23 Days ~ 5 Countries ~ 1 Backpack

Packing for my current semester-long study abroad experience at Coventry University in England was difficult enough! In the past I have been known to completely over pack. Yet, I am very proud of myself that I was able to leave for the airport in January with one large checked bag, a backpacking bag as a carry-on, and a normal backpack as my personal item. I have managed extremely well with the items that I brought over. There are very few items that have not been used to their full potential. Furthermore, I am very thankful that my parents were not only able to bring a few summer essentials to Europe on their visit, but they were also able to bring home many winter essentials.

At the end of May, I had to pack for a 23 day backpacking adventure across England, France, Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. 23 days!!! 5 countries!!! 1 backpack!!! This felt impossible at the time considering the various weather conditions I was expecting and planned activities ranging from hiking to fancy dinners. While I accepted the challenge and managed to survive throughout the trip, there are aspects that I would have changed about my packing decisions. Most importantly, I wish I would have condensed what I brought knowing the shopping that was going to occur. On my flight back to England I had to pay an extra 60 euros because my bag was too big to carry onto the plane... oops...

Below is all of the items I managed to fit in the backpacking bag, thanks to the vacuum seal bags!!

1. Deuter Aircontact women's backpacking bag, waterproof backpacking bag cover, tote, satchel, vacuum seal packing bags

2. 2 long sleeve shirts, a quarter length shirt, 3 t-shirts, 4 tank-tops and 2 blouses *should have condensed!!!

3. A dress and 4 cardigans/cover-ups *should have thought to bring thinner layers

4. A pair of jeans, navy blue jeggings, black leggings, maxi-skirt and 2 cotton skirts *should have taken out the black skirt and navy jeggings

5. Cosmetic essentials

6. Workout leggings, shorts, athletic zip-up, 2 t-shirts and 2 tank-tops

7. NorthFace zip-up, rain jacket, and peacoat *Should have left the peacoat, way to bulky!

8. Hat, gloves, 3 scarves, belt, 3 headbands, sunglasses and umbrella *should have taken out warm scarf and hat

9. Ipad, travel pillow, bike lock, chargers and converter, passport, cards and camera with extra battery

Lent: 40 Days to the New You

In the Catholic religion, it is customary to "give up" something for lent like chocolate, meat, deserts, pop, swearing, or other aspects of people's lives. Many people beyond the Catholic religion join in on this tradition to better themselves or accept a challenge similar to a New Year's resolution. As a Lutheran, I have never given anything up. This year I was inspired to take part in this Lent tradition, but on my own terms. Instead of given something up, I wanted to add things into my life to better myself as a person and enjoy my experience abroad that much more. I am combining many of the ideas below.

15 ideas to add to your life during the 40 days of Lent:

1. Make your bed every morning

2. Drink a glass of water every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep

3. Write down something or someone you are thankful for every day and put it in a jar

*this is a great opportunity for a DIY project!!

4. Every day, add a post it note to your bathroom or bedroom mirror with inspirational quotes, compliments to yourself, things you love about yourself, or goals for your day

5. Compliment someone new every day

6. Move your body! Every day make sure to get up and move your body for an hour; take a walk, go for a run, go to the gym, yoga, go for a bike ride, swim, Zumba, etc.

7. Only use the stairs

8. Take a picture each day. Post onto Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or print it out and post it on your bulletin board. Be thankful for your memories and experiences every day whether it is life changing or the simplicity of a cup of coffee

8. Pray every day

9. Write in your journal or on your blog every day

10. Add in an hour of quiet time every day where you can reflect, enjoy the outdoors, or drink a cup of coffee

11. Volunteer every day!

12. Take time each day to commit to a friend, significant other, spouse, family member, or God

13. Make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night

14. Find a possession each day that you can donate at the end of the 40 days

15. Create a bucket list and complete something each day

Edinburgh Excursion

A weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland was more than I could have imagined!! We were able to travel on a coach bus full of international students from Coventry University to Edinburgh through a program called "Let's Go!" This program offered us travel and accommodations but let us tour on our own. So glad we found this opportunity!! They will also be having day trips to York and Cardiff that I look forward to attending:)

Below are my favorite memories from the trip. If you ever go to Edinburgh, these are a must!!

1. On the first day we found our way up Calton Hill. The National Monument of Scotland was one of the sites on Calton Hill. We had our fair share of climbing and pictures on this.

2.  Calton Hill was by no means strenuous. The hill was not huge, but the view was incredible!! We went around Sunset, so the lights within the city began to light up and the sky was incredible! None of my pictures do this view justice.

3. On our second day we woke up at the crack of dawn to hike up Arthur's Seat mountain to watch the sun rise. This was by far the most incredible experience I have had in a long time! It was simply breathtaking! But seriously, it was a tough hike so it was actually breathtaking!! The path that we took was very uphill and we were moving very fast in order to make in time for the sunrise. It took us only about a half an hour, but there were many other paths that could have been taken for a more leisure morning. At the top of the mountain you could see the entire city of Edinburgh, the ocean and St. Andrews. Again, my pictures did not do the view justice.

4. After our long hike up and down Arthur's Seat, we made our way to The Elephant House. This gourmet tea and coffee shop has become famous as the place of inspiration to many writers over the years. J.K. Rowling sat and wrote much of her early novels looking out to the Edinburgh Castle similar to this image below. The bathrooms were like a shrine to Harry Potter haha. It was a magical experience being here, but the mocha and pastry was incredible as well!! 

5. After a museum, more sight seeing and a little shopping, we made our way to Princes Street Gardens where we saw this incredible view of the Edinburgh Castle!

Valentine's Day, The Perfect Excuse to Eat Chocolate

Valentine's Day is all about love, and that is what it should be! Whether you're single or in a relationship, there is always an excuse to celebrate! One may celebrate the love within a relationship, a marriage, a family, or even a friendship. Being in a long-term relationship and having close family and friends, I have much to celebrate. For me, Valentine's Day has also become the perfect excuse to eat chocolate!! And by that, I mean lots of chocolate!

One of the main reasons that I don't feel bad about eating all of the chocolate in the world today is that there are indeed benefits of eating chocolate, it is not completely bad!!

Benefits of chocolate:

1. Chocolate is delicious!!

2. Chocolate is good for the soul

3. Chocolate helps support the production of dopamine in the body that makes us feel good

4. If it is good chocolate, it melts in your mouth

5. Chocolate is actually an anti-depressant

6. Chocolate is high in antioxidants and more are released when it's heated up

7. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease, cancer, and ageing

8. Chocolate and cocoa are high in magnesium which is essential for over 500 function in your body including heart health and muscle function

9. Hot chocolate increased the blood flow and oxygen to the brain aiding one's thinking

10. Cocoa contains plan nutrients called proanthocyanidins that have been shown to protect against carcinogens and nervous system toxins

11. Chocolate lowers blood pressure in people whose blood pressure is high

12. Cocoa or high amounts of chocolate lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol

13. Dark chocolate may help reduce pain by increasing the levels of endorphins

14. Eating dark chocolate causes the release  of hormones called phylethylamines that are also released when we are in love, helping us to feel happy

Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials 2014

The Super Bowl has always been an event that I look forward to! My Super Bowl Sunday's usually involve a bunch of family and/or friends together, lots of amazing appetizers, various group games, the puppy bowl, bets on who will win, and of course watching all of the commercials and rating our favorites.

Studying abroad in Coventry, England, put a spin on my Super Bowl Sunday experience. The game didn't start til midnight! So instead of having the whole day to prep for the party, enjoy the game, and then have time to celebrate or cry afterwards, everything happened past my bedtime. A group of friends and I went to a viewing party in the Phoenix Pub where the game was projected in a dark room. Bailey and I ordered some nachos to get a little taste of a typical appetizer we would have enjoyed back home. No games were played... No puppy bowl was shown... I did bet on the Seahawks!! Worst of all, the commercials were British!!! The american commercials that I look forward to every year did not exist on this viewing network:(

Therefore, this week I have been watching commercial after commercial from this years' Super Bowl. Below are my favorites (not in a significant order).

1. TurboTax - Love Hurts
This commercial just became a favorite to all of the people who aren't really interested in watching the Super Bowl game. Or better yet, they struck gold amongst the majority of american football fans that are still crying because their team didn't make it to the big game. The commercial's prom analogy showing how watching someone else dance with the date of your dreams, is like watching someone else's team in the big game. Doing your taxes with TurboTax just became more fun. Well played sir! Way to relate to the majority of the audience!

2. Hyundai - Dad's Sixth Sense
The new generation of the helicopter-parent glued their eyes to the TV during the Dad's Sixth Sense. This commercial hit the mark by emotionally captivating the audience while promoting the Hyundai Genesis' automatic emergency braking system. Fathers and mothers alike now know that the Hyundai Genesis will save them from the worry of not being able to always protect their children, especially once they begin to drive and date. They portrayed this underlying message through the highlighted reel of a father saving his son time and time again from major accidents until one day the braking system saves the day.

3. Cherrios - Gracie
What a great follow-up to one of the first major ad campaigns to feature an interracial marriage in 2013. The original commercial was one of my favorites as well! Gracie, the little girl, plays the adorable role by getting promised a new puppy after hearing the news of a new baby. The moms reaction is the kicker!!

4. Radio Shack
"The 80's called, they want their store back"
Radio Shack just chirped themselves by admitting their stores' dated reputation. hahaha yes! This was extremely successful by appealing to the audience through humor and specifically to the old folks through nostalgia. They just made that saying funny again.

5. Coca-Cola - America the Beautiful
Coca-Cola displays a touching glimpse of American life today through the classic patriotic song, "America the Beautiful." The transitions between languages and daily life around the nation is where they really hit the nail on the head. A pop has just made us all feel more American and diversely unified through a cultural appeal.

6. Audi - Doberhuahua

Audi's tagline, "luxury, not compromise," scored big time in my books! Their commercials featuring this theme have been great in the past, but this may be my favorite. A compromise of a couple in a pet store leads to the breeding of a tiny dog with a huge head that takes over the world. The Sarah McLaughlin appearance, hilarious!!

7. GoldiBlox 

If I was a little girl and saw this ad, I think I would be inspired!! GoldiBlox has a powerful message for girls to be more than just a princess, they want girls to be the future innovators. All of their commercials that I have seen, I've loved!

8. Heinz Ketchup - Hum
People around America tap the bottom of their classic ketchup bottles to spice up their all-american meals to the tune of "If You're Happy." This was all sweet and dandy, but the fart noise a grandma makes at the end form squeezing an empty Heinz container was the icing on the cake. Yes it may be childish, but anyone with a sense of humor would chuckle to this!

9. Budweiser - Puppy Love
Budweiser never seems to fail when it comes to Super Bowl ads featuring the iconic Clydesdales horses. This ad attracts animal lovers everywhere featuring the most adorable pairing of a puppy and Clydesdale. Such a touching ending as the puppy and Clydesdale unite at last.

10. Microsoft - Empowering

The power of technology has changed people lives! It illustrates the sentimental empowerment of people with disabilities using technology to overcome obstacles and being able to walk, talk and see again. The real stories are very touching. Ending the commercial with Steven Gleason, a former NFL player living with Lou Gherig's disease, was extremely powerful! Microsoft has lifted spirits and hope everywhere.

A Guide to the European Cheek Kiss

Living abroad has opened my eyes to the vital need to understand European cultures and customs. One major custom that keeps catching me off guard is the cheek kiss. 

We have become friends with some French international students, and the cheek kiss is very habitual in their culture. Just a few days after meeting these students, we saw a few outside of a club that we were at. As we approached one another, the guys shook hands. One of the men then walked up to me and went in for the cheek kiss... Yup you guessed it, this is when the embarrassment began. As he went in for the cheek kiss, I jumped backwards in confusion. As everyone began to laugh at me, I instantly realized my mistake. The French then explained their custom and we did a re-do. Hahaha. Don't worry, I haven't had an incident like that since. I am still getting used to it, but I have made a tremendous improvement.

How do you know who to kiss? When is it appropriate? Do you start with the left cheek or the right?  Or do you hug? Or is it just a handshake? Talk about social anxiety!!! When in doubt, let the other person take the lead.

UK

The cheek kiss is not very common in the UK. The handshake or nod is the safest form of greeting.

France

Kissing is a way of life and multiple kisses are normal. Kissing always begins on the left cheek first. Paris adopted a four kiss greeting, but the students we met from Paris only display a two kiss greeting. The two kiss greeting seems to be the most common. Yet, it all depends on where you are in France.

Italy

Italy seems to be very confusing when it comes to the rules of the cheek kiss. It seems as if kissing is restricted to close friends or family. 

Spain

The two kiss ritual beginning on the right cheek seems to be consistent throughout Spain.

Germany

The German cheek kiss is restricted to family and very close friends. The handshake is more predominate.

British vs. American Spelling - How Perplexing?!?!

There are several differences between British and American spelling. I have learned that the British English has tended to reflect other languages spelling while American English tends to reflect how the word is actually pronounced. Every day it seems that I recognise new differences! My computer has even transitioned to the British spell check! This has helped when it comes to my schoolwork and internship, but makes things difficult when communicating back home. So if my blog has words spelt weird, it may just be the British spelling that my computer corrected.

Here are some of the main differences that I have found:

1. Words ending in -re vs. -er
UK ~ US
Centre ~ Center
Litre ~ Liter
Theatre ~ Theater

2. Words ending in -our vs. -or
UK ~ US
Colour ~ Color
Flavour ~ Flavor
Humour ~ Humor

3. Z does not exist!!!
UK ~ US

-sation vs. -zation
Organisation ~ Organization

-ise vs. -ize
Organise ~ Organize

-yse vs. -yze
Analyse ~ Analyze

4. Words ending in -ence vs. -ense
UK ~ US
Defence ~ Defense
Offence ~ Offense
Licence ~ License

5. Words ending in -ogue vs. og
UK ~ US
Catalogue ~ Catalog
Dialogue ~ Dialog

Food for Thought: The Butchers Arms Restaurant

My evening at The Butchers Arms Restaurant in Priors Hardwick is a memory that I will cherish forever! It was filled with laughter, incredible food, entertainment, and great company! I am so grateful that Bailey and I were able to connect with one of my dad's colleagues, Tony, and his wife, Sue!

Sue, Tony, Myself, Bailey, and John

 Our evening began by getting picked up by John, Tony's driver. The drive from Coventry to Priors Hardwick took about a half an hour, but was very pleasant. The route would have been beautiful in the daylight! Also, it was great to get to know John and we received much advice for the rest of our stay in England.

Upon arriving at The Butchers Arms Restaurant, I could tell it was going to be a wonderful night! The building dated back to 1375 and became a restaurant in 1973. It was the most idealistic old english restaurant I could have imagined!

Once Tony and Sue arrived we ordered the Portuguese Platter. The Portuguese Platter included squid, spicy chorizo and salt cod cakes. It was all incredible, but my favorite was the squid! Unlike the calamari that I have had in the states, this squid was lightly battered and had much more substance!

After a few glasses of champagne, ordering our meals, and conversing around the bar, we made our way to our table. Here we were served a variety of homemade bread options and a house wine. Our appetizers soon followed. Tony recommended that I order the homemade fishcakes, and it was a solid choice! There were three freshly made salmon, smoked haddock and prawn fishcakes served with whole grain mustard sauce. Delicious! My main course of Sole "Lino" came next. It was two pan frilled fillets of Dover sole served with wilted spinach and homemade tartare sauce and buttered new potatoes. Wow! It was absolutely phenomenal! As if the meal couldn't get any better, next was desert... My desert consisted of strawberries, chocolate covered cream puffs, and a carmel glazed deliciousness.

When our deserts were finished, we made our way to their patio where a local artist, Emily Burns, was performing. I am looking forward to following her music! While we were listening to her music and conversing, one of the bartenders poured a mysterious cocktail for Bailey and I. Like everything else, it was tasty! It was the perfect end to the evening. After a few pictures and hugs, we met back up with John for our ride home.

I am looking forward to keeping in touch with Tony and Sue moving forward! They were so generous and gave us a lot of good advice! We may meet up again in London or do a shopping trip with Sue:)



The Butcher's Arms Restaurant
Priors Hardwick,
Southam,
Warwickshire
CV47 7SN

Tel: 01327 260504
Email: info@thebutchersarms.com
Website: http://thebutchersarms.com/

10 Things I Learned in London

1. There's always another train. Thankfully I never missed a train, but I was seconds away from missing my train from Coventry to London. Trains are constantly going in every which direction. Make sure to purchase flexible tickets, stay calm, and arrive early. You'll get there, don't worry.

2. The Tube, London Underground, is so much more confusing and difficult than I thought it would be. I am so glad that I had someone with me that knew what they were doing! Get a tube map and study it!

3. Mind the Gap - enough said.

4. Maps are your friend. Like any friend, you are supposed to get lost together in order to eventually find exactly where you are supposed to be.

5. Americans live a much faster paced life that Europeans. I need to embrace this way of life: walk slower to enjoy the view, eat slower to enjoy my company, and slow time down to take it all in.

6. The people of London are my kind of fashionistas!!! Minus the infamous bad teeth...

7. Only having cellular access in WiFi is extremely difficult!!! I actually really enjoy not being attached to my phone so that I can enjoy my time, but meeting up with or contacting people is extremely difficult. I'm gonna buy a pay-as-you-go phone this week.

8. You don't have to break the bank to explore what London has to offer. Granted my housing was covered because I stayed with a friend, but I only spent around 60 British Pounds for the weekend. This included train tickets to and from Coventry, an all-day tube ticket, 4 meals, free sight-seeing and 2 nights of drinking.

9. Don't obsess about the currency rates. It's horrible. You can't do anything about it! Enjoy every moment. Save when you can. Splurge to make once in a lifetime memories.

10. Any tourist in London needs a good pair of walking shoes! Thank heavens I bought a pair of comfortable and stylish boots the day before my study abroad experience. They have saved my life!