Spooky Fun!

Happy Halloween! We kept a pretty low key night because we celebrated my birthday with friends yesterday.

We did do something scary though--we watched Rocky Horror Picture Show fully through for the first time. Let's just say we stared at the screen in amazement that it became such an iconic film. Scary!

I had a great afternoon! Because the school's internet has so many restrictions, I went to a friend's house to update my iPad. While I was there I realized I could FaceTime my mom, and she was able to answer! She also had my adorable niece with her so I was able to play with her over the video chat. The chance to see them and talk to them made me feel a little closer to home.

I can't wait to be able to decorate for holidays again. I have tubs full of seasonal things back home that I can't use while I'm here!

Now that we've been here a couple months, I feel like I have a better grasp of how I should have packed. Watch for a post in the next few days for hints and tips, especially if you are planning a trip abroad soon.

All my love and prayers to families on the east coast. Everyone knows I love NYC and I've always wanted to see the famous boardwalk.

And now, here's a photo to show just how adorable my niece is. She wins every photo contest possible in my opinion! Happy Halloween everyone, enjoy the candy and fun!

What happened to Halloween? (Yes, I'm still alive)

There once was a time where a small Raymond (Yes there was a time when I was small) eagerly asked his parents to let him be a Power Ranger for Halloween. He looked and looked until he found the perfect Ranger costume as it is difficult to pick the best color (Which is always Green by the way) with his candy bag in one hand and his short saber in the other they ventured into the neighborhood to score as much candy as they could and see all of the other costumes there were to be seen.

I remember when my problems were as simple as, "How much of this candy can I eat before mom catches me." But really what has happened to Halloween? It used to be a fun time for people to dress up and explore the night with their families and just so happen to get free candy for looking awesome in their costumes. At least that's how it is in my mind because now I hear that trick or treaters are almost a thing of the past. Are we becoming less trusting of others? Or has Santa finally beat Halloween for good, since last week you could walk into a store and see more Christmas than anything October.

All that aside we're still having a fantastic time, each day better than the last, and I hope that streak continues! There are still a few more things on my list I'd like to do so lets hope it happens! A special shout out to all of my choir peeps in Wichita I miss you all dearly!

Take care! Happy Halloween :D

My fantastic birthday!

Many thanks to all of my friends and family who sent me well wishes on my birthday! Thanks to everyone I had a fantastic day.

Raymond spoiled me from the start, with chocolate at midnight and a whole day of adventure ahead. Thanks to him, I have a new pair of shoes, ate at my favorite noodle bar, saw the James Bond 007 Skyfall movie, and even had a piece of red velvet cake! Nothing can compare to my mom's cake, but it was nice to still find some here.

I missed Kansas and my family a lot, but Raymond and my new English friends kept me busy all day so I never had time to stop and dwell on it! To finish off the day we carved pumpkins, roasted the seeds, and delighted in the Chianti we brought with us from Italy. Delicious!

I know I'll always remember this birthday abroad. I feel so blessed with this opportunity to see new places and meet new people. Although we miss home every single day, we also know that this semester is fleeting. We're already halfway through our time here! We recognize every day as a gift, and realize we will be home with our families, and back at school and work before we know it.

Here are some pictures from our wonderful day out! Enjoy!

Villa Villa Villa!!

Villa! Villa! Villa!

Raymond and I attended our FIRST Premier League Football (Soccer) game today! We went to go see the Birmingham team, Aston Villa, in a stadium with about 33,000 other fans.

Although the game ended in a draw, it was fun to watch! I've never seen so many people get so emotional over a soccer game before. It was cool! They don't care about basketball or American Football, but the people in this part of the world LOVE their soccer!

It was really really cold in the stadium (winter is coming, or already here!), but we made the best of it and tried an interesting drink our friend Nate bought for us. It's basically beef broth, but I have never seen it sold as a coffee alternative!

After the game we warmed up in the bus and got our favorite Chinese for dinner. It does feel like winter is here... I just want to curl up with a book!

MANY happy birthdays to Allison Aday back home. Wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

Our other mission for tonight? Find new costumes for Tuesday and Wednesday!

British Zombie Attack!

We had a great night running from Zombies! The student union hosted a "Zombie Ball" for Halloween and things were festive. Although we chose to represent America with our costumes, there were plenty of zombies to run from.

A lot of the students living in halls get really into the themed night. The student union also hired a band to play live, adding to the fun. Find some pictures of us below!

Our costumes were 110% completely stereotypical of Americans, but we were just having some fun. It was particularly amusing when we realized hardly any of the students knew what a "grill" was. No, not the cooking kind.

Tomorrow we are going to a real "football" game (soccer)! It's here in town but it we have tickets to see a professional team. Needless to say it will be a cultural experience for us.

Happy Haunting! And make sure check out our vlog for the night, we feature a special spooky guest!

Childhood memories

What have we learned in the past couple of days?

1.Apparently this weather is normal.

2. Our sleeping clocks need a major reset.

3. Halloween Town 1 and 2 are quite possibly the corniest, silliest, most ridiculous Disney Channel movies we ever fell in love with as kids. If you have some fond memories of them, keep it that way: do not, I repeat DO NOT decide to watch them again on youtube (I warned you). We thought it might help us get into the October spirit... instead it just made us moan at the bad humor.

Let's take a poll. Where should we catch a train to next? Stratford? Manchester? Liverpool? Cardiff? We need help deciding!

Here's a picture to help bring back your memories of Halloween Town. Gotta love the '90s.

Halloween weather... and zombies

I have another cold! I don't understand, I hardly get sick in the states (maybe one cold a year), and I've already had two different versions since we arrived. Sniffle. Sniffle. Where are the tissues?

Campus was pretty low-key today because all the classes were cancelled for graduation ceremonies. All of last year's third year students who finished classes over the summer officially graduated today (I guess it takes a long time to finalize assessments).

We've had some interesting weather the past few days. Raymond keeps calling it horror film weather, but really it's just that we've had a never ending layer of fog over the entire area. There is some misting rain, but mainly just fog and no sun. The fog is so thick it looks we could grab it with our hands from our third story windows. It also makes for some eerie parking lots at night.

Today I went with some girls here to find some other shops within walking distance. It's nice to know there are a few more places we can go without catching the bus!

All the students are preparing for the Zombie Ball this Friday and a weekend full of Halloween celebrations. We're still thinking of costumes, but there are some ideas in the works. I also might get the chance to carve a pumpkin after all, next week!

Even though there aren't very many fall decorations around, it appears to me that the university scene at least likes to celebrate Halloween!

My mama sent me a package for my birthday. :) I can't wait for it to arrive!