Do not pass go, do not collect $200...

So I've been a little unmotivated to post lately. Sorry for that...I think some extra posting comments would help boost this motivation! Hint, hint.

So I thought I'd back track quite some time in this one and tell you about my "travel woes" as my mom eloquently put it! I've decided not to do any more Italy posts after all...it feels like it was so long ago now...so I apologize, but my lengthy picture captions will have to suffice. I'll now elaborate on my trip home from Italy though for those who have not heard the story firsthand...

So after my last day in Naples, and my fab new Italian haircut, I met back up with Jared and Karly, my Australian travel companions, for one last time! We intended to go to the "real" home of Naples pizza. So we headed off with my pack, as I was boarding a night train back to Milan. Well the pizza place must have been quite popular (and from what I hear apparently worth the wait!)...as we were still waiting to get in when it came time for me to catch my train. Given the scary and incredibly dodgy nature of the area around the train station, Jared and Karly offered to escort me there, for which I was/am greatly thankful. I then ate sub-par pizza in the train station and set off to find my train platform on the departure board, which was very difficult to understand. So I asked some Italian policemen what the board was meaning and they couldn't understand anything I was saying. I eventually found the platform and boarded my train...

You see I chose an overnight train due to saving a night's accommodations and to get a good night's sleep...you know in a sleeper car with an actual bed. I could have gone via a quicker day train; however, the Eurail guide clearly stated this train was to have both types of sleeper cars and that I was ensured a good night's rest. This was a boldfaced LIE! I arrived at my carriage and found seats, not beds, although they did slightly recline. Not only were there seats, but also a family of five in the carriage. A mother and her four children...one of whom was about two and very tired (ie. very fussy). How frustrating!! Needless to say my "good night's sleep" was anything but.

So I arrive in Milan in the morning, still extremely tired, and hop on a bus out to the airport. I was there several hours early and therefore tried to exchange my flight to fly earlier to Nottingham, which would have put me much closer to my final destination in Manchester to spend the weekend with Craig. Should have been simple, right? WRONG! They told me it would cost about 300 Euros to change my flight...definitely not an option, so I opted to stick with my original flight to Bristol and hop the train to Manchester as planned. So I spent my last hours in Italy indulging in all the things I'd grown to love...paninis, coffee, chocolate, gelato. I earned all of these treats after that incredibly grueling hike up Mt. Vesuvius!!

So fine, moving on, I board my plane, which was the emptiest flight I've probably ever been on. Only about 20 or 30 of us I'd say. We took off a bit early even, so I'm thinking great, I can catch an earlier train! WRONG again! We get to the point where we should be descending and the pilot comes over the intercom saying there's snow in Bristol and they're in the process of clearing the runway, so we're just going to fly around until we get the go ahead. After about 30 minutes of "flying around" they finally decide we won't be landing in Bristol, but Cardiff instead. Well, as soon as we touched down in Cardiff I knew there was no chance of making it to Manchester in time to meet Craig for our fun night of karaoke, and boy was I right in making this assumption...

Upon landing in Cardiff, we sat in the plane on the runway for about an hour. They couldn't decide if they were going to refuel and fly us to Bristol (which is utterly ridiculous, seeing as it's only about 45 minutes by train) or take us via bus. At this point I didn't even want to go to Bristol, seeing as my weekend was shot and I live 20 minutes from Cardiff!! So I asked a flight attendant if we were going to be allowed to stay in Cardiff, to which he replied, "No, the airline has an obligation to get you to Bristol because that is what the itinerary states." Okay, well that's fine, but I don't want to go to Bristol!! Eventually this decision was overturned, as half the plane wanted to reman in Cardiff.

So we deboard the plane and head into customs. We were the only passengers waiting to pass through and I was second in line for the non-EU passports. So I step up to the podium, hand the immigration officer my passport and landing card, and he asks me to please take a seat to his left in this little waiting area. So I waited and I waited and I waited...

The entire plane of people got through customs and someone from the airport came over to tell me that the shuttle for Bristol would be leaving in 10 minutes time. I informed him I would be staying in Cardiff and they could go on ... thank goodness for those people this was the case!

So the immigration officer finally calls me back up to the podium and proceeds to interrogate me, asking me what I'm doing there, who I'm staying with, what does she do, how do I know her, how much money I have, how do I access money, where does it come from, why am I traveling for so long, etc, etc., etc. It was seriously unbelievable. And can we keep in mind I was operating on very little sleep due to that incredible night train journey I'd had?? So given my situation is a bit unique and probably doesn't make the slightest bit of sense to most people, seeing as I'm not technically studying here nor am I technically working here, and therefore require no visa, this whole process was quite a challenge. I was then asked again to take a seat, while the man went to contact Adele, my housemate. So I'm in tears, hoping that she verifies my account of what I'm doing here to their liking, and wishing I'd landed in Nottingham or Bristol! The female officer then took me over to get my bag, where all of my stuff was then dragged out and strewn across a large table. The man then comes back and relays that he was unable to reach my housemate. I asked him what the problem was, and told him I didn't understand why I was being put through all of this, when the questions upon my original arrival were minimal to say the least. He said he hadn't decided whether he was going to let me back into the country or not. So I very easily could have been on a flight back to the US that night, with most of my belongings remaining in my house here!

Fortunately, Adele rang back, thinking something had gone terribly wrong with my flight and that I was injured or dead. She then verified my account of things, which the man seemed shocked about. The woman officer then told me that they weren't implying I was some kind of criminal (which is sure how it felt!) and I told her I certainly hoped not, seeing as that's my chosen area of study! I was finally let go and I have never ever been so happy to see my little twin bed!!

The end of an incredibly wonderful vacation was an absolute nightmare!

So quickly in other news...the PhD application deadline is Friday and I'm calling tomorrow to ensure all of my things have arrived. So cross your fingers they let me in and want to give me money!

I will definitely arrive back in the US on March 19th! I'll be staying the night in St. Louis before heading back to KC on Thursday March 20th. There will be a homecoming BBQ at my mom's house on Friday, March 21st, to which those of you who are close and able to come are obviously more than welcome to attend. I hope to be getting invites out shortly. I will look forward to catching up with everyone either then or in the weeks following!

I'm getting very sad to be leaving my new home, friends and workplace. I have about a zillion things to get done and another zillion things planned between now and then. I'll keep posting as they happen! I might try a video post, then I can prove to the skeptics that I really don't have an accent! I might have a slightly changed vocabulary, but no real evidence of an accent.

So that's all for now, I must go to sleep!

Take care and I'll look forward to seeing you all soon (yep, I can really say soon now!)...

xo

Le ferie in Italia...

So I thought I was escaping the cold rain to head towards warm sunshine...but this is what I saw when I arrived in Italy...



So much for warm sunshine! Luckily I was heading farther south and the weather got warmer and sunnier the farther I went...

I'll be posting further blogs about my adventures in Italy, but as some were requesting a new posting and the photos, this will have to do for now! The album can be found HERE, and includes detailed captions, which have taken me ages to complete, as I took nearly 500 photos in the week I was away! So hopefully the captions help to show you what I did and what I learned while I was away.

Without getting into the stories and adventures, I will say I had an amazing time and met the most amazing people! I had extreme difficulty with the language at times and then came back to Britain wanting to speak Italian to everyone (just little bits I picked up while away!). Also in regards to my last post, I forgot (although I don't know how that's even possible!) to mention how much I would miss the COFFEE! It was absolutely the most amazing, best coffee I've ever had in my entire life...even better than Pho Grand coffee for those of you that know how amazing it is!

So, sorry this has taken me so long to post! The last week or so has been extremely busy. Thank you to all of you who sent birthday cards, greetings, wishes, gifts, etc.! They were all very much appreciated and made my birthday one of the best I can remember!

More to come soon! However, this will have to do for now...

Oh, quickly...in other news, I have changed the slideshow to represent the second album of my little adventure, my camera is still broken (so thank you to Tony and Elizabeth for sending me a nice little disposable one for my birthday!), and I'm almost finished with the application process for the PhD program at UMSL. Final documents will be sent out by Friday! So cross your fingers and I'll keep you posted...I should find out by April!

Less than two months to go now and I'm starting to feel very sad...

Cìao Italia...

Well, I catch a train to head back to Milan in just a bit...I'm super sad to be leaving Italy (I fly out tomorrow). I've had the most amazing time...

Things I'll miss most:

Fellow hostellers
Sights/smells/sounds
Art/architecture like none I've ever seen before
Pizza
Pasta
Cheese
Wine
Gelato
...and anything else related to Italian dining

I'll post more when I return home on Sunday, after the weekend in Manchester! So many stories to tell.

I'll leave you with this though:

Yesterday I climbed to the top of Mt. Vesuvius (pictured above...and possibly one of the coolest things I've EVER done) and today I had my hair cut/styled by three Italian men...and it looks/feels amazing! It was a brave move on my part, as no one in the salon spoke any English!

Cìao!

Buongiorno!

Just a quick little post to give everyone a laugh....and because I only have a few minutes internet time!

Last night, I ordered pasta....and I definitely ate "polpa," tentacles and all! For those without an Italian phrasebook, "polpa" means octopus. Apparently I had ordered spaghetti with octopus in it...

More when I'm back in Wales!

Ciao!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

A very happy new year to everyone! May 2008 bring nothing but the best...

I'm still recovering from the last week or so. Trying to regroup before I leave for Italy on Friday! I feel incredibly disorganized at the moment and have about a zillion things to do! I don't intend to take my laptop with me, so I may be unavailable for a bit. I promise to be in touch when I get back home.

Thank you to everyone who sent a Christmas card via post! It's been great getting them all in the mail.

I had a lovely time with my mom and sister. They were delayed a day, which cut into our tour time, but it all worked out okay! Upon their arrival, we caught a train to Bath, where we indulged in relaxation at the Thermae Bath Spa!! It was unbelievable and should be available to anyone getting off of an international flight! We never slept so well.

The next morning we headed to Stonehenge, Woodhenge, Avebury, Lacock Village and Castle Combe. It was cold, but not rainy thank goodness! We had an amazing lunch in St. George's Inn (est. 1361) in Lacock Village. We got some great photos and going in the off season has advantages, like there being no one else around!

Upon returning from our all day coach tour, we caught a train to Wales to hole up at my house for the holidays. We had a nice quiet Christmas with good food and some laughs! The main laugh, which was not funny at all at the time, was during our walk to the local grocery shop. We needed milk and I really thought they'd still be open. It was pouring rain, but it's really not too far to walk, so we set out. Along the way there was a massive puddle on the side of the road, which a car drove through, sending a huge splash our way. We were completely soaked and extremely cold! It really does happen like in the movies, I swear it!

Boxing Day we made our way into town, where few shops were actually open. So, we decided to see a play at the Muni Arts Theatre...Jack and the Beanstalk, and man did it go on forever. By the second act Jack still hadn't even gotten his beans! I guess it was better than sitting in the house, but I could've really done without.

Very early the next day we caught our train to Edinburgh. After a long delay in Crewe, we finally arrived late afternoon. We checked into our hotel, which was stunning. The room was huge and I finally got to sleep in a double bed! Yay! (I'll be so happy to get home to my queen size bed!) Anyway, we set off for the Winter Carnival and shopping on Princes Street, sipped some mulled wine and bought a few souvenirs.

The next morning we set off on a coach tour of the Scottish Highlands, seeing Sterling Castle and the Wallace Nat'l Monument from afar, and visiting Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, Glencoe Fort William, Pitlochry and some other small villages. The highlands are breathtaking. It was a really cool experience and we were lucky to have a very funny tour guide. We sipped Scottish whiskey, found out what the heck haggis is, and attempted to catch a glimpse of Nessie (the Loch Ness monster). The only downfall about Scotland was the lack of daylight. Being so close to the north pole, the winter days are only from about 9a until 3p. We constantly felt like we were in the dark!

Saturday morning we then headed back to London. Taking in an open top bus tour (Brr!) to get a glimpse of all the sights. Unfortunately that's about all we had time for! Later on we did get some shopping in Picadilly Circus, where my mother was astonished at having to pay to use the toilet! It cost one quid, which is equivalent to about $2! We enjoyed Chinese food in China Town before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest!

Sunday I saw them off at the airport and headed back to Wales. It was a great week and it was wonderful to be able to share part of this with them.

Our photos have been added to my album, which can be found HERE.

My new year was a fun one. I went out with the girls for a night of pub hopping. Ringing in the new year at a house party before heading back to the pubs. Hopefully everyone else enjoyed a happy one as well!

In other news, I'm currently in the process of getting my stuff together for application to the PhD program at UMSL. I've also had another run of bad camera luck, as my new camera doesn't seem to be doing anything at the moment. Back to the old one for now I guess, and therefore limited night/indoor photos. I'm totally bummed about this and hope to have this resolved quickly.

Also for those that don't know...I'll be celebrating my 25th birthday in a couple weeks! So have some birthday cake for me and we'll have a bash when I get home!