Costume Ball

This weekend was the costume ball, and while I wasn’t too sure if I was going to go, the more my friends and I talked about it, the more excited I got. I didn’t have a costume and no ideas about what I could be, until one of my friends had an idea…a nudist on strike! All you have to do is write that on a piece of paper acting as your sign and then your golden. So that’s what I was, even though she made the sing for me, we ended up finding out later that she spelled nudist wrong. Oh well, we still had a good time!

Sunday was work day. My term paper was due on Monday and with only my research done, I had to get writing! I didn’t want to write it in my room, my roommate was there and I knew it would be a distraction, so I went down stairs to sit on a couch. Though I soon realized that I get very distracted sitting there, too. After sitting there for almost 2-3 hours and only having about 500 words, I needed to move. I went into the computer lab with a friend who was also working on her paper - though she had not started yet and it was already 10 when I moved in there. By about two in the morning, I was a little over 1000 words and I wanted to try to finish by 3, but that didn’t end up happening. I ended up leaving the computer lab around 3:30 a.m. and all I had left was my conclusion and a bibliography.

When I got back to my room, my roommate was in there with a guy, sleeping, and this isn’t the first time it’s happened. And we’ve talked about it not happening again, but it seems to continue, so I had to go get an RA to have him kicked out, so I could sleep. I forgot to mention this earlier, but the night of the costume ball he was also in there asleep when I got back, and I didn’t want to deal with it that night, so I stayed in someone else’s room.

Anyways, on Monday morning I ended up sleeping through lecture and seminar, but I finished my paper and had everything finished like I needed to. I was supposed to take a test at 2, but the teacher never showed so then I turned in my paper. I was so glad that I finished my paper because that was the only big project I had to do and it was nice to be done with it.

Tuesday, I didn’t really do anything, because I didn’t have any homework. Today, I plan on seeing a play. Thursday is Thanksgiving, which I hear is suppose to be really good here. Then on Friday I plan on going to see a ballet with my meet-a-family. I can’t wait to relax!

Go back to the U.S.A!

There is a point to my title, but I’ll come back to that. Last

Wednesday we left for Paris, we took a train down to King’s Cross in London, and then walked across the street to the Eurostar station. When we arrived in Paris, we were all starving, so we ate at the Hard Rock Café. I spent way too much money on my meal, and our waiter was kind of creepy.

The next day we walked to Notre Dame Cathedral (pictured right). It was so beautiful inside!! It doesn’t look that big on the outside, but inside it just keeps going. We found out later you can go to the top, but we didn’t know at the time. Next, we walked to Musée d’Orsay. We were going to go in, but we decided we would another day because we wanted to buy a two day museum pass.

We decided we would walk down to L’Arc de Triomphe. We went to the top just in time for the Eiffel Tower (left) light show and then we walked to the Eiffel Tower. We went to the top, it was pretty cool and I recommend it; though it was very cold, and VERY windy at the top! It was extremely busy making it take forever just to get on second floor; once you get there, you have to take another lift to get to the ground floor. We were at the top when these guys cut in front of us. I told them that the back of the line was way back there, but they ignored me. On the second floor we were saying the one liners we knew in French and the same guys turned around and ask us if we knew French? We told them that we did not to which they asked where we were from. We told them the USA, and they just laughed and turned back around. They were the last ones who could fit on the lift, and right before the doors closed they yelled “Go back to the USA.” This upset a lot of us in the group, one guy even used profanity, I told them oh how funny they were. But here’s the thing, I don’t think they were even from France. It seemed like they were from Italy.

After that fiasco, we took the metro back to the hotel because everyone’s feet were killing them. The next day, we bought our two day passes and hit up the Louvre (middle) left). We spent about five hours in one wing alone, that place is huge! I got to see the “Mona Lisa”, and one of my personal favourites, “Madonna with Child.” By the time we left, it was time to eat dinner, so we ate at McDonalds - it was one of the cheapest places we could find.

On Saturday, we went to Versailles to the Chateau de Versailles (left). It was so beautiful and big! It rained on our way back into Paris. We stopped at Orsay on the way back, but we didn’t have much time because they were getting ready to close. We asked for information about the location of Jim Morrison’s grave, but she said they were getting ready to close. We could have gone in the morning, but we were leaving and I didn’t want to risk it. That evening, we ate an amazing French restaurant and went back to the Eiffel Tower to watch the light show!!

I loved Paris!! It was dirty, and there were a lot of homeless people, but I still thought it was so beautiful. I was sick most of the time I was in Paris and didn’t feel to well on Monday or Tuesday, so I stayed in my room and didn’t go to class. This week is going to be long, because we have class on Friday, because we have to make up for class we missed last Thursday.

This weekend is the costume ball and I am still searching for a costume. Next week my term paper is due and then there are only two weeks of classes left!!

London & Cadbury

On Friday, everyone had a British studies trip to London. Our group started at St. Paul’s then went to the National Gallery. St. Paul’s Cathedral is so beautiful, though we weren’t allowed to take pictures. The reason we went there was because it had to do with what we talked about last section, even though we just started a new section. I think we should have had this trip a little earlier. Then, we walked down to the National Gallery. Our itinerary told us it would only take 30 minutes, but it actually took us about 45-50 minutes, with a detour. We first went across Millennium Bridge. When inside the National Gallery, we saw many paintings that were included in many lectures; it was crazy seeing them in real life and in real size! We spent about two hours here.


Then we went to Leicester Square to buy tickets. We ended up seeing The Lion King!!! It was AMAZING!!! Probably one of the best plays I’ve ever seen! Oh, and London is rainy. You know how you see in the movies when a bus or car will drive by and water splashes on the person? Yeah, that totally happened to me, only my feet got soaked, and not my whole body.

I didn’t arrive back to the manor until 2 a.m. and unfortunately had to get up at 7 for Cadbury. It was very cold that day, but I was okay with that, because once you arrived to Cadbury World you get free chocolate!! Cadbury World was crazy! It was like a maze where you learn about chocolate, and how the Cadbury brothers started their business.

Next, it was off to the largest Cadbury Chocolate store in the world, and I purchased tons of chocolate!!! Then, we went to Birmingham, the largest shopping district in England. So we went to the Bull Ring which has over 200 shops. There were so many people that we had to sit at Starbucks for over an hour – the crowd was too overbearing.



Back to Manor we headed again for the nasty Sunday dinner that never changes. Monday was boring!!!!! Tuesday was the same thing though I only had one class, and that night I watched Hocus Pocus!! Which I haven’t seen in forever!!! Love that movie! Today is Remembrance Day. We have a service this afternoon because an air battalion stayed at Harlaxton during WWI. Today, we also leave for Paris! I’m so excited!! Just think…later today I’ll be in Paris!!!

44 Days

I am going to go on a rant so please feel free to skip to the next paragraph if you want to avoid it…Right now, Harlaxton is feeling a bit like high school and I hate it! Cliques have been formed and even my roommate seems to have fallen back into the days of high school – being nice to my face and then not so nice outside of our room. I am frustrated! I already went through four years of high school, just like everyone else here, but I left that all behind me. One of the professors here even mentioned that there seems to be a bigger divide between students this year. I guess I am ready to come home and my countdown (44 days) has begun!


This weekend, I stayed that the Manor and caught up on some homework. So far, the week has been kind of boring. Today, I had a British studies test, which I hope to do better on this one then I did on the last. Tonight, there is a Bonfire! It’s an English tradition. On Thursday, there was suppose to be a volleyball game, but it got canceled. However, it’s clue night so that’ll make up for it! Friday, is a British Studies trip to London, then on Saturday a trip to Cadbury. Can’t wait - I’m going to get so much chocolate! Then, next week is Paris!!!! I am sure November will just fly by!