Last Batch of Pictures

 Brittany and I sitting on a wall

 Jeni and my picture we colored at a diner

 Red telephone booths with Brittany

 Brittany and I on a red double decker bus

 Jeni, me, Anna, and Brittany with Big Ben

 In front of the main Birkbeck building

Brittany and I confused as to who is driving the taxi

Wednesday night Brittany and I studied for history together. Although we got studying done, we also goofed off while doing so. Thursday morning we both woke up earlier to look over our notes that we took the night before. We ate breakfast and then we had to go to class to take our last final. I think I did alright. After that, Anna, Jeni, Brittany and I went to this place called Tinseltown that had a million different kinds of milkshakes, and other American foods. I got a milkshake called Fruit A-List. It was a milkshake with banana and strawberry with strawberry sauce and a ton of whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles on top. It was delicious. After that we went back to our rooms and then met up again at 2 to take one last walk through Regents Park. While there, it was a little chilly, and while we were taking our last pictures, it started to pour. It got super windy and I saw some lightening and there was even thunder. While running to take cover in a cafe in the Park, it started hailing on us. It was super funny. That was the first time in England that I ever heard it thunder and saw it lightening, and I was waiting for a thunderstorm my whole trip, and finally got a bit of one on my last day. When the rain let up, we walked back to our rooms. Brittany and I went to Jeni and Anna's room where we just hung out and talked. At 5:30 a bunch of us headed over to ISH for supper, and then we walked to school for our Reception. It was pretty boring. I signed up to "keep in contact with Birkbeck" so that I could get a free coffee mug that says "Birkbeck Alumni" because I am now an alumni member there. Brittany, Anna, Jeni and I left there and took some last minute crazy pictures in London and headed over to Big Ben and Parliament. It was really pretty lit up. After that we headed over to ISH for the last night of Karaoke and one final last gathering with our Stevens Point group. Brittany and I didn't stay as late as the others because we wanted to pack up some more stuff and try to get some hours of sleep. It was sad saying goodbye to those who were not flying back with us. I got about 4 hours of sleep that night. At 6am we woke up to shower and pack up the last of our stuff. We were at ISH by 7:30 to get breakfast and then we waited for the bus to come to take us to Heathrow. It was also sad because at breakfast we had to say goodbye to Sami. She started crying and then everyone else got watery eyes. We got to Heathrow and we made our way through check-in and security and then had to walk like what felt like forever to get to our gate which was in the boondocks of the airport. We played Uno while waiting for our gate to open. We were finally able to board the plane and I was sitting next to Ashlie. She had the window seat so that I could have the aisle seat. Brittany was across the aisle from me so I'm glad it worked out that way. The plane ride was uneventful and took a while. The last leg of the flight I started to feel sick because we were descending and getting ready to land. That always makes me feel sick. The landing was rough and it felt like we were on a roller coaster. I was super warm and fanning myself and I'm glad we didn't spend much more time in the air because I feel like I could've lost my lunch had it been any longer. We went through customs and got our luggage and then we all said goodbye to each other and hugged before walking out to meet our families. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone. We walked out and I spotted my mom's turquoise jacket and waved to her walking out. It was so awesome that everyone waiting for us was happy and we had all walked out as a group and everyone's family was just happy and it was great. I then had to say my last goodbye to Brittany and I was tearing up because I'm going to miss that girl so much. She is the best roommate I've ever had and she's just so sweet and nice. I already missed her this morning without waking up with my buddy. But I know that I'll see her again, and since she only lives in West Bend it isn't hard to meet up with her. We had the honor to drive Lisa to her brother's place in Milwaukee and my dad bought cheese curds on the way down, so we got to snack on those.  Once in Milwaukee we said bye, but I'll see Lisa in a week when we're both in Point visiting our roommates there for Alyssa's birthday. Once in Plymouth we first went to City Club so that I could have a real cheeseburger with a hard roll. We finally got home later and I was dead tired. I showed my parents the stuff I brought back and then went to bed finally at 11pm.
 Here our some of the final pictures I took, and I'll have to make another post once my friends upload their pictures on Facebook so I can download them and add them here later.

 My camera had a problem and was blurry this night

 Last tube train I saw

 Lisa singing karaoke

 Me outside the Regent's Park Station

 Me, Anna, and Jeni in M&M World

 Brittany and I in front of an identical house to the house in The Parent Trap

 Anna and I climbed up to get a picture with the big Lion statues in Trafalgar Square

 Brittany and I frustrated with all the maps we got in History class while studying

 Brittany and I in Harrods

 My London family with the London Eye. Jeni, Anna, Brittany, me

Jumping picture literally right before it down poured in Regents Park. Anna, me, Brittany, and Jeni

Last Week/Weekend in London

Last Friday I do not really remember what I did. I think me and Brittany just stayed in our room all day and attempted to study for our finals that we have this week.

Saturday, Brittany and I woke up and we went to South Kensington to see the house where the mom in The Parent Trap lived in London. The actual house was under construction so we couldn't see the house, so we took our picture with a couple houses down. After that, we walked to Harrods. Brittany hadn't been there yet so I said I'd go with. We watched some really cute puppies on the fourth floor. There were really cute American Cocker Spaniels, some ugly chihuahua's and some super cute little English Bulldogs. I just wanted to sit in their little room and play with them and cuddle with them. After that we made our way back to ISH for lunch. In the afternoon I think we studied a bit. In the evening, the majority of our group from Point went on a Pub Crawl. We got a free shot at each of the 4 places that we went. At the first place we had a yummy shot that probably had little to no alcohol in it because of the fact that it was good. The 2nd place was like a club. It was really cool and fun. There we got a free Sambuca shot. That stuff is disgusting. Tastes like gross black licorice. My friend Kassandra wanted to buy me a shot, so I let her. She got me one that tasted like Big Red gum. It was better than Sambuca, but I wouldn't have to have that cinnamon shot again. We danced there and had a good time. Then after that place, we headed to our 3rd destination. This bar/club was so hot we were all sweating. It was gross. There were also a lot of people there. Here we also got another shot of Sambuca. I took it anyways, even though I knew I hated it. It took everything in me to not gag or throw up. At the last place we got the same nasty shot, but I opted out. Brittany, Jeni, Anna, and I left shortly after getting there because we just weren't feeling it or having much fun anymore. Each place we went to had the same songs playing. It got old real fast at the 3rd place. I don't like huge crowds of sweaty people around me, or alcohol that much, so my first pub/club experience of the whole trip was enough for me and it took me till the last weekend here to do it.

Sunday Anna, Jeni and I went out exploring. We first went to the Barbican Center and looked at the outside of it. It was really pretty. There was like a little lake thingy with cool fountains. Next we went to the Great Fire of London Monument. We climbed up 311 steps to the top. It was exhausting. At the top we got 360 degree view of London. It was nice. The weather was also gorgeous! Saturday was sunny with a high of 66! We were walking around in t-shirts. We went to m&m world after that because Jeni hadn't been there yet. We ate lunch at some Italian restaurant after m&m World. From there we went to Trafalgar Square and climbed up a Lion statue/monument. Anna basically pulled me up there, it was hard! After that we took a bus to the building that is MI6 in Skyfall. I've never seen that movie, but the building was sweet looking on the outside! After getting back in the afternoon I had to buckle down and study.

Monday I had my cinema final, and I think I did alright. Today I had my London in Literature final. Tomorrow is my 20th Century British Novel final, and Thursday is my History final.  Last week in London in Lit, our teacher gave us a map of the field positions for the game of Cricket. He gave us 5 minutes to memorize as much of it as we could. I remembered probably about half of the positions. We handed them in and then today we found out who won the competition. It ended up being a tie between me and this guy Tim. Our teacher bought a second prize that we didn't know what it was. Our teacher flipped a coin, and because I'm a lady, he let me call heads or tails. I called heads and it landed on heads so I won a Cricket ball!! I'm so happy I won. My weird memorization of nothing useful has finally paid off and won me that.!! I've been busy studying and I'm itching with anticipation till I no longer have finals so I can pack up all my stuff Thursday afternoon. Thursday evening we have a final reception at school with our teachers and administrative staff with free snacks, wine, and beer. We are all going to that. After that me and a couple others plan to go over by Parliament and Big Ben to see it all lit up at night. Friday morning we are waking up early as our bus arrives at ISH at 8:20 to take us to Heathrow. I've really enjoyed my time here and I'm glad I've met so many new friends and experienced so much, but I'm excited to go back home to see my family and friends there. I want home cooked food, Culver's, Cousins Subs, and a real hamburger with a Sheboygan hardroll.

On Sunday I did some homework, and then in the afternoon Brittany and I took a break and walked through Regent's Park because it was gorgeous out. It has finally warmed up here. Throughout the week it's stayed nice and warmer, but all I did was do homework. I had my last week of classes so now all I have is next week's exams and then Friday I get to head back home!

Today after History, Jeni, Anna, Lisa, and I walked across The O2!!! It was SO fun. I had a really great time and I'm glad I told them about it and planned it. When we got there we had to fill out a form with our contact details and an emergency contact. Then we went into this room and watched a brief safety video. Our climbing guide then came in and showed us how to put on the harness. We walked to a different room where we got our climbing suits and the harness and then we put them on. Once everyone in the group was ready, we went up some stairs to the platform where we start climbing up. He told us how to work the safety thing. A worker also took our photo that we could purchase at the end. We liked our picture, so we each bought a copy. Anna was the first to go, then Jeni, me, and Lisa. We were leading the way. The first stretch was hard, because it was pretty steep and I don't have the best upper body strength. The thing that we walked on was called like 'tensile fabric' but I believe it was just like the material that trampolines are made out of, or very similar. We had to hold onto the cable thing to help pull us up. Since I'm shorter, my pulley thingy wouldn't slide nicely along the cable, so I had to hold it and drag it along. The guide said that you have to be the right height for it to glide nicely, which I'm not at that height. I felt like we just kept climbing up and up and up. We climbed 52 meters. At the top there was a platform where we spent about 20 minutes or so taking in the views and getting our pictures taken. It was really pretty. After that we had to make our way down. That was pretty easy, but it hurt my knees. We had to like put our arm over the cable to help us since it was steep going back down. I went at a slow and steady pace because I didn't feel like tripping or falling up there. Once we got to the bottom we turned in the outfits and harnesses. We decided we deserved a treat so we stopped at the TGI Friday's in The O2 and the other girls got margaritas, but I chose to get a triple berry daiquiri. It was yummy. I'm sure I will feel the muscles that I used climbing up and down The O2 tomorrow. It really tired us out, so hopefully we can all sleep well tonight.

 Anna, Lisa, me, Jeni in our gear ready to climb!

 View from the top

 Lisa and I

 Anna and I

 Jeni and I

 Our attractive backsides

We did it!!

Pictures

The Passion of Jesus pictures for my mom. It has these pictures all out of order but here is Jesus after rising

 Jesus walking into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday

 Jesus carrying his cross

 The crucifixion

 The last supper

 Queen Alexandra's Stage Coach

 The Irish State Coach

 The Scottish Stage Coach

 The Glass Coach

 Royal Mews

 Royal Stables

 The Gold Coach

 The clock with the time that they go by

 The riding school in the Royal Mews

 Cutty Sark

 National Maritime Museum

 We found a bubbler so we had to take our picture with it seeing as they are very rare here. Jeni and I

 On the prime meridian line

 Looking down the hill from Greenwich

Anna and I

 River Thames

 The O2

 People walking across The O2

 Hanging out with some of my favorite people, Niall, Liam, Harry, Louis, Zayn, and Lisa

At the cinema with our blue slushies! Jeni, Anna, me