home its like a giant Silver Dollar City on crack at Christmas! Rollercoasters, restaurants, pubs, rides, games, etc. You could definitely feel the holiday cheer and the winter cold! 

Lisa and I went on one of the scary looking roller coaster rides that spins on a big arm and also spins on the separate cart you are on! So we had a pretty good view from three hundred feet up- we saw Big Ben, Parliament, and St.Paul's! Then the ride started moving and we were suddenly seeing the London skyline from right-side-up, upside-down, and right-side-up again in a matter of a second from 300 ft in the air. INSANE! We couldn't stop laughing as we plummeted to the ground spinning. 

Kate wanted to go on a more chill ride- but don't worry, it was still insane! I also learned a very important lesson... Never sit on the outside of a ride that goes really fast in a circle! Oh the bruises..

Another thing:

I'm sure most of you have read and seen it on my facebook, but the squirrels around here are a little different than the squirrels at home. Here, I can be walking on the sidewalk and see a squirrel running in the park next to me thirty feet away. I make a noise with my mouth and that squirrel will start running towards me and come right up to sit and stare at me. One time, a squirrel even started crawling up my leg in Austria! This is no joke, I really have no explanation for it! They all do it. Its really weird. I can't wait to try it on the squirrels at home!

Watch the Squirrel charming video here:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1795315995684

Lost in London

I'm walking through the tube station and thinking, “I cannot wait 'til I go home for Christmas, things will be great once I land in NWA. I can't wait to leave.” I came to London to explore and be adventurous. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm still waiting for it to all begin. What is wrong with me? IT HAS BEGUN! I cannot tell you how many times I have woken up in the last week and thought, “Just __ more days til I am in ____!” Fill in the blank with Bentonville, Fayetteville, my house, with friends at Clems, in Dallas with Clo, etc. Places I loved. Places I still love. Places I miss. Places that my friends here are certainly tired of hearing me talk about.

Iron and Wine put it best, “everything looks perfect from far away.” They probably weren't singing about my hometown, but hey- works for me. 

I'M LIVING IN LONDON. 

BE HERE.

BE HERE.

My loyalty and love of home is my greatest strength and my greatest flaw. I have learned new things since I moved to London, talked to strangers, made new friends, and found how to love a new home. But I can't get the old one out of mind, I have trouble appreciating the home I've made here. I've taken it for granted a thousand times, I know. 

Sometimes I take a look at where I am in my life and think that maybe this could be the future, that I could maybe live here forever. I love London. I could be happy here for a long time. Then I remember I have my life somewhere else, too. I feel like I have pieces of me scattered in all the places I’ve been to. 

I don't know what I want from life, maybe this time of travel is about finding what that is. I feel like I was more sure before I left, but maybe the uncertainty is a good thing. I was hoping to narrow my career path- so naive, I've broadened it!  Now, there are more questions than all the answers I've been searching for, and a bank account that has lost a few pounds (no pun intended.. okay, maybe it was). 

Never been more lost, but I'm also more aware of the person I am becoming. I think I've grown as an individual. Its amazing what you learn about yourself when you take away the places and people who have molded who you've become. 

That is why I have to be HERE. Be in the moment, and live it up. I can't stop!