Miss Pobletic.

In hand: vanilla Americano.  It's a perfect gloomy day drink right now.  You know how they say that it rains a lot in England?  Well, it's not just a saying; I can tell you firsthand that it's all truth.  I have seen loads of rain since I have been here, and today is no exception.




So when I found out that I would be completing my student teaching abroad placement in a classroom with 4- and 5-year olds, the first thing that came to my happy mind was this:

I was very excited to see how different the school system and the age group would be (in Pennsylvania, I was placed in a 6th grade classroom), but most of all, I was excited to hear the little ones with their accents!


Since I live in Newbury and Francis Baily Primary School is located in the next town over, Thatcham, I had to figure out the best way to get to and from school.  And you know how I am with transportation- I learn best from experience...
On Monday, my host mom drove me to school and saw me off, which was cute.  **On a side note, gas (or "petrol") is extremely expensive here so everyone has small cars and tries not to drive as much as possible!  Anyways, I then took the bus home- there's a bus stop right outside of the school and it goes to the Newbury bus station in town.  However, instead of getting off at the bus station, I got off earlier so I could get Starbucks.  It seemed like a good choice at the time (and delicious), but the next morning I decided to take the bus to school and set off early to go to the bus station.  Since I didn't actually get off there the day before, I had no idea where it was.  I walked around the whole town centre and completely missed it!  So by the time I found it, I had missed the bus and had to wait for the later one.  This bus came even later than late and then took forever to get to school because of traffic and all the stops, so I was really late to school.  Some of the staff suggested that I take the train to school since it's more reliable and only has one stop, so it only takes 5 minutes.  The only problem is that the Thatcham station is a 15 minute walk from school.  On Wednesday, I caught the train and used maps that Fiona printed out for me to find my way to school, which is actually quite a nice walk (when there isn't pouring rain and blustering wind).  However, after school, I got lost trying to find my way back to the train station and my mentor teacher found me walking aimlessly on the side of the road and offered to take me to the station.  Phew.  On Thursday, I went to the train station and bought my round-trip ticket, happy with my new system and, after studying the maps, confident about my walk to and from the station in Thatcham.  But much to my dismay, my train was cancelled!  I walked to the bus station to try and catch the bus there, but it was really late, so I ended up going back to the train station and taking the later train to school.  Finally, on Friday, everything went very smoothly.  So after a week of "figuring it out," I will be a pro with a month pass for the train!  It all works out in the end.


The Foundation (also called Reception) classrooms are kind of like our kindergarten.  This is when kids officially start school for a full day and start learning phonics, reading, writing, counting, and other math and problem solving concepts.  However, they are also learning so much more.  All the small skills that we take for granted now were learned at some point.  It's been so fun observing these children learn the basic social, physical, and mental skills.  Throughout the inside and outside of our personal little building, there are different centers set up for the students to explore for an hour and a half twice a day.  They call this "independent learning," and while the students are choosing their own activities and exploring, the teachers are observing and having little chats with them.  Some examples of the areas are: a building area with different types of materials, a music area with instruments, an obstacle course area, a writing area, and a counting and categorizing area.  The children play by themselves, but mostly with others.  The other parts of the day are for calendar, phonics, and other lessons revolving around the theme of the term.  Right now the theme is "growing" so we're studying seeds and plants, tadpoles and frogs, and caterpillars and butterflies (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, anyone?).  Last week was all about Jack and the Beanstalk, which was fun.  The students contributed pictures and writing to make a class book, created their own beanstalks and ordered beanstalks according to height, and even practiced growing into a beanstalk during PE.  I loved having little chats with the students while they played and seeing all the crazy and interesting things they came up with.  I especially loved seeing them interact with one another- taking turns, helping each other, inviting others to play, apologizing, explaining problems and ideas, and making things up.  So cute.  


So far, I really love this placement.  Here are the main reasons why:
1.  The staff are all so nice and welcoming!  Each classroom has a teacher and a certified TA, as well as other part-time aids, so there have been a lot of people to meet!  They, along with the headteacher of the department, have all made me feel comfortable and welcomed into the group.  During the first independent learning time, one of the TAs volunteers to make tea and coffee for everyone and they all already know my drink preferences so I get a warm, caffeinated beverage each morning without even asking!  Perfection.
2.  It's a very laid back environment.  Right now, it's all about the experience that the kids are gaining to help them learn and become more independent.  I'm looking forward to providing opportunities for them to do that and to observe them all as the grow and develop!
3.  No one knows my last name!  It's so funny.  The staff all call me Erika, and the kids have no idea how to pronounce my last name.  One little boy is convinced that he has my name down and calls me "Miss Pobletic."  I don't have the heart to tell him he's a little off..
4.  THESE KIDS.
Let me tell you about some of them..
-  I have one little "know-it-all."  He's the one who knows my name.. sort of.  He talks to you as though he's already old and mature.  Every sentence starts with, "Do you know.."  
For example, 
"Miss Pobletic, do you know that I have the programme of Mary Poppins at home?"  
"No, I didn't know that!" 
"I know, I just told you."  
Oh boy.  He comes up with the most creative and detailed concepts.  In PE, they were pretending to start as a seed and then grow into some kind of plant.  I watched this boy slowly grow into a cucumber plant, then proceed to "pick" the cucumber, then he became the cucumber, then he "cut" himself into slices, and then became a circular cucumber slice.  It was great.
-  I have the token "quiet ones" that I am partial to just because I know that they want a little recognition but are too shy to speak out.  I spend a lot of time with these ones asking them questions and getting them to talk to me about the things they are doing.  They are so sweet.
-  There is one little boy who is diagnosed with Autism, and he is very functional and bright.  He always has a big smile on his face and absolutely loves the music area.  One day, he picked out a headband and gave it to another little girl.  She put it on and he exclaimed, "You look beautiful!" in his squeaky little accent.  And then they walked off together hand-in-hand.  I just about died right there.
-  There is one little girl and one little boy who can't help but be excited ALL THE TIME.  She loves to play with everyone and gets really into what she's doing, especially when she's dancing.  He loves to move around from activity to activity and can't stop shouting out in class.  Though when he speaks out, it's always something really funny or encouraging, so it's difficult to fault him for it.  The best example of these two is when we were doing "Show and Tell" one day.  At the end of the day, the students can show the class something they made that day or could tell the class about it.  The girl wanted to show everyone her dance moves that she had practiced that day.  She proceeded to spin and hop around, and you could tell she was proud of each move she showed us.  With each move she showed, the little boy would exclaim, "Wow!" "That's amazing!" "How lovely!"  It was the best thing ever.


As you can see, I've fallen in love with these kids already.  I just think it's so awesome how unique and beautiful they all are.  They all seem to love school and learning, and I just want to be another person who can continue to foster that for them.


And if you were wondering what they thought of my accent...

"Excuse me, why are you speaking Spanish?"

"I'm not; I'm speaking English, like you!"

"Well you don't sound like me."

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is."  - Yoda

Cheesy Advice, Anyone?

In hand:  wouldn't you know it, late night Earl Grey tea again!




My first week in school has been "brilliant."  That's one of many words and phrases I've started to record so I remember all the fun things they say here.  Anyways, the kids are absolutely incredible and I am loving learning about each one!  I'm slowly but surely becoming used to waking up early and I think I might have my transportation finally worked out.. after much trial and error.  I will give a full update after my first week is complete!

______________________________________________________

The last journal assignment for my student teaching supervisor was to write a letter of advice for new student teachers.  I really enjoyed this- it was nice to take what I've learned this past year and figure out how to use that to give helpful advice to others who are just starting out with their student teaching experience.  Obviously you must know from reading previous posts, or probably just from interacting with me in real life, that I'm a pretty cheesy and corny person.  I don't know about you, but I don't see anything wrong with some cheese and corn in our lives.  Both taste good to me. (There I go again.)


Anyways, I don't know if she will end up reading it to her incoming cohort (it ended up being quite long), but I decided to post it here so those who might be student teaching or teaching soon might find it helpful, or maybe you're just wondering what I learned from my student teaching experience.  Or you possibly are just procrastinating from doing something and are looking for anything to distract you at the moment.  Here you go!

Dear New Student Teachers,

Well, there’s no turning back now.  You’re about to embark on a semester full of lesson plans, reflections, observations, eligible content, late nights, and early mornings.  But don’t worry; I’ve put together some objectives that I am positive you will meet by the end of the year.

Objectives:

YWBAT (You will be able to):

-  Fly through lesson plans.

-  Teach and manage a whole classroom on your own.

-  Constructively work with other student teachers, teachers, and staff.

-  Successfully function as a REAL teacher.

-  Make a difference in your students’ lives.

(That last one is the most important!)

To help you prepare for the full semester ahead of you, I want to give you some bits of advice from my own experience with student teaching.

1.  Understand that this experience is meant to be stressful, overwhelming, and frustrating.  You are not an experienced teacher- you are new at this!  The path to becoming an experienced teacher is through the tough times.  You’ll learn from the mistakes you make, the nights you wait until the last minute, the lessons that don’t go as planned, and the way you handle your stress and frustration.

2.  Understand that each person’s experience is different.  I found myself comparing my experience to others’ experiences and finding so many differences to point out.  It’s important to realize that each experience contains a unique mixture of student teacher, mentor teacher, district, grade, classroom, and students.  Once you realize and accept the fact that each experience is going to differ from one another, you’ll be able to appreciate and enjoy YOUR placement for what it is.

3.  Save up!  Between gas, materials, and food, student teaching can put a small hole in your pocket.  You are also at school all day during the week, so there is not much time for a job outside of student teaching.  Just be aware of the costs and be smart with your money!

4.  Be creative, but also utilize your resources.  Now is the time to put your creativity to the test.  Try to make up your own activities, create your own materials, and develop your own assessments and rubrics.  You have many supportive people around to help you, critique you, and make suggestions.  However, don’t feel as if you always have to make up everything on your own- you also have access to resources through Pam, your mentor teacher, other staff at school, other student teachers, past professors, and the internet!  Use them!

5.  Manage your time wisely and stay organized.  Not only will you have things to do for your placement, but you will also have to make time to complete assignments for Pam.  Make sure that you’re giving yourself time to complete everything with a good effort.  And for Pam’s assignments, make sure you take the time to proofread so you don’t have to spend more time fixing your mistakes!  Even if you procrastinate (like I did), strive to truly do your best in your assignments.  They have a purpose and will not have the same effect if you just carelessly fly through them.  Use organizational tools to help you keep your life in order (files, post-its, folders, calendar, PAPERCLIPS!).

6.  Still try to do fun things.  Student teaching really is fun and you’ll love going into the classroom everyday (even after struggling to wake up in the morning).  Make sure you are setting aside time to have a life outside of student teaching- have dinner with friends, go to movies, play sports, go to concerts.  You are still technically a college student so don’t forget to let yourself be one once in a while!

7.  Get involved at your school (if possible) and GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS.  If you get a chance, get involved at your school- volunteer to help with a fundraiser, go to Meet the Teacher Night, go the school movie night, start a homework club or sports club, go to the school’s basketball game.  These things will help you get to know more students and staff, help you gain a better understanding of the school and the community, and give you a sense of ownership of the school.  It is extremely important to get to know your students!  The small, daily personal conversations you have with them can make all the difference in the world.  If you truly know your students, you’ll be able to teach them better, they’ll gain more respect for you, and they’ll know how much care about them!  This experience is not only to help prepare you for teaching, but it is an experience that greatly affects your students as well.  Use it to make connections and help them succeed!  Seeing your positive impact on your students will feel better than any A ever did.

8.  Write it down.  Being a teacher is all about reflecting and sharing.  Keep a journal to write down your observations, things you learn, things that you want to use in your future classroom, things you DON’T want to do in your future classroom, reflections from lessons, funny things that happen, interesting things about your students, and your thoughts about your growth as a teacher.  Just in the act of doing this, you are growing and learning as a teacher.  Also, share!  Share with others about your experiences, conflicts, struggles, and successes.  Listen to others’ suggestions and feedback and let it help you grow!

And lastly,

9.  Drink coffee!  As an addict, I’m a bit partial to this one, but seriously.  Coffee to get you up and going, coffee to keep you up and going, coffee to relax, coffee to reward yourself.  Endless reasons to drink it!

You have learned so much from your classes, but trust me when I say that nothing will prepare you like being in that classroom.  You will love it and I am very excited for you!

Now get out there and have a wonderful experience!

Sincerely,

“If I Survived, You Can Too!”

Some more advice from some of my 6th graders!

"A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops." (Henry Adams)

Family, Foundation, and Future.

In hand: late night Earl Grey tea.  My host family drinks as much tea throughout the day and night as my roommates and I do!  I am lovin’ it.

So, yes, I have been staying with my host family in Newbury, Berkshire for 4 nights now and it is incredible.  Gabrielle, my host-mom, is super thoughtful and knowledgeable.  She is very involved with the town council and knows so much about the history and current events of the town.  She took me on a nice tour on Friday through the town centre, which is really cute and only a walking distance from the house.  It has loads of stores, cafes, pubs, restaurants, and a movie theater.  I actually walked there by myself last night to see The Hunger Games again!  In case you’re wondering, it is better the second time. =)  Brendan, my host-dad, is helpful and has that classic, dry, British, Hugh Grant humor to him, which you know I love.  Speaking of that, I just finished reading "About a Boy," which was really wonderful and though I haven't seen the film, I couldn't help but picture Hugh Grant as Will the whole time.  It was also really cool because the book is set in London, and so I knew all the places and things they were talking about.  Fiona, my host-sister, is the best.  She's been so welcoming and willing to do things with me!  I've loved talking to her about.. everything basically, and we've made some great plans for my time here!  She even took me out to a pub on Saturday to watch the Chelsea/Arsenal game.  This is extra nice of her because the family is big on the rugby, but not so much the football.  Oh yes, I've also been told that I need to start calling it "football" since I'm here.  There are two more daughters, but they aren't living here at the moment and so I am staying in Hannah's lovely yellow room.  So perfect, right?

Between eating meals together at the table, watching TV, drinking tea and coffee together, and even doing "family" trips (we traveled up to Oxford today), I am really beginning to feel like a part of the family.  They've all been so warm and welcoming and helpful- I am so blessed and thankful.  And though I still miss my family, Alex, and friends SO much, I am no longer lonely.  I guess that's the power of family.

Cute cappuccino with Gabrielle!

The barista at Costa told me that he had to ask where I was from because he loved my accent!  So funny that I'm the one with the accent here!

Traditional Morris dancers in Oxford!

Just part of the famous Bodleian Library at Oxford.

Such a historic and cute place!

Part of my yellow room! =)

Tomorrow, I start my 6-week student teaching placement at Francis Baily Primary School in Thatcham.  I'm placed in a Foundation classroom, which is for 4- and 5-year olds.  Oh, I am as excited as you'd expect me to be, and more!  I'm so interested to see what the school system is like here in the UK and to see what the students are like.  I know that this will be a great learning experience for me, so though I'm feeling a little nervous now, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's beginning!  Pray for me!

This semester, I went through the application process for Teach For America, and I recently found out that I have been accepted.  For those of you who may not know, Teach For America is an organization that places teachers into schools where kids are growing up in poverty, dedicated to providing these students with an excellent education.  Ever since the Chicago trip that I mentioned previously, I developed a passion for this movement and decided that I want to love and serve students in these areas after graduating from Penn State.  So, I have been placed in Phoenix, which is exciting because it is a great city, I have family there, and it's closer to California!  Though I'm excited about my placement and making it into the program, I am also really sad as I think about the college chapter of my life officially coming to a close.  I've met the most incredible people through Penn State, RUF, and Starbucks.  It's so hard to imagine not seeing them everyday.  It's scary to imagine myself in the "real world."  It's crazy to imagine myself with my own inner-city classroom in less than 4 months.  I've already had moments of weakness where I feel overwhelmed with stress and fear, convincing myself that I can't do this.  But I know that in this, God can work through me.  And so now it's time to trust Him.  

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Eleanor Rigby.

In hand: cappuccino at Starbucks.  My partner discount is reason enough to come here, right? 


I titled this "Eleanor Rigby" for two reasons: 1. The Beatles, obviously, and 2. I think I was one of those "lonely people" this past week.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time in London so much.  I interacted with some people in my hostel and in my travels, but to be honest, I felt pretty alone.  I longed to be traveling around and exploring London WITH other people, like I did in Ireland and Scotland.  And I'm starting to really miss my friends, Alex, and my family.  If only you all could be here with me!  This is good timing though, because today I start my stay with my host family.  I'm looking forward to meeting them, eating some home-cooked meals, and just being around people!


London is an incredible city.  There was so much to see and explore- I loved the free museums, the old, white, and detailed buildings, the bridges, the history!  I went to the National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday and spent over an hour looking at portraits of important people from England's history starting with the 1400s all the way to the 1900s.  I told my momma this earlier, but I soon started my own game called, "Would this person be attractive with different hair and clothes?"  I don't know why this is, but people from "back in the day" (1400-1800s) just aren't very attractive.  To be fair, I'm sure they were attractive back then?

"Hey, baby."

Either way, it was a fun game and I learned some interesting things about England's history, which is highly complicated and dense.  I also loved learning more about Queen Victoria, who is pretty awesome, and I was able to see her memorial outside of Buckingham Palace yesterday!

My 12-person room for 5 nights in the hostel!

Westminster Abbey.

Mr. Ben.

National Gallery while the sun is out!

Cappuccino time!

The Olympic countdown!

Oh, these city buildings were too cool.

Getting my museum on.

London Eye!

Tower Bridge!

Picadilly Circus!

Victoria and Albert Museum.

Big Ol' Harrod's.

Queen Victoria memorial and Buckingham Palace!

After tea with the Queen.

St. Paul's cathedral!  It was soooo huge!

Tea time. =)

Covent Garden, a really cool marketplace area. 

I'd say that in my days here I did a pretty good job of exploring different parts of London, and yesterday while I was enjoying some Earl Grey tea, I came to the conclusion that I really do love cities.  I love that they are full of people- either to meet and have conversations with or just to watch.  In the city, there's always things happening and though there's so much hustle and bustle around, there are also many places of refuge.  Cities are jam-packed with so much rich culture and history.  And with that, there's the culture of the city as a whole, but also different cultures brought in by such different groups of people.  Cities are full of variety- you can have "your place" that you go to all the time, but you also have the freedom to try an infinite amount of new places. Cities are also divided into distinct parts that have their own roles within the city.  For example, the Soho area here is full of lights, music, bars, restaurants, theaters, and shops, and serves as an area for a fun night out.  Cities are homes to different museums and various venues for shows or concerts.  I love that cities draw visitors from all over, who walk around in awe of such a new and exciting place.  I also love the public transportation systems that cities have, and the feeling that comes along with finally figuring out how they work!  Most of all, I love that cities are growing and ALIVE and waiting to be served.  And though I was feeling a bit lonely this week, I'm excited to travel and live in cities in the future where I can work with the church to love and serve the real "Eleanor Rigbys."

"In cities, you have more Image of God per square inch than anywhere else in the world."

- Timothy Keller.

"The city is humanity's greatest invention." - Edward Glaeser.

"Surely I am with you always." - Matthew 28:20.

I Got Lost.

Is anyone surprised?


In hand: a Carlsberg to go with my late dinner.


Let me just start off by saying that London has Ben wonderful. 

Why hello, Big Ben!

Alright, all lame jokes aside, I have really been enjoying my time here.  My hostel is wonderful- it's so cool to be surrounded by other travelers, mostly around the same age as me.  The lounge is always full of people and has a bar/restaurant open until late.  The past two days, I have been focusing on finishing things for school, getting my life in order, and finishing Mockingjay.  I did this by positioning myself in cafes in the middle of important parts of the city and getting to work.  This way, I could still feel as if I am exploring the city and a part of important things, while still doing what I needed to do.  I bought myself an Oyster card with a week pass, which will truly be worth the cost considering how many times I have already used the underground and bus system.  So with this, I was able to take the bus and underground to any "important part" of the city I desired.  Yesterday, it was the Houses of Parliament area.  Today, it was the National Galleries area.  Good choices, right?


Well, if you don't know me, or you do and you haven't learned this about me just yet, I truly don't have a sense of direction.  I don't know how, but I was born without one.  My instincts are unfailingly off every single time I try to get myself anywhere or even point myself in the right direction.  I am usually okay if I can use a map to navigate, but I am also too proud to be seen as a "tourist" (as you might remember from previous entries), so pulling my large and detailed map out tonight in Central London just wasn't an option for me.


So I got lost.


After I left the cafe, I wanted to walk around a bit, considering I had been cooped up all day with my nose either in my laptop (does that work?) or in my book.  I started walking and just kept on walking, feeling confident that I'd be able to find a bus or tube station that could take me in the right direction no matter how far I went.  I passed theaters, stores, restaurants, and cafes.  The city is overflowing with 4 main chain coffee companies (from what I could see): Starbucks (which, in fact, DOES take my partner discount here), Caffe Nero, Pret A Manger, and Costa Coffee.  Talk about competition!  Well, I eventually realized that it was time to start to find my way back.  My way back consisted of: waiting for the wrong bus, finding the "right" bus, getting off on the wrong stop, taking the underground, getting off on an unexpected stop, and finally finding the right bus to take me back to the hostel.  It also consisted of: a man singing "Ain't To Proud To Beg" to me, buying my dinner in a Tesco Express, and taking 3 long escalators out of Westminster Station right into the view of the London Eye glowing beautifully bright blue in the night.  All in all, not a bad experience, and probably had to happen at some point.  


Needless to say, I was lost.  But I also found my way back.  And I think that in most cases, discounting the typical shirt button or homework assignment, things that are lost do find their way back.

A "Brief" Overview.

In hand: nothing now, but I did have a nice cappuccino at the train station that spilled as I lugged my luggage up the stairs.  After taking my 3 heavy pieces of luggage, one especially humongous, through many stations, airports, and staircases during this trip, I feel like I truly know what it means to “lug.”  And there’s still more to come before my lugging is done.

I am currently on the train to London and thought I should put my 15 minutes of free WiFi to good use by uploading another post to actually explain what I’ve been doing the past week!  I have that strange feeling where it seems as though the week went by so fast, but when I think back to my very first flight, it feels like it was ages ago.

Dublin was great.  I missed the Guinness tour to catch up on my sleep, but joined the girls later to eat at a café, walk around the city and shops, and eat some Irish stew from a place near Temple Bar.  I really enjoyed the city atmosphere, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wanted to see something more “authentic” Dublin.  I also really wanted to find a place that played traditional Irish music for the next night.  The following day was our big sightseeing day.  We visited the Wax Museum first.  Some of the figures were older, but some were very well made and freaked me out as they stared straight at me.  I liked the rooms that showed famous Irish athletes or comedians or figures in history.  I also liked to have some fun with the figures.

Oh, just singing with David Bowie.

We then took a stroll through Trinity College, which was a beautiful college.  I loved the old architecture of the buildings and the feeling of being on a college campus in a different country.  I had heard that the library was incredible, but we opted out because there was a fee to see it.

The entrance to the university.

The Dublin castle sat right in the middle of the city.  We explored the courtyard and outskirts, but didn’t pay to see the inside.  I love the cylinder towers on castles- I’m sure they have a real name for those, but I am not using part of my 15 minutes to look it up.

This isn't the whole castle, just a wall!

St. Patrick’s cathedral was a must, but again, it was pricey in order to see the inside so we settled to take in the beauty from the outside.  I loved the park right outside of the cathedral- the fountain and flowers provided a lovely setting to surround it.

Pretty, right?

That evening, we tried some “famous” Burdoch fish and chips.  They claimed that many celebrities have had these including Sandra Bullock and I think Justin Timberlake’s mom.  So, of course, we had to try these!  Pretty greasy, and pretty delicious.

Yummmmm!

Now, for the night, I found a pub that seemed promising in terms of providing an authentic Irish pub experience- The Cobblestone.  However, it was a little far out of the city centre so it was quite the walk to get there.  After getting us lost for a bit (of course), we finally came upon it.  Outside, the Cobblestone was a little beaten up.  Inside, it was dimly lit, covered in random memorabilia, and full of locals staring at us.  Score.  I loved when the musicians came and played live Irish music, even though the whole bar didn’t erupt in song like I had imagined they would.  I mean, they do in the movies right?

Inside the pub!

The next day, we were on our way to Belfast after a stop at Starbucks- I just needed to check if it’s the same in Dublin as in the States.  It is. =)

Cheers!

The view from one of the many bridges in Dublin. =)

Belfast, like I said before, is a cute and wonderful city.  After the hostel in Dublin, we were spoiled with a fancy apartment with a kitchen and semi-working washing/drying machine.

Our living room!

The first night was nice- the Italian place that the friendly cab driver recommended was delicious and we felt like the only tourists there.  I know that sometimes it okay to embrace being a tourist, but I like to try and see what real life is like in these places.  The bright café, Sinnamon, we went to afterwards was where I had my deliciously foamed cappuccino and took a lesson from the barista.  After a long long walk home through various neighborhoods in Belfast, we found our way back to the apartment.

Our next day was full of adventure and beautiful sights.  We walked through the breath-taking city centre and boarded our bus bright and early.  Our stops for the day included: Carrickfergus Castle, Bush Mills Distillery for lunch, Dunluce Castle ruins, Giant’s Causeway, and the Carrick rope bridge.  I loved seeing the landscape of this part of Ireland.  It was so vast and green, with hills of grazing sheep and the coast not too far off.  After seeing my share of beaches and farms, it was strange to see the sheep so close to the ocean.  We couldn’t get enough of the fresh air, feeling of completely open space, and beauty of the cliffs.  Elizabeth was dying to climb something, so we even climbed up a steep, grassy hill to take it all in.  The famous rope bridge was smaller and less dangerous than we expected, but with the wind blowing, I was still a little nervous walking across.  We were so thankful that, besides some rain here and there, it was a lovely and sunny day!  On the long venture home, I finished Catching Fire (yes!), listened to our bus driver’s corny jokes (yes!), and took a nap (yes!).  All good things.

The Dunluce Castle ruins!

One of the ports along the way.

After our climb at Giant's Causeway.

Crossing the bridge!

The gorgeous view after crossing the bridge.

Bus ridin'.

We were sad that we didn’t have a chance to check out any of the Titantic attractions, because Belfast was where the Titantic was built and they had many events for the 100^th anniversary.  Most things were sold out!  However, we did see some memorials in the city centre.  That night we enjoyed a night in, including garlic bread, pizza, and wine!

One of the Titanic memorials on the street.

The beautiful city hall building!

Family dinner in our dining area!

Edinburgh just made me happy.  We stayed in another apartment (not as nice) that was close to the main attractions of the Royal Mile.  I was in absolute awe of the buildings and layout of this city.  The large, old buildings, the colorful cafes and shops, the detailed architecture, the cobblestone streets.  Not to mention the castle at the top of the hill that overlooked the city. 

Our first stop (after a café) was the Scotch Whisky Experience, as the request of Courtney the birthday girl.  This experience included learning all about the process of making Scotch whisky and the different regions that make Scotch whisky, and finished with the tasting of the whisky.  I was hoping that after learning about the process and discussing the aromas and flavors, that I would at least appreciate the taste, like I do with coffee.  NOPE.  We were all dying, especially Courtney, who had the “smoky” Scotch whisky.  This one literally made you feel as if you just smoked an old-fashioned tobacco pipe.  It definitely was an experience!

The Royal Mile!

I had two of these...

With our Scotch whisky in the whisky room.

After that we walked through different parts of the city centre and ate at Greyfriar’s Bobby Bar, disappointed that they were out of the sausage and mash. =(  Later on, we went to Whiski Bar, which promised to have live Scottish music.  We tried the local beer (and fell in love), made friends with the bartenders, and listened to the young musicians, who were apparently booked last minute.  I also got them to sing happy birthday to Courtney!  It was a fun time.

One of the many cute streets.

In Whiski!

The next day was a gorgeous one, despite a few rain spells.  We visited The Elephant House (where J.K. Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter books) and explored the Edinburgh Castle.  There was so much to see!  I loved learning about what the castle was used for after medieval times; I never thought about what the castle was used for during that in-between period.  It was interesting to see how it has been restored and turned into memorials, museums, and exhibitions.  The view from the castle was aaamazing.

Elephant House cappuccino!

I started the "holding the drink in the picture" thing that my dad always does! =)

Edinburgh Castle!

Lovely view!

After a lunch of nachos, which we had been craving for days, we ventured through the National Museum of Scotland.  By this time, we were exhausted so we didn’t look through too many exhibitions.  My favorite was actually this video they were showing in the “Scotland: A Changing Nation” room.  It was different Scots talking about various things such as their favorite Scottish food, the best part about Scotland, the worst part about Scotland, Scottish words, stereotypes, what they miss when they go abroad, etc.  I felt that I learned so much from hearing them talk about their own culture.  After some resting at the apartment, we joined the FREE “Potter Trail” tour, which was basically a man in a cape taking us through the “creation of Harry Potter” because J.K. Rowling stayed in Edinburgh quite a bit during the time she wrote the books.  We each got our own wands for the tour (you know I loved this) and learned some cool things about Rowling and Edinburgh.  I hope they were mostly true!  Plus, it was fun having the wand and watching people stare at our guide, who really loved to stay in character.

With our wands!

Courtney getting "sorted." Oh boy.

For dinner, we decided to try the food at the bar from the previous night and then stay for some more local beer and Scottish music.  The sausage and mash was deeelicious, and since we had made friends with the bartenders, we were able to get a front table for the entertainment in the crowded bar.  I couldn’t contain my excitement when the music started.  This band was incredible and we had so much fun listening to them and clapping along.  It was a perfect last night in Scotland and last night of our UK tour together!

Holding up our water! 

Sausage and mash! Yum yum yum.

Loved these guys. <3

Today, the four of us went our separate ways.  I am so thankful for the time we shared together!  And though the trip ate a hole in my pocket, it was so worth it.  I am looking forward to staying in one place for more than two days- my solo time in London is about to begin!