London in a day. (part one)

Sorry for the brief absence. I swear I haven't been swept off the streets by a tornado or kidnapped by gypsies (although that does sound like a proper adventure). Instead, my roommate Adrienne and I decided to take a spontaneous trip to London. Sounds like a good excuse, right? I thought so. I have a feeling this will be a long post, filled with loads of pictures-and I mean loads-so let's all prepare our bodies (your eyes and my fingers) for this. Let's begin.

The pack of American girls had been initially discussing spending the weekend in London. We had just learned of the company called Megabus (which apparently exists in America as well) where you can get incredibly cheap bus rates. Adrienne and I realized, however, that 1) traveling in a huge group is the worst. It just is. You can be in a group with you know, the Spice Girls and Destiny's Child, the cast of your favorite movie and the cast of MY favorite movie...no matter how great the group is, I would never want to travel more than two blocks in one. On a good day. 2) We both wanted to do little old lady things like go to every single museum on earth and spend an eternity at the Tower of London. 3) We had no required meetings to attend from Tuesday on...so why not just go early in the week, before the crowds hit? Needless to say, the two of us quickly researched ticket times and hostels (oh yeah, hostels) and decided to go on our own.

We left Chester by train, heading to Liverpool where we would hop on the Megabus. 45 minutes later we arrived, found our bus stop and waited. And waited. And waited. Over an hour after the bus was supposed to arrive, it finally sauntered into town. Apparently there was some mechanical issue (not a thing you want to hear while about to board a £5 bus...) Regardless, after my initial worrying that the tickets were fake or the bus had driven off some mountain, we boarded and made the five hour journey to London. Oh, and the bus had wifi, a little bit of knowledge I would not find out until the last half hour of the ride. Rude, bus. Rude. 

Regardless, we were in London. We were three blocks from our hostel (The Astor Victoria). We were safe and happy. We were also starving. 

Thankfully, there was a darling little Italian restaurant just down the street from our hostel that didn't mind feeding two starving American girls at 10pm. Poppa Italy himself came over to fluff up the napkins and put them on our laps before serving us the biggest personal pizzas I have ever seen. And you had better believe we ate it all. 

We crawled back to the hostel where I tried desperately to get wifi to tell everyone that you know, I wasn't hanging from a rafter. Believe it or not, most of the people in my life have like, no belief in my street smarts. Unfortunately, we had to head to bed (in our clothes) without checking back in with home. Needless to say that when we got up in the morning (8 am, bright eyed and bushy tailed), we found the first Starbucks we could so I could tell everyone that I was alive and well and heading out for a day in London. First stop: The Tower of London. 

The view from our hostel (a fifteen minute walk from Buckingham Palace)

* have been putting off posting this for days now, whether because I have been exhausted or really busy with other stuff. I'm going to break it down into two sections so I can go ahead and post this now. I left you with delicious cupcakes, at least. A blog post is never complete without dessert! x

dog stalking in England (part one).

author's note: all pictures may be clicked if, like me, you feel the need to zoom up and see all the sweet puppy lovin'. Can you tell I miss my dogs? 

^you can't tell from this picture, but they were all three perfect Lady dogs. No tramp in sight.

this is a kabob?

tea for two, please.

Or twelve.

Yesterday, our big ole loud group of American girls made our way to the Mad Hatters for tea time/brunch. Needless to say, it was darling and definitely a place I will find myself venturing back to. Speaking of tea, remind me to go track down a mug. I think you might get sent home if customs finds out that you have spent (almost) a week in England and have yet to set up your own little at-home tea shop. Soon. 

liverpool in photos.

It's 12:30 pm and we have another 9 am meeting tomorrow.
Forgive me for not going into great detail but my eyes are swollen (one day I will be able to skype Jonathan without being a big ole baby) and my bed is calling my name.

In short, here is the day trip to Liverpool.

 Myself, Hannah, Nataša, and Melanie on the train to Liverpool

Hannah and I were too excited for the Titanic museum.

Lunch at a darling pub called the Beehive. As sweet as it looked, I now understand why British people love American hamburgers...I think that's the first and only hamburger I'll be ordering here. 

We hopped on a double decker bus and rode around the city...and made it all the way out the Liverpool's suburbs. Thank goodness Melanie is a real New Yorker and got us on the right bus back. ;)

I found where they keep the mermaids. 

Dinner at Nandos, back in Chester. Hannah, Taylor, and myself all shared a whole chicken plus two orders of chips and garlic bread. And then smothered everything in two million sauces. Needless to say, I'll be coming back. 

We killed it. 

And I do believe it is time to curl up. Good night, world. xo

from my new bed.

Yesterday was a day of many things. It was a day of waiting. It was a day of train rides. It was a day of venturing to Liverpool and it was a day of more waiting. It was also the day we got to move into our permanent home...or at least as permanent as three months can be. 

I quite like it and you know what? I'm actually glad I got a roommate, but I'm sure I'll elaborate on that later. Right now I'm typing from my phone-dedication-because I just wanted to upload to say "hey, I'm alive". 

These past few days have been non-stop and so any free time I have had has been used searching for wifi so I can let Jonathan know I have yet to meet Hugh Grant. (Who knew England was so big? One man can only hide for so long.) ;) Hopefully once all of the "welcome to England, don't get yourself killed" meetings are over and classes begin (I believe next Monday?) I'll be far better at updating and writing about actual things and not about how busy I've been and the reasons I CAN'T write. 

Forgive me.

Pictures soon! 

X

let's talk about first impressions.

Let me just start this off by saying if you're expecting to hear negative comments, look elsewhere. I'm totally and completely in love with this city. Well, except for the fact that these people think it's acceptable to eat dinner at five in the afternoon. (Anyone else with me on this one?) 

It is important to note that my positive mood/experience has greatly been influenced by the fact that I have met some really, really awesome girls. Before I left for England, I was of the opinion that "if I wanted to hang out with Americans, I'd just stay here". I wanted to fully immerse myself in the culture and surround myself with British accents from all sides. That hasn't changed, don't worry. What has changed is my opinion of the people I would meet along the way. I didn't really expect to become close to anyone or even really be put in a situation in which we would spend much time together. I thought I would roam the streets alone, lost in thought and definitely cloaked in mystery. 

I'm not cloaked in mystery.

Anyway, these girls are great. We've already ventured to the city center twice (WHERE I FINALLY GOT TO GO TO PRIMARK; too excited about that, obviously) and have gone to karaoke at a nearby pub (where we sang "party in the USA".) Talk about mystery. ;) 

Okay, before I blabber on too much (because it is almost midnight here and I am a sleepy pup), I'm just going to say that my first impressions of this place are so incredibly positive.

The weather is what everyone makes it out to be, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It does drizzle a lot, but never for too long and the sun does make appearances. It stays cloudy and really, that seems like a good thing. It gives nice soft lighting and is sweater friendly! In my whole two days in England, I am apparently a weather man. Don't listen to me, tomorrow could be Hawaii or the North Pole for all I know. 

The food isn't so bad! I've just eaten in the cafeteria so far (I have two meals a day, five days a week covered) so I haven't really come into contact with real food...but what they have served so far has been quite good. Lots of potatoes and I'm juuust fine with that. 

Seriously, potatoes at every meal so far. 

When the weekend comes, though, I plan on eating my way through the country. And instagramming the whole way through. 

Also, the last thing to note (before I nod off) is how friendly everyone is. I think I had an irrational fear that as an American, everyone would hate me instantly. Maybe they do and maybe they just hide it well. Because it's pretty much just the international students on campus right now (everyone else doesn't show up until Sunday) I haven't really come into contact with anyone other than our group leaders/shop workers/THE FRIENDLIEST POLICE ON EARTH, but every contact has been warm and welcoming. 

All in all, the city is charming and the ladies I'm with are the best. I'm happy, healthy, and about to curl up for the night. Here is where I will leave you with some pictures. x 

This is our little group, although there are a few not pictured. 

This is our little group being our little group. To be fair, it was a nice view.

And a few of the city:

Good night.

little dove.

The woman who hands me my dessert calls me "dove".

1) She's already handing me dessert so like, best friends.

2) Dove is now officially my favorite pet name, watch out.

Oh, and I'm listening to One Direction, don't judge me. 

the land of no outlets.

I guess I'm in the right place.
I heard an old man speaking on the phone, and he had an accent that could only call Manchester home. I bet he's returning to a nice minced pie and his lovely wife. Or maybe not, but wherever he's going, I'm going, too.

American Airlines just delivered me, (heaving under the weight of too many carry-on necessities and scurrying as to not hold up lines of impatient business men) in Chicago. I'm slightly confused and my contacts are fuzzy due to the non-stop cryfest2013 that has been going on in my household. Regardless, I feel quite secure that if I just hunker down in my lady books (because I can't find a damn outlet so all hopes of charging up my cell phone/laptop have been thrown out the window after I press "publish"), eventually doors will open and sunlight will burst from behind them. An airplane will come into focus and that very airplane will fly me all the way to England.

As I type this, a few more elderly gentlemen have sat down around me and although they are not speaking, their beards and sweater vests are more than enough for me to feel confident that I will indeed be on a plane with a bunch of cheerful British Santa-esque characters. I fully expect for the cabin to smell of tobacco pipe and peppermints (the parent trap, anybody?)

Sitting here, I finally feel (somewhat) at peace with the entire adventure. I would be lying if I said this has been easy. I wish I could be that girl that has a passport filled with stamps and stories to tell, that would laugh in the face of someone who was crying over being separated from her boyfriend for three months. The girl that feels at home on the back of camels everywhere and who has the ability to float from one life to another. You know, Jessa. That isn't me, though. I'm fairly certain I'm going to cry my entire first week there and my bed will feel all too empty without Jonathan. I'll probably blunder over counting money and get lost while attempting to walk two blocks. Regardless, I am smart enough to know that any adventure is a good adventure and this experience in particular will be one that will test me and help me grow, yet at the same time I feel very safe and secure in both my destination and my reason for being there. Plus, it's only three months.

I guess this is where the story really starts.

seven days.

Seven days.
One week.
However you put it, this time next week I will be on a flight to England, probably squirming in my chair and trying to figure out how to fall asleep in between some feisty heavy weight champion and a sticky three year old. I imagine these will probably be the people I get stuck between. Of course I'll have to get back to you on that one.

There is so much I have to do before I board the plane. I have a list a mile long including picking up contacts, tracking down my boots, and giving my dogs enough cuddles to last three months. The last one might be hard. Regardless, I will be checking off all the boxes and will prove to myself that perhaps I am not a total mess and can totally get my life together.

I think I can.

Currently listening to: the live stream of Syria: Weighing the U.S Response

Oh, that is scary, too.
xo

snow white and the eleven roommates.

So I got my accommodation today. It looks a little something like this^^
Eleven strangers and myself are going to be calling it home for the next three months...and according to my assignment, I'm to share a room. Honestly, that's the one thing I've been dreading. I was willing to live with an entire rugby team and be the house mom rather than share a room. What if I find myself wanting to cry for my entire first week? What if my roommate judges my taste in music (because sometimes Hilary Duff/One Direction/S Club 7 is just necessary)?

Thankfully I found a Facebook forum for the house in question and met two young ladies who are down to venture to Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey is filmed) and to spend all our hours at the Chester zoo. Hopefully the entire house will share in our pursuits and won't mind when we come home smelling like lions and tigers and bears. So that is promising.

I've never shared a room before and I have never lived with so many people. I'm trying to view this as just an added experience to my adventure and I am looking forward to meeting all of my housemates later this month (whether they are up for old lady night-ing or not.) ;)

Fingers crossed. x

Currently listening to: Folding Chair -Regina Spektor.