off to paris

i dont have much time, but am just popping in to say we are off and ready to go to paris, our last day in london was great we visited the tower of london and did a jack the ripper tour and had a curry dinner. I really enjoyed london but am so excited to go to france : ) lets see how much of the language i can understand ok gotta go : ) -hales

London!!!

So, I am Finally in London!!! getting here was very easy and the plane ride went really well, considering that was a part i was worried about. i sat in the section right behind first class, so there was a huge gap and we had soo much leg room which was really nice, they layover went smoothly, we got our luggage and then got on the next flight and werent rushed at all, and right when we arrived in Heathrow, the first thing i saw at baggage claim was my bright pink suitcase which made me soo happy that it wasnt lost!!!... Then we get to our first day, wow! what a fiasco, we couldnt find our tour guide at the airport and after 45 minutes of waiting a man came and said to get on a bus and then we left and went around to the opposite side of the airport to get the other tour group, when we got there they driver got a call and said the group was back at the other spot so we had to drive around the airport again, and Heathrow is quite a big airport. We got to hour hotel eventually and put all our stuff in one room so we could start with our tour right away and not waste any time. we visited trufalgar squares, I cant remember much about it because we were so rushed to time (thanks to our tour guide ordering us child train tickets and realizing none of us were children!) So all i really remember were a bunch of statues of a guy named nelson.. cool stuff!! So after that we went to picadally circus. Picadelly circus is like times square but in London, I could have enjoyed it more if it were'nt for those damn pigeons crash diving at my face!! (you would have just LOVED it there mom!) We then did a little bit more sight seeing and then went to dinner at the Ye Ole Cock Tavern, we had fish and chips, but i was so exhausted i didnt really have an appetitte. The underground train ride from our hotel to the center of London is about 35 minutes and i was soo tired when i got back to the hotel i just crashed and had the best sleep Ever!!
Today has been ALOT better, our tour director is more organized and we were not rushed for time. We did a bus tour of london and saw the major sites, parliament, st.pauls cathedera,etc. then we saw the changing of the guards which was sooo cool, they were dressed so cute with their red uniforms and fuzzy hats and were yelling out comands. After that, we were done for the day with tours and had free time the rest of the day. wayzata decided to have a picnic in the park. we went to a market and got food and then sat down in this huge park.. (blanking on the name) it was sooo nice, i could do that every day!! After lunch we went shopping at harrods (biggest department store in the world) and other shops in london. I made my first big purchase of the trip at covenant garden... can anyone guess what it is??
...a ring!! of course haha i got it at this cute little market shop for 30 pounds it is a spoon from the 1940's and the vendor fitted it around my finger. I LOVE it : ) After that we went to the hardrock cafe and had burgers and then half our group split up to do the london eye and half went back to the hotel. So thats about it for day 2 in london, i am having a great time and have lots of stories : ) (sorry for all the spelling errors and such there is a line for the computer haha ) much luv : ) Hay

30 minutes

30 minutes until I leave my house for the airport!! My stomach is in knots from all this excitement. I am all packed and my suitcases are by the door. After looking at the forecast for London it might be kinda rainy so I made a last minute target run in search of a rain jacket... They didnt have any rain jackets at target so I went to wallgreens and the only ones they had were Hannah Montana!!! I really didnt want to run up to Arbor Lakes to look for one, so I bought it haha Oh well, hopefully now that I bought one it will mean that I dont have to use it!

Well, the next time I write it will be from LONDON : ) ciao- hales

12 HOURS!!!

In roughly 12 hours, we will be on a plane to Iceland!!! Wow I cant believe how fast that went I think waiting for this day to come was half the excitement : ) I got up at 5:30 this morning, probably because of all the excitement and nerves. After being sick all yesterday, I am sooo happy that I am finally feeling better, that would not be a happy beginning to a trip if I was still sick!

As for packing, I am pretty much all done, I had to upgrade to a bigger suitcase last night as I figured out that mine was wayyy too small. It still seems odd though that it only weighs 30lbs, but feels like its 100!!! Oh well, that leaves lots of room for souvenirs and shopping : )

Uggh one of the bad things about waking up early on departure day is the waiting!!! Its going to seem like FOREVER until I have to be at the airport at 4:30!! Ahh whatever shall I do with my time akfjkfjsdkfjsdkfjsdfdfdkfjskdfsldfjskdl : )

-Hales

48+hours

Woah we leave on Monday! It came up soo soo quickly!! I am sooo excited I have everything pretty much packed but will be going over it several time in the remaining hours that i have left. Claire and I have even gone over to each others house to check inventory and make a list of last minute things we need, im sure there will be many target runs in these last couple of hours. It seems like i just keep jumping over hurdles to get to the finish line, there was the last day of school, graduation, the all night party, grad. parties, now i just have a wedding and 1 more grad party on Sunday and then I will be done with activities in the U.S. hehe

As we go on we remember...

Ok, so its 12:10 on a Tuesday, I just woke up and everybody else is still at school!!! Graduation is TONIGHT!! Its pretty bittersweet, kinda sad, but happy too : ) 6 days until Europe! WoW that went by sooo fast like crazy fast!! I am pretty much all packed, except for the little things which I will do on Friday night since I have a wedding on saturday and grad parties all day sunday!!!

Baggallini

Heres a bag I just got at Goodthings, it will be perfect for travel and has so many compartments and is very secure!! They have them at www.bagallini.com

Electrical outlets

The one on the left is for London and the one on the right is for France and Rome

Mexico?

I had a dream last night that the Europe trip got canceled and we all went to Mexico instead.. Random? I think yes.

Perkins

sooo... its 12:30 at night and Claire christa and I have been here since 10:00. we love Perkins, but I don't think the waitresses do because we stay for 3.5 hours at a time!! we are sooo excited for Europe, only 16 days now oh emm gee!! we have come up with multiple packing lists at this table but unfortunately we can't bring all of it, like our matching rain boots, hair dryer, straightner, personal dcs player, christas 100lb bag of toiletries(seriously this girl loves her products) and so much more! I should probably stop drinking coffee now, its going on 1:00. ok later dudes :)

Rick Stevens article

The Art and Value of Journaling as You Travel

If you want to be a travel writer, get a journal and take notes on the road like Rick Steves.

By Rick Steves

Travel can make you a poet. Travel can be spiritual. You meet people on the road you'd never meet otherwise. Traveling rearranges your cultural furniture, challenging truths you assumed were self-evident and God-given. By traveling, you learn not only about the people and places you visit — you learn about yourself.

But without capturing your thoughts on paper, the lessons of travel are like shooting stars you just missed...and butterflies you thought you saw. Collecting intimate details on the road and then distilling them into your journal sharpens your ability to observe and creates a souvenir you'll always cherish.

Choose your travel journal carefully. I prefer a minimalist journal, light yet stiff enough to protect the pages and to give me something solid to write on (since I often write on the fly without a convenient table). I like invitingly empty pages — not pages decorated with extra literary frills and verbose doodads. It's my journal, not someone else's chance to decorate my observations with cute quotes, clever tips, and handy reminders. I use black ink or a mechanical pencil. Nothing should compete with the simple words. Avoid spiral notebooks — they fall apart quickly. A bound book will become a classic on your bookshelf.

The key to good journaling is being both observant and disciplined...to take the time to notice what you're noticing and then to jot down your thoughts. I use a tiny pocket-sized notepad to capture the moment right there. Then, when I have time, I pull out my actual journal, sort through those notes, and organize them into something vivid and fun to read.

Thinking back, it seems I've always had a desire to capture my discoveries and eurekas in a journal. On my first trip (as a 14-year-old), I collected and logged my experiences in a file of several hundred postcards, each numbered and packed with my notes.

Every trip I took inspired my passion for filling up an "empty book," even back when I was simply a footloose, fancy-free vagabond with no intention of being a travel writer. The flight over came with a ritual personal inventory of where I was at psychologically as I began the trip, and the flight home came with a similar introspective wrap-up. And each night in between I wouldn't drift off to sleep without collecting my day's experiences, discoveries, and thoughts into that book. The book, which started empty, always came home full.

Hiking deep into a misty English moor as a teen-aged traveler, I wrote, "Long-haired goats and sheep seem to gnaw on grass in their sleep. We were lost in a world of green, wind, white rocks, and birds — birds singing, but not present. Then we found the stones. Standing in a circle they have waited for endless centuries — not moving — waiting for us to come. And in stillness, they entertained. After being alone with our private stone circle, Stonehenge — with its barbed wire, tour buses, and port-a-loos — won't quite make it." It was on the boat to France the next day that I worked on those rough notes, and realized that finding hidden bits of Europe and bringing them home through my writing was what I wanted to do for a living.

Now, three decades later, I still snare those happenings as they flit by, eager to see what I can build with all that fun raw material. On my last trip to Helsinki, I was so flustered by the language barrier in an extremely local sauna that I didn't know how to get a dry towel. Sitting in the corner to air dry, I decided to pass the time observing and jotting down ideas for my journal:

"People look more timeless and ethnic when naked with hair wet and stringy. The entire steamy scene was three colors: gray concrete, dark wood, and ruddy flesh. Surrounded by naked locals (each with a tin bucket between his legs — to use to splash cool water on his face), there was absolutely no indication of what century I was in. But from the faces, it was perfectly clear: this was Finland."

With those notes, I can revisit that sauna for the rest of my life. Enjoy the physical act of putting pen to paper, gathering new experiences, lessons, thoughts, and feelings while they are fresh and vibrant.

If your life is a canvas, travels bring new color. And journaling is like being a painter who stands back every once in a while to understand and enjoy the art as it unfolds.

4025 Miles to London

Countdown
End of School.....4 days
Graduation party.....8 days
Cousins wedding.....15 days
EUROPE.....17 days!!!!!!

Movies to watch before departure

Here are a list of movies I have compiled that take place in either London, Paris, or Rome, I have starred my favorites : )

-Amelie<-----------*Mrs. Cardona's favorite

-Pride and Prejudice

-Sherlock Homes

-Billy Elliot

-Robin Hood

-Austin Powers*

-Winning London*

-Passport to Paris*

-When in Rome

-102 Dalmations*

-Ratatouille*

-Harry Potter*

-Marie Antoinette

-Nanny Mcphee

-Taken*<--- Dont let your mother watch this with you or she may not let you go

-Monty Python and the Holy Grail*

-Vein la Rose*

-Angels and Demons

-Ali G Indahouse

-Oliver

-Anastasia

-Julie and Julia

-Inglorious Bastards

-Band of Brothers
-The Lizzie McGuire movie ***

WOW !! Just think in 19 days we will be THERE!!!

SHOES!!

Ok so here are the shoes I actually got!!

I am soo soo excited : )

Only 8 more days of high school left! Wow, that was the quickest 4 years of my LIFE!! This trip will be the perfect way to end and celebrate the last 4 years of my life. After I graduate on the 8th the next week will be the busiest week ever!! I have my graduation party, my friends graduation party, my cousins wedding, and getting everything ready for the trip! Oh well, it will be busy but then after that, i get to relax and enjoy the wonders of Europe!!
Top 5 Things:
0. Plane Ok, im putting this at zero because it doesnt really count as something i am excited for IN europe. I am soo excited for the plane ride. I actually Hate planes, I am scared to death of them!! I think its called like aeriophobia or something. When I was 11 I went to Myrtle Beach for a dance competition, we were on a really small plane, it only held maybe 40 people! When we were halfway there, we hit major turbulance, the plane dropped 10 feet and started violently shaking, I was soo scared, from then on, everytime I step on a plane, I just panick. With that being said, I am excited to conquer my fear of flying!! I havnt been on a plane for 5 years, so I am hoping that my fear has disapated on its own. I think that since I am with all my friends and classmates, that I wont be as scared... hopefully : )

1. London- specifically big ben, I am so excited to see all the national landmarks in all the different countries. When i think of London, i always think of big ben and the cute little guards that stand infront of the castles. Since I have never really been anywhere other than Disney world, whenever I see a national landmark I am just in awe of it : ) http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-big-ben-3458.html

2. Freedom- The furthest I have ever been away from my parents at one specific time is probably when i go on church retreats up north! At first when I signed up for the trip, I asked my Grandma if she would want to go with me, it was more of a comfort for me to have her there. As I thought more about it, I decided that my experience wouldnt be the same if she came. I love my grandma so so much, but i think i would get more out of the trip if i am on my own. After all, I am going to college in 4 months!!

3. Parler Francais- I am SO excited to go to France and actually understand the language! I have taken French for 5 years and I LOVE it!! I am so excited to order in French when we go to little cafes or shopping : ) And dont worry, I will for sure help anyone who needs assistance with translation hehe

4. Sistine Chapel- Like I said before, whenever I see something important, I am in Awe of if! I am really looking forward to seeing the Sistine Chapel and the famous artwork by Michaelangelo

5. Chunel- I am really curious about the Chunel that we take from London to Paris. It actually goes under the water...? I think it should be fun, im just glad we dont have to take another plane hehe

Hmm.. What suit case shall i bring???

OMG! 30 days, thats like 10x3 days! i remember when it was like 130 days!! woah its coming up fast yahhh!!! So, now that were getting down to the wire, i am deciding what to bring, and what must be left at home, of course i would LOVE to bring all of my shoes, but i have came to realize that that is just not going to be happening :( oh well : ) I am trying to decide what suitcase to bring, i have never really traveled before, and therefore am clueless about this kind of stuff! My neighbors were so kind to lend me one of their bags that they travel around europe with and I think that would be most logical for me to take, but i just want to get opinions about what others are doing : )

Dreams are weird!!

So I had a dream about Europe last night!!! It seems like I always have this dream before I go on a trip. I was in Europe, but forgot ALL my clothes and camera, and basically EVERYTHING!! haha its was weird! Im not planning on this happening because I have already started packing, so im sure ill be able to pack everything with 39 days left haha : ) Well, in other news... MY BIRTHDAY is on SATURDAY!! Yahh, I will be 18!! ahh such a powerful number.. Dont worry I wont get too carried away :)

Ciao for now hehe -hales-

New Shoes I got for the trip :) There Keen Whisphers and are UBBBER comfortable and cute : )

42 DAYS!!!!

Holy HeArT aTtAcK! There are only 42 days left until we embark on our journey abroad. I am soo flippin' excited I have already made several packing lists, bought numerous outfits/shoes ahh I cant wait. Every time we have a meeting, I am energized for the rest of the day. I dont want highschool to end yet, but I want the trip to come FASTER!!! Well, thats all I got for now -Ciao -Hales-