Saturday, December 24, 2011
Old friends
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Of warm sand and warm baths
Encinitas is lovely. Just lovely! When I drive around I can't believe how fast I forgot how lovely it is! It may be December 22nd and many people are shoveling snow and huddled around fireplaces, but us San Diegoians are sitting at the beach in bikinis and eating lunch. Well, not me. I read a book while my toes were submerged in the wa
rm top sand. Warm breezes floated by, muffling the sounds of annoying children. This is the part I love about coming 'home.' The part I don't love? It has changed so much! I wanted to visitmy elementary school and I got lost on the roads because roads have been added, houses been built, and entire neighborhoods are standing where there used to just be greenhouses. I did visit my pre-school, and thankfully that hasn't changed.
My favorite record store has moved into the the smallest space and no longer carries as much 'new' music. Maybe if I go eat a burrito my outlook on life will cheer up.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Another journey
So here I am. True it's not a very exciting travel adventure I am embarking on, but it is still a journey none-the-less. I just got home in Encinitas at my parent's house. I am typing this from my childhood room and bed. Strange.
Recap? Sure! Work, Dasha drove me to the airport, I got on a plane, sat next to a guy with a dog, read, de-planed, got rental car, drove to ENC. Much to my joy I see that my parents put up Christmas lights all over the juniper and along the balcony. Here is a photo to prove it. I love it.
I walk in at 11:30PM, the front door is unlocked, and my father is sleeping on the couch while Mom is watching TV. I get hugs. And kisses. Offerings of food. Water. Dad brings my suitcase upstairs. I quick chat and everybody is ready for bed. They even outfitted my bed with an electric blanket. And it was turned on all ready for my cold toes.
Tomorrow is going to yoga with my Mom. My parents just joined a gym and I have a day pass to go with them. I'm dragging my Mom to her first yoga class and I think she'll like it a lot. Dad'll do cardio. I'll also take lots of photos and post. It's nice to be back, even if it is much too quiet at nighttime. I almost miss the 21-Hayes bus going past every 15 minutes.
Monday, August 1, 2011
OOOHHHH OH! I'm half way there
Shuttle, crowded Heathrow, strong latte, seven hour flight. I watched Limitless, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Arthur. Read. No sleep. Coughed a lot while sitting bitch (in between two other people). Chatted with an awesome Irish lady.
Got to JFK and waited for six hours. Too long. So long. Nice part is that I see an alum from work and her parents. I finally get a lovely chat with someone I know and realize how one-sided it was. Whoops.
DELAY FOR ANOTHER HOUR. Will I ever get home? My sleep schedule is in your hands Virgin America. Be kind.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
One more night
I will do a quick re-cap of my last days since I last posted from Wales. I went to Bath and got in somewhat late but thanks to the crazy sunshine out here I had plenty of hours to walk around in daylight. Bath is so serene and one of my more favorite cities in England. It was relaxed. Nobody was rushing anywhere. The buildings were amazing beautiful. The air was warm with just enough breeze. I would happily go back there in an instant. There were a lot of green spaces that were just begging for me to sit in them and read but I could only do so much. After my first day of wandering about it was time to go to bed. It didn't go as well as planned. My first attempt of sleep ended up in a coughing fit and I found myself sitting in the common room watching "Angels & Demons" with a creepy local Bath resident who wanted to talk to me about the different ways of spelling and pronouncing yogurt (yoghurt). I tried to go back to bed again but that didn't last long because I didn't want to keep those around me up all night so it was back to the common room again. I fell asleep on the couch, sitting up, while the TV showed reruns of Friends. It was a pathetic sight but the weird Bath resident pointed me in the direction of the local health clinic. I went there the next morning.
The clinic was helpful with no wait. The nurse listened to my lungs and said 'ick'. It was pretty bad. She told me I should have come in much much sooner. I never learn. I was prescribed Amoxocillin for seven days to clear up the widespread infection in my lungs. Four days later it has helped me falling asleep but my lungs still feel heavy. Looks like I'll be visiting my doctor when I get back into town. I'm dubbing this the 'hobo cough'. If you ask nicely I'll tell you how I think I got this hobo cough but I'd rather not write about it online. It's embarrassing and gross.
The rest of Bath contained the Roman Baths for me which were fantastic. And HUGE. I thought I'd see a couple of old rectangular pits with dirty water in them and I was sorely wrong. It was a fantastic sight.
Then I went to Oxford and WOW. I thought the buildings in Bath were neat but these were neater. Old large buildings and a big university. I would gladly live in Oxford for a year. It was humming with energy but surrounded by gardens and old buildings. Plus there was a river flowing through the middle which means in my future canalboat holiday I could pull up anchor there for a bit.
The next day I got a fancy hotel room to myself so I could pack my bag and get a good nights rest. When I unpacked my bag, to repack, I couldn't find my pants. In a span of 12 hours I lost my only pair of jeans. Where I have no idea. Maybe my hostel in Oxford. Maybe they fell out of my bag on the train when I got my sweater out. Now I'm pantsless.
My fancy hotel had a swimming pool and it was so warm outside I couldn't contain my excitement. I gathered up my items, book and towel and camera and a snack and antibiotic, but the elevator said to get to the pool go to level '-1'. Bwah? It was a small indoor pool next to a steam room with an old lady watching over it. I felt like she was judging my every move in the water. Weird. Hotel pools should be outside in the sunshine. Always.
Now it is my last night in London. I didn't do much besides sit in a park and read. I walked by a flower market but they were closing up. I ate some ice cream. I made my last microwaved dinner for a long time at the hostel. The bus to the airport comes to get me in 8 hours. I should get some sleep but I'm too excited and nervous. Heathrow to JKF to SFO. It is going to be a long day but it will pay off when I get to hug two friends at the airport. It's been a long time since I hugged a good friend. It's the little things you end up missing. Oh and Ness. I'll see you soon. You better remember who buys your food.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
A whale of a time in Wales
I had left my hostel in Dublin early, 9.30am, to find the ferry to Wales. My plan was simple, put all my stuff on my back and walk towards the water. It wasn't that easy. I walked for two and a half hours sweating out whatever water my body felt like retaining while I coughed out the rest in globs. I wasn't a pretty sight when I rolled up to the ticket counter. Next ferry was at 2.30pm so I fell asleep in the terminal unable to buy any food because they only took euros and I spent my last one the night before on dinner I didn't eat. I had 12 pounds in change but they didn't care, so I slept. Then ferry. Then two trains. Then finally I got into Cardiff to check in at 11pm.
I was so happy I put my bag down to take photos then tripped over my bag as I ran across the room to look at my view. It wasn't worth the faceplant. King sized bed. Unnecessary couch. Kettle. TV. Hairdryer. Then I thought about the bathroom, and maybe I'd finally get my bath. In cruel, but hilarious, twist of fate I was in a disabled room and had a shower with a seat in it. But none the less it was all MINE. For three days. I went NPP and watched TV for too long. The best show in the world is by children's BBC called 'Horrible Histories'. YouTube it. It should be there. I watched hours of it. When I wasn't hacking my lungs up. I bought more meds. But never did I had a nice restful night. The last night there was the worst. At 1.30am I woke myself up by coughing so hard. I couldn't get a breath in. It felt like asthma, TB, and tonsillitis all at once. I had tears from my eyes and snot from my nose. Not a pretty picture. I'm glad I was alone. I sort of fell asleep sitting up right after drinking some hot honey water. Another near death experience avoided. When I woke up I felt much better. My sore throat was gone. And I trained over to Bath trying not to freak out the lady next to me with my deep throaty voice.
Cardiff was gorgeous. I wish I felt better to have experienced it. There was this park attached to the Cardiff Castle that was so serene you never knew you were in the middle of a city. There were big meadows just like Golden Gate Park but this was flat and was dotted with trees in the middle. You heard the rustling of leaves and not the sound of that screaming kid who got punched by their older sibling. I would have loved to have stayed there longer if the sun kept being warm and that one guy didn't creep me out (sitting to close to me and following me around when I walked somewhere). Also the signs were always in Welsh first and everything was extremely difficult to pronounce. I didn't talk enough to people to get a good/bad vibe off of them but I can tell you I love BBC TV. They are hilarious and get away with showing some very naughty stuff on TV.
Now I'm in Bath. Tomorrow is stonehenge. There is a Spaniard intensely watching Angels & Demons on DVD while two French girls giggle while on their phones. I miss my single room already. I'm coming home soon Ness, put some pants on and get those RSVPs back for my welcome home party.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sick in Ireland
It started off mild but it got worse as the trip progressed. Cough drops wouldn't hack it anymore. I bought some meds that sort of worked for awhile. Then my new friend started getting sick too. I felt terrible. While on a day trip through the ring of Kerry my symptoms came on strong and my fellow sickmate said she just got some cold/flu capsules and I was welcome to them. I took two after lunch and don't remember much after that because they were a drowsy formula. Ugh. Damn UK labels and brands that I don't understand. I woke up to wander on the lovely sights but I was too doped up to remember anything or even remember to take photos.
The next day was better. I rode a horse named Jasper in an Irish national forest.
After that I ended up going back to the hostel early to get rest. I was a total lame-o especially after I bought this medicine called Exputex. It's an Irish thing moms often give to their babies with the grossest name ever invented. I won't tell you what it does but it did not make for a fun long bus ride.
What will I take away from Ireland? That I was terribly sick for most of it. The views were beautiful. The Irish pub songs are memorable. The dancing men were fantastic. But I think Scotland still holds my heartstrings.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Starting my Irish tour
On the brightside... free WiFi on the bus!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Glasgow....
When I got in I felt ragged and sick, I think someone on the highland trip gave me their sickness. From the train station it turned out my hotel was 2 miles away so I huffed it with all my stuff on my back. I got in and the guy behind the desk was so happy he was able to put me and another American in a two bunk room. Texas wouldn't stop talking about everything and anything. She had apparently washed some items in the sink and turned on the heater to have it dry. But by bedtime we could not get the heater to turn off. I opened the window and tried to sleep off my sickness. I woke up at 3am in a sweat and my throat closed off. I was top bunk and it was hot as a witches womb up there. I gathered up my items and in a groggy state I went to the front desk. The night guard tried to show me how a real man turns off a heater... but he couldn't either. He took pity on me because he said he hates sleeping in heat as well. I got a two bed room upstairs to myself to pass out in and pass out I did. When I woke up around 11am the cleaning lady put me in another room for my last night which was a queen sized bed and shower/bathroom attached! Heaven! I went into town to buy medicine and watch Harry Potter. Then back to my room to watch BBC tv and tried to figure out who these celebrities were. I recognized David Hasselhoff and his daughters but no one else. Thanks chatty Texas girl! You get to be stuck in a hot room with s small TV because you messed with the heater and I don't have have to leave my room for hours (I got the wifi signal too!).
Then I left. Glasgow wasn't that great. A big industrial city with lots of shopping. We'll see if I come back.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Highland Pisser
I got into my hostel in Edinburgh and it was the best one yet! Very close to the corner where I used to flier for SBJM. One night I was there it was a hostel pub crawl and I decided to go along. As I was getting ready in the room I noticed the girl on my bottom bunk was getting ready to go out on the pub crawl too! Rosemary and I latch on to one another and have a blast meeting all sorts of people: a Dutch, a south carolinian, and oodles of Aussies and Canadians. I had a lot of fun and this was just the beginning of a fun week.
I board my bus for the five day highland trip and I instantly see a girl I pub crawled with! Already two minutes into this adventure and I have a friend. The group is all ages all nationalities all ready for fun. The 23 of us spend the next several days seeing amazing sights, eating haggis, drinking, having more than one tartan toga party, experiencing rusty nails, listening to hours of stories from our tour guide, and respecting any hangovers. We had a blast and became a tight knit group. I am so thankful to have had this experience. Good friends too! I hope some of them visit in SF. Except for those many under 21 year-olds I met... I'll expect them to visit when they are of age. Tons of photos to come.
Now I'm in Glasgow. It's okay. I left my heart in Edinburgh.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Mother hen
Monday, July 4, 2011
Things the UK has a lot of
- Punks and punk culture
- Jumpers. Like clothing jumpers. The things you'd wear in 2nd grade.
- Mayonnaise. They try and sneak it into everything.
- Fake eyelashes.
- House techo music.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Snoring
All I have to say is that Future Mr. Ann Pattison cannot snore. It'd be the end of me.
Friday, July 1, 2011
A strange new hostel mate
In other news, I've been in Liverpool for three hours and love it. I want to have my 35 birthday here with as many friends as possible. Maybe we can all rent this cat hostel together.
God bless library workers
With that being said, it started out a normal day. Checked out even though I couldn't find my key card, ate some toast and drank some tea, then got on the trains to go to London. At my first stop over I thought I'd get some food for the next, longer, train ride. But where is my wallet with a couple of pounds, ATM card, credit card, drivers license???? Where? There? No. In there? No. Packed here? No. Shit. Sitting in a park I start to ball. I am making terrible sad sounds. No one even looks. I dump out my bags and check everything twice. Nothing. The tears fall harder but at least I have my passport and AmEx card in a safe spot. I try to dry my eyes and find a phone. I ask some women working the train station to help me call my hostel. Their phone can't connect the line. I tear up and walk away with them just looking at one another not sure how to react. I find a bar and beg the bartender to give me the wi-fi password so I can check my email. I ask him for a phone with blurry wet eyes and amazingly this bar has no phone! I cry again and start to wander the streets. I can't use any public phones, I have no change. I find a public library, God save the queen! Librarians are world known for being wonderfully nice and helpful so I look to them for some compassion. I explain to the guard at the door checking bags my story and he doesn't subject me to further humiliation by searching my gigantic backpack. I go up to a guy in coat check, tell him what happened and he says "Oy, you need to borrow a phone, eh? Here you are" and passes me his phone he was just texting on. No big deal to him. THE HOSTEL HAS IT. Thank the heavens. While I was so befuddled that the hostel didnt care if I didnt returned the room key or that they even needed my name on check out I left my wallet on the reception desk.
First huge lesson learned. I thankful I have an all day train pass today. I need to train back to Brighton to pick up the wallet, train to London, transfer, then get my butt to Liverpool.
I hope you didnt read that Mom, but if you did I am now extra aware of everything I do. I have a lot of time to think and reflect while I am on trains today.
Brighton, England
The days in Brighton were warm and the nights were windy.
I am happy I choose a small 6 bed hostel room because the girls I was with were great. The first night I went out with the two young Aussie girls who love London and are starting a four month trip around Europe which I am jealous of. My other two nights two girls closer to my age who were in town for an OT conference took me out. Nothing much but I needed the conversation. I learned UK slang and what sweets to avoid and even some Irish history. Last night as we were walking home two gents were fancy on us and chatted us up. One even took my US phone number and swore to call me (even though he doesnt know my name and called me 'America' all night).
I'll go back to Brighton one day but it will probably be with family.
The thought of 31 more days alone is daunting and I worry that the friends I made briefly in Brighton was a fluke and won't happen again. So I have been proactive and have booked myself a 5 day bus trip in Scotland. Also this way my days will have more direction and I'll have some more history lessons while I'm here. I may be more poor than I thought when I get back to the states but I already look forward to cooking dinner on a regular basis.
Next stop, Liverpool.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Dopplegangers
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Adventure #3: Trains
In other news I have a new favorite city name: Dorking.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
A horse! My kingdom for a horse!
I queued up for a ticket and was sold a return 2 minutes before curtain. Thank goodness I'm quick at peeing. It was amazing. And I had a great seat too, only for 20 pounds! The show starred Kevin Spacey as Richard III and the production was directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty fame). Wowie. I'll be honest to say I didn't know the storyline beforehand so everything was a surprise, but the constant deaths of all the characters weren't. I think I need to stop reading so much Song of Ice & Fire for a while because I kept drawing too many comparisons. Ask me, if you're interested. Most of you aren't.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Adventure #2: More alone than usual
Friday, June 24, 2011
I'm here and rested
I found some big named sights like Big Ben and got lost somewhere around Picidilly. I think my favorite part of England so far is how well people are dressed! Men in nice fitting suits and women in sharp looking outfits. Makes me want to step up my game.
I've met some nice people in the hostel but I'm not going out of my way to make best friends just yet. I'm still dazed at the fact I have over a month ahead of me with no obligations. I can do whatever I want whenever. Now I'm waiting endlessly for a bunch of men in red outfits to walk and change places, just like they do everyday.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Adventure #1: Conversions
NYC: The appetizer to my trip
Now I need to re-pack to fly to London. On my flight from SF to NYC my backpack weighed 56 (!) pounds, but I have to get it to 50 or below to fly across the Atlantic. My first of many trials I will need to outwit on my trip. I am thankfully not as nervous as I was while I was in SF, I think now I just want to be there. Everything is in order and I have a window seat. Let's do this!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Wait, how many shirts do I REALLY need to pack??!?
Today when I got home from work it was a lovely sunny afternoon so I sat in my papasaun chair to read with the window open blowing in a light breeze and Ness curled up on my lap. Eventually we fell asleep. For the next 55 days I'm going to miss these afternoons but hopefully when I get back Ness will remember who I am so we can fall asleep reading again.
My nerves are subsiding, mostly because there is to much to do before I leave.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Want a postcard?
Also, HI MOM AND DAD! I know you read this. And don't worry about sending me your address, I've got that one memorized. But you two will also have to wait till after Grandma gets her postcard mailed.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Less than two weeks
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A happy surprise in my mailbox
I would happily kiss the U.S. Government right now. It was one week. ONE WEEK of waiting. And I did not spend the extra millions of dollars to expedite the service. Thank you Obama and your minions, you gave me one more thing to mark off my To Do list.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Pray for my passport
If I do not get it renewed by the middle of June I will cry. The woman
in window said it would be 3 - 4 weeks. I hope she's right.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Getting closer
Rail pass? Purchased.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Week One - Planned
The map to the left is the basic route I will be taking. My trip has undergone several transformations and here is the most updated plan (starting in London, traveling . I will now travel by train while I am on the island of Britain and then ferry over to Dublin. Sadly I will not have enough time to make it to Belfast, the Isle of Man, and the Isle of Skye, but this means I'll have a reason to come back and visit again!
Today I booked my first six nights at a hostel in London very close to Buckingham palace. I can't wait to be a full blood tourist walking along the Thames, watching the changing of the guards, and touring the palace.
Things are starting to get expensive but I guess I knew that would happen. The best thing about planning early is that I can pay off things before they even happen. Google is being a best friend in this planning phase. I have my list in google word of sights to see, a spreadsheet of my costs, a calendar of where I'll be staying and when, and finally many maps of the entire trip and trips around the cities I'll be visiting. Neat huh? Technology!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Inverness or Aberdeen?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A few thoughts from PR
1. I miss my bed. Seems like a common thing and that is because it is so true! Nothing ever beats your own sheets.
2. It is hard to explore anything in groups.
3. I'm getting used to being in heat but I still don't like it.
4. I am looking forward to traveling with a future SO to do all those romantic things that don't work alone (for example, paddleboats....).
5. Local PR food is amazing. Just amazing.
6. Older PR men like me. A lot. I don't feel the same about them.
7. Traveling anywhere with 27 8th graders sucks, no matter what.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
I bought my ticket!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Thanks Obama!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
S.Varki is a GREAT person
Jennifer Dong is a GREAT person
Hugs and kisses Jenn! Thank you a million times over.
Monday, February 14, 2011
HAY EVERYBODY
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Suitcase or Backpack?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
This trip is meant to be
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Oh yeah, Puerto Rico
A new year, A new plan
- Windsor castle
- Stonehenge
- City of Bath
- Westminster Abby
- Irish pub
- "There once was a Pattison in Limerick"
- Aberdeen
- Prince Harry
- Tower of London
- The Tate (hehehe)
- More Loch's
- What else am I missing?
- The Globe (in London).
- Guinness Factory Tour.
- Dover / Canterbury.
- Portabello Market (Notting Hill!)
- Rosetta Stone / Elgin Marbles in British Natural History Museum.
- Look for Big Nessie.