playing catch up

Between exploring, traveling, sleeping, eating, shopping, laughing, talking, meeting friends, and lots of homework, it is tough to find time to blog and write in my journal especially when we have the most horrible internet in the world... (literally never been so thankful for high-speed internet in my life) so im sorry it has been a while. Obviously we have been doing so much everyday so I will try to fill you all in on whats gone on. Last Wednesday (as in Jan. 16) we boarded a coach on a 4-day journey through parts of England. We first headed to Manchester where we toured the Manchester Art Museum. After looking around for a while, I decided it was time to go shopping. I experienced my first Primark, which was very needed. Later in the day our group met up at the Manchester Town Hall and toured around for a little bit (the same place Sherlock Holmes was filmed). It was gorgeous. I am still amazed at how detailed and pretty all the old buildings here are.

Manchester town hall

Sherlock Tunnels
Noelle Christina Amanda Alex

 That night we drove to a little town called Ambleside where we stayed in the cutest little Bed & Breakfasts. We got to explore the quaint town and I fell in love, definitely somewhere I would love to visit again (maybe in warmer month). After a great nights sleep and a private shower (I share a bathroom with 14 girls at the centre), we got up the next morning and headed to the Lake District. Lets just say driving on a bus through tiny, windy roads makes me want to barf. It was hard to enjoy the scenery when I'm trying to control my motion sickness, but it was beautiful. We walked around John Ruskin's home and enjoyed the views overlooking the lakes. It was FREEZING, but I did get some good pictures.

Road to Ruskin's house

Lake District

Ruskin's backyard

Meredith McKenna Dani Kelsey Christina

Amanda Dani Christina

Brasmere

Next we headed to Castlerigg Stone Circle which was even more FREEZING. It was cool to be standing on such a historical site though (there is nothing even remotely that old in America). Once you get outside of the big cities, England really is like the movies and I love it. My favorite parts are the old, English towns that few people go to.

 We headed back to Ambleside, shopped around, ate dinner and stayed up way too late talking. The next morning we got on the Coach and drove two hours to Preston where we went on a church history tour. I have never been so FREEZING in my entire life. But this was probably my favorite part of the whole trip, we got to stand in the same places that many of the first missionaries (and Gordon B. Hinckley) stood and preached from as well as see the baptismal font where the first members in England were baptized. Many of us are members of the church because of all the baptisms in the first LDS missions to England. We then drove to Liverpool where we went on a tour of the Beatles Museum (A LOT better than an art museum). I caved and bought a Beatles shirt. That night we walked around the mall near our hotel (which was creepy and made me miss the London Centre) and ate dinner. The whole city was practically closed down because of the 2 inches of snow they received that day. The next morning we headed to Burmingham where we went through yet another art museum (we went to 6). We finally got back to London around 7PM and I crashed. The trip was so much fun (other than the museums) and I loved getting outside of London and seeing other parts of England. The centre is starting to feel like home and I actually missed Tais' cooking.
Sunday I had to be up early for church, it starts at 9 but I have an hour train ride to get there. It was an interesting day to say the least. I am a minority at church (most are African) and I have a hard time understanding what people are saying. Let me just say though, that I have never felt so welcome. Everyone is so nice and embracing. The Primary President needed help in the primary, so Amanda and I got asked to teach the 5-7 year olds. It was COMPLETE chaos. Other than getting covered in pink chalk, one kid biting the other kids, jumping off tables and running on the chairs, I think we managed to squeeze in a small lesson. Oh and did I mention I got asked to speak in sacrament? Fun. I felt like I was on a mission but I really did thoroughly enjoy my Sunday. It snowed uncontrollably on Sunday so we all stayed at the centre and hung out.
Since we've been back from our little trip, we have had lots of school and homework but lots of fun also. On Monday a few of us stayed around the centre and explored what we have right here in our neighborhood. We shopped and looked in all the little boutiques on Portobello Road, it was adorable! Tuesday was a shopping day. We took the tube to Oxford Circus and shopped till we dropped. I bought two adorable shirts, but definitely found a LOT more that I wanted to buy. We found the BIGGEST Topshop I have ever seen in Oxford Circus and it was heaven. Too bad everything is a million dollars. After dinner we decided to walk around by Big Ben and the London Eye and got some great pictures until we were popsicles, but it was amazing.

Erin Madelyn Kelsey Audrey Christina McKenna Haley

Christina & Dani

 Yesterday I experienced Wagamama's for the first time (I will definitely be going back) it was delicious and then we headed over to the Valentino Exhibit. AMAZING. It was a collection of 140 vintage dresses by Valentino, I could have been in there for hours. Dani and I ended the night with an episode of The Bachelor (my guilty pleasure). Next week we are headed out on another trip to Oxford and
Sorry for the long post, so much reading and so little pictures. I will try to add some more later when I have better internet connection.
xoxo
Christina