Well its officially my last lovely day in Glasgow, United Kingdom! Excited to be on a plane to the US in less than 24 hours, but so sad to be leaving this place that I’ve learned to call my home for the last 4 months and 8 days. I know I have gained so much, and grew immensely from this trip; I will always be able to look back and smile. I’ve made great friends, from all around the world, and yes, we have many plans for reunions in the [...]

Last night out with the three musketeers :( National Portrait Gallery. Last view of Kilburn Park Station. Last panini from the internet cafe. Le red door of CAPA. High tea. Last views of Gloucester road. Sigh.    

Bedlam Hospital Museum!!! The paintings and art are contributions from PATIENTS! They encourage artistic expression for patients, and it is known as “psychiatric art.” I’ve shown the paintings, and then the corresponding explication of the piece. Sad, but extremely trippy stuff. I love the statues of “Raving and Melancholy Madness.” They were originally put on either side of the hospital gates. Something very “drama” and “comedy” about it. I bought a post card of the anorexia piece. My GOD. Look at it! And inside the angry being, it’s holding a [...]

Today was National Pillow Fight Day! Trafalgar Square was TEEMING with people throwing pillows and feathers at each other. I can’t even really describe how it all was, or how it all really felt. The best I can say is that it was RANDOM, EXHILARATING and FIERCE! It lasted for an hour, but wow, that was a lot of time to be hitting and getting hit with pillows. Another thing I will say about this experience that it was just what it seemed – a HUGE pillow fight. Everyone understood the [...]

I’ve been here before. It’s Sunday again here in London. Here in my bed as I type this out. Alina and Liz are both asleep. It’s 9:18am. I really am going to miss these serene Sunday mornings where I’m the only one awake, but it’s too peaceful to move or get up. I’m lying in bed, and all I want to do is reflect. Our room smells of morning dew – Liz and Alina like to keep the far window open because it gets volcano-like in our room otherwise. I’ve [...]

On Tuesday, I went the Old Operating Theatre near London Bridge! Oh man, the things that are there, and the demonstration they do! They show you how medicine was during the Victorian era, how apothecaries would sell and manufacture their herbs and treatments, and they had old Victorian medical devices and tools! It was STELLAR. I mean, it was soooo cool! I kept thinking, “Mama and baba have to come here next time we are in London!”  This is me volunteering to get my right arm and left leg amputated [...]

What a crazy busy weekend, and wow, my feet/back/shoulders are ready for a rest! The weekend started early on Thursday, but it was a pretty busy day still. I had two classes to go to and was able to squeeze in a little bit of time at the gym in between. So far I have only skipped two days for resting and then three days for my weekend trip to Paris, otherwise I have made it there every day! (Today I ran 7.5 kilometers in 35 minutes, did an ab [...]

Okay, this post is about the play I saw for my Theatricality class. I am so happy that I took this class. It’s everything I wanted to experience during my time in London. You can’t live in London for four months and fail to see theatre productions! London is art. Theatre is art. See the connection? I am so happy this course is living up to my expectations, if not exceeding them! So yes. The production was called “FEAST” and I went to the Young Vic theatre to watch it. [...]

This week/weekend has been much busier that the rest of the week. I am still  not feeling the best, had a sore throat all day yesterday :( Hopefully it will start to pass and I won’t feel deathly while I’m awake. Wednesday night, after my last post, I went out to eat with my flatmates at a place called Ketchup. It was super cute and set up like an American diner. I got some Mozzarella cheese balls (like big cheese curds) and some Chips (french fries that are basically the [...]

So I’ll pick up where I left off on Sunday about what I’ve been up to! Sunday I ended up going with Rachel to Kelvingrove Art Museum, even though there wasn’t tons of actual art work… but I did see Picasso, Monet, and Salvador Dali work which was pretty awesome! We stayed until they closed at 5 and then we went out with Andrew for his birthday. We first stopped at “The 78″ which is a vegan restaurant and pub and I tried a veggie burger for the first time. [...]

Didn’t have class till 2PM today! Sleeping in felt great, but somehow when I got home, I was still tired, and ended up going to bed at 10 anyway… I hope this isn’t still jet lag… I thought I was being really diligent when it came to resetting my inner clock. Uff. So, I had “Islam, Politics and Britain” today. It was a good class – all discussion based, so ill fit right in – but wowwwww, 2-5:00. Could they keep us any longer?! I can’t wait to get back [...]

Before I get started, I’m going to be straight with you all—maintaining a blog is DIFFICULT STUFF, yo. I have nottttt been the most prompt and consistent blogger. But, come on! Give me a break, it’s my first time blogging, and it is DEFINITELY my first time studying abroad! So, obviously, there will need to be a grace period, right? Right, that’s what I thought. I promise that this week will be better. Promise, promise, promise! These promises are mostly for my mother, whom I’m sure is checking the blog [...]

This weekend has been pretty busy, yet I’ve still been able to catch up on some much needed sleep! On Thursday night I went with a couple people to the Glasgow University Union where every Thursday they have a nightclub called the Hive and all of their bars and everything are also open. I tried a drink called the pint of fun which basically tasted like a jolly rancher! We got to dance and have fun but left an hour before close since it was starting to get kind of [...]

I would, first and foremost, like to apologize for my tardiness regarding this post! Between the orientations, getting to know my flatmates, jet lag, an the tiniest bit of laziness, I did not have the privilege of free time in which to gather my thoughts! But, as I sit here in Café Nero on Glouster Street, I am finally given time to share with you all my first day experience! So, London. London, London, London. The city that has a hypersensitivity for etiquette and order. I am absolutely in LOVE [...]

The first week of classes went pretty good, next week I have a few more classes starting including my Life Drawing class at the Glasgow School of Art, and two seminars, one for my Scot Lit class and one for my Archaeology class. Nothing too exciting has gone on, and honestly campus seems much quieter than what I expected upon the arrival of the rest of the 24,000 students. But in reality it is still half the population of the U of M! I was able to meet a quite [...]