I am literally the worst at keeping up with this blog

Hey Everyone!!! 

I am so sorry it has been so long since I posted anything on here. Life is flying by here in London and it's so hard to keep everything in check that I need to do through out the day.

Now it is time to back track and try and recall everywhere I've been since my last post....

hmmmnnnn

I think the best place to start would be my visit to The Globe!!!

The Globe from a bridge (and the Tate Modern right next to it)

On November 12th RJ and I ventured out together to a attend the production of a show called "The Lightning Child" at The Globe. Waking up that morning, I didn't really realize how excited I was to go see a show at The Globe. It really wasn't until I was standing in the exact spot that I took the above picture that I realized where I was about to be standing and seeing theatre. Once I the theatre I was bee lining it across that bridge with RJ following close behind giggling at my pure and utter excitement. We arrived at the theatre nice and early with plenty of time for me to hunt for cheesy souvenirs and bath in the realization that I was actually standing in such a wonderfully historical space.

Front entrance to The Globe

Panoramic view from inside The Globe

The show itself was absolutely marvelous. It was an adaption of Euripides "The Bacchae" with a very ethnic Jamaican twist to it. There was blood, original music, dancing, some very serious scenes, and some scenes that sent the entire audience into an uproar of laughter. It was also the last performance so the Director came out at the end and did a whole speech with the cast and crew. It really was a magical experience.
On Tuesday the 15th I headed off to Camden town where I met my cousin Klaus for the first time! He is from Germany and moved to London about a year ago. He is a working musician and it was absolutely wonderful to hang out and talk to him. We walked around Camden for hours chit chatting and he really helped to get me acclimated to the historical neighborhood. Since then I've only been able to see him once but I'm hoping to hang out with him quite a bit more before I head back to the states.

Later that week, on Thursday the 17th, I set out on a solo adventure to the Tate Modern which was conveniently a short way down from The Globe so finding my way there on my own was a breeze. I took a walk over the Millennium Bridge (best known for its appearance it the Harry Potter films) and headed on inside. The art I had the privilege of seeing was absolutely stunning and would be far too hard to put in to words. Instead of trying to explain it all in detail I'll put a few of my favorite pieces up here so you can get a taste for yourself:






I was also lucky enough to get a nice look in at the construction going on for the latest addition on the Tate:

Here are some other miscellaneous pictures I was able to get while on my adventure that day:

View from the top of The Tate

The front of The Tate up close

LEVITATING MAN! Too bad I saw him climb off the chair...

On Saturday the 19th I headed to Camden with my flat mates Cat, Saveena, Roxy, and Roxys boyfriend Sami. It was the first time I had been to the market during the day and it was a lot of fun! I spent far too much money but it was totally worth it!! Before heading back to the flat we grabbed some drinks at a local pub. It was really a lovely day.

Ceiling of keys at the market

One of the many shopping locations within the market

The next day I headed to the Columbia Road Flower Market with RJ. It was really lovely and the flowers were absolutely stunning. There were also a lot of vintage stores about so of course it was nearly impossible for me to leave without buying something.

Some street art at the flower market

The following week was quite calm with a theatre society social here and a flat 14 movie night there. I attended a glo paint dance party at one point but that may have been the biggest high light of that week.

From Left to Right: Fiona, RJ, Myself, and Cat

Homework is really starting to pick up here so I haven't had far to much time for adventures. Last week was a lazy one up until right before Halloween. The night before Halloween was spent at a party for my flatmate Peglers cheer team which was quite fun. Only down side was when I fell down the stairs twice due to spilled drinks. Let's just say the bruises still have not fully mended themselves.

Me and Kit Cat having a laugh

The following day was then Halloween which sent much excitement throughout the flat. First of all it was my American flatmate Leeors 21st birthday. And on top of this all of my British flat mates were absolutely bursting with excitement over the idea of having a "real American" Halloween...yes the standards were set pretty high....
I started the day with some pumpkin carving, assisted by both RJ and Pegler who had never carved pumpkins before:

Myself and Pegler

And I must say I was quite proud of the results!!

Next was costume (or as they call it "fancy dress") preparation for the evening. Pegler and I were both being sparkly Unicorns which ended up involving a lot more work than expected but I'd say the end result was pretty wonderful:

I also think it is going to take me absolutely FOREVER to get ride of all the sparkles...

The rest of the evening was loads of fun and I really think everyone ended up having quite the exciting night.
The next day I had a lecture in my beyond acting class from a man who works at a theater that specializes in productions done in pitch black darkness. It was absolutely fascinating and I could not believe some of the things he was telling us about the power of pure sound. I felt so lucky that I got to work in such an intimate setting with him for 4 hours.
And now we have entered into this week!! Week 6 marks half way through the term as well as a week long break from Uni. As many of you may know I am currently in Ireland but I will not be posting about it right now (Sorry!!!) I want to reserve an entire post for just that. But so much has already happened and I really can't wait to share this marvelous adventure with you!
Well it is getting quite late here and I am trekking on quite the journey tomorrow so I must bid you all adieu for the evening. I promise my next entry will not come so late!!!
Cheers,

Caitlin 

Is there really such a thing as drinking too much coffee....really.....?

A lovely little replica key chain of the Queens Coronation carriage that I got at Buckingham Palace.

Hello, hello to all my lovely readers :)

Sorry it has yet again been far too long since I made a blog post. I always sit down with the aim of writing and then I hear a "knock knock" on my door and off on another adventure I go! Even as I sit here now, I can hear my flat mates in the kitchen preparing for another night of shenanigans.

Now comes the difficult part of back tracking in my past week. Where to start....

Well how about with Buckingham Palace!?!

Not this past Thursday, but the Thursday before I made the conscious decision that I was not exploring my touristy side quite enough and needed to go on a proper London adventure. With the knowledge that that Sunday the Queen would be returning to the palace and touring of it would no longer be allowed I knew I had to make a decision right then and there. So on a whim I bought a ticket and prepared my self for a solo venture out into the streets of London. 

The next day I came to find out this girl named Jessica, who I met in the airport and was lucky enough to bump into again, was looking for an adventure herself so she quickly snagged a ticket and joined me on my venture.

Getting to the palace wasn't too difficult. We got on the right tube line right for the get go, it was just walking from the tube to the Palace that was a little complicated. But we quickly figured it out and made it just in time to start heading into the palace. 

I was very sad to discover cameras weren't allowed inside of the palace but in a way I guess it was a blessing. A camera probably would have taken me out of the moment and this is not place you would want to forget a thing about.

When it comes to breaking down the majesty of the palace, I mean I really wish I could put it into words. I was aw struck, dumb founded, amazed, enchanted. I fell in love with the walls, and the architecture, the grand stair case, the hall of baroque paintings, the history. With every room I walked in, I got chills. I am a total history buff, especially for European history, and I just could not believe that I was in a palace where all of these incredible people walked, lived, made life changing decisions. With every step I took, I could feel how incredibly special I really was for even having this opportunity. 

The Back of Buckingham Palace

 My friend Jessica took quite a few pictures as well and once she sends them to me I'll make sure to make a blog post of those.

Part of the grounds at Buckingham Palace.

After our tour, I looked at Jessica and asked "What next," and she responded with one of the most British statements I've heard an America say yet:

"Screw it, lets just get fish and chips and a pint."

And that's exactly what we did.

My fish and chips and a good 'ol pint of Guiness

My weekend was then wonderfully eventful with all kinds of adventures with my flatmates. Monday announced the start of a new school week and I had my Theater Management class. Though I was a little upset that I had to take this class at first because I was hoping for all performance classes, I have met some really incredible people through it and think it's going to be really exciting learning experience. That night followed with a Theatre Society Pub Crawl where I got to meet and bond with a bunch of different drama students. The week flowed by with some bonding time with the flat mates, homework, a flatmate scary movie night on Wednesday and of course preparations for RJs birthday celebration on Friday!

We watched the possession. It was pretty awful. But we watched a British comedian after to make up for it :)

On Friday morning I had my beyond acting class which I have to say I am absolutely IN LOVE with. Experimental theater is pretty much the main focus of study in the theater program here at Queen Mary which I find very interesting. Even though we do some experimental work at Purchase it is certainly not the focus of study and I don't think I've ever really had an opportunity to explore it all that much. This acting class focuses on the general idea of no longer being an actor on the stage but rather trying your best not to perform at all. My professor is continually bringing me to interesting realizations about the presence of my body on the stage and I am so excited to see how this class will influence my acting in the future.

After class I headed back to the flat and dragged RJ out on a shopping trip with me so the rest of the flat could get everything ready for his birthday celebration. 

Upon returning to campus there were balloons in the window and a lovely sign reading "Happy 19th RJ!" Filled with excitement we ran up to the flat to see if everything was done but everyone was a little behind schedule so RJ had to hide in his room until all preparations could be completed.

When we were finally done, the kitchen was spotless, we were all in our party hat attire and there was a little cupcake birthday cake burning brightly on the table. 

I was the one to retrieve RJ and I brought him into the kitchen with his eyes closed where he was then greeted by Ben on guitar and the entire flat singing Happy Birthday. Lets just say, for someone who doesn't enjoy fuss on his birthday, he was very pleased with the sight of it all.

We then did presents where he received from me a cake baking pan, a lovely mug that stated his queenship in our flat and this fantastic card:

It's perfect, I know.

The night was just as exciting as the initial party it self with a trip down to the Pub down the road for some drinks and plenty of music and good cheer. 

Oh! I also forgot to mention, I went to my first London Club! It was the final official Freshers event at this club called Fabric. I was slightly reluctant consdiering I'm normally not a clubbing type person but I had a blast and honestly can't wait to do it again!

In the tube station on our way to Fabric!

And now we have reached today, which I must admit has been quite uneventful. A lot of my flat has gone for the weekend so I spent most of the day cleaning up from the party and catching up on American television. So many things are coming up though! I'm currently in the process of hunting down tickets for some shows on the West End, scheduled a trip to Ireland in early November to see the family, and I just made plans with my cousin Klaus to meet up for the first time ever on Tuesday. All and all, I'm very excited to see what other adventures London has in store for me. 

Much Love,

Caitlin

Chips, Crisps, and The Reason I Bought an Orange Hat

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I've written, this whole week has been quite crazy. I have already experienced so much and am positively smitten with this country and all it's incredible people. 

Through out this week I have been sitting in on all kinds of international student lectures. All the information seemed pretty standard but it really amped up my excitement for this whole experience.
On Tuesday night, the international students were invited on a boat cruise down the Thames which was absolutely gorgeous!! Music, free food, and an absolutely stunning city to look at. Can't get much better than that:

Going under the Tower Bridge.

The Tower of London from the Thames.

Some of Londons' glorious skyline.

Following up this lovely adventure, on Thursday I went on a bus tour through London on which I saw many of the signature landmarks. I was initially disappointed because the roof seats were full when I got there but was later grateful when the rain rolled in:

Big Ben!!!

Londons' National Gallery

The next day my flat mates and I ventured out to Oxford Street, the main shopping district of London. As I walked into Top Shop I could almost literally feel the emptiness of my wallet. Yet my friend RJ and I did get some fabulous pictures out of the journey:

Looking fierce and confused in Urban Outfitters

Fanny packs are so very functional. Also in Urban Outfitters.

He is SO fabulous. In Top Shop.

I did end up making a few purchases that day which included a lovely chain for my noggin which was displayed the next day at a Toga party:

Be. Fierce.

And a marvelously orange hat which my friend RJ likes to say makes me look like a "Real Londer":

Hilda (one of my flat mates), me, and RJ having some fun in the kitchen.

By the time the weekend rolled around I was feeling fairly beat. Saturday morning I woke up and lo and behold, it turns out I caught a cold. I spent most of the day in my bed and today has pretty much been the same. I did manage to go on one adventure today. RJ had a friend visiting and we were all buzzing for adventure so we headed out to Piccadilly Circus where we took a look at Fortnum & Mason, the Queen's official grocery. It was way out of my price range but was still gorgeous to look at. By the time we got back I was exhausted and have pretty much stayed in bed except for the occasional visit to the kitchen. 

Tomorrow I start classes and I have to say it is very surreal. Everyone back at Purchase has already been in classes for a month while I am just about to begin. 

It's also crazy to think that I've only been here for a week. In a way, this feels sort of like a new and different kind of home and my flat mates have most certainly become family. There are a lot of things I still miss linguistically, and I often get confused about money and which way I'm actually supposed to go on the Tube. But I'm loving getting to know this city, and the people, and the culture that London has to offer. 

1 week down. So many adventures left to go.

Cheers,

Caitlin

"I'd have to say that's a little posh, posh."

It is around 10:30am here on my second day in London and I am positively beat.

My bed isn't the comfiest I've ever curled up upon but I'm hoping I can hunt down a mattress pad some where.

Yesterday was absolute madness. Both my flights went very smoothly and while I tried like crazy to sleep on my flight over the ocean, apparently that was not going to be an option for me. 

When we landed in London Heathrow it was pretty foggy out so I couldn't see much from the sky but I still felt my excitement beginning to grow. 

When I got off the plane I headed straight to customs. When you normally think of customs, you think it's going to be someone asking you this boat load of questions that you know no answers to. I must admit I was quite relived to walk up to the desk, they asked me 4 questions, and I was in. 

Next was grabbing my bagged. Check. And then as soon as I walked out of the terminal I was greeted by a pack of Queen Mary students who helped get me situated and on a bus to the school.

    On our way to the school I passed by a bunch of well known land marks. The London Eye, Big Ben, Hyde Park. It was incredible just seeing all of these things and being like, "Wow I'm actually here."

When I got to the school I picked up my keys and headed up to my room. I live in a 10 person hall where we all share a kitchen but have our own rooms, bathrooms, and fridges (score!!!)

I think what I've found the most amusing is that there is literally a wall switch for everything. The plugs, the heater, the stove. Like EVERYTHING electronic has a switch.

When I got here I had to finish enrolling which turned into this massive process that took longer than it should have because I forgot to print out some paper work and it ended with me taking THE WORST student ID I have literally ever taken in my life. Jet lag does not look good on me. 

Once I finished all of that I headed back to my room and continued to unpack where upon I finally began to meet some of my room mates. Most of them are British but the girl who lives in the room next to me is American. 

I ended up spending the whole night getting to know all my room mates. We had quite the laugh and I only departed their presence after I felt like I was going to fall asleep on our kitchen table.

Today I have tons of errands to run and currently no one to run them with. I had met a few study abroad students but at housing we all got separated and I haven't seen them since. I must admit I'm a tad scared to go out on the city alone but it'll sure be the best way to get to know my new environment. 

Time to be my adventurous self and find out what this day has to offer.

Cheers,

Caitlin

It's Time to Begin

Here we are! On the cusp of adventure. On the dawning of a new era!

Today I officially depart on my journey to London.

This past week has been riddled with all sorts of trials and tribulations that ended with quite the crying fit curled up next to my mother last night. I won't lie by saying getting ready for this adventure has been easy. I've been in a constant state of feeling like I never have anything done and that this whole experience is too over whelming. But after a good cry and a massive bowl of ice cream I can now better reflect on my experiences and appreciate how much they have already made me grow.

With every struggle, every trial I have faced getting ready for London, I realize now that I have conquered them all. I thought openly, talked it out, and most importantly I wasn't afraid to ask for help. There are so many people I wish I could thank for helping me get to this point and I hope they all know how grateful I am.

Two of my biggest rocks in this entire process have been my parents. Their unwavering belief in my abilities and my choices has been one of the biggest gifts I could ever ask for. When ever I had a problem, needed help, or just needed a hug, they were always there without hesitation. I don't think I will ever be able to thank them enough for that. 

It is now officially down to 6 hours before my flight takes off from Rochester and I am bursting at the seams. I have so many things left to do and this constant looming feeling that I am bringing too much (I'm a clothes whore, it's a problem). But at this point my excitement is over shadowing the bulk of these worries. I'm going to London for 3 months! 

I mean, how freaken cool is that?

Much Love,

Caitlin

In the beginning...

Well here we are. A mere 22 Days....1 hour....49 minutes....and 29 seconds (yes I have a count down on my phone) until I jump on a plane to Queen Mary University.

How am I feeling about my journey right now? A mix of excited, nervous, stressed as a sinner locked in a church, and a little overwhelmed by the prospect of fitting my entire life into two suitcases and a carry on. Mostly I'm excited though. 

At the beginning of last school year I made the decision that I wanted to study in London. As I began the process of applying it seemed the mountain of things I had to do would never end. Fill out this packet, call this person, fill out a transferal of credits form, call this other person, apply for financial aid, try to get scholarships, fill out even more paper work. It just seemed like one thing after another. 

But finally I've made it to the end of the paper work, and it was really all worth it. Other than some confusion with my schedule, everything is set and ready to go. My last step is to finish packing and get on that plane.

I am so ready for my next adventure. This is about to be a crazy awesome three months.

Lets go.

-Caitlin