Recuperation

I've been awful at keeping up with this blog, I didn't realize it had been so long since I last updated. So much has happened since I've last blogged!

Last week I got back from traveling through Europe for about a month. We had a really long vacation at SOAS from March to April and I had to take advantage of it. I went to six different cities: Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Florence, and Venice. They were all amazing but Barcelona was my favorite. During this past week I came back to London and my friend from Georgetown visited for Easter Break. Having friends here really makes me explore more of London which is especially good since I'm only here for about a month and a half more.

I thought I'd post some pictures from my trip and tell you all a little bit about it:

Dublin: I knew very little about Ireland before I decided to go. My friend, Shana, who was also studying in London and I decided to go to Dublin for a few days. When I got to Dublin I instantly liked it. Though it was similar to many other cities with its larger building and people running around it also had a particular quality I think you can only find it Dublin. There was a sense of tradition and old-world charm even in the city. Shana and I decided to take a day trip to the countryside which was breathtaking. I couldn't believe how picturesque the hills and lakes of Ireland were.

Barcelona: Barcelona was the most amazing city ever. I had been once before in High School but I didn't remember it being so beautiful. Since I was already traveling I decided to go straight to Barcelona from Dublin and stay with my cousin who moved there a year ago. My friends from school arrived in Barcelona about 3 days later. I wish I could express in words why I loved Barcelona so much but its hard to capture. I loved the Spanish way of life, the architecture of Barcelona, the beaches, really everything about the city. If I live abroad ever I think that Barcelona would be my first choice.


MORE TRIP DETAILS TO COME!

SNOW DAY!

For the first time in 18 years London is being with a snow storm and I'm here for it! Most of the trains and buses have stopped and the streets haven't been cleaned at all but it's still exciting for most Londoners. All our classes were canceled today but I don't have class on Mondays so it hasn't made much a difference, lets hope for another snow day tomorrow! This is the view of the courtyard outside of my room:

I've been studying at the School of Oriental and African Studies which is very specialized. I'm taking mostly development classes and it's been really interesting. It's been a month since I got to London and this first month has really been a time where they let us figure out our class and get used to the teaching here. It's also given us a lot of time to explore London which I've definitely taken advantage of. I've tried to go to as many museums as possible (which you can only see so many of) and I've seen three plays since I've been here.

We have a week off coming up this Friday and we've been trying to figure out travel plans for that week, I'll keep you posted on what we decide!