Amsterdam, Bruges, and More!

Last weekend I went on my first weekend trip to Amsterdam and Bruges with my new friend Sam. Those weren't places I necessarily had given much thought to visiting, but when the offer came up it couldn't have been better timing. Last weekend was also the 100th Celebration of Homecoming at Mizzou and I couldn't help but be a little sad that I was going to be missing it. Plus, I'd been here for a month and hadn't gone on any exciting trips yet. So I thought, why not? When we planned to go Sam and I had only spoken a handful of times, but now I consider her to be one of my really good friends in London. I think traveling has the potential to do that to even complete strangers.

On the Canal Cruise 

We woke up at 4 a.m. last Friday to start our journey. After about 12 hours of traveling by coach and ferry we arrived in Amsterdam. We got directly off the coach and onto a canal cruise. The city of Amsterdam is built around a series of canals which were historically built for trade, giving it the nickname "Venice of the North." It was a great way to see a lot of the city and a great way to start the trip. After a quick stop at the hostel our tour guide took us on a tour of the Red Light District. It was so...strange. I mean, we were standing three or four feet way from legal prostitution with a pane of glass separating us from the women. Another very unusual thing to me was the coffee shops we passed. You just walk into these places and order cannabis like you would a double shot expresso. I guess it's all just part of the Amsterdam culture.


Saturday we got up bright and early and headed to Zaanse Schans, a touristy area outside of Amsterdam. We got to experience how Dutch cheese and wooden shoes are made, as well as lots and lots of windmills.When we got back into Amsterdam we went to the Anne Frank House. I can't say it was fun, but it was definitely something I'm glad I did. It was a solemn experience to stand where she and her family lived for all that time. There was a place on the wall that had marks of how much Anne and her sister Margot had grown during their time in hiding. All of Anne's little pictures were still glued on the walls in her room. It was surreal. After a quick lunch we decided to check out something else very much a part of the city...The Heineken Experience. Amsterdam is home to the Heineken company so they have a museum where you can learn about the history and see how the beer is made. I've been to a winery, but not a brewery so it was neat to see how it's done.

Sam and I at Zaanse Schans

Anne Frank House

Heineken Brewery

The next morning we got up early and left for Bruges. It was a completely different feel than Amsterdam: quaint, more of a quite city, with an older tourist crowd. Our tour guide walked us through the city, pointing out the sites. When we had free time our first stop was to get Belgian waffles. They were delicious! Topped with chocolate and whipped cream, they were more like a dessert than the Americanized breakfast version. After we were full with our sweet treat we went to Musea Brugge or the Bruges Museum inside one of the oldest churches I've ever seen. Our original reason for going was to see the Madonna and the Child, a sculpture by Michelangelo of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. It was beautiful. The whole museum was beautiful and very humbling. We spent the rest of the time just meandering around the charming little city. On our way back to London we ended our tour with a trip to a Belgian chocolate factory. Yum!

My delicious waffle!

Michelangelo's Sculpture

When I got back to London I had a lovely little surprise on Facebook from my wonderful Mizzou family. My friend Kassie knew how much I wanted to be at Homecoming so she made a cutout of me in my Mizzou gear and took it to some of the Homecoming events. She even gave it to the Summer Welcome Leaders so I could be at the Summer Welcome Reunion reception. It was a sweet and thoughtful gesture that meant so much to me. Who would've thought I could be two fabulous places at once? I guess I can say I got the best of both worlds that weekend. :)

Homecoming with some of my favorite people! 

Celebrating 100 years with my SWamily!
(You can see teeny tiny me in the middle.)

And More! 

So this last week I didn't do anything really interesting, just tried to catch up on my schoolwork. (Ok, it's hard to focus when you have all of London and half of Europe to explore. Give me a break! tehe) But I did plan for several upcoming trips. Paris has been planned for a few weeks now, but I recently decided to take advantage of several days off of school in and go to several cities in Italy at the beginning of November! Also, on the fly, Sam convinced me to go on a trip to Scotland this week with her and another friend. Oh, and I have much much more of London to explore. Basically, look for a lot more fun blog posts to come!

The Reality of Things

It's been a little over three weeks since I arrived in London and the newness is wearing off. It's starting to feel less like a vacation and more like the realization of being here for the semester is kicking in. I'm really excited about that! But there are a few drawbacks...

Have you ever been to a store, looked at a shelf and not seen a single brand you recognize; then, when you finally find something familiar, it tastes completely different? Have you ever said a word or phrase that seems normal to you, only to discover that everything you are used to saying in casual conversation means something completely different where you are? Have you ever wanted to share in the excitement of  a close friend's engagement, but when you reach for the phone you remember you can't call her? Have you ever been looking forward to a special occasion several years in the making, then had to watch it take place miles away without you? 

This is what homesickness looks like. It's missing your favorite chocolate, only to find something similar looking that doesn't taste similar at all. It's having to change your everyday speech even when the people you're talking to speak the same native language. It's congratulating a friend on the biggest event in her life via Facebook, instead of being able to see her and give her a hug. It's missing the 100th Anniversary of Homecoming your senior year at the university you call your home. 

This is what homesickness looks like.

I wouldn't trade my time here for anything! But with the ups come the downs. Life can't be all royal palaces and VIP birthdays and exciting traveling adventures.  Your have to pay a price to gain all of that. And for me that price is not having the little things that make home special. But most importantly, it's missing out on spending time with the ones I love. But I guess that's just the reality of things. 

Ridin' Solo

I've always been a planner and an organized person, it's kind of something I strangely derive enjoyment from. Or rather, I would forget which way was up if I wasn't working from some sort of list. As such, I have developed two lists since arriving in London: the first is of all the things I want to do in London, and the second is all the places I want to visit in Europe. At the top of the first list is a tour of Buckingham Palace. I read in my handy dandy travel book (I told you, I'm a planner) that it was an amazing experience. I've always had a nerdy fascination with the history of castles and royalty, so it  seemed like an opportunity I couldn't miss. Staying true to form, I did my research. I found out that tours of the castle ended on October 3rd...on September 29th. One of my friends and I decided that we better go before we missed our chance, so we made plans to go October 2nd. We knew we'd have to get up incredibly early in order to "queue up," as they say here, for tickets.

My day at Buckingham Palace

So Sunday morning I actually woke up at 7 a.m. excited, which for those of you who know how much I'm not a morning person, isn't normal. As I was getting ready my phone rang. My friend couldn't come. She woke up feeling really sick. My initial reaction was disappointment that I wasn't going to be able to cross Buckingham off my list. But then I thought back to a girl I had met a few days before who was going on a weekend trip to two different countries, on her own. She wasn't going with friends, meeting friends there, or planning on making friends on the way. She just really wanted to go on this trip and decided that she was going to go, with or without anyone else. I thought that took a lot of courage and if she could do that then I definitely could go on a day trip within London by myself. So I decided I was going to Buckingham Palace. This was something I really wanted to do and I was going to go, with or without anyone else.

The view on my walk to the Tube.
You can see Wembley Stadium in the foggy distance. 

I got dressed, packed up my camera and walked to the Tube station. It was a beautiful morning on Westminster's campus, which made me even more excited for my day's adventure. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. I'd only lived in this city for two weeks, and here I was venturing out solo, but I was also really elated by that knowledge. When I walked through Green Park and saw the palace for the first time I knew I had made the right decision. It was beautiful, even better than in the pictures. I went to queue up for my ticket. That's when I started to second guess my decision. There were couples, families, groups of friends, large guided tours...and me. Or at least that's how it felt. "Ticket for one, please." As I returned to the front of the palace I thought, why are you regretting this? This is an awesome experience! Enjoy it! And that's what I decided to do.

Buckingham Palace

I took a million pictures. Of the palace, of the fountain, of the gates, etc., etc. I started to relax into being alone. It was nice having the freedom to do what I wanted when I wanted to. It was also a great time to practice my new photography hobby! After taking more pictures than probably anyone there, I found a spot to view the changing of the guard. I enjoyed the ceremony, but it was a warm day so it seemed extra lengthy to me. I got a call from my friend Alyson and we met for lunch. I had my first mozzarella, basil and tomato sandwich. Yum! Then it was time for the grand tour!

Unfortunately, they don't allow photography inside the palace, so I don't have any amazing interior photos to show. But let's just say that the memories will last for a long, long time. It was beautiful! Everything I could have imagined and more. Everywhere I looked was so lovely and alluring, even the ceilings were stunning! And the dress, ahh the dress. There was a display featuring Kate Middleton's dress and accessories from the royal wedding, as well as the wedding cake. It was unbelievable to get to see it all up close and in person. The entire experience was one of a kind, and I wouldn't have changed anything about it.

The Palace from the garden.

As I was leaving, and snapping some last minute photos of the back garden, I was so glad I had decided to go that day. Maybe it wasn't as I had planned it, but I couldn't have planned it any better. In fact, it might be the most fun day I've had in London thus far. It's at least at the top of that list.

Someone told me before I left home that once I studied abroad I would be able to do anything. Now I know what he meant. That Sunday was a baby step, but it was something I would have thought impossible a mere six months ago. Venture through the huge city of London alone? No way! But I did it, and I've done it several other times since then. Who knows what's next? Maybe I'll be the one packing up for a solo trip to another country. We'll just have to wait and see.