Tuesday, June 25, 2013

From Rome and Paris with love

After finishing the semester I went on a school trip to Paris. We had five days to explore the City of Lights, but two of my friends and I decided to cut the number of days to four and visit Rome for a day. I know a day in Rome is crazy, but it was amazing. We got to wander around the streets of Rome adn be astounded by the city's beauty.





It is so wonderful walking around a city that is so vibrante and historic. There are literally ruins everywhere. 

The next few days we wandered the streets of Paris. The three of us continued to explore together and we added two boys. I am not the biggest fan of Paris, but this was the best trip of the semester for me. We had so much fun. We did not push to do anything and just took the trip as it came. That is the way to travel. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Next leg of the journey

So, I have been to London, lived in  a Manor, travelled to Edinburgh and Ireland, visited Cambridge, Stratford Upon Avon, Byron and D.H. Lawrence's homes, and spent time with some really cool and talented people over the last five weeks, am I exhausted? Yes. Am I ready to be home? Yes. Am I headed home? No.

Next, up is four days in Paris and a day in Rome. So, basically I am going to be exhausted and stuffed when I get home. I hope to have internet at my hotel so keep checking in for more updates.
SK

A London Weekend, or being a wizard with great travel difficulties

So, for my last weekend trip of the semester I returned to London. One of my friends from my writing class and I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which words cannot describe how cool it is so pictures most.
Side note: Butterbeer is delicious.

After that lovely stop I was supposed to wait for my traveling companion (the girl I went to HPST with was going somewhere else, and other companion was not feeling HP) at one of the tube stops. I love the London Tube. It feels a little dangerous and super cool, like something James Dean would love, don't judge me. However, after 45 minutes of waiting I assumed my companion was at our next stop. He was not. At this point I was beyond annoyed and decided to head on the boyfriend's parents house. I know I should have waited more, but I didn't. Companion called me half through my ride and we eventually met up at the house. It all worked out fine and I had a relaxing day at boyfriend's house. 

And then it wasn't relaxing. After traveling back into London, I discovered I had booked my tickets for a completely different day and there were no more trains to Grantham. I panicked and for awhile we thought we would stay up all night in a McDonalds, then we thought better of it and called boyfriend's father who graciously let us stay another night at their house. The next morning he even drove us back to the manor.

So, when it comes down to it, it was still a great weekend.
Peace,
SK

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Falling in love with Ireland

I am glad I waited a little while to post about this because if not it might have just been the world Love in giant letters across the page. Instead of doing the normal telling what I did I am just going to post what I loved about Ireland.

  • Irish people
  • friendliness 
  • wild flowers 
  • this tour http://www.maccooletours.com/
  • climbing the Burren mountains, yeah I just said that
  • the majesty of the Cliffs of Moher 
  • fresh cream
  • Cake!!!!!
  • pub music
  • ghosts
  • wildflowers again
  • sheep
  • celtic music
  • mashed potatoes
  • fresh fruit
  • vintage stores
  • handmade beauties
  • Temple Bar
  • Irish people again
  • pizza
  • my trip mates
  • and everything
  • and anything else I forgot

You can't be meek to be a writer

So, I have been crazy busy with writing, trips, and the new season of Arrested Development because of this I am going to combine my two recent day trips into one.
Stratford Upon Avon:
Wow. I got to see my heros birth place and grave and a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was a little overwhelming how great that was. I spent most of the day with some of my classmates and our amazing profs. We started out visiting Shakespeare's birthplace museum, which did not live up to my imagination, but that is ok, we then went to his grave. At the church where his grave is they have wonderful banners explaining the traditions in marriage and funerals during Shakespeare's time. I found these incredibly interesting, and I am sure I learned new things, but I can't remember them. The day was really cold and rainy so we spent the next portion of the day at Anne Hathaway's Tea House (Shakespeare's wife not the actress). We each got a pot of tea and most of us got clotted cream and scones. That was just so wonderfully British I almost couldn't handle it. We spent the time talking about writing and ghost stories. One of my profs said something that I really need to remember more, "You can't be meek to be a writer." Who is a better example of not being meek as a writer than Shakespeare.

We ended our day with a trip to the Royal Shakespeare Company to see As You Like It. I am a sucker for a Shakespearean comedy so I knew I would enjoy the show, but the show absolutely inspired me. It changed my outlook on theatre and truly made me want to get back into theatre, even though I know that now is not the time. The emotions of the show felt so true and pure you could not come away without a huge grin on your face.

Speaking of not meek authors, the next weeks class trip was to D.H. Lawrence's house and Lord Byron's old estate.

I am going to be honest and say I didn't really know who D.H. Lawrence was, even though I had heard of his work. Lady Chatterley's Lover not a meek novel at all. It is still infamous. I knew about it without knowing who wrote it. D.H. Lawrence had a fascinating life with many interesting twist and turns and love affairs. I am excited to continue to learn about him.

We next went to Newstead Abbey which was Lord Byron's estate for a year. Lord Byron is another writer with a larger than life persona, between his partying and affairs he is one of the more interesting characters of his literary world. Byron's work is still important today manly because he wasn't meek.

Even though I doubt my work will ever be as prolific as Shakespeare's or Byron's or as scandalous as D.H. Lawrence I need to pay more attention to their example and not be meek.