Royal Wedding!!

So today is the Wedding Day for Prince William and Kate Middleton, and I was in the thick of the action.  While I did not actually see them in person I was quite close to Buckingham Palace, and saw a bit of the procession, and we were there in throngs of people!! There were incredible amounts of people all waving British flags with pictures of Will and Kate in the middle of them.  We were near Green Park where they had a huge screen set up and we got to see the whole thing, from the arrival of the queen to the actual wedding ceremony.  What a grand occasion!!! Pomp and circumstance galore! The music was so grand, there were royalty and celebrities and all in the most interesting hats!  Everyone is celebrating and partying and it is a very festive environment.  Westminster Abbey was decorated inside with lots of trees and flowers, and the cake cost 18,000 pounds! And of course the royal couple came out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the procession and kissed in front of the huge crowds, it was very sweet.  What would it be like to be royal?!  Princes and Princesses still exist, and even though they may not have the power to behead someone they are still extremely important and are the height of extravagance, glamor and elegance.

Settling In

So it is day two of living in London and I'm starting to feel a little more confidant, that is probably completely unjustified considering the amount of time I have spent here, but nevertheless that's how I feel.  Today we had our first classes for the courses we will be taking while we are here.  We had our Theater class first and then our Shakespeare class.  In both classes we were introduced to the curriculum and given some assignments.  Homework ALREADY! In Shakespeare we discussed the Tempest (which we had already read before class per request) and we dissected it in detail.  Our classes are held in the LDS church just down our street, it is about a fifteen minute walk so not too bad.  After class we went back to the flats and dropped off our things and then went to the grocery store.  Attempt #1 at going to the store last night was kind of a flop.  We went to a store called WaitRose and it was massively expensive...granted that things are just a lot more expensive here anyway, but needless to say I didn't really get anything there. So today we went to a store called Sainsbury, and it was a little better.  Food is still exorbitantly pricey so I didn't get much, just some vegetables and lunch meat.  We have amazing produce in the US I'm realizing, it is super cheap and good quality for the most part.  Then after that we came home and ate something, and I bought my ticket for Spain. Yes, Spain.  that is where I have decided to go for the travel weekend.  I may regret it financially, but the ticket is now bought so I'm going.  The ticket round trip to Spain and back was only 60 American dollars and I wanted to go so badly.  But that was money that I really shouldn't have spent, especially because I got invited to go to Les Miserables tonight but had to refuse because I couldn't afford it.  I haven't ever seen Les Miserables which is a crime for a theater major, but hopefully I will be able to go sometime.  So instead of going to Les Mis with everyone else I walked around Hyde park for a couple hours, it is huge!! There were several different ponds, and lots of monuments.  I went with Ellie Capson from my group and another girl named Lauren.  It was a fun exploring trip, and after that we tried to go to institute at the church because I had read a thing that said it was held Thursday nights and I thought that might be a good chance to meet some British kids.  But Institute was cancelled tonight but there were a couple girls who had met there to do yoga, and we talked to them for a while.  They invited us to go to the singles ward FHE and I think I might go if there is nothing else scheduled for the program.  Then after that Ellie, Lauren and I walked about our neighborhood and explored more.  There are SO many little shops, restaurants and cafes.  We ate in one little Italian restaurant, and the waiter was really Italian, could barely speak English actually.  I just ordered the cheapest thing on the menu which was cream of spinach soup, and it wasn't that bad, it wasn't that good either though.  Even though it was only 3 pounds I regret it, 3 pounds is almost 6 dollars! I must not let myself eat out anymore if I want to have a prayer of getting through this whole trip with enough money. Can you tell I'm a little stressed out about that? haha But it really is amazing here and I'm having a fabulous time so far.  I'll update more tomorrow (which is the royal wedding by the way!)

I'm HERE!!!

I'm finally here safe and sound!!  I still can't believe it.  The flight here was about 10 hours, it wasn't so bad really, they had movies and they gave us dinner (which was a beef casserole thing, a little salad, a roll and a cake dessert) and we had our little pillows and blankets.  I really got no sleep whatsoever on the plane, but whatever.  Haha I'm here now and can sleep my life away... actually no I can't because we have stuff scheduled starting in like an hour, but that is a good thing so it is ok.  Well after I got off the plane I had to catch the Gatwick Express, that is a train out of the airport that goes to the big central Victoria Station.  Once I was at the Victoria I had to buy a tube (underground train) pass and figure out which line to take to get to my apartment.  It took me forever to figure it out, and in the interim I had my pass, which was like 35 pounds stolen right out of my pocket!!  I am definitely a country mouse in the city, but that will change.  So, I finally figured out which line to take and got on, and while on the tube this little band of celtic music players got on and said, "We are going to play some music for you, feel free to dance a jig if you wish, just try not to get too excitable."  And they started playing! In the middle of the train, it was awesome! People mostly ignored them, but I was delighted.  The fiddle player was especially good and it was top notch.  So I got off the tube at High Kensington Street and then walked about 6 blocks to my apartment.  Not too bad, but a big awkward with my luggage.  Everything is so green here! I haven't seen a fence or a wall without something growing on it, around it, or in it.  There is foliage everywhere, it is so very lush that it made me very happy to look out the window on the train ride. And the temperature is lovely and warm.  Also the houses here are much older than you would think, and they all have these ancient brick and clay chimneys.  Riding here I couldn't believe how many chimneys I saw! Well I'm extremely tired, and we are supposed to go on a walk soon so I'm going to go.  But I am here, and my adventures are just beginning, so fasten your seat belts folks this is going to be one wild ride.

Getting Closer!

So Far I have gotten about $400!! That is great! I leave in about 11 days and I'm so excited! It looks like I am going to be able to pay for the program due to generosity and a scholarship I received, but I still need money for food and transportation while I am in London. I appreciate all of your kindness! ALMOST THERE!!

This is my story!

Hey everybody! I have the chance to go on a study abroad to London, England through the theater program here at BYU. It is going to be amazing! We are going to be visiting Shakespeare's birthplace, going to tons of plays in the West End and a few at the Globe Theater. We will be learning all about British theater history, and reading a plethora of plays. All in all it will be an incredible experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity. But there is a problem. I am supposed to leave for London on April 26th, that is 14 days, and I still have $2,700 dollars that I need to get before I can leave. I have already bought my plane ticket, and put $1,000 dollars towards the program, and I planned on getting Federal loans, and if worst came to worst a private loan, but both of those options fell through due to technicalities, and I was left with only a few weeks to go and VERY limited financial options. I go to school full time and I also work as an early morning custodian everyday before school I'm doing everything I can possibly do. So I'm asking you, my friends/family/charitable strangers, to help me get to London. Even five dollars would help, and this is the opportunity for some awesome karma to come your way. Just use the "Donate" button on my side bar. And when I am living in London I will blog all about it and you will know that you were able to be a part of this adventure! Thank you all!