All the best stories to tell...

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an AMAZING week!

First things first...got my grades back from my papers I worked ever so hard on. I scored two A's for the semester...not too shabby! I was pretty excited! The finger-crossing must have really worked, so thanks! Therein lies good news no. 1!

Good news no. 2 - I found out The Briggs are opening up for the Dropkick Murphy's on their British tour in February!! I couldn't be more excited about this! I will see The Briggs/Dropkick and The Smashing Pumpkins twice each all in the same week! So EXCITED!

So, Tuesday night I went out with the rest of the folks in the criminology department for a nice dinner and drinks. We had an absolute blast! The food was amazing and I experienced my first ever Christmas crackers. We were lucky enough to crack out some pretty fun toys (ie. yo-yos) and some pretty corny jokes...along with some super cool party crowns!

Yesterday, I caught the train to London...leaving a little later than I had planned, surprise, surprise! Anyway, I checked into a really posh hostel in a nice part of town. A little more than I wanted to pay, but after my last London hostel experience I figured it was worth it...and they include breakfast and dinner! Not to mention they're really close to a tube station. What a bargain!

So after getting checked in, I rushed over to the record shop, still hoping to catch some of Frank Turner's set. Lucky for me, I got to hear half a dozen or so songs! So I waited until the crowd cleared to say hi to Frank. He said, "Oh my gosh! Hey! How are you? Weird to see familiar faces in different places than you met them!" Then he invited me to the pub! So we legged it to the pub, chatting the whole way. Frank then proceeded to introduce me to his mates at the pub and told the story about how we met in Leeds! So strange to hear him telling people that he saved me from having to watch the show from outside a window in an alleyway!

We spent the rest of the night hanging with Frank's mates, before moving on to a trendy London nightclub, called Punk, in Soho. They had indie/punk karaoke happening. Yes, I actually watched Frank Turner sing karaoke! It was quite a laugh! We stayed out way too late! It was an absolute blast though! Very strange to be playing pool, sharing drinks, taking the underground, dancing, etc. with a guy who's cd's I listen to daily...

Tonight...possibly meeting back up with Frank, but not staying out so late!

Tomorrow...collecting my mom/sister from the airport! Yay! I can't wait. We have a whole week of fun planned, so I'll post again after it's finished I would imagine!

Oh, here's a few miscellaneous photos (had to start a new album!). They're from Christmas decorating of the house, Faith's birthday, BOG Christmas dinner, and a few from last night and today...more to follow!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Best wishes to everyone in the New Year!!

Come on Barbie let's go party...

Well it's the last few days of work before the Christmas holidays...

Last week I finished my two papers due for my profs back home. The first one was a complete success. I'm still waiting on the results from the second one...so cross your fingers! I'm so relieved to have those done and out of the way. On to more pressing matters! I have to get organized and fill out my paperwork for application to the PhD program. I also have to get signed up for next semester's courses. Hopefully I won't have to do anymore really intensive school work here though...it can wait until I return home!

The weekend was super fun! We had a girls' night out on Friday night and went pub crawling before ending up at a house party. I also attended a 6 year old's birthday party yesterday! Oh man, I've never seen so many kids running around, popping balloons, and dancing! I know nothing of High School Musical and I could have done without EVER hearing the "Barbie Girl" song again, however, it was highly amusing!

I finish at the university on Wednesday for a few weeks. We are having our work Christmas dinner tomorrow night, then it's time to get packing! I'm headed to London on Thursday for an in-store gig at Puregroove Records...starring none other than, Frank Turner! The long awaited for arrival of my mom and sister will be over early Saturday morning when I go and collect them from Gatwick airport. Then it's off on our week o' fun! We've got more things packed into eight days than may be possible, but we've got to give it a bash don't we? Pictures and fun stories to come I'm sure!

I've also got my ticket booked for Italy! I leave January 4th! I absolutely can not wait! The next few weeks will fly by so quickly and then it's only two months until I come home...the new year will bring much to look forward to though!

Also, I will get some pics from our Christmas decorating up sometime this week, so stand by!

Oh where, oh where has all the time gone??

Well I've been here almost three months...this journey is half over and I can hardly believe it! This will be a short one....seeing as I have TONS of stuff to get accomplished this week and next. I have two papers to turn in by early next week and a whole calendar full of events to attend over the next couple of weeks before the holidays, then I'll be seeing my mom and my sister and new parts of Britain I have yet to explore!

I have finally sorted out my camera issues....I think! I got some charger/adaptor thing at the store for about $7 (compared to the one the camera specialists tried to sell me for $45) and it seems to have done the job. I charged my camera and was actually able to take pictures over the weekend at night! How exciting! (You can see them by clicking HERE...sorry the album's getting so long! The new pics are from Saturday night out, as well as some older ones from Bonfire Night, featuring the view from my co-worker/friend Katy's house in Penarth, which is just across Cardiff Bay.) So, who knows how long the charge will last, but it seems this magical charger/adaptor has done the trick. I can finally use my new camera!

Saturday night we went out for my housemate Adele's friend Sarah's birthday. 20 of us went for an Indian feast and then on for drinks in a pub. It was really a lot of fun! One of the guys told me I had the Welshest accent he'd ever heard! Yeah right...

So that's all for now...I'll post more after I stop procrastinating and get my work finished!

Miss u.

XO

Bang out of order...

So tonight I made chili for my housemates and Adele's best friend, Rhian, who is like one of my new best friends too! I found it shocking that they had never had chili, the all-American dish of fall. I was actually really pleased at how it turned out, given the strange selection of ingredients at the local grocery store. Ground beef here is called "beef mince," which I had to ensure was the same thing. Last week I was walking through the grocery store with my cell phone unit conversion menu up, so that I could convert grams to ounces/pounds. I felt ridiculous! This chili was definitely better than the veggie version I made last year, and didn't take nearly as long to make!

We decided tonight we'll take turns in making American/Welsh dishes for everyone to enjoy. Next up, I'm going to make enchiladas, given that Mexican food is definitely not as prevalent here! Rhian agreed to make "faggots" and peas. Sounds horrible huh? I guess they're like meatballs though of sorts. I'll let you know how it goes when it happens! She also told me about other favorite dishes around here, such as "toad in the hole," which is sausages baked into a Yorkshire pudding, I believe, and "bubble & squeak," which from what I gather is a type of casserole made from traditional Sunday roast leftovers. It should be interesting for sure!

Rhian and I have also spent the last week discussing vocabulary differences between Wales and the US. It's been highly amusing! I'll give you a rundown of some new words/phrases I've learned as a result of this...

My personal favorite is "That's bang out of order," which essentially means that's totally unacceptable, but then there's also...

"fanny" here definitely does not equal bum
a "barney" = fight/argument, not a purple dinosaur!
"mingin" or "hangin" (pronounced "angin") = gross
"marvin" = hungry or starving
"shall we make a move?" = "should we go?"
"let's leg it" = "let's walk"
"bum-bag" = fanny pack
"dummy" = pacifier
"slag" = promiscuous woman
"barking" = crazy
"stroppy" = moody or bad tempered
"bollockin" = to have a stern talking to, to be scolded
"give it a bash" = give it a go, try it out
"it's/you're doin' my head in" = driving me crazy!

I'm sure I'm leaving out loads of others, but you get the idea!

In other news...I think I finally have my new camera working. I have still not found an adequate adaptor, just one that is sufficing for now. And, I'm ill right now. I've got a horrible cold and have slept a whole lot over the past few days. I'm hoping to feel better and get my school work finished soon, so I can begin my weekend travels again!

Oh and I finally figured out what the Welsh people are saying when they say goodbye...it's spelled "tara," but pronounced ta-raw, with the emphasis on the end syllable. I can finally fit in by using this phrase and sounding a tiny bit Welsh!

So, ta-raw for now!

O is for Oxford...

So I'm back from my adventure in Oxford, and what an adventure it was!

I arrived last Thursday, checked into my hostel and made a new friend almost immediately! One of my roommates was in the room when I arrived and we started chatting right away. Renee is from New Zealand and was there as part of a training session to be a private caregiver. There were two other ladies in our room that were also from down under that were training with her. We all hit it off really well and set out for a night on the town with Mick, the hostel's Aussie manager; his friend, Mark, an Oxford resident; and one of our other roommates, Wendy, who was from Ecuador. We headed to the pub for some live music, which was great fun! We laughed a lot, danced a little and had an incredible night out!

Friday, I set out to explore the home of the oldest university in England....you guessed it, Oxford University. Oxford University is made up of 39 separate colleges, spread across the city! The buildings are magnificent and the town has an ecclectic mix of students. I began my day at Christ Church College...the most famous of Oxford's colleges! Christ Church is home to the famous Hogwarts dining hall for fellow Potter fans...and was also the college where Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice and Wonderland, taught mathmatics. It is quite impressive and has massive gothic buildings and the most beautiful grounds.

I then ran into Wendy my roommate and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring together. It's nice to have company to snap photos! We climbed the top of the mound, where part of Oxford Castle used to be. The views looking out over the city were amazing! We explored what's left of the castle and checked out the new fancy hotel part of the castle, which used to serve as a prison! We did a little shopping, continued on the bus tour of Oxford, and strolled through a French Market along Broad Street.

Friday night it was back out on the town with the girls and guys of the hostel! This was honestly the friendliest hostel I have stayed at! It's actually not even run by Brits...it's Australian/Canadian owned and run. Weird mixture of people for sure! We started out back at the pub from the night before with our Oxford guide Mark entertaining everyone with his silliness, and continued on when the live music was more rocking than silly fun...our next stop was HA! HA!, a really lush pub, with indoor fireplaces and soft lighting! It was super fancy! Then on to our final stop inside the prison hotel bar!

Finally, we returned to the hostel, where Mark, Renee, and I were eventually joined by Mick and Owen, who work at the hostel, and sat around laughing and telling stories until after six in the morning! It was a great couple of days and I seriously was sad to leave all of the great people I met! Hopefully Renee and I will hook back up during our time here!

In other news...my shiny new camera is useless right now! I have no way to charge it, as there was no cable included with it to plug it in. I've been to countless camera shops and none of them sell the lithium battery I need for the camera to replace the dead battery! How frustrating!! So sorry some of the pics are blurry, but I was back to using the broken camera with no flash and that's what I got! New pics are posted at the end of the album, which you can view by clicking HERE. I think I finally have this problem worked out today, so we'll see!

Also, I managed to leave my adaptor in Oxford! Oops! Seriously it could have been my toothbrush, my socks, anything easily replaceable really, but it had to be the thing I need to plug in everything I have here! So that was an adventure trying to get a new one on a Sunday in Britain, when everything is SHUT! Again, how frustrating!! I finally got a replacement today, so I'm back online and will have pretty hair again after a couple days with no flat iron/curling iron!

I still can't believe how fast the time is going! It's shocking that this week is Thanksgiving, which no one over here has a concept of! It feels weird to be working through the week and not having a holiday! Not that I'm complaining too much though, as this whole experience is kind of like a holiday! The next couple of weeks will be incredibly busy, as I have two papers I have to complete rather quickly for my professors back home, so the FUN is OVER for now!

Future trips include...London/Bath/Edinburgh over the Christmas holidays! Maybe a trip to Manchester beforehand to see a show with Craig. Italy/Greece after the new year! And in February...I just booked my tickets to go see THE SMASHING PUMPKINS in Manchester and London for Valentine's Day weekend! What better way to spend that weekend than with the ones I LOVE! I'm really excited!!

Miss you all...
Enjoy your Turkey Day!

The last train home...

This week has been absolutely crazy busy!! My colleagues will all be in the States next week for American Society of Criminology conferences in Atlanta, so this week has been a rush of last minute preparations for papers/presentations to be given at the conferences. This also means that next week will be a bit of a relaxing week for me! Yay! I'm going to try and wrap up the papers I have due back home and take a small little trip to Oxford I think, we shall see!

Anyway, backtracking to last weekend in Manchester...

I seriously had the most fun weekend I have had since arriving here! I got into Manchester Friday night and met up with Craig and Jen, at an apparently shady pub, which I had no clue about, it was just close to my hostel, so I wandered in there thinking it would be easy to find to meet up! Oops! Then we left to meet some of Jen's friends, then Craig and I departed on my Friday night whirlwind pub tour of Manchester! Craig took me to this really cool underground, cave-like pub with all sorts of geeky sci-fi decorations everywhere! Next was a bar called, Space, where downstairs is the typical nightclub, but upstairs they have a huge cosy outdoor patio bar with funky tables and fire/candles. We met some outrageous folks at this bar! We then ventured onto Canal Street (as seen here on the right), Manchester's gay district! It's hugely popular and has quite a scene. I saw some of the best drag queens ever! Then capping off the night we went to a more posh upscale bar for one last drink. It's impossible to see all the pubs in Manchester in one night, but I think we had a pretty darn good highlights tour!

Saturday I took in Manchester's Northern Quarter...and didn't get any further than that! I think it's really all you need! Manchester is too impossible huge to cover in one day, so this is the perfect spot for some hip, funky shopping! I went to half a dozen record stores that put Vintage Vinyl to shame (and I love Vintage Vinyl...)! There's also an indoor market type building called Affleck's Palace, where most of my time...and money...was spent! They have all sorts of crazy things, handmade jewelry, clothing, music memorabilia, a tattoo parlor, a cafe, etc! There were these awesome mosaics all across the sides of the building and this funky sculpture just across the road (pic on the left, for more pics click HERE). I fell in love with the Northern Quarter!

Then I met up with Jen and her friend, Shawna, and we took the train up to Craig's house in Preston for the fireworks party! It was quite a show! We had TONS of fireworks and I was amazed at how quickly they disappeared! All of Craig's friends were really cool and we had lots of musical interests to share and discuss, which was awesome!! I really had fun meeting all of them and we'll hopefully get to all hang out a few more times before I go home...there are at least a few good shows coming to go see! Craig also made "parched peas" in honor of Bonfire Night, which weren't half bad! They looked disgusting though! So after a whole lot of laughing/fireworks/wine, the party dispersed and Craig and I stayed up watching Jonah's DVD, reminiscing about our Jonah adventures! It was really a lot of fun! It's unbelievable to find someone in a country so far away with music tastes almost matching those of my own!!

Sunday after cleaning up from the party and having a nice strong brew, we headed out on a short tour of Preston, originally called "Priest Town", which has something like the most churches of any other city. They're quite impressive and you can see a church in any direction you turn. We had traditional Sunday lunch and enjoyed a couple pints before my departure back to Cardiff! It was an awesome weekend...almost!

I caught the train at half past five...and arrived in Cardiff at 10:22p...missing the last train home to Trefforest by 15 minutes! Oops! No buses, no more trains (it was a Sunday!)...so I had to catch a taxi home, which cost 30 quid...I won't do the math for you...I'll just tell you I could have bought a whole lot of records with that money! Oh well, you live and you learn and I won't make that mistake again!!

Bath, Stonehenge, and a little bit of Magic!

I'm back from my weekend is Bath and I have loads to tell about!

Arriving in Bath is magical. The city is unbelievably beautiful and has such a rich history! I found my hostel with ease, right in the city centre...took a bit of a walk around the city, got some food in a pub...steak and ale pie!

Saturday I spent shopping and exploring Bath, taking dozens and dozens of pictures, had tea at Sally Lunn's, the oldest house in Bath! The best cup of tea I've ever had and home to the famous Sally Lunn bun, which is prepared a dozen different ways. Went to a theatre production at the Theatre Royal, headed back to the hostel. Met a really nice guy from Scotland, who had been living in Bath, playing his fiddle for tourists in the square during the day! That's how he had been making his earnings! We had a nice chat until late in the night, before I headed up to bed...

Now here's where the bad hostel experience comes in...the night before I hardly slept due to the loud drunken people in the streets, who sounded like they were shouting right next to me! Well Saturday night was even worse! I think all female dorms may be the worst. I think I'll stick to the mixed dorms, as I think I've decided that sharing a room with males is more pleasurable. So this lady in the dorm comes in really late and switches on all the lights...which is totally unnecessary due to the light coming in the huge windows, and proceeds to make a ton of noise going through her things. So another girl in the dorm says, "Could you please shut off the lights?" and the rude lady replies, "Yeah, I'm just trying to see where I'm going!" in a really harsh tone. So she finally gets settled and everyone goes back to sleep...well at 4:00am I was awoken to someone getting increasingly louder, shouting, "Excuse me! Excuse me! EXCUSE ME!" and the same rude lady replying, "WHAT!?" The other lady then says, "Could you roll over or something? Your snoring is keeping everyone awake!" I seriously thought there was going to be a fight! Well the rude lady went back to sleep and continued to snore, and now that I was awakened I couldn't get back to sleep!! Half the dorm then vacated the room in the middle of the night. I ended up putting my headphones in, blaring music, over which I could still hear the lady snoring! It was unbelievable! Then I forgot all about daylight savings time and checked out an hour early! I could have slept or not slept more like it for another hour!

Sunday was the fun day! I booked a tour to Lacock Village/Stonehenge on a little minibus. The drive was beautiful and scary all at the same time. The road was two-way with only about enough room for the minibus. The driver said, "These are the times when you hope no one comes the other way!"

So Lacock Village is 1000 years old, which is amazing in itself. Lots of movies are filmed there, due to stepping into the village and literally going back in time. The driver said all they have to do is put some dirt down on the streets and any sign of modern society is virtually gone! So here's the exciting bit for the fellow Harry Potter fans and the disappointing bit! So Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince began filming last week on Wednesday in Lacock Village! They finished a mere 36 hours before my visit to Lacock Village! How sad!! They've also shot many scenes in the halls of Lacock Abbey and used the rooms there as classrooms. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to go inside. This village is also the home to Harry Potter's parents house as shown in the second movie...such a cool place to visit! Apparently the residents of the village were all paid 200lbs for the inconvenience of the filming, which was only going on from 5p to 5a daily, then the residents whose houses were used in filming were given an extra 500lbs for the inconvenience of the lights being shown on their houses at night, and an extra 100lbs to park their cars around back, so the movie crew didn't have to request that they move them every time! That is equivalent to about $2000! I wanna live there!

All in all a great weekend, minus the bad weather and lack of sleep! Enjoy the pics, they're tacked onto the bottom of the album.

Cheers!

Bonfire Night...

Borrowed from Wikipedia...Traditionally known as Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration (but not a public holiday) on the evening of the 5th of November primarily in the United Kingdom, but also in former British colonies New Zealand, S.A. vigo, the island of Newfoundland (Canada), parts of the British Caribbean including the Bahamas, and to some extent by their nationals abroad. Bonfire Night was common in Australia until the 1980s, but it was held on the Queen's Birthday long weekend in June. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot in which a group of Catholic conspirators, led by one Robert Catesby, and including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in Westminster on the evening of 5 November 1605, when the Protestant James I of England (James VI of Scotland), his eldest sons, and the majority of the English Parliament were within its walls. The conspirators were later tortured and executed.

The celebrations, which in the United Kingdom take place in towns and villages across the country, involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires, on which "guys", or dummies, representing Guy Fawkes, the most infamous of the conspirators, are traditionally burnt. Before the fifth, children traditionally used the "guys" to beg for money with the chant "Penny for the guy", although this is now rarely seen. In recent years the night is becoming increasingly known as "Guy Fawkes Night". (For more on Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night go HERE, interesting stuff in the pop culture references section)

Anyway, the reason for the educational info about bonfire night is due to the fact that next weekend I will be traveling to Manchester to hang with my friend Craig and will be celebrating my first ever Bonfire Night at a bonfire party! There will be plenty of sparklers, fireworks and wine for everyone! I'm really looking forward to this and will hopefully have nice shiny new pictures to share!

Out of the comfort zone...

Well it's Monday again and time is flying by at unbelievable speeds...

The weekend was one filled with hilarity for many different reasons....starting on Friday. I went into Pontypridd to pick up a ticket to "Meeting Joe Strummer," a stage production about the legendary frontman of The Clash, which is here for only one night in December. I also did a little shopping and grabbed some take-out to take home with me...so I walked back to the bus station and returned to the stall that I had arrived at, hopped on the bus, and went on my way...

Well it should have dawned on me that the stall I had arrived at would be continuing on to other towns beyond Ponty, not returning to where I had come from....the return bus would have been departing from a different stall!! Oops...so I went about an hour out of my way by the time the bus worked through traffic and I caught the return bus in the next town. The bus driver was probably thinking I was completely mad when I presented my ticket, but he failed to tell me I was boarding the wrong bus! I won't be making that mistake again!

Saturday I had a really nice day in Cardiff Bay after perusing the Cardiff Central Market. The Central Market houses Kelly's Records, which had an amazing collection of vinyl! I will be going back to collect the albums I hid in the back of a bin! I took some amazing photos in Cardiff Bay and took a waterbus into the water. I could hang out by the docks for hours! The photos are included in the slideshow to the left, or you can follow this link and check em out! There are some inserted towards the top of the album of my office and such and the rest from Cardiff Bay are at the bottom!

Saturday night was highly entertaining...after watching the Rugby World Cup, one of our weekend houseguests, Shikai, told me him and I were going to take a taxi into Ponty to go to a nightclub...so he called the cab and we headed to town. Upon arrival at The Tumble Inn...Shikai told me I had no choice but to dance with him! For those of you that know me at all, you know that I'm no dancer...I really don't enjoy dancing...but I sucked it up and I danced with Shikai for an hour before the rest of our group arrived and I was able to sneak off the dance floor! My knowledge of crappy pop dance music is going to be so vast when I get home, I'm going to have to lock myself away for weeks listening to rock music to return to normal!

In other news...I have ordered a new camera, which hopefully will be here before I go to Manchester in two weeks. I will be able to take plenty of mullet pictures for your enjoyment pleasure!

Today it's back to work, patiently awaiting my travels this upcoming weekend to Bath...

Mullets, asymmetry, and a relaxing weekend...

Hello...just got done with a busy day at work! I'm getting a lot accomplished and I received much praise for my work today, which is always very nice to hear. I've finished one small project so far, which was to find potential authors for a book that is in the works, and was told it was BRILLIANT! I don't know about that, but it was nice to hear! Still working on a big literature review project for another forthcoming book, but it's going very well!

The weekend was fairly quiet and relaxing, which was nice after my night out on the town Thursday night! Went to the pub before the seminar. Attended the seminar in this beautiful building at Cardiff University (it was like a museum!), where there were more drinks being served. Went to another pub. Then went for Indian food before we caught a taxi home very late! Needless to say, Friday was a short day. It was a lot of fun to get to hang out with the rest of the people in the department though, and to meet a number of people from the department in Cardiff.

Other interesting observations...so Friday night we went out bowling to this place called Bowlplex. Well they also have like a club inside, with a huge bar area and dance floor, loud pop music, funky lights. The girls may as well not be wearing any clothes at all and the guys all seem to have what I'm now calling "EuroMullets". This may be the actual term, who knows? Anyway, it's not attractive in the least bit! If you'd like a peek at what I'm refering to click HERE! I'll try to sneak some better photos the next time we go out! They're everywhere!! As for the ladies...asymmetrical hairstyles seem to be very popular! I have a really hard time with anything asymmetrical, so they're driving me mad! Maybe I'll get my own funky euro cut/color, but it won't be asymmetrical!

Oh, I've also picked out my new camera...yay!

One small addition...

So just a small addition to the previous posting of my address....sorry I thought this seemed obvious, but it's not really I suppose!

19 Glyn-Dwr Avenue
PONTYPRIDD
Mid Glamorgan
CF37 5PD

UNITED KINGDOM

In other news...my email is not currently working for some unknown reason, which Yahoo! can't seem to find time to check into...this has caused much frustration and hopefully will be resolved today! So, if you've written and I haven't responded...that's the reason.

Tonight I'm attending a lecture/seminar in Cardiff, presented by a guy that was formerly in the Secret Service. It should be really interesting and afterwards my colleagues and I are going for drinks!

No crazy weekend plans as of yet...I'm looking to plan a couple of travel weekends soon though. Probably up to Manchester and maybe to Bath. I've really got to get my camera issues resolved!

Cheers for now.

Bits & Bobs...

I can't tell you how beautiful the day is today...the sun is finally out and the sky is so blue! The clouds are casting the most amazing shadows on the hills/mountains...

This photo is essentially the view from the top point of the university, just on the other side of the building which houses my office...it's very peaceful, not very conducive to getting any work done!

Anyway, just a few bits & bobs, interesting tidbits of essentially useless information:

First, if you like ketchup on your "chips" carry it with you...cause you're charged between 10-20 cents per packet! However, if you prefer salt & vinegar you'll be just fine...

It really is a meat and potatoes culture...potatoes served with most everything and you can get a baked potato filled with just about anything you can think of...chili, tuna, corn, casserole, etc.

There's a phrase/word here that most everyone you run across says as a sort of farewell, see you later, goodbye...and I can't figure out what exactly they are saying! It's driving me mad! I'll let you know when I have the courage to ask someone what the heck it is that they're saying!

Beer is for sale at the campus store...which is called an off-license. Off licenses can sell beer and wine, but you may not consume it on their premises, hence the "off" part. On licenses are bars and such that can sell beer, wine, & spirits, which you may consume on the premises...Apparently at age 16 you may purchase beer or wine in a restaurant or pub, if accompanied by an adult, only if ordering a meal; as well as at the supermarket. You may not purchase spirits until 18 years of age....this explains why I was confused when asked how old you had to be in the US to buy alcohol at the grocery store...

That's all I've got for now...if you have your own interesting fact or piece of useless information you'd like to share -- LEAVE A COMMENT! or send me an e-mail!

I feel a bit like a freshman...

Well, my first day at the university has come and gone...and while I have status as a "researcher," essentially a staff member, I felt so much like a freshman, wandering around lost on campus on the first day of school! I'm glad to have my bearings a little bit now. Tomorrow I will get settled into my office, with my computer all set up, and I should blend in a bit more maybe??

Today was really cool though. I got to make corrections to a manuscript getting ready to be sent off for print. I had lunch with my colleagues! And attended an orientation of sorts for new staff members...I was by far the youngest person in the room! I'm looking forward to finding out what the rest of the week has in store for me...

In other news, I went into Cardiff on Saturday and went to the OLDEST record shop in the WORLD!!! Spillers Records was established in 1894! It's small, but has character beyond imagination and the staff was very friendly! If anyone is in search for something a bit rare or an import of sorts...let me know! It'll give me an excuse to go back there, not that I need one! I'll take requests for souvenirs from there too...they have t-shirts and coffee mugs! Super cool experience!

Nottingham / Liverpool / Bristol...

Just a quick rundown of the last leg of my little tour...Nottingham was the height of my being ill! No fun...the first day I didn't feel like doing anything! My hostel was literally right around the corner from the venue, thankfully! It was a unique hostel, but no one else was in my room...there was supposed to be, but they never came back! It was really nice...minus the super squeaky bed! I woke up every time I turned over.

My second day in Nottingham I did make an effort to see some of the sights...I went to the Galleries of Justice and had the greatest tour. They issued each person on the tour a convict number, then we had a mock trial (dress up and everything!), the criminal was sentenced to death and led down to the holding facility. This court room and facility were used for a very long time and the last trial there was held in 1986. It was super interesting and the views of the city over the walls of the compound were amazing!

Then I caught my train to Liverpool and settled into my hostel, which was right on the water! My first all girls suite! Super cool. I met this really sweet girl from Finland, total rocker chick, with the funnest (yeah I know it's not a word...) hair! Anyway, I put my stuff away and headed to meet Craig (my friend from Leeds) at the venue. We shared some pints down the road a bit in this bar that is a converted church...but they didn't do much converting. They actually kept the altar and everything...that must be a bit sacrilegious!

Anyway, the show was amazing and fun to be there with a friend...Jonah asked me if there was anything I would like to hear that I hadn't yet...then he opened the show with my request! It was very cool. After the show we chatted and hugged, and he told me he'd keep trying to surprise me! Cool night indeed!

The next day I toured Liverpool, which may just be the best place I visited! It's beautiful there! I took a City Explorer bus, equipped with a guide, and learned a lot about the city's history and of course...The Beatles! I did some shopping and had lunch at a cafe on the water. It was peaceful and relaxing! I didn't really want to leave there!

Sadly, I left Liverpool the next morning and headed for Bristol. Bristol was rainy and cold, then sunny and cold! It was also very pretty though and I had a blast shopping in the markets! I caught up on sleep and emails. Went to my final Jonah show in the UK, kind of sad! But I'm so tired! It was an awesome night and a perfect close to a wonderful tour/holiday!

I learned so many things while traveling! For starters...there aren't many people who know where Missouri is...they all think it's in the south. I learned that "trackies" are the ones to watch out for on bikes...they'll steal your purse. I learned Nottingham is nicknamed "Shottingham," and is thought of as the gun capital of England! Just like being home in St. Louis huh? It really wasn't that bad! There's so many other things I'm leaving out, just too many to remember!

Anyway, I am happy to be home! I had a whole lot of fun while I was away though! For those that would like to write to me...the normal paper and pencil way...here's my address while I'm here:

19 Glyn-Dwr Avenue

PONTYPRIDD

Mid Glamorgan

CF37 5PD

And for those that would like to call, via Skype or whatever, I can be reached on my cell phone at: +44 7826044385

Cheers!

Quick update....interjection...whatever!

Okay, I have a few more postings from the rest of the tour that will follow in the next couple of days! I'm headed back to Wales tomorrow to my new home!

My pictures are up to date though, so feel free to check those out HERE if you'd like to bypass the blog reading!

I'm tired, still a little sick, my camera is broken (again! so sad...it's time for a new one), and I'm glad I'm not a rock star! I wouldn't be able to do it! I don't know how they do it! This week has been crazy and fun and unpredictable and completely exciting!

Cheers to all of the great people I met along the way!

Leeds

Wow...where to even begin! I arrived in Leeds and grabbed a taxi from the train station cause it was yucky and raining. My taxi dropped me at my hotel! Hotel, yes! It was amazing. The owner greeted me at the door, checked me in, carried my bags up to my room! I didn't have my own bathroom, but my room was splendid! I had my own kettle, TV, sink, wardrobe! It was worth the extra money! Plus there was a full cooked to order breakfast in the morning! It doesn't get much better!

So I hopped the bus into the city after relaxing in my room and having the best shower of my whole trip! (I've been sick, so this was just what I needed!) Anyway, I caught a bus into the city, did some shopping, wandered down to the venue...

Again, SOLD OUT! Seriously??? I was totally bummed! So I started talking to this guy outside the venue...he had traveled to see the show as well (big Jonah fan!) and he didn't have tickets either. So after awhile his friend joined us and we walked around the venue, after learning that they would not be letting any more people in or on the guest list. Well, as we were walking, the guys were doing a soundcheck and there was this huge window right at the back of the stage (see pics for further here) and you could literally hear everything! So we decided we'd just watch the show from back there...

So Craig (my new friend), and his friend and I went to the pub in the train station to stay out of the cold until the show started. I walked up to the bar to order a Newcastle and the bartender extended his hand to shake mine and said, "What's your name, love?" I told him my name was Kristi, and he said, "I've never met a woman that drinks dark." It was hilarious! I didn't know it was unusual...I love Newcastle!

Anyway, we went back to the venue, picking up a six pack on the way, and settled in the alley outside the window...Craig's friend had to leave before Jonah came on, so it was just Craig and I dancing and singing in the alley to Jonah songs. Then we spotted Frank Turner (the show's headliner!) sitting on the side of the stage singing along as well. He then looked our way and we gave him a little wave. The next thing we knew Frank Turner walked out the back door and said, "I might be able to get you in, if anyone asks just tell them your my cousins or something!" So he took us up the back stairwell and we watched the rest of the show from the side of the stage! It was incredible! Jonah came off the stage, all sweaty, and gave Craig a hug, saying, "I see you got in!" and then me a hug, saying, "It's very nice to see you again!" So we were glowing! It was an awesome night! Everything fell into place and worked out better than could have been expected!

Craig then had to leave before the end of the show to catch his train, but I had met some other very nice people and we went to a pub after the show! I definitely made some cool friends in Leeds and Craig's going to meet me in Liverpool for the show there!

I didn't do much else in Leeds to be perfectly honest...the weather was crappy! On to Nottingham and Liverpool!

Cardiff/London

Just departed Kings Cross Station, platform 9 ¾, (just kidding!) it was actually platform 5…on my way to Leeds and happy to be leaving London!

My journey to Cardiff was fairly uneventful. I arrived and just after checking into the hostel was when the rain came pouring down! I departed for the venue, Clwb Ifor Bach, with my umbrella in hand (I don’t go anywhere without it actually), and began walking towards Cardiff Castle. This venue was also tucked away, literally in an alley, but fortunately the first person I asked knew where it was! Anyway, the walk was very rainy and windy; so much so that my umbrella flipped upwards and was no longer very useful! I tried flipping it back the other way and one of the supports broke, so my first umbrella is done for! I only got to use it for a week! I’ll have to find another one; it’s not like there’s a shortage around here!

The concert in Cardiff was wonderful. It’ll be hard to top. Jonah played almost everything I could’ve ever wanted to here, including my personal favorite song, “Halo,” after I requested it! We spoke after his set for quite some time! Recounting the first time we met in Lawrence, KS at the Bottleneck nearly six years ago. He’s always so humble and very sweet. We hugged a lot and I told him I’d be tagging along for the rest of the tour. He said to let him know if there’s anything I’d especially like to hear! It was a great night…

I arrived in London yesterday, made my way to “The Borough,” the part of town where my hostel was located, with no problems. I began walking from the underground station towards the hostel and a complete stranger, a man from Lebanon, began chatting me up, walking alongside me. He continued to walk with me until I ducked into the hostel, all the way telling me that we should hang out. I politely told him I’d only be in London for the night; however, this did not seem to matter to him…

So I rid myself of the strange man, checked into the hostel and was told my room was actually at their other building just down the road. So I retrieved my key and walked back down the street, keeping my eyes open for the strange guy. I make my way up to my room, which was over the top of a pub. Now let me just say that this room is half the size of my bedroom at home and there were three bunk beds crammed into this space….and I was assigned to the top bunk! Ugh! This ought to be fun…I’ve detailed below a quick post on hostel life (two posts at once, exciting I know!)...

Anyway, after dropping my things off in the closet that was my room for the night, I headed off for the Tate Modern museum, via the Borough Market. The market was similar to the City Market or the Soulard Market; but on a much larger scale! They had all sorts of vendors and food and coffees, along with the regular meats and fruits and veggies. I got a snack and took my time perusing the market. Then I walked along the River Thames to the Tate Modern. The museum is HUGE! It was an old electric/power plant, which they’ve converted into this incredible museum filled with modern art; from the likes of Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Claus Oldenburg, etc.

Upon leaving the museum, I made my way north across the river and up to the concert venue, The Spitz. Once again, kind of like in Newcastle, the venue was rather difficult to find. The problem with the UK is that the streets are rarely labeled with signs. I don’t know how people find anything really, unless they have an extremely detailed map! So after walking for a very long time, a nice concierge pointed me in the right direction.

Upon arriving to the venue…I found that the show was sold out. All that wandering for nothing! A total bust! So I did what the rest of the tourists do and went to Picadilly Circus (it resembles Times Square). I wandered around awhile and shopped, then headed back to the closet for the night…London wasn’t a total bust, but it wasn’t all that successful either!

I think I’ve rambled on long enough now! So as I said, I’m happy to be leaving London. I enjoyed the quieter hustle of Newcastle and Cardiff. I’m looking forward to the next four or five days of Jonah and Great Britain!

My life in bunk beds...

So let me briefly recount my hostel experiences to catch you up to speed on why this last one was particularly not great in the least bit…

First night/Cardiff: NosDa @ The Riverbank – This hostel is beautiful (so much so that I stayed there again on Wednesday night) and is conveniently located to the bus/train station. It has a great view, tea/coffee served all day, free wireless, a bar, breakfast included, a pool table, lounge room, etc. The rooms range from one bunk bed all the way up to several bunk beds; and they have en suite bathrooms, which is great. My room the first night had one bunk bed and two single twin beds; and my roommates were three guys from Australia. The second time I stayed here, my room was with a single bunk bed and my roommate was a girl from India.

Newcastle: Albatross Backpackers Inn – This place was even greater than the NosDa! Closer to the train station and right in the heart of Newcastle, making it easy to get anywhere I was going. It was also affordable and the cleanest by far. The shower facilities were shared, but were especially nice. No breakfast included, but they served tea/coffee/toast all day, and had a full service kitchen. No free wireless either, but you could pay for 30 minutes of use on their computers. My room was huge, with five bunk beds and a fireplace. The first night I had one male roommate and the second night I think I had three male roommates. The beds were especially comfy and the view was spectacular!

So back up to date with last night’s accommodations…the bathrooms were shared and were not what I would call clean. The beds were not made, the covers were just thrown onto them, and the kicker…my room was once again full of guys! It was me and four guys; and I think a girl finally came in sometime early this morning. She continued to try her key in the door several times and bang it back in forth, unable to figure out why she couldn’t get it open. Needless to say, nobody got much sleep! It was not an incredibly pleasant experience in the least bit. However, one of my roommates was a guy from South Africa. His name was Grant and when I arrived yesterday. He was very friendly and helped me figure out how to get to the Tate Modern. He was incredibly handsome and has apparently been living at the hostel for 4 ½ months (No WAY!). He would be the only reason to ever go back to that hostel! It looks pretty in the picture though, huh?

So here’s what I’m wondering…do most females request all female dorms? Is that why there never seem to be any females in the mixed dorm rooms that I’ve ended up in? I don’t mind sharing with a guy or two, but when I’m clearly the minority by being the only female in the room, it’s a little uncomfortable! Are there other girls that are even traveling alone as I am? I’m beginning to wonder…

Thankfully, tonight I’m staying in a hotel! Yep that’s right no sharing! My own room and my own bathroom! There aren’t very many hostel accommodations in Leeds, so this hotel is very affordable and a quick taxi ride to the city centre.

So I understand that hostels are for budget travelers and are a great chance to meet new people from all over, which I have; however, I would love not to have to relive last night’s experience any time soon!

Newcastle/Alnwick

Well folks, I finally have some pictures posted, which you can find by clicking here...they are of my house, my school, and the beginning of this adventure!

The first stop on my Tour de Britain has come and gone! Newcastle is amazingly beautiful and I would've LOVED to stay longer. There's just too much to do and not enough time to do it in! My first day I visited the "New" New Castle, which took place of the old New Castle a very very long time ago. The views of the city from the rooftops are really spectacular! To the south of Newcastle is Gateshead, which is just across the water, connected by many bridges; one is a footpath that allows boats to pass by literally closing up like an eye, as illustrated to the left. Unfortunately I did not take this picture! I didn't get close enough! Not enough time! The architecture and cobblestone streets in Newcastle are truly breathtaking! And don't worry I had my fair share of Newcastle's finest brown ale!

My second day I decided to journey northeast to the small village town of Alnwick, home to Alnwick Castle, otherwise known as Hogwarts! The castle is literally set just on the edge of the city centre. The guidebook I had said it would take one hour by bus to get there....well I got on the bus that took the two hour scenic route! It took a lot longer, but was worth the views! I made sure to catch the fast track bus on the way back!

After arriving back in Newcastle from my day trip into Alnwick, I set out to find Trillian's Rock Bar; the first of the many shows I'll be seeing over the next several days. This place was literally impossible to find! My directions said it was .5 miles from my hostel, so I set out on foot and walked for 45 minutes! I must have walked past the small alleyway a dozen times! Finally I popped into another bar and the nice bartender gave me the best instructions I'd gotten all day. The place was tucked behind a construction site where they're tearing down the old city library! I would've never found it!

Anyway, the show was excellent and I'm looking forward to many more! There are three other solo musicians on tour with Jonah; two from the US, and one from the UK. They were all really good! A guy in the crowd proposed to his girlfriend on stage during Jonah's set. He said, "I'm quite poor, so I don't have a ring just yet, so will you accept this t-shirt and marry me?" It was very sweet!

So that's my story for now! I'm back in Cardiff for the night and off to London tomorrow!

The Fantasy Week of a Groupie....

Just wanted you all to know where I'll be over the next week or so, in case I get lost! Just kidding, I should be fine! I arrived in Newcastle today from Cardiff, I'll be here until Wednesday, then back to Cardiff. It's really beautiful here. I'll post pics as soon as I can use my computer to get online again. No wireless where I'm staying :(

Tomorrow I'm going to Alnwick Castle, about an hour north of here, where Harry Potter was filmed!!! Totally excited!

Anyway, here's the itinerary for my "groupie fantasy week" (thanks Audra!):

Sept. 17th-18th: Newcastle, Trillian's Rock Bar/Albatross Inn
Sept. 19th: Cardiff, Wales, Clwb Ifor Bach/NosDa Hostel
Sept. 20th: London, The Spitz/St. Christopher's Inn-Southbank
Sept. 21st: Leeds, The Cockpit/The Moorlea Hotel
Sept. 22nd: Nottingham, The Social/Igloo Backpackers Hostel
Sept. 23rd: Liverpool, The Barfly/International Inn
Sept. 24th: Wrexham, Central Station/Grove Guest House??
Sept. 25th: Bristol, The Croft/Bristol YHA

It should be a fun little trip! Just a quick view of the sights...

The "American" girl...

Well I'm settled into my new home, enjoying the company of my roommates! We've had a group of other male students from Dubai visiting for the weekend from another town, where they go to college, so we've gone out the last two nights. It's very interesting, they're not allowed to drink, due to being Muslim, but they love to dance. They're really the life of the party and know more American hip-hop/R & B music than I ever will!

Friday, I journeyed up to the university in order to meet with Dr. Bennett. I also met two other members of the department (there are only ten of them in the whole Criminology department). We had a nice long chat about the projects currently going on at the university and the things I might decide I'd like to work on. They are arranging for me to have my own office/work space, with a computer and such, and I can apparently attend any lectures/classes that peak my interest. It all sounds extremely interesting and I'm looking forward to starting my work there in a couple of weeks. This photo to the left is an aerial view of the campus. The criminology department is located near the top of the photo, along the main road through campus. It's a nice walk from my house, but not too bad.

Today, I'm in the process of getting organized for my travels. Tomorrow I leave for Newcastle, the first stop on my journey of many! I'm looking forward to seeing the sights and travelling by train through the country. The transportation isn't quite as scary and difficult to figure out as I had imagined, so that's nice!

I'm finding the culture here different, but not extremely so from home. I love the accents, and I can understand most everyone so far, which is a plus! The things that people say in order to address you or refer to you are quite entertaining! The guys in the pubs follow everything with "love." A charming and extremely attractive Welsh guy, whom I was chatting with outside of one of the nightclubs last night (as seen below), exclaimed, "What's a beautiful American girl doing trying to get into a crap bar like this one?" Hopefully there's more like him to be found!

Anyway, I'll post my address as soon as I have my housemate write it down for me, along with my new mobile number, which I can be reached on via Skype or calling card.

Until next time! I'll be posting hopefully along my travels!

Pint anyone?

Well I'm here at last, exhausted, but alive! The last 30 hours have been a rollercoaster of emotions and adventures, which have included very little sleep (about 3 hours collectively I think).

I arrived in London earlier than expected, made my way down to customs and stood in line from 5:30a until 7:00a. I finally get up to the counter and the lady tried to tell me I had to have a Visa, which I had already looked into before I left and was assured I didn't need...so she checked me in as a visitor instead of a student and didn't bother to take a look at my return ticket. Real nice huh? Anyway, after waiting in line for so long...I make my way to the baggage claim area and couldn't find the one reading "Chicago," so I asked and was directed to Terminal 1, which is not where my bags were. So after a bit of confusion, I located my bags, which had already been pulled off of the carousel. I then wind my way through Heathrow airport to find the bus station. The bus station was a breeze compared to the airport. I boarded the bus and headed to the center of London where I caught another bus to take me to Wales. After about 4 1/2 hours I arrived in Cardiff, very tired, with very heavy bags. I made my way to the hostel only to find out my room is on the top floor! Seriously? My bags have to be carried where?

Well I made it up the several flights of stairs and enjoyed a nice cold shower, which eventually (a long eventually) turned hot. Then I caught a train to go out and meet the gentleman who owns the house with a vacant room. He was extremely nice, as was his daughter who I'll be living with, along with another student, a male from Dubai. Anyway, we had tea and worked out the arrangements. I'm moving in tomorrow morning. He's gonna pick me up at the train station again! So I'm not homeless! I'll have an address soon and hopefully a local cell phone number by Saturday. My first day has been extremely productive, although challenging. I'm feeling pretty okay about things now though.

The best part, I returned to my hostel to find The Smashing Pumpkins blaring on the stereo and they haven't stopped playing Pumpkins since! So I'm drinking my first British pint and am gonna turn in soon! I'm very tired!

So Long, Bye Bye....Oh Wait! Not Leaving Today!

Ugh, today has been a challenge, to say the least. I was packed, I said my goodbyes, left for the airport, arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, and I'm excited/nervous, but ready to leave. Ready to finally leave! I go to electronically check-in and the screen says, Your Flight Has Been Delayed, You Will Miss Your Connecting Flight, Please See Attendant...

Real nice huh? So I stand there and I wait very patiently for this lady customer service rep while she was helping another gentleman. I finally get her to turn my direction and I said, "My flight has apparently been delayed?" So she says, "Oh well I don't handle rebookings, you need to go stand in that line over there." Real nice lady. Thank you. You could have told me twenty minutes ago, and I could have been waiting in the line all that time instead of standing there waiting for nothing!

So I move to the next line and wait and wait. Finally I get to the front of the line and explain my situation, forking over my itinerary to the agent behind the counter. He proceeds to tell me that I'm not getting to London tonight, so I can either stay in Chicago, or stay in Kansas City, and who knows when I'll get to Chicago, cause the flight has been delayed due to weather. So I tell him I'd rather stay in Kansas City for the night, and leave tomorrow, if there are no other options. So he then proceeds to tell me I shouldn't book the last flight of the day tomorrow, like I had done today, because I would run the risk of this happening again...okay, well that's nice, why bother selling a last flight of the day if that's the case! Anyway, moving on...I finally get booked on a new flight for tomorrow afternoon, arriving in London at 5:55a on Thursday, September 13th. So what's the compensation for my troubles and for being out all the money on my bus tickets/hostel deposit you ask? Nada, zip, zero, nothing! United Airlines refuses to offer any sort of compensation whatsoever....here's the kicker...upon checking the weather in Chicago, it's fair, 70 degrees, with a light wind. Delayed due to weather huh? Real nice.

So upon arriving home from the airport and speaking with another less than helpful representative from United Airlines, they contend that it's not due to weather after all, but this time due to Air Traffic Control not allowing the planes to fly into Chicago. Hmm...I wonder why? The moral of the story is never book a flight on September 11th, and NEVER fly United Airlines, at least not if you want them to actually care about your troubles.

C'est la vie I suppose! Anyway, I will hopefully be departing tomorrow, given no disasters, delays, or emergencies. Goodbye again to everyone! I'll check in when I arrive in Wales!

Almost goodbye...

Well the weekend has come and gone...quickly! And I have less than a week now to finish getting organized. I have heard from Dr. Bennett in Wales; I am going to meet with him on Friday September 14th at the university, so that I may familiarize myself with where I will be going and who I will be working with. Then I will actually begin work at 10a on October 1st!

I've got my BritRail pass ordered (I've decided not to rent a car just yet...the driving on the other side still freaks me out), booked my hostel for the first two nights, and am laying out all of the things that need to fit in my two suitcases! This really is finally happening!

Half of my goodbyes have been said, given the awesome weekend I spent in St. Louis, the other half will follow this week/weekend in Kansas City. I'm hoping everyone makes it out for at least a little bit! So last chance, make a phone call, send me an e-mail, show up on my doorstep; whichever method you prefer to say au revoir!

One last thing before I go in regards to getting in touch while I'm away...there's a program online called "Skype."

It is free to download by going to this website: http://www.skype.com/helloagain.html Go to the download button at the top of the screen and download according to the type of PC you are operating.

This program allows communication, like a phone call, through computers. So, like instant messenger, when I'm online with Skype and you're online with Skype, phone calls can be made between the computers at no charge. The only requirement for this is to have a headset. Also, Skype credit can be purchased at a reasonable rate and when online on your computer, you can call my cell phone or my land phone while I'm away. As soon as I have a local Welsh number I will post it, so that this is a possibility. All other questions can be answered on Skype's website. It's very user friendly and easy to set up an account. My Skype user name is: k_beall ; so that it can be added to your contact list upon setup.

Alright, well that's it I do believe. Hopefully my next post will be from the United Kingdom!

Time is flying by....help me stop it for a minute!

Well the plans are pretty much together, I've been shopping for some much needed items, and finalizing the details with school. I had some trouble with the financial aid office and my funding, due to a course not qualifying for the fall semester, but instead qualifying for the spring semester. This required some last minute scrambling, but Dr. Wright (my savior for arranging this internship in the first place) was kind enough to agree to a directed readings course while I'm away, so I'm anxious to see what he has in store for me as for reading materials....

I will be booking my car for my first couple weeks, as well as my hostels within the next couple of days. This should allow me some time to find a place to stay. I am in the process of arranging some apartment viewings the day after I get to Wales with a couple of online letting agencies. So cross your fingers!

Everything has come together fairly smoothly and I'm looking forward to my upcoming departure. Over the next couple weeks I'll be saying my goodbyes, as well as trying to cram six months of needed things into two bags! I'm in the process of getting organized, but could use any help or advice you may feel could be useful! If you have any travel/trip advice, or ideas on things to pack or things I may forget to pack, please feel free to offer up those suggestions! Any little bit will be helpful!

I'll keep you posted on my progress, and hopefully will only be posting one more time before my departure!

Passport: Check , Plane Ticket: Check , A Place to Live: Uh Oh

Well, I can finally say I'm almost ready to go! I got a replacement for my lost passport thanks to a super nice passport agent in Chicago. I was in and out in 2 hours with passport in hand, so that worked out better than expected. I'm going to have to glue this one to myself so as not to lose it...

I am also booking my plane ticket today, as well as turning in my paperwork to the internship coordinator. It is all coming together! My departure date is set for September 11th at 6:41 PM. I will be having get-togethers in St. Louis and in Kansas City prior to my departure to say "Bon Voyage!" I will send out e-vites/invites as soon as the plans are finalized!

My first two weeks in Wales will entail finding a place to live (might be kind of important...) and going on a little mini-UK tour following around a musician that I love, Jonah Matranga. I will visit Newcastle (yay, brewery tour!), Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Bristol, London, etc. I will see seven consecutive shows, on seven different nights, in seven different cities. I plan to rent a car to do this tour, so wish me luck driving on the other side of the road!

So that's it for now folks...hope to see as many people as I can before I leave. If not feel free to keep in touch by leaving comments on here or sending e-mails to kristi_beall@yahoo.com!

P.S. If you want to leave a comment on here and don't have a google/blogger account, just check the "other" box and fill in your name, so I know who it's from!