the past few days....

28 May 2010

The past 2 days have been quite nice. Landed in Oxford in a timely fashion, only to find out that I stopped at the Thornfield station, rather than the City Centre. Oops. That threw Brother Owen and me off track by about an hour! We caught up, had some dinner, and we returned to the De La Salle Provincial house which was quite lovely. I then went out for a smoke and bumped into Brother Aidan, head of provincial of the De La Salle Brothers. Very nice! Had a nice lie in until about 9 am, and woke up, had breakfast, and wandered around Oxford for a bit. Forgot how BEAUTIFUL Oxford was and is!!! After a not too ‘iced’ vanilla latte, a few wanderings around and whatnot, I then met up with Owen who had my luggage in his car, and I set off for the bus station.

What’s with me and busses these days? I can never seem to get anywhere nearly on time! I wasn’t pressed for time, but I arrived in London about a half hour late. Followed the signs to take the underground from Victoria Underground to King’ Cross/St. Pancras. Got through initial immigration pretty well. This brings me to now.

Sitting on the Eurostar. My ears are going to POP sooon! Eeek! I am well excited to see my good friend, Ged in Brussels. Ged worked with the Kintbury team last year, and although we didn’t get along the first moment I met him, we have kept in contact and he has become a good friend.

They really SHOULD invent wireless internet for the eurostar, unless my computer is rubbish at picking up the signal. Ugh. I have lived on Diet Coke for the past couple of days, not gonna lie! That and cheap sandwiches and snacks from vendors near the coach stations, etc. Eating on the go. That’s what I’m mainly doing. :)

Hmmm...what else. So much is up next. Have gotten in touch with many of my friends in Trowbridge and am hoping to meet up with many of them as possible! I hope to go and visit some of the schools and colleges I worked in last year. Rosie and I had a quick chat on the phone, and she was such a dear. Love her! Can’t wait to see her and Max!

So yes. Um...after Brussels, which I’m staying at for the weekend, I’m headed for Stoke-on-Trent to see my friend Steph! She was at St. Brendans Sixth Form last year where I had worked, and it will be fun to see her and meet some of her friends! I am then headed to Bristol for most of the week, and hoping to catch up with another Kintbury team member from last year, Liam, in London town. I am supposed to receive ‘Liam’s tour of London’ treatment, which is well exciting!

I really do not want to come back to Minnesota. I know my journey has hardly begun but it is hard to think that in a matter of a little over a week I shall be back in Chanhassen all summer long. That’s almost unbearable. Ah well...it will just give me a reason to return. over. and over. and over. and over. and over....and over...again and again and again. :0

Peace out, rainbow trouts!!! I shall see if Ged has internet so I can upload photos and upload this blog! (I am typing it as a document on my computer at the moment!)

Cheers.

xxx



29 May 2010

Landed in Brussels. Totally loving it. Ged is in good form. Our phrase of the weekend is “mind-fuck”. Pa ha. Being 6 hours ahead in London, and then realising on the Eurostar that I am 7 hours ahead here in Brussels, “messed” with my head. Last night was fun! Got in about half eight. Met Ged at Brussels-Midi, and we then took the underground and walked to his flat, where I met his jovial flat-mate. We then chilled out a bit, I had a Belgian beer, a ‘Bush’, as it was called, and it was 12% proof. Yikes. Then headed out, missed the jazz festival, but went to some pubs and a jazzy bar, where we met some of Ged’s flat mate’s friends. This French girl tried to teach me to waltz...which didn’t go so well!!!
Had some Belgian fries on the way back to the flat and caught up with dear o’l Ged. What a great person. He even let me sleep on the bed, while took a mattress on the floor.
So today, I explored Brussels with Ged, had a beer, walked around and he showed me where he worked at the European Parliament. I love having great conversations with such an intelligent and wonderful person. What a good guy...and I’m pretty sure he’ll be reading this blogpost, cheeky little stalker. ;)
OH YES. Breakfast was quite nice...they call these bacon pieces ‘lard-ons’, and we had them with eggs, croissants, black coffee (YES! I DRANK MY COFFEE BLACK!) and juice, yogurt, ham, cheese. Quite yummy. NOM NOM NOM. We had a great time after he sorted out some working out this and that with his Polish parliament boss dude.
So...yes. There’s something wonderful about walking around a city with a friend and just sharing life stories I suppose. I am enjoying my times and my friends out here.

Tonight. Ged is making rice and sausage. OH MY GOSH. We went to this Morrocan shop that had a ton of food and everything you could want in a store...besides cigarettes, PA HA, and we bought ketchup, while I bought some iced teas and diet coke. Tonight, we are expecting some company, people from last night, etc, so I’m hoping things won’t get too frickin’ crazy, as I don’t want to be “mind fucked” (perdon, mas francais, s’il vous plait!).

Anyways. Having a freakin’ blast here. I will be sad to leave here tomorrow, but shall be seeing Steph in Stoke-on-Trent.

I miss my friends out here, and I’ll miss them muchly when I return back home.

xxx