My Own Paradise; A weekend in Venice and Florence

Once again I've been so so busy so I'm just catching a break to fill everyone in on my amazing end of the week and weekend!

Thursday I didn't have class until later in the afternoon, so I spent the day in the Vatican! A few of us walked through St. Peter's Basillica and the Vatican Museum and saw all of the beautiful jewls, gold, and items of past Popes! St. Peter's itself is amazing, especially inside. The architecture and all the details of the walls and ceiling never seize to amaze me in places like that. Then we trooped all the way to the top (we even skipped out on the elevator and walked up all 550 steps!) It was quite the workout going through windy staircases in narrow pathways but so worth it once we got to the top to see the view of all of Rome and the mountains in the background.

In St. Peter's Basillica!

Making our way up!

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A beautiful day on the top of Rome!

I haven't uploaded all of the pictures on my laptop yet so I will add more once I do! I still need to visit the Vatican Gardens and the Sixteenth Chapel while I'm here!

After class on Thursday night we packed our bags and headed out for our weekend adventure to Venice and Florence! Nine of us girls took a night train (from mightnight until 6 AM) to Venice! That was quite an experience itself; between the Russian lovers who couldn't keep their hands off of eachother to my right and a gypsy woman with her small crying child to my left I didn't get much sleep. But we arrived safely and before you knew it we were on a boat headed to our hostel! Venice was absolutely amazing; I can't even describe the love I have for the city. It started off a little bit chilly in the morning, but as the day grew on the sun heated our skin as we walked around jacket-less awwing over the beautiful streets of water and all the gondolas passing by. Of course we went on a gondola ride! It was the highlight of my weekend!

My gondala ride!!

So happy!

My beautiful fellow back-packers!



Our gondaler pointed out Marco Polo's home, and even showed us a picture on his iPhone of when he rowed the Pope around Venice last time he came to visit! He sang to us on our ride as well; it was like a scene from a movie as he sang "New York, New York"; made me miss home a little bit more! We spent the rest of our time in Venice strolling around and relaxing. We went to Plaza de Marco; it's where all the pigeons are that you see in movies of people feeding them! I was going to try to get over my fear, but I just couldn't do it! One day I will.. maybe. On Saturday morning as we waited for our train we sat out on a random dock soaking in some rays. People were taking pictures of us as they walked by, I guess nine American girls laughing and taking pictures is pretty entertaining for everyone!  Then it was a three hour train ride to Florence.

Florence is much, much different than Venice. It is more of a city; it's actually the biggest college town in Italy. We went out that night to dinner then to a couple bars (even some where Jersey Shore went!). I will never forget as we were walking around and we heard a beautiful flute player over an orchestra recording while we were in a plaza of ancient Roman statues. The next day we spent shopping in different street markets that had hundreds and hundreds of leather bags and wallets (but I love my bag from Paris already!). It's not that I don't like Florence, but going from such a beautiful serene area to a city where people on the street were constantly trying to sell you something I wasn't really feeling it. I'm glad I went and saw some the beautiful statues like the Medussa and the Duomo Church (it's made of three different types of marble!), but it just didn't compare to Venice for me. Sunday night we hopped on yet another train (it's much easier to travel by train than planes though!) and arrived home sweet home in Rome! It was a really awesome experience to travel to two cities in one weekend; we literally were backpacking, carrying all of our belongings with us throughout Venice and Florence. But I wish we could've stayed in Venice; It is by far my favorite city I have seen throughout this whole trip! I am completely okay with the idea of retiring there one day!

So now I'm back in Rome for the next two weeks because my mom and Ry get here on Thursday!! I am beyond estatic!! They couldn't come at a better time! I have had such an amazing time over in Europe so far; I've met some of the most amazing people (I really am so lucky for the group I have become close with; it's crazy how an experience like this brings people together on a different level than any other relationship) and seen so many things that people will never have the chance to. But it's been a tough transition to a new city and it makes me a little home sick! I've been so busy that I don't even notice how much time has passed by that I haven't been home; it's been almost a month and a half now! And even though I've been gone for longer than that while away at school it's much different not having a phone to just call up my friends to catch up, or set up a time to skype that works with the six hour time difference! But I know how lucky I am to be here, and I have so much to look forward to that I'm not letting a little home sickness bring me down! On Thursday Ry and my mom will be arriving in the morning and then we have a whole week and a half to explore beautiful Rome (and possibly a trip to Venice to show them my favorite place in the world!) and show them what it's like to live in another country! I can't wait to finally have the chance to share this experience with them!

Do as Romans Do!

Yay! I'm in Rome!! For the first time since being here I have a few minutes to actually recap all that I've done so far! So here I am, in the middle of Rome with the sun shining on my in the court yard on campus, enjoying the day and the beautiful weather!

The view from our window! Good morning Rome!

We left Paris Thursday morning to head to the airport for our 8:30 AM flight, but of course with my luck something was wrong with the plane and the flight was canceled (This really needs to stop being a habit of mine!) so all 75 of us were redirected onto different flights. Some people got a direct flight, some went all the way to London for a layover, but I was lucky enough to go to Barcelona for a short layover! It was beautiful; it was so nice seeing the sun even for just the hour that we were in the airport for! As we walked out to the plane (most terminals in Europe I've noticed you take a trolley to the plane then walk up steps to get on) all of us basked in the sun for the few minutes that we could. I already can't wait until Spring break!!

We arrived to Rome to meet Dominico, one of the staff members of the Rome campus; he is literally the stereo typical Italian man with his big smile, large gestures, loud voice, and pretty handsome if I do say so myself! We loaded up on the bus and arrived to campus around 8 PM, so it was a long day of traveling, but so worth it in the end! The campus is so much bigger here than in Paris. It's a maze just to get to my bedroom! There's kitchens for us to make dinner in (I'll be learning!) and a beautiful court yard!

Even after our long day of traveling I couldn't waste a my first night out in Rome! So one of my friends that is in Rome for the whole semester brought us out to a bar "The Drunken Ship" which is a well known bar for American students. We had some drinks and played a game of pong against some Italians! They weren't that good; it's definitely an American game! The rest of the group went to venture, and Joe (my semester friend) took me on my own tour of Rome!! At 2:30 in the morning we went to the Trevi Fountain.. Words cannot describe how beautiful it was! It was lit up with absolutely no one there, so we had the whole thing to ourselves so I was able to get up close and really admire the detail.  Then we went to the Spanish Steps, and once again had the whole thing to ourselves so I climbed all the way to the top to see Rome at it's finest! It was a perfect first night out in Rome!

The next morning we had orientation for a little bit so we learned a little bit more about the campus and what it's all about.We took a walking tour of the neighborhood where they showed us a good shopping area, grocery stores, and the best gelato around! I've already tried nutella, cherry, snickers (my favorite!), canoli, AND cake batter! After the tour we roamed around Rome (haha, get it?) and explored the area! The weather here is so different than Paris! It's such a nice change going from layering up in my winter jacket to just wearing my jean jacket with the sun on my skin! That night we went out to dinner for our first pasta meal! I got lasagna, mmmm! It was a perfect way to start my time in here. Later on we went back to the same area as the night before with a big group of us so we could all enjoy the city together!

Yum!! (It won't let me turn it around though!)

Saturday we went on another walking tour of some of the major sites near us. We went to the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Fountain of the Four Seas, the Pantheon, Piaza de Popolo (where they were celebrating Carnevale! There was confetti all over and everyone was hold up "Free Hug" signs!), Piaza de Navona (where there were lots of street venders!). When we came back our friend made us penne a la vodka; it was so delicious! And so nice having someone cook for us! Instead of a crazy night we went out for a drink and then headed back to campus (with a stop of gelato of course!) and just hung out with some friends here!

Making my first wish in the Trevi Fountain!

At the top of the Spanish Steps!

Sunday morning we went to the Vatican! We went into Vatican Square but didn't go inside St. Peter's because the line was way too long being a Sunday! But I'll definitely be going back to see everything there! The rest of the day we went exploring, then attended mass on the campus church. I prefer the masses in Paris much more, but I'm glad to say I went.

Monday classes started! My first class was Italian! Thank goodness I'm taking that class because I have no idea how to communicate at all! I realize I had it easy in France understanding the little French that I did. In the morning I went to a cafe and tried ordering a frozen coffee, but had no idea how to say that. Luckily Dominico, who works at the school, was there and helped me out! I've been back and getting a little bit better each time. I promised the woman who gives me my pizza and rice balls (my new favorite find! Broccoli and sausage yum!) that I will get better with my Italian. Italian class was really fun. It can get frustrating, but the professor is from Italy and is really helpful. He speaks very little English while we are in class and most of the lecture is having conversations with him by figuring out how to reply by the context clues in his question. After class my friends Amy, Jill and I grabbed a salad down at a cafe on the corner (it was a nice break from carbs!) Then I had Moral Theology of the Marketplace. I can't say that I was overly impressed with the professor. He's originally from Connecticut and has lived here in Rome for twelve years working on getting his doctorate. But he already assigned us a term paper due Friday. Seeing that he knows this is our first week in Rome I find that totally unreasonable. But I'm going to be the first to present to get it out of the way so I have nothing to worry about when my mom and Ry get here!!

The past couple of days since then I have done a lot of exploring! Monday night Bren, Kimm, and I were on a walk for gelato and we heard opera music so we ran in the direction that lead us to Piaza de Popolo where the Carnevale celebration was taking place. There was an incredible horse show! There was a choreographed horse "dance" you could say where they all walked backwards and forwards and sideways in unison and linked their necks together. Then there were two men who were doing trips on the horses running in a circle around the ring, bouncing on and off and riding them upside down! Then my favorite was a man who rode TWO horses STANDING UP while going over jumps!! And not only did the horses go over jumps, but he also jumped over a bar at the same time and landed back on the horses! It was insane! I have a video of it! It completely made my night, I was so excited that we found that! That's the beauty of Rome, and Europe itself; you never know what you might come across!

   Tuesday after Italian we walked around again looking for masks for Mardi Gras! Our New York skills came in handy and I got mine from 19 euro to 9 euro! We went out last night for Mardi Gras and the last night of Carnevale, which is a big celebration in Venice but in the past three years has been celebrated in Rome as well. It was a great night, and we'll leave it at that!

Today I had Italian (I only have it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) but no Theology (I have that class Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) so I went for a little walk to get a sandwich (eggplant and zucchini and cheese!) and ate out in the courtyard. Then I caught up on my sleep so I can write my paper tonight because we booked a trip to Florence and Venice!! Venice is my top city I want to see while being here in Italy, so I'm beyond excited! I planned it so I'm doing Florence and Venice this weekend, then will be here for the next two weekends (with my Mom and Ry!!!!) and then the last weekend going to Naples (to get my Eat,Pray,Love pizza!!) and Capri! I can't wait!! I really want to enjoy the country as a whole, so I'm making it a point to stay in Italy the next five weeks with just little trips so I can take it all in! I can't wait for Ryann and my mom to get here (one week from tomorrow!!) to explore with them, and to show them what I've seen so far! I can already tell these five weeks are going to fly by!

When in Rome



My first wish at Trevi Fountain!

 I know I've been slacking on the blog posts in the past couple of days, but I've been so so so busy since arriving to Rome on Thursday night! But I promise tomorrow I will fill everyone in on my time in Rome so far! I absolutely love it here! I just wanted to let all of you at home know I'm safe and sound, and moved into my new home! Ciao for now!

Au Revoir Paris!

It's my last night in last night in Paris; it's absolutely surreal. But these past couple days have been my favorite, if I can even choose between all of them!

Monday night Kimm, Brenna, Ellen and I went to the Eiffel Tower and went to the top! There are no words to describe how beautiful the Eiffel Tower is lighten up at night. As we stood in line we couldn't help but gaze up in amazement.

We stopped off at the second floor to take an elevator all the way to the top! I literally felt like I was on top of the world!

Of course I had to wear my Paris dress for the occasion, and even in the freezing cold I was determined to get my picture spinning on the top of it! I wish I could describe what it feels like to look out and see the whole city lit up. It really is one of those moments when you can't help but think to yourself "Wow, here I am."  We ended up having hot chocolate ON the Eiffel Tower in the cafe on the main floor where the restaurant is. Mmmm, it hit the spot.

Then Tuesday was Valentine's Day! Not many people can say they've been in the city of love on Valentine's day! Sure I didn't have someone send my roses and a poem, but I had my best friends to spend the day shopping with! And to me that's the perfect day! I finally got the bag that I've wanted the whole time I've been in Paris, so I'm super glad I finally bought it, and I got some souvenirs for my family! Then I spent the rest of the night eating lots and lots of chocolate (thanks to my valentine Kimmy!) and studying for finals and writing my final paper for Theology!

Today was my last day in Paris! I took my Theology final and Art final; hopefully I keep both of those A's! Then we had a big dinner prepared by the kitchen staff which was really thoughtful of them. And of course us girls went out for one last drink in Paris! We went to the Latin Quarter to a bar called 'Latin Corner' and it was a blast! With drinks like "Oh My God", "Love Actually", "Screaming Orgasm", and "Friends with Benefits" you know it's going to be a good night! And the bartenders were dancers also hahahaa it was a riot. I met my Paris lover; we shared a moment when he made me spank him that I will never forget. When I told him I was leaving for Rome the next day he said he'd come along, but I don't think he'd fit in my suitcase. I'm already 47 pounds at a 50 pound limit, ah! Then I came home and skyped Emma and my Mom, which only made me more excited for Rome!

These past five weeks have really gone by faster than I could ever imagine. I knew that they'd fly by, but now that I know I'm going to be on a plane to Rome in just six hours I wish I had more time here! To think I've done so much and seen so much, I really am blessed. Normandy, Versailles, London, Dublin, and Paris all in five weeks! All of the art I've seen in the Musee d'Orsay and Louve and Centre Pompedui, being on top of the Arc de Triumphe and the Eiffel Tower, seeing the catacombs, attending mass at Notre Dame and St. Sulpice, boat ride down the Seine River... the list goes on and on. It has definitely been a learning experience in itself. Traveling to other countries on our own (and getting snowed in London on top of that!) while living out of a backpack, and just living on my own in a whole new country! This trip has definitely put things into perspective and what I appreciate most. I can only hope that one day those who I love will be able to have these experiences that I lucky enough to have. And to think that this is only the beginning! I still have Rome and Seville to discover, with trips to Prague, Vienna, and Barcelona already booked and perspective trips to Venice, Florence, and hopefully Moracco or Portugal underway! All of this and I am still only nineteen years old. I'm one lucky gal. And I'm even luckier to have family and friends who have supported me thus far! So many times throughout this trip so far I think of my siblings or friends and think "if only they were here to share this with". Luckily I will be able to with Ry and my mom is just 15 days!! One day I will bring my dad to Europe and show him everything I have seen and even more, and I will visit Brett and Em when they study abroad on their own. It's only fair for them to have the same experiences that I have been lucky enough to.

But enough with the sappy stuff. It's time for Rome!! As as the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as Romans do", and I cannot wait to see what that's all about!

Every Girl Should Have a Little Black Drink; A Day in Dublin

Welcome to the Guinness Factory!

At the Gravity Bar!

Inside the Guinness Factory!

St. Patrick's Cathedral!

Cheers to my first Pub Crawl!

The most sleep I got all weekend!

This weekend has been the epitome of spontaneity!  That's what living in Europe when you're 19 is all about, right?

Friday right from dinner we had our purses packed (because that's all we brought!) and headed to Paris Airport to go to Dublin! I was really excited to go back again; I went my senior year of high school but with new friends I knew it would be a new experience! We unfortunately missed the last shuttle, so had to split a cab, but it was better than nothing (and didn't even compare to out London fiasco!). We made our flight and before we knew it we were there!! It was about midnight so we walked around for a little bit but made it an early night. We needed all the rest we could get!

The next morning we woke up early and had breakfast at our hostel (which was awesome! It was right in Temple Bar area of Dublin, right near Trinity College and full of people and things to do!) and went right to the Guinness Factory! WOW it was awesome! I never really thought about how much is put into beer (probably because when I drink it I'm not thinking much at all, life of a college student) but it was so cool to see the whole process! We got to have a pint of Guinness up in the Gravity Bar that showed a view of all of Dublin and the infamous green grassy hills in the background with the sun shining on them! It was beautiful! We sat for a while and enjoyed each others' company; there was group of 11 of us, so it was nice traveling with new friends! Then we explored the city; we saw the Temple Bar, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle, and the city of Dublin! We grabbed some food and souvenirs and a drink at our hostel bar which is famous for live Irish music! Then I did a Pub Crawl! How awesome is that to saw my first pub crawl ever was in Dublin?! We went to four traditional Irish Pubs which was so awesome; I LOVED the Irish music and the live bands! Nothing like 'Galway Girl'! Then we went to a club at the end! Dancing, drinking, laughing; that's what Ireland is all about right?! We went back to the hostel around 2 AM to get our bags and took the bus to the airport by around 3! Yup, we went right from the pub crawl to the airport, no sleeping for us! Of course we took turns sleeping the airport McDonald's and then went through security to fall asleep until the plane took off at 6:30 AM. With the luck of the Irish we had a group of 70 screaming sixth graders on our flight to Paris on a school trip. As cute as their accents may be it seemed like it was karma for having too much fun earlier. We landed safely to be held on captive on the plane for an hour and a half because of some security issue. But on the bright side, it was an extra hour of sleep! We hopped on the shuttle and the metro and before you knew it we were back in Paris by 1 in the afternoon! Talk about a whirl wind weekend! But even in our short time in Dublin we made sure we made the most of it!

And to top the weekend off I came home to an email from Ry telling me she's coming to visit me in Rome when my mom does!! I am SO excited!! We're going to have so much fun!! I only wish the whole Bouchie Bunch crew could make the trip!

There's only three days left here in Paris. It didn't really hit me until today when I realized I have to pack all of my things on top of studying for finals. I would much rather be home celebrating my dad's birthday with him (Happy Birthday Dad!! Can't wait to give you your birthday present from Guinness Factory!!) but it's time to crack down and make sure everything is done before heading to Rome! I have really had an amazing time in Paris, but I am more than ready for some pasta!

No Such Thing as Too Much Fun

Since I've been doing so well in my classes I thought I would take advantage of my last week in Paris and have extra fun! Mission accomplished!



Out for a drink after dinner!



Yum!

All done!

Us girls before the club!

Caught me!

My favorites!

Dublin!!

Mom and Dad, did I mention that I got a 100% on my theology test and an A on my art paper? =)

And now I am packing for Dublin (while listening to the "P.S I Love You" soundtrack of course!)!! I'm leaving tonight and coming back Sunday morning! Can't wait to share my stories from the Guinness Factory and Temple Bar and St. Patrick's Cathedral!!  

The Luck of London

Welcome to lovely London Town!

All of us girls!

On the double-decker Bus tour!

I thought the cabs were so cute!

Off to Hogwarts!

Here comes the snow!

 This has been by far the craziest European weekend yet for me! Here's a little background music for you to listen to as you read this! "Woke up in London yesterday..." It fits my weekend perfectly!! Friday we woke up at the break of dawn and headed to the airport to catch our flight to London! The way there was great, easy as could be! We took a train from the airport into our part of town. I couldn't believe it, but I realized I've gotten so used to speaking in French! Whenever I went to say "thank you" merci came out with no thought at all! But I can't even explain how relieving it was to be where people spoke the same language as we did, and it sure came in handy later in the trip!  Once we arrived we took the tube, what they call their metro, to the area of our hostel "Monkeys in a Tree"! The hostel was really nice! It was above a bar (which is always a perk!) and very clean and friendly! My roommates for the night was from Sicily, Italy and a group of girls from a small school in New Jersey!  We got freshened up then hit the city! We spent the night exploring and of course had fish and chips for dinner! Yum yum yum! After a few drinks and a full tummy we headed back to the hostel because we knew it'd be a long day! Saturday was awesome! We took a bus tour of the city and got to see all the main spots; Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the National Museum, the London Eye, the Aquarium (the biggest in Europe!) and the start of the construction of what is going to be the tallest building in Europe... You name it, we saw it! I even drove over the London Bridge (And it didn't fall down!) and the Tower Bridge! (Cool fact about the Financial District of London: It has more banks in the square mile than anywhere in Europe! Their money is so heavy no wonder why they need so many places to store it!) Of course the girls wanted to do a Harry Potter tour, but being a die-hard Twilight fan it wasn't my cup of tea (even though I did make a special trip to see platform 9 3/4!), so Korrie and I went exploring on our own and saw the China Town where they were celebrating the Chinese New Year and the theater district! And stopped for some eclairs too on our adventure! Then we hopped on the boat to take a short cut to the West Minister Abbey where we were meeting up with the HP fans. But with our luck it just so happened to be New Zealand's independence day! Talk about a party! Everyone was dressed up in crazy costumes and had been drinking since the break of dawn I'm assuming. Korrie and I were about to ask them what pub crawl they were apart of so we could join in! Thank goodness we were able to find our friends through the crowds of people! Then we explored a little bit more before getting ready for a night out! By the time we got back into the city it had started to snow! How pretty! We all started having a good time and admired the flurries outside the window of the pub.We liked it at first... until the tubes shut down. And everything began closing early. London isn't used to getting snow, so it was panic mode! But we still managed to find a club and have a great time! Someone even told me while we were out that I had a good British accent! We ice skated our way home to the hostel and finally made it home! This is where things get really interesting...

We got home at 4 AM (Aren't you proud of me Mom and Dad?) and woke up at 5:30 AM to get onto a train to Manchester to catch our flight home. We trudged through the slush and snow with our backpacks on and ready to just fall asleep ASAP. We finally arrived to the train station to have first our train delayed a half hour. But with our luck, the train was canceled. SCARIEST MOMENT EVER! How in the world were we supposed to get home if our three hour train was canceled and we had no way of getting to our flight?! Thank goodness there was a train coming in an hour, but that meant cutting the rest of the traveling pretty close. We ran to the platform as soon as it was called and I swear I was asleep before we even started moving. Once we arrived to Manchester (it's not a very pretty city; when I looked out the window on the train it looked like a mix of the sets from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" in Charlie's town and Harry Potter from what I've seen of it) to find out we had to take yet another train to the airport. So we hopped on to that, just making it in the nick of time, and got to the airport. We literally ran through the airport to get through security and got to the terminal just ten minutes before the gate was closing. SO SCARY! But thank goodness we made it, or we would've been stuck in London until who knows when! (Not that I would've minded, but I was ready to get home and sleep!) But in the long run we got home safely! I think the 'Big Guy' was just trying to make sure we realized how lucky we are to have this experience and wanted to keep us on our toes. But hey, if we could make it through a snow storm in London I think we'll be pretty good at traveling by the end of all of this! Lets just hope it doesn't snow in Dublin next weekend!

In the end, snow ice and sleet didn't change my love for London! It was such a beautiful city! All of the buildings were amazing, it was so clean, and the people were so friendly! I had a great time with all of the girls I traveled with (nothing like a girls' weekend away!) Now it's back to school! I had a midterm paper to write tonight (hence the reason I'm still up at 1 AM... plus skype and facebook...) but tomorrow for my Theology class we are going to a Jewish History Museum. And do you know what that means? Falafel for lunch, ooooo yeahhhhh! I have lots to look forward to this week; I'm going back to the Centre Pompedui for class twice (my favorite museum!), we're going to the top of the Eiffel Tower one night this week, going to DUBLIN on Friday! (We already planned going to the Guinness Factory and Temple Bar!) and a bunch of things I have left on my to-do list before I leave for Rome in just ten days! The song couldn't say it any better.. "This has gotta be a good life"!

Guess what... WE'RE GOING TO LONDON!

Can you believe it?! Because I can't!! These past couple of days have been pretty stressful with "midterms", so my head has been going in a circle!  But you'll be glad to hear I got a 100% on my first Theology quiz (Wooo!) and my Art midterm was pushed back until Tuesday! (Class was cool this week though; we went to the Centre Pompidou! It's modern art so from 1900 on, with artists like Picasso and Kandinsky who is my new favorite!) But with all that behind me and some time until my next big project that means the weekend is all mine to enjoy!!

So tomorrow morning we will be flying out from Paris bright and early right into London! It's like a girls weekend out; a group of twelve of us are all going! I'm going to have my first experience staying in a hostel! It's called Monkey's in a Tree, so it can't be that bad! So Friday will be us getting settled in and getting some good ol' fish and chips and pubs all night! And Saturday we're going on a Bus Tour around the city!! I'm so so so excited! It will drop us off at all the major points, and we can stay as long as we want because then another bus will just come get us and we go to the next place!  I've been brain storming ways to make the guards at Buckingham Palace to laugh! Then Saturday night it will be another night out on the town! Did I mention I'm so excited? Because I'm so excited!! Sunday we'll wake up early to take a train to Manchester where we will be flying home from! Then back to reality... But not really since I'm coming home to Paris. When am I going to wake up from this dream?

Hopefully my English accent will get my by for the weekend (or if I'm lucky tea-time with the Queen!) Prince William (and Harry!), Adele, and Harry Potter; Ready or not, here I come!!