Borough's Market, Travel Plans, and the beach of the UK

Hello,

Sorry for the delay in posts. I guess this must say that London is keeping me pretty busy exploring the world outside my flat. Let me fill you in with my recent adventures. School has officially started, which surprisingly isn't too bad. I have a full load of classes, 4 upper division courses, so I guess my extended vaca will have to be somewhat serious. I think that's going to be tough when I'm planning all of these trips! Luckily, I only have class Tuesday-Thursday which means 4 day weekends :) My professors so far have been really good, except one of my classes was already cancelled since my professor was sick, which we all totally didn't mind. 

Since class finished last Thursday my weekend started with a trip to Borough's Market, which is London's oldest food market since the Roman's came and built the London Bridge. It's also the BEST farmer's market I have been too. I think my family would love the endless delicious samples, definitely beats Costco (haha). From entering, you are embraced with all the rich smells of pastries, cheese, curry, breads, spreads and of course the array of fresh veggies and fruits- all which can be sampled. Between the old buildings lies a wonderful array of sweet treats. I came out with a delicious muffin and a mix of chocolate and yogurt covered nuts and dried fruit. I think I'll be at the market a bit often, since it's every Friday-Sunday mornings/afternoons.

Well between the classes and market, Sara and I have become world travel agents [good thing I  had some experience before with this ;) ]. In the past week, we have booked 3 trips. 5 day trip to Italy, weekend trip to Prague, and Dublin, Ireland. It's been crazy trying to find the cheapest trips, while also keeping in mind times, transportation, hostels, and all of our other friends who want to join. I think we have spent the last week about 2 hours daily researching and booking trips! It's so tedious but I know it's sooo worth it! My last 2 places I want to go to, Spain and Greece :) As of now, I will be in Paris the first week of October, Dublin the second weekend of October, Prague the first weekend of November, Italy the third weekend of November, and (in the works) Spain the last weekend of November. I will make Greece fit in; has been on the top of my list forever and I can't miss seeing the white and blue little houses and buildings along the hills of the Aegean Sea. So, I'm thrilled to start all of this! It excites me that I have so much of the world left to see.

Included in the world is a small beach called Brighton. Brighton is probably the UK's most famous beach. I would compare it to our Santa Monica, but I would also say that it was nothing compared to SoCal beaches. It was definitely cute but super cold! Shops and cafes are hidden in all the side streets of the town; people are riding their bikes down the boardwalk;families are enjoying a good fish and chips in their "take away" bags (aka to-go cone shaped bags);  and some people are brave to take a dip in the ocean. The ocean is a light greenish color and wasn't too cold; however it was freezing outside, well for us it was. We're from California; I don't think we expect highs of 68 degrees as "summer" weather. The beach does not consist of sand but of large stones that hurt your feet really bad. There aren't many waves but there is big and very fun pier, much like Santa Monica's. Sara and I gambled with our 2-pence pieces in the casino. I think I won a whopping total of 10 pence! We walked throughout and saw all the rides, got a drink at a bar, had  dinner, saw some pretty cool fish at the aquarium, and  took in all the culture of the street shops. Overall, it was fun and definitely a cool, eclectic part of England.

I still have so much to see, but I'm excited for the adventures. I've now been here for over 1 week and already I can feel myself adjusting. I love the friendships I'm starting to build and the places I get to experience. Each day is new, exciting, and different. But with each day, I feel growth. Beyond everyone's life there is so much to see and learn. I encourage everyone to step out of your box, your comfort zone, and explore the outside, even if it's down the street to an area you've never been to. Europe has opened my eyes to a life I have been missing. A life filled with excitement and unexpected turns. For once, I have time to do whatever I want. I've never had the opportunity to do something like this! So far, I'm doing okay dealing without my busy schedule, extra long lists and my life planner. No planner here! (well except for my calendar; got to keep track of all my trips and due dates for school assignments). Each day plans itself and I'm following the path of my adventures and wherever it takes me.

Catch up with you soon!
xoxo

Jenna in London

Lesson learned: Double check dates before you book a flight with no refunds

I couldn't help but write about my first experience booking cheap travel to Italy. Let's just say, sometimes mistakes turn into advantages :)

So my roomie Sara and I decided to join our other 2 friends for a long travel to Italy during Thanksgiving break. When we discovered a flight for 4 pounds instead of the 45 they paid we  instantly thought, "What a deal! Let's book it now!" For some reason we thought Thanksgiving was always the third Thursday of November and so we charged our Visa's right away for our flight from London to Venice and the cheapest flight from Rome to London, since we'll be touring Italy for a couple of days. In total our round trip equaled a whopping 40 pounds, more or less only 75 U.S. dollars. We thought we scored this huge deal, especially since our friends booked for 45 pounds 1 way, and so we started to spread the word to other people to join us :) Sara and I were on cloud nine, since we instantly posted on our Facebook statuses our extremely good deal. 2 hours later I get a phone call from our friend telling me Thanksgiving weekend does not land on the third Thursday of November, but the last! 

Frantically freaking out, we immediately checked the calendar thinking everyone else was crazy and we were right. Sure enough, Thanksgiving lands on November 26th not the week of the 18th (what we originally thought). Here we were hearts pounding as we read no refunds for our tickets already booked but instead cancellation fees that cost the equivalent of our ticket! Somehow mistakes I guess can come out for the best because some of our other friends decided to go with us the same week. Considering the cheap tickets and our allowance to skip 1 lecture of each class, we decided to forget class and forget paying more, we're keeping it! After a couple deep breaths and laughs, the heart rate went down and we were all good. Now, I think there will be a total of 6 of us going! So in the end, I learned to ALWAYS check dates and refund fees. However, mistakes can also work for the best too! I'm going to Italy round trip for 40 pounds who can beat that! 

xoxo

Jenna in London

Hyde Park and my adventure to ASDA

Today was tiresome but definitely one of my many days I'll probably get lost. Being our last day of summer, Sara and I decided to spend it at Hyde Park, one of London's most famous and largest parks, and then a trip to ASDA, also known as the "Walmart" of the UK (hence, we wanted some cheap paper towels, laundry detergent, etc because 1 pound here is equivalent to about $1.70 US dollars!) . 

We started the day with tackling the tube on our own to Hyde Park, which actually was not bad at all, since it was only about 3 stops on the same route and ended right in front of the park. Once walking through the entrance of the park my heart was warmed by the families eating lunches on the grass, friends laughing and talking on benches, kids splashing in fountains, couples holding hands walking down different paths, people rowing small boats in the lake or enjoying a good book on a bench. As I have simply discovered, I see people living here! Well Sara and I decided to walk to the very end of the park to see the statue of Peter Pan. The walk was about 2mls. but it was nice to be surrounded by the tranquility and the peace outside the on-going city. And the little statue of Peter Pan nestled in the trees brought back memories of my childhood when I would always repeat my favorite line of the movie, "poor Nana...," watching it over and over as a 3 year old, and even now never forgoing a ride on Peter Pan at Disneyland because it continues to be one of my favs. Overall, my love for the parks in London continues to grow day by day. I'll definitely be going back there to eat my lunch and read a good book!

So now onto my adventure to ASDA...Immediately following our trip to Hyde Park we decided to get on a tube closest and head towards our next destination-ASDA. ASDA is an affiliate of Walmart and living in the city, it is extremely hard to find larger markets or stores that carry all types of products for a cheap price. Basically, no Targets (which I love), no Walmarts, no Costco's;however with the exception of ASDA! After getting on the tube, we realized we had to take 3 different routes because ASDA was as South as our tube pass would allow us to go. Let me also add, this was supposedly the closest one to Hyde Park. We thought what the heck, this better be worth it and the best way to learn our surroundings is to get lost! Finally after exiting the tube, we realized we were probably not that close to ASDA. With my basic map of only major streets and areas around London and the address we thought it couldn't be that far. According to the map, our tube station was about 1.5 inches away from the area. After getting there, we realized  1.5inches on a map more or less means about 4-5 miles. So we started to walk and walk and walk and finally someone knew what we were looking for and kindly directed us the right away! We finally made it and of course were a bit enthusiastic about it since a couple older gentlemen were looking at us like we were crazy for taking pictures and jumping up and down! 

Once leaving, we had the problem of carrying heavy bags and getting back to a tube station. So we just decided to jump on the first bus we saw and luckily we were actually going in the right direction. Plus, a nice woman overheard our confused directions and guided us to the tube. Once reaching the tube, we took 2 different routes and finally made it back to the flat! All in all it was about a 3 hour adventure for a Walmart! Even though my body was exhausted, it was totally worth it! 

This may be a long story, but I tend to ramble when I describe situations but plus, I didn't want to leave any details out. I want everyone to get a taste of my life in London, even my experience to Walmart. As each day unfolds, I'm excited to learn and see more. Hope you enjoyed my little story and experience at Hyde Park!

Talk to you soon.

xoxo

Jenna in London

And so I FINALLY have arrived...

I am finally in London and all I can say is, I LOVE IT! To fill everyone in, my flight surprisingly went well. I sat in the middle of the center row; however no one was sitting next to me on either side. NICE! Once arriving we were then taken to our flats. The white brick, rod iron, and chunky doors characterize much of  the buildings in London but they are so cute with their individual character. My roommates are Sara and Nikki and so far all is well! The flats aren't too bad; they are way nicer than what I was living with at SC that's for sure! 

After only being here for 3 days, my breath has been taken away multiple times throughout the day. There is culture, history, and so many stories behind each building, park, or location. I'm blown away by historic buildings kept in tact but also modernized with a cafe below or a  cute boutique embedded in small side street.  I love the brick , rod-iron and how despite all the beautiful buildings, green still exists! Red, purple, and yellow flowers perched on window seals and people having tea or lunch in all different types of cafes and restaurants on the streets. And the parks , oh how they bring me happiness! They are dispersed throughout the city with small cafes inside for a nice cup of tea and sandwich or a  bench to sit,relax and read a good book.  It's like for once I can see people living. I can tell people here enjoy life, and that in itself I feel is missed from the day-to-day people I see at home.

So far I've seen and experienced a lot! Finally legal to go out, saw Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, took a tube ride, took a double-decker bus ride, visited some pubs, walked aimlessly just to get lost, had some tea and biscuits, and have walked probably more than 5 mls. daily! More importantly, I've started to bond with the group I am here with and have had some pretty great times so far. I love that each day is different, unexpected, and a new experience.I have only been here for 3.5 days but it has felt more like 3 weeks! Each day I learn and see something new, and I'm thrilled for the next 4 months! I praise God for blessing me with this experience and can't wait to see what He has planned for me the remaining time ahead! Catch up with everyone soon!! 

xoxo

Jenna from London 

Goodbye California, hello London!

Hi!  Well this is my first post and I’m a bit nervous because I have never had a blog before. However, I felt it was necessary because as of today I jet off to London for an entire semester. I’ll be studying abroad now until December with the exception of many weekend trips through out Europe, finally being legal to go out, experiencing completely new and exciting cultures, and seeing the beauty of God’s creations.   I can honestly admit that I am ready for this trip! Although I’m embracing the unexpected, I’m thrilled to jump into the unknown, and for once in my life, have no obligations, well except for school. I never thought I would have the opportunity to study abroad but when I discovered I could, I didn’t even hesitate to apply. Also, I owe my roomie Sarah some credit too because she sparked my interest when she decided to study in South Africa. (thank you!) Well here I am about to take off and experience a part of my life in a different country, with different people in an entirely different culture.   Surprisingly this will be the first time in my life that I depart from my family and friends for a longer period than 3 weeks. I’ve grown up in Southern California my entire life. Maybe I don’t live at home when I go to SC, but I’m only a short 45- minute drive away from my home, my fam and close friends. But I would say I’m a pretty independent woman and definitely not afraid to go out of my comfort zone; however I will miss my friends and family dearly!   Well I leave this post ready to take on this crazy, new adventure! My motto is to be fearless and not to worry about anything. I can’t wait to see the world and learn more about myself through different cultures and lifestyles. Watch out London here I come!  XOXO