"The more you read the more you know, the more you know the more places you'll go"

Just read the assessment essay titles and requirements and I'm feeling a little stressed! I have 5, 2000 word essays due around the same time... On top of my online final and weekly online quizzes....I don't HATE essays but I surely wouldn't say they're my favorite. Especially when my whole class grade or "mark" is weighed on this one essay. I'm thinking... I need to write a really good essay. I tend to work good under pressure, as in I have a nasty habit of sometimes leaving essays for the last minute and seem to do good on them. I am definitely trying something new and I'm going to start them early like now so I don't feel too stressed around that time, plus it will give me a chance to edit them. Even though I am in a totally different country I have been very good at keeping up even ahead with all my work and making sure I do extra homework before I go on any weekend trips or anything of the sort. I'm very positive that I will excel in my essays and get good marks! I'm super super dedicated and can be an over achiever at times. I'm taking four classes here PLUS two online classes from the University of Utah. People gave me negative reactions when they heard this but I've been good so far and I like being busy which is kind of why I took the online ones, I couldn't stand not doing anything for a month before I actually came here. I have time in the future to slow down but right now I have goals (double major for 2012) and the only way I'll get them done is by moving and doing things NOW!

I'm required to read about two chapters a week from each of these books... The chapters consist of at least 40-50 pages so it is a good amount of reading... plus for my pleasure I'm reading Jane Eyre. My classes are interesting so the reading isn't too bad, it's just time consuming. (I'm missing one book but you get the idea)

Hope all is well!

xoxox

Birthday in Bath, England :)

Today was AMAZING! I woke up feeling a little sad that I wasn't going to be with my family and friends for my birthday but my mood changed instantly when my friend Leah gave me a big birthday hug and showed me the little cake she got for me :) She's the sweetest person!

The bust ride to Bath was two hours, we left early in the morning and got to spend all day there! The bus driver dropped us off and the only instructions he gave us were, "The bus leaves at 6, with or without you". Or at least thats what I think he said, he had a really heavy Welsh accent :p my friends and I caught a tour bus and I got to see the Jane Austen Center, the FASHION MUSEUM, and the Roman Baths. The city was absolutely incredible, I loved it. I felt like I went back in time, the buildings were antique and the architecture was breath taking! You were quickly reminded that you were in the year 2011 when you saw the Starbucks in every corner and Mcdonalds, but I was so happy that they had conserved the buildings and let us experience such a beautiful era. One of my favorite places I have been thus far, without a doubt. The day flew by, and I felt so grateful that I could spend it in such a wonderful place with my new friends* A birthday I will never ever forget. Thank you for the birthday wishes! What a great 22 years it has been :D

Roman Baths!

Avebury and Stonehenge

Today was a great day! I took the bus to Avebury, England to see a Neolithic henge monument, and to see Stonehenge. It was a couple hours from Swansea, so it wasn't too far. I didn't know too much about the Avebury before I got their but I feel like I have learned so much :) The stones were massive, and weighed about 100 tons (7 elephants) and they were all positioned in such a precise way, they've been there for thousands of years. Avebury has the biggest stone circle in Europe. And Stonehenge was just like a scene from a movie... Anyways here's some pics*

I love how there are sheep everywhere!

St. James in Avebury, It was beautiful and I love the cemetery's  here, they are incredible.

Package

Woke up today with the stress that I had to take a quiz for one of my online classes back at home, I had some breakfast and my soy milk was spoiled :( I didn't think this was a good start to my day, but as I started walking out of my building I saw the white board that had my name on it for packages! The girl went where all the packages were and she started looking through all of the brown, and white boxes to see if she could find my name. I knew right away that the pink one had to be mine :) and it was!

I think I was suppose to wait until my birthday BUT who is going to receive a package and just let it sit in their room? 

I don't know how you fit all of it into that package but I LOVED it :) Thanks so much Kevin! It was so creative, the message in a bottle was amazing, the rose and the necklace was beautiful, and the cards too oooh and the balloon was so cute! and the lollipop looks delicious :) Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Mumbles

Mumbles is a town about 15 minutes from Swansea. My friend and I went on a Sunday to explore and try some of the ice cream from the famous "Joe's". There wasn't many people in town, but we enjoyed a nice brunch and the view of the ocean and little shops.

Best brunch ever!

"North Pole" It was vanilla ice cream in between two vanilla wafers topped with caramel and chocolate sprinkles :) 

Thriller

Had a great night dressed as a skeleton with my friends and watching Wheatus perform! And we broke a world record :) They had great music and it was really cool seeing everyone dressed the same :) I'm off to see the town of Mumbles now, so have a great Sunday!

Even Wheatus dressed up

Paninni

My delicious cheese and tomato pannini! The cheese was burnt a little, It was amazing. Highlight of my day. Spent it in the city and now I'm going to get ready. My school is trying to get into the Guinness World Records with the most "Skeletons" in a room. You pay approx. 12 dollars for your ticket and costume, should be fun! I will post pics soon.

Our school already has the record for most smurfs in one place. haha.

Coffee and welsh cakes

There is a big variety of food here in down town Swansea, but since i'm on a partly catered plan I have a certain amount of non refundable pounds I can use on campus. They have a couple places to eat, a big cafeteria buffet style where they have some soup, salad and a wrap station... and potatoes. Problem is they close at 2:30. The other place closes at 7 and has less options, I've noticed that the Vegetarian dish is always lasagna or a curry thats way too spicy :( oooh and potatoes. My favorite place is at the Talesin which is our theatre/cinema. I like eating there because downstairs there is an Egyptian museum and they sell good cappuccino. That's pretty much it, besides all the coffee shops everywhere! ( I love it, but it's probably not healthy for everyday ) Oooh and the WELSH cakes :) :) :) they are so yummy!


"***Welsh cakes are made from flour, sultanas, raisins, and/or currants, and may also include such spices as cinnamon and nutmeg***" 


They are traditional and are not too sweet, they are small and taste good with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. 

My address :)


Rhossili Residences
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea, Wales
SA2 8PW

School!

After being here for a week and meeting new people and seeing fun places the reality sunk in that I am here for school :) but I like school so I didn't mind. I had one class today! It went pretty good :) it's different hearing my professors accent but I understood him. I only have classes three times a week, two hours each, four classes  ( plus my two online classes ) so I will be a busy girl! The sun didn't come out today :( so I think I got a taste for how the weather will usually be here. Cloudy, windy and rainy. It's ok :) I'm going to meet some friends and watch "One Day" in the schools theatre* Have a good Monday!

Castles

Woke up early today and met up with some friends to catch a bus and go to Cardiff the capital of Wales! It's so weird taking buses everywhere, makes me appreciate my car more.... Anyways, we went to Cardiff not knowing where anything was and not knowing what we were going to do exactly, which made it so much more fun :) We ended up finding some signs pointing towards Cardiff Castle and saw that there was a bus there that took people on tours! *Perfect timing* so we hopped on and the bus took us to so many places and you could hop off and on as you pleased. Cardiff is so beautiful, there is a lot more people than there is in Swansea and much more tourists. We had a lot of fun, the castle was my favorite! (Dad I want to get married there!)