Never Give up on the Good Times :-)

I forgot to mention something about Dublin. While at the Stag's Head the song "Galway Girl" was played. For anyone who has seen "PS I Love You" you'll remember that that song was sung to Hilary Swank's character by her future husband in a bar. After I heard that song in the movie, I fell in love with it and so it was just nice to hear it in an Irish pub and sing a long.

Alright onto London!

On the way to London, I was jamming to the Spice Girls. I am not ashamed of it. I love the Spice Girls, and I am proud to say that instead of listening to the Beatles or some other English band, I was dancing to "Never Give up on the Good Times".

We saw a lot of the typical touristy things in London - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, House of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, etc.  Our first dinner  we went to Brick Lane and had some Indian food. It was positively delicious. After dinner, me and Jen met up with her friend, and then he took us to a student bar where we hung out with a couple of his friends. It was just nice to be on a college campus and talk to some British students. They attend the Music academy and are amazing violists, so it was a tad bit intimidating, but they were really great guys. We had a night adventure which consisted of McDonald's, a double decker bus, Northern London, and then random wanderings. It was pretty much a perfect night in London.

The next day we went to the Tate Modern art Museum. I got to see some Andy Warhol paintings, Dali, Picasso, etc. I love museums, and have vowed to take more advantage of them in the states. For lunch we went to Burough Market, which was amazing. It was so cool to walk around and sample different cheeses, desserts, and just be in the general area. I ended up having some mulled cider, a sandwich, and this sinfully delicious brownie.We did another pub crawl in London, which was not as fun as the one in Edinburgh because it was just too crowded. I still had a great time, but not in the same way.

The next day I got to see Disha which was really great. She took me to Camden Market, which is this area that has clothes, food, bags, and a plethora of other things. It was really awesome to wander and catch up with her. I am so happy she is enjoying London, and spending time with her made me miss Chicago. After seeing Disha, that night we went to 39 Steps, which is this play that is based on a Hitchcock movie. It was brilliant. I was laughing throughout the entire show and I really enjoyed watching some British comedy. When the play was done, we went to a bar that was by our hostel. I got to try some strawberry beer, which was quite delicious. It was so enjoyable to talk about our trip and reflect on what a great week we had just had over a beer. I am so happy that I got to share this experience with these amazing women. I know that I have made some really close friends who are more amazing than I could have expected. When we got back to our hostel that night, I was sad that the trip was over, but at the same time I was worn out. Traveling for 10 days is draining.

I learned something quite crucial from this trip though. I don't need material things to make me happy. I haven't really bought any clothes or "souvenir" things from the places I have traveled. Honestly, give me a passport and a camera and I will be just fine. Lauren and I were discussing the importance of the passport, and I have come to see that packet of paper as my most precious thing. Because of that document, so many of my dreams have come true, and I can tell that the passport is chilling in my cabinet waiting for the next stamp.

Today was our last first day of class. I am excited for the teacher. He is an intelligent man. Perhaps a bit more intense the the previous two, but that's ok. I hope it'll put me in more of a "UChicago" mode. But I know I got an A for at least one of my classes, and to be honest with being abroad I am not expecting straight A's. An A is just a letter that will go on a piece of paper, but these memories and experiences are what shape and help to define who I am and what I will be. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the entire world. Night all.