Friday, December 26, 2014

Christmas Break Part 2; The Holiday- Muscat, Oman


 Picture time! My time in Oman has been fantastic!
 
The weather has been beautiful, 80 (f) and sunny every day, and hardly a cloud to be seen.
 
Terry, Larry, and Emma were amazing hosts; finding a perfect balance of sightseeing and
relaxing. We stayed busy;
 swimming at a sink hole, hiking, snorkeling and dolphin watching, and beaches.
 
Time has flown by, Christmas has come and gone, and it's already time to go back to London. I wish I was staying longer!  














Saturday, December 20, 2014

Christmas Break Part 1; The Layover- Istanbul, Turkey



 So I clearly still haven't figured out how to format pictures on this silly thing, but aside from that...





I had a 20 hour layover in Istanbul on my way to Muscat. The first half of that was overnight, which was awful as I am not able to sleep upright, surrounded by loud and annoying travelers. The second half of it however, was amazing!




Apparently some cities have free tours when you are stuck there on a long layover! Lucky for me, Istanbul is one of these places. It is a beautiful city, with lots to see and do.





Unfortunately by the end of this adventure I was running on about zero hours of sleep in two days so the details might be a bit blurry... But the food was delicious and the people were friendly.





I plan to go back someday, and for more than just a layover. I'm guessing I will enjoy it even more in a non-comatose state :)
Pictured: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar/ Egyptian Spice Market, city of Istanbul
 

 
 
More pictures soon to come of Muscat! 
 
 Happy holidays everyone!



Friday, December 12, 2014

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

White sand beaches that is! I really can't complain about the weather here at all, seeing as how its been in the 40's (f) and not a trace of snow in sight! But regardless I'm off to warmer weather for the holidays! On Tuesday I will be off to Muscat, Oman, with a short (20 hour?!) layover in Istanbul, Turkey!

Since my previous post... I spent a lovely Thanksgiving with my adopted Minnesota/British family :) It was so nice to be out of the student halls for a few days; sleep in a real bed, relax in a real house, shower in a real shower. It's the little things. They remembered my favorite American vice (Dr. Pepper of course), and I even learned how to make stained glass!

Classes are chugging along. After the Christmas break I will be looking into a few research opportunities and/or getting serious about finding a job. London can't be all fun and games I suppose.

Anyways I will have a picture filled post coming after Christmas! Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! Miss you all!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Lights and Fires and Wales, oh my!

It has been a crazy week or two! The Oxford Street Christmas lights 'switch on' ceremony, bonfire night, and a long weekend in Wales, not to mention a day trip to Oxford and Warwick Castle. Lets start at the beginning....

The lighting ceremony was a bust. I don't know if the whole thing was just set up poorly or what, but it was just a crowd of people being herded around in circles by the police, and overall just not what I remember from last time. Oh well. Here is at least one good picture that I didn't even take lol.







It was bonfire night on the 5th, as you may remember from around this time 4 years ago. Or not, in which case all you need to know is- fires, fireworks, and Guy Fawkes. No pictures, unfortunately... it was pouring rain that night and I had a workshop to be at. Lame.

On to Oxford! Beautiful city, epitome of a college town. Lots of history and amazing buildings. The castle was a castle... I'm sure they all have fantastic history and information but I've come to the conclusion that if you've seen one or two, you've seen just about all of them. There are a few specific castles I'd still like to see, but otherwise they are no longer on my list of things to do :)




And Wales... Somehow I didn't make it to Wales last time I was on this side of the pond. I spent 3 days in Cardiff, walking around and taking in the sites. Overall it was very similar to England, but Cardiff bay was beautiful and it was nice to get out of the student halls for a few days.


 
Until next time, Happy thanksgiving in advanced to everyone back home! Love you and miss you all!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Stonehenge, Bath, and Halloween


I have survived my first day trip of the year, a day out to Stonehenge and Bath with the flat mates :) I made this trip last time around, but it was fun to go with friends. Unfortunately it was just a day trip, so our time in Bath was very short, but it is such a beautiful city.  My next trip is coming up soon, a weekend in Wales :) But first I need to study, and it will be bonfire night soon, and the Christmas lighting ceremony....






Yesterday was Halloween, which is not as celebrated here as in the US but it is catching on. The weather was amazing (75 degrees!), and we decided to put off our studies to enjoy the sun and the view on Primrose Hill. (Sorry for the poor picture quality! Check my Facebook for better shots...)


Finally, we ended the night in Camden for the Halloween parties. None of us had a proper costume, but I think we managed to look pretty scary, or at least a scary as a group of university students can be in ridiculous face paint :)





Saturday, October 18, 2014

#LondonProblems

School has begun! The rain never ends! And I forgot my umbrella on the tube! :( #LondonProblems 

For now, I only have classes one day a week. Which is ridiculous. However, there is enough reading for each class to keep me busy during the week. Still need to find a job however... Then I'm sure I will be more than busy enough. Seems like home already :)





Friday, September 26, 2014

MDX Welcome Week

I am officially moved in to my new residence in Cricklewood and survived the international students induction at Middlesex! It is amazing being back in London, and I am almost as excited to be back in school soon :)

My new flat mates at the welcome fete

Gladstone Park, near Dollis Hill
Middlesex University

Monday, September 15, 2014

4 years and forever ago... I planned to go back

Seeing as how my everyday life in the states is clearly not exciting enough to blog about, it has been a little bit since I've posted anything. However, the countdown has begun, and I'm going back! In 5 days, I will be heading to London for grad school!! Assuming things go to plan, I will return to the states in just over a year with my masters in criminology and forensic psychology!
 
Until then, you will have to keep up with me here, or on Facebook or Skype. Otherwise come visit me! :)