Some things change, and some stay the same.

Things that have changed since I've been to the UK:

-I drink a lot more tea.

-I say things like you alright, cheers, down it fresha, I can't be bothered, and lovely in attempt to "fit in".

-I sign my texts and messages with one to three x's.

-It's a lot harder to communicate with friends and family back home.

-It's much easier to navigate transportation systems, especially in new cities.

-Primark is the love of my life.

-I carry an umbrella everywhere.

-I watch British game shows sometimes.

-I know who Spencer Matthews is.

-I see people walking down the street wearing animal onesies and don't give it a second thought.

-I see my flat mates in the common room wearing animal onesies and don't give it a second thought.

-I once said the sentence aloud, "I can't because I'm going to Paris for the weekend, then Madrid next weekend". I then floated out of my body and looked down on myself in disbelief.

-I now know who the Sugababes are, which apparently is crucial knowledge (thank you, flat mates)

-Lectures with more than 30 people are a thing.

-Physics. Not the laws of physics. I just mean I'm taking physics and it's really hard.

-Also taking Linguistics and Sociology courses.

-I've made amazing friends (both English and American).

-I'm seeing lots of new places and I love it.

 

Things that haven't changed since I've been to the UK:

-My love of puns

-My talent of dropping/spilling/tripping/falling at inappropriate and unfortunate times.

-My impressive cereal eating at all times of the day (ask flat mates)

-I can get easily lost sometimes
-Sometimes I take myself too seriously

-Still don't completely understand American football

-Still don't understand cricket

-Let's be honest, still don't understand a lot of sports

-I haven't met the queen (yet)

-I haven't become Kate Middleton (yet)

-I haven't become a Spice Girl  (yet)

-Still hate the cold but love the change of seasons

-I watch a lot of American sitcoms

-I need music in the background at all times

-Snapchat is still one of the best inventions ever

-My wanderlust

-My desire to stay in England for a really, really long time because I knew I would love it and I was more right than I could ever imagine.

Imagine Dragons. Imagine That.

I’ve had the highest mountains, I’ve had the deepest rivers. You can have it all but life keeps moving. I take it in but don’t look down. ‘Cause I’m on top of the world, I’m on top of the world, waiting on this for a while now, paying my dues to the dirt. I’ve been waiting to smile, been holding it in for a while, take you with me if I can. Been dreaming of this since a child. I’m on top of the world.

When I found out three months ago that Imagine Dragons was coming to Newcastle, I jumped at the chance to see them. Although they are a relatively new band, I've grown to become completely obsessed with their music over the summer. I knew I love a band when I love every single one of their songs, which was the case. They were right there with me as I went for a run around my neighborhood. They were there when I was waking up and getting ready for work. They were there when I felt bored and lonely, just waiting for something and everything to start. They are even here as I write this!

So you can imagine (ha, ha) my amazement and thrill when I was in the same room as them and they were EVEN BETTER live. I didn't even know that was possible! Their performance was so energetic, and they seemed truly grateful for the recognition they received as they blew up in popularity this past year. There's just something about being in a venue surrounded by people who love the same band as much as you do and just appreciate music. The drunk middle aged guy sitting a couple rows away from us who kept standing up to dance and fist pump then got stopped by security definitely appreciated music (or was just really drunk). Either way, everyone had an amazing time. I am pretty sure I had a stupid grin and it didn't leave the entire night.

Around Madrid in 48 Hours

We managed to pack a lot into two days!

Friday night/ El noche de viernes:

-Around 10 pm: We arrive in España!

-Settle into Hostel Loyola! What a perfect name.

 

 

-Then off to the best tapas y sangria ever.

 

 

-Bedtime. Traveling is tiring! Buenas noches!

Saturday/sabado:

 

-Breakfast, which is pretty difficult to find on a Saturday morning. Most people are still asleep from their late night out! We still managed to find amazing food.

 

-A brief detour at Dunkin Coffee. I was happy to see the first Dunkin in forever but it was an imposter of Dunkin Donuts! How does one dunk coffee?

-Museo Nacional del Prado, home of Velasquez. I tried to get pictures but then got yelled at. I'm such a badass.

- Parque del Retiro. It was so beautiful even though it was cold and not as colorful as usual.

 

 

-Then we met up with Loyola friends studying in Spain at the market, which was so great! The tapas and mojito didn't hurt either.

-Dinner and flamenco performance!

-Churros y chocolate! Yes, I understand that I am talking about food a lot. No shame.

 

 

-Then we were going to go to the ice bar, but decided against it because we didn't really want to pay to be cold...

Sunday/domingo:

 

-Breakfast at the fanciest McDonald's I've ever seen in my life. It was actually good!

-Mass

-El Palacio

 

 

 -A little souvenir shopping

-Alcala to meet our friend's host family and have lunch with them! Special guests include the cutest puppy on earth, and scary shrimp with eyes.

 

 

 

-Walking around Alcala and saying goodbye to everyone... well, not goodbye. Hasta luego!

Until later, Madrid!

 

An American Girl in Paris

Stop everything. Don't think. Just take it all in. You're in Paris. Why would you think about anything else right now? It's so easy to be preoccupied with past and future concerns and obligations. Why not pay attention to what's right in front of you? It's pretty incredible if you just look up.

The best piece of advice I received in preparation for visiting Paris was simply to look up, because there is so much to see everywhere. I wanted to remember everything about my first trip to Paris forever, so I watched and observed every wonderful detail. And let me tell you, the pictures I've seen in the past have nothing on the real deal. The things I saw were pretty darn magical, even in the rainy and cold weather.

Notre Dame:

This entertaining sign at our hostel:

The Lourve:

 

 

The Mona Lisa:

 

 

The EIFFEL TOWER:

 

 

 

The Arc de Triomphe:

This delicious croissant:

The lock bridge:

 

 

Then, quite possibly my favorite part of the weekend: We climbed the Eiffel tower! But of course, my battery died right before we started the climb... womp womp. At first I was really disappointed that I couldn't document that moment. But as I thought about it again, I realized that my battery dying was truly a blessing in disguise. As great as it is to have pictures and remember moments perfectly frozen in time, I don't want to live my life behind a camera lens. Then I would miss out on the real deal! So I was able to take the advice I needed. Instead of focusing on taking pictures, I took mental pictures. I looked up. Well, once we got to the top, I looked down. The picture I could have taken wouldn't have done that view of Paris justice. It was something I'll remember forever, from my own eyes and not just a picture. From now on I plan to look around a lot more, and really look. As the wise Ferris Bueller says, Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. If I didn't look up (or down) I could have missed it!
 

Breaking down walls... and visiting old ones (Hadrian's Wall)!

Once again, I was lucky enough to visit a part of history which completely changed my perspective. On Saturday, a group of us visited the one of the most significant landmarks and attractions of Northern England, Hadrian's wall. It was once the eighty mile border and frontier of the Roman Empire, constructed in 122 AD. While only part of the wall still stands, it is incredible how it remains in the same place it was built so many years ago. While everything has changed in history, the wall remains. So many people in the past visited the wall and been a part of its history, and even more people will visit in the future. Simply focusing on how small we are in relation to the rest of time was a humbling experience in the best possible way. The wall itself was beautiful, despite what it represented regarding the segregation of humanity. The countryside was absolutely beautiful, and everything felt surreal. What a surprise, right? I've definitely never felt that way here before. 

 

 

 

15 Things I would NEVER say while visiting York for the day

1. Well, this looks nothing like Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Why do people even draw the comparison?

 

2. Why would I make a ridiculous comment about how I've been to New York, but never Old York before? I would never do that.

 

3. There's a street fair going on? I want NO part in that at all.

 

4. I am definitely not getting fish and chips at the pub we eat in. I hate fish and chips!

 

5. I wasn't really disappointed when the crazy cat lady store was closed and we could only peer inside.

 

6. I have no urge whatsoever to look inside every store I pass by.

 

7. All the people here are so unfriendly.

 

8. York cathedral is not that impressive. I wouldn't be able to stare at it for hours and cry because it is so beautiful.

 

9. It would be absolutely absurd if we frolicked and rolled around in colorful leaves acting like we've never seen autumn before. How old are we, five?

 

 

10. The York Chocolate story tour was terrible. We got way too much chocolate and it was not the best thing ever at all.

 

11. I think we definitely blended in. We didn't look like tourists taking pictures every minute- no one would ever suspect that!

 

12. No, I don't want to stop for afternoon tea at all. Why would you even suggest that?

 

13. Wish it was raining and not decent weather for England!

 

14. I rarely smiled or laughed.

15. I never want to come back. I didn't have a wonder-filled day. 

 

 

 

 

How to Look Like an American Tourist in Newcastle

I like to pretend that I blend in with the locals and the rest of the student population.  I mean, I've been here for nearly a month. I'm basically English now, right?  I even left my uggs, leggings, north face and American football apparel back at home! However, once I open my mouth or do something ridiculously American my secret is revealed. So if you ever need advice on how to look like an American tourist in Newcastle, I'm the person to ask. Here are some of the things in the past that blew my cover. Follow these guidelines, and you will be set!

• Look the wrong way when you cross the street. Despite most crosswalks even having signs that say "Look right" or "Look left", I still manage to get it wrong. This is just something I will never get used to.

 

• When you see a car with an empty passenger's seat (front left side), look concerned because you think no one is driving the car. Or maybe it's a ghost driver, which is even more concerning in my opinion.

 

• When someone asks you "Are you alright?", look confused and/or flustered. But don't worry, it's just a greeting! Unfortunately you don't realize that at first. You think it must look like something's wrong with you. Then eventually, you just stumble and say "Um yeah", appearing slightly rude in the process.
  

 

• Drink a significant amount of coffee instead of tea.

 

• Talk about how much you love Thanksgiving and football. But football isn't football, it's hand egg, silly!

 

• Ask what a Sunday Carvery is.

 

• Say the word arugula instead of rocket leaves, eggplant instead of aubergine or cilantro instead of coriander and prepare to be laughed at by your flatmates.

 

• Say roommates instead of flatmates, freshmen instead of freshers, and college instead of university.

 

• Perpetually mix up the meanings of crisps, chips and fries. Fries are thin chips! And crisps are American chips. Confused yet? 

 

• Don't ever mention your pants in public. You WILL embarrass yourself. They are TROUSERS. Okay? Okay.

 

• Wait, you're not allowed to hail cabs here?

 

• Why do you need a license for a television? You have Sky and not Optimum?

 

• Act surprised and grateful when you aren't carded to get into any place that may happen to sell alcohol. I'm almost twenty.

 

• Talk about how much you love Cider because it is a delicacy.

 

• Say that it is 50 degrees. You are using Fahrenheit. Confused looks ensue.

 

• Try to pay for something with your Bank of America card without a chip (not to be confused with the food). Be prepared to write your signature to match the signature on the back of your card.

 

• Talk about how you wake up each day so grateful that you're here. Rant to the point of being obnoxious about how you can't believe you're in England and how it seems like an amazing dream. Never get used to how beautiful it is here.