European Adventure Part 2 and Getting Ready to go HOME!

We're back from our trip and getting ready to go HOME! I can't even believe it. The time has absolutely flown by. 

First, the details of our trip!

We first flew to Dublin, where we stayed in a comfy hotel and had a blast. We saw Trinity College, gorgeous cathedrals, and toured Guinness! Guinness was so cool--the brewery tour detailed how Guinness is made and there were lots of interesting machines and demonstrations that were fun to watch. Then, of course, we got to sample Guinness! There are several restaurants at the top of the brewery, but at the very top is Gravity Bar--which is a bar that is surrounded entirely by windows--you get the most amazing view of Dublin!! It was very, very crowded up there, so we didn't stay long--just long enough to get some pictures of the view and then back down. Overall, we had really good weather in Dublin, so that made it even better.

Leslie and I in front of Military Memorial in Dublin

Globe Theater at Night

From Dublin, we flew to London. Unfortunately, since we flew with the budget airline (RyanAir), we had to fly into an airport that was almost an hour away from Central London. So, we stayed in a hotel in Enfield, a small town about 30 minutes away from the airport and 20 minutes away from Central London. It was actually more of a bed and breakfast--it was on top of a bar--but it was a nice room and despite the noise that persisted until almost 1 AM, it was a good place to stay. The train/tube/bus system in London is really easy to figure out, and we were grateful for that. The first night we just relaxed, and the second day, we went into London and saw the Tower of London--which included a look at the Crown Jewels! They were absolutely gorgeous--it made me want to be Queen! ha! We couldn't take pictures, but thankfully I have a pretty decent photographic memory :) Then, we met up with one of Leslie's friends who is a part of the same program as us. She has been teaching secondary theater in a town about an hour from London for the past few months. We met her at the Globe Theater and there we saw 2 plays-A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest. They both were great. I was so impressed with the actors and all the behind-the-scenes work (costumes, stage, makeup, etc.). The actors in The Tempest really interacted with the audience and it was very funny--one of the actors took a guy's beer and proceeded to throw it on him! Midsummer Night's Dream cast didn't interact with the crowd since it would have taken away from the general atmosphere of the play, but the acting was wonderful--it's one of my favorite Shakespeare plays so I was happy :)

Globe Theater

The next day, we walked around to see The Eye of London, Big Ben, and, of course, Buckingham Palace. The Palace was gorgeous. Just being there was cool--I can't imagine what the atmosphere would have been like during the wedding, the Olympics, or any other important event. We also went to Harrods--which was HUGE. I hadn't ever heard of Harrods before, and I don't know how! This was my place. haha We didn't spend a ton of time there, but I probably could have spent a full day in this place--this was just one store, but it was practically the size of two malls. It's "gift shop" took up an entire floor and we spent almost an hour on that floor alone! Towards the end of the day, we traveled out to Wimbledon. I'm bummed that the tournament isn't until July, but it was still cool to see courts and the gift shop :) 

Wimbledon

As I sit here in my room--surrounded by suitcases, clothes, and gifts--I have mixed feelings about leaving. I am SO excited to get back to a "normal" schedule and see my family and friends--and of course my boyfriend :)--but the feeling of closing a chapter of my life is weird. Student teaching is over. Over. I waited and waited and prepared and studied and practiced for student teaching for 4 years, and now it's over. "Real Life" is happening so fast--I'm searching for jobs, tweaking my resume, and thinking about what life will throw at me next year. The people here, for the most part, have been kind and welcoming and I will miss the friends I have made. It's odd to think that I will likely never see any of them again. Someone asked me if I feel more grown up after this experience. I wasn't sure how to answer. I don't really feel more grown up, but I feel like I've gained more perspective. The world is a much larger place than you realize--especially if you've only lived in one country your whole life. But all these people--everyone that I have met--they are all so similar to me, to you, to each other. We're all the same--we're all trying to make it through our daily lives and make the most of the life we've been given. We may speak different languages, have different routines, and believe in a different god, but at our core, we are really all the same. 

On Wednesday morning, I will leave Avila and close this chapter of my life. But it will always be in my mind and heart--and it is an experience that I feel extremely lucky to have had.