Cruise part 2

After the agree of Florence and Pisa, Andrea and I decided to purchase an excursion for Naples. The main attraction in Naples is Pompeii. Pompeii is a city that was destroyed by a volcano in 79 AD. It was covered with 22 feet of ash and about 250 years ago it was discovered. Vegetation had begun growing on top of the ash, and that why people didn't know there was a city under the vegetation. When archeologists began discovering the city they found bones and pockets in the ash. They pumped plaster into the pockets and found casts of bodies and tools. It was incredible to see the city of Pompeii after almost 300 years of digging. The city is still not fully uncovered but we were lucky enough to tour the city with a guide and had transportation to and from Pompeii. It was an awesome experience it was extremely hot and that was a bummer to deal with but definitely worth it!
The next day was another day at sea. My mission was to roast myself in the sun! =) I succeeded! I love being tan and take any opportunity I can to get some color! That night we decided to go to the night club once again. We had been almost every night and had this awesome waiter named henry! He would always give us great deals on drinks! We decided to get out picture with him because he was so awesome! He also called me lassie instead of lacy which in not my new nickname to michael haha! I had also met some Latino women he first night we went and danced for hours with them because my group was being lame and didn't want to dance. I ran Into these women again and danced with them again. They were so fun!!
The next day was Santorini Greece! We all purchased an island drive excursion because they said with the difficulties getting up the mountain by donkey could delay our return and the ship may leave us. The island drive was nice. We got a free wine tasting and some incredible views of the city!
The next day we ported in Athens and sadly disembarked the ship! =/ we got a cab to our hostel and briefly walked around Athens. We got to see the Parthenon and a temple. We were pretty worn out so we went to bed early so we could be ready for our flight the following day.
We flew into Manchester and met up with 2 of Andrea's friends from England. Once we got back to Liverpool I began packing and finishing my portfolio!

Cruise part one!

Friday at 4:30am I met Jessie and Andrea to get a cab to the airport. We flew into Naples and we were on a tight time frame to get from the Naples airport. We had one hour to get from the airport to the train station. Then we had an hour train ride to Rome and had to catch another train to the port to check into the cruise. Once we arrived in Rome we planned on seeing the colosseum. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to see the colosseum because we couldn't find our train and had to get a taxi to the port. It was supposed to be about an drive. We got stuck in horrific traffic and the cab ride lasted almost 2 and a half hours! It also cost us 310 euros! Which is the equivalent of $390.00! On top of the expensive ride we almost missed our cruise ship! Needless to say we were stressed beyond belief and the thought of laying out in the Italian sun was the only thing pulling us through!
Once we finally embarked the ship we settled into our rooms and headed to dinner. We knew 4 other people from our trip had booked the same cruise and we had planned on meeting up with them at the main staircases at 8pm. Luckily they happened to be sitting at the table next to us! We all shared stories of our struggles of Teton to the ship. Bailey and Dana's luggage was lost and they had very few outfits! We decided to roam the ship a bit and head to bed.
The next day was a day at sea so we all decided to meet up in the morning an lay out all day. Our ship had a pool and a huge screen that played movies everyday while you laid out and then showings at night where they gave out blankets, popcorn, and cookies and milk! It was really neat!
After the day at sea we ported in Florence Italy. We really had no plans and just walked around the city. After a while we took a train to Pisa. We visited the tower and took pictures and headed back to the ship. Bailey Dana Jessie and Andrea got in the first cab and Michael Nikki and I waited for the next one. The first cad gave us specific directions on where to find out cab. We waited for about 40 minutest or our cab and began to realize our can was either not coming or wouldn't get us back in time for our ship. We waited around until a cab pulled up and got in. We made it back in time (thank God!!) and I will die happy if I never have to stress about getting on a ship again!

Paris

Thursday after school was over bailey, jessie, dana, and I boarded to plane to France! We happened to be on the same plane as 6 other people from our trip. After our hour flight we arrived in Paris! We took a taxi to our hostel. The city I Paris is pretty dirty! There was graffiti everywhere and seemed sort of unsafe. Once we settled into our hostel we got some maps out to plan our one day stay in Paris.

The next morning we decided to purchase tickets for a "hop-on hop-off" tour. We got on the bus and we headed for our first stop, the Louvre, which is were the Mona Lisa is located. We did not pay to go in but we got our first view of the Eiffel Tower! Next we went to a bridge Bailey wanted to see from the show "Madeline." Then we headed to Notre Dame. It was beautiful! We stayed and took pictures and walked around inside. Next we headed off to the Arch de Triumph" it has a huge 6 lane round-about around it and it is almost impossible to cross the street. We took pictures from across the street. Finally we headed to THE EIFFLE TOWER! We spent time eating and taking pictures at the bottom. I was feeling very under the weather the whole day which stunk! So when Jessie and Dana wanted to go across the street to take pictures I almost didn't go. But thank God I went because there was this group of Asians doing some karate tricks and I took this sweet video of them! It was so dope!!! They were doing flips and breaking boards! It was so great! After that we headed back to our hostel to collect out luggage and head back to Liverpool.

Jessie and I spent the rest of the weekend working on our last lesson plan for our students. It was our Pop Culture lesson. We wanted to play our two favorite songs for our students. "Dance with somebody" by Whitney Houston, and "PYT" by Michael Jackson. So we decided to make a lesson about their lives as well as the statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. We spent time writing the lesson and getting ready for our last week of teaching.

Scotland round 2!

So Jessie and I decided to go back to Scotland the weekend most of our group was going to Ireland. We both heard its beautiful but it's very expensive and neither of us really cared to go. So we decided to meet up with the friends we made from the last time we visited Edinburgh. We only had to pay for a hostel and taxi because we still had 2 rail passes left.

We decided to go out on Thursday night before Scotland because it would most likely be the last time we would get to go out in Liverpool. The plan was to meet up at a pub called 5-ways with dr P and the people who weren't going to Ireland. Bailey Dana and I waited forJessie to meet us outside of her room but she didn't answer. We decided to walk to the security lodge which was the meeting place for everyone who was walking to the pub with us. When we walked outside we ran into some of the girls who went shopping before the pub and they said the buses got messed up and they had to walk home in the rain. so i decided to write Jessie a note and leave a cheap bottle of wine outside her door. That obvi made me the coolest person on the planet in her eyes haha! But if I had to walk home in the rain I would want a chilled bottle of wine outside my door with a note! :) anywho she and everyone else who walked met us at the pub and we began our last night out as a group. After the pub we went into city centre and went to a place called camel club. They only played gangster rap and it was heaven. It was clear it would be a good night when gold digger came on and I owned the dance floor! (probably looked like a fool) We danced the night away making fun of Bailey's silly dance moves and screaming every word to every song. It was a great night that came to an end too quickly.

Waking up however was less than stellar. I had an awful headache and didn't get much sleep. Some may have said I was hungover but I'm blaming the cold I have! I am so happy I didn't have to fly to Dublin at 6am like Bailey and Dana! As Bay would say... Sucks to suck!

After a rough morning Jessie and I hit the dusty trail to Scotland. We got on the train and slept most of the way. When we finally arrived we were not surprised or pleased to find it 40 degrees and raining. We only had about 45 minutes before me met our friend John. We rushed to our hostel for changed and got a taxi. We met up with John and his friend Oliver. We met at the hostel bar we stayed at when we met them. After a little while we headed to a pub and met up with David and Jordan we all just sat around and talked until they closed the pub. We said our goodbyes to David and Jordan because they were not coming tithe club with us. We hopped in a taxi and went to a place called The Hive. It was pretty cool but a little pricey so we only had one drink and hit the dance floor. When Gold Digger came on I knew it was a sign from God that it would be a good night! After a while of dancing we left and hit up McDonalds. We ate and then headed or separate ways. It was such a good night it's sad we will probs never see them again but it's so nice to know next time Jessie and I are in Scotland we have friends!

After an eventful weekend we spent all day Sunday relaxing and writing lesson plans.

Week 1 of teaching!

The first week of teaching was pretty painless! Bailey and I taught a lesson on the civil war. Our kids were super interested and payed attention pretty well. Other than our lesson we just aided our classroom teacher and planned upcoming lessons. Along with all our lessons some of us are in a reading class that requires us to tutor a struggling reader for 15-20 minutes a day. The lessons we do with them have to e planned and turned in at the end of our trip. I have a student who struggles with reading fluently and I honestly think he might be dyslexic. He often has all the correct letters but they are in the wrong order. I am not sure what to do to help him but we are working on writing book reports which will help his comprehension. I'm very excited to continue working with my student and continue to teach my class! :)

LONDON!

So Monday morning we woke up incredibly early because we had to move out of our dorm rooms before we left for London. We had to catch a 7:15am train so this meant waking up at 5 and taking all of our luggage to a conference room across campus than taking a taxi to the train station. Once we arrived at the train station we hopped on our train to London! We had one transfer, but things went smoothly. When we arrived in London Dr. P met us at the train station and walked us to our hotel. Andrea, Jessie, and I all shared a room. After we settled in we headed to see the sights! We decided to do a hop on hop off tour. It took us to all the major sights and was really cheap! The first day we saw the princess Diana memorial, Harrods, Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly. We even got to see many ambassadors and the Prime Minister! That night in London they were having a concert for the Queen. The main performers were Elton John and Paul McCartney. We could hear the concert but couldn't see them, however some people in our group went to the concert later that night and go to enter onto the palace grounds. The second day was consumed with seeing the sights and going on a boat tour. As we were approaching Big Ben we noticed small crowds and many police men. We asked on officer what everyone was doing and he told us the queen would be driving by very shortly! We were lucky enough to see the Queen drive by and I even got a video. After seeing the Queen we went on a boat ride through the Thames. We also got to see the eye and the Tower Bridge. Then we headed back to our rooms to rest before getting up and going to Spain!

Beatles Tour!

So as most people know the Beatles are from Liverpool. Each year many students go on tours to visit the childhood homes of the Beatles as see things they wrote their songs about. This was such an awesome experience. I was reluctant at first because I have never particularly cared for the Beatles. Sure I knew some songs and knew 3 of the four members. (John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, and Ringo Star) Now I know there was a Beatle names George =) We go to see some awesome local spots such as, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. We also got to see the childhood homes of each of the Beatles. I learned so many awesome things about this group. I am so happy I went! Here are some pictures of the tour!

We go to sign our names on the Penny Lane Street Sign!

 Mine is in the middle of the "P"!

 This is our group outside of Strawberry Field!

This is a sleeping baby picture I made our group take because I knew my family would love it =)

Week 3 - Attempt 2, to go out!

So Thursday I woke up with a splitting headache and the last thing I wanted to do was go sit in class. I made it through the morning and began feeling better with each cup of coffee. The plan for the last 2 weeks was the whole group of 21 of us was going to go to the clubs Thursday night. I knew if I was going to go out again I was going to need a nap before we went out. Some people in our group have been really sick lately and they weren't feeling well enough to go out with the group. Andrea was one of the sicky's, so Michele, Lindsay, Jessie, and I decided to print a picture of her face and put her on cardboard and take her out with us. Well we of course couldn't leave Dr. P out so we made one of his face too. We kept it a secret from the group to surprise them when we showed up the pre-drink at the boy's dorm. After about an hour of dancing in the common room we decided to go to a pub called Brock House. In the UK they pre-pre-drink at their house, then pre-drink at the pub or bar, then drink at the club, then post-drink at home. Obvi the Americans can't quite keep up with them, but we do like to tag along. =) So after Brock House we decided to go to a bar called Baa Bar. There were about 15 American students and 8 British students, and one British student dressed up in a dragon costume. When we left Bailey, Dana, and myself were in the last cab. When we arrived at Baa bar we went inside but we couldn't find anyone form our group. We searched the whole bar (which was not packed at all) and asked the bouncer if he had seen about 15 americans come in. He said he hadn't so we knew something was wrong. We decided to walk down the street and start checking other bars thinking that maybe they had left Baa Bar. We searched for an hour and a half and checked every bar we walked past. I would ask the bouncers if they had seen about 15 Americans and a kid dressed in a dragon costume. No one had seen our group. After an hour and a half we gave up looking and decided to go home. We were beyond pissed at this point because our group was not at the meeting point that they said they would be at. Our night had not turned out as we had hoped and we spent more on cab rides than we did drinks. To make maters worse I didn't have a purse that matched my outfit so I had Jessie hold my money and room key, Jamie hold my phone, and Dana hold my Passport. When I went back to my room I realized I had no way of waking myself up for class today. So I asked Dana to come bang on my door around 8:30 to make sure I was awake. When I woke up this morning at 7 because my body is apparently used to never sleeping in past 6:30 I began to get ready and wait for Dana. When I heard the knock this morning it was Jessie and Dana at the door we began to ask her where they were and she answered saying Baa Bar. So with much irritation we went to breakfast and everyone asked where WE went last night. They said they were worried about us and waited for us for an hour. I told them we went to Baa Bar and asked where they went. To which they replied Baa Bar. Then we discovered there are 2 Baa Bars in the fine city of Liverpool. Evidently our cab driver dropped us off at the wrong one and ruined our night. I was very pleased to hear that no one left us intentionally and it was all one big mistake. Hopefully attempt 3 at going out in Liverpool with be less dramatic and less chaotic! Here are some pictures of the cardboard heads, and some from the night.

Week 3 - Attempt 1, to go out!

Now for more interesting updates! Now one thing you have to know about the UK's bar situation is that there are 3 different types of establishments when you can get your drink on. First you have a pub. A pub is a family place where you will see all ages and even pets! Pubs close early and usually don't have loud music or any dancing. Then there is a bar. A bar is more for dancing and listening to music, but they close at midnight and thats when the clubs open. A club is a total rager. People dance and drink until 3 or 4 am.
On Wednesday I went with some people form class to a pub called 5 ways to get some margaritas. Afterwards some people mentioned going to a club called Medication. We all went back to our rooms to change and get ready to go out. I skyped with Taylor and drank some wine while I waited on everyone to come to my room. Once we finally left we got in cabs to go to this club. We had heard several times that  if you are going out on a Wednesday Medication was the place to go. When we arrived the club was closed. -_- So we headed down the road and found a bar called faculty. When we walked up a british girl started yelling USA and told us to come in and get a drink with her. Once we got inside we all began dancing and before we knew it the place was packed and we were swearting like crazy. I met some girls and danced with them for a while and took pictures with them. When it was time to go I grabbed my purse and made sure I had my phone. I of course could not find it was instantly panicked. I asked everyone I was with and no one knew where it was. I went back inside to check the floor of the bar and was basically on my hands and knees searching. I finally decided to ask the bartender if anyone had turned in a pink iPhone. To my surprise someone had turned my phone. I am probably the most blessed person ever! Once I had my phone again we decided to head back to our dorms because we had class early on Thursday. Here is a picture of the girls i met!

Week 3 - boring updates

So far this week has been pretty normal and routine. We went to the school  on Wednesday and participated in their olympic games. It was a long day and we didn't observe any teaching. So far during our 3 visits we have only seen them in an instructional setting once. This will make teaching a bit more troublesome because they look at us as their friends and it may be a tough transition when we begin to instruct them. Jessie, Bailey, and I have decided to do our 6 day unit on America. The students really want to learn about 9/11 so we will teach a history lesson on that and one on the revolutionary war. We will begin teaching once we get back from London and Spain.
We have to switch rooms after we get back form our week off, but we have to have our rooms packed up by Monday morning. Our train leaves at 7:30am so Monday will be an early day. However Andrea, Jessie, and I will all be rooming in the same hotel room, and we are super excited about that!

Weekend in Berlin

We flew out of John Lennon Airport here in Liverpool to Berlin Germany. Our flight was a bit rowdy. The men behind us were quite drunk and incredibly loud. Luckily the plane ride was only 2 hours long. Once we landed we walked to the "S Bahn" which is subway that runs through Berlin. However we got on the wrong train and had to take a taxi to our hostel. 20 Euros later we made it to our hostel, which was so beautiful! Once we unpacked and settled in, we started to explore Berlin. We ate at greek restaurant and walked around for about an hour. Once we back to our Hostel we went the roof top terrace which was also a bar. We met some people and hung out with them and played pool for a couple hours. Bailey and I stayed out with some of them and went to a pub up the road to watch a band, and then went back and hung out in the lobby.

The next day we spent in downtown Berlin. Andrea and I went on a boat tour around Berlin. It was about and hour and we had to listen to this GPS device to hear the tour because the whole tour was in German. When that was over we walked to the main strip to meet up with everyone else. Once we met up with everyone we ate and walked around. I got to see the American Embassy which was pretty neat. There was also some culture festival going on so there were parades and star wars characters all over the place. After that we went to see some holocaust memorials. They were very somber, and interesting to see. Afterwards we went to the hostel to rest. Andy, Andrea and Jessie all had severe sinus infections and were very tired so we all went to bed early to get some sleep before our travels on Sunday.
Sunday when we boarded the plane I was seated at the Emergency exit. I was asked by the flight attendant if I felt comfortable with the duties i would be in-charge of if anything were to happen. Therefore I read all the safety manuals and listened to the safety briefings. Everyone was laughing at me for taking it so serious but I was responsible for the lives of 1/4 of those passengers! hahah! Well I obviously we landed safely in Liverpool and made it back to our dorms safely! 

BERLIN

So Berlin is beautiful! But seems American! I have met so many people and cannot wait to blog tomorrow but obvi josh is my bestie and is so enthused to read this!! :)

Week 2!

This week has felt pretty routine. Nothing new really has happened. Jessie and I went to the City Centre Wednesday to have some time away do some shopping. We both left with some cute things that were pretty cheap! I got this cute pink dress and a Jean Jacket that I think can go over all of my dresses so they look more casual!
Yesterday was our second visit to Much Woolton Primary. When we arrived we found out the higher graders were doing confirmation. This meant we had nothing to observe and virtually no time with our students. So instead we were sent to Mr. Finnegan's class. He had a class of students from all ages that were not participating in confirmation. He decided to have a day full of crafts. We were facilitating the students to make olympic crafts. We made torches and flags of all the countries and a huge banner. Me and Bailey made the sign and helped the students color it. All of these crafts we made will be displayed during the school's olympics day Wednesday. I can't wait to see how all of our hard work paid off! Other than the change of itinerary schools the day was still pretty normal. However I did have an "ah-ha" moment. I kept thinking that these students would mess up the poster Bailey and I spent so much time on. And once they started coloring it I realized that I was way off. These kids were brilliant! They are so artistic and so encouraging of each other! I reminds me that I need to see what kids can do before I make any assumptions. I hope these experiences make me a great teacher!
Well we are leaving for Berlin Germany in about and hour. We have a 3 hour flight. I can't wait to blog about it when I get home! Cheers!

Edinburgh, Scotland- Days 2 and 3

The morning of day 2 in Scotland was more relaxed. We made the plan to go get lunch and then see the Edinburgh castle. By the time we made it to the top we saw such beautiful sites we decided we would go inside even though we had heard multiple times that it was not worth it. Thank God we didn't listen to the advise not to go in, because it was worth every penny! The castle was built in 9th century BC. It is still used as a military base today. Bailey Dana and I split up and went through the castle together. We took our time and had such a wonderful experience. It gave me goose bumps to see the Scotish skyline form atop a cliff form the side of a castle. I was so happy to be somewhere that I fell in love with, yet had honestly never heard of before planning the trip! It was such a weird feeling! But back to the castle, we even got to see the royal jewels. These puppies were highly guarded and were worth soooooooo much! They were very awesome to see though! After the castle the girls and I walked around the royal mile until we met back up with the others. After a coffee break we decided to split up again because the other group wanted to go shopping. There was definitely tension among the group because of the constant close quarters we had been confined to, so splitting up was the best option. So Bailey Dana and I went to go find the two tombstones J.K. Rowling used to name 2 characters in the Harry Potter books. I had absolutely no interest in finding these but Bailey really wanted to see these tomb stones so Dana and I helped her look. We found them and it was honestly pretty cool.  After that we met back up with the group for dinner and then headed back to the hostel.
This is where things take a turn for the cultured! When I walked into the front doors of our Hostel I was shocked to see sooooo many people. Our hostel had a bar it was a full capacity and people were even on the stairs leading up to the rooms because there was no where else to sit. We weren't sure what the fuss was about but we assumed it was a football "soccer" game that was on. We assumed right, It happened to be the Scotish cup and the Edinburgh team won! Jessie and I found thi out on the stairs where we were stopped by 5 guys around our age. They filled us in on the details and invited us to sit and drink with them in the stairwell. We did, and had the time of our lives! These guys were celebrating this amazing win, and it was even sweeter for them because they had won the cup against their rivals ! After getting to know the guys for a couple hours and after last call was called around 1 they invited us to the bars with them. Jessie, Bailey, Dana, and I all went! We walked to a club called silk. While we were walking my friend David had to go because his grandma was in the hospital and his mom called saying things weren't looking good. I was sad because he was my pal, and the one who I could actually understand when he spoke! The others guys and us headed into silk and boy were the 4 of us girls underdressed. Had we not been Americans  I doubt the bouncer would have let us in! But being American was a great thing in Scotland. As soon as people heard us speak they were instantly intrigued and wanted to talk to us. Even buy us drinks! =) After about an hour we decided to leave because we had a day of travel ahead of us. So we said goodbye to our new Scottish friends and headed home.
DAY 3
Much to our surprise when we woke up some of our friends (John, Scott, and Collin) stayed in our hostel. Apparently they lived on a peninsula of Scotland and passed out on the couches! But when we woke up we didn't have much time to chat with them before we headed back to Liverpool. Jessie and I want to plan a day trip back to hang out with them again. They were so chill and we hope to stay in touch. The train ride home was uneventful and I slept most of the way. Once we finally made it to our rooms I caught up on a few American shows on my computer and passed out! Scotland was such a great place and I hope I can go back sometime!

Edinburgh, Scotland- Day 1

This last weekend we traveled to Scotland. Jessie, Bailey, Dana, Andrea, Andy, and I all met at 6:15am at the security lodge to get taxis to take us to the train station. Part of our trip cost accounted for rail passes. These passes allow us to travel within Great Britain for free. We had a short "layover" at a train station in a city called Wigan. It was barley 40 degrees and raining as we waited for our next train. Once it arrived I was fast asleep until we arrived in Edinburgh 2 hours later. When we got off the train I were not expecting such a gloomy scene. It was green but the buildings were dark and gothic and it was raining and freezing cold, but it was probably the most beautiful landscape I have seen! We walked to our hostel and it was a mostly uphill journey. It was about a 45 minute walk and when we arrived we discovered we couldn't check-in for 3 more hours. So we went and got lunch at a pub about a mile away. Then we went shopping at some stores until we could check-in.
Once we checked in we settled into our 18 person hostel and made plans for the weekend. We decided to walk to the royal mile. This a mile that starts at the top of the cliff where the Edinburgh castle sits and is lined with shops and restaurants the whole way down. When we arrived at the top of the mile we began to go in shops and poke our heads into the beautiful cathedrals. My favorite catherdral was in the middle of the royal mile was breath taking! It had gorgeous stain glass windows with a marble pulpit and the most detailed gothic ceilings! After walking around and taking tons of pictures we decided to sign up for an underground tour of the vaults. The tour started at 9:30 and we had 3 hours to waste. However in the UK most things that don't sell alcohol close at 5pm. This was frustrating so we decided to go the the Elephant house. Which is the cafe J.K. Rowling sat at when she began to write HArry Potter. YOu can see the Edinburgh castle form the window where she sat and that was where she got the idea of what Hogwarts should look like in the movies. We all got coffees and settled into our seats to rest our tired feet and wait for our haunted tour to start!
We left the cafe with plenty of time to walk to where our tour started. Like I mentioned before it was freezing outside and since the sun had gone down it had dropped in temperature considerately. So when we arrived early we tried talking as much as possible to keep our minds off the cold. Bailey saw a guy in his 20's wearing and IU shirt and asked if he was from Indiana. He was actually from Anderson and was studying abroad in Spain and was traveling a few more placed before he returned home in June. He was traveling by himself and was a bit of a loner. From the beginning of the conversation I realized he was a bit different and the more he kept talking to us the more I was seeing he was an odd ball. Right before the tour started the tour director came by our group to introduce herself and ask where we were from. Her name was Emily and she was very sweet and was a student like us. We asked her about taxi rides and she offered to call us a cab after the tour since we can't use our phones.
The tour started and Emily began by telling us a gruesome story about the torture that took place in Edinburgh. The details were quite graphic and I began to think Bailey was going to pass out. So I kept whispering to eveyone that the guy next to us was a vampire. It kept the mood light and Bailey did not pass out! =)
Once we we actually went underground I began to get more scared. Emily told us of paranormal encounters that had happened in the rooms we would be visiting. The most common one she sad was a mean ghost that was referred to as "boots" because you could hear him following the group so that we would leave sooner. Sure enough within moments of Emily giving us this disclosure the kid form IU screamed and said he heard boot steps. I rolled my eyes because I didn't believe him. Emily didn't seem to either and we moved on to the next room. In this room he interupted her again to say her heard something go "boo." My group began to chuckle because it was clear this guy was a joke. In the final room, the room Emily said was the most haunted things got out of control. She began by pushing this group of 20 or so people into this tiny cellar. I was near the middle and the IU guy was in the back. Emily began telling us of the most talked about paranormal activity that had happened in this room. She began by saying it happened to a woman who was standing at the very back of the group. When she said this the IU kids exclaims from the back "Oh Jesus." To which the entire tour group busted out hysterically laughing! Even Emily lost it for a minute. Once order was restored Emily continued the story of the woman who had the encounter. She said the woman had been traveling by herself, and was on this tour alone. When she said this my group began hysterically laughing again because the IU guy was by himself as well. This was the kind of laughing that makes your sides hurt and you actually begin to cry because you are laughing so hard. I felt bad because it seemed no one else realized the coincidence so I shouted, "it's so funny because he is alone too!" Once the group saw the similarity the uproar of laughter continued. From that moment on I don't think anyone in my group kept it together at all. Every time Emily would start talking she would look at Jessie and see her trying to hold back the laughs and then it would start all over again. The IU guy thought the whole thing was so funny as well!  This tour was by far the funniest thing that has happened to me in a very very long time!
After the tour we went to the hostel and called it a night. With blistered feet and fatigued legs we all slept like babies!

Week One

So after the jet lag settled I was actually able to function again. Typical days for me are waking up around 645 and getting ready. I meet Jessie in the hall outside of our flat around 755 and we walk to breakfast together. We have the same options for breakfast every morning. Ham, sausage, hash browns, eggs, backed beans, half a fried tomato, and a croissant. I usually get a coffee too. Around 9 we begin our seminars. The time really does go by fast because it is a lot if discussions and activities. We also have a morning break to get coffee around 10:30. We break for lunch around 11:45 and we have the same options for lunch everyday. The food is pretty bland and leaves me craving some food from home. After Lunch we have seminars until about 3 and then have a break before dinner at 5. Dinner is usually the worst meal. There is only one option for dinner but potatoes are always offered so I try to fill up on those if dinner isn't something I will eat. After dinner we either go to our rooms to relax or go to a pub. Mostly we go to the pubs for a drink and to mingle with the locals. Pubs are very family oriented. You may even see a dog inside a pub.
On the days we teach we have to be at breakfast at 7:30am. We eat and grabbed a lunch that was packed by the kitchen staff and walk to the bus stop to take a bus to the school. We are all teaching at Much Woolten Catholic primary. Jessie Bailey and I are all teaching a fourth grade class. They refer to their fourth grade as a year five class. On our fist day their we observed our class. They were so precious!! They absolutely adored us and kept asking us to say things like banana and tomato. They even asked us to speak with British accents. Quickly after we were seated in the class I noticed a girl staring at me. Once I made eye contact I winked at her and she smiled. After that she was attached to my hip. Her name is Siobhan- which is pronounced "Shavaun." She is the sweetest thing. After their lunch we joined the classes on the school yard and they crowded around us, to show us dances and introduce us to their friends.
The British schools have a much different schedule than American schools. They begin with a morning assembly and that is a worship service with years 1 through years 6. Then they go to their classes. They have a morning play time for 15 minutes between assembly and lunch. They are split on two different play grounds. years 1 through 3 are on one and years 4 through 6 are on the other. Then they have class until lunch. For lunch they get 1 hour and 15 minutes. After they eat they head to the play ground again. In the afternoon they get a third play time. This one is also 15 minutes. Then they get out of school at 3. This equals four hours of schools and 2 hours of play. It seems like a lot but yet these children are incredibly bright! I am looking forward to teaching these students and seeing their abilities!!

EUROPE BLOG #1

Well I have been in Liverpool for exactly one week. It feels like it has been months. I am going to write this blog so my family and friends can keep up with my activities while I am away. Due to my laziness and lack of motivation the first few blogs will be a general "catch-up" of the events that have transpired thus far! First I will begin with the airport. I have been planning this trip for 9 months and never once thought leaving my family would be so hard. Saying goodbye to my mom and sister was extremely hard and then when I had to tell Lily goodbye and see her break down a bit I knew I would be visiting the bathroom to have a little cry myself. I knew I couldn't cry in front of my family!
Once I got through customs it seemed like moments before we were on the plane to New York. It was the smallest plane I had ever been one. It sat one person, isle, 2 people. The plane ride was quite short and a bit bumpy. Once we got to JKF the waiting began. We had a 5 hour layover, and not much to do. Jessie Bailey and I went to get some lunch. We ate at an Italian restaurant that was over priced. After we ate we just sat and talked about random things. Eventually we got a card game of uno going and talked with the other kids in the group. Once we finally boarded the plane Bailey and I sat together with Jessie and Andy behind us. I was stuck in the middle between Bailey and a stranger. The stranger ended up being the sweetest woman ever. She happened to be from Liverpool and was a retired school teacher and professor and a college in Manchester. She and I talked for hours. We even exchanged emails at the end of the flight to keep in touch. I haven't emailed her yet but I plan to meet up with her.
Once we landed in Manchester we had to talk to the Manchester customs and explain why we were there. It was very intimidating but we passed through quite quickly. We then rode a charter bus to the University and got our room assignments. Luckily Jessie and I are on the same floor but in different flats. It's nice because we meet every morning in the hall and walk to breakfast together. The first day I was so beyond jet lagged that I thought dying would be the only way I would be able to rest. (Dr. P made us stay up so we could get acclimated to the 5 hour time difference. Well thats it for now I will write more later!