21: It's Not Your Birthday Until You Blow Out Candles

It was a busy weekend, so I'm going to have to start at the beginning, where I left off.

Starting with the rest of my birthday. Wednesday.

It's unfortunate that my birthday had to fall on a Wednesday.... the only day that I have class all day. I spent the majority of the day mapping out our Irish Road trip and packing. I showered and went upstairs to Laura & Claire's for birthday dinner (at 4:30... not only am I 21, but I became an early bird). Claire and I have class at 5:30 so we had to eat earlier. The lovely girls got us pizza, garlic bread, and coke (made with vegetable extracts?!) from Centra for dinner. It was like an all american birthday! Then they surprised me with a cake and candles. Now I don't know why, but it's not your birthday until you blow out some candles and make a wish. And it was good chocolate cake, so thank you ladies. Yous the greatest.

I had to end the fun and go learn about the Great Potato Famine in Irish History. Now nothing is a buzz kill quite like learning about starvation, death, and disease.

After a meeting with my group, I went back to my apartment, got my stuff and took the bus into the city centre to meet the ladies at their hotel. The magic of IPOD shuffle (which I sometimes look to for direction--kind of like a fortune cookie) was in my favor...and New Kids on the Block came on singing Happy Birthday. It reminds me of the time we played it in cream puff for Nicole's 16th birthday. It was the perfect signal.

Off the bus and walking like a champ to the hotel with my luggage. Arrived. Opened presents :) Lindsay got me a flask with a clover on it (how appropriate). Aunt Kath sent along some socks (surprise surprise) and some fun cards. Brent and Allie sent along a collection of movies... some kind of strange ones, Miss Jones. Or Classics I suppose. Like Mallrats, and Look's Whose Talking Now. Tracy got me 21 chocolate bars and a shirt. I guess I have more chocolate supply to add to the Doves Momma sent me (with the Martha Stewart tips...). And then I got a wonderful surprise from Jan...her famous cookies sent all the way from Tampa. I shared some but horded the rest for myself. I need to put them in the fridge so they are nice and cold!

We headed out to Temple Bar to celebrate 21 properly. We met Stevie, Laura, and Claire there in our favorite statue room. We sat for a bit then me and Lindsay headed to the bar to order a drink. Now normally I get cider at the bars, but I'm more of a foo-foo drink kind of girl and figuring it was my birthday, I thought it was only appropriate. But this isn't Kams or Uncle Mike's Bar... so I couldn't just ask for an O & O or a Pomegranate Martini. So I did the logical thing, I asked the bartender what he would recommend. Well actually, I told him I didn't know what I wanted, but I wanted something fruity. Now he was a nice looking guy, a little scruffy, and he looks at me, and goes, "Then eat some fruit" and walks away and into the bar store room. He was gone for a few minutes, and I looked at Lindsay like what? I honestly thought he was going to go get me an apple or something. He comes back and says, well you are in Ireland so how about a Jameson and cranberry. Sure, I say. Jameson Irish Whiskey seems like a legit first drink as a 21. He limed my glass for me while I told him it was my birthday, he responded with well wishes and handed me my drink. Lindsay bought it for me...at something ridiculous like 9 euro. We joined the rest of the group and listened to our live irish band (Lad Lane) play some traditional music. The type that makes you want to slap your knee and get up and jig. We enjoyed the fine tourist and some high quality people watching... including a couple who may or may not have gone to the bathroom together. And I'm pretty sure they weren't not using the facilities. We sat around and joked and I laughed a lot at the image of Laura buying an accordion and playing it on the plane ride back to Australia. 24 hours of live Irish music down the aisles.

The girls had to catch their bus back to campus, so they left about 11. But before they went, they played a good game of stealing glasses. Extra points for Guinness glasses. We would feel bad about it, if:

1. we had glasses in our apartments, which we don't.

2. the bars didn't get them from the breweries, which they do.

3. if the bars didn't charge you 5 euros ($7.50) for a pint, which they do.

Lindsay and I had another drink. This time we went to the old man at the other side of the bar but our sassy bartender gave us a wave. Lindsay insisted I try Midori and 7 up which is like a green liquor that is fruity tasting. I'm not sure it's popular in Ireland because when we ordered it, the bartender pour us the liquor and then opened a 2 litre of 7 up and set it on the counter. We weren't sure if we were supposed to take the whole bottle?! or what....so we waited, and then the bartender was like, no...just fill it with 7 up to your own preference. Jameson and Green Liquor seem like high quality Irish mixed drinks.

The cost of alcohol makes it ridiculous to "rage"...so we made it to midnight and headed back to the Maldron Hotel. Not quite a wild and crazy 21. I'll have to post-Ireland celebrate with my lovely friends when I return to the good ol' US of A...where being 21 is actually a big deal.

And then bed. TwentyOne. Done.

It Turns Out Not Where But Who You're With That Really Matters

I'm not quite sure how I got old enough to be 21, but here it is. The big day.

But then there's that quote..."it turns out not where but who you're with that really matters"... another infamous statement. Maybe some wise thinker said it, or maybe it was just Dave Matthews Band, but it is 100% true. Now, most people know, that I love birthdays, and my brain has a keen sense of remember these somewhat trivial days. I think that is the perfect day to recognize all the people in your life in "their day". After all, life is about the people that surround you.

So today, I thank God for all "my people". The people who have already made me feel loved and special, all before 8 am Central Standard Time. My momma and favorite freshman year roomie who I'm lucky enough to also turn into a best friend, for their care packages that cost them probably more to ship then anything else. To my uncle & aunts, both biological and honorary for their birthday cards that were mailed in advance in assurance to arrive on time. And my favorite Floridians for their preemptive wishes. To my best friends in Champaign, who were quick to wish me a happy birthday at 6 pm Central Standard time in anticipation of the turning of the day in Ireland. And my childhood bestfriends, who both were sure to send me their electronic love awaiting me in my inbox when I awoke. And my wonderful cousin Charles who was sure to wish me a happy birthday at midnight. Ofcourse, Aunt Kath & Uncle Scary who help to make it possible to have my beautiful cousin Lindsay here with me to celebrate and sent their birthday wishes via email and cards that have yet to be opened. And Lindsay, who has been more of a sister than a cousin, for coming to see me (even if she wanted to see Ireland more than me). And Tracy & Grisell for enduring some Irish rain & snow for the birthday celebration. And Brent & Allie who were sure to send a birthday present with Lindsay, that I will open later tonight after I end all my classes and head into Dublin to have a drink at a pub. And Claire & Laura for upcoming birthday dinner before history class.

Honestly, I am bummed not to be home in Champaign to celebrate the big 21. In the words of Miley Cyrus (another wise wise soul... after me & BB's fav H. Duff), "So hard with my girls not around me.... this is definitely not a *Champaign* party". I wish I was at home so I could hug my people, and celebrate with my friends who have become quickly a part of me.

But tonight I will celebrate in Dublin, knowing that across the world, people are wishing me a happy birthday and a girl can't get any more lucky than that.

Now, to finish mapping our weekend exploration of Ireland. Leaving in the AM and trusting my life in Lindsay's hands as she drives throughout Ireland on the left side of the road. I will update the rest of the birthday celebrations and our travels to Doolin, Killarney, Baltimore, & Blarney when I return back to UCD on Sunday Night.

Cheers, and have a drink with me tonight.

You're Not Supposed to Bring the Weather With You...

Now I know everyone complains about Dublin weather... well I think that I've been pretty lucky. I've had lots of sunny days, while crisp, were manageable with proper layering. I've even had sunny days where I could wear a sweatshirt. Keeping that in mind, I'm blaming today's weather on my guests from the Midwest. What started out as a typical overcast morning, turned into snow, sleet, and rain plus wind.

Anyway, I started my day with class. While a little sluggish to get out of bed and to shower, dry, and straighten my new hair that otherwise makes me look like a Furby (remember those, from like 5th grade). I rushed out of my room, only to find mail sitting by the front door. Birthday cards from Mike & Char and a slip indicating a package at the front desk. Instant improvement. Class wasn't bad, but I was a little antsy....I wanted to get on the 11 o'clock bus and coming to the realization that I had forgotten my phone on my nightstand, would have to run home first. Since arriving in Ireland, I have lessened my dependency on my cell phone immensely. Usually because the only people who have my number are usually with me. But when venturing into the city centre, I find it necessary to have for emergencies. Given I had to go back to my apartment anyway, I stopped at the front desk to pick up my package. Birthday gift from Miss Brie Bauer, instant win. I dropped it off (promising myself the treat of opening it when I got home later), picked up my phone, and hustled my way to the bus stop, only to wait for about 7 minutes for the bus anyway.

By the time I got off the bus and hiked it down to the hotel, it was about 12. Hating to be late (an attribute acquired from my mother), I realized that somethings are definitely on Irish Time...like the bus. When I arrived at their room, I didn't find traveler raring to go, rather they were lounging, sleeping, or still getting ready. Alright, whatever. I am merely the tour guide, as Dublin is at my disposal for 4 months. We decided we were going to head to the historical jail on the west side of town since we had seen most of the city center, the jail was indoors, and it had good reviews from friends and guidebooks. After stopping at the front desk for confirmation on what bus to take, I led my faithful followers in the direction of the 79 bus. We boarded the 79a since the bus driver said that would take us to the jail.... he also was very helpful in figuring out bus fares, and pointing us in the direction of the jail. Actually, when we got off the bus, a very nice man guided us to our destination after hearing me ask the bus driver. In typical Irish fashion, we had a chat on our walk, and it was interesting to hear his perspective of the growth and boom in Dublin and how the city has changed over the last few years (10-15). I was familiar with what he was going at, the economic prosperity and the changes to the values of the Irish people had been discussed in my early days at UCD. It was nice to be knowledgeable enough to carry on a conversation with a local about something of significant importance to them.

The jail was a very cool experience. While damp and cold inside, it was interesting to see this place that was home to some of the historic revolutionaries that I am learning about in class. (Yes, I'm learning something beside the fact that you have to let Guinness sit 2 minutes after it is poured). The actual jail reminded me of a movie..I'm thinking Green Mile esque. The modern wing was actually part of the movie the Italian Job... original, not remake. After our hour tour by this cute little Irish woman with a funky hat, we wandered the museum to warm up and found a tearoom for a "spot of tea".

After we warmed up, we headed out. We had had recommendations by the man who had given us directions to go to the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Now, I'm not a museumy kind of girl. Especially art. But it was free, and warm, and why not. The walk from the street seemed endless, but once we arrived, deposited our bags in the lockers, we headed in to expand our artistic horizons. I actually can see why people like modern art...it's all about your interpretation of it. You have to be in the right mindside to see it though... open to suggestion and creativity. Some of the exhibits were interesting, like the big notepads with random phrases that you were allowed to take a sheet of. Mine said "Stupid White Men"...how appropriate.

One of the larger exhibits was walls of beautiful wall paper with dates and headlines and photos all juxtaposed. Except the wall paper was beautiful, the headlines were all about LA and pop culture news, and the photos were nothing to do with either. While I may not understand the art and meaning, it just reminded me of how big the world is, and how dates may be significant to you and how if laid out in a timeline they would look. For me, it would start with February 24, 1989...Welcomed into the world by JoAnne & Barry Metz. What would be next...first step, first word.... how about when I got older.... May 20, 2007 Graduate High School. Or what about the days in between, the days that maybe define you more. Like December 14, 1996, realize that Santa isn't real and that life is a series of lies that make you feel better about things. Or December 11, 2006, lose your daily phone call, gain a guardian angel. It's just an interesting concept.... Makes you think.

After we goofed around in the art museum a bit, we decided to head out so Miss Lindsay could get a little art inked on her leg. After a bit of a locker mishap, we got our stuff and headed back into the horizontal rain. We boarded an overcrowded bus home, where Lindsay & Tracy got a look at the local crack. And I'm not talking about the irish word for fun... but nope, real, true, Irish butt crack.

We got off in the city centre, sent the elders to get some tea and crumpets and Lindsay and I went on our mission to get her tattoo. We got some food first (no food=bad mood for Linds) and went back to the place we'd been to the night before. That guy told us that he wouldn't be able to do it until Thurs afternoon and that didn't work for us so we headed to the Golden Cat, which we had passed before. The guy there was very friendly and said he could do it no problem. I felt this place was more legit, less creepy, since me and Lindsay's tattoo parlor exploration always makes me a little sketchy. There were about 4 workers in this place... 2 were sketching, so I thought that was legit. Plus two of them were women, not scary looking, and had tattoos in places that were not noticeable or visible. Josh, Linds' tattoo artist, had tattoo sleeves but nothing too scary or gothic. We even offered the receptionist some freezed dried fruit after she was telling us about how she loved Fruit Loops but they were 10 euro here. We also listened to them have a chat about tattooing someone's name on you.... and how it's a jinx according to the tattooing community. When it was time for Lindsay to get the tattoo, 2 celtic cats in a sort of yingyang shape, I sat and watched. 2nd time for this experience....first time being in Hawaii. Lindsay tried to get me to get one, which I seriously considered, but I don't know if I could honestly say I want something for the rest of my life. Maybe the next 5 years...but not until I'm 90.

After all the tattooing, we headed back to Temple Bar. We found the others at a resturant called the Shack and went in. We sat for a bit then hit the Temple Bar gift shop and the Temple Bar for a bit. Everyone was tired from the cold weather and days activities so we walked back in the freezing bitter cold to the hotel. Horizontal rain...dampness... and wind.. Thanks for the weather Chicago. I seriously think I'm becoming more and more like my mom and hate being cold. We warmed up in the hotel..then went on a search for food for Lindsay since hotel room service cheeseburgers would've been like 22 euro.

After no success, I headed home with a borrowed scarf and hat and socks, feeling much warmer. After a bit of a wait at the bus stop, I got on my loyal #10 home to UCD Belfield. When I arrived home, I had another package slip so I went down to claim my package. A Box from Momma! What a day of mail! 2 cards from Mike and Char that made me smile. Then a box from Brie & my Mom! The box from mom was like cracked so I could see the glimpse of Curious George's. Yep. What a treat.... Easy Mac, Goldfish, Chewy Granola Bars, Doves.... thanks Mom! And a super sweet birthday card. Love it. Then I opened my present from BrieBrie. Another sweet card, a picture frame, chocolate, candles, nail polish, gum... perfect.

After a long day, I am enjoying my goldfish (I think I've almost eaten half the bag) and thankful for all the love sent from the United States. I wish all my friends could be here to celebrate my birthday tomorrow, but I'm grateful that I have some representation here and such good people to make sure my birthday was not forgotten, miles and miles away.

Fearless

They say that the only thing that there is to fear is fear itsself. Who said that, a president maybe? I tried to adopt that motto for my European adventure and embrace the "Why Not" attitude. Whereas limitations exist and safety is always first, seizing the day is what these months are for.

I wanted to do something different. Change something. And where the thought of joining Lindsay for a tattoo this week crossed my mind, I decided on something a little less permanent: a hair cut. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that my hair and I have a special relationship. A love-hate sort of thing. But mostly that I have always feared having short hair. Well no more fears. I decided it was time to chop it off. And so I did. That's what we call Irish Spontaneity. And whereas I spent a little bit looking online to find a salon that was reasonably priced and not going to butcher my hair, and took Laura and Claire with me, I was not worried when she began to cut off about 7 inches of my hair. After about an hour wait and an hour hair cut.. I walked out of Naturelle Salon on Dorset Street about with the shortest hair I've ever had. (Since a toddler according to my momma).

In other news, my visitors arrived today. I met them at their hotel, the Maldron, at about 11 am. My class got done early since Inju was not feeling well, so I got there early and had the front desk call their room for me. How weird to see them all in Dublin. Lindsay gave me a big bear hug and is loving my new hair. I wanted to surprise her. I also love that she came equipped with lots of fruit snacks and granola bars (thanks Aunt Kath).

About noon, I took Lindsay, Tracy, and Grisell into the city center for Lunch at the Quays Restaurant. After experiencing the true Irish friendliness of some random stranger offering her suggestions and opinions, we enjoyed a nice Irish meal. I had the beef & guinness stew, not quite Gram's stew but pretty close. After lunch, I took them for a tour of Temple Bar area, Trinity College, Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, and Dublin Castle. After all that and jet lag, they were tired so we went back to the hotel. I am becoming quite the Dublin tour guide, what a local. Lindsay and I decided to explore some more after fueling up on fruit snacks (how I missed fruit snacks). It is so good to have my Lindsay Lou here... I can tell she is loving it all and I am excited to go exploring more of Ireland with her.

I am exhausted from being outside all day in the cold. I wish it was just a slight bit warmer.

Dublin Days

London was really quite exhausting, and I have spent the last few days recovering and getting organized before my visitors arrive on Monday. I am rather excited to have a taste of home come and see me, and no one better than miss Lindsay Marie Bucholz to share another adventure with. We've tackled the better part of the west coast and Hawaii together, and always come out laughing, even if we get mad at each other. My body must know she's coming because I was craving a chocolate banana shake today. I only wish our other partner in crime could join us, but she's busy with all those beautiful munchkins.

Since arriving home from London, I've been busy with school, class, and updating my blog. I did go see the UCD's version of the musical Footloose on Wednesday and found that to be really entertaining. The singing was good and it was funny to see the Irish students try to play Americans. I wonder if this is what they grow up believing America is like. My favorite Australian companion says yes. It is really remarkable how our culture is really the culture of the world. Laura told me that she grew up watching Full House and Scooby Doo, some of my personal favorites. I think the best part of the play was when the 4 girls sang "I Need A Hero". Not only has Bonnie Tyler become a staple of my trip to Dublin, but also because the background dancers were four guys in white t-shirts with the names of American Heroes (or at least the Irish perception of them). What four guys do you ask? Well, Patrick Swayze, David Haselhoff, Harrison Ford, and Bruce Springsteen. American Heroes at their finest right there. Just made me laugh...

Yesterday, we went into Dublin exploring a new side of town. Then we had some lunch at GBK (gourmet burger kitchen), and headed home to do some spring break planning. Coming up soon!

Today, Claire and I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and head to another coastal town south of Dublin called Bray. It was about 30 minutes on the DART from the Booterstown station. We explored the quaint little seaside town and did a little bit of the cliffwalk. It was a little windy and thus a bit chilly but the sun helped a lot. It is towns and days like these that remind me that I'm actually in Ireland.

I also learned an important lesson today. Sometimes it is better to turn around and go back then to keep trudging along in the wrong direction. They say that studying abroad is supposed to make you figure out who you are and if that is the case, than I am someone who'd rather keep trucking than go back and start over. After realizing I have this tendency, I also figured out where/who I get it from. Ten points to anyone who can guess who that is? Moral of the story is we decided to go off the trail, hike up a thorny hill, end up at a rock cliff and having to turn around, getting almost all the way back down before I realized my phone fell out of my pocket somewhere in the dense tumbleweed grass. Luckily I found it, and we made it down without me breaking anything or falling off the cliff, although Claire was beginning to worry.

After our adventure, we had some ice cream. Bray is like the Coney Island of Ireland. Cotton Candy and Ice cream stands galore. Back on our train and headed home.

Came home and fell asleep for two hours, made some chicken, and now I'm going to attempt some homework. I forgot what that's like...

London: Getting My Feet Wet In Europe. (Tuesday, Feb. 16)

Day 4. Tuesday.

I think all the steps and walking finally exhausted me to the point where I could sleep through the night. I slept until 8:30, had some breakfast, then packed my stuff up and chilled. Since we had only our backpacks, most days we'd just leave our clothes on our bed, and take our backpacks with just basic necessities out on the town. Today, we had to check out of hostel at 11, and we didn't need to catch our train until 6 pm. Which meant we would spend the whole day exploring some more with our luggage on our back. (Weighed at the airport at 7.5 kg or about 16 lbs). We checked out at about 11:30, after stripping our beds and handing our keys in, we were on our way. We had really done all the things we needed to see in the past two days so we just decided to explore some of our favorites again.

It was a drizzly morning so I was glad I packed my umbrella. After stopping by Big Ben again to take the typical telephone booth pose with some true London in the background, we decided to head to Trafalgar Square. It was a big landmark on the map so we figured we'd check it out.

As we walked down the road towards the square, we passed 10 Downings Square, home of the Prime Minster. Tons of security and I was half expecting to see Hugh Grant ( Love Actually, anyone?). We walked by the Calvary Museum and some guards on horseback. More crazy tourists and their peace signs.

Trafalgar Square has a bunch of statues and it's surrounded by the respective houses representing places like Canada and New Zealand who still have ties to the Queen. It began to rain harder so we found sheltered in some cheesey tourist shops. I bought some postcards, and we decided we wanted to head to Harrods for some more indoor fun. The path to Harrods found us walking down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace. It reminded me of Washington D.C. A long street with trees on each side leading straight to the Palace. It was boarded by St. James' Park and there were a bunch of people running in the rain. We sat on a bench in Green Park near Buckingham, the backpacks were weighing us down for sure. The path that runs along the Constitution Hill is named the Diana-Princess of Wales-Memorial Walkway. They really do love that Princess.

We were starving so we stopped at an Italian restaurant named Spaghetti House. I got some type of Penne which was just alright, but the Bruschette appetizer was delicious, great idea Claire. Carb loaded we were a little more energetic.

When we got to the familiar doors of Harrods, we were told by security that we would need to check our bags. That was fine with us, so we headed to door 3 and downstairs to the "Left Luggage" area. Our experience was improved by the doorman in green who held the door for us. So posh. It cost us 3 pounds to check our bags but it was worth it not to have to walk around with it for the first time in 4 days.

The entrance by the Left Luggage was also home to ANOTHER Diana and Dodi Memorial. This one was an over the top statue of them holding hands, releasing a dove, with a plaque that read "Innocent Victims".

There was also a "guest book" of sorts. More like a tribute book. Now we've signed our name at any place we can, to leave our mark, so we decided to leave our tribute to Diana. I remember watching the coverage over and over when she died.

A Candle in the Wind. I thought it was appropriate. I really loved that song.

After giving our tributes, we headed to explore the five floors of goodness. We tried to find the bulletproof clothing, but we think it was in "Gun Room". We went through the Pianoroom...home to multiple grand pianos and the Guitar room, full of beautiful guitars. They had a home theater room (made me miss HUI and Co.) and a bookstore. We also went to the Pet Kingdom, home to Harrods Puppies, Kittens, Bunnies, and Hamsters. There was a plaque saying that they make sure their pets get optimal treatment, and I'm assured they do. If I were a dog, I'd want to be a Harrod's Dog. The pet area had a gourmet "Pet Cupcake" area, and even "Bowser Beer". Sounds like something Charlene would buy for Rhett & Scarlett.

After the Pet Kingdom, we walked through young woman's clothing and found some cute things, way too expensive for us. We then went through the Fossil Room...

Seriously, the most expansive selection of things I've ever seen. Like a really really classy Super Walmart and Macy's combined. We even did a tour of the "International Room", aka the room with designers whose clothes you can't afford...Prada, Chanel, Louis Vitton, Gucci....

We got some souverniors (Harrod's shot glasses for me) and a bookmark for Claire and it was back to claim our luggage and get on our way.

We decided to walk back to Piccadilly to see if we could find where they shot "Diagon Alley" in Harry Potter. It was still raining and the streets were crowded with umbrellas. I was getting tired, my bag was getting heavy. We found at McDonald's at Piccadilly to sit and dry off for a bit. We hit up Cool Britannia again to see what souvenirs we could find. Another shot glass. I decided that would be souvenir from every place I visit since they are easy to transport and relatively inexpensive. We gave up on finding Diagon, and headed back towards Victoria. It was another long walk, passed Buckingham again.

The puddles were hard to afford and my feet got wet. I swear I am always walking around with wet shoes on this continent. I thought about renaming my blog to "Getting My Feet Wet in Europe"... a little symbolism in there too, but Dublin Baby! is named after the Friends Episode I had spent much of my time in London reminiscing over.

We got to the Gatwick Express and after waiting for Stevie, who didn't show up, we got on the 6 pm train. It was packed and it was hard to find seats. My feet were throbbing and wet, and I was glad to sit down.

We got through the Gatwick Airport... which is a lot of open spaces and "zones" to check in. We got our passports checked. We headed to security, got our liquids out. They provide ziploc bags at this airport (we already had some) and there was a little man with a big smile handing them out. We sat in the waiting area until our gate opened, which reminded me once again of a mall, even had a mini mini Harrods. We got reconnected with Stevie whose phone had died and thus didn't get our texts. We decided we should head to the gate. Stevie said her boarding pass said Gate 8 so we headed down the corridor to Gate 8. When we got to a checkpoint the man told me there was no gate 8. I thought he was kidding.... but nope. So we had to hike all the way back up the corridor we came to go down the corridor labeled 11-95. Luckily we were at Gate 20, not 95. We were moving fast because the gate closed at 8:15 according to our boarding pass and it was about 8. We were moving quick, and we made it with plenty of time to spare.

We lined up like a mob to get down the tarmac, and we managed to be somewhere in the front. We sat in row 4, and we were on our way. The flight isn't long at all, so I couldn't fall asleep. We landed in Dublin after seeing the pretty lights, and it was time to hit immigration.

With my US Passport and Irish Green Card in hand, I made my way to a desk, where a lovely Irish man stamped me. He asked how my trip was, how I like Ireland, and told me I must be smart to go to UCD. I love Irish friendliness.

We found our AirCoach, got on, and I had to take my shoes off. My feet was so unhappy with me. After a bit of a wait, we got on our way, and we pulled into the stop by the Montrose about 11:30. We got off and made the long walk to our rooms. We ran into Jen and Stacy on the way so we chatted up the hill. Then it was time to check my email, and then off to bed. I was exhausted.

It was a greeeat time in London. I loved the city. It was classy and posh. We saw a Royals Royce parked in front of this classy hotel. Everything is sleek, and a mix of historical genius and modern efficiency. All in all, we probably walked over 30 miles in the 3 days we were there. And climbed thousands of steps. What a work out!

London. Check.

London: The Day of 1,000 Steps (Monday, Feb. 15th)

Day 3. Monday.

Despite being exhausted from the day before, I woke up at 4:30 am wide awake. I couldn't fall back asleep... so I was a little Westminster Crabby when we started our day. Breakfast cheered me up a bit, as we made friends with Taylor (Tyler, not sure what his name really was), from Brisband, Australia. Now, thanks to my favorite Aussie Laura, I am becoming quite an Australian expert so when Tyler said he didn't understand why Americans wore flannel....and that we looked like Lumperjacks, I replied, yah that's so bougin. One point for proper use of an Australian term. He was quite entertaining, after quitting "Uni" he came to London and has been there since October living/working at the Hostel. He gave us some good laughs and some good advice "Never trust a man with facial hair, at least not completely". Sounds pretty legit to me.

We headed into town, even with a little sun shining beautifully on the River Thames, and headed to pick up Claire's Billy Elliott ticket from the theater. After a little wait and some slow people, we headed to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. We wanted to be a little early, so we could get a location. We found a place against the fence and sat for a bit waiting for it to get started.

Now, I'm not sure what I was expecting (maybe some fireworks or a flash mob dance..yes Thriller would have spiced it up a bit) but changing of the guard was significantly boring. After a long wait for things to get started, it was just a lot of marching. The band helped a little bit. I couldn't help but wonder if sometimes this ordeal wakes Harry or William, like their own personal royal alarm clock.

The whole procedure seemed to be somewhat of a waste, but I understand the historical significance and the tradition behind it. (I wouldn't want to offend any of the Guards of the World out there). By the time we left, the place was so packed with tourists, all lined up to see this world renowned event. I mean, the hats were definitely the best part. We watched for about 45 minutes but we're getting cold and wanted to get on our river cruise at 12:20, so we hiked it back to Westminster Bridge to catch our City Cruise that was apart of our London Pass.

Now I love boats so a chance to cruise down the River Thames was very much appealing to me. Even though it began to flurry when we were on it. We went under the famous bridges. Waved to the towns folk for good luck and even went under London's own "Channel of Love".

We went down the river and saw some historical sights. We went under the London Bridge (which luckily wasn't falling down and was actually not impressive at all). The famous bridge is actually called the Tower Bridge and it was beautiful.

We got off the boat and headed to the Tower of London, famous for its torture and image of power. Right on. For future London travelers, if you want to get the most out of the Tower of London (and the 17 pound entrance fee) you should allow for at least half a day. That was not in our schedule, and I was not in the mood to deal with crowds or lines. It was very interactive and probably good for children too, but not for tourists who had big plans for the day. The line to see the Crown Jewels was very long, and after a failed attempt at cutting the queue, we decided it wasn't worth our time to wait. We saw the famous Beefeaters and some of the famous medieval graffiti from prisoners and we decided to move on.

Claire has an obsession with cathedrals, and I will give her this, I've never been disappointed, so we headed (like a mile) to St. Paul's Cathedral. More line waiting, and I was severely crabby and tired at this point, but I sat down for a few minutes while Claire held our spot in line, and we finally got in. The Cathedral was beautiful, not surprising, but I wasn't sold until we got to climb up to the dome. The dome is the 2nd largest in the world, and I think 32 meters across. But we got to keep climbing and going outside the dome. It was ridiculous. So many stairs. My legs were literally burning. At this point we had walked probably 5 miles already that day. 582 steps to the top I believe. But just like Diamondhead in Hawaii, the view was totally worth the hike. Life's a climb, but the view's great.

We climbed up to the almost top.

Some illegal photo of the dome. (I do not understand why some places don't let you take photos)

View from the top down.

Hello London.

We climbed back down, and our legs were shaking. We got some sandwiches to go and headed to the Tower Bridge for a quick tour. It was cool to be on the top of the bridge and learn something about it. It was built in 1894 after 8 years of deciding on a design. And the spoof in Spice World about a bus having to jump it when it was going up actually happened in the 80s.

(we were up in that top part)

We wanted to make the 4:20 boat so we cut our time short and walked speedily to the boat, but we just missed it. So we found a table and chilled til the next one. It began to rain so we abandoned our plan to walk home (plus our legs were jello), so we bought another all day Tube pass after getting off the boat and took our favorite mode of transportation. A quick change at our hostel and it was back on the Tube for some musicals. I really wanted to see Wicked, and Claire had seen it twice already so she opted for Billy Elliott. Luckily they were right next to each other.

Wicked was amazing! It was moving and the singing was great and the special effects were awesome. I loved the songs. "I'm not that girl", "Defying Gravity", "What is this Feeling?" and "For Good" were my favorites. "What is this feeling" reminded me of the numerous Mundelein Lights shows I saw, and "For Good" made me miss all my DeeZees and the nights in the kitchen. My ice cream at Intermission made for a perfect show. It gave me the chills.

I met up with Claire (our shows got out about the same time) and we took the Tube down to Westminster Bridge. We wanted to see Big Ben at Night. It was magical.

Back to our hostel, but in desperate need of a snack, the guy at the front desk (who may or may not have thought we were idiots) pointed us in the direction of the Mickey D's. Once again, McDonald's is a reliable place...open late. Not much is open late in Europe as far that we've seen, and we trusted McD's more than any random grease shack. Potato wedges and a cheeseburger hit the spot then it was back home and time for bed.

Every bone in my body hurt. All those steps. Plus at least 8 miles of walking. And the stairs up and down the tube....

Random observations throughout the day:

There was an Abe Lincoln Statue in Parliament Square. Way to represent Illinois Abe.

There are lots of tourists for a Monday in February. And a great percentage of them were taking group photos with peace signs. I don't know how you get anymore stereotypical. Maybe throw in a fanny pack...

London: I Now Understand Why Joey Had To Get In The Map (Sunday, Feb. 14th)

Day 2: Sunday. Happy Valentine's Day. (Best Valentine's Day Ever)

The morning light helped a little bit. I still wasn't feeling this hostel or London for that matter when it was time to get out of bed. I had been woken up by a bunch of noisy people, and when I was awaking, I'm pretty sure there was a frenchman putting his pants on. Alright... time to see LONDON and not more Frenchmen. We had some breakfast--cereal, and headed out to seize the day, map in hand.

We found ourselves to Westminster Bridge and saw all the places we had stumbled upon in the dark last night. It is about a mile and a half walk to Big Ben from our hostel, but when that beautiful clock came into view, things suddenly got better. Finally seeing a part of London that we were expecting...not the south parts and unfamiliar terrain we encountered the night before. Big Ben and Parliament have some kind of magical quality... something innately beautiful about them and their beautiful delicate intricacy. I instantly felt better about London. It reminded me of Harry Potter and was the beginning of my very own Harry Potter weekend.

We had a whirlwind sight seeing day planned. So we kept moving. Next we hit up Westminster Abbey. I was able to say that Westminster Abbey made me feel less Westminster Crabby. It was beautiful, but given it was a Sunday, services were going on and it was not open to the public. Plus it's something like 12 pounds to go in, and that's a little steep for our budget. After a few wrong turns, we found our way towards Buckingham Palace. I now understand why Joey had to get in the map, London is a bit confusing to new comers. Unfortunately my map wasn't a pop-up one like Joey had. I'm sure Claire was glad I made her watch the Friends episode before we want so she could share in my jokes. It's not the same as having Brie, Erin, Ali, or Jonesy here for my references because there were plenty floating in my head all weekend.

Buckingham Palace is not that beautiful for belonging to the Queen. It reminded me of the White House. It was definitely tourist central... we saw a group of people (women) all wearing matching pink I Heart London Sweatshirts. Way to blend in people. Way to blend in.

As we were wandering around Buckingham and the Queen Victoria fountain (not the Buckingham Fountain... the one in Chicago is named after the architect that built it, not anything doing with London), a parade of soldiers on horses came through...followed by a street cleaner. It made me laugh, because it was so random to have a parade of horses and guard, but then totally ridiculous that the parade was followed by a street cleaner to clean up their droppings.

I tossed a coin in the Victoria fountain for good luck and we were on our way. We walked down Constitution Hill. Of course at the end was some type of Memorial Arch. I think every European City has an Arch. We took a little tour of Hype Park on our way towards Harrods. We passed Burberry and other luxurious shops way too overpriced for us. Harrods didn't open until 11:30 so we continue to walk a bit to waste sometime. We found a McDonald's. Now say what you will about McDonald's but it always provides a nice place to sit and rest without being pressured to buy anything. After a little rest and a bathroom break, we headed back to Harrods.

Harrod's is a London landmark and whereas it had been recommended by some very reliable sources, I didn't have very high expectations of it. Now I like to shop as much as the next person, but usually stores aren't that noteworthy. Harrod's is the expectation to that rule. It was hands down the coolest store I've ever been to. It was like the Disneyland of stores, and I think that I am going to move in. Like the Walmart baby in "Where The Heart Is", I'm pretty sure I could live quite comfortably in Harrods.

After wandering through the "Room of Luxury" we found our way to the famous Harrods Food Halls. The chocolate counters were blooming with Valentine's Day candy and beautiful cupcakes. It was like Willy Wonka. The next room had all sorts of meats and oysters and rotisserie. Then there was a pizzeria, a gelato counter, and a Krispy Kreme. Yes, a Krispy Kreme. In the midst of luxury, we found the aroma of Krispy Kreme donuts. It reminded me of Junior High when the Krispy Kreme moved into Mundelein and had my share of heart attack donuts. The Gelato sundaes were too much for me to resist and we settled at this old school counter and had a Chocolate Extreme Sundae. Sitting there, sharing a sundae, in the most beautiful store in a magical city, all the troubles of the night before didn't matter. Life was infinitely good. Ice cream has that effect on me.

We walked up and down the different floors of Harrods. There was so much to see.

(The list of departments in the store... my personal favorites include the Bulletproof Clothes section)

I decided that the Toy Kingdom would be worth a visit. I was picturing a toystore like the one in Home Alone where Maculley gets the turtle doves (Claire says I'm all about the Pop Culture References of the 90s). It was definitely like that. Toy demonstrations and just color everywhere. Someday I am going to bring my (very rich) husband and children here. And then I'm going to buy them the little Burberry kids clothes that were just beyond adorable. Downstairs we walked by the DeBeers diamond collection. There was a diamond necklace that was a mere 253 carats. Not too shabby. Needless to say, Harrods is full of security. There is also an egyptian themed escalator that leads downstairs to the gift shop and the Diana & Dodi memorial. Dodi was a relative of the Harrod owners and there have various memorials to the Princess of Wales and her lover in the store. This one has the engagement ring in it, I think.

After an hour and half of bliss at Harrods, we decided to head out. More city to see, no money to buy. We headed back towards Piccadilly Circus... we had to pick up our London Pass that we bought for the next day of sightseeing. Piccadilly Circus is like a small Times Square with the big TV screens and the Ripley's Believe it or Not.

We loaded up on maps and travel brochures at the visitor center and headed to Cool Britannia...a tourist shop. We were invited in by a British guard on stilts who had me hold his hand when we took a picture...since it was Valentine's Day and all.

We decided it was time to ride the famous tube and hit some of the tourist spots that were a little too far to walk to. The tube is really easy to figure out and after getting all day passes from a nice british man who reminded me of Peter Pettigrew (Harry Potter Weekend continued), we found the line we needed and headed to King's Cross Station.

We found the famous Platform 9 3/4 without problem... there was a crowd of people taking pictures of it. We were the first to get in the picture and pretend to be pushing the cart. We definitely started a trend.

Then it was back on the tube and we headed to Abbey Road. We found a Beatles Coffee shop that pointed us in the right direction of the famous crosswalk and headed that way. Now, you got tourism at your finest at this crosswalk.

Abbey Road is a busy road, but yet people stopped traffic to get the perfect picture, while people are honking and pissed off. I wonder how many people cause accidents there each year. We walked to see Abbey Road Records and sign our names on the grafitti gates where we saw a little girl with a can of spray paint getting her chance to sign. We took the famous Abbey Road picture, but ours are mid movement because we were conscious of the fact that it is a busy throughfare.

After taking our picture, we headed back to the tube and Piccadilly. We found the IceBar where we had reservations that night, and got back on the tube and headed to the Kennington Station that is near our Hostel. At the hostel, we had some pizza for dinner which was actually good..better than what we expected, and watched some old school music videos on the TV--like R.Kelly Ignition. Flashback. We chilled for a bit, then changed, and headed back on the tube to Piccadilly to meet up with Stevie. One of the things that I really wanted to do in London was go to the Absolut Ice Bar, a bar made completely of Ice. Now, it is sort of ridiculous, but it's unique and something you can say you did. So I made reservations for us to go on Valentine's Day... so I can say I spent my Valentine's Day in the Coolest Bar in the World... really, its kept at 5 degrees Celsius (about 20 degrees Fahrenheit).

We planned to meet Stevie at 9 in Piccadilly. Claire and I got there a little early so we just hung out by the famous Eros statue. Big mistake. Valentines Day, two girls alone, is like an invitation for creepers to come talk to you. But we were in a very public place so it was harmless, just annoying. After two guys, one from Belfast and one named Mario. They wanted to come sightseeing with us... and asked for my number. Now, I am a fan of ridiculous stories so I thought it was pretty harmless. We wanted to see if he would actually try to go sightseeing with us. (He did not). They left and within 5 mins another guy came up to us who didn't speak english who wanted to take a picture with us. We declined and headed into the Cool Britannia for an escape from International Creepers of the World.

Stevie arrived, (she was also in London visiting other friends) and we headed to the Absolut Ice Bar. After checking in, and getting our parkas and gloves we went in. Totally ridiculous and cheesey, but it was fun to drink my Absolut Overboard out of an ice glass wearing a parka and gloves. We met a nice couple and exchanged photo taking. The bar was in an underwater theme (they change it every so often to keep up the hype). Everything was made of ice, but the imported Northern Sweden Glass was so smooth and clear, you would think it was fake. After our 40 minute time slot, it was a little chilly and we were glad to move into the Below Zero lounge for our chocolate truffles and Valentine's Day cocktail that was part of our reservation.

We must have a "We're Friendly" sign on our backs because we had a Turkish girl (from Berlin) come up and talk to us for about 15 minutes. She was a little intoxicated, which was blantantly obvious when she couldn't seem to master which one of us was Brittany, Claire, and Stevie. She kept calling Stevie Claire and vice versa. She loved us and told us she was going to come visit us in America. Finally her friend and a new Brazilian friend came and got her. The Brazilian guy stuck around to give us his life story about how he is going to Standford soon.

We finished our cocktails and decided to head home. We said goodbye to Stevie and took the tube home. Successful Day.

The Journey's Hostel earned some serious points for the steamy hot shower I had when I got home. I didn't bring my hair dryer (packing limitations) so I wanted my hair to dry overnight.

It was a great day.... favorite observations:

.Everyone calls you love.

.There were 3 redhead boys standing on the corner of Piccadilly Circus chanting "Gingers for Justice". So ridiculous. They reminded me of the Weasley boys (Harry Potter weekend I swear).

.Some of the London Police Cars are BMWs...reminded me of Need for Speed.

.There was a free Hugs Parade with young people dressed up in strange costumes.

.We didn't see any Mind the Gap signs but we did hear the multiple announcements when getting off the tube.

.We did a lot of jaywalking in London...not very good crosswalks.

.We almost got run over but some nice locals saved us.

We probably walked about 8 miles around London and climbed so many steps up and down the tube. Bed was very welcomed. Best Valentine's Day ever... gelato, ice bars, truffles, and a whole lot of wonderful things. And lots of people I love, miles away :)