À Bientôt, France

In just another hour, I'll be hopping on a bus that will take me from Ambialet to Toulouse. From there, the group will fly to Paris, where we will (weather permitting) board a plane leaving at 4:40 pm France time to arrive in D.C. around 7 pm EST.

I wish I had taken the time to post more frequently this last week, as I could probably write a dissertation on the past few days here alone. But with final exams and tearful goodbyes, doing so just wasn't realistic. Still, I need to write one final post:

Europe has been very good to me. The highlight of my entire time here has undoubtedly been getting engaged to my best friend. I could not be more excited to come home and see you, Alek. That clock never seemed so alive as it did in Paris and Rome. We need a lifetime together in order to make up for how fast the time goes by.

Secondly, I think about how lucky I am to have been able to visit 4.5 countries (counting the Vatican) in three short months. Little pieces of Barcelona, London, Paris, Rome, and the Vatican are with me wherever I go now, and I think that's pretty spectacular.

Finally, I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to get to know some incredible people along the way. Living at Le Prieure has been nothing short of an unforgettable adventure. I've had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you.

À bientôt, France. I'll be seeing you.

London from A-Z

ABBEY ROAD airports BEATLES big ben BRITISH ACCENTS british museum BUCKINGHAM PALACE bus route 27 CAMDEN cavalier arms CHANGING OF THE GUARDS chinatown CIDER dicken's tavern DOUBLE DECKER BUS elephant castle EMILY THE TOUR GUIDE fish and chips GHANDI STATUE harrod's HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT hyde park IPOD MUSIC COURTESY OF GRIFFIN j.k. rowling KING'S CROSS let it be LONDON BRIDGE millennium bridge NATIONAL GALLERY oxford circus PADDINGTON peter pan PICADILLY CIRCUS platform 9 3/4 POUNDS AND PENCE pubs QUEEN ELIZABETH II rain ROSES rubbish SAINT PAUL'S CATHEDRAL shakespeare's globe theater SHERLOCK HOLMES' RESTAURANT tea TELEPHONE BOOTHS thames river TOWER BRIDGE tube UMBRELLA victoria station WALKS IN THE PARK window shopping X-AMINATION OF MAPS yellow submarines ZZZ'S THE WHOLE WAY HOME.

Jolly good show

"Ello dahlings,"
I made it back today from the most delightful long-weekend in Great Britain. I now adore the city of London-it has such a positive energy and is inhabited with some of the most charming people I've ever met. Unfortunately, a proper summary of the weekend will have to wait until I accomplish a good bit of the homework that was waiting for me upon my return to France. Until then, cheers!


In front of Buckingham Palace.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Hello my Jolly Good Friends!
This evening we leave for London for our long weekend and I am beside myself with excitement. I have wanted to visit this city since the days I obsessed over "Peter Pan," "The Parent Trap," and "What a Girl Wants."

This week, I have been incessantly listening to the Beatles, U2 (technically from Dublin but pretty close to Great Britain), and even some Elton John just to get ready. You should also know that a few of us have lately made up this wonderful game in which we quote the Beatles whenever possible. My favorite phrase as of yesterday is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

Just imagine all the stories I'll have to tell when I return!

London

It's been decided that for our long weekend, the group is headed to London, England! I'm bloody excited to see Big Ben, eat fish and chips, make a phone call from a red booth, and possibly take a ride on my first double decker bus. If I get the chance to do any one thing, however, I want to take a stroll across Abbey Road.