Kyla and Brent were here with their high school's March Break trip as chaperones. Their schedule was pretty jam packed, but we managed to meet up for drinks the Friday they got in, and then again briefly on Monday before they were off to Paris. I'm not sure if chaperoning a group of high school kids would be my number one way to travel, mainly because there seems to be so many opportunities to get annoyed with people. You are also really stuck to a schedule/the whole group and can't necessarily wander off and explore something you see that's interesting, which is how I've ended up seeing some of the neatest stuff while in new places. They were coping well though, and definitely saw loads of stuff while in England.
A big thank you to Kyla, for schlepping over some treats from my mom. I can only imagine what else she could have packed instead of bringing over insane amounts of red licorice, coffee crisps, and jujubes.
Lindsay, a friend from teachers college, was here with her sister and met up with their cousin who is doing an exchange in Italy. Their schedule was much more flexible, and we were able to hang out a few times during the week. On Wednesday we went to see The Phantom of the Opera, which was amazing. It was my third time seeing it, and honestly the best. I've been singing the songs all week, and think I will finally cave and buy the CD.
It was definitely interesting to hear about the differences that my friends noticed from home while over here for the week. I've gotten used to lots since being here for the past 6 (!) months that just seem normal now. A lot of the things were the exact things I noticed when first over here as well, such as: night life happening about 4 hours earlier than back home (pubs are often closed before 12am), few garbage cans on the street, crazy crowdedness on the tube and people walking on the opposite side of the side walk.
Having people from home here also made me realize that there is loads in London and around that I have not done yet. Some things that I definitely want to tick off my list, and that were recommended to me by Kyla/Brent/Lindsay include: Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge, Westminster and The Tower of London. Hopefully I can see those places with my next round of visitors.
And next weekend, I get to be a visitor, as I'll be staying with my second cousin who's doing an exchange in Paris to wrap up her degree . I should start seriously reading up on the things I want to see/do, since I leave right after work on Thursday. Yay!
Windsor is awesome! Easy day trip as well - check out the cheap buses for 1 pound (can't believe I forget the name now, but you'll know what I mean). You can just walk around Windsor, you don't have to go into the castle (save the entry fee) as the castle is really massive and takes up half the city. You can also do a day trip to a nearby town and walk there, which is what I did with my friends. There's a book of easy London walks that shows you how to catch the tube or train and walk to famous landmarks - making it a cheap, easy day trip. Have fun!!!
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