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? 

The Post You've Been Waiting For...

Since the beginning stages of my blogging I've noted the uncertainty that it encompasses. This is meant to be a blog dedicated to my exchange, my party in the UK as I've said over a dozen times. The party I've dreamt of for years on end. With every step closer to this possibility becoming a reality I've updated you, each time highlighting that I was a step closer, but not having reached the end goal. The unofficial yes' I've received in the last six months did little to make me feel comfortable and merely increased my frustrations. From being considered, to nominated and so on and so forth I've been on edge. This reached an all time high when, on June 4th I received an e-mail stating that my "application was currently with the relevant department(s) with a request for module approval," and that Durham would  "be in touch with  a list of modules approved by the department(s) as well as an appointment with an academic adviser upon arrival at the  university. " I mean that basically sounds like an in, doesn't it?. Of course the e-mail continued on to say things like "Students accepted for study at Durham University will receive an official offer letter of acceptance as soon as possible," implying that not all students receiving said e-mail would receive an admissions offer. 

My anxiety increased a week later when I received another e-mail which stated that I had been "accepted for two modules by the School of Government and International Affairs," however the other courses I selected would not be available during the 2014/2015 year. So I would need to send them an updated course list before I would be able to receive an official letter of acceptance. Finally, on July 8th 2014 I awoke to an e-mail finally confirming my place at the University of Durham next fall. 

Its actually funny how I got the e-mail. England is five hours a head of so, when I awoke at 6 am because I needed to pee they were already deep into their business hours. So, after returning from the bathroom I did what any compulsive technology obsessed teenager of the 21st century would do and I checked my phone. After seeing the e-mail I was so excited I couldn't fall back asleep. I lay there, with three hours of sleep still available before I had to leave for work. My heart was racing, my fingers couldn't stay still and I was the most excited I've been in a very long time. This is real, this is happening. I have been accepted at the school that has been both my driving factor this year while also inflicting indirect self-doubt. I got into Durham. I'm moving to England. This is real, this is not a false alarm. 

Obviously such exciting news requires celebration so last night I called up some of my oldest girlfriends and we discussed my excitement, my fears and my over all shock over food and drinks. 

Honestly more than anything I am shocked. This has been an idea for so long and the prospect of it as a reality is difficult to grasp. In fact I was almost certain that I wasn't going to go on exchange, as I hadn't responded to my Scottish offer in time. I'm so excited for what this can become and yet I still fear it all slipping away from me. I guess I won't feel fully comfortable until I get my student visa, and even then I won't feel confident until I am on the plane. I look forward to keeping you all updated. 

xoxo

Catching up

Dear (two) readers of mine,

I thoroughly apologize for being MIA these past few weeks. In all honesty I don't even know how it happened, these things really are caused by a chain of events. At first I was under exam stress and couldn't find time to blog. Then I was a nervous wreck as I anticipated marks being posted and didn't want to think about my marks, or exchange or anything that involved either of the two. Ultimately that involved this blog as ... it will eventually document my exchange. Or at least, I hope it does. Then of course,  once my marks were posted I just couldn't find anything to write about. In my older posts I was very honest about my sentiments toward exchange, detailing the likelihood of this occurring by providing my actual marks. I'm not entirely sure how comfortable I am with that now, but why break a chain right? My marks were satisfactory I finished with 4 A's and 2 B's this semester and overall have a 9.0 average this year. I'm left just short of the 7.0 cumulative average I require for exchange and fall quite short of the 8.0 average expected of the University of Durham. My exchange coordinator however, did specifically request that the university prioritise my sessional average and hopefully they do so. I won't lie, I am very anxious and am finding it particularly difficult to be positive.

On another note, the three weeks I've had off of school have been (for the most part) uneventful. However, there have been some highlights. Well one highlight if I am being completely honest. On Tuesday May 6th, 2014 I was able to see one of my absolute favourite bands live. The 1975 played a gig in Toronto and I must say it was the most enjoyable concert I have ever been to. I will likely do an entire blog post about this later, but I'll give you a sneak peak for now.

Exciting isn't it? 

Anyways, as I was previously saying, I don't live in Toronto however I do live relatively close to it. Still, I don't often go to Toronto thus making this concert an exceptionally pleasant trip. So, as my sister and I ventured on an hour train ride east we (well.. mostly me) unleashed the tourist within and documented everything. I tried to justify my tourist behaviour with the whole "I am a blogger," excuse, but if I am being honest I am unsure when and where one goes from "blogging," to being a "blogger." As I most definitely "blog," but calling myself a "blogger," seems to be an overstatement.

Nevertheless, I wanted to share some of my favourite pictures of my day in downtown Toronto. A place which is indisputably the life of Canada.

I hope you enjoyed these and I promise not to leave you for so long ever again.

xoxo