Back on familiar (and friendly) ground. Sitting just a few feet from where I posted my very first blog for this trip. I'm missing England but the England airport, not so much. I think I had a sign on my head that signaled everyone to give me a very hard time. Most times I love airports but all the hassle I went through getting in and out of Manchester is almost enough to make me not want to go there again. Don't worry... I said almost. (I am already planning to go back.)
The longest part of the journey is over, but I'm still not quite home. John, Linda and the rest of the gang came back with me but had a different flight that was direct, so I think they are getting to Orlando right about now. I haven't minded the time to catch up with people on my phone that has been pretty much unused for two months!
I sure missed celebrating the 4th of July on Friday. No fireworks or days off on that side of the pond. But Saturday made for a day of a few more experiences. I can now say that I have spent more time on a train in England than I have in America. Kath and I took a train down to do a show in Liverpool and we were delayed for a long time by a train that broke down in front of us. After a long time on the track and being slightly disoriented from riding backwards for hours we got to the train station and I had my first ride in an English Taxi. The show was wonderful. It was titled "Sing the Ultimate Movies" and my dad did the voice overs for it. It was weird hearing his voice so far away.
A short night, a long day of traveling and I'm ready for a shower and my bed. I've spent a little bit of the flight reflecting on what I have missed while I was gone, and what I'll miss for England now that I'm back. Here is the list that I came up with:
Things I'll miss from England-
Fish and Chips
Long days of Sunshine
The culture and tradition
Cream Tea from Betty's
Driving around the amazing countryside
Linda and her girls
My new friends from the office
All the cakes and pastries.. mmm
Things I missed while I was gone-
Greasy hamburgers (5 guys anyone)
Mexican Food (although Indian was a nice substitute)
Drying my clothes in a dryer
Real coffee
All my friends and family
The 4th of July!!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
My Last Blog from England :-(
While packing I came across my journal that I brought. I made one entry in it before I realized that my blog could be my journal. But I thought I would use this post to share it with you.
"This spring break I was presented with the wonderful opportunity to travel to England this summer and work as a personal assistant for one of the owners of Sing Live UK, Linda Metcalfe.
Not only is this my first trip across 'the pond', but I'm doing it alone! I have had a lot of different emotions in preparation for my trip.
The first was disbelief that I was actually going to get to do this. This happened at such a perfect time, when Carson and I were going to be apart anyway.
The next emotion I experienced was being overwhelmed! Learning about customs and all the things that are different in England and what I was going to need for eight weeks! The overwhelming amount of things to think about turned into stress about whether I had everything and if it was going to all fit into my suitcase.
Now, as I sit on the plane to Manchester, it is pure excitement!! I fly all night to be picked up in the morning and taken straight to the office to work. Nothing like fighting jet-lag. Time to sleep, more experiences to come."
I was sharing with John that I experience so much every day and then when I sit down to write my blog there is no way to remember everything, much less find ways to express it in words. This has truly been an amazing experience, one that words can't do justice but will just have to live in my head. I hope that what I have been able to capture on this blog has given you a glimpse into the culture, language and things that there is to do here. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity.
This will be my last blog from England but check back next week as I will be doing some reflection on my trip over here. It seems like too much to take in at the moment. I went out for drinks with the girls tonight and we had a wonderful time. They gave me a little gift of a picture of one of the streets that I had been to in York. I think it was then for the first time that I realized how much I am going to miss it over here. The places that I have seen and the people that I have met. This has become more than just a place to tick of my list and say that I have been. It is a place that has come to mean something special and a place that I will want to return to in the future. . . to my new family here.
"This spring break I was presented with the wonderful opportunity to travel to England this summer and work as a personal assistant for one of the owners of Sing Live UK, Linda Metcalfe.
Not only is this my first trip across 'the pond', but I'm doing it alone! I have had a lot of different emotions in preparation for my trip.
The first was disbelief that I was actually going to get to do this. This happened at such a perfect time, when Carson and I were going to be apart anyway.
The next emotion I experienced was being overwhelmed! Learning about customs and all the things that are different in England and what I was going to need for eight weeks! The overwhelming amount of things to think about turned into stress about whether I had everything and if it was going to all fit into my suitcase.
Now, as I sit on the plane to Manchester, it is pure excitement!! I fly all night to be picked up in the morning and taken straight to the office to work. Nothing like fighting jet-lag. Time to sleep, more experiences to come."
I was sharing with John that I experience so much every day and then when I sit down to write my blog there is no way to remember everything, much less find ways to express it in words. This has truly been an amazing experience, one that words can't do justice but will just have to live in my head. I hope that what I have been able to capture on this blog has given you a glimpse into the culture, language and things that there is to do here. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity.
This will be my last blog from England but check back next week as I will be doing some reflection on my trip over here. It seems like too much to take in at the moment. I went out for drinks with the girls tonight and we had a wonderful time. They gave me a little gift of a picture of one of the streets that I had been to in York. I think it was then for the first time that I realized how much I am going to miss it over here. The places that I have seen and the people that I have met. This has become more than just a place to tick of my list and say that I have been. It is a place that has come to mean something special and a place that I will want to return to in the future. . . to my new family here.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Almost home
Sorry I missed blogging last night but I was busy baking! I learned how to make all sorts of posh things such as meringues and crème brulee! It was a very enjoyable evening in the kitchen with Linda. It was very fun to make and should be even more fun to eat tonight!
Wrapping up things at the office… trying to learn all that I can in a short amount of time. One more day at the office and one more show… then I will be on a plane to Orlando.
I got some exciting news that Carson, my fiancé, will be flying home from Clemson a week from tomorrow. It has been over two months since we have seen each other so I am very excited! As much as I will miss my new family over here… there are many people that I am missing back home that I can’t wait to see!
Wrapping up things at the office… trying to learn all that I can in a short amount of time. One more day at the office and one more show… then I will be on a plane to Orlando.
I got some exciting news that Carson, my fiancé, will be flying home from Clemson a week from tomorrow. It has been over two months since we have seen each other so I am very excited! As much as I will miss my new family over here… there are many people that I am missing back home that I can’t wait to see!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Time is flying. . .
Wow, my last week here is flying by and won't slow down. I'm trying to fit everything I can in. I have spent the last two days learning the company database. Don't worry, it's not as boring as it sounds and I'm quite enjoying it. Everything was created here in England and somethings don't match when you convert it to America (for example, they don't have states over here) so I have enjoyed working with Angela and "solving the puzzle" that is Access. It's a very useful system but it sure has its quirks. I have been "testing" Angela's knowledge by thinking outside the box but not knowing how to put it on the system. It has been a fun time of learning that will be very useful knowledge.
Right, now I didn't mean to bore you with work stuff but it's been the reason I'm here. Now on to more exciting things. Tonight Sabine and I went back up to the White Horse to hike a different trail down to Sutton Bank. I didn't take my camera because we were supposed to be doing some hard hiking and it's very heavy. Plus, I wanted to enjoy the scenery and capture it in my mind (sorry, but I do not have the ability to put mental pictures on my blog :-) Anyhow, despite be told by someone in the office that there was a proper path down to the lake, the path was not proper at all. I can't say that I minded because it would have been a very steep, long journey back up. So we walked up along the top of the mountain instead. We were able to get great views of the lake and of the countryside. All I could think of is how much I'm going to miss the beautiful countryside and how I can't wait to come back and see it again!
Right, now I didn't mean to bore you with work stuff but it's been the reason I'm here. Now on to more exciting things. Tonight Sabine and I went back up to the White Horse to hike a different trail down to Sutton Bank. I didn't take my camera because we were supposed to be doing some hard hiking and it's very heavy. Plus, I wanted to enjoy the scenery and capture it in my mind (sorry, but I do not have the ability to put mental pictures on my blog :-) Anyhow, despite be told by someone in the office that there was a proper path down to the lake, the path was not proper at all. I can't say that I minded because it would have been a very steep, long journey back up. So we walked up along the top of the mountain instead. We were able to get great views of the lake and of the countryside. All I could think of is how much I'm going to miss the beautiful countryside and how I can't wait to come back and see it again!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sleep first. . . then blog
I still hadn't recovered from when the American's were here and we got very little sleep, and then yesterday I was up for 22 hours straight helping with a Sing Live show in Royal Leamington Spa! So this morning I had a lie in till 12:30 and now feel well rested. I was determined to have a productive day until Alex walked in with a Wii. Needless to say we have spent lots of time on that this afternoon. But still, I am determined to get all caught up. Sorry about my lack of blogging lately. Now that so much is happening that I have to blog about I have no time to do it. I'm not one to sacrifice sleep so I figured I would catch up today.
Royal Leamington Spa is a city in central England that used to be a big industrial city. Because of this, it was a target for bombing in World War II. Most of the city was destroyed but there is a statue of Queen Victoria that made it through the destruction but stands a little crooked. Queen Victoria is the Queen that gave Leamington Spa it's Royal Charter because she was fond of it's spa waters. It's a neat little town with beautiful buildings all with ironwork around the top. I wish I had gotten some pictures.
The concert was great. Instead of wearing the gold concert attire like they normally do, the company got all dressed up for the times of Cole Porter.
Working backwards until I have caught up to where I left off on the American Tour. . . .
The past week at the office I have been helping Sabine sort out some things from the ball, especially the new merchandise line that has been launched. I was helping to inventory and organize it all so I was totally in my element (I know, I'm weird, I'm one of the very few people that like to clean and organize) I have been trying to learn as much as I can before going home on Sunday. I don't know where all the time has gone. I will be training on Access on Monday so I'll be trying to remember what I learned in my computer class two years ago (eek!)
Friday night I had some curry food again. It has such unique flavors and I am going to be on a hunt for Indian restaurants when I get home.
On a very exciting note, Carson and I both received our first wedding gifts this week. Carson has been on an internship in Winston Salem since January and Wednesday was his last day. His co-workers threw him a party chipped in to get him some camping gear of our registry. He was so excited that he went home and set up the tent in his living room! I can't wait to use it. On that same day, Linda (who has some very nice contacts at Carnival Cruise lines) told me that she has arranged for our room to be upgraded for the cruise that Carson and I are taking for our honeymoon. So Wednesday made for a great day and we are both so thankful!
I am starting to pick up the accent here :-) (It sure took me long enough.) We were talking about all the different accents in the office the other day. In American the different accents are spread out over a large area, i.e. southern accents. But here, it can vary from city to city. . . and people can tell where you're from by your accent.. although it sounds no different to me. It's amazing what our different ears are attuned to.
So we're back to last weekend. . the American's last days here. It was the 10th Anniversary concert of Sing Live. What's really cool was that it was on the exact same date at the exact same time as the concert was 10 years ago. The dream ten years ago was to do two concerts a year in Leeds. . . so this would have been concert number 20 . . . but in fact it was concert number 176! And Sing Live is now an international company with 11 locations! It was really good to be a part of such a special weekend and to see how far the dream has come. There were two shows (Sat & Sun) and after the Sunday show there was an after party at the hotel where the Americans were staying. By the time we all got to the hotel it was almost midnight (and the party was just starting) and the bus was coming at 4:30 am to take them to the airport. Most of them were planning on staying up all night until the bus came but in fact there were only about 7 of us that did. I have never been at at this time of the night to confirm it, but the sun came up at 3:45. Talk about a long day of daylight. So now you can see what I had to recover from. Also on Sunday John took me and my parents to the coast to a town called Whitby. The reason for our journey was to taste the best fish and chips in England. We were not disappointed. I have been spoiled now by the freshness and amazing flavour (English spelling) and taste. We had a fun time walking around town and visiting the Abby. A town I want to return to for sure!
And I think I'm all caught up. Lots to do in my last week here and I'm beginning to think about all of the things I'm going to miss. This time a week from now I will be over the Atlantic.
Royal Leamington Spa is a city in central England that used to be a big industrial city. Because of this, it was a target for bombing in World War II. Most of the city was destroyed but there is a statue of Queen Victoria that made it through the destruction but stands a little crooked. Queen Victoria is the Queen that gave Leamington Spa it's Royal Charter because she was fond of it's spa waters. It's a neat little town with beautiful buildings all with ironwork around the top. I wish I had gotten some pictures.
The concert was great. Instead of wearing the gold concert attire like they normally do, the company got all dressed up for the times of Cole Porter.
Working backwards until I have caught up to where I left off on the American Tour. . . .
The past week at the office I have been helping Sabine sort out some things from the ball, especially the new merchandise line that has been launched. I was helping to inventory and organize it all so I was totally in my element (I know, I'm weird, I'm one of the very few people that like to clean and organize) I have been trying to learn as much as I can before going home on Sunday. I don't know where all the time has gone. I will be training on Access on Monday so I'll be trying to remember what I learned in my computer class two years ago (eek!)
Friday night I had some curry food again. It has such unique flavors and I am going to be on a hunt for Indian restaurants when I get home.
On a very exciting note, Carson and I both received our first wedding gifts this week. Carson has been on an internship in Winston Salem since January and Wednesday was his last day. His co-workers threw him a party chipped in to get him some camping gear of our registry. He was so excited that he went home and set up the tent in his living room! I can't wait to use it. On that same day, Linda (who has some very nice contacts at Carnival Cruise lines) told me that she has arranged for our room to be upgraded for the cruise that Carson and I are taking for our honeymoon. So Wednesday made for a great day and we are both so thankful!
I am starting to pick up the accent here :-) (It sure took me long enough.) We were talking about all the different accents in the office the other day. In American the different accents are spread out over a large area, i.e. southern accents. But here, it can vary from city to city. . . and people can tell where you're from by your accent.. although it sounds no different to me. It's amazing what our different ears are attuned to.
So we're back to last weekend. . the American's last days here. It was the 10th Anniversary concert of Sing Live. What's really cool was that it was on the exact same date at the exact same time as the concert was 10 years ago. The dream ten years ago was to do two concerts a year in Leeds. . . so this would have been concert number 20 . . . but in fact it was concert number 176! And Sing Live is now an international company with 11 locations! It was really good to be a part of such a special weekend and to see how far the dream has come. There were two shows (Sat & Sun) and after the Sunday show there was an after party at the hotel where the Americans were staying. By the time we all got to the hotel it was almost midnight (and the party was just starting) and the bus was coming at 4:30 am to take them to the airport. Most of them were planning on staying up all night until the bus came but in fact there were only about 7 of us that did. I have never been at at this time of the night to confirm it, but the sun came up at 3:45. Talk about a long day of daylight. So now you can see what I had to recover from. Also on Sunday John took me and my parents to the coast to a town called Whitby. The reason for our journey was to taste the best fish and chips in England. We were not disappointed. I have been spoiled now by the freshness and amazing flavour (English spelling) and taste. We had a fun time walking around town and visiting the Abby. A town I want to return to for sure!
And I think I'm all caught up. Lots to do in my last week here and I'm beginning to think about all of the things I'm going to miss. This time a week from now I will be over the Atlantic.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Continuing on. . .
Right, so continuing on with our trip. . So back to Leeds (where the ball and concert took place) by way of Windsor Castle. The flag was flying which meant the queen was there. We did not she her but her house is AMAZING! Even if it isn't something that you are interest in the sheer beauty of it takes your breath away. We couldn't take pictures inside the castle but here are some from outside of it.
I want a garden like this!!
We got these little personal radios that you would enter a number into based on where you were and what you were looking at and tell you the history and story behind everything.
Even the lampposts are posh!
Seeing the guards in really life was so cool. One of the guys nearby where I was standing was trying hard to get them to shift their attention. I could never hand it. I would either laugh or . . . well lets just say get really tired of it.
The slots in the walls were for people shooting arrows to they could be protected.
The next day... York. A popular tourist town. I have been once before on my trip but I saw completely different things this time. With Linda I got to see all the cool shops- with the USA group I got to see all the tourist things. Our first stop in York was to Yorkminster Abbey. It was so amazing and beautiful. It is amazing to see what can be build without all of the modern architecture techonolgy. You just look around and wonder how they built it.
Onward through the town we went to the Shambles which is a street that is very small and the houses are close together. This is how all the streets in the town used to be built.
Then John, mom, dad went on a hunt for fish and chips. After having been on a hour long hunt for Indian food a couple of nights before I decided to visit some more tourist spots instead. I went to the Jorvik viking centre which was a ride though a viking town that used to be on that sight in York. It was kind of a Spaceship Earth type ride followed by a very interesting viking exhibit. I felt like I was back at Disney.
Out last touristy visit was to Castle Howard. I have to say this was one of the highlight of my week. Not only was the castle beautiful (although it paled in comparison to Windsor Castle) but the grounds we amazing! There was a rose garden that was the largest that I have ever seen. It was a beautiful day so I found a bench in the gardens and just sat there for a while. It was so relaxing and no amount of time allowed for me to take it all in.
Almost caught up. Just a weekend to go. Hopefully I'll finish up tomorrow.
I want a garden like this!!
We got these little personal radios that you would enter a number into based on where you were and what you were looking at and tell you the history and story behind everything.
Even the lampposts are posh!
Seeing the guards in really life was so cool. One of the guys nearby where I was standing was trying hard to get them to shift their attention. I could never hand it. I would either laugh or . . . well lets just say get really tired of it.
The slots in the walls were for people shooting arrows to they could be protected.
The next day... York. A popular tourist town. I have been once before on my trip but I saw completely different things this time. With Linda I got to see all the cool shops- with the USA group I got to see all the tourist things. Our first stop in York was to Yorkminster Abbey. It was so amazing and beautiful. It is amazing to see what can be build without all of the modern architecture techonolgy. You just look around and wonder how they built it.
Onward through the town we went to the Shambles which is a street that is very small and the houses are close together. This is how all the streets in the town used to be built.
Then John, mom, dad went on a hunt for fish and chips. After having been on a hour long hunt for Indian food a couple of nights before I decided to visit some more tourist spots instead. I went to the Jorvik viking centre which was a ride though a viking town that used to be on that sight in York. It was kind of a Spaceship Earth type ride followed by a very interesting viking exhibit. I felt like I was back at Disney.
Out last touristy visit was to Castle Howard. I have to say this was one of the highlight of my week. Not only was the castle beautiful (although it paled in comparison to Windsor Castle) but the grounds we amazing! There was a rose garden that was the largest that I have ever seen. It was a beautiful day so I found a bench in the gardens and just sat there for a while. It was so relaxing and no amount of time allowed for me to take it all in.
Almost caught up. Just a weekend to go. Hopefully I'll finish up tomorrow.
It's all happening too fast
This whole internet thing is great until you don't have it for a week.. and then you get behind. And the list of things to share isn't getting shorter and I went on a wonderful walk through the moors this evening with Linda and their dog Lily. I love to hike, but to get to hike at someplace unique that we don't have anything like in the states is fantastic. As we were walking along we would come across sheep just roaming around. England is so cool. Now that my time is coming to an end I have started to think about all of the things that I have gotten used to here that I am going to miss.
Back to our week of touring last week...
Our second day in London we a more relaxed day but for sure an amazing one. We started off the day with a tour of the Royal Albert Hall- one of the most famous concert halls in the world. The reason for this special visit is because Sing Live will be taking a group of about 1000 people to sing there next September. This concert hall is a very sought after place to perform. I'm already making plans to come back next year. Not only did we get a special tour (this isn't a place that tourist can just go in and see) but we got to go behind the scenes and see the Royal Reception room where queen and other royalty stay behind the scenes when they come to see a show. When we walked into the concert hall a hush fell over the group it was so amazing.
This picture is the group in front of the statue of Albert. The hall was built for him but he died a year before it was completed so this memorial was built across the street. It was pretty elaborate.
Our next exciting event of the day was a trip to Andrew Lloyd Webers office! We didn't meet him but we met with the world wide licensing manager for all of Andrews works.
The day gets even better with a big trip to Harrods. Oh my gosh.. if you don't know what Harrods is it is THE place to shop. It's fun to go and be shocked at all the prices but it's definitely not cheap. Everything in it is so "posh"!
Well my computer has decided it is tired of loading pictures for the day so I will continue on tomorrow.
Back to our week of touring last week...
Our second day in London we a more relaxed day but for sure an amazing one. We started off the day with a tour of the Royal Albert Hall- one of the most famous concert halls in the world. The reason for this special visit is because Sing Live will be taking a group of about 1000 people to sing there next September. This concert hall is a very sought after place to perform. I'm already making plans to come back next year. Not only did we get a special tour (this isn't a place that tourist can just go in and see) but we got to go behind the scenes and see the Royal Reception room where queen and other royalty stay behind the scenes when they come to see a show. When we walked into the concert hall a hush fell over the group it was so amazing.
This picture is the group in front of the statue of Albert. The hall was built for him but he died a year before it was completed so this memorial was built across the street. It was pretty elaborate.
Our next exciting event of the day was a trip to Andrew Lloyd Webers office! We didn't meet him but we met with the world wide licensing manager for all of Andrews works.
The day gets even better with a big trip to Harrods. Oh my gosh.. if you don't know what Harrods is it is THE place to shop. It's fun to go and be shocked at all the prices but it's definitely not cheap. Everything in it is so "posh"!
Well my computer has decided it is tired of loading pictures for the day so I will continue on tomorrow.
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