U.S. Visitors - Take One

Saturday morning I sprung out of bed trying to rush through the first part of my morning. Staring at the clock, I anxiously waited until 10AM when Tammy & I were supposed to leave to meet Mom & Cathy at their hotel. We got to the hotel around 10:15 & we waited. And waited. And waited some more. About an hour or so later I finally heard Cathy walk into the hotel. I saw her, jumped up to hug her & all she says to me is "I left her at home." Such a mean thing to say! But when I turned around there was Mom! Mom in London! Mom with me! I cried. Of course I cried. Mom did, too. We hugged. We cried. It was a true reunion for the two of us. I had no idea just how much I missed Mom. Not until I saw her. Until I could feel her, smell her.
So we let them sleep for an hour or so & then picked them up at the hotel & took them on their first tube ride to Buckingham Palace! We walked through Green Park & made our way toward the Palace. It was pretty funny to watch Mom try to remember how to use her camera - a digital device she herself has not used in at least a year. But she got the hang of it & just started clicking away [I wonder where I get that from...] :)
After admiring the Palace, the guards, the Bobbies, & the fountain we wandered down Buckingham Palace Road to the Rubens Hotel where we had tea! The hotel was beautiful! Tea was delicious & the scones! Oh the scones were simply wonderful! I couldn't believe that I hadn't had scones the entire time I've been here! Took me 5 weeks! Sheesh! Hahaha! :)
Anyway, after tea we walked along Victoria St. & did some window-shopping. What's a visit from Mom without shopping?! We came back to Baker St to get some food & what better place to get some food in London than a pub called The Globe? Tammy & I hadn't been in there ourselves, but heard good reviews from other Regent's students.
I'm surprised Mom & Cathy lasted until 9:30. We showed them the church on Marylebone Rd., across the street from the Park entrance. Then said good night & sent them to bed.
We got up early on Sunday morning to get to church at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. Tammy & I figured it was a pretty cool place to take Mom & Cathy to church - gotta go to an Anglican church while you're in London! After church we found the National Portrait Gallery. Mom wanted to go inside & see the portrait of Jane Austen. Naturally, Tammy & I had no argument with her. Of course, the portrait of Jane Austen is about the size of a 5"x7" photo, but that's okay. It was still really freakin' cool! :) Then we went to Spitalfields, an open air market near Tower Hill. It was a lot of fun - lots of different clothing vendors, foods, etc. Definitely need to go back!
Monday, Mom & Cathy went to Bath, Stonehenge & Windsor Castle while Tammy & I were in classes all day. Yuck. Tuesday, Mom, Cathy & I went to the Tower of London & Covent Garden. Mom & I had planned on doing some shopping in Covent Garden, but we lost Cathy & spent an hour looking for her, only to find her in the bookstore we left her in 2 hours before. Mom was so stressed that we had to take her to the bar for a drink & some food.
Wednesday afternoon Mom, Cathy, & I went to Westminster Abbey. Actually, I was there for a class trip & Mom & Cathy just walked around until I was done. Then we came back to Baker St., went our separate ways for a little while & then met up again to go to the theater! Mamma Mia! was amazing! :) The actors, the singing, the dancing, the lights! It was fantabulous! :) I want to go back! The audience was singing & at the end for the encore the cast sang 3 more songs & the audience was on their feet singing & dancing! It was such a blast!
Then, to end their trip, Mom & Cathy took us to T.G.I.Friday's. Haha. We got some drinks & some munchies. Delicious. Got some good Mom-talking in which was needed.
Mom asked, after we got back to Baker St., if I wanted to stay at the hotel with them on their last night in London. Of course!! Extending my last precious hours with Mom was getting close to what I wanted [I really wanted a]Mom to stay here for a little longer/the rest of the semester or b]to go home with Mom]. So I went back to school, got into my PJs & walked back to the hotel with Mom. Mom & Cathy packed up while I sat & talked with them & put off going to sleep so I could just talk to Mom. We got into bed around 1:30AM & stayed up till about 2:30AM talking & crying. I missed her before she even left me. Then again, as Mom put it, she didn't leave me. She's in my heart, as always. She's just a little further away than I might like. But, in 2 months I will be home & with her again. Of course, I'm not allowed to think about it like that. I am here, by myself, for me. This is my adventure. I have made myself & Mom proud & that's all that matters. I am growing up a little more [scary thought!] & I am starting to find the person I want to be when I grow up. :)
So, I woke up yesterday morning, said "see ya soon" to Mom & walked myself back to Regent's. My weepy self cried most of the way back, but I tried really hard not to! Haha!
Today, Tammy & I went back to Wimbledon. We took the tour today & went through the Museum. Sadly, because of construction, we could not go into the Centre Court arena, but we saw everything else! It was so cool! I want to come back to London in a few years & go to Wimbledon. I want to see a match played on Centre Court! :)
Michael will be here in a week! Hooray for a visit from my big bro, Spring Break, Dublin & a Premiere League football match between Fulham & Blackburn all in one week! Woohoo!! :)

So Super Excited!

Okay, I'm a bit late on this update. But better late than never, yes? :)
Last Saturday, Tammy & I went to Stonehenge! AHH!! It was incredibly beautiful! Such a beautiful sunny, warm day. We have truly been blessed with beautiful Saturdays for our day trips. I am sincerely thankful for that. In fact, we have had more sunny days here in general than I expected. I was anticipating grey days, rainy days, & no sunny days. In this case, I LOVE that I was wrong! Haha!! :)
Anyway, Stonehenge was gorgeous! Just standing there I felt so insignificant [a feeling that continued later that day...].
After Stonehenge, we moved on to the area of Salisbury. A very cool, nifty area. The best part was Salisbury Cathedral, a BEAUTIFUL Gothic cathedral. I felt so insignificant walking through this amazing place. I would go to church every single day if I could go to this cathedral. Not kidding. I felt like my faith was totally in check here. No questions. Just believing. If only that could happen at home.
I lit two candles for my grandmother [an act which moved me, as well as my parents - they were grateful of my remembrance for two such wonderful women].
Tammy & I finally got out to explore our park -yes, OUR park - this week. We stumbled across LOTS of football fields - on which I wanted to play so badly! Ah, memories.
We also found the London Zoo - & a giraffe! Haha! :) So, today, to kick off our weekend, we are going to the London Zoo! I have not been to a zoo in 10+ years! I am seriously excited! :) I plan on acting like a ten year old. Be jealous. :)
But! The best part of this weekend is my Mom is coming to visit on Saturday! That's right! 5 days with my Mom!!!!!! I miss her so so so so so much & I can't wait to just hug her. See her [besides through a webcam on Skype]. Talk to her - our classic Mom-Daughter chats that have been hanging by a thread via e-mail the past 6 weeks. I need some REAL Mom-conversation! Plus, I get to go shopping with my Mom in London. The only thing to top that is that I get to legally drink with my Mom this week! YES! :) Doesn't get any better than that! Actually...it does...Mamma Mia! with my Mom, Tammy & Cathy on Wednesday night! Sweet! :)
Alright, enough of my Mommy ranting. Haha. Time to get ready for the Zoo! :)

so many adventures!

Wow! I can't believe all the things I have seen here in this beautiful city in less than a month! I feel like I am going to run out of new things to see too soon! I don't want that to happen! I want to see everything there is to see in this city!
This past Saturday, Tammy & I went to Stratford-Upon-Avon & Warwick Castle. We could not have asked for a better weather day. The sun was shining in a beautiful blue sky. I got "Dear Prudence" stuck in my head: "The sun is up - The sky is blue - It's beautiful & so are you." LOVE that song. Okay, enough of my song ADD...
The town of Stratford is beautiful. All of the Shakespeare-associated places are gorgeous & I feel like an accomplished English major - I have seen the place where the man who most people claim to be the epitome of English literature was born, lived, & died. How many other people can say that?
Warwick Castle was gorgeous! It's HUGE! There's a Victorian Rose Garden there & how I wish it was Spring time. I would love to have seen the roses & their magic - but I think the snow had it's own magic to share. I love magic. It seems to be popping up a little bit more every now & then in my life lately. I kinda like it. Keeps things interesting in my ever-changing world. It IS the change in my world - the welcome change, at least.
This upcoming Saturday [Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day, haha] Tammy & I are going to Stonehenge & the area of Salisbury!! I am so very very excited to see it. I need to do some reading up on the Druids - they are such an interesting people to me. I also can't help but think of Eddie Izzard [I love how the English pronounce his last name!] & his bit on Stonehenge: "Stonehenge - one of the biggest henges in the world! No one knows what the fuck a henge is. Before Stonehenge, there was Woodhenge & Strawhenge. But a big bad wolf came & blew 'em down & 3 little piggies were re-located to the Projects." Haha! I love it! I promise that I will be quoting that all day, hopefully in my head so that I don't drive anyone in hearing range of me to insanity. [Is it sad that I knew that little bit entirely by heart?] :)
Mom will be here in T-minus 12 days! Actually, since today is pretty much shot, we'll narrow it down to 11! :) I am so excited to see her! I was planning on surprising her & Cathy at their hotel when they arrive on Saturday, February 21st. While talking to the fam on Skype last night, Mom mentioned that I "better be at the hotel" to greet them! Well, there goes the ONLY surprise I had up my sleeve. Oh well. I'm just damn happy to know that Mom will be here in less than two weeks!! :)
Alright, I guess I should be a good student & actually do some homework. Adios para ahora [TTFN]!