birthday!

it's my birthday in london. so far it has been thrilling: i got stuck in the elevator going down to the tube this morning, and at work i graphed data on excel and learned MAIL MERGE! happy birthday to meeeee! no but really, it has already been a lovely day. got a nice banoffee (banana and toffee flavors...DELISH) cake from the women in my office, totally surprised, and a very thoughtful card, and i am getting ready to go out to dinner. tonight i will be going out with friends to the shoreditch area of london, where dubstep and crazy electronic music is played until the wee hours of the morning. all i want to do is D-A-N-C-E!

in other news, work and classes are going really well. thanks to my amazing internship i have already seen five west-end shows in the past six days (all for free...i'm such a lucky duck):

-five guys named moe
-deathtrap
-sister act
-a disappearing number
-yes, prime minister

i've also booked myself four trips so far, including stockholm sweden for october break, ireland to see some amazing countryside in december, palma de mallorca spain, and greece for thanksgiving! trying to soak up as much of london as i can, as its already going by way too quickly.

more updates to come! off to get ready for a feast and some fun!

one week down

my first week in england has drawn to a close, and i must admit i am exhausted! london is a very fast-paced city, and as much as i enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life, i am absolutely worn out by the end of the day.

this week included a good amount of sightseeing (trafalgar square, walks along the thames, visits to camden town and cambridge, big ben, and other wonderfully touristy things), and partying. the nightlife here is a ton of fun, and discovering different pubs and clubs has been very exciting for me and my flatmates. so far our favorites are roadhouse, a fifty's inspired diner-esque bar with karaoke on monday nights, and o'neills, a really fun pub/dance club.

tomorrow i start classes and work...dun dun dun! it will be a long day, with class from 10-1 and my internship from 2-6, but i'm very much looking forward to a little bit of routine added back into my life. i'll be taking three classes at birkbeck college on monday, tuesday, and wednesday, and then working my internship full days on thursdays and fridays (and half days on mondays).

today was a bit of a homesick day for me, but i had been bracing myself for the "weepies" (as our den mother over here in england affectionately calls it), all week. all i can say is thank goodness for skype, which has allowed me to feel a bit more connected to my friends and family in the states. oh, and a trip to mcdonalds today helped a bit too :)

war horse

last night i saw one of the most amazing plays i've ever seen in my life. it's called war horse, and it was incredible. we saw it at the new london theatre, which was a five minute walk from our flats. here is a little blurb about it from the national theatre's website:

"War Horse is a thrilling and spectacular production based on the celebrated novel by Michael Morpurgo. The First World War is the backdrop for this tale of bravery, loyalty, and the extraordinary bond between a young recruit and his horse. Actors, working with astonishing life-sized puppets by the internationally renowned Handspring Puppet Company, take audiences on an unforgettable journey through history."

i still can't believe i'm here. pinching myself everyday.

first days

i have officially been in london for two days. i arrived sunday morning, after three wonderful days in iceland. i saw so many beautiful sights, and even though i had been there before, this time i was older, wiser, and much more into all of the sightseeing. i frolicked with icelandic horses (probably my most favorite part of the journey), saw a huge waterfall called gulfoss, and tried whale, among many other things. thankfully (and by the skin of my teeth) i made my bus from reykjavik to the keflavik airport on sunday morning, seeing as i was out until the wee hours of the morning (4:30am to be exact...whoops) and my bus left at 5am. i arrived in london super tired to say the least, but extremely excited to finally begin my time abroad.

on sunday, we had a brief orientation, and then i ended up sort of unpacking, more like throwing stuff around the room in a weird tired stupor, and crashing at 6pm (along with the rest of my roommates, so i didn't feel quite as lame)...and i slept and slept and slept some more...until 10am the next morning!

the apartments are very nice, and we are in one of the best parts of london. everything we need is at our fingertips. so far the city seems like a beautiful place, with lots of museums to discover (all of which are free, i'm so excited!) today we are gearing up to go to the british museum, and do a bit more errand-running...then tonight a group of us are going to this place called o'neills, which has live music six nights a week, and three floors of dancing (which i know i'll definitely enjoy!) i'm very much looking forward to unwinding with the other people on my program and enjoying the week ahead, before classes and internships begin.

tomorrow is my interview for my internship. i am excited to meet my boss and get the feel for what i'm actually going to be doing. i'll be working at the mousetrap theatre group, a nonprofit that provides low income families with the chance to see west end shows for free. very excited! then tomorrow night i am going to see a show called war horse, it's gotten rave reviews..i can't wait! my first london show :)

this blog might not last long, but i'm going to try my best!