Oh London how I love you!

Tuesday, June 28th-Thursday, June 30th


I'm running out of time to write of all our adventures, so here are some pictures of our fun times during our last few days in London!

We found this amazing little park near our hostel.
It was like a secret garden, and we had fun
adventuring through it!

Enjoying some Starbucks on a rainy afternoon while
waiting to pick up Seth from the train station

We just had to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe one more
time before we left London!

Outside Buckingham palace

I have witnesses, I made this soldier smile..
True story!!!!!

And so free travel begins...

Monday, June 27^th

Well, it’s official. Today begins our first day of “Free Travel.” The rest of our Scotland group left early this morning to head back to the States, and another small group of girls left today for Paris. I must say, it’s quite a strange feeling to go from a group of 13 to a group of 4 young college girls all alone in London. While strange, it’s also quite exciting to be out on our own, venturing around the city and enduring the hardships that come with having no clue what you are doing while in a foreign country.

We checked out of our apartment at 10:00 today, and headed to a local bakery to make use of free wireless internet. This was the first time we could find a place where internet was actually working, so I was overjoyed to be able to inform everyone back home that I was ok (especially Elijah, becuase I knew he would be worried since I told him I would have internet access during my time in London, and had yet to contact him).

Us girls had a nice relaxing day in London, soaking up the sun (which rarely shows up it seems), and finding great food and shops! One of my favorite things we did today was walking around Regents Park. We got there in the late afternoon, so it was the perfect temperature outside, and we were able to just enjoy strolling through winding paths and flowerbeds. I wish I would have had my camera, the flowers were breathtaking! We found a nice place to sit down and rest our tired feet. Eventually our stomachs interrupted the peaceful silence, so we took the tube back into the area of town where we were staying. We happened to stumble upon his delicious Italian pizza place. The pizza and garlic bread were delicious, and we topped it off with some chocolate we had brought from Scotland =)

 Internet is really unreliable at our hostel, but I was fortunate enough to be able to Skype briefly with Elijah and my dad (definitely a highlight of the day)! We spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out how we were going to get from London to Paris. My dad was extremely helpful with this, but it was  a stressful evening of planning! After being frustrated with travel options, we were all tired and decided to go to bed. Unfortunately, our room was about 1,000 degrees. Now, you might read this and think I’m exaggerating, but I assure you, it was so hot in our room that it felt like our skin was going to melt off. You must understand, anyone who knows me will tell you that I am always cold, and because of that, I have a sweater with me at all times, so you know if I thought it was hot it must have been AWFUL…and, it was! I think all of us only slept a few hours…we got up in the middle of the night and wet some of our shirts with ice cold water, just to try and cool down.
And so free travel begins....

Sunday, June 26, 2011

There are many days I wake up and wonder just why I am so blessed that I should be given what I have, despite how undeserving I am. God continues to humble me, and show me how undeserving I am of what I have! For this, I am so thankful. With that being said, today was an incredibly blessed day! We woke up early to attend church services at Westminster Abby. What a unique experience to be able to worship there this morning. The choir sounded like the voice of angels from Heaven itself. I closed my eyes and listened to the truth and praise they were singing. While it sounded absolutely beautiful, I kept hoping it was as pleasing to God as it was to my ears.

After services, we stopped to see Big Ben, and then headed over to ride the London Eye! It was incredible how much you could see from riding on it. London is beautiful, and the views of the city from the top of the London Eye were spectacular!

The rest of the day was filled with so much fun and excitement! Niki, Laurel, Caity and I all took the tube to Hyde Park to go to the FREE Rod Stewart concert that we got the other day from the Hard Rock Café. As soon as we got there, we knew the rest of the team would regret having not come, because we found out TRAIN was also performing at the concert as well!!!!!! That’s right folks, I was able to be front row listening to TRAIN in London at the Hard Rocks 40^th anniversary!!!!! We also heard Stevi Nicks, Barenaked ladies, Rumor, and Adam Ant. All of us girls kept thinking we were going to wake up from our dream at any minute. What an incredible experience! We stayed there the entire day, soaking up the sun and having a blast at the concert listening to all the different performers. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience!

Changed for the better

Saturday, June 25^th

Since being in London, and constantly traveling in close proximity to people on the tube(underground subway) and on the streets, I often wonder if I’m simply appearing in a clever deodorant add or commercial. If I’m not taking part in the making one, I sure should suggest the idea to someone, because it seems as if no one knows how to maintain a delightful odor. Common sense would tell you that if you’re going to be in close proximity (and by close proximity, I mean, literally being pressed directly up against hundreds of people), proper hygiene would be a concern.

Portobello is no exception to this smelly phenomenon. We woke up early to head to Portobello because we had heard it was a unique town, and if by unique, they meant crowded and sweaty, then this was a VERY unique town! While it was quite crazy, smelly, and crowded, I’m glad we were able to go and walk around. I always have a fun time experiencing new and different things!

Derek, Kelsey, Britni and I stopped by a coffee shop and bakery for some lunch before heading back to the apartment to get ready for seeing the musical WICKED!!!!!! After feeling so dirty and gross in Portobello, it was wonderful to come back and clean up, put on a pretty dress, and go see a musical in London! This was my second time seeing Wicked, but I still got goose bumps at different moments throughout the performance.

One of my favorite songs in the play Wicked is called, “For Good.” One of the lines says, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for the better..because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” As I was listening to this song, I couldn’t help but think about how true this was for so many of the wonderful people I met during my time in Scotland. I am beyond grateful for the people God has put in my life that have changed and shaped me into who I am today. From my parents, to my teachers, to friends, to children in Africa, Ukraine, Scotland, and America, I have been forever changed by your influence and life lessons. Because I knew you, my life has been changed for the better!

London Fun!

Friday, June 24^th

Though I’ve been to London many times before, I was able to experience many things today which I have never had the opportunity to do before! The morning started out with a fun adventure of traveling on the tube to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. This happens every other day at 11:30, and apparently all of London knows about it, because there were SO many people all shoving and pushing to get right up to the gates. Fortunately, our leader knew it would be extremely crowded, so we arrived over an hour early, and ended up getting one of the best spots to watch the ceremony! While it was a long morning, and involved a lot of standing around, I really enjoyed myself, and loved being able to partake in a part of the culture here.

After a taste of British culture, we got our taste of America as we ate lunch at the founding Hard Rock Café right here in London! It felt just like I was at home, eating familiar foods and hearing familiar songs being played. The food was delicious, and our group had so much fun together. One of the best parts about eating there was that our waiter gave us free tickets to hear Rod Stewart play in concert in the Hard Rock Café 40^th celebration at Hyde Park on Sunday!

After a delicious lunch, we headed to Madame Tusssaud’s, which is an incredible wax museum. While I didn’t really know what to expect from a wax museum, all expectations I possibly had were blown out of the water! It really was incredible, and SO much fun! There were so many different levels to go into, and each followed a different theme. It also included a haunted house, ride, and a 3-D movie! It was a blast!

The day ended with shopping around town, and dinner/coffee at Starbucks! Another busy, but wonderful day!

Fare thee well Scotland...

Thursday, June 23^rd:

Goodbyes always come with such an array of emotions. Leaving Scotland is a goodbye to so many great things and people, but this sad goodbye also brings forth the new beginnings of exciting and unknown adventures to come. Despite the excitement of more travel adventures, it’s hard to believe that I’m not longer in Scotland with my students and dear friends. It’s a place that will be missed greatly in my heart!

We arrived in London this evening after a 6 hour train ride. After stopping by briefly at the Harry Potter 9 ¾ wall, we unloaded our heavy bags in the apartment and headed out for a night adventuring the city. Our team walked what seemed miles (probably exaggerated from exhaustion and hunger), to a fantastic restaurant called La Porchetta. Melissa and I split an incredible Pizza and garlic bread! We then walked around town, and started becoming acquainted with the tube traveling system. It was such an adjustment going from a calm, small city in Scotland, to the hustle and bustle of downtown London.

Despite being full from dinner, we just couldn’t resist trying some delicious and extremely overpriced ice cream in London.  We went to this fun place called hogs, and I got yogurt with Oreos and strawberries….YUM!

After dinner, we all tried to get internet, but we will have to wait until tomorrow for it to work in our apartment. I’m a little worried because I told Elijah I would let him know we made it in safely, but I don’t have a way to get a hold of him. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to let everyone know I arrived safe and sound =)

It’s a change in pace here in London, and I must admit, I’m missing the Carronvale, but it’s been a great night with fun people, and yet another day to be ever so thankful to God for the opportunities He has given me!

Oh, to be carefree!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Sidenote: I don't have time now, but I'll post pictures later =)

Today has been one of my favorite days since coming to Scotland. Now, I realize that is a grand statement, and you’re probably expecting me to back it up with some unbelievable event or captivating story, but the reality is, that just isn’t the case. As you may have realized while reading through my various blog posts, it truly is in the simple joys of everyday life that I find great pleasure. I love sharing these small moments of beautiful simplicity with others =)

For starters, this morning was my assigned day to teach a lesson while being observed by my supervisor.  Dr. Wood came ready to watch my every move, video camera and all, and the kids couldn’t have been more excited to meet the surprise visitor I had told them about the day before. While I was only required to teach a small portion of the day, when I arrived to school this morning, I found out that my teacher wasn't there because she had a meeting, so I had the kids alone for a few hours with another P-4 teacher helping out. From the moment I walked into the classroom today, I felt like a teacher. A real, grown up teacher, with a responsible job, and 32 precious minds and hearts to touch.

After morning roll, the kids were supposed to go to ICT (computer lab). Now, for those of you who know the skills (or rather, the lack of skills,) I possess regarding electronics, I’m sure you will get a good laugh out of hearing me say that I helped teach 32 8 and 9 year olds during computer lab this morning! It was interesting to say the least! After ICT, they were supposed to go to P.E. Now, I assumed that the PE teacher would be there, but no, I had to teach PE as well...all while wearing a dress, hahaha! So, I pulled stuff out of my teacher’s hat, and we did a warm up to the even and odd chant I taught them last week, and sung it while doing jumping jacks. We did different rely races, and at the end, I showed them how to do a crab walk race (still while wearing a dress...).

In the afternoon, Dr. Wood came into the class while I was reading to the kids from “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” I quickly transitioned into my lesson over maps, specifically, the world map. I love being a teacher! Dr. Wood videotaped me teaching, and I have to go back and watch it to critique myself. It should be very humbling! I tend to be hard on myself, so I'm nervous about watching the video. But, I know it will be a great learning experience, and I have many things to improve in as a teacher! I truly consider the time I’ve had here in Miss Laird’s classroom as such a blessing. I have learned so many things throughout my time spent here!

This evening was simply wonderful! Right after dinner, Rona and her husband John came to pick us all up and drove us to Linlithgow. We walked around a beautiful lake, and threw bread to all these ducks and swans. It was hilarious to see 50 or more swans all swimming at you full force to fight over bread! Our whole team had a good laugh over the silly ducks, and enjoyed every moment! After feeding the birds, we walked around the lake, and headed up a hill to see yet another castle. We then headed on to a BEAUTIFUL church! We were the only people in the building, so we sat down and sang songs to God. It was so beautiful that I literally got chills as we were singing. It was an amazing time to be still and worship God with praises!

After leaving the church, the sun was starting to set, and it was gorgeous outside! We all enjoyed the beautiful view as we walked to get some ice cream…which was SO delicious! While we were walking back to the cars, we all happened to see a super exciting playground. Now, be forewarned, that taking 13 Early Childhood Education majors to a playground is bound to be eventful and exciting..and that it was! Tonight I felt so carefree! Feeding swans, singing in churches, eating ice-cream, and playing on a playground, comprised an incredible day! It’s impossible to share the truest and simplest joys through writing in a blog, but it’s an incredible thing to experience!

I feel......?

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

This afternoon I taught my students two songs about Oceans and Continents. They were to the tunes, Row, Row, Row your boat, and My Bonnie Lies over the ocean. It was a blast teaching them the songs, and making up motions to go along with it! During their art time, Miss Laird and I went over my lesson plan for Thursday, because Dr. Wood will be coming to observe my teaching. I will be teaching a lesson on maps, so we were working out the details of that.

French was cancelled last minute for the class, and because the weather was nice, we were able to take the kids out for the last half hour of the school day. We walked back into their “outside classroom” which consisted of walking underneath some trees by the school, and sitting on logs. We had circle time, “and shared some of our feelings. The two prompts for the students were, “I feel nervous when..?” and “People are the same because…?”

After, we played a silly game where one student would say an emotion, and we would all have to make a face that captured that emotion. Absolutely HILARIOUS! I was able to get a few snapshots of the kids during this game:

I feel.....excited!!!!!

I feel.....SHOCKED!

I feel.....HAPPY =)

I feel........? HAHAHA!

After school, Dr. Wood picked me up because I’m still feeling a little sick. We went to the Pharmacy in town, and the pharmacist prescribed me some medicine. Hopefully I’ll be feeling back to 100% real soon!
While procrastinating homework, some of us girls decided to go outside and have “Tea Time”. Caitlin so kindly picked each of us daisy flowers, while Lauren taught us all proper etiquette. We sipped tea and ate chocolate, while listening to classical music. It was lovely!

For dinner, we had chicken fajitas, which were DELICIOUS! Definitely the best meal we’ve had so far! After dinner, some of the team went to play games with a local church group, but since I haven’t been feeling well, I stayed back at the house to rest and work on my lesson plan.
One everyone got back, we decided to walk to ASDA (a local grocery store) and buy ice cream. It was a fun time, and wonderful to get out of the house and enjoy the nice weather. It’s crazy to think we did this at 9:00 tonight, all in broad daylight. It doesn’t get dark here until around 11:00 at night! It’s dark outside now, so I know that can only mean one thing; I’ve been up far too long, and it’s time to call it a night!

Good gifts from above

Monday, June 13^th

Though it's been a long and tiring day, it's been a day nonetheless, so I will count it as a gift. Today was sports day for my students, so we were outside in the cold, (which didn't help in my recovery of a sinus infection,lol). But, I had a great time with my students, and am trying to soak up each moment I have with them. I had been given permission to stay the whole school day since it was sports day, but because of being sick, I thought it would be best for me to come home after lunch. I definitely feel it was the right decision to make! Here are some pictures of my darling students during sports day: 

On my way back from school, there was a new bus driver and she went the wrong way somewhere enroot. I ended up getting back 35-40 min. later than I should have because she missed our stop, and we had to go all the way back towards Carronshore, and then back again to Larbert. Well, on the bright side, it was good extra time to spend in prayer =)

When we finally arrived at the Carronvale, I was beyond excited to see that I had mail from Elijah and his sweet mom! It truly was God's gift to me today!  Their kind words and thoughtfulness continue to touch my heart and encourage me! I just might have read Elijah’s letters more than once ;)
I continue to be amazed by the ways that God works. He knows just what we need, and he gives GOOD GIFTS to His children!

Highlights from the Highlands

Thursday, June 9th-Sunday, June 12th: Weekend trip to the Highlands and Isle of Skye

We have been gone traveling so much that I am WAY behind on blogging! I haven’t had a computer for 4 days while we were traveling around. I’ll try to just pinpoint some of the trip highlights, and add pictures for enjoyment =) Over this past weekend alone we traveled over 1000 miles! We sure have been blessed to see so many different areas of Scotland, and had absolutely beautiful weather the whole weekend!
Thursday, June 9^th, 2011Unfortunately I woke up this morning really sick. It ended up being so bad that I wasn’t able to go to school to teach, which was really disappointing. It was an awful time to be sick, as we were leaving that afternoon for the Highlands/Isle of Skye. I went back to bed for 3 hours, and slept until we left on our bus! Here are some of the main stops we made along the way:

*Our first stop was Loch Lomond, then a cute town called Luss, and after that, we visited Saint Conans Church

Unfortunately, I was feeling so sick that I only went in Conans Church for a few min, and then went to sleep in the bus until we were ready to leave. It was about a 6 hour drive to the hotel, but we made many stops along the way. Despite being sick, I immensely enjoyed the beautiful scenery!
I really enjoyed our stop in Luss. It was an adorable little town! We also made a great stop at a beautiful waterfall in the Highlands:

Once we got to the hotel (which was adorable, and looked like a castle), we had dinner, and then spent the night in Fort William. I took some medicine and went to bed early, hoping I would feel better in the morning

Friday, June 10^thI still wasn’t feeling too well when I woke up this morning, but my body aches were gone, so that was something to be thankful for! We had an exciting day! Here are some of the highlights:

Riding the Harry Potter steam train

*Arrived at Mallaig

*Lunch at the Garden Resteraunt, amazing baked potato and peppermint tea! Sat on couches overlooking the city:

*After a delicious lunch and walk around town, we took the Ferry to Armadele, Skye

*After the Ferry, we took a bus to my favorite place we stayed this weekend (MacKinnon Country House Hotel). It was just the cutest little place! While we were there, us girls went exploring, and danced in the field...a true Scotland experience!

And  this, was my absolute AMAZING dinner we had at our beautiful hotel

After dinner, we really dipped our feet in the Scotland culture and went to a bagpipe competition. I won't say it was the most exciting thing I've ever experienced, but I was thankful to have the opportunity to  go. Definitely a once in a lifetime event!

On our way back from the bagpipe competition, we stopped to take some pictures by the water. It was such a pretty night, and we were fortunate enough to catch a BEAUTIFUL sunset!

Saturday:*I Woke up on Saturday to and discover I was covered in 18 ticks! It probably had something to do with mine, Laruel, Katie, and Mellisa's wood exploration the day before. Just a crazy start to a crazy busy day in touring around Protree, the Eileen Donnan Castle, and Northern Skye!

Sunday:*Today we drove to Inverness, stopped and had lunch, and then went on a tour to see Nessie, the infamous Lochness Monster! We even got lucky and spotted some Highland Coo's! After a day full of adventure and sights, we drove the long 6 hours back to our home away from home, the Carronvale.

As you can see, it's been quite an eventful weekend! These pictures and posts are just a tip of the iceburg. I am finding more and more just how little justice the pictures I take can really do to show the beauty of Scotland and the surrounding areas. It truly is something everyone needs to go and experience for themselves!