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the Cotswolds>>

Hello Hello!

yeah, its been a long time since i blogged about anything....but there hasnt been too much to report on, as usual.

On the dissertation front, its been going well lately. In the mornings this past week, i stop in the school office and read through sample dissertations from previous years that scored high (otherwise why would they give out crappy ones as an example?!) and i make notes and then hop off to the library for a couple hours typing and researching stuff. im hoping that ill be able to get my primary research done by the end of next week!! if that happens, it will be great!

on the other front...the weather has been cloudy and rainy on and off, with humidity and wind. lovely. my summer here lasted like 2-3 weeks and then vanished....such is england. im still hanging out a lot with the 2 italian girls left here from my course as well. and my japanese friend Tomo is moving to an apt. in Brighton on sunday :( but, i guess maybe this gives me a reason to go visit her more often and check out the hoppin city over there!! (and shopping too ;)

and, its crazy to think that on Saturday, my friend from Hope is getting married!! (not really a schocker, as a lot of my graduating class got engaged and married like the end of the world was staring them in the face), im sad ill miss it, but especially now, i cant imagine being home and feeling tons more stress and pressure of being away from my supervisor, the library, and the study environemnt im used to here. so i guess its good that i stayed for this month.

i should be back home in mid september at the latest!! i figure i might as well just stick it out till i hand in ALL my dissertation shiz and can go home without any stress or work, so i can hit the job hunting stage hard!!

Alexandra, Angeliki, and Ifi come back soon!! cant wait! :D

Will's Birthplace

OH, ps. i took a 1 day bus tour to Stratford and the Cotswolds (a region of england known for its rolling countryside and quaint villages) and the weather was pretty crappy, but stratford was awesome! walked thru Will Shakespeares childhood house, saw the Royal Shakespearan playhouses, and got to understand about Elizabethan architecture, how the houses were made to adjust to the shifting land-and are still standing, and all about Shakespeare's life growing up and how hugely his genius stories have impacted the rest of the world!!!!!!!!!!! amazing! loved it!

The lone Americano.......

yesterday was the 4th of july.....not like anyone here really cares ;/

it started off cloudy and a bit cool, but by 4 it was sunny and warmed up nicely. i had a turn out of about 8-9 people and we bbq'd with enough food for everyone, had yummy cake and ice cream, and then played with sparklers! everyone seemed impressed and had fun with those. OH! i have also turned on the int'ls and the english people to roasting marshmallows! the past few bbqs we've had at our house, people were sure to bring skewers and mallows ;) americanization infiltrating once again!!! muwaahahahhahh

anyhoo, its still been pretty lonely without the flatmates. i write or skype to them once in a while, but not having daily interaction kinda sucks. on the other hand, i dance around and sing whenever i want....what a nice freedom -(

ummm, i suppose thats about all the news. i found some people who are interested in going to party in london, so that made me very happy, since i havent done it yet!

the diss. is going well , i think . hopefully i can get all my primary research shiz done soon and then really start writing the meat of it.

till next time. Cheerio (thats what the old people say on the bus from church ;)

flip.

so, just a little update on things:

everyone has left my house :'( i am now the lone reed in St. Margarets cottage!!

during the day, obviously its fine, cuz im usually at the library or doing whatever, but at night it gets creepy. not that im actually scared of the house or the surroundings (*although the clouds were so low last night, it was like a horror movie mist slinking thru the streets...i stopped and assessed the situation and started shaking cuz it freaked me out so much...cuz the mist was only in certain spots....weird). anyways, the weather has been getting warmer here! the last few days have been realllllllllly sunny and warm! today i walked to town in shorts, flip-flops, and a tank top!! but it was still only in the high 60s...whatev. im gonna either die or melt when i get back home to crazy humid 80F!!

so, lately, i have been hanging out with my Italian friends who are still around Eastbourne. 2 students that i studied with and then a couple other italian guys that i met through my other italian friends...somehow they always seem to find each other ;) so its been fun getting to meet new people and having other friends around, so that im not 'completely' alone!

oh, and i still dont get internet in my house, however today i bought one of those USB stix that you're supposed to get hooked up to internet with....yeah, nothing ever goes easy for me! i installed it but now theres stuff popping up about high risk folders and whatnot....so im not sure what to do about that shiz. i just want internet! luckily my friend Giulia is close by so i can come to her house and use her internet :)

ok, thats all.

Ciao, Italy

I got back in jolly old (10 degrees colder than italy and spain) england on Monday june 15.

>>I arrived in the Fiumicino airport in Rome on the 8th and promptly got my shuttle to the hostel. as i was standing in line to check in, i was considering my options for finding out if julie and her friend had already checked in too. i look up and there she came down the stairs to see if i had arrived yet!! it was so great. couldnt have planned it better ;)

the first 2 nights i was in a 'bungalow' (basically like a mini trailer) with a smalllllllllll bathroom. convenient. then the last 3 nights i stayed with julie in the tent. we learned that earplugs and a shared bottle of wine at dinner really makes for the best sleeping environment ;p cuz the tents area was VERY near the busy road.....and i am a light sleeper......and i dont like having the feeling that there is a bus stop in our tent....so therefore wine and earplugs were necessary!

so, our days were busy with lots of walking, sightseeing, eating, and drinking!! only wine at night wtih dinner, and glugs and glugs of water during the day!! im pretty sure the average temp was around 90 with some humidity!! it was brilliant and i loved it, but still....stickyness isnt so much fun.


i saw the Palentine Hill, Colloseum (Colosseo in Italian), Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican/Sistene Chapel, Catacombes, Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi), Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, and the National museum. so, we did a lot of stuff!! the hostel where we stayed was like a biiiiiiiig camp site, it was pretty cool. they had a bar and had themed parties each night, and a pool (though when i stood it was at my waist :( and it was clean and they had a bus stop into town. my favorite places were the Colloseo and Piazza Navona!!!! First, the Colleseo was obviously amazing cuz thats where the gladatorial games took place and it was crazy to see how many people fit in there (seated according to social class) and the crazy carnage that once took place for public entertainment! and, Piazza Navona is a famous/popular plaza area with lots and lots of gelatarias and outdoor restuarants! we first went there at night after eating dinner outside on a narrow side street, and it was like i was in a dream or a movie or something!! there were lots of people around, artists, accordians playing, people dining outside under the clear sky, the temperature was perrrrrrrrrrrrfect....not too cool but still a bit balmy to keep you warm.. the dim street lights and lanterns from the cafes made the streets glow and added a touch more of historical flare to the ancient buildings all around. (am i getting poetic yet? ;)

everything else was awesome too. the Trevi Fountain was really a site to see. there are so many fountains, big and small, everywhere. i love how well they have perserved and boast their Roman history!! theres nothing like that in the U.S. so its nice to see a city/country that is still very closely tied to their roots.

Then, julie and i spent 2 days in Madrid, enjoying the still searing hot sun but with dryer air!! not so much sweat :) we tooled around some parks and gardens, and went inside the emperor's palace, and looked around at the shops in town. i also purchases a pair of RayBans!! julie was so proud of me to get a pair of 'aviator-like' shades ;) and i give her a gold star for not killing me for taking prolly nearly 1 hour just standing in the store with the sunglasses on staring at myself wondering if i shoudl get them!! ohhhhhhhhhhh my indecisivness!! curse you!!!

so, thats about it. i didnt get sunburned....or really anything near a tan, but thats better than blisters and freckles!!! Grazie SPF 30 and 50!!

so, thats all for now. cant WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT to get back home with the fam. it seems everyone else is flying the english nest very soon....i dont want to be abandoned!!

23 and feelin good ;)

Yesterday, my day consisted of the gym (of course, how could resist?!), and then a couple hours in town shoppping with a friend for a nice outfit and some shorts for italy. we came across a really great dress in one the department stores, and it was on sale! also, when i tried it on, it fit like it was made for me....juuuuuuuuuuust perfect!!

then, i hung out at home for a couple more hours till it was time to start getting ready to go eat Polish food, have drinks, and dance!!

Before we left for food, Alexandra and her brother who was visiting came over. As i was getting ready in my room, oblivious to the fact that everyone had gathered in the living room, i went to go see if they were ready to leave. i was greeted by Barbel at the door telling me to NOT come in and go back to my room for a bit! i was surprised that they were planning anything!

so, when i got the 'ok', i went back to find everyone in the living room with a freshly baked cake from Mila (which was perfect!) and some balloons! they sang happy bday to me, and we had a slice of cake before we left. i also got some really sweet gifts including a British Cookbook....which im totally excited about, but i wonder how much more Fred and Sioux will be frothing over the pictures when i get home.....i might have to start charging for my meals ;p

so, it ended up just being the 8 of us in the small restuarant, which was great. i think most of us got the goulash...(i might have had somethign to do with that ;) and everyone loved the food!! OF COURSE! we drank wine and ended up singing some songs at the end for our entertainment.

then it was off to The Loft, a nice bar in town where we met up with a bunch more students from uni. we spent some time there socializing and then it was time to dance!! went to a smaller dance club in town and stayed there for about 2 hours. based on my experience with a silk dress and dancing.....silk doesnt breath!! and it gets very warm inside that dress!! but, it was a LOT of fun, and they played really great music! Alexandra and i rocked out to lady gaga and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

also, on facebook, i got a massive slew of wall posts wishing me a happy birthday from friends all over the place!! howwwwwwwwwwwww sweet.

i am enjoying this 'celebrating a bday in a foreign country' thing i have going on....i would like to keep it up ;)

AND, the fun doesnt stop now. i am off to italy on monday to meet up with a friend from home!! and her bday is on the 7th....so im sure we will find some time to celebrate there too!!