Reunited!!

Well, this is just a quick post because i don't have too much time right now, but i also don't know when i'm going to have any more time in the near future!

Amanda arrived this morning!!! She'll be here for the whole week, which is so exciting. it feels so good to have her back. it's so strage because it feels like ages since she went home, but at the same time it feels so normal for her to be here. she napped for a little bit and is getting ready now, we're going to hampstead for a cappucino and crossaint!!

i have to work all weekend and through to wednesday, but then i have next thurs-sun off for thanksgiving! on wednesday, my friend Paul and his mom and aunt are going to arrive for a week of london life! i am SO excited for him to come, it will be so fun to have a harrisonburg friend here. i have reservations for all of us to go to a fun american style diner in soho for thanksgiving meal. there is also a special service at st pauls.

then a week after paul heads home, street is coming to visit for a week on her way to chalon for christmas!!!! i cant wait.

then, a week after she goes, i'll be coming home.

it's going to go by so fast.

i'll try and update about visitors and stuff when i can!
Love

Thank goodness for Airborne!

Hey there everyone! I hope that all is well with everyone who reads this wherever you are around the world. I am sitting in my room listening to my roomates record a song downstairs.... in case you were wondering, it is a VERY repetative process haha. max has actually been gone since friday. he is over in seattle visiting amanda for the week, so it was just me, greg, and andy for a few days. now it's just me and andy, but his friend nick has been here most of the time working on songs and watching movies. they don't have school this week so they're just doing the normal college age stuff.... eating random food, playing computer games, watching movies, stayingup late, sleeping in.

i've been getting back into my work routine after a whole wonderful week off. speaking of which, greg and i had a really great time togther. we didn't really do anything super exciting, just a lot of walking around enjoying the city, just hanging out. as i continue to grow up (as i realize i still have a lot of growing up to do... though can anyone ever say they are really an actual grown up? i suppose that's a different topic for another day ha) i realize how much i appreciate my family. and i have come to realize how special and blessed my family is. i cherish the time i get to spend with each and every one both my immediate and extended relatives. i can honestly say i learn from each and every one of you all the time!

so, needless to say, i loved having greg here and sharing my city with him. london didn't disappoint and it provided ample amounts of rain and grey skies, but what else should be expected? we toured the major museums, including the national gallery, the british museum, and the tate modern (to look at a giant spider statue -- http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/9158/dominique-gonzalez-foerster.html). i showed him around my part of town including the camden markets, primrose hill, and even jazz night at proud. we went to an election party at a cool bar in east london with kim mascher and emily wade and some of their friends. we obviously weren't there for the whole election, but made it until the first few states were called before heading home around 2am. wednesday was guy fawkes night, also known as bonfire night, which is somewhat of a holidy celebrating a man who attempted to blow up parliament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night) so we were meant to meet up with friends down on the south side of the city for a big fireworks display. we ended up missing the fireworks, but still met up down there for a drink with bunches of people from work which was fun because i wanted them all to meet greg. one night we met up with my friend kristen and another girl i'm getting to know called kiki for dinner in central london at a great place i am SURE to go back to. i took him to our favorite pub and also introduced him to a london essential -- a take away kebab for dinner :) overall it was just so comforting and fun to have him here and i am so thankful that he was able to come. it means a lot to get to share this place with someone, this has been a big chapter in my life!!

i rode the tube down to the airport with greg on sunday morning and because his flight was delayed by an hour we were able to sit and have a cup of coffee... well i had a cup of coffee, he sat. while we were in the cafe, there was an airport wide two minutes of silence in commemoration of rememberance day; an annual holiday to remember and pay respect to those who have lost their lives in war, the equivelant of our memorial day. it was really moving to be sitting in such a bustling atmosphere, and see it come to a complete stop for two whole minutes and then here a solo trumpet over the speaker playing a solemn tune. very touching. today was the actual day of rememberance day, celebrated on the day that world war I actually ended in 1918. i remember and give thanks for all the men and women who have died and fought so that you and i can live today.

on a different note, the title of this blog post is in reference to the fact that i felt like i was coming down with something, probably a cold. sore throat, cough, sinus pressure, etc. so i stopped by the harrods drug store yesterday on my lunch break and low and behold, they had airborne! i didn' think i would be able to find it over here, as i hadn't ever seen it in any other drug stores, but i suppose that's what i should have expected from harrods! for anyone who doesn't know, airborne is a miracle drug that you drop in your water a few times a day and it simply helps you fight off whatever you might be coming down with, or if it's too late for that it helps you get over it faster. so i've been taking it and i do think i've fended off any major illness and am feeling fine! woohooo. oh and ps, if you are going to get it, go for the zesty orange flavor i think it's the best :) (They should really pay me for this stuff huh haha)

i'm back in the swing at work this week, my next day off is saturday which will be nice. i'm super excited because margaret from Mrs. Hardesty's Tea Room in harrisonburg is coming to london this weekend! she is planning on stopping by the store on thursday afternoon, so i'm looking forward to seeing her. maybe we'll even go get tea somewhere!

alright that's all for now, you all are probably tired of reading, i don't know what got into me tonight! i just kept on typing.

oh and just for your viewing pleasure i'll add a few pics from greg's visit! love

note the men in union jack speedos in the background:

this one is from the election party

buckingham palace!!

primrose hill, my favorite spot:

and this simply to prove that it was sunny at least ONE day in case greg tries to tell you different:

Wonderful

Hey everyone! I don't have a ton of time to write a long update, but have a few minutes so i figured i would say hello!

I'll begin by saying that last weekend in Chalon was AMAZING, and it was exactly what i needed at this point in my stay in london. Elaine took such good care of me and mike and charles were great too. She picked me up from the airport on friday afternoon and we made it back to their house in Chalon in enough time to relax for a bit befre dinner time. Let me just say that i could write an entire post just about the amazing food we had over the weekend, but that might be a little boring to people, so i'll summarize by saying that i wasn't sure i would ever be hungry again! we had amazing three course lunches on both saturday and sunday, and i even got some real french onion soup! I got to see Chalon, and elaine even took me to see a chateau out in the countryside, gorgeous! On sunday we went with their neighbors to lunch and to see a museum at another chateau. On monday we went into Lyon and walked around, saw the sites (which included a grogeous cathedral) and had a good lunch before it was time to g to the aiport. i can't say enough how wonderful the whole weekend was.

AND in other exciting news.... GREG IS HERE!!!! I went and met him at the airport last night. we rode the tube back into town and made our way back to the flat. it was pretty late so we just hung out for a few mintes and then headed to bed. i'm so excited to hang out this week!

alright that's all for now, talk to you all soon!!!