Monday, July 26, 2004

So we're officially at the halfway point.  Exactly 2 weeks from today I'll be home at 10:55 p.m.  And wow...it feels like forever that I've been here, and at the same time, it feels like the blink of an eye. 
We've accomplished so much in 2 weeks- everything touristy that you can imagine, taken trips to the coast, mastered the art of rush hour train and bus service, discovered how to get from one end of the city to another in 20 mins, realized just how good we had it with prices in the US, discovered a true dislike of British food (everything is really bland), slept little, walked a lot more, missed home, called home, e-mailed often, and tried to break our AIM addiction that we can't really feed over here.  We've taken tons of pictures, made ourselves look like the stupid American tourists that we can sometimes be, and discovered just how good those of us who live in south Alabama near Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores really have it.  Beaches are to be made of sand, not rock.  We've eaten fish and chips, bangers and mash, and all sorts of other varieties of interesting food.  We've heard more languages spoken in the span of 5 minutes than you hear in line for Splash Mountain in Disney World.  We've cried, laughed, and figured out the hidden meanings of some of Britian's most interesting slang terms.  We've seen the White Cliffs of Dover, and we've tried to find Prince William.  We've mastered the art of sleeping through fire alarms, traffic jams, sirens, cars, and drunken hall mates.  We've learned to say "Cheers" when leaving and that "mates" are friends. 
We're still going to Dublin, we're still going to Edinburgh, we're going to Oxford and Cambridge and still going to class.  We still have so much to do, yet so little time.  We're having the time of our lives, adn yet it's all going to end.  And a part of all of us is ready to return to the familiarity that is home, yet another part of us knows that we'll take away memories that will last for a lifetime.
Cheers!

Sunday, July 25, 2004

My friends are freaking insane.  JD- it's really funny that you mention the fanta song in one of your posts, because Lunchbox has been singing that stupid song incessantly since we've been here because EVERYONE here drinks fanta.  It's everywhere.   That and Zoolander.  You'd think that Zoolander ran Europe the way Jenny and Amy quote the movie.
England is lovely, rainy, and cold, but still lovely.  We went to the beach yesterday (in Brighton) and...welll...I miss Dauphin Island.  Their idea of a beach is pebbles.  Although Amy did comment that it was nice to not have sand in your bathing suit...
We're still having a jolly time, and for those of you still back in the states, I miss you guys!!!
I promise that I'll update with all of our adventures once I get back to the states.  Internet cafes are not conducive to long updates.
Hugs and kisses and ciao til next time!

Saturday, July 24, 2004

I heart Harrod's.  And just about everything to do with London.  We're off the Brighton today (yay for the beach...) and went to France last week.  I promise a longer update later, but I only have a few mins every time I get to a computer. 
I hope everyone is doing well, and can't wait to see you guys again!!
Ciao til next time!!

Monday, July 19, 2004

Stonehenge was beautiful. Really. Anyone who says it's only a pile of rocks hasn't been there. And Old Sarum, the ruins near Salisbury, were also fabulous.




On Saturday, Amy, Jen and I took a day trip to Bath, where the Roman bathhouses were. Walking inside the temple, knowing that thousands of years ago Romans walked in the same place, was fascinating. The actual baths are still functional, though not open to the public except for viewing. They're heated by hot springs, and it's really, really neat to walk through them.



I found Paddington Bear! I had a Paddington when I was younger, and lo and behold, his home is Paddington Station. Yay for the litte things that make me happy.



While we were in Bath, we decided that July 17th is a black mark on our calendar. Jen almost lost her favorite sunglasses, Amy was pickpocketed (they stole her ATM card) and my BritRail pass (the way I was to get back to London from Bath) was loast and then found again (some very kind Brit turned it in at the train station...) We went dumpster diving looking for both the BritRail and the ATM card, and ultimately just wanted to get back to London at the end of the day.



Jen is a shopaholic. Literally. We found this department store, Selfridge's, which makes Bloomingdale's look tiny. It's actually bigger than Harrod's , and not quite so pricey, but still pricey enough. They carried Armani, Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and any other designer you could imagine. Jen ended up buying some shoes and a shirt, and I just kind of walked around in starry-eyed wonder. I did buy a shawl like everyone wears here- a black one that I absolutely love, for £10 from a street vendor.



I miss home, though. No matter what I do here, I end the day here counting down the days I have left. I wish it weren't like that, but I guess it's inescapable. The girl who can't travel enough is homesick (but only slightly!). I'm doing better than one of my classmates, however- she has a return flight to the US on Wednesday. She's been miserable since she left Mobile, so I guess it's better for her, but I hate that she's wasting the trip. As much as I miss home, I wouldn't give it up for anything. (and Springhillians, it wasn't anyone from our group- it was a girl from Mississippi State).



Lots and lots of pics to amuse you www.picturetrail.com.catrelle83



Be forewarned- there are about a million and seven pictures of Stonehenge, but there are lots of other fun things, too.



Love and miss y'all!

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

This will likely be my last poast on American soil, which kinda is freaking me out. At this time tomorrow, I'll be making my way to Mobile to catch my flight. Scary. This summer has been a whilwind already, and it's about to get a little crazier. Being gone for a month will be interesting. So much can happen, so much can stay the same. It's unreal how fast things have gone- it seems like yesterday that Anna and I were filling out our applications, and Friday morning I'll be in London. Oy. Where does the time go?




I'll update when I can, and I love hearing about how things are going with everyone else, so keep me informed!! Hugs and kisses, y'all!



~Caitlin

Sunday, July 4, 2004

Freaking out

So, for those of you lovely people who enjoy writing real mail as opposed to e-mail, here's my address for the next month:




Caitlin Harold



CCSA



King's College London-Hampstead Campus



Kidderpore Avenue



London NW3 7ST



ENGLAND



I'll also be updating my xanga when I get a chance, so be sure to keep checking when you get a chance to find out what's going on with me, Anna and Amy as we journey across the big pond. Europe will never be the same. Hugs and kisses, and ciao til later.



~Caitlin