Madison House!

I completely forgot to post about Madison House and my flat. It is kind of important considering I will be spending the better part of 3 months here. Its is incredible and ridiculous is so many ways. The street I live on is called Bedford Place and apparently there are about 200 other students from all over staying in the vicinity of our street. The buildings all look the same from the outside, the only thing distinguishing them from each other are the numbers above the doors. They are a light yellow, almost beige color brick with a couple of stairs up to the huge double black doors. There are five floors including the basement which does house a guys flat. Once inside the doors, there is a girls flat directly to the left and a set of stairs directly across from the doors. Past both the girls flat and the stairs, there are stairs down to the basement flat and laundry. Continuing on past the basement stairs is an office of our resident advisor, Charlotte, who is a complete sweetheart. Going up the stairs, which create a large spiral sort of like an oval, there is another girls flat on the second floor, going up again there is a guys flat. At this point a normal person would think it was the top of the building and unable to go any higher. Well I can tell you after having to practically use an oxygen mask from climbing all the stairs and living in the stratosphere, the building goes higher. At the top of what is the normal staircase, there is a door to the right. Going through that door is the guys flat and another set of stairs. YES! Continuing up those stairs and around another spiral oval is my flat! All the way on the top, I feel like I live in the tower or an attic. Whenever I'm in my room, I feel like I'm in a different world than the rest of the building. Anyway, once at the top of our final set of stairs to the left is our bathroom, kitchen and common room. To the right is our room and our flatmates room and bathroom.
Now don't even get me started on the bathroom and room in general. The bedroom is completely slanted in one direction and I practically fall out of my bed and think I'm going to break it every time I go to sleep. The wardrobes look like they are going to fall over and the room isn't big enough to hold 2 of the 3 desks. And the window right next to my head rattles with the wind and every time someones walks in the flat. Outside the window is the glass ceiling of the stairs below our flat and our resident advisor had told us that once there was a man who climbed the building and knocked on the window asking to come in, under the pretense that he was maintenance! Crazy! The bathroom is quite small, but acceptable. Although the shower is so small that you have to point the shower head in one direction just to keep the soap on! And the hot and cold water in the the sink come from 2 different faucets.
We have joked about putting a halfway station on the way up to our flat, claiming that if Everest gets one so should we. And have even used the excuse that up in the tower clocks stop working because of the altitude. Cold at the bottom, sweating at the top. We laugh about it every time we get in our flat. But one good thing about living up in the tower is that we cant be bothered. No one can get to out flat except us and the guys flat below us. There is a feeling of quite isolation, in a good way. I sort of feel like I really could be living up in the tower of a castle of something, considering I'm living in a fairy tale right now.
In a way I love my flat. And my roommates are kinda awesome. Great place to spend my time while I'm not out exploring my new home, London.

Cra Cra Day! 1/20/12

So my first day in London was CRAZY! I arrived at Heathrow airport around 8:30am after leaving JKF at 9:05pm the night before. My program advisor was waiting for me to arrive and we were then to go over to a different terminal to get the rest of the students arriving. All together there was, I believe 7 of us arriving today. The rest had already arrived in London 2 days earlier to make final arrangements for their internships. Once we were all gathered, we had to wait for a bus to take us to Madison House. The bus ride was going to be about an hour through the city of London. It was amazing, seeing the different neighborhoods and places we are going to visit during the program. Rusty was like a regular bus tour guide, he was using the microphone to point out various places, what they were and if there was a planned visit there for class. Once in Madison House I felt like I could pass out and die from exhaustion. But NO! We just had to keep on trucking, only a couple minutes after leaving we had to go to the Florida State University building where out classes are being held. We had a small lunch and then an excruciatingly boring and long (perhaps it felt so because I was running on fumes) orientation meeting and not only that but it was just a short orientation meeting before the long one which is tomorrow. After that we were allowed to use our 2 hours until out next meeting however we pleased.  I was planning on napping, but was advised not to do so before I got here, so instead I attempted to unpack. Attempted being the key word. My bed and surrounding area were in a state of complete disarray. Looking like a bomb it hit. Once 3pm rolled around we were all summoned to the lobby of Madison House and learned how to count off numbers. In groups of four to be able to check if everyone is there and groups of 7 for a mysterious reason. Back out on the roads of London we were told to break into our groups of seven, given directions on where to start, where to meet and sent off to explore London. It was a walking tour of the West End of London, except we were our own tour guides. We had directions written out but were allowed to take about 2 hours to walk through the street, markets and make our way to Trafalgar Square which is in front of National Gallery. All the groups met up there around 6-6:30pm to get back together with our program advisor, Rusty and resident faculty member, Shah. Well they didn't show up, apparently taking different directions themselves. After a lot of confusion and trying to find our way a successful met up was accomplished. Rusty and Shah were waiting for us at the National Theater on the opposite side of the Thames than were initially were on. A quick break at the National Theater for something hot to drink and we were off again, this time to a much needed dinner. I was starving, freezing and felt like my feet could be bleeding! Crossing over the same bridge we came over on gave us absolutely beautiful views of Parliament and Big Ben at night. Into the tube we went getting off at Tottenham Court Road. The restaurant we had dinner at was called Wagamam. It was Japanese inspired food. I hate using chopsticks so eating became quite the adventure and would have been hilarious if I wasn't so hungry. I was so glad to be going home after dinner, I needed to lay down and die. But of course not, I still had to finish the packing I left until I was completely exhausted! Got my unpacking down around 10pm and Sydney and Kellan decided it was high time I had my first legal drink in the London. As exhausted as I was, I have to admit I perked up at the thought of going to a London pub for a drink. Rusty recommended a pub called the Lamb and Flag so we decided that was it. So off we went to find this pub, and got quite lost. We walked around for about an hour, finding all these different pubs and restaurants we want to try later in the 4 months we are here. Finally we found the pub! Oh, its closed? Yup, walking around for an hour, getting excited for this awesome pub and for my first drink and the pub is closed. And well that turned out to be a fruitless trip. Exhausted and now really wanting a drink, we tried a different pub right down the road from Trafalgar Square call The Clarence. And once again it was closed. So to the tube we went, trying to get home. We got home around midnight, completely exhausted and not very happy. Did some blogging, reading and then it was time for bed. Thank God! Oh, wait we have a 8:30 wake up call. Joy.

Ahh! I'm leaving the nest tomorrow!

Oh my goodness. I am leaving in about 24 hours. Is this real life? I am FREAKING OUT! I literally just told my mom I have no idea how to express my feelings of freaking out. I think I'm getting a migraine from worrying so much. Is that possible? I mean I know I am going to at least try to knock myself out for the flight, but I have a feeling I am going to be too nervous to sleep, even with the Benadryl I plan on taking. And believe me, I plan on taking A LOT. I need to sleep otherwise I will most definitely be a walking zombie for the first few days. And on top of all that, we have a jam packed schedule the first few days we are there. We have orientation, walking tours, dinners and some more walking tours on top of that! CRAZY!
I asked my mom how she feels about me leaving. She said she is even more depressed then when I leave for JMU. "Its different Shan because I'm not just 7 hours away, I can't just call or text you whenever I want. I don't like it." We invited some family over for dinner, I got to choose what we are having for dinner. I chose honey baked ham, sweet potatoes and much more, YUM! Of course the kitchen is crazy with loud talking, hungry Irishmen. We are all anxious to eat, hovering around the table, waiting to eat. I mean, I even brought my laptop into the kitchen and currently have both my aunt Tricia and grandmother moving me around to get glasses and spoons. Opening and closing of cabinets, the fizzing of a shaken seltzer and the click of the oven going off. I am going to miss these sounds. Especially the ones of my mother yelling at me get to the table and the rest of my family yelling, "DAMN IT KAY SIT DOWN" to my grandmother who usually doesn't sit until most of us are halfway through our meals.
Well dinner went off without a hitch. We all gorge ourselves, almost to the point of bursting. Something so good, has just turned evil... Things after dinner go as usual. Mom washed, grandma dries, and SHANNON CLEAN THE TABLE! I am definitely going to miss this.
The family banter. Talking about my brother, how good the meal was, the cruise ship going down and the avalanche in Washington. Oh and the warning, cautionary talk begins. "Shannon, now you do know the one thing boys are looking for over there?" "American citizenship? (asked sarcastically of course)" "Well perhaps, but no there is something they are looking for before that." Oh boy, you can just imagine how my night it going. And the conversation has moved on to some distant family member who used to make pea soup and bring it to my grandfather. My uncle jokes that she used to go to the morgue to get the bones used to make the soup, "They have a special seasoning..." Followed by his outrageous belly laugh. How am I going to make it until May without these people?
A night filled with family, laughter, great food and talking horse impressions is something I will unfortunately not get to have until this coming May. Hopefully the other JMU students who are doing the London program will sort of become my family away from family.

Next time I write I'll be in London. Adios America!

Leaving on a Jet Plane. Oh, wait I haven't even packed!

So I officially leave in less than a week, 6 days to be exact, and I'm surprisingly calm. I have yet to even figure out what suitcase I am bringing. I haven't started to plan out what clothes I'm going to bring or miscellaneous items I probably won't need that I'm taking anyway. I have always thought I would be more excited or freaking out more. I honestly think I haven't realized that I'm leaving so soon. I keep wondering when it is going to hit me.

When the first day of classes at JMU rolled around, it was as if I was completely obliviously to the fact that I'm not going back to JMU. I was sitting pretty at home, thinking I was still on the normal winter break. I woke up late, moseyed on getting breakfast, did some leisurely reading and ran some errands. It was as if the whole world of JMU didn't exist to me anymore. That is a seriously sad thought. But in reality it is somewhat true. I am going out to experience a whole new world. Becoming an absolute cliche, traveling is going to broaden my mind and open myself to an array of new experiences. The once huge JMU will now become small and something to hold me back. How am I supposed to return to the mundane life of just going to classes and doing work? As much as I hope this doesn't come true, in a way I feel it must. For one to come true, the other must. The one thing I do hope to come out of this, is that I come back to JMU itching to get out again. Go somewhere else, maybe teach in a different country. Who knows what living in London will do to me. But one thing is for sure, I am in no way ready to go! So much to do and I really do have so little time!