Faraday House

T-3 Days... Or less!

In 3 days, I'll have landed at Logan airport. 

In 3 days, I will be back in America. 

In 3 days, I will be able to hug a bunch of people that I love. 

How is all of that in only 3 days?

Let's talk about some London by the numbers. 

106: number of days I've been here 

19: day in January I left 

3.5ish : number of days I have LIVED in London (woah)

60: number of hours I have left in London

I'm sorry? Where did my semester go & how is it already time to go home? 

Seriously, how is it already May & I am 2 tests away from my home country, family, friends, loves, & food? 

My future plan is to write you an entire recap of everything I loved & hated while in London. I plan on doing this either on the plane or while sitting in the airport, early Friday morning. Either way, I will soon be gracing you with a post regarding everything I loved about this dear British land. 

But all in all, I am so glad I did this & will never for 1 second regret this semester spent in the quaint little country of Britain, in the adorable, large city of London.

So for now, I'm gonna get started on these other two tests I need to study for & we'll catch up super soon!

Upcoming posts: 

review of where I lived 

review of the program

what did Hannah's school look like?

what did the area around Hannah's flat look like?

favorite & not so favorite parts of London 

So keep reading!

Quickly...

So fair warning: the next 3 days are set to be nuts... which means less blogging for you! Sorry friends!

I have 3 tests, 1 presentation, & 1 paper left to do... So that means I'm attempting to crack down on all of my work & do my best. 

Today, sadly, was my last day at Hillsong London. I could not be more sad to leave a church & not be able to return for quite some time. There was a big women's conference at Wembley this weekend, featuring Joyce Meyer & Beth Moore, along with some others. Therefore, church was packed this morning & we got to hear a sermon from Joyce. It was great! 

I honestly waited in line for 2 hours... I was trying to get into the 11am service but they ran out of seats (2,100 people per service) so I was unintentionally in the line for the 1pm service. Considering I wanted to experience the church one last time, I waited in line. It was SO worth it! Honestly, Hillsong  has been one of my favorite parts of every week. I will truly miss the welcoming atmosphere & just how they conduct their service in general. 

Anyways, back to writing my papers & studying. Happy Sunday!

BRIGHTON

Let's take a break form my marketing project & update you on my adventure today. Sound good? 

I'm hitting that moment... realizing this is the LAST 6 days I have here in London. It honestly seems like yesterday I arrived. I've been saying this to you daily, but where did the time go? How is it possible the next 6 days will be spent studying, exploring, working, writing, packing, & actually leaving? Craziness, I tell you. 

SO today marked my last day trip. I've done quite a few of these this semester (Bath, Stonehenge, St Albans, Windsor Castle...I think that's it?) but today we headed to a place I saw on Pinterest before I even came abroad. I decided I wanted to go here from day 1 & apparently Kelley did as well! 

BRIGHTON. 

This adorable seaside town reminds me of any beachy town on the Jersey Shore but this place was even better & had some weird spots... It was a hipster sort of village but was beautiful! There was lots of shopping & little stores to explore, as well as street vendors & of course, food!

My first view of the ocean included these adorable chairs you can rent. They're everywhere in England & I just might need one on my beach house (the one I dream of buying someday...) 

These pictures are out of order but my time period to procrastinate does not allow me enough time to reorder. Bear with me, friends. 

Yes, we indeed went to India today as well! (just kidding...) This is the Royal Pavillon. History of the Royal Pavilion. Basically, it was created as a Royal residence. We sadly did not go inside but don't feel too bad for me! I've seen more than enough royal buildings this semester. I'll survive!

All of the train stations in England are just adorable. Trains, I will miss you greatly when I leave. You're so fun to ride & even my brother would take you. 

The entirety of the Royal Pavilion. 

I want a bike like this... 

The Lanes (tiny, shopping streets)

The Pier! Seriously, filled with arcades, rides, food... basically any popular beach town in America would have the same.

But they have a ferris wheel on the water (I think this is the English Channel). 

It was a cloudy day but that did not take away from the beautiful colors of the water. Seriously, pictures do not do it justice. The blue was spectacular. 

Kelley & I relieved our childhoods! I obviously had to ride the carousel... Since mom would never buy me a pony. 

We had lunch at this little Italian place. It was pretty good but nothing like the pizza in Florence. 

So glad I met one of my best friends on this adventure abroad. Couldn't have done it without you!

So there's some snippets of my day in Brighton. It was about a 1.5 hour train ride from London & we spent about 4-5 hours in the city itself. It was the perfect day trip. We got back, not too tired, & were all able to still do work tonight. I wish it had been sunny but this is England! 

I will miss going on day trips. The nice part about living in London was the transportation system. Seriously, the National Rail service in England is INCREDIBLE. You can go basically anywhere! This little trip cost the equivalent of $15 for roundtrip tickets. How can I complain? The Rail allowed me to see places in England I would never have been able to reach otherwise, (abroad students are not allowed to drive or rent a car). We conveniently live right near a station & can catch the trains anytime. This has made traveling to other countries so easy, as well. You go London transport. 

I'll really miss you. 

In actuality, I could never live in NYC after living in London. I've been to NYC maybe 10 times & felt it was SO dirty, every single time. London is SUPER clean & the transportation system here is EXCELLENT. Seriously, I never want to take a subway in any other city (I'm looking at you Rome). London just has this magic about it that I have never seen in another city. Even Mom loved London the most out of the places she visited. London, you'll forever hold a piece of my heart. You've ruined me. I'll always compare everything to the Tube or the cleanliness. Or how the buildings are all under 6 stories tall (or so they seem) & your gorgeous parks/ squares every few blocks. You're the best. 

Happy weekend! 

Last Friday...?

Could someone please explain to me where the past (almost) 4 months have gone & how I can get them back? Can someone else also explain how it is possible that I head home in less than a week? That in exactly one week, I'll be at home enjoying a home cooked meal, seeing my family & friends? How? 

But let's be honest. I'm absolutely going to miss this place. The magic of finding something new to explore every single day, the city, the Royalty... just everything that makes London, London. I'm really going to miss it. 

So today, Kelley & I attempted to knock a few more things off our bucket list. First we had lunch with her parents before they headed back to the USA. See ya in a week family! We had a great lunch at a little Italian chain. Then Kelley & I headed off to King's Cross station to find... 

Platform 9 3/4! 

If you haven't watched/read Harry Potter, this will make no sense to you. But this platform is where you catch the magical Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts. So if law school doesn't work out for me, you'll catch me back here in a year, headed off to Hogwarts. Ok? 

Kelley & I then headed off to do some shopping... But ended up by Big Ben to take some photos, (don't worry - there's more coming but I can't show you them now!) 

I accidentally snuck in her panorama. Oops. But it came out super cute & now I'm glad I did!

We had a great day, just exploring & seeing more of London. How is it possible we find something new to explore every single day? Craziness! But in all seriousness, see you in a week America!

I took a haitus...

ALLLLL of the available apologies. These past few days have been a blur of workouts, studying, classes & homework. All of that typical end of semester type of things - all coming at once! 

But here I am, finally writing to you, as I do not have anything to do URGENTLY. 

So what have I been up to these past few days? you ask. Well, let me get right to informing you!

The answer? Nothing truly amazing. Just work & lots of it. I've honestly just been going to class, cooking, eating, & doing work. It has been some of those typical college days. 

But here's my day today! 

I went to the Tate Modern - the most visited modern art museum in the world - for class today. It was a really cool museum & we went to see the Rothko artwork. I'm not a huge fan of modern art but we did get to see a few Picasso pieces!

It was pouring rain on my way there - but I stopped to take this pretty picture. 

& this one

The turbine hall

I had a delicious lunch today from a cute little stand up the street. It was delicious! 

SO GOOD 

This sight was beautiful on the way back from the gym. I'll miss seeing the Shard & Saint Paul's every day. 

SO here I am, about ready to go to bed. & it's almost May! 

Happy Hump Day!

Sunday....?

I wish I had more to tell you about my Sunday but let's be honest, it was the same ole.

I woke up this morning & went to Hillsong London, as I always do. I will truly miss that fantastic church once I head home. It has been inspirational, thought provoking, & has felt like home for the past few months. I will really miss the music & people who you meet, where their mantra is "Welcome Home." I LOVE that!

I then headed home... for some homework. Sounds like a thrilling day, right? 

I'm now just finishing, as I am a terrible procrastinator & get distracted incredibly easily. I probably could have been done hours ago, had I only focused! But now here I am, writing to you as I prepare for bed. 

Only 4 more days of class left! How insane is that... I remember just getting here & falling in love with my classes. Now they are almost over. To say I'm sad describes only one side of the story... On the other hand, I'm ready to be done with school work, as I am at the conclusion of every semester. After this week, there's a few papers & a few finals that stand in my way of coming home!

So here goes nothing. Here's to completing the semester strongly! 

Because.. why not?

Studying Abroad... The time of your life to explore everything, eat new things & go see different places. Well, for me, rugby was never really my thing. I never had the desire to go watch a bunch of grown men tackle each other without pads. 

Yesterday, a few classmates & myself went to the Richmond Athletic Grounds & watched a rugby match. It was a high scoring game, as you can see below, but was well worth it. Ad mission was cheap & we got to watch some good tackles! 

After this, we just went & hung out as friends. I'm thoroughly content with how I spent one of my last Saturdays here!

Cause I wanna be a princess...

I've always wanted to be a princess. In fact, when Kate & William got engaged, I may or may not have googled "bachelor princes." && tried to find myself one. Clearly unsuccessful but one has to dream, right? 

Well, today I visited what felt like a REAL castle. Windsor Castle is about half an hour train ride away from London, perfect distance for a day trip but did not allow me to have my customary train ride nap. Boo!

Windsor itself is an adorable city. Not really much to do or see there besides pubs, the castle, & shopping but well worth the trip! Our goal was to see the Castle & we accomplished that!

Here's the first views of the town we saw:

CASTLES. 

I really wish America had castles. 

I have a thing for taking pictures of ceilings when I'm not supposed to! Here's an AMAZING ceiling in the State Apartments. 

THAT is the section where the Queen stays when she visits. This is considered to be her weekend home. I can only imagine how the inside of her apartment is decorated... probably pristine! 

We happened to walk upon the changing of the guards. I may have not seen it at Buckingham Palace (oops) but I promise I'll head there in the next 2 weeks! 

It's so funny to watch their facial expressions & how seriously they take their jobs. 

The Castle was SO worth seeing. I sadly don't have any pictures from inside, as they were forbidden. But feel free to Google! 

Happy Weekend!

Thursday Adventures

Yesterday, Jake & I headed to the Science Museum. It wasn't as exciting as I expected, considering I'm not 5... it was very interactive & well designed but nothing I hadn't seen before. 

I found it funny that they had a bunch of information regarding Americans in the Space exhibit.

They also had an exhibit asking "who am i?" It's not that exciting of an exhibit... I thought it was gonna be more fun but here's a picture of "who I am." 

So last night, I had the pleasure of attending Wicked! WOW. I've been dying to see this musical forever & it lived up to every single one of my expectations. It was THAT good. The set, costumes, everything was spot on & the story line was much better than I expected. I've seen 2 great plays since being here. 

Since its Thursday, I'm thankful for great musicals & my impending trip to a castle tomorrow. No complaints! 

Happy Almost Weekend! 

Wednesdays & Happy News

It is truly beginning to hit me -how fast life honestly flies by. Sometimes I just sit here & think about how I've dreamed of being in this place for so long. && how short of a time I have left here. How weird is to be in a place you've always dreamed of. These dreams are no longer dreams but instead a reality. 

But here's the problem. After the first few weeks, that magical, mystical feeling starts to slip away. We melt into the routines of life & rarely step out of our comfort zone/ routine. In my last few days here, I am trying to make sure I appreciate the beauty that is around me. Today's post doesn't really feature a verse or theme I've been studying. Instead, it's the realization that God's beauty is all around us... yet we rarely stop to appreciate it. 

So recently, I've been trying to do so. Lots of kids here are sneaking in their last minute clubbing adventures, restaurants, & parks. But instead, I'm attempting to cherish the small things. The budding trees down the street, the "Mind the Gap" every time I get on the train, or the Costa coffees I get. I've also been trying to step out of my routine & cherish our nights watching football, sitting on a park bench or walking down the street. Maybe getting out of your routine is what you need in your life to appreciate the beauty that is all around us... just a thought. 

Enough inspirational musings. 

Today's happy news?

So in December of 1988, 35 students were headed home from the Syracuse University London Abroad program. Suddenly, not too long after take off, their plane exploded over Lockerbie Scotland, killing 270 individuals: 259 on the plane & 11 on the ground. This was considered a terrorist attack & the University strives to remember this students still to this day. 

As a result of this tragedy, scholarships were established in memory of the students whose lives were lost. Every year, 35 seniors are selected as Remembrance Scholars. These students are chosen to Look Back & Act Forward, in memory of the student they represent. Students apply & are interviewed for such a prestigious position. It is one of the highest honors at Syracuse University. I am beyond humbled & honored to announce that I was chosen as one of the 2015-2016 Remembrance Scholars. It is an unbelievable honor. 

Thanks for all of your prayers & see you all on American soil in 16 days!

Too Early Tuesday

Today was one of those days... & sadly, I didn't stay in bed. This was especially sad because my first class got cancelled! After I was already awake & almost ready to leave... So instead, I headed to the gym for a workout & then ran some errands. Oh & finished some Netflix episodes. I guess I really have nothing to complain about. 

After my workout, I walked around the corner to sit in a "square." (a little area of green grass. park. whatever you wish to call it). & I just sat & listened to music. It was peaceful & really beautiful! The leaves & flowers are in blossom here. London is livening up! 

My attempts to grocery shop led me to a taxi strike. I'm not quite sure the purpose but they were certainly accomplishing their goal of disrupting! They parked their taxis all over the busiest shopping street in London. Smart but super annoying for me! It just meant a lot more people were on the Tube compared to normal. 

But on the way to the Tube, I saw this pretty tree. So I guess God throws out little blessings when you need them! 

So now, here I am working on homework. The semester is about to come swiftly to an end & I am thoroughly not prepared! I have 2 papers, 2 presentations, & 4 tests left to go... all in the next 17 days. So there's that. All happy thoughts & prayers would be GREATLY appreciated. 

But in all honesty, & I will post more on this soon, I am conflicted as to whether or not I am ready to go home. For certain reasons, like the people I love ALL being at home, I am ready to go in an instant but then on bright, blue skied days, I realize I am really going to miss this place when I leave. 

So, here I am soaking up the sunshine & last moments in this gorgeous city. All while trying to do schoolwork... boo! I guess that counts for the STUDY part of study abroad. 

Happy Tuesday!

-hannah-

Kempton Races

Happy Monday! Here's to 2 more weeks of class (7 days... but I'm not counting). 

Today, my morning class was spent discussing art. At around noon, I secured tickets to Wicked for Thursday for a great price! I'm always a fan of cheap tickets. Especially when it's a show I've wanted to see forever! I wish you could see the set here - it's incredible! 

But this afternoon, I went to class... at the Kempton Park Course! We went to the horse races! 

This was special for me, as a little girl my dad & I would always watch the Triple Crown together. My bedtime story even consisted of horses. So it was neat to FINALLY see a horse race in person! 

Here are the stands:

The parade area. They walk the horses around this area to warm them up. They then walk in a circle so you can inspect them before betting. 

Here are the horses head to the gates!

Horses & jockeys/saddles get weighed before racing - to make sure the racing is fair!

You can watch on the screen when the horses are far away - on the other side of the track

Here they come!

Gorgeous view over the railroad tracks on the way home

The track was about an hour from our flat but well worth the trip! It was a warm day, with lots of sunlight so no complaints here! I absolutely love my sport class because it allows me to see things & visit places I would never have known about, had it not been for this class! 

So it was a great day overall. && now I'm off to bed! Class in the morning! Happy Monday all! 

Sunday Sunday

As always, my Sunday started off with a trip to Hillsong London. I was so sad, sitting there today & realizing I only get to attend 2 more times. It has truly been such a cool experience to attend church at Hillsong & makes me wish we had one closer to home! In two weeks, my sermon will be taught by either Beth Moore or Joyce Myers, as they have a large women's conference here in 2 weeks. That should prove to be an awesome service. 

So I headed home after my weekly chat with mama bear. Then Arielle & I decided to head off to the Cereal Killer Cafe. The Shoreditch restaurant (if you can even call it that) brags to have basically any form of cereal you can think of. You can add toppings, pick a certain type of milk, or even add candy. It's pretty inexpensive, as I paid just over 3 pounds for my bowl. Not to bad - considering I got to have Cocoa Pebbles with strawberries on top. Yum! 

I was not too thrilled with the Shoreditch area. It felt a little unsafe & I will honestly not be returning there before heading home. This was the only place I wanted to see in that area & I am glad I did, though! 

Here's the place. Check it out:

Look how many varieties of Chex. NUTS!

The menu (Sorry it's a bit blurry)

& more

my delicious bowl, with fresh fruit. Attempting to offset all of the sugar & calories. Worth the effort, right? 

They had tvs playing classic shows & cartoons. With all of the VHS boxes of Friends on top. 

Added in some milk

So sad when it was done!

Eclectic little place

Collection of toys out of cereal boxes

After this delicious trip, I headed to the gym, in an attempt to burn off those Cocoa Pebbles. & now here I am, contemplating heading to bed ASAP. 

Sorry for the infrequent updates, schoolwork has been picking up & I am trying squeeze everything into my last days here. 19 more days!