A New Beginning....Sort Of

Admittedly it's been a long while since I've blogged.  When I got home from London, well I wasn't motivated to really do anything, the least of all write a blog.  Since I got back stateside I've been working as a Tour Guide at UConn.  I live on campus and work 4 to 6 days a week.  It pays well and most importantly it's a ton of fun. 

The Untold Want

As it stands now, there are exactly 18 hours left in this amazing journey before I set off with my group to London – Heathrow for our flight home; 22 hours and 35 minutes until that flight goes wheels-up for JFK International Airport in New York City.  I think when it’s all said and done, I must have traveled almost 20,000 miles since January 8^th.

 

Go Gun

I know I don’t have that much time left - and I’ve got exams next week – but I had to take this morning to see some things that I’ve been meaning to see; things you can only see in the U.K.

I hope you've had a good day, I've had so many good days here...

As I sit here and write this, I'm enjoying lunch at one of my favorite places, "The Ledger Building," a J.D. Wetherspoons chain - it's a pub though - in Canary Warf in the East side of London.

It looked nothing like The Waldorf-Astoria for starters....just better

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the semester is really winding down...today though was a full schedule with a lot of stuff to do that needed to get done before I leave for the states.

When in Rome, do as...wait there are no more Romans...

Despite being one of the most randomly laid-out cities I’ve ever been in since coming to Europe, Rome was a great choice as the last trip for me to take.  I had no idea though it was on the worst possible weekend in college sports to go though.  The UConn Women lost to Notre Dame and the UConn Men defeated Kentucky – for the second time this season if I may add) in the Final Four.  I’m not going to sit here and say I had UConn realistically picked to go this far, but what transpired this weekend (sports wise) was one, big, surprise.

Permission to come aboard sir? Permission granted

I was a part of 3 day trips this past weekend (because I'm including Friday as the weekend for the record).  The one on Friday was kind of last minute if you could believe it, but I'm so glad I went.

Taking the Path Less Travelled

This past weekend I honestly believe I had the experience of a lifetime, climbing Mount Helvellyn in The Lake District near Plinth.  I also managed to go to St. Paul's Cathedral and the London Aquarium as well since I last posted too...

Remember, It's a live Royal Palace

It’s been over a week since I’ve posted an update, and I assure you I’ve been quite busy as you’ll be able to see…

The Strand

Today (Friday), was awesome.  I was out and about, got a lot of work done and did some exploring...

The Queens Keys!!

This past weekend culminated late last night with an even that epitomizes British tradition and pageantry.  I attended three different ceremonies and 2 different museums that all equally spelled out British history in the best of ways.  In a nutshell, it was awesome.

If there's anything you need, I won't be far away.

So this week has been pretty sleepy; not like Sleepy Hollow sleepy where there's a demon of the night riding around on a horse chasing Johnny Depp sleepy, but like normal, quite, not much going on sleepy.

We're Not Lost, Son... We're In Normandy.

For the past 8 days I was away from London on my Spring Break; probably some of the best eight days of my life, with things I’d never forget.

Easy Company

Spring break really crept up on me, it starts officially this Friday at 1:00 p.m. GMT.  As a group, we’re taking the EuroStar to Belgium for the weekend to kick the whole thing off.

Mind the Gap

This sign, which I didn’t get a picture of unfortunately, was hanging above the notorious gap between the tube car and the platform on one of the tube station mock-ups. 

Traitors Gate

Today, Dennis and I finished our weekend of excursions at the Tower of London.  We went to Westminster Abby and the Imperial War Museum yesterday too, tried to hit the Tower, but just couldn’t do it. 

London Two - Oh

A play on words of the new crime drama “Hawaii Five-Oh,” fitting considering that in the wee hours of this morning was the twentieth anniversary of my birth.

Due to "popular demand"

I was mad tired after all the planning for Spring Break...I guess that answers the question about still being able to fall asleep anywhere (this isn't my flat...)

I've managed to put together all the pictures I've been tagged in on Facebook over the past couple weeks:

The Righteous Pavilion Project

I’ll get to the title eventually, there’s a reason for it…just work with me on it.

The Experience

First and foremost, I apologize in advance to the conspicuous lack of pictures.  Please take my word that they will be posted when I actually get a chance to take them....

A Juice Bar...is that a real thing?

I’ve been keeping busy since the Wimbledon trip on Sunday.  Monday, we went to the BBC as part of my COMM & POLS courses. 

The Champions Locker Room...well I wish

This goes against my policy of spacing out updates…but you only go to Wimbledon once….

The Cottagers

As I just figured out, my second week in London is through.  Boy, the last 14 days have been intense to say the least. 

Kind of like a photographic memory

So, all the pictures I have been "tagged" in on facebook I just corralled on my computer, so here you go for your viewing pleasure:

The battle of Waterloo

My internship placement at London Citizens has gotten off to an interesting start to say the least.  I’ll lead off with the first day:

The End (or beginning) of World History

 Today marked the first day of classes, which meant 6 hours in the same classroom this afternoon and evening.  Two three hour classes, with the same professor in the same room with a lot of the same people was pretty unique for me. 

The Hammersmith Project

I’ll be brief on this one.  I probably spent about 4 hours on my feet today between my South London escapade, scoping-out Hammersmith and walking to FSU for a security briefing (I'm mad tired).  It was great, I saw some great sites and got a lot of exercise (which was awesome).

GOLDEN EYE

Today, a dozen of us took the tube to Whitecity for our London Citizens orientation.  We met Mathew Bolton and Marzena Cichon, two of the more senior members of the Living Wage Campaign.

Captains Log, Star Date...

So I've been in country for about 4 hours, and things are going really well. 

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

I log onto the airline website and see the countdown, “3 days until your next flight with us.”