Last Entry

Time, once again, does not wait, and all of a sudden I am typing my last entry while flying back to Minnesota. Its weird. I can remember as if it were yesterday when I was mounting that flight on September 1st with Matt and Jimmy... completely oblivious to what I was about to experience. Even so, when I look back on Munich, Prague, the Park Lodge, the Foyle Family, the cruise, Galway, and all my other experiences, they seem like they happened years ago. As I sit here and try to understand this "transit state" that I am in, I will update all of you on my last few days in not only London, but Europe as well...

On Saturday morning, I woke to find out that David and Jimmy were planning on going to see Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, and a show ('Wicked') near South Bank. Having already seen Big Ben and 'Wicked,' I told the guys that I really wanted to go to the University in Oxford... and I did just that!

During this whole trip, I had not yet taken an excursion by myself. I wasn't worried, though; I knew the station to leave from, and the trip seemed easy enough. I took the tube to Victoria Station and bought a 13 pound ticket on a bus to Oxford (which leave every 15 minutes). The bus ride took about 2 hours... I slept for some of the way.

Upon arriving, I immediately located the tourist information spot and signed up for a 7 pound tour. After getting some lunch, I met the tour group at 2p.m.

The tour was great. Our tour guide's name was Alaster. He was a graduate from one of the colleges, University (called "Uni" around Oxford... I'll explain the college situation in a second). Alaster had worked for the BBC for some years, and when I mentioned that I was from Minnesota, he told me that he had been there a few times for a convention held by NPR.

Oxford University is a historical yet lively place. It is home over 30 colleges, each which house 500-700 students every year. When applying to Oxford University, one applies to a specific college within the campus (or multiple campuses), a part of why it is incredibly difficult to get in. Oxford gets thousands upon thousands of applicants, and they are starting to move towards a written exam for admittance. While at Oxford, the student remains at the college to which they applied, yet they graduate with a degree from Oxford University. As you may have guessed, there is often conflict between Oxford administration and the heads of the different colleges... a deep-rooted animosity between the two have kept Oxford's history very interesting to say the least.

While visiting Oxford, I was able to enter two of the colleges: Exeter and Jesus. Jesus College was home to many a big name, including famous Lawrence of Arabia. J.R.R. Tolkien attended Exter. The colleges were similar in appearance: a single, four-corridored building with a courtyard- one part of the building being a chapel, the other being a food hall and classrooms (see pictures). The history was complicated and Alaster certainly threw a lot at us, but the trip was, of course, worth it.

I caught a bus back and arrived at the Londoners flat around 8-9pm. This was the last night for a lot of the Londoners, so we decided to make one more stop (for some people, their last stop) at a pub. I ended the night with a delicious kebab... and I was off to bed!

I woke on Sunday to pack quickly and meet up with Ashley and Sam; Bennies and friends from study abroad trips (Sam having been in Ireland with me). The girls wanted to go take pictures at Abbey Road, so Jimmy, Ashley, David, Sam, and I took another trip out to Abbey Road. This time we actually got the picture right! I am excited to have been in it (you'll see that picture soon!).

Afterwards, Sam and Ashley wanted to stop by Notting Hill (apparently some famous place from a chick flick...?? whatever). After Notting Hill, we walked through Kensington Gardens and saw some swans (it was a cold but beautiful sunny day). We walked all the way to Hyde Park and Speaker's Corner. All the way long, I talked up Speaker's Corner, and how much fun it was the last time I had been there.

It did not disappoint. We spent a good two hours there. There was a Bible/Koran-thumping Evolutionist with a cowboy hat, a devout African Muslim, and (our favorite) an African American conservative who still "waved the confederate flag." Jimmy had a great time talking history with this interesting guy, and at the end, he even gave us his business card.

After Speaker's Corner, we took the girls to Camden Town, were I fell in love with a good-priced navy pea-coat (wore it today). The girls were definitely intrigued by the place... its the home of the flea market.

We met the remaining Bennies and Johnnies at a pub for our last night (or so we thought) near the hostel. Jimmy and I ordered Fish and Chips for the last time. I tried the "Old Speckled Hen" which had been so often recommended (it was OK... I think mine was slightly warmer than cellar temperature though). After eating, drinking, and discussing good memories, Jimmy and I said goodbye and headed to the airport.

We could have stayed with the girls at the hostel, but Jimmy and I saw it fit that we spend our last night at an airport and save some money. Thus Jimmy and I stayed up and watched "District 9" at the airport (a great flim) and just ended up sleeping on the floor.

In the morning, we were woken to a rude awakening. In trying to check in for our flight, we discovered that our flight had been cancelled, and that we would be flying out on Tuesday at 8a.m. While it wasn't the best news, we were entitled to a free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a night's stay at a hotel. After ordering a English breakfast in a restaurant (near the floor upon which we had slept), we caught a bus to the hotel. After a few long lines, we finally got to our hotel room.

We showered up, hung out, swapped pictures, and watched movies all day (motivation to return to London was gone.. we just wanted to go home). During dinner, we met up with some guys from the Roman/Greco trip and swapped great stories. Afterwards, we took a nap and got up at 3:30a.m. this morning...

Since then, it hasn't been terrible. The whole flight was put up in the hotel which we stayed at, so the trip back to the airport was busy. This compared NOTHING to the departure kiosks in the terminal, however. The place was a frickin' zoo... it was like a rock concert was supposed to occur at 4a.m. in Heathrow terminal. It took awhile, but we finally got through everything and went straight to the gate. Upon arriving at the gate, we discovered that some of us were flying "stand-by." I was lucky- I had a seat number. Jimmy, along with a bunch of other Bennies and Johnnies, did not have numbers. Even as I type this, I am pretty sure that some had to be left behind for the next flight (which is tomorrow). Jimmy and a couple girls are definitely on the plane right now, but I'm not so sure about the others. A 500 Euro offer was made to give up your seat, but I couldn't even do that... I didn't want to miss Christmas, and I knew Mom wouldn't be happy if I volunteered to stay an extra day.

And so here I am! about an hour or so away from landing in Minneapolis. I'm looking forward to seeing everybody that I haven't seen in awhile. It'll be nice to be home for Christmas, and I can't wait to see my family.

So ends this blog. I wish I could say something extravagant or profound to sum up the experience that I have had since September 1, 2009, but I see that as an impossible task. I return to Minnesota a completely changed man. My outlook on life has changed dramatically, and I can confidently say that I have experienced the best 4 months of my life so far. Those are the keywords, however. "So far." This trip taught me how to truly live, and I hope to take that ability with me for the rest of my life.

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you've enjoyed it. And... for the last time...

mahalo

Thomas

London!

Last time I updated, I was in Edinburgh.. lets start there.

The last day in Edinburgh was really just an odds n ends day. We got some Christmas shopping, nice food, and visited with Jimmy's friend Brittany (who has been studying abroad in Edinburgh this semester). We ended the day with a pub run. Afterwards... we caught a 9 hour bus-ride at 10:00p.m. to London. The bus ride wasn't terrible... and didn't even seem that long. We arrived here in London on Thursday morning. We found the Bennies and Johnnies London flat and immediately passed out. After a good nap, we got up and decided to explore the city!

Our first stop was at Westminster Abbey. I suggested it, even though I had already been there a few years ago. The visit was still very fulfilling.. I was glad to take David and Jimmy to it; especially Jimmy (history buff). We took a walk by Big Ben and over the River Thames. We returned that night to the flat and had a good time with the Londoners... we ended our night by going to a local pub, Archangel.

Yesterday (Friday) was a very productive day. We got up and about by 10 and were off to the British Museum. The museum was full of incredible stuff (which, as we learned from fellow Johnnie and psuedo-tour guide Ryan, the British had stolen from everywhere). The Rosetta Stone, stone murals from the Parthenon, among other things. After this, we visited Camden Town. I was in ecstasy for a few hours as we passed hundreds of shady salesmen and tacky gifts... I loved it. After that, we walked along the Thames to the Tate Modern Art Museum. I wish my sister was there... because this art was AWESOME! It wasn't your run-of-the-mill art... it was new age, Andy Warhol kind of stuff. Very cool. Anyway, we returned to the flat and stayed in for the night.. another successful day.

I still have to tell you about my day in Oxford (which was today), but it's Saturday night... and the night is calling me. I'll just put the pics up on the slideshow.. and update all of you soon!

mahalo

Thomas

Edinburgh, Saint Andrew's

Okay... so that was more than just a few minutes between the last blog, but I had to go on a GHOST Tour through Edinburgh last night. I decided to leave the update for today...

Anyway... yesterday we woke up and immediately took a free tour around the city of Edinburgh. Our tour guide's name was Seth, and he was probably the second best tour guide I have ever had. He was very knowledgeable, interesting, and helpful (especially to us poor college kids).

We learned about Edinburgh's history... which happens to be very colorful. Lots of murders, big-time names, and funny stories. We learned about William Burke and William Haire, the murderers who sold their victims bodies to medical investigators of the University. We learned a little bit about William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, the history of the Royal Mile, Greyfriar's Cemetery, Bobby the dog, Maggie Dickson (the woman who served a hanging, ask me about it later.. long but good story), The Last Drop Pub, etc. We were also introduced to Fried Haggis (which is delicious) and IRN BRU, an orangish flavored soda (which is as addicting as cigarettes). We saw the coffee shop where J.K. Rowling supposedly wrote the first two Harry Potter books, as well as the school that was inspiration for Rowling's creation of Hogwarts. The tour was AWESOME!

After the tour, we already had a list of places to visit, including the Police Museum (which had a book cover made out of the skin on the left hand of William Burke), the Writer's Museum (containing materials from Robert Louis Steveson, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns), the National Museum (containing Dolly, the first cloned animal), and the Giles Cathedral (containing 3 of only 4 angels in the world adorning bagpipes).

After our grand tour of Edinburgh, we chose to return to the hostel for a quick nap (when I updated all of you yesterday). After napping, I woke everyone up and we met up with the "Ghost Tour" of Edinburgh. There are countless "ghost" tours around the city... and the one that we went on was highly recommended by our other tour guide Seth.

The tour was pretty good. We got to go through some old cemeteries (one of which we saw the only memorial to the American Civil War outside the US... recognizing Scottish soldiers who died in the war), climbed to a high part of town, and listened to ghost stories. The murder stories were very interesting... some even including major recognizable figures such as James I and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. No ghosts... John and I tried to flash a picture in next to a frequent "spirit" spot... do you see a ghost? ... see for yourself...

Anyway.. we grabbed a couple pints and a Kebab afterwards, and headed back to the hostel.

This morning all of us got up really early to climb Arthur's seat: a high-rising hill just outside of Edinburgh. The view was supposed to be incredible, and we wanted to see it at sunrise.

The experience was fantastic. As soon as we hit the footpath at the bottom of the hill, a bagpipe player began playing in an adjacent field. We climbed all the way up Arthur's Seat with those beautiful bagpipes as our theme song. It was honestly something out of a movie. As soon as we got to the top, we rested and witnessed an absolutely breathtaking sunrise.. the experience was surreal.

After Arthur's Seat, it was decided that we would be splitting up for the remainder of the day. David and John both wanted to go to Stirling Castle, while Jimmy and I (being golf guys) elected to visit St. Andrews. Jimmy and I got to St. Andrew's at around 12:30p.m.

We saw a course as we entered the town, but we didn't know if it was the Old Course or not. We began walking towards the ocean and turned a few corners. I looked ahead and saw a fairway.. and immediately thought, "Well this looks like the fairway on 18... but really? Can I really just walk onto it?" My assumptions were correct. as we walked further up, I looked to my left and saw that famous bridge.

Jimmy and I spent a couple beautiful, sunny hours exploring the course. THIS experience was surreal. We could pretty much walk anywhere on the course (so long as there weren't players going through). I got to cross the bridge and touch the 17th and 18th greens. I spent a little time at the pro shop and got to see the Old Course locker rooms. I even ran along the beach adjacent to the 1st and 18th hole on the Old Course; the beach which was actually used in the filming of "Chariots of Fire!" Afterwards, Jimmy and I grabbed a quick lunch and ate it overlooking the ocean and a sunset, and visited the ruins of a church and abbey that were still up since the 12th Century. The weather was absolutely beautiful.. I thank God for the experience.

We returned around 7p.m. back at the hostel to meet John and David. After another nap session, we walked down to "The Last Drop" (a bar where, in medieval times, criminals would go for their last beer before they were hung) and discussed sports. Afterwards, we grabbed a Kebab and headed back to the hostel. John will be waking up at 5:00a.m. tomorrow to leave. I've gotta get up with him because he doesn't have an alarm.. it's okay with me though. I'll be sad to see John go... he's been my main pal on this trip and I hope to hang with him a lot when we get back to SJU. I will be back soon though... wether I like it or not!

Tomorrow we (Jimmy, David, and I) have a full day in Edinburgh.. and then a night bus to London! I'll update all of you in a few days...

mahalo

Thomas

Last few days in Ireland... TO SCOTLAND!

It is hard to imagine that the last time I updated this blog a month ago... time has absolutely flown between then. I have already spent my last days in Ireland and now reside in... Edinburgh, Scotland! After my full day in this cold, Christmas-y city, I reminded myself that I did indeed have a blog... one that needed to be updated! So, to avoid evoking too many sad feelings about leaving the fine country of Ireland, I will keep my last update of Ireland brief. Afterwards... my adventures in Scotland!

The last few days of Ireland were dense with activity. As you may have deduced, I was studying for finals for all of my classes. Literature turned out fantastic (A on my last paper), the Irish Catholicism paper seemed to turn out really well, as did my History paper I'm sure. Ethics Seminar seemed to just tamper off because of a few cancelled classes, but it still ended well. In early December we had a "Prom" at the PLH... a fake-formal event reminiscing on high-schoolish memories. Contrary to what I expected, the event was quite fun. I ended the night playing Beer Pong with Kyle... a partnership that will forever be remembered as "undefeated at the Park Lodge: 10-0." We had a night in the pub for the birthday people, Khris and Maggie. Megan also read a "reminiscent rap" for everybody on the last night in the pub... a fine night. Everybody was dancin'! I took my last few trips to Spiddal and Galway.

One of the last days, Jane Marie gave John and me a pass to go to the Connemara Hotel and Resort for a session in the outdoor spas. We sat in a hot tub that overlooked the prestine Galway Bay on a beautiful, sunny December day... another unforgettable experience. I spent that whole day reminiscing with John about how awesome our experience was here. After spending some time in the Spa, Sauna, pool, etc.. John and I walked 3-4 miles back to the PLH.

Patrick McLoone took the initiative of buying the Foyle's a picture for serving CSB/SJU students for 25 years... which the whole group presented on the last night. We even ended up exploring some magical forests in Barna, a small village down the road from Spiddal. We packed and cleaned up the cottages. We had our last Tuesday "Pizza-America" night, our last normal night in the PLH Pub, our last classes, our last Rugby '08 game, our last walk to the ocean, our last... well, you get the picture.

The last two days of Ireland are memorable for me, so I will recount those quickly. On Friday night (December 12) the boys of Cabin 2 walked up to Rory's house for a splendid meal of steak and chicken. Rory was happy to have our company.. we talked and reminisced about the whole semester. Afterwards, we returned to the PLH and visited Cabin 1, where another

reminiscent session was going on ("Who is most likely to..."). At 2:30 a.m., a majority of the crew took a bus to either Dublin or Shannon... everyone was there to say goodbye, even JP and Rory. Lots of emotions, hugs, etc... it wasn't that fun at all. I was glad to be one of the last students leaving...

The following day (Saturday, December 13) marked my last day at the PLH, Spiddal, and Ireland in general. I remember it well! I woke at 10:00 a.m. to help Jane Marie with the wedding that would be going on that evening. I hung draperies (which Jane Marie was CONVINCED that I knew what I was doing... because I had mentioned that my Mom was an Interior Decorator), cleaned dishes, swept outside of the bar, etc. For my "morning shift," I was compensated with an Irish breakfast. After eating, I traveled with Jane Marie to her house to retrieve Christmas decorations, and preparing some food. I was given I small break for a nap in the afternoon, which I used to walk up to Rory's house with David. David and I enjoyed tea and scones as the sun set over a beautiful Galway Bay that I would see for the last time in a while... I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rory gave us a lift back to the PLH, where I began almost immediately laboring in the kitchen with lots of other Irish women running around and yelling at each other. Over the course of the night, John and I helped prepare 3 courses for at least 200 meals (for which we where compensated for a meal as well!). After the work was done, we took off. Jane Marie left for her house and thanked us for all the work that we did for her during the semester.. she was happy to have gotten to know us.

At this point in the night, the only people left at the PLH were Jimmy, John, David, and myself (coincidentally the people that I am traveling with right now). John and Jimmy left at 10:30p.m. to catch a lift into Galway... which left David and myself. We decided to call up our assistant director, Allison, and take a walk into Spiddal for a drink at Hughe's.

The last night in Hughe's was absolutely classic. I knew that I absolutely had to have one last talk with a random Irish person... so right when I got in the pub, I grabbed a Guinness and headed for the bar. I found a lonely Irish man (probably about 60-70), and began conversation with him. While he was slow to talk at first, I got him going pretty quickly. I found out that he was from Dublin and was a STAUNCH conservative (a seemingly rare identity in Ireland). We talked politics for most of the time, but I was very happy to have gotten to know Tom Leonard and his sentiments. After a walk back from Hughe's, Allison, David and I stopped by the wedding at the PLH for a few pints. We enjoyed looking back on the semester (especially the crashing of the Irish wedding in September). Afterwards, we went back to the cabin, and I fell asleep to be awoken by Allison... time to leave!

David and I had scheduled a cab lift from Rory at 4:45am for a 5:30am bus out of Galway. Saying goodbye to JP, Allision, and Rory was tough... but I assured JP and Rory that I would be back! Hopefully within the next 5 years. The bus ride to Dublin was hazy.. I slept for a majority of the ride. Being at the Dublin Airport was equally as hellish, as was the plane ride into Edinburgh. By the time we reached Edinburgh, however, my hangover was gone, and I was no longer tired. David and I met John and Jimmy (who had taken an earlier flight) at the City Centre Hostel (where we are staying) and headed out to explore the city.

This first exploring of the city was just a prequel to what we were about to experience, yet it was still very cool. We walked up and down the "Royal Mile" (a famous yet touristy street with lots of shops) and saw the outside of Edinburgh Castle. We went into a Fabric Mills factory where we saw kilts, scarves, etc. being made. I am really tempted to purchase a kilt, but they are terribly expensive! The merchandise here is definitely the most interesting and the best quality that I have seen. Most of the shops are clean and well-cared for. After a few hours of exploring the streets of Edinburgh, we picked up some Sunday night football food and came back to the hostel and watched our Minnesota Vikings dominate the Cincinnati Bengals. I passed out after the 1st half as I was tired and wasn't feeling too good. Overall.. a bad travel day, yet a nice day around Edinburgh.

I'm goin' to separate this blog with another entry... just to make it easier on your eyes. I'll give you another update on what happened TODAY in the next few minutes...

mahalo..

thomas