Final Preparations

Well, we're coming in to the home stretch. Annie and I both are on the brink of getting sick, so we're trying to rest up so that we're healthy for our trip (and so we don't make everyone else on the two planes miserable).
I haven't started packing yet, and I have less than a week to do so. I am also working this week in an attempt to make more money while in London.
In the meantime, I've also been to the doctor for my back pain, and now he has suggested that I try physical therapy. So tomorrow I'm going for a physical therapy appointment to get some advice on how to lessen my back pain while in England.
Speaking of back pain, I received an email from my host mother today telling me that her daughter Eleanor has hurt her back recently. Hopefully she'll be doing better soon.

This might be my last update until London, so talk to you soon!

T Minus Two Weeks and COUNTING!

Well, I'm really not quite sure if anyone is following this blog yet, but if anybody does, I have this to say to you: I apologize for going months without so much as a peep!

Allow me to briefly catch everyone up on my pre-London adventures!

First things first, I leave for London on February 6th. That's two weeks from Saturday (yesterday).
As for an internship, after much to-d0 and plenty of hemming and hawing, I have finally been placed with Pink Pigeon. At first I was a smidge disappointed that I wasn't placed with a specific graphic design firm, but I think that I'll gain some valuable experience here that will help me with future career opportunities. So I am excited!

I have also heard from my host family; I am with a single mom named Maggie who enjoys gardening. I am the only student in this home stay, which at times will cause me to feel lonely, but for the most part will be nice. Maggie lives in Middlesex, and Google maps allows me to see her house from the street view. It looks adorable!

I have met a handful of the other PLU girls attending this trip, which is great. They all seem friendly and we're all super eager to travel and see the sights. Some of us are already planning to go see Waiting for Godot starring Ian McKellan, take a trip to Ireland, and pop on over to Wales.

I, meanwhile, am also in the process of making plans to visit with Aurelie, a friend of mine from Belgium who was an exchange student at my high school four years ago. Aurelie is going to come visit me in England, we're going to spend a weekend in Paris together, and then for a third weekend I'll go visit Aurelie in Belgium and meet her mom. How exciting!

For spring break, I'm planning to visit Italy for a few days, and then head over to Latvia to visit with the Sirmacs, a great family who hosted me when I went to Latvia in 2005 with the Tahoma Girls' Choir, and who visited my family in 2007.

I'm running out of time, and I'm not packed at all yet. Annie and I are working like mad, trying to make a little extra cash before we leave for the semester. There's been ridiculous amounts of stress, between getting my internship, applying for my visa, having my flight itinerary changed, renewing credit and debit cards before they expire, and all sorts of other last minute preparations (also, turning 21 happened not too long ago). But things are coming together, and February is fast approaching - perhaps a little TOO fast.

I'm on Skype now, by the way, so there's no excuse not to call and see my lovely face while I'm away!

That's all for now; perhaps more updates will come soon (but then again - maybe not. I am ridiculously busy!). Lots of love!