21 Before 21: Getting on a Plane Alone

Hi! Remember me? I genuinely don't know how I got so out of hand in posting but I certainly am still alive. Alright, let us jump right into this. 

I once posted my a series of things I hoped to accomplish before turning twenty-one , essentially a series of things I intend to do whilst in Europe. One of the first things I both thought of and achieved was getting on a plane alone. So, about a month ago sans mummy and daddy, I took my first flight alone for my first ever trip to continental Europe. I travelled to meet my dear friends  Luana and Angela in Milan. 

The actual act of travelling wasn't difficult, Ryanair has a simple online check in system so grabbing your boarding pass takes only a few seconds. Plus I travelled with only hand luggage which takes away the stress of gathering your things at baggage claims. Also, most of the airports I encountered had a designated queue for "Non-EU Citizen," and they tend to have significantly shorter queues. It's like getting an international queue jump.   

None of us travellers were too keen on staying at a hostel so we opted for renting an apartment for the weekend which I'd strongly recommend. It wasn't significantly more expensive than a hostel and had a great location and view. 

 

By far the best thing about Milan was the food. I can not describe how amazing everything I had to eat that weekend was. If I could move to Italy and eat pizza's and pasta's and drink glorious glasses of Pinot Grigio everyday for the rest of my life I surely would. I also would surely weight 300 pounds. 

 Unfortunately, aside from shopping and eating Milan really doesn't have much to offer. Alright, not entirely true I will say the nightlife in Milan was amazing and there are bits of exciting architecture, with the major attraction being the Duomo

In fairness, this is one of the most beautiful Cathedrals I have ever seen and I've seen many Cathedrals. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get into the Cathedral as my skirt was deemed "too short," So if you are going to go to Milan and intend on seeing the Duomo, I'd recommend pants or an overcoat. 

 If the best part of Milan is the food, then the worst part has to be the people. Yes, I recognize that this is a huge statement and is likely an inaccurate representation (no all Milanese) I did encounter some creepy men and had my phone stolen, so that kind of sucked. Still, I have to admit I really did enjoy my trip but that may have more to do with the company than with the location. 

Ultimately, my final verdict would be: 

If travelling for any reason other than Fashion week, let Milan be a short stop where you do some shopping and take a picture with the cathedral (hopefully you'll even get to see the inside) then venture onto better parts of Italy. Also, keep your phone hidden at all times.

xoxo

Lake District

I've recently learned that taking a break from routine is necessary in staying sane. There's just something about escaping.  That's not to say my life has been particularly routine in the last few months. I mean, five weeks ago I was living in my parents home in Milton, Ontario. Three weeks ago I was couch surfing in London, England. Now I am dividing my time between classes, travelling and nights out in the North of England. Life appears to be ever changing yet somethings don't seem to ever change. Those "things," in my experience are my thoughts; I'm in a weird state of everywhere. My thoughts are always on home, my friends and family and yet my body continues to relish in the beauty and experience that is my exchange. It's strange to think that although I've left and I don't get to see the faces I once saw everyday, those faces still continue to laugh or frown amongst one another. Thankfully, I was able to busy myself from my strange thoughts by heading to North Western England, visiting the famous "Lake District." As much as a cliche as it is, being around a large body of water is such a peaceful experience. Setting sail on the largest body of water in the United Kingdom as the autumnal leaves changed, while the sky was a dull but comforting grey and the birds sang and the leaves whistled was an absolutely enriching experience. 

Windermere was both a beautiful town and an impressive body of water. The Lake District really allowed me to extract myself from my superficial issues and enjoy everything nature has to offer. Thank you for being such a beautiful and therapeutic place.

xoxo

Wants and Wills

I don't have any major updates (not necessarily true I recently had a shopping trip in Newcastle and watched a Premier League match in Sunderland, but more details on those later) however I have been feeling many things all of which are quite positive and most of which I want to share. 

I've set out to replace all my wants with wills.

I want to travel and see the world,

I want to laugh everyday

I want to be happy

I want to live an adventure.

I want to be surrounded only by people who love me and bring out the best in me.

I want to keep reminding myself that the only things in life I can control are my thoughts and I want every single one to be positive. 

These past two weeks in the United Kingdom have been so enlightening. I am constantly in awe of what hard work and dedication have brought me. Preparing for this exchange was an emotional ferris-wheel and I am finally at the top overlooking the view and admiring my accomplishments. The opportunity I have has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people and see so many beautiful places in such a short span of time. I can't help but think, if this is only week two how will I feel during week three or four? Month four? Month ten? How much can one trip change me? Obviously a trip can only change you as much as you are willing to be changed but this has really been a catalyst on my journey to happiness and I have never been more excited. 

I will travel and see the world,

I will laugh everyday

I will be happy

I will live an adventure.

I will be surrounded only by people who love me and bring out the best in me.

I will keep reminding myself that the only things in life I can control are my thoughts and I will ensure every single one is positive

xoxo 

ps. It was my birthday last week, I am officially twenty how did that happen? 

London Baby

I have not disappeared. I've just been stuck in ever changing timezones and on planes and trains and life got quite exhausting quite quickly. Nevertheless, I have so many fun and exciting things that I am so happy to share with all of you. As I've stated a countless number of times xPartyintheUK is an exchange blog, and as of a week and a half ago, this exchange thing became real. Initially I wrote a post discussing the terrible scare I had in regards to receiving my visa, however I just never posted it and I'm not entirely sure why. Basically, although I received and e-mail confirming my visa had been issued I never received an email that my passport (which is sent to out when issuing a visa) had returned. So two days before my flight I ventured to Toronto and hoped and prayed to ever God imaginable that my passport would miraculously be there. It was. That was on the 15th of september. On the 17th I boarded my flight 

and after a little positive reinforcement

 I was in London

(It took everything I had to not to buy anything from this stand) 

Also, I noticed I've never included a picture of myself on my blog, so here I am riding on a double decker bus in London. 

I've settled in nicely to my college here at Durham and it is absolutely lovely, I also went on a trip to Newcastle earlier this week so photos of both of these to come! 

xoxo