Fun in London!

So far London has been amazing! I got here on Friday morning after a long but smooth flight and meet up with my cousins. Everything here is so cute and different. I feel as though I am in a completely different world. I still can’t believe that I am here and with my cousins. Our days have been full of seeing everything London has to offer.

Friday was a chill day with lunch at a pub and then a night out on the town. Saturday we went to Nothing Hill and walked through the market. There are people there selling pretty much anything you can think of, but it was so much fun just being in the middle of it all. As we walked we ate crepes and watched all the people shop, it was all the things that you see in a movie. The city is so grand and historic, every time we turn a corner there is another beautiful site to be seen. The cabs here are so cute and the two story red buses fly through the city and there are everywhere! There really isn’t a moment that you are left with nothing to see.

Sunday we decided to take London on! We basically saw every that we could and didn’t stop for hours. By the end of the day I saw all the beautiful sites and was ready to rest. Today we decided to take it easy and did some shopping in the morning and then went to The Ivy for a fabulous lunch. Tomorrow we are off to Bath for a few days and then Oxford! I am excited to get out of London and get on a slower pace for a few days. We booked the cutest B&B in Bath and are going to get a taste of campus life when we get to Oxford!

Off To London

The last 24 hours were definitely crazy. I left California yesterday morning and flew to Atlanta for only an 10 hours layover then off again to London! It had enough time to get home see my family, do some laundry, pack my suitcase for the next few months and head out again! It was a bit of a tight schedule but thanks to Mom and Dad I was able to pull it off!

Now I have an 8 hour flight and I will be with my cousins in London...I am so excited to see the city and see my girls!

BTW for those of you who are wondering if I made it with 50lbs for my luggage and I did! I decided to travel as light as I can ;) Ok my Mom through stuff out of my bags, but I didn't argue. Gotta Run...

California, California, California!

Last week was amazing! My week started off visiting some family in Santa Barbara, which was amazing and beautiful. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful host and got to see all the sites. Santa Barbara is such a gorgeous city, I finally got to see what the big deal was! After two days in Santa Barbara we headed to LA to pick up the ladies and start the chaos!
By 2pm we were at a great Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach drinking margaritas...needless to say the cocktails continued until the evening. Thursday we all headed to LA, it was my first time there, I went in thinking that I really wouldn’t like the city but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a fun city that’s for sure. After two days in LA we were partied out and ready to head back to our cute little bungalow.

So far from all that I have seen, I love California. The only complaint that I have are the people. I guess growing up in the south people for the most part are so nice and friendly. Out here...not so much. It's seems like a chore to say hi or be nice to strangers. I have been running in the mornings here and the first time I went I said hi to the people I passed and I was so shocked that no one said hi back, they just looked at me like I was crazy. I ran passed a lady that fell and no joke the woman was gushing blood so I turned around and went to help her and asked if she was ok. She looked at me like I was from another planet and refused my help! I know my mouth dropped when she said no and my look of horror forced a "thanks anyway" out of her. I mean come on people...what is your problem! You would never find people like that in the south. If people are nice here, it is for a reason.

Oh and the guys here seem to think they can do and say whatever they want. They are so stuck up like they're the shit...well some had a rude awaking when they talked to me. I am not the kinda gal to put up with a dude that looks in the mirror more than he thinks. They think money allows them to do and say whatever they please. Anyway that was my only complaint about it here and a small one at that :)
All in all it was a very busy and fun filled week. I got to see lots of family and new places. California has a special place in my heart now and I know I will be back ;)

Pictures in My Mind

So far California has been amazing, not only because of its beauty, but I am fortunate to have two wonderful hosts! Yesterday we walked down the street for a tasty breakfast, which can i add people here just go to bakeries before work and have a meal. You don’t see this in Atlanta as much, maybe because the city is so spreadout, but I think it’s so nice and relaxing. It seems like life is at a slower place out here and people take time to live their lives. You see people everywhere doing everything and no one is in a rush! It is refreshing to see that life is enjoyed.
After our meal we hopped on our bikes and went for a little ride....okay it was a long ride but amazing. We biked down to Huntington Beach which is 13 miles each way, personaly I think it was way longer than 13 miles, but that is what I was told. It was such a cute ride, we had to get on a ferry to cross the bay and then we biked through all these great areas and along the beach. Once our destination was reach we ate some healthy food, nachos, wings and beer, watched some football and headed back a bit heaveir :) It was a great day!
I have been blessed in my life to have traveled all over the world. I remember once in northern Italy I was with all my cousins and we went to the beach for a day. It was such a clear day, the sky was as blue as you can imagine and the water was so clear and crisp. I can remember it like it was yesterday, I was laying in the sand and all the guys were playing soccer and the girls were chatting, the ocean was in the background and I thought to myself “remember this Gloria, remember every detail of this day. Remember the voices of your family, remember the sound of the ocean, the color of the water and the sky, remember the heat of the sun and the feeling of the sand, remember it all and take it all in.” I knew that that monent was worth all the money in the world and I wanted to never forget it.
I feel as though these days are the same and I want to remember every detail of them. I want to take a picture in my mind of all the beauty that I am seeing and never forget it. As I biked yesterday I took a million pictures in my mind.

Hello California

I arrived in Orange County yesterday and I have to say...I love it here! I knew I would but it far surpasses anything I ever imagined. From the minute my wonderful friend picked me up I fell in love, everything is so breathtaking. The homes are so quaint and cozy, the ocean is amazing and the sky is so blue and perfect.
I realized all over again yesterday how lucky I am to be seeing such beauty and experiencing this journey. My friend and I had a great day together, cocktails on the rooftop overlooking the ocean and then an amazing homemade meal. Needless to say I slept full and happy in her super cute home :)
My day today started with an early morning run along the coast and now we are heading off the get some sun!

Wedding Time!

Last week was an amazing week for me because I got to witness one of my best friends weddings and be part of it! I knew I would be excited but I never expected to feel so much happiness and joy for her and her new hubby!
What more can one ask for...one week at the beach in a beautiful house with friends and family! I definetly think there were at times a bit too much alocohol but that only added to the crazy dance off’s and mornings of us trying to figure out the night before.
It was also an bit of an eye opener for myself. My history of weddings has not been so great...you see I don’t really like weddings. Maybe it’s not fair to say that I don’t like them, but rather I don’t think they like me, because every wedding I go to I seem to be struck with anxiety. This wedding took much of the same path up until the night before the wedding. I don’t know why or what happens but I get so anxious and nervous. The entire night before the wedding I was up and thinking and I have no clue why. What was different about this wedding was the day of. I woke up calm, relaxed and ready. I was trying to figure out what I did different or if I was just getting used to weddings, after all this is the 4th one I have been in! I’m not sure, maybe it was all the love that was present and it calmed me or maybe it’s because I was so happy or maybe because I have finally excepted where I am in my life. Maybe before I was just hoping it would be me and now for the first time I am completely okay with where I am in my life and what I am doing so I allowed myself to be happy for someone else.
It’s crazy, I know, but it makes sense. I always thought that I would be the one getting married and I couldn’t get over the fact that I wasn’t. Yes it has taken some time for me to get here and be happy again, but I am very happy and I have let go of whatever was “suppose to happen” and I am letting life take its course.
Now the only way to test my theory is to go to another wedding...have no fear I am in another one on May 8, 2011! I’ll let you know how that goes. :)

Bon Voyage!

I can’t begin to explain the past few days of my life. In a matter of 48 hours everything has changed. I had my last day of work at Tiffany & Co., I said good bye to some of my closest friends and I have prepared to leave Atlanta. Its funny to go through with it all because for the longest time this was all talk and no action, but now my actions have consequences and things are all to permanent.
I spent three years at Tiffany and co. and grew to love the people I spent 10 hour days with. Not only did I grew to love them but without realizing it I formed a family and friendships that i will have for the rest of my life. I always knew that i would one day leave Tiffany but i never imagined it would be so hard. I look around and see friends that in all honesty I would stay for. God has blessed yet again and given me people that are amazing.
I know my last day has come and gone but it has yet to hit me that I am no longer working there. I still feel as though I still have to go to work or I will see everyone again. To all of you that I have had the pleasure to work with, thank you! From the bottom of my heart thank you...you have shown me so much and I will miss you all!

This weekend I also said goodbye to all my friends. I had a wonderful time with everyone.....again another experience that I didn't think would be so hard. You don't realize what you have until you are losing it. I know I am not losing friendships but I will not see everyone for quite some time. I am so happy to have had one last blast to send me off!
All this being said I realized now more then ever how so very lucky I am. I am surrounded by amazing friends and family and I can only be happy and thankful for this.