Leaving London

Surely but sadly I will be leaving London tomorrow. Everytime I think about leaving, tears come to my eyes. This city has taught me so much in the short time that I've been here. This trip has went by even more quickly than expected. I felt as if I dreamt this whole experience but I am brought back to reality as I look down at my massive amount of luggage on the kitchen floor.

In all aspects this trip has been an amazing and a very  positive experience. I learned so much about British culture. I love every aspect of London- the way the people speak, the people's sense of humor, tea time, the museums, the food, the fashion and SO much more. London was everything that I hoped for and I know that I will return some day.

Academically, I have learned a lot on this trip. I definitely broadened my skill set in terms of production and can now say that I helped to produce my first documentary film. I felt so accomplished after it was finished and I am more than happy with the way it turned out. I also feel that I learned so much about London through the excursions that we went on and I am so happy that I experienced everything that I did.

To wrap things up, I have to say that I have had the most amazing summer of my life. From the people I met, the places I visited, the Olympic events and the amazing days and nights, London 2012 was such a special experience and will have such a special place in my heart.

For the last time...Cheers! 

Lounging in London

Today was a very relaxing day which started off with me snoozing my alarm for my run. I needed sleep after an amazing night at Wembley. The sun was shining, I was sweating and I needed a cold ice coffee  to quench my thirst. Off to Starbucks I went were they accidentally put 4 shots of expresso in my coffee..TADA! Briana the enegizer bunny! Now that I was up and WIRED! The girls and I went on a journey to Hyde Park to picnic and bask in the sun. Hyde Park reminds me of Central Park a lot.

Laying down in Hyde Park led me to start to day dream and fall into deep thought. I thought of what it would be like to live in London. To me, London is an extremely liveable city and I could see myself here without a doubt. If I found the right job, I would consider moving here in a heartbeat. Oh, London what have you done to me? I thought that I was a New York girl for sure but these days I am questioning it. I also can't believe that this will be my last weekend in London. I am depressed to even think about leaving but I CAN NOT WAIT to see my family and friends! I am missing them so much.

I am going to get a head start on packing...Let the nightmare begin!!!!

The Golden Ticket

Tonight was one of the most highly anticipated nights of the trip. At 7:45 PM we would have the opportunity to watch Team USA Women’s soccer team compete for the gold medal against Japan. We were more than ready, all 18 of us decked out, smothered in patriotism and ready to see the Us Womens' Soccer team take the gold.

Our journey to Wembley was quite an interesting one seeing that we were continuously stopped for photos with strangers. We were getting cheered on as we walked through the tube and to the stadium.."USA, USA,USA". It felt amazing to see other Americans or people who were rooting for America, made me feel even more proud to be an American than I already did. 

The stadium was packed..I mean PACKED! Around 80,000 people were there so you could imagine how cramped everything was. It didn't matter though, the tremendous enviornment and the anticipation made the annoyance of waiting in line disappear.

As we made our way to our seats, tenth row seats by the way, The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga was playing (my rolemodel, God and inspiraition). My heart sank to my stomach and I just knew that we were going to win..we had to..Gaga was wishing us luck and I knew we would not dissapoint. The game started and my heart was beating out of my chest. I never was so invested in a game before. Our girls were kicking ass as expected and we scored against Japan in the first half leaving the score 1-0 at half time. When they scored we went crazy, I never screamed so loud in my life. My voice is gone today in case you were wondering. The game cotinued and Japan scored  goal after we scored our second. It was such an intense game with so many missed goals that couldve either made us or brought us down. 

Close to the end of the game, the rest of our group started screaming at us and it turns out that Hannah, merideth and I were on TV. OFCOURSE I was fixing my makeup...typical. Out of 80,000 people we were on TV that is NUTS! This moment made the night even more magical and then ofcourse the 90 minutes end and there is 2 minutes of overtime...I think I experienced what a heart attack would be like BUT WE WON! I experienced watching our womens soccer team win a gold medal. PRICELESS

Last night was everything I hoped for and more. It is one of the most amazing moments of my life and I am such a lucky girl to have experienced this with great people. I know that one day my sister will be playing at Wembley in an Olympic game. Seeing her play brings tears to my eyes now and I can't even begin to explain how proud of her I would be if she made it to the Olympics. I have full faith that she will be there. 

I'm at a loss for words to explain the feeling that I feel, it is sureal but what a great way to end my amazing trip to London!

Cheers to the weekend!

London, I love you

As the trip is coming to a close I figured I should make the most out of these remaining days and nights in my beautiful city. I am going to miss the cool and bipolar weather, the charm of the monuments as I walk down the street and the delicious tea and scones readily available to my taste buds. I love myself here but for now I know this fantasy is temporary but hope to some day make it into a reality. 

The other night the girls and I had a once and a life time experience and rode the London Eye at night. I have ridden the London eye twice before during the day but this was a new experience. I couldn't decide wether i liked London more by day or by night, but this trip on the London Eye further confirmed my choice. London at night is not only charming but it is magical. The lights, the noise, London is so alive at night and I could see it all happening from our little capsule up in the sky. It was amazing to see the Olympic Arenas lit up and fans cheering in the stands. The projections of the British flag and Olympians on Parliament were also quite charming touches to my ride. 

While up in the sky, I tried to soak in London all at once but its impossible. It is bigger than me and at this point with all of the food I am eating, that is VERY hard to believe. Anyway, London is not only a great memory but it is now a home to me and it really will hold a special place in my heart. The London Eye experience was over quicker than expected, but it was worth every penny..or pence I should say. 

Later, we found out that USA's Women's soccer team will be playing in the finals! We all never screamed so loud. I am so excited for tomorrows game! GO TEAM USA! Just thinking about the excitement and the feeling that we will all experience if they win gives me butterflies! 

Fingers crossed!

Home is where the Queen lives

Yesterday, my group and I visited Buckingham Palace. Although we have seen the outside so many times due to our documentary topic, we were further intrigued to get a closer look into where the royal family spends their time. The other palaces we have visited including Windsor, Leeds Castle, Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace have all been similar to me in the sense that they all did not feel like homes. Granted, these spaces were built for royalty but royalty or not, they are still people. The rooms had no sense of intimacy and felt rather cold. I could never imagine myself living in a space that I was not comfortable in or that did not feel  “homey”.

Before going to Buckingham I expected to experience the same feeling as I did when I visited the other palaces, especially that Buckingham Palace is where the Queen mainly works and sometimes lives. It is a rather intimidating place due to the gated front and the many guards ensuring the Queen’s safety.

While walking through Buckingham, I had to admit to myself that preexisting thoughts were far from true. Yes, Buckingham Palace is extravagant and very large but there was something about it that felt passionate, intimate and real. The colors of the rooms were very homey and warm-livable to me. My favorite room in the house was the music room. Music is a huge part of my life and is a passion of mine, which immediately drew me to this room. The room was gorgeously decorated with orchids on the piano. Orchids happen to be my favorite flowers so I was in heaven. The chandeliers glistened up above and I could just imagine the Queen sipping tea on the couch while listening to Mozart or Bach. My next thought was of myself in this room sipping tea and listening to Mozart or Bach, but I was quickly snapped back to reality when I was stepped on by a clumsy tourist.

The rest of the palace was lovely and I could honestly say that I was lost in the beauty of it. The palace pleasantly surprised me. I know I did not see all that there is to see of the palace but from what I did see, I think that I got a better understanding of the Queen from my visit.

Quite sadly, I am writing this blog on my last Tuesday in London. I may not be in the music room of Buckingham palace but I am in my lovely flat, sipping tea listening to Demi Lovato. Definitely isn’t Buckingham but there’s no other place I’d rather be.

Runaway baby

Running through the streets of London has helped me in many ways. Firstly, it is helping me to not  gain weight due to my excessive eating and drinking…okay mostly eating. I feel so good when I’m running and after I run. I wasn’t always in to running-its a rather new hobby actually. I started running for exercise probably around March and have kept up with it since then. My dad and I have been working out together and have been trying to build up our ability to run for longer lengths of time. On a good day I can run 1.5-2 miles straight. For me, that’s an accomplishment.

Running through London has some other advantages aside from health. If it isn’t obvious enough, I get to see and explore this beautifully charming city! I cant believe that each time I run I pass the Victoria and Albert Museum, Hyde Park, The National History Museum and many other places that captures London’s beauty.

Today, I expanded my run and accidently ran into Harrods…and Top shop- two of the many places which have influenced and inspired my “London style” When I came across these sanctuaries, I literally stopped mid stride to stare at the windows. I looked like a child in a candy shop..my mouth started to water…

The windows are so beautifully put together, capturing class and street style all at the same time. I think that’s why I love London fashion. This style enables you to collage completely different looks..perfect for indecisive me. I love the edge that the London look encompasses. The look permits more creativity and enables a person to truly wear their heart on their sleeves. To me, London fashion is the most honest and true.

Other than discovering fascinating sights and fashion, I usually think a lot when I run. I think about how lucky I am to be here and experiencing London. I think about my parents and how grateful I am to have them and how grateful I am for them to have given me this experience. I think about how much I miss my family and friends but also how happy and supportive they are of my travels. I think about the amazing people that I have met through my travels and how they have impacted my life. Lastly, I think about how much I have changed through my travels and over the course these 4 weeks.

Cheers to new adventures and forever exploring!!

There's no place like home

There may be no place like home but there is the great land of Oz..well at least there is on Broadway. Tonight was a magical night, unlike any night in London. I had the experience of seeing the Wizard of Oz on London's Broadway.

Since I was a little girl I have been OBSESSED with the Wizard of Oz. Something about the Wizard of Oz, was always so magical to me. When I say OBSESSED..I mean OBSESSED. From being Dorothy for numerous Halloweens, to having a Wizard of Oz themed Sweet 16..I would say that I'm a pretty big fan.

I have watched the movie a million times, but I never actually seen the play of The Wizard of Oz. I actually was in the play when I was 5 years old as one of the members of the Lullaby League. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I didn't have high expectations for the play seeing that the last time I attended the theatre for a showing of Footloose, I was very disappointed.

Boy oh boy was I pleasantly surprised. The play tonight was out of this world and completely exceeded all of my expectations. I could now say that I have truly experienced the London theatre. Footloose smootloose..Wizard od Oz took the cake..hands down.

Coming from NY it is hard to compare New York's Broadway to London's Broadway. Since I was a kid I went to Broadway with my parents. I've probably seen around 20 Broadway shows, some more than once. Since my cousins were on Broadway in Mama Mia and 42nd Street, I always had an interest in the theatre. I guess I could now say that I can add London Broadway to the top of my list. Wizard of Oz really made and impression and I can NOT wait to see Singing in the Rain tomorrow night! I truly am experiencing the London life!

Cheerio!