Hello World, Here I Am & I'm Here to Stay

Hello all! First of all, I just wanted to direct your attention back at the last three posts because I have added some pictures! I will definitely add some more ones---specifically the one of me as Kate Middleton, because well, we're the same person...and it needs to be documented. Cathy has the majority of the pictures including the ones of us walking across the street at Abbey Road/dressing up as Sherlock/Kate, etc that I will put on here as soon as she uploads them on Facebook. Anyway, today was an insanely long day--again. I feel that I should be used to saying that by now but it never ceases to amaze me just how much you can do in a day. Today was especially that way considering Katie, Cathy, and I spent SEVEN hours in transit. We woke up fairly leisurely around 11 and caught a bus from Oxford to London where we had lunch in a cafe, Bella Italia, across from Victoria Station. Not only was the food amazing, but also we made another European friend. Katerina, the stylishly dressed Brit with Russian and Scottish parents decided to befriend us as we both had tables by the window. Before we knew it, she was reading aloud Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Places You Will Go" to us---WITH pictures. It was a sight to see for sure. More importantly, Dr. Seuss was a genius. I instantly broke out into a smile---and how fitting was the book considering we had embarked on a massive journey to the White Cliffs of Dover--a whopping 4 and a half hours away from Oxford! After our fun-infused lunch, the three of us went to Victoria and caught a train from London to Dover where we laughed hysterically the entire way. I am determined that I will have grown a six pack by the end of the trip because of it. When we got off, we caught a quick coke and some crips (Americans, those are potato chips) before going on a LONG walk---6 miles if I'm not wrong. First, we stopped by the coast to say hello to the English Channel. Here, we befriended some young British kids who took our picture with the lighthouse in the background. Next, we climbed to the top of the Cliffs of Dover!!! The trail is completely gorgeous---filled with all kinds of pink, purple, and yellow flowers, trees with braided roots, and families of bunnies. We probably saw about 12 during our entire trip. Once at the top, we looked out at the world beneath us to marvel. Just across the ocean, we saw France and wished it a warm welcome. Here, we had an even better view of Dover Castle, my new vacation home or potential new residence, and took pictures up on top of the world and rolled around in the grass. I am normally afraid of heights, but weirdly enough once we got to the top, I was peaceful with my surroundings. Here, I called my dad to wish him a happy father's day!!! What a memorable moment! Love you, Dad! The air was filled with the sound of seagulls and salt water-infused wind caressed our cheeks. What a world we have. What brooding waves protect us. What wonders to explore---oh what wonders there are. After coming down, we went by the local pub again to get a coffee and a sandwich before our train back home. Luckily, we made the train and got a coach with a single other person---a very stylish British musician who not only befriended us, but also gave us his cell/contact information to hang out with us in England...no big deal. Oh wait--it's awesome. His name is Nic Bennett if you're interested! ANNA AND LILLIAN---check him out. His myspace page is here: (http://www.myspace.com/nicbennett) He's pretty folky and has a relaxed way of singing. Perfect music for the day we've had. After Nic left we hung out on the train again and eventually got to London! Once there, we had some time to kill so we stopped into the Shakespeare bar and pub for a large glass of wine and pimms cocktails to calm down from a very very busy day. Let's just say we drank them a little too quickly---or maybe the bus came a little quicker than we expected, but the three of us were a little out of it on the bus and finally just passed out until we got back to Oxford around 1am. Currently, I've just been uploading some images to the rest of my blog and listening to Nic's album to calm me down after a hectic day! It was so worth it though!

(From Yesterday) More Abbey Road

(From Yesterday) More Abbey Road

(From Yesterday) More Abbey Road

Katerina (Dress) and Her Mom After her Performance!!

Dover/Dover Castle!

The Streets of Dover

A Church in Dover Built in the 1200s!!

Another Picture of Dover Castle

Dover Castle!

Lighthouse on the English Channel!

Some of the Cliffs---the Ones Where We Were Standing are the Infamous Ones, But They Were Hard to Photograph!

***ALSO, I forgot to mention that I learned today that both Julius Caesar and William the Conqueror docked to invade England at Dover!!! I am supposedly related to William the Conqueror and (despite our difference of opinion about women's' place in the world), I really enjoyed being in such a historic place. Additionally, Dover is used today as a major export/import center for goods in and out of London. This combination of modern/traditional is something that we've been talking about a lot in our History class, so it was very nice to continue to see how the world adapts the old into something efficient that in its own way is also beautiful! I'm rambling. That's all for tonight! Sending you all a big, big hug from Oxford! Again, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!!! Miss you and love all of you <3,

E.