this is the end.....our last week {and a couple of days}

What a week it’s been….Free day on Monday, preparation for free travel, Paris on Wednesday, Thanksgiving on Thursday, wandering and soaking up our last few days of London….it’s been beyond amazing…but still bitter sweet.

Monday the 22nd of November

The students were off Friday and Monday…so we had a long weekend. They wisely thought spent most of their time working on papers and studying for finals…so proud…but don’t be deceived we had some fun times as well.

On Monday Stephanie and I decided to make our way back to the Imperial War Museum to check out a couple of the exhibits we missed when we went as a group…the one in particular that we wanted to see was “Secret War” it is about the British intelligence agencies during the World Wars, Cold War, and modern times.

One reason this exhibition is so cool is because Britain just passed the Freedom of Information act I think about 5 years ago {the States has also ‘recently’ passed the Freedom of Information act…I think in the past 10 years or less} but because of this act the state is able to release certain types of information and documents to the public…

The exhibition was very interesting…it talked a lot about how agents were trained and how they helped to win the World wars. There was a lot I didn’t understand, because obviously the exhibition was about British intelligence which I’m not as familiar with as I would be with events surrounding American intelligence…but they are closely linked, obviously….I mean haven’t you seen Casino Royal? MI6 and the CIA are like BFF ;)

What was most interesting to me however was just the amount of people who were involved ‘secretly’ during the World Wars…I had no idea there were that many people purposefully behind enemy lines helping the resistance or that there were so many different agencies that make up British intelligence.

They also told some stories and gave background about British secret intelligence involvement in some modern situations such at the 1980s terrorist hostage situation in the Israeli embassy.

It was a good trip…and I’m glad I went back to the museum.

After we hung out in there for a while…Stephanie and I stopped for some coffee {duh} on our way to Buckingham Palace…AND on the way we saw the London Eye over head and we realized HOW CLOSE the Imperial War Museum was to the river…it is funny how sometimes I will have no idea where I am and then I’ll look up and see the London Eye and immediately I will be oriented to the majority of the city {since the Eye is on the River pretty much in the city central} kinda cool I can do that here : )

We had not REALLY been up to Buckingham yet so we were both excited to take pictures…but I must admit one of the main reasons we went was to see if they palace gift shop at Kate and Will commemorative cups….Stephanie bought a Diana and Charles wedding commemorative cup on Portobello road and naturally wanted to make it a set with a Kate and Will mug….it has been fun being over here for their engagement…it is all over the papers and while I haven’t heard anyone talking about it in passing or in coffee shops etc the public in general {judging by the papers} is very pleased and excited about the royal wedding coming up next year.

Great day with a great friend!

Tuesday the 23 of November

This is the day I blogged…it had been quite sometime sense I had written so I took a large, well I guess not too large, part of the day to blog and post before I forgot ha ha

We also had a group meal!!! We went to this Thai place down the street…it was a really cool atmosphere…low light, big wooden tables, a lot of good options on the menu including osteridge…I had green curry fried rice and it was HOT!!! I’m not a fan of spicy food and mine was not overly spicy…but after eating it for a while my lips were numb! Ha ha not fun but it was good too so I just kept eating…

After dinner Lauren and I went on an adventure to find Turkey for Thanksgiving…I’d been playing phone tag and having a frustrating time communicating with this shop about getting a pre made turkey from them…so Lauren Knight and I decided to just get some individual turkey breasts and baked them…quicker…better…easier…still turkey. Ha ha so we successful found some birds at Marks and Spencers; we also got some HAM, which I was pumped about because I’m always the ham girl at holiday meals! So I was happy we got some of that for our meal!

We went to bed sort of earlier…kind of ha ha because on Wednesday we were heading out on a grand 24 hour adventure….we were going to PARIS FRANCE!!!

Wednesday the 24 of November

Yes my friends we search and search and we found a great deal to train through the Chunnel to Paris from London!!!!

Everyone but Mary decided to go for the day…and we were all really excited!

We made our way to King’s Cross/ St. Pancreas International where we would catch the 2 and a half hour train to central Paris.

The ride was very easy and we were actually only ‘under the channel’ for about 20 minutes, which was a lot shorter than I thought it would be…but it got us there and we were pumped and ready.

I’d been the Paris before, lived there for almost a month, when I spent my semester with Harding in France…so I am pretty familiar with the area…at least familiar enough to get us where we wanted to go in the 8 hours we had…ha ha

We got some Metro tickets and headed to Notre Dame!!!!

It was a free entry inside so we actually got to go in which was WONDERFUL! I love huge cathedrals…I love just sitting and staring…I love looking up at the massive ceilings…I love walking as you look up at the ceilings because it feels like the building moves with you…like it’s alive… sigh.

After that we headed over the Shakespeare and Company for just a moment so Lyndsey, our lovely aspiring librarian, could get a book and get it stamped!

Then after a quick quick bite {Mindy got her some French bread so she was basically in heaven} we headed to the Arc d’ Triumph and the Champs d’Elysess. I love the Arc and so does my mom! She got to visit me in Paris and we got to travel at the end of my semester abroad so it was fun remembering where we had been together!

It was fun telling the students the little bits of information I know and just watching them take it all in!

We walked down the Champs and as we got passed the shops came upon a CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL!!!! What?! Lights and a Ferris wheel in the Place d’ Concord!?

So wonderful! I even go a wonderful falafel with French fries…so great.

We were snapping pictures all over the place…just having a grand ole time!

We got to walk through the gardens up to the Louvre which was wonderful…we took a lot of pictures and just enjoyed the scenery…I got to use my French! And ask directions to the nearest metro stop! I wish I spoke it better/more often…maybe this experience will motivate me to study ;)

Then off to the crowing jewel….THE EIFFEL TOWER!!!

OH YES AND IT SPARKLED WHILE WE WERE WALKING DOWN FROM TROCADERO!! And I screamed…yeah I was just so excited! And so excited to be the one to bring the students to see it for the first time!

All of the students went up to the top! But Stephanie and I opted out and just wandering around starring at it!!! We got some coffee at a local café and had a nice chat with our French waiter…we think that he thought we were British BECAUSE he said ‘cheers’ when we paid and when we left…and only British people say that….! Ha ha let’s all believe that he said ‘cheers’ to us because he thought we were English! : )

Then back to sit under the tower and wait for our ‘children’ to come back down!

Our train back left at 9.13….they got off of the Eiffel Tower around 8ish…but we had to wait around for one of the students who was in the gift shop…we actually did not know where she was for a while…so that was a bit frustrating but she finally came and found us so we quickly set off for the train station.

We realized after we got on the metro that the stop we needed was close for construction…so we quickly figured out an alternate route…time was closing in….we needed to arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes early to go through security and customs…time was closing in we had about 20 mintues to make our train once we got to the station…mind you the station is huge….and the sign were not entirely clear about where we were supposed to go…and to make things even more fun some of our metro tickets would not work on the exit doors…we had to put them back through the machine to exit the metro {which btw this was the first time all day we had had to do this…so frustrating change right at the end} so a couple of us…me…had to duck through the barriers! Ha ha and then we started running...think home alone…THEN once we kind of got our bearings in the station ANOTHER barrier popped up…so we scrambled for our tickets and went two or three at a time through the door! Ha ha I’m sure we looked hilarious…it was half hilarious at the time half really scary because our train was the last one of the night!!!

We got onto the platform…but did not know where our train was leaving from…I’m so glad I knew the station fairly well otherwise I’m not sure if we would’ve made it…bah…thank you God…but anyways we figured out we had to go upstairs for customs…we rushed…they were kind…but urgent…a couple of us didn’t even fill out customs forms because they were like, “oh go go you will miss the train” So that was lovely of them…we rushed through security….it was hilarious talking about it later because we all jump stripped of our jackets…I took off my hat {which I didn’t have to} and just ran…ha ha

But once we got onto the actual platrom with our train…we just jumped on the nearest car…and the woman was like oh this isn’t your car {she looked at our tickets} and told us to not run, relax, and just walk down the platform to our car….we were in car 1…and she was in car 18…we had 10 minutes before it left…and everyone else had been telling us to hurry!!!!

So we were a bit frazzled and frustrated but the couple of us who were in car one started walking…it was so long…and when we were by car 2 a voice came over the loud speaking and said, “this train is now ready to depart…” I was like, “RUN!!!!” ha ha ha so Lyndsey and I booked it the last little bit and jumped on the train….the doors STILL didn’t close for another 5 minutes and we still didn’t leave for another 8 or so….so we were red, sweaty, relieved, and after we’d stared breathing again, really really tickled…we laughed so hard!

We were all SO GLAD to have made it and SO GLAD to have spent the day in Paris that the hilarious spazy ending was kind of a perfect memory to the day…ha ha
After our relaxed ride back…we came home to Lauren Knight {she spent the night so she could wake up early and start cooking for Thanksgiving} who had made us all Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, and she even had Christmas music playing!!!

We watched the “classic” Christmas movie “the Holiday” ;) before heading to bed….what an amazing, random, awesome day!

I love Paris.

Thursday the 25th of November

Turkey Day.

I slept in…the students had to wake up at 8 for their last class day…which was difficult after our tiring day in Paris…but still they did it and I was proud.

Lauren Knight and I head out around 10.30 to do some last minute shopping for Thanksgiving dinner…our main goal to find pie pans and dishes for the butter, jelly, honey etc.

We had fun wandering about…but it was FREEZING! And neither of us had on hats or gloves so we walked fast ha ha

First stop was Sainsburys….they after we HAULED all of those groceries up the stairs…thankfully we only had to drop them off at the Organ’s flat which is on the 2nd floor…we did the majority of our cooking there because the oven is better…then we headed back out to look for the dishes, pans, and a couple of random ingredients…

It was about noon and dinner was at 7….we never found any pie pans…but we got everything else and we need to head back to start cooking!

Each student brought or made something to bring to dinner…there was also a couple who attended Harding back in the day and they now live in London who were going to bring a few things…but still Lauren and I had a lot to cook…We started with the desserts…well the desserts that did not need pie tins…Stephanie was so so sweet and went to Oxford street to look for some pans…and while we were back baking and chopping and stirring away she FOUND SOME PANS!!! She’s awesome what can I say!?

So after she got the pans…she started to make pumpkin pies…Lauren and I worked on the chocolate pies and I finished up my Nutella Cream Cheese Brownies…yeah I know right?!? They were so so so good!

We were constantly baking and cooking…and eventually one of the professors wife’s, Christiana came to help…she is so wonderful and was such a help…I did not even realize how long we’d been working until I went upstairs and saw the students scrambling to finish their Bible papers…which were due at midnight…on Thanksgiving…yeah still don’t understand why that happened…AND cook their dishes in our small little jive kitchen…ha ha

So after I checked on them…I headed back down and started in on the potato casserole…we put the meat in the boys oven…then kept going ha ha

It was getting close to dinnertime so Lauren and I headed down to the big ‘banquet’ hall we’d reserved from the FSU facility and decorated! We fit 18 people at one table it was awesome! By the time we got back upstairs it was time to start bringing the food down….and it was a tight squeeze…

I hope I’m communicating in some degree the craziness and the sheer miracle it was that we did all of this cooking and the students finished and it all got on the table IN TIME!!! And it looked AND tasted good!

After I quickly changed clothes…and got some serving spoons… which I accidentally threw, yes threw, at the table it landed in the jelly {thankfully only one flew out of my hand but it was really funny} we sat down to EAT!

It was wonderful and it was so fun to be there with everyone! It was a bite bitter sweet because we all obviously missed our families, but it was fun to be with everyone and share Thanksgiving with other Americans in London.

After we ate and sat, talked and gorged {well at least Mindy did he he} we began the process of lugging ALL OF THE FOOD back up to our flat on the 5th freaking floor….it all had to go up to our room because the Organ’s didn’t have room in their fridge and the majority of the people obviously live up there…whew…it was a task getting all of that freaking food but away…and then washing those dishes…yeah we were tired…and we had to do all of that after eating! Ha ha it was not the best but we did it! And I’m glad to say that as I write this it is Saturday…most of the food is already gone! Good job boys! Thanks for coming over to eat ;)

So it was a wonderful, very full {in many ways} Thanksgiving : )

Friday the 26th of November

Ah yes Friday…now remember there are no Black Friday’s here…because there is no Thanksgiving so Stephanie and I decided to spend our Friday wandering about London…a grand alternative to the busy busy malls of America!

We walked everywhere! It was wonderful…we headed in a direction we’d never been before but thanks to the London Eye we eventually made our way to the river and saw Ben and Parliament…walked all over…it is just a beautiful place and I’m going to miss it so much…I’m just going to miss the people and our group and the history…it was nice to just walk and talk with Stephanie because we kind of took that time to think over the semester and talk about what we’re going to miss and what we’ve loved about our time here!

And well it would’ve have been right if we had NOT shopped on ‘Black Friday’ ha ha so we did some last minute souvenir/gift shopping at “the Crest of London” by Trafalgar Square, before we stopped for some coffee at….you guessed it Costa’s and continued our Friday night a talking for another hour or so.

I have been so blessed to have Stephanie here this semester…she is my age…a 5th year senior…we were in the same social club…and actually have lived in the same dorm since junior year…we have dozens of mutual friends but just never really got the chance to be ‘real’ friends…and we laugh about it now because of how funny it is that we WEREN’T friends at school…because of how close we’ve gotten here in London…she has been such a gift to me, someone to confide in and I’ve learned a lot from her…which has also been just a blessing. Thank you God for providing me with friends, and not just friends, but close friends who you’ve used to grow me and who’ve just been freaking hilarious to be around and hang out with! God is good and he provides!

Oh yeah…and I did laundry…I lugged my laundry that I hadn’t done is over two weeks down and up 5+ flights of stairs…luckily it’s free…the washers/dryers were empty and Mindy was also doing her laundry…not a bad combo. He he

So it was a grand Friday night…we headed back to the flat…and hung out…talked to the students…ate some leftovers…it was great

Saturday the 27th of November

Today {now I’ve decided that I’m not going to post this entry until Tuesday…the day before we leave…because there is no point in writing a blog simply about JUST Monday and Tuesday…and Wednesday is when we leave for free travel so I will just leave the VERY last blog to the reporting and remembering of free travel…hope that makes sense and I guess that I really didn’t have to tell you but I’ve already done so…so no use in deleting it ;) }

Today has been so chill…I slept in….yeah it’s great. Ha ha the British Literature student’s had their final this morning! Whoo hoo way to go guys! And then through out the day today the students have been meeting with Mr. Guy the Bible professor to discuss their final papers…she they’re basically done!

Several of the students are leaving for free travel on Tuesday and then the rest of us are either leaving for free travel or for the States on Wednesday.

But today I’ve leisurely watched the Office season 2…hug out in the flat AND blogged in Starbucks down the street for the past oh 3 hours…whew…but it’s good. I do like to blog…I’m glad I’m relating my experience not only for friends and family but for myself and my own memories.
Alrighty well if anything else happens today I’m sure I’ll write about it on Tuesday night before I post this beauty of an entry ;)

Hi it’s Tuesday the 30th of November! And no nothing happened the rest of Saturday….

But on

Sunday the 28th of November

Stephanie and I walked everywhere in the city…it was kind of our last good bye…we just left the flat and headed out…we went a different direction than normal we went more east than south…but it all ends up by the Thames anyway

It was so wonderful just to see the sights and walk with the people of London…it was cold, but hey what’s new. As I think about what I’m going to miss most about the UK I think one of the main things is just walking…walking around and watching people and the huge buses…seeing the river and the amazing buildings that have been here for centuries…I’m just going to miss being here. Not necessarily ‘doing’ specific things, but just being here…it’s going to be really sad when we leave.

After we walked around the world we decided to get a head start on packing! Stephanie and I pretty much got everything packed up and ready to go into ‘storage’ while we’re on free travel for a week!

Monday the 29th of November

There was a tube strike so we did not venture out too far…which was probably good because 3 of the girls left Tuesday morning so they were packing and cleaning up a bit.

Stephanie and I went on a search for a good last lunch…the last super of HUE if you will ;)…and ended up at the gloriously wonderful le Pain…we got some coffee and they brought me my amazing sandwich on white bread, which I tried to say ‘no I wanted wheat bread…like whole wheat…brown bread {they call whole wheat brown bread}’ and the waiter was like, ‘yes it’s wheat bread {they call white bread wheat bread…} and I was like ‘ummm well ok thanks…’ I was hungry and I’m not aggressive in those types of situations so I just ate it…and it made me sleepy…because of the sugars in the white flour…but it was a good sandwich and a lot of fun otherwise. Ha ha and I learn I need to be more aggressive ;) also I really couldn’t tell if it WAS wheat/brown bread…it was boarder line so who even knows. Ha ha

Headed back to the flat…goofed around…packed some…and then I took a nap because I was out of it due to the white flour insident…

THEN we had our LAST GROUP MEAL!!! Sad day. It was a Pizza Express and we went all out! Appitizers, pizzas everywhere {I got an awesome salad}, extra sodas, and of course dessert and coffee! We were there for over 3 hours—so it was a ‘true’ Italian meal. It was bitter sweet knowing this was the last time we’d all be together but it was fun fun none the less.

Afterwards Lauren Knight was like ‘we still have money to spend from our dinner budget who wants more coffee!?’ so we went to Starbucks, save the Organs, Mary and Travis, and got some chocolate coins, coffees and played some ‘games’ with PRIZES! Ha ha

The game basically was to re-tell a favorite memory or situation from the trip and the person Lauren thought had the best answer that round won a prize!

I got a coffee mug from Starbucks that says London and has Big Ben on it!!! Love it! I actually almost bought it earlier this semester ha ha good thing I didn’t. And the girls got these precious coasters that say ‘lie back and think of England’ it’s in the same style as the ‘keep calm and carry on’ poster.


We headed back to the flat…hugged Lauren goodbye and helped the other girls with their packing…

But probably one of the best things about my night was I got to skype with Anna Mielke!!! I love her and it was perfection to see her face…even if we did have to redial about a dozen times.

Tuesday the 30th of November

The last day in November and our last day in London…and guess what we woke up to? Well besides a farewell the Mary, Lauren, and Courtney…SNOW! : )

Yes it was snowing outside! And I’m not talking like a few flakes IT WAS COMING DOWN!!! AND IT HAS BEEN off and on ALL DAY!

After the first 3 girls left for free travel there were 4 of us here…sad…but ready to conquer the day!

Mindy, Stephanie, Lyndsey and I headed out to Asda {which is like London’s Wal-mart} to see if they had Kate and Will commemorative cups for their engagement…don’t ask…long story. Ha ha

And I also needed to get some boots because I realized when it was snowing that my converse are not going to cut it in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland where the high is just above freezing and it is also snowing…I needed something warmer and water proof!

It was a little bit of a trek out there but not too bad…no cups…sad day BUT I did get some snow boots…get this…with fur! They are hilarious. But pretty much the only thing they had…ha ha I will look awesome I’m sure!!! Oh and I got an awesome hat…it’s freezing I wanted to make sure I was warm…Stephanie got a matching one as well! Ha ha

Then we headed into Central London to Primark ha ha to get some warm tights….Mindy and Lyndsey went to check on Legally Blonde tickets! They’re going tonight!

Stephanie is finishing up laundry and in a bit we’re going to lug our bags down to the office! Which I just found out is now going to house our HUE bags AND some bags from the Greece program…..yeah….ha ha it will be interesting. Basically I’m going to be rearranging our stuff into a luggage puzzle! Whoo hoo

We leave in the morning for Munich! There for a couple of days…then to Salzburg, Austria there for two or three days…ha ha then to Interlaken!!! For a couple of days then back to London to get our bags…

I get into London from Zurich on the 7th and we fly out for the States on the 8th! Crazy town!


with love, caroline

p.s. pray for safe travels. safe adventures. safe sleeping arrangesments in the hostels ha ha prayers :) thanks loves