Name It and Claim It

It’s the time of year when everyone resolves to be vegan and exercise for two hours everyday.  Obviously, I’m gonna do the same. I am here to announce my New Year’s Resolutions so that at some point someone will be like “Hey, when’s the last time you worked out? Because you literally announced your workout schedule to the world.” Here goes:

1) Exercise Three Times a Week

You know someone is thinking, “This is a resolution?” Yeah it is. First of all, I’m a realist. I am not gonna be exercising every day. It’s never gonna happen.  That’s not who I am. I’ve run twice in the past two years and stopped after I hit a mile. A mile, homies. Did you know that people run like several miles a day? It’s shocking, really. Second of all, I exercised no times a week last year so I’m stepping it up! New year, new me. I’m thinking it’s gonna be something like yoga three times a week. Maybe hot yoga? I’m not afraid to get crazy. I might even hop back on that elliptical. Someone hold me to this.

2) Write a Blog Post Once a Month 

Okay, so, this already has been changed from every other week, but I’m also writing for the Graphic so that would a big time commitment if I want to keep up with my procrastination and emotional breakdown schedule. Seriously though, I have to keep writing for my fans; my mom, me in a week when I reread this and laugh to myself silently in my room, and like two of my residents probably hoping for a recommendation letter in a few years.

3) Read One Non-Academic Book per Semester

This is another one that’s kind of embarrassing, but it’s taken me a year and a half to finish the first two books of Lord of the Rings so if I can finish the third this semester I am breaking my own personal record. If that’s not an accomplishment, I don’t know what is. Also, at some point I want to reread Harry Potter and Jane Eyre and read all 50 apologetics books I bought at Summit. I should probably delete Pet Rescue Saga off my phone. Double also, I almost accidentally wrote one academic book per semester, and to be totally honest, that should probably be included in here, too.

4) Actually talk to Jesus

Remember how we all celebrated Christmas when the Creator of the universe became human in order to die for our sins? I do. I remember. Unfortunately, I also remember reading like 3 chapters in Luke the whole month and thinking “This counts for praying too, right?” No. It doesn’t. That’s dumb and incredibly insulting to Someone who I truly believe died for all my ridiculous mistakes while knowing that I would never, EVER deserve that. It’s not that as a Christian I think the right Christian thing to do is talk to Jesus everyday. It’s because I’ve been neglecting the only voice I need to hear, and the only Person who truly understands anything that is happening / has happened / will happen in my life. I have been insanely stressed because I have no idea where my life is headed while ghosting the only One who can actually help me out with that. This needs to stop.

BONUS RESOLUTION!!!

Stop the excessive use of commas and asking myself questions in my writing. Who seems like they’re constantly in a conversation with themselves because of the way they write? I seem like that. If you don’t believe me, go back a read my posts (shameless self promotion.) But seriously, it’s really weird.

Also, a bonus bird because I feel like he channels my feelings about a new semester starting on Monday. Look at the disatisfaction on his face.

1 Year Later

One year ago today, I tweeted, “Goodbye America,” and headed off on the greatest adventure I’ve had thus far.  I was terrified getting onto that plane. I had no expectations. I only really knew like 4 people. I honestly had no idea what was waiting for me.

When I opened the door to Room 9, all that anxiety and uncertainty washed away.  I instantly knew that I was home.  I took this picture on the first day but didn’t quite realize that this room would become my rock and my sanctuary.  I had no idea that the closest friendships I’ve ever had would be formed in that room.  I couldn’t envision the dreams and aspirations that would be shared or the acceptance and forgiveness that would be offered.  I expected to find friends, but I didn’t expect to find family.  I didn’t know how eternally grateful I would be to this house and this city for letting me learn how to unconditionally accept others and become unapologetically myself. All I knew that first day is that London would always be home.

I’m pretty basic and that’s okay

As I was laying in bed last night, trying to fall asleep, my mind started wandering down its familiar hallways of fashion and weddings and starbucks. At that moment I realized, Wow! I am incredibly basic. I am also totally ok with that.

I think being basic gets such a bad rap because it seems like you’re conforming.  You just like things that other people do so you can fit in.  But you know why I like the same things as a bunch of other people? Because they’re really great.  Do I wear lulus every other day so I feel cool? NO! (Although admittedly I was highly motivated to buy them because peer pressure.  No one is immune.) But I now wear them everyday because they are the most freaking comfortable things I could ever put onto my body.  I wore mine at least a third of the time while I was abroad and they’re practically like new.  Jesus wove together lululemons. Are they basic? yeah! Are they incredible? Double yeah!

My other basic guilty pleasure: Starbucks. I’m not going to argue that Starbucks is the best coffee ever because it’s not, but it’s pretty yummy and it’s everywhere. Also, I can pay for it with my phone and I feel fancy because I have a gold card with my name on it.  I’ve had more than one starbsy darbs in a day.  I’ve also gone disturbingly out of my way to get to it.   I’ve had phases when I’ve spent over $50 a month on the stuff. (It was a dark time.) Does that make me insanely basic? Yep! But I also get every 12th drink free and there’s a starbs in Disneyland.  DISNEYLAND PEOPLE! You can’t say no to it.

I love Taylor Swift and defend her like she’s my best friend. I greatly overuse the word “literally” and have been known to use the phrase “the struggle is so real” on more than one occasion.  I’ve watched almost every episode of the Bachelor/Bachelorette for the past two years.  I shamelessly have a wedding pinterest board.  In fact, pinterest thought I was getting married one time because I pinned SO MUCH wedding stuff. Those things make me really, REALLY basic.

However, this is not my whole identity.  If I wasn’t a little basic, I wouldn’t be truly myself. But I wouldn’t be myself, either, if I didn’t get into long, intense discussions on Harry Potter or have all the extended editions of Lord of the Rings on my computer.  I have often chosen Star Trek over America’s Next Top Model and I’ve never seen an episode of Pretty Little Liars, but I’ve devoted a part of my soul to Doctor Who.

I think what I’m trying to say is, I don’t fit in a box.  Nobody fits in a box.  I’m thankful that I’m old enough to really begin seeing myself for who I am and accepting that, and I’m happy that I have friends that are OK with me using the phrase “I literally can’t even” whilst describing the genius of JK Rowling.

It’s been over two months

So I decided since I’ve been back for 2 months and a week, (what????) that I should probably write a post.

I just finished the best year of my life. It is all downhill from here.

Now while I’m trying to convince myself that that’s just a joke, I am able to reflect on the most incredible year of my life.  To be honest, going into this I didn’t have a lot of expectations. I was afraid of creating crazy high expectations for the year and just being let down.  Everyone at Pepperdine says IP was the best year of their life and I didn’t want to look for that and be disappointed.  So needless to say, this year blew past the expectations I didn’t even have.

I was within a 3 hour plane ride (minus the two hours that it took to get to Stansted) from any European city.  I love to think that I’ll be able to do that again, but I’m not sure it will ever hold a candle to this year.  I was able to see place and have experiences that might not be the same when I’m more sure of who I am.   I haven’t really experienced anything particularly bad in my life, to be honest.  I’ve had it pretty easy.  I’ll never be able to visit a place like Auschwitz with that innocence and naivety again.  I feel like it had such an impact on me because I’ve had it so good.  Nothing in my life is even vaguely comparable to that.  I will never be nineteen and seeing Edinburgh for the first time again.  I am so insanely lucky that I was able to find myself while finding the world.

Obviously, living in London was the best. I absolutely fell in love with the city. I’m from small town NM so obviously living in a place where there was constantly 10,000 things to do was like a serious plus in life.  I miss taking the tube and I miss walking around and seeing historical buildings and shouting out fun facts about them which were extra obnoxious because all my friends learned them with me. I miss going to church at a place that I really, truly felt at home. I miss walking through Hyde Park in the springtime and it smelling like a flower explosion.  I miss Gloucester Arms and Wetherspoons and Pret.  The thing I miss most about the city, though, is that feeling that anything could happen.  You could meet anyway.  Every different flavor of human being lives in that city and you could cross paths with any one of them. (If they talked, but they don’t because their British. #extrovertedamericanprobs)

This also wouldn’t be me, or my poorly updated blog, if I didn’t talk about the people. This year would have sucked without the people.  Yes, I am an extreme extrovert; I get my lifeblood from being around people.  Being in a six-person room, while many people’s nightmares, was my dream come true.  But this year would not have been the same without THOSE people.  I would not have survived being away from home (and tbh I wasn’t really homesick, sorry Mom. I love you.) if it had not been for the people who became my family.  These people were the ones who didn’t say anything when I screwed up hostel reservations.  They were the ones who made Italy insanely fun even though it poured rain everyday. I don’t know a lot of people who would sit with me on a bathroom floor while I tried to process the fact that my grandma had just died and I had no idea how to take it.  And honestly, I’ve never known what to do when one of my friends cried.  I always freaked out and just froze, but with these people, I instantly wanted to comfort them and usually I would cry too.  These were friends who would immediately call me on my crazy, but never judge me for it.  They made 3am wake ups for trips completely bearable and 5am bedtimes in the library a freaking party.  I can’t even count the times that one of my incredibly single friends and incredibly single me planned our weddings when we were supposed to be studying or watched the OC when we should have been sleeping.  I have never felt so loved and accepted by friends and I am eternally grateful for that. I love you guys so much!

This was sentimental.  And good news is, I’m going to be back in London next summer and I am freaking pumped out of my mind! I know it’s not going to be the same, but the even better news is, even though London only lasted for 8 months, the relationships I made there, I know, are going to last my whole life.

So I’m going to have to change my blog from “A Lady in London” now and find another background which I’m pretty bummed about but I know it’s going to be ok, because as soon as I’m done writing this, I’ll probably text a few of my lovely Londoners and beg them to read my blog so I feel cool. And they will.  Because Ohana means family.

Oops.

Okay, so, confessions: I haven’t updated this blog since talking about long weekend… last semester. I leave in 19 days. Yep. Nine. Teen. Day. S. I think I’m just going to let this be a summary of the semester. I’ll write more later. Maybe. Anywho, let’s talk travel.

I didn’t go home over break. I traveled for eight days to Vienna and Prague and lived out of my weekend backpack. Why. I came back to London to be with my amazing family and then my sister and I did Disneyland Paris in literally freezing temperatures. Then back to London for New Years, then off to a little place called Bramley where I watched Netflix for three days with Leah. I finally got to Prince’s Gate and returned to my ridiculously perfect home and friends. I will elaborate more on these four weeks at some point.

I’ve spent an excessive amount of money this semester.  My first trip, naturally, was to Scotland. In case you’re wondering why I went there again, see my previous blog post where I describe my nearly transcendental experience in the motherland.  This time I flew to Inverness. (A SONG FROM THE BRAVE SOUNDTRACK CAME ON JUST AS I WAS WRITING THIS I KID YOU NOT!!!!!) Quick highlights: food, books, highlands, ancestors.

NEXT TRIP! Killarney Ireland. No, I didn’t go to Dublin which I realize is super weird. Basically, this was the second weekend in a row of getting in touch with beautiful, green nature. (aka not New Mexico nature) I saw a waterfall and felt like a forest nymph for a little while. (or, perhaps, a fairyprincesswaternymph) Also it kind of snowed on the beach.

Literally three days after I got back from this trip, I went to Italy for four days. LOTS OF HIGHLIGHTS! I hit up Rome, Florence, and Venice. Every single Pepperdine student in Europe also hit up Venice that weekend. Seriously, I heard more American accents in Venice that weekend than I had the entire time I’ve been over here. It was crazy and not in a good way. Obviously food was da real mvp on this trip. I had this pasta. This pasta…. I dream of this pasta. I will still be thinking about this pasta on my deathbed. It was that. good. Other highlights: I saw one of my best friends. Lauren Davila, Shout out! Also I spent too much money on food, pastries, purses, and masks.  I might have permanently indebted myself to my parents on this trip. Also, the cost of the new clothes I had to purchase after gaining 50 pounds on this trip.

Then I had a nice long break in London. More on that later.

My last trip that was a me-organized, outside the UK trip was Poland. Possibly the strangest trip I’ve ever taken. Good! But so, so strange. It absolutely deserves its own post. Sneak Peak: We ended up stranded in a random Polish town for like 45 minutes.

Next day after that trip we went to JORDAN!!!!!!!!  Every single day of this trip deserves its own post. It’s possibly  the best trip I will ever take in my whole life. (Thanks Jenny)  It was the most ridiculously bouji trip in the most outrageously beautiful country with the most fantastic friends. We stayed if five star resorts, people. WE WENT ON A YACHT!!!! (Yacht is a stretch, but go with me here) I got to be in the sun. I learned all kinds of stuff considering this was an Educational Field Trip, obviously. 

Then I came back to London. I got strep throat. I went to the doctor and got medicine. I got better. Then I got a cough. It’s cool.

Two weeks later the school took a select few to a spiritual retreat in the Lake District which was a dream come true. We stayed in a fancy old house with fancy old people. There was a garden and a lot of sheep. We actually apparently broke the law by chasing the sheep… oops. I sat on a tree that grew over a lake and wrote in a leather journal like a granola hipster. It was super. 

I am currently on  train to my very last overnight trip. My spotify keeps playing Vampire Weekend, apparently trying to prepare me for my return to California. I don’t know if I’m ready or not. I go in between all the time. I am only able, now, to reflect on this incredible semester and year and debate with myself on whether I should have gotten the vanilla frosted donut instead of the strawberry when I really shouldn’t have gotten a donut at all. I’m excited to get back to America where everyone talks as loud as I do and I can get half price shakes after 8 and a sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle. I can’t wait to see my parents and Grammy, and my sister, and my three precious little furry friends. I want to eat at Irma’s and see a New Mexico sunset and a star-filled sky. This place took hold of me, though, and I know it will call me back.

The Decision

Was the mystery of my horrible decision plaguing your thoughts? Were you constantly pondering my choices? Well, I didn’t get a questionable tattoo or elope, I chose to spend my long weekend in Scandinavia.
Sounds nice, right? Wrong. I spent the first two and a half days in Oslo. Norway is an incredible country. Like Frozen and stuff ya know? Lots of beautiful scenery, northern lights! Oslo in November was none of those things. It was like going to Detroit on purpose. For fun. I don’t want to totally bash this city. I’m sure it’s nice sometimes; I got a good sweater and a Harry Potter beanie out of the deal, but it was grey, not charming, and I spent most of my time in the hostel or in a mall because it was too cold outside. Also, eating? Not in Norway! It’s too expensive. We ate at Seven Elevens for the whole trip. Seven. Eleven. Do you know what five days of Seven Eleven does to your body? Nothing good! I can tell you that!
Fun story, one night, my friends and I were so done with the whole deal that we started looking for flights out of there. We were headed to Sweden the next day but we were thinking of flying to Italy or Spain. I kid you not! We stayed up excessively late trying to find a financially feasible way to escape this almost frozen wasteland. It didn’t work, but we got a good laugh out of the deal!
Sweden was a delightful improvement. However, I spent one of my two Sweden days in Copenhagen, Denmark. Yep, different country all in one day. This was also the struggle of the century. So after a train ride that broke down into a bus ride that turned back into a train ride that almost got us arrested at the border (vast over-exaggeration) we arrived in Copenhagen. First thing we see coming off the train? A Seven Eleven. True story. But Copenhagen was a refreshing change of pace! A classic European city with old buildings and packs of Americans talking louder than everyone else.
I actually only spent one half-day in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was the best day of all! We spent a Sunday morning on an island. It was incredibly beautiful! There was even a song written about it.
This should have been the worst trip of my life, but it wasn’t! It was all made bearable (and kind of hilarious) because of the friends I was with. So basically, I’m #soblessed.

Let’s catch up

I haven’t blogged since I went to Scotland. It’s a little ridiculous considering I’ve been to Greece and Germany since then and the new Taylor Swift album came out! That’s a lot to talk about.
The real issue with the lapse of blogging would be this little thing called midterms. Once upon a time, some really smart guys who hated students decided that the best way to make everyone as unhappy as they are would be to have a ton of tests and assignments due over a span of, say, two weeks. They laughed at our dismal prospects, raised tuition prices, and created the tradition of midterms. I know no one wants to hear about how horrible midterms were, but I have to get this out. I didn’t sleep. Almost ever. A bunch of my hair fell out from stress. I got very close to crying every single day.
Moving on! I’ve been learning a lot about myself in this past month. I learned that I’m not as good a person as I was tricking myself into believing. There’s something about living with 40 other people, then going on a trip to Greece with every single one of them, that brings that out of you. I am textbook extrovert. I love people. I did not want to see another living soul for about twelve hours when we got back from Greece. I should be talking about the Parthenon and Gyros and Santorini, but what stuck with my from that trip was a good, old-fashioned humbling. People get on my nerves. I can also be very, very mean. I am not a perfect, sweet person.

The next two weekends after Greece were spent stressing out in the library for midterms. Thank you, Professor Hicks, for that.
Two weekends ago, midterms were over (kind of. I was procrastinating). It was time to see the beautiful Laura Howard in beautiful Heidelberg, Germany. Laura is one of my very best friends, I hadn’t traveled for two weeks, but when I woke up at 2am for my flight to Frankfurt. I wanted to stay in London. I kid you not. We almost just went back to our beds. We even considered turning back after our 1.5 hour trip to the airport. I learned something else important on this trip. I’m obsessed with the London house. Not just the house or the city, but the people. I was gone for three days to the beautiful Heidelberg, Germany, with my closest friends, and I missed London. I missed seeing people in the kitchen at breakfast or pretending to do homework in the lounge when really we’re all just wanting someone to come in and distract us. I learned that the 40 people who had driven me nuts in Greece are my family now. I love them all!!

Then let me tell ya about the most London day I have ever had. It starts on a beautiful Monday. We toured St. Paul’s which is very possible the most breath-taking building I’ve ever seen, saw the staircase from from Harry Potter (almost passed out on that one), and climbed to the top of St. Paul’s in order to get the most incredible view of London at sunset. That’s right! At sunset. The night ended with an hour of standing outside the Natural History Museum ice-skating rink watching Harry styles filming a music video. That’s right people! HARRY STYLES! And that closed the most London day I’ve ever had.

The next weekend, everyone left. Something else I learned about myself, I have separation anxiety. Like dogs do when their owners leave and they pee all over the house and chew up pillows and stuff. (I DID NOT DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS) But I was totally devastated that about half of the house was leaving. I probably gave so many hugs that night that someone would’ve thought that they were all going to their deaths. I missed all of them when they were gone, too! I ended up staying up until 2am talking to them after they all got back because they’re all incredible people and the best thing to do in the library is talk to people.
Then, three days later, I followed through on a horrible, HORRIBLE decision. More on that to come.

Oh ya! And T Swizzle’s new album is mind blowing. I’ve listened to it like 30 times. Buy it. Live it. Love it.

Hampton Court

I am fortunate enough to take History of the British Monarchy in England. Thanks Pepperdine! These are the pictures of my latest field trip to Hampton Court Palace, the home to Henry VIII and others after him. It’s legit.

I feel like if I lived there I would get lost a lot. Also feel like I would probably not even have to worry about it though because I was so rich.

The Great Hall

Wow! What tasteful interior decorating.

WHOA! WAIT! THOSE ARE LITERALLY ALL WEAPONS

SO MANY WEAPONS!

Can I live here?

Unicorn

Dog

Dragon

Homeland

I write this as I fly over what is either France or Germany on the way to Athens. It’s been quite the weekend. It started Thursday night with a nine hour bus ride to Glasgow. I’m in a scene from a play called Last Train to Nibroc. In my scene, my character talks about how she couldn’t sleep because she was in the aisle seat and the guy next to her smelled bad. That was literally the first three to four hours of my trip. Dude smelled RANK! Thankfully, though, I was blasting either Jason Mraz or praise tunes at the time so I missed the incredibly loud snoring and the guy who had Canned Heat (yep, the Napoleon Dynamite song) cranked up behind me. Finally, the guy next to me left and I got a whole bench to myself, enjoying maybe 3 hours worth of inconsistent naps. Glasgow was incredible. Arrived at 8:00am and headed across the city for A Play, A Pie, and a Pint. Basically, you get a meat pie, a beverage, and a 50 minute play. Passing several chocolate shops and the Clyde River on the way, we arrived early and were able to take advantage of the botanic gardens right across the street from the venue. Two green houses, gorgeous gardens, and a book fair. Honestly could not ask for more. (Bonus! Look at my tagged pictures on Facebook to see me eating a flower.) The play, as well as the pie, was surprisingly good. No repeat of Austen the Musical! The main character did try to kill her husband, but theater! Amirite?

    

Off to Edinburgh! When I arrive in a city, it’s either a city or a magical wonderland. This sounds strange, but I just respond differently to the energy of different cities. Edinburgh and I connected. There was something about it that didn’t feel real, but not in a Disney World way. More like it was a place that I would dream about, a place that would match up with my imagination. Our night in Edinburgh began with kilts and bagpipes, as it should, and continued into a hamburger and a pub. Being so ancestrally Scottish, I think, I decided to embrace my heritage with Scotch. No. Just no. I appreciate that people like different things but Scotch is nail polish remover. Maybe I didn’t appreciate it properly, but never again. NEVER AGAIN. The next morning was the highlands tour. If I could move to Scotland, I very well might. I just felt as though I belong there. First, we headed to Stirling Castle, then to Loch Lomond, then to Glengoyne Whiskey Distillery. Loch Lomond was as though the ultimate setting sprang from my imagination into reality. It was quaint and welcoming, but somehow mysterious. Like I was admiring it from the outside, but there was something deeper and more precious to discover. *Cue dramatic Braveheart music* But in reality, I could have stayed there for days. I barely scratched the surface of such an enticing place.

Sunday we attended church. This is beginning to be one of my favorite parts of trips, seeing how somebody else worships the same God. This Sunday, we went to a gorgeous Episcopal cathedral. We were only able to go the Choral Matins, a song a response with Scripture reading, basically an incredible choir concert. Even better than the music, however, were the people. We were greeted warmly and enjoyed tea and biscuits afterward. So many friendly faces asked about us and where we were visiting from. We learned of their church and little snippets of their lives. It was the perfect start to a beautiful day. The day continued with the Elephant Tea House (HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!! also cappuccinos!) then a climb up Arthur’s Seat. Nope, not a seat, but a 360 view of the city that I very quickly fell in love with. I hated leaving. I could have just stayed. London is beautiful and, for now, it’s home. I was comforted pulling up to Victoria Coach Station after the ten hour bus home and elated when we arrived at Prince’s Gate. But Edinburgh is… I can’t find the word. It’s magical, I guess. In a Hogwarts rather than a Disney sense. Now I see how Rowling did it. Edinburgh, Scotland as a whole, really, is mysterious and inspiring. It didn’t inspire me to write a genius, billion-dollar book series, unfortunately, but it did inspire me to look into my heritage. It made me want to explore every inch of that incredible country. But most of all, it made me proud of my Scottish blood.

    

*I wrote this on Tuesday, September 30, but I didn’t have wifi so I’m posting it now.*

Evidence that I’ve actually done things in London

A proper British pastry and some hot cocoa at Buckingham

Tower Bridge

The new Harry Potter Covers!!!