"If you wish to travel fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, selfishness and fears".

It's two days before I leave and I almost have everything packed. I was afraid that I would need an extra bag but I somehow managed to pack most of my stuff and still have room for more. Three months ago I was unpacking all my things trying to make my dorm room feel more cozy, it's bittersweet to now see the emptiness of the room... just when I first arrived. 

People keep asking me if I'm excited to go home, and I honestly don't have the words to describe how happy I am to be going home :) 5 essays turned in, two finals and one presentation and I feel like I am SO ready to leave. Not that I don't enjoy Swansea, I'm just ready to see all my loved ones! (and not share the bathroom with 8 other people)

This experience has been amazing. I am so proud of myself for taking this adventure, for living in a different country where no one knows who I am, completely away from my comfort zone. I have met some amazing people, I went to some incredible places and I feel so grateful and fortunate to have been able to travel and live here. I feel a new sense of American pride and although people complain about the states, we are so lucky and as much as I adore traveling and seeing the world I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I'm excited to hear American accents (I never thought I'd say that) to not have to pay for grocery bags and to not have to pay 20 pence for ketchup! It seems like insignificant things, but the point is... I'm just excited to go home. Traveling opens your eyes and mind, you get to know different cultures and it makes you feel so small. The world is huge! We should try and see as much as we can.

Random facts:
-Food in England and Wales is horrible if your lucky to find a good place to eat it'll be so expensive that you won't want to eat there. I found an amazing sushi place, but they charged 5 dollars for 4 tiny pieces of sushi! No thanks.
-Service here is horrid, they don't tip here so the waiters and waitresses are not motivated to serve you pleasantly or in a timely matter at all.
-Brown bread=Wheat bread
-Red cups that we see in our stores are almost iconic here, English people are always asking me if we really drink out of them like the American Movies
-People here think America is amazing and it is, I would love to travel more of the States.
-Staying in a Hostel is horrible. Unless you go with a big group of people you know, they randomly assign you a medium sized room with about 5 bunk beds and one bathroom that everyone wants to use. And they charge you for towels and theres no safe place to put your luggage. I'm happy I experienced it but I really hope I never have to stay in one again. I LOVE HOTELS!

Anyways, I thank you for following me on my adventure. On this chapter of my life that I will always remember. I'm excited to travel and see more of the world in the future, and I'm so happy that I was able to study abroad... I've always wanted to and I worked really hard for it. It was so worth it. I did it! I hope you have a happy holiday season and that I get to see and talk to you in person to share my experiences and travels!

Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey

Had a beautiful day today :) the weather was around 50 and the sun was out! I don't now envy those in Utah. It didn't rain at all, which was perfect since I was outside all day. I met some really nice German girls (which makes me want to go there soooo bad). Anyways, the castle was great and so was the abbey. A lot of history behind it and right now all I remember is the tour guide telling us about the King of France having an affair with the King of England? I'll have to look into that, but it was a nice break from school :) here's some pics. Enjoy and have a great Thanksgiving!

IRELAND

     I had planned this trip with a friend back in Sept. we figured it was smart because the tickets were really cheap (120 pounds=about 220$) Disaster struck when she emailed me two days before the trip explaining that she had done something with her tailbone and the doctor told her she shouldn't travel. I didn't want to cancel, I really wanted to go and you had to pay a fee to cancel. I texted some friends to see if they wanted to go but its hard to find someone with the money and the availability to come. An American friend from my building emailed me that he would be able to join me! I was excited, the last thing I wanted to do was travel all alone. Traveling has a lot to do with the company your with. And even though he is blunt and sarcastic, and reminds me way too much of my brothers, I had done a couple tours with him in Amsterdam so I knew he liked to explore just as much as I do.
     I woke up early (4 a.m.) and we took a cab to the bus station where we would take another bus to Cardiff about an hour away. Once in Cardiff we took a metro to the airport. The flight was less than an hour long. It was raining hard in Dublin, very windy and really cold. I hoped that the weather was right and it wouldn't be like this the whole time. We took a bus from the airport, hopped off in the pouring rain and started walking. We really had no idea where we were going. We spotted a Chinese buffet and decided to stop and get something to eat. After we ate the sun came out and the rain was gone! We asked for directions, found our hostel, left our stuff and explored the city.
  Dublin is beautiful. There is a pretty canal in the middle of the city and bridges everywhere. We took a tour bus that took us around the whole city so we could plan what we would do the next day. The weekend flew by- I saw Trinity College, St. Patricks Cathedral, Dublin Castle, a funny 4D show, Wax museum, history museum, had Mexican food, saw two leprechauns, rode the ferris wheel that let you see the view of the city and just had a nice time. The people were friendly, even though I didn't see as many red heads as I thought or heard the Irish accent much. Since its an urban city there is a lot of diversity, if I get to go again I would see the country instead of the city. We had luck the whole weekend, not having to wait for the bus, being done with our walking before the rain started pouring, and my friend even found 65 euros! Thats like 100 dollars. Anyways, hope your all well and have a great Thanksgiving =) here's some pics-

View from Hostel

Trinity College

Mexican Food!

My love =)

AMSTERDAM :) :) :)

I loved, loved Amsterdam! I had an incredible weekend there :)

The trip getting there was so long. I left from Swansea to London (5 hours) then about 2 hours from there I boarded a ferry to France which was about 2 hours and then drove to Amsterdam which was another 7 hours. It was so worth it (yet I'll fly next time).  Amsterdam is full of bicycle riders, 60% of the population rides a bike and they have special lanes for them and traffic lights. They have the right of way too, which is insane and I don't know how many times I almost got run over by a bike! My friends and I explored all of what we could fit in two days. We walked to central station where they have shopping and museums and many "coffee shops". No I didn't smoke weed but I went inside and everyone smokes around the city so I might have still gotten the effects. haha. They sell everything of weed... chocolate, energy drinks, cookies, muffins, lollipops..etc. I saw the Red Light District which was not even a minute from a church, and it was like nothing I've ever seen. Hundreds of women behind windows selling their services...it was like a zoo. People would walk around looking at the girls and if they liked one they would go in. The men were in heaven. They even have a prostitution center to help people understand why some women choose to rent one of these windows and work as prostitutes. I heard that its by the church because back in the day when sailors would arrive their they would commit "sins" and had to pay as a form of confession in the church or something? The point being I couldn't believe it was right by a church. They have the Anne Frank house, Flower market,Van Gogh museum, Diamond museum, torture museum, sex museum, cannabis museum...etc. I got to take a nice canal tour, they have canals everywhere, and went to the flea markets and flower market. The people were nice, laid back, with no sense of punctuality and the food was good too. A lot of sweets and sandwiches and a Chinese town where I had a not so great all you can eat dinner. It was very expensive! I had an amazing time, one of the best places I've been. It was just so different and totally liberal that it makes you appreciate that America isn't like that. They showed porn movies on the wall, a wall where children walk and it was just unbelievable haha I would go back in a heartbeat..so glad I was able to go there and step out of my comfort zone!

xoxox