The time has come

3 and a half months have passed. Where did the time go? Probably hiding somewhere with all my money.

What will I miss most about London? Let me tell you.

• TV shows start at times like 9:41 and have a total of two commercial breaks
• Having to push the lever at least 4 times to actually flush the toilet
  
• People laughing at me when I ask to personalise my burger at McDonalds
  
• The spelling of personalise, organisation, apologise, flavour, favourite, colour, etc.
• Britain's Got Talent - need I say more.
• The way Coke tastes here.
• Being able to order a pint...legally.
• Walking down a street in central London on a beautiful day and realizing that you are part of something much greater.
• Public transportation
• Hyde Park and Holland Park
• DAMARIOS PIZZA
• No.10 Chinese Takeout
• Walking EVERYWHERE
• The simplicity of our TV with only 5 channels

What am I most excited for back home? I guess I can tell you that too. (Family and friends are a given, no need to list)

• Two words - Dr. Pepper
• Taco Bell
• Chipotle
• Tostitos chips and salsa
  
• The American Flag
• Our healthcare system (well, the one we still have at the moment)
• Driving (Here's to hoping I don't drive on the wrong side)
• Not living out of a suitcase
• ALL the clothes I had to leave behind
• Giving people all the gifts that are currently making my bags weigh multiple pounds over the limit

Those are the condensed lists.

Well, I'm packed (I'm definitely pushing 50lbs each bag). Everything is by the door ready to go at 7 am tomorrow morning. It's a weird feeling. At times, I am so ecstatic to see everyone that I don't think I can contain it. But then ten minutes later, tears start to swell at the thought of leaving 40 Hogarth Road.

Cheers, London. It's been a good run.

Did I miss the memo?

First, a little background:

During the Miss USA pageant, judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay columnist, asked Miss California if same-sex marriage should be legalized. Miss California replied saying she believes marriage is between a man and a woman. She finished second in the competition. Media sources immediately picked up the story and debates ensued as to whether or not she lost the competition because of her response.

If you want more on the story, Google it. You will have enough reading material to last a few days.

It seems as though Miss California's response is making headlines even across the pond. And honestly, I am appalled by the way Americans are reacting. What angers me isn't what has or hasn't been said concerning the issue of same-sex marriage. No, it is the hypocritical masses that are responding with such extreme fervor.

This isn't an issue of whether or not I support gay marriage. This is an issue of respect and free speech.

Equality is an interesting word. Protests in favor of gay marriage, and those against, are constantly making the evening news and opinion sections of the paper. The word equality is widely used by supports of gay marriage. Those in favor want equality for all sexes when it comes to marriage. They want respect. They want to be heard.

But shouldn't this respect and desire to be heard go both ways? I grew up with the understanding that you give respect to get respect. Bullying gets you no where. Slander will only hurt your cause. If you want to be respected for who you are and what you stand for, you should, in turn, give respect to others, regardless of their opinion. This goes for those on both sides of the issue. A good friend recently said that gay people endure the worst discrimination, and I completely agree. I'm sure that when you are being constantly discriminated against and ridiculed, it must be difficult to give respect to others. I can't begin to understand the daily lives of those bearing this. But that doesn't change the fact that someone demanding respect and equality should give respect and equality to others, even those in opposition.

As a journalist, I am a huge proponent of the First Amendment, most importantly the freedom of speech and press. Each and every citizen in the USA has the right to speak their mind. They are entitled to their own opinion. At least this is how it was four months ago when I left. Did something change and they forgot to send out an email?

I think everyone in America needs to take a hard look at themselves. Are we really so hypocritical and blinded that we feel it is okay to tear down a girl because she has an opinion on a controversial topic? At least she took a stand. At least she is willing to back her opinion and her beliefs, whatever they may be. Personally, I don't care what you believe, as long as you stand behind it. I can now see why the majority of our politicians never take an actual stance on any issue - if you do you will be publicly ostracized.

As I start packing to come home, I can't help but think about my beloved country. I am a proud American and have been subject to ridicule and countless debates while overseas. I know my heart will skip a beat the second I step on American soil and see the flag. I've never been more excited for the 4th of July. But as I prepare to return, I wonder if she will be the same country I left four months ago - a country that was built on the First Amendment and the right for an individual to express her opinion.

Priorities

Time: 5:47 pm
Location: Soho Gym, Earls Court

I walk up the three flights of stairs to the gym, looking forward to what I am about to do. The end result just makes me so happy. Granted, I always leave a little flushed and sweaty, but it is worth it. I take each step with anticipation. It's been a while since I've done this.

On the way up, I pass three people carrying large gym bags. The bag I have is slightly smaller and seems to stand out.

Rich the cute Aussie is manning the front desk. I don't have my membership card with me, but he knows my name. No worries.

Rich: Hey Libby.
Me: Hey Rich.
Rich: Same a usual?
Me: Yes, please!
Rich: Alright, Room 1 is open.
Me: Thanks Rich. See you later!

I eagerly open the door to the room and set my purse down.

A minute in a half later, the tanning bed turns on and I relax while listening to The Fray's new album.

I left content, even though it is slightly sad that Rich knows I only come to the gym to tan. Let's get serious, I didn't even bring tennis shoes to London.

The beginning of the end

Today is my last day at work. Isn’t it interesting to look back on an experience as it comes to an end?

Over these past few months, I have learned a great deal (and not just how to make different kinds of tea). It is amazing to recall the person I was when I started and the person I am now and the changes that occurred because of this internship.

I have been blessed to experience a full submersion into the British culture. I’ve been forced to try new things and jump head first into a world I knew nothing about. I have faced some serious challenges. First of all, understanding people on the phone. I can’t understand Cockney - never have, and never will. I have no idea what is being said even if it is spelled out. That also goes for British terms. It doesn’t matter that you say the word “full stop” eight times and literally spell it out for me. I still don’t know what it means. I have had to sheepishly ask my colleagues what “ta” means and how to correctly use the word “cheeky.”

There have also been some milestones. The most shocking being my first unintentional “Cheers!” That was scary and has now become a habit that I will need to quit as soon as I land in Chi-town. Also, I have successfully made tea for every individual in my office - more importantly, they actually drank it.

But in all seriousness, it has been an internship filled with great memories (and I’m not just saying this in case someone stumbles onto my blog). It is a weird bittersweet feeling I have now.

I guess I will have to get used to it. I would bet its going to be a permanent feeling these next five days.

Would you like fries with that?

Mondays are rough. Everyone knows that. For some reason, they have been especially rough this semester. I’m not sure if it is the 30 minute commute on the crowded tube that somehow always smells like curry, or that rare sunny London days seem to fall on Mondays and all I can do is longingly stare out the window at work. Either way, Mondays aren’t my favourite. Sunday nights in my flat I feel like I’m seven again, about to throw a tantrum because I don’t want to go to “school” the next day.

To combat this dreadful feeling, I’ve implemented a Monday tradition. It is the bright spot in my day, the light at the end of the tunnel (well, I guess more so the middle of the tunnel). It is the best part of day.

Monday’s I get lunch at McDonalds.

(Dear Healthy People: Please take a moment to get over yourselves)

I’m not saying I always get a Supersized Big Mac with extra sauce, fries, and a McFlurry. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the Chicken Selects, or sometimes I will get a salad. But no matter what I choose on the menu, I love my McDonalds.

I’ve always loved McDonalds. When I was a little girl my life goal was to be a burger-flipper at Mickey D’s. (Seriously, ask CJ). While other kids were dreaming of being princesses, cowboys and astronauts, I wanted to wear the red and yellow visor and proudly wield a spatula.

So, on my last Monday in London, I will happily walk to my McDonalds on the corner of Pentonville Road and York. I will order the 5-piece Chicken Selects with imitation BBQ sauce and a Coke (Yes, it has momentarily replaced DP). I will tell the lady that somehow always manages to take my order not to judge me. I will sit in the corner booth, read the book I just started, and enjoy 4.5 pieces of “chicken”.

And for that hour, Monday won’t be so bad.

Doo doo DOO doo dooooo…I’m lovin’ it.

P.s. It is Monopoly time at McD’s in London. Yes, I have a game board.

Cigarette smoke, coffee, perfume

They say that smell is the strongest trigger of memories.

I went to Coffee Republic today to sit outside and read. It is sunny and warm out and I thought it might be a nice to just sit and read while enjoying the weather and my last Sunday in London. When I went inside Coffee Republic (which is really in the lobby of a hotel down the street) the sun was shining brightly on the chairs outside. But by the time the worker actually acknowledged me, told me they in fact did not have ice for a peach iced tea, and I decided just to get a Coke, the sun had hid behind some ominous clouds and I was forced to enjoy my book inside.

I settled down in one of the deep leather chairs and inhaled a long breathe. The scent of faint cigarette smoke, coffee, perfume, and leather hit me hard...

Minnie.

I was suddenly in her Four Colonies house nestled in one of her green leather chairs making sure to keep my feet away from the giant leopard skin rug on the floor - it still had the leopard's head attached. I was sure it would bite me. I would nuzzle my head into the crease of the chair. I loved the smell. Even after she quit smoking the scent still lingered, mixing with her various unique perfumes and her constant cup of coffee.

Some people had grandparents that smelled like peppermint. I don't think there was even one instance when Minnie smelled like peppermint. If anything, you could smell a little lavender.

It's been two years (as of a couple days ago) and I don't think I will ever forget that smell. It stops me in my tracks. And it has happened often while I've been in London (I think Jo Malone perfume is popular here). No matter the reason, I am constantly reminded of her. She would love London and its quirky nature. I can see her finding hidden treasures at Camden Market and holding weekly high tea at the Orangery. I want to call her when I see a beautiful gigantic turquoise ring at a store on Portobello Road. She would love the crazy fashion sense of Londoners.

It's these memories and thoughts that come right after I get a whiff of that smell. It's these memories and thoughts that hit me today. They are unpredictably strong and completely unstoppable, but not entirely unwelcome. While the memories may, at times, make me sad, for the most part they fill me with a sense of comfort and reassurance. I will never pass up a moment to reminisce about Magoo - no matter the time, no matter the memory.

It's these reasons why I love the smell of smoke, coffee, and perfume settling into a leather chair.

I will curl up in that anytime.

Tragic Flaw

I think I figured out my tragic flaw. You know, the flaw that is usually the demise of the main character in plays. Well, I've discovered mine.

I have this ridiculous, extreme, overbearing sense of right and wrong. I have an overwhelming need for justice. And I'm not fishing here. I promise, this is not some lame excuse for compliments, because if you have ever interacted with me you will know I am real awkward with compliments. This is just an genuine realization and frustration.

Growing up, my mom always said I saw the world in black and white. There was wrong and there was right. Ask my brothers, I was always quick to point out when something was wrong - riding bikes without shoes, not doing their chores, ignoring ANYTHING mom said. I was the kid that hid in the back of the car (on the verge of tears) when everyone else jumped out to TP some house in the middle of the night. (Seriously, how did I have friends?)

Still today my tragic flaw haunts me. I guess that is the point of a tragic flaw - it doesn't ever go away. I lay awake at night thinking about the lady with a baby that I didn't give a pound to because I was trying to make the train. Or that I left my dirty dishes in the sink and my flatmate ended up doing them for me.

And most recently, my last week in London has really been bugging me. More specifically, my last few days at work. Technically, our last day at our internships is supposed to be next Thursday. So, I, of course, told my supervisor that and have been under the impression that everyone else did the same.

OHHH NOO. I was seriously mistaken. Half the group told their supervisors their last day was today (Friday - an entire week before it is supposed to be). The other half to their supervisors either Monday or Tuesday. So now I am the lone (loser) intern working until next Thursday. Even the other intern at my company is leaving Tuesday. And it's not that I mind working - I really love what I do and my team - but its bugging me that no one else will be working and that they all got away with it. Is that lame? Yes. Of course it is lame.

Sometimes I wish I didn't care as much or that I was clever enough to think about these things in advance, or didn't feel guilty about ridiculous things.

Hopefully, I can get over this dumb feeling of guilt. If not immediately, maybe over time.

I know it will probably be cut in half the day I turn 21.

Opa

So, would you like to hear about Greece? Not going to lie, I've been putting off writing this post for two days now. It's not that I don't want to share my trip. It's that I don't know how to share it. How am I supposed to describe Greece to you all? For once, something made me speechless. Here is my disclaimer: Take everything I say about Greece and multiply it times about 10,000.

I'll break it down into categories (just in case you really don't care about the ferry ride and just want to read about the baklava).

Flight

We actually flew out of Heathrow - big step up from our usual Stansted (the ugly, red-headed, stepchild of London airports). We boarded the plane and soon found out that this plane had movies!! This means we also didn't know it was a 3.5 hour flight. Fun realization. Needless to say, I was pretty excited about the movie. However, this excitement lasted about ten minutes, because at that point I learned what movie they were playing. Marley and Me. Now, please, someone explain. Why on EARTH would you play a movie about a dog (that eventually dies) on a plane with 300 strangers? But I still watched it. And cried as I ate my baklava and complimentary wine.

Ferry

Sometimes I am prone to motion-sickness. By sometimes, I really mean every time I ride in the backseat of a car or just look at the octopus ride at Worlds of Fun. I didn't think this ferry ride was going to be any different. However, I was envisioning a ferry such as the one in Mamma Mia (Actually, all my preconceived notions of Greece came from that movie). Well, I was WRONG. This was not a ferry, this was a small cruise ship! The upper deck was completely open and you could lounge during the five hour journey. The second floor had a bunch of couches and then an entire seating area that looked like a giant movie theatre. But the best part was the restaurant, Goody. Its basically the Greek version of the BK Lounge. And yes, I did have two cheeseburgers during the five hour trip. But back to my original point, I didn't even feel the slightest bit sick. Probably because I was curled up in a huge Laz-Y-Boy-esque chair watching "House" with Greek subtitles. Dramamine may have just lot their biggest customer.


The Island

I can't even begin to describe Mykonos. So I'm just going to have to put up a few pictures. Sorry if you have already seen these on Facebook.

Also, these don't even begin to do it justice.

Paradise Beach


View from the coast


Paradise Beach, again.

The hotel

ATVs

The people that live on the island are some of the nicest people I've ever met. And there was the most amazing food. I. Love. Baklava. But the highlight of my time on the island was definitely riding 4-wheelers. It was only 20 euros for the entire day. I'm not sure if it was growing up with 3 brothers or that my step dad has a motorcycle, but I love riding 4-wheelers. Such a thrill. We took some video driving around, but it won't upload. Silly blogspot. But they are on my Fbook if you want to look at them. Warning, they might make you dizzy.


Athens

All those hours spent listening to Mr. Allen talk about Socrates and making us read Greek plays and learn about Greek mythology has finally paid off. I actually knew about everything we saw in Athens - the Parthenon, Zeus' Temple, Hadrian's Arch, Temple of Athena Nike, Theatre of Dionysus.

Thankfully the Acropolis was worth the hike, because, WOW, was it a HIKE. We got lost about 4 times before we actually made it up the hill. Plus the rain didn't help. This wasn't just rain either, this was a torrential downpour - my hair was actually dripping. And we were in flip-flops. So please imagine 5 girls in sundresses and flip-flops, attempting to climb the mountain to the Acropolis in pouring rain. Quite the image.



Trip = Huge Success. Pretty much counting down the days until I can go back. I love it there.

I would be totally content selling carved soaps on the island for the rest of my life.

I may look into some real estate.

Where do I find suncreen in London?

I leave for Mykonos, Greece, tomorrow afternoon.

Our hotel overlooks the sea and we are 200m from the beach (not sure how far that is, still don't know metric).

Here is the only problem: What the heck do I pack?

If you haven't caught on yet, I've been living in London for the past 3 months. It isn't exactly sunshine and beaches here. Although it has been exceptionally warm and sunny (all the windows in my flat are open right now), that doesn't mean I have summery clothing here. In fact, I didn't have a single summer dress or pair of flip flops until my Mom brought them during her visit. I know it isn't going to be 100 degrees in Greece, but it is supposed to be 70 and sunny the whole time. Plus, isn't it closer to the equator? That makes the sun more intense? Right? (I could be wrong - science isn't my forte).

Well, needless to say, I was forced to go shopping this week and buy appropriate clothing. However, there wasn't really a plethora of summer clothes out yet, so we had to make do with what they gave us.

Not sure what I'm more excited for...the bright green cover-up, or the hot pink gladiator sandals.

The Greeks aren't going to know what's hit them.

I'll let you know how the clothes all work out. I know you will be dying to find out.

In addition to our shopping struggles, I went to buy sunscreen today. I tend to burn around the edges. In Boots, the huge pharmacy here, there was one tiny stand in the back with one type of sunscreen for ...drumroll please.... FIFTEEN POUNDS! (That is about 23 dollars). I mean, I know no one here needs sunscreen, but don't people go on vacation. Ridiculous.

This tiny bottle of sunscreen better be the best I've ever used.

So, here's to crazy outfits and a burn-free week. Be back next Tuesday. If you don't hear from me, I'm just hiding out in Mykonos refusing to leave. It's a possibility.

Love.

Limericks in the Loo

My office starting putting up signs in each toilet stall.

Several things you should know before reading what one sign says:

• The sign is in a floor FOUR bathroom.
• They have great Microsoft Word graphics.
• There are in every single stall, but each one is different.
• I had to memorize this to write it on here. I mean, it's not like I'm going to bring in a pen and write it down on my hand.

The sign goes a little something like this:

There once was a man from floor two
Who didn’t wash his hands when he went to the loo
He didn’t use soap
Because he was a dope
You’d better hope he doesn’t shake hands with you.

Great creativity, while still sticking to the AABBA format. Plus there is a little added competition between the floors...but, let's get serious, pitting 4 against 2? It's just not fair.

Before I leave, I’ll try to memorize some more. There is a great one about a lady named Mands who didn’t wash her hands and someone who was in a rush and got caught in the flush.

Orange juice and lemon muffins

For a Monday, today is going excepetionally well.

I woke up on time.

Realized I still had orange juice (with no bits!) left in the fridge - enjoyed a nice big glass. (We even had clean glasses!)

Managed to leave the flat early and stopped by my favorite bakery down the street - bought a lemon muffin and they gave me one that just came out of the oven!

Found a seat on the tube when I first walked on (This NEVER happens.)

Arrived at work 10 minutes early.

And it is sunny and warm outside.

These are the makings of a good day.