Is this real life?

Every day I wake up at 7:30 a.m. so exhausted

then I remember I live in London

and it's all worth it.

Even though it's only rained once since I've been here... I finally got my umbrella. Thank your Primark!

Tuesday Night our whole Program went to King Richard III.

Kevin Spacey was the lead. So amazing! 

It was in The Old Vic theater which was super tiny and uncomfortable. The seats were probably a 1 1/2 feet wide so you were cuddling with both people on your sides and so straight in the back you felt like you were falling over. But in the end it was worth it. 

Wednesday we went to the Tower of London

some how I managed not to take a picture in front of it. Weird.

The Jewel House was probably my favorite part. All the old crowns and random things the royals love to wear on their heads that can't be comfortable. But they were gorgeous!

My new love, man in armor. So hot.

[please excuse my zoobie outfit, somedays it just happens]

So Wednesday night we had this amazing idea to give me cornrows. 

After affect? Picture below. Poofy hair to the max. Half loved it. 

Vogue fashion's night out London

Found my store!

We love Free stuff!

We made the cover, no big deal.

In the end my hair ended up fitting in perfectly, who would have thought?

Funnest night ever. Hands down.

Friday night we went to see The Ryan O'Reilly Band.
Last weekend on Portobello Road we discovered them on the side of the street. We automatically loved them so we decided to go to their next gig. 

New BIGGEST fans.

Not the cutest bunch out there...

But they sure know how to make good music.

Saturday Night we went to the End of Summer Festival. 

There were booths and booths of food and treats and everything yummy. Some of my favs from the night:

Strawberries & Cream Yummmm

Probably the best Carrot Cake I've ever had.

We always travel in large quantities. And this is usually how it ends up, crazy and loud!

We don't usually make a lot of friends with the Brits. Ooops.

Me and Alyssa picked the cutest picture we could think of for our Oyster cards. 

By the end of the week we're exhausted and can't wait to be home. [Some times I'll fall asleep on the tube. Probably not smart but it happens.]

Then we have to climb the 155 stairs to our room. 

No joke.

It's never felt so good to fall asleep at night totally exhausted and can't wait to do it again the next day. I LOVE my life.

And it keeps getting better. 

Tomorrow I think I'll go to Scotland. 

Portobello Road.

Saturday was our first day of complete freedom. So what did we do? Shopping of course! We decided to go to the Portobello Market. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I fell in love instantly. We all know I love to people watch and this was the best I've ever seen.

Breakfast smoothies [which were not worth it, still learning]

My new cute wallet, promise I'm way more excited about it than the picture portrays. 

Let me just tell you a little story about this poster. As soon as I saw this I had to have it. So I carried it around all day. I didn't care that it was annoying and in the way all the time because I couldn't wait to put it up in my room when we got back to the center. So we were waiting for the tube because we had just barley missed the last one and I started to swing the poster back and forth to keep myself entertained and i turned to talk to Lauren and woosssshhh straight out of my hand the poster flies behind me and the moving train sucks it under. GONE. Lets just say I was not very happy.

There was the most amazing food and stands full of jewelry and cute signs like these. There was so much to look at and take in for one day so pretty much I will be going back. 

[Sweet Tooth has me obsessed with anything cake] 

Our "Kbye" glasses and our cute new signs.

I seriously lucked out with the girls that are here with me. I already Love them all.

Me & Stephanie

Our twiner outfits [Ari]

K we were not really sure what was going on but for some reason there were these three people standing there meditating in the middle of the busy square. So of course I had to take a picture.

Legally Blonde

That night we went to Legally Blonde and we all dressed in pink and black. This was our sorority picture. 

The musical is Hilarious! 

I will be taking full advantage of all the cheap tickets we get for being students. 

Meet Lauren my new bestie.

We're the UVU girls and we are not ashamed.

Mitcham Ward.

No more walking across the street to church or two minute car rides.

Today I took the tube - Central line to Victoria, then caught the train from Victoria out to Mitcham Junction, then we walked a mile trying to find the chapel with these instruction"building looks like large old house" hmmmm? Took us three strangers, a lot of good guesses, and over an hour later but we finally found it.

I was lucky enough to be called to work with the Young Women:

They have so much excitement about the gospel and are ready to answer every question placed before them. I'm so excited to learn so much from these amazing girls and to hopefully teach them a thing or two too.  [Still working on their names though]

This past week we've been blessed with beautiful warm sunny days. Today our luck changed. Luckily I grabbed my rain coat before running out the door. On our walk back to the train station it started to pour! And of course I haven't bought a umbrella yet so this were the results of our lovely adventure.

Allie

I couldn't see a thing through my glasses. 

I LOVE the rain!

Just touched down in London Town.

I live in London. WHAT?! 

To get here I had to get on a big plane all by myself... but then once I got to my terminal there were six other girls waiting to get on my same plane. Couldn't have been more happy! 

Then I got on the plane and there was another awesome surprise. My new plane buddy had a toddler sitting on his lap, I knew right there this was going to be a fun flight to Atlanta. The excitement doesn't end there though half way through he got up and switched for a baby and came back. Even better. Luckily the baby was adorable and the best behaved little boy I've ever seen so it worked out. 

My luck with good neighbors doesn't end there though. The next flight I got the pleasure of sitting next to the most spastic French woman I've ever met. She was freaking out the entire flight about one thing or the other. I had to refrain myself from laughing out loud. She couldn't figure out the TV, couldn't figure out how to turn her light on and she was swearing every other second because she was getting so frustrated. HILARIOUS.

We all finally all made it through customs in one piece and split our separate ways to find our way back to the London Center. [Thanks to my lovely cousin Emma] I walked around the corner and there was this nice man holding a cute sign that read Julia Santiago.  He took my bags and we walked to the car [which was a volvo S80 couldn't have been more perfect]. The car ride seemed like foreverrrr and then we turned the corner onto Palace Court.

HOME SWEET HOME

27 Palace Court, London

Here are some of my adventures for the past three days:

My new friend Camellia 

Way too many yummy treats I need to try

V & A museum gift shop

First day of school! 

Me and Laurel

Camilla & Alyssa

Creepy headless man.

Free Coke Zero shots. Not even mad.

Mastering the tube after an exhausting day.

Babe Heaven, Sorry I had to leave.

Big camera girls: Lauren & Ari

We reenacted the sculpture. [Stephanie & Fran]

Regents Park

After three days of walking my butt off and getting over jet lag it all comes down to this:

I'm in LOVE with this city!