May 28- June 2, 2009

We made our way to London and this is the part of the trip where we all fend for ourselves and find really fun things to do while we were in London. Although every morning we have to check in with Dr. Fenner so we can get our 10 pounds and he knows we are alive. Rachael and I are roommates again and our room is well not the best. Our beds are pushed together so it looks like we are going to be cuddling for the next couple of weeks. Also the shower goes at full force so you are getting hit by either really hot hard water or really cold hard water it is a loose loose situation for us.

In the five days that I was in London we did a lot I think I saw almost everything I wanted to see and probably some more. The first things we did once we got settled into the hotel were to go out and see what London has to offer us. We took the bus into the main part of town and ended up at Premax. We went to one of these stories a little earlier in the trip and everyone found really cute things so we were sure that we were going to find some great stuff. What we did not plan on was that the store would be more crowded then a black Friday closeout sale. Their were so many people that it was impossible to shop I was so overwhelmed that I could not find anything. So we decided to go to another store this time we just hit up some tourist shops Courtney got a fun shirt for her sister and the rest of us just looked around. By the time we were finished we were all so tired we got some food and then headed back to the hotel. A couple of us decided to go out and see a little bit of the London night life we went to a club but only for a little bit before we headed back and hit the sack for the night.

The next couple of days seemed to blur together our first adventure was to Harrods were I probably bought more stuff then I have this whole trip. I bought everyone back home their gifts from there. The store was huge I think I could have spent the whole trip in there and not have gotten board one bit. There were six floors at least they even have their own food court in the store with a candy shop and to die for deserts (even though I was good and did not eat any). We went to the dog section for Rachel to find something for her dog and I found the Juicy Couture section my favorite designer in the whole wide world. They had everything you could think of to buy your dog in the Juicy pattern. Right next door to the dog section was the baby section now I don’t know why we went in here but I am so glad we did this is where I found my juicy couture stroller. It was amazing and when I am older and rich I am so going to buy that for my child the best part was that when we were leaving we saw a women pushing her child in that exact stroller I was so jealous. By this time the group had split up Courtney, Danni and Meghen, went to high tea while the rest of us went to the history museum. It was so hot in that building. The museum was great we made it through the mammals section but that part of the building had no air condition so we were all feeling the heat and wanted to get out fast so we went outside and sat on the lawn it was so relaxing and fun to watch all the people. After we went back to the hotel and grabbed a bit to eat. That night some of the girls went to hookah and then we met our new friend Cameron who works at the hostel across the street he took us to a club and got us in VIP. We had so much fun even though we were not dressed to go to a club at all it was defiantly one of those spur of the moments times and we thought what the heck we are only in London once might as well live it up. We met some great people that night even though it was a little schcy coming home that night. Lets just say that all kinds of people come out at night in London and you will never know who or what you will see at the buss stop.

The next day Courtney invited me to go with her to the color de triumph. This was part of the celebration for the Queens Birthday although the Queen was not there it was still an amazing experience. We met some of Courtney’s family friends at the subway and walk over to the grounds were the festivities we going to be taking place. We had great seats and we were able to see everything. The whole event was a ceremony for the queen where we got to see all of the queen’s guards in the funny looking hats. We learned that the guards have different colored feathers in their hats symbolizing their different ranks. They had the guards come out in their different ranks with the band in front and then the marching guards once they were all out the guards on horses came out and did a fast and slow trot. The whole ceremony was an amazing thing and a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to have been given. After we left the event we went to meet up with everyone and ate dinner at a pizza place and then we decided to go out again. We did not know where we wanted to go so we went downtown to a gay bar we didn’t know it was gay at the time but we had so much fun. After we met up with Sarah and Wes along with some of their friends at a bar and then ended up calling it a night after.

We took a day to do the sights we got to see everything we started off at the changing of the guards I don’t know what I was expecting but it was not what I saw. When we first got their we had great spots but then the police cleared where we were sanding for some reason and we had to move in the back of the crowd but we were able to sneak our way back into the front once the guards road past on their horse because everyone moved to the other side to get a better look and take their picture. Once the guard’s road past the guards started changing. One fun thing that we learned is that the fun hat guards don’t stay outside the palace all day they are just their in the morning for the changing of the guards and then there are just guards in their army uniforms. I was really glad that we where able to see them at least one time at the palace while we were here. The whole changing of the guards lasted about 20 minutes but the band was playing music well after they were done. They didn’t play traditional music that you would think they would play at one of these things instead it was more upbeat catchy tunes. Who would have thought that this is what would be played. After we finished at the palace we went to the London eye, I didn’t go up on it but it was huge way bigger then I thought it would have been, Big Ben, which is exactly like you picture it, and it goes off every half hour so we got to see it go off. We walked over to the Westminster Abby but it was closed but I saw a nun in front of it, which was kind of funny she was dressed in her nun gear.
The Tower of London was the stop on today’s adventure we went in and took a tour with the beefeaters, no one knows why they are called that but they made the tour a lot more enjoyable. The most amazing thing we saw there by far was the crown jewels. They were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life I wish I were queen just so I could get to touch those crowns and scepters. These jewels are so heavily guarded that they are in a huge vault that you walk through pictures of course were not allowed to be taken but I didn’t care. I wish I knew someone who was related to the queen. Maybe one-day Courtney’s dream will come true and she will marry royalty and then I will know someone who is related to the queen and get to see the jewels outside of the built proof case. After the tower we came back and decided to stay in that night but we had made friends with the guys who worked at the front desk so they were nice enough to throw us a party. The party was so much fun I got to be the dj and spin on the turn tabled or whatever it was called. We had so much fun and the front desk boys were so great they even promised to throw us another party the next night after my going away party.

The last fun thing that we did all together before I left was we went to Hard Rock Café for my going away party. We were just going to sit at the bar and drink but when I was talking to my dad that day he told me the name of the regional manger since he works for Hard Rock. So when we went to the restaurant I went to talk to the manger with Courtney and told him who my dad was and he let us go to the bottom private level and we had a blast. After some good food and drinks we went to the Hard Rock Store where somehow we got to go into the Vault because of Courtney Denial and the rest of the group. We were able to see some of the celebrity clothing and guitars and you were even aloud to hold them it was awesome. We ended the night back at the hotel for our last hotel party and then in the morning I got up bright and early and took the subway and train to the air part and made my way home.

This whole trip was an experience I will never forget I learned so much about England, the people that where on the trip with me some good things some bad and something about myself. This was defiantly the trip of a lifetime and I am so lucky to have been able to go. I will never forget the memories that were created on this trip.