London I Love You
London was wonderful!
I‘m a bit bummed to be back in reality, but at least the Easter holidays are coming up. Thank the Easter bunny for five day weekends!
I‘m going to tell you all about the trip, but since it was quite packed with activities I will break it down with LJ cuts so that you can skip over stuff that doesn't catch your interest. You are of course free to skip everything and just read the tl;dr at then end. (But then you miss the pictures!)
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Tl;dr version:
- Harry Potter studio tour: Very train. Delicious butterbeer. Much emotions. Wow.
- Book of Mormon show: Incredibly funny and worth the ticket price. Met interesting Doctor Who couple who were about to be engaged!
- Parliament tour and afternoon tea: So majestic! And the best scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam you can imagine.
- Windsor castle: Queen was at home but did not come out to greet us. Also, breaking news: Rich people make giant rooms with awesome paintings and furniture.
- Went to church??? (Got to sit in very fancy church chair.)
- Saw St. Paul‘s from the outside and also spent money on Oxford Street.
So. That was my trip to London.
Like I said before, I'm glad that I have another few days off coming up so that I'll be able to rest and recuperate. Although, I'm already invited to one party on Friday, and my mother got tickets for a Jesus Christ Superstar show on Thursday. Still. I think I'll probably have plenty of time to rest as well.
You guys have any plans for Easter?
I‘m a bit bummed to be back in reality, but at least the Easter holidays are coming up. Thank the Easter bunny for five day weekends!
I‘m going to tell you all about the trip, but since it was quite packed with activities I will break it down with LJ cuts so that you can skip over stuff that doesn't catch your interest. You are of course free to skip everything and just read the tl;dr at then end. (But then you miss the pictures!)
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Tl;dr version:
- Harry Potter studio tour: Very train. Delicious butterbeer. Much emotions. Wow.
- Book of Mormon show: Incredibly funny and worth the ticket price. Met interesting Doctor Who couple who were about to be engaged!
- Parliament tour and afternoon tea: So majestic! And the best scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam you can imagine.
- Windsor castle: Queen was at home but did not come out to greet us. Also, breaking news: Rich people make giant rooms with awesome paintings and furniture.
- Went to church??? (Got to sit in very fancy church chair.)
- Saw St. Paul‘s from the outside and also spent money on Oxford Street.
So. That was my trip to London.
Like I said before, I'm glad that I have another few days off coming up so that I'll be able to rest and recuperate. Although, I'm already invited to one party on Friday, and my mother got tickets for a Jesus Christ Superstar show on Thursday. Still. I think I'll probably have plenty of time to rest as well.
You guys have any plans for Easter?
A Seven Month Journey Summed Up
Firstly - Happy birthday Þorri! I'm so glad you've finally joined me in being 25 years old. It's weird when you're younger than me. ♥
It's good to be home. My gym! My clothes! My shoes! If I could give inanimate objects hugs I would be hugging these things. At the same time I find myself staring out the bus window, wondering if the last 7 months actually happened. I think it will take me a while to get used to the mundane.
Until I do get used to it, I have plenty to do! There's so much stuff. I don't know how people have time for jobs. I'm busy all day just dealing with stuff and going to the gym.
Hopefully I will get a job soon, though. I'm not sure all this productivity will last if I'm unemployed for months.
Anyway, I wanted to write one last public post and sum up my ~feelings about my trip around the world. The feelings are kind of mixed. I'm ecstatic that the trip happened, but I'm sad about how out of shape I have become because of the trip. (I went to the gym to lift weights yesterday... All of my muscles are useless today. It hurts to think about moving.) I know you may think this is a silly thing to be pouting about, but it seriously feels like my favourite toy has been taken away. Happily, this problem is easy to fix. It will just take a few months to get back to where I was.
Okay, top five lists! (In no particular order.)
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I think I learned a lot on the road. Mostly to trust myself - I am totally capable of organising and taking care of myself. I can find my way around an unfamiliar place and I can even figure out the public transport and how to get food. It's a great and empowering thing to learn.
I also learned that people are pretty much awesome and are usually willing to help you out if you run into trouble trying to accomplish the things I just mentioned. A big smile will help you get help.
People are the same wherever you go. There are superficial differences, but when it comes right down to it, we're all just trying to make a living and have some fun in the process.
It's good to be home. My gym! My clothes! My shoes! If I could give inanimate objects hugs I would be hugging these things. At the same time I find myself staring out the bus window, wondering if the last 7 months actually happened. I think it will take me a while to get used to the mundane.
Until I do get used to it, I have plenty to do! There's so much stuff. I don't know how people have time for jobs. I'm busy all day just dealing with stuff and going to the gym.
Hopefully I will get a job soon, though. I'm not sure all this productivity will last if I'm unemployed for months.
Anyway, I wanted to write one last public post and sum up my ~feelings about my trip around the world. The feelings are kind of mixed. I'm ecstatic that the trip happened, but I'm sad about how out of shape I have become because of the trip. (I went to the gym to lift weights yesterday... All of my muscles are useless today. It hurts to think about moving.) I know you may think this is a silly thing to be pouting about, but it seriously feels like my favourite toy has been taken away. Happily, this problem is easy to fix. It will just take a few months to get back to where I was.
Okay, top five lists! (In no particular order.)
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I think I learned a lot on the road. Mostly to trust myself - I am totally capable of organising and taking care of myself. I can find my way around an unfamiliar place and I can even figure out the public transport and how to get food. It's a great and empowering thing to learn.
I also learned that people are pretty much awesome and are usually willing to help you out if you run into trouble trying to accomplish the things I just mentioned. A big smile will help you get help.
People are the same wherever you go. There are superficial differences, but when it comes right down to it, we're all just trying to make a living and have some fun in the process.
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sore
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Home Sweet Home
I'm back in Iceland! I got back last night, but I didn't come online since I needed to sleep.
The journey went pretty well. It was long, but not as stupid as the journey from England to Australia. (I didn't have to spend the night freezing to death in the overly air conditioned airport in Abu Dhabi.) I did have to spend 8 hours in Heathrow, but that was fine. I had a book.
Right now I'm going to have a shower and enjoy a big glass of ice cold tap water. Oh, Icelandic tap water. How I have missed you.
Later on I'm going to visit my sister and my nephew and go DANCING. Yay!
The journey went pretty well. It was long, but not as stupid as the journey from England to Australia. (I didn't have to spend the night freezing to death in the overly air conditioned airport in Abu Dhabi.) I did have to spend 8 hours in Heathrow, but that was fine. I had a book.
Right now I'm going to have a shower and enjoy a big glass of ice cold tap water. Oh, Icelandic tap water. How I have missed you.
Later on I'm going to visit my sister and my nephew and go DANCING. Yay!
Land of Ice and Snow, Here I Come!
I can't believe I'll be in Iceland in a few days. It's kind of surreal. Also I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I am so excited to see my family and get back to my gym, but on the other hand... I don't have a job to go to. I don't really know what I'll do with myself with no job and no school to occupy my time.
Could someone just pay me to go to the gym and to the swimming pool? That would be optimal. Maybe I could trick rich people who are out of shape into paying me for going to the gym for them?
Anyway, Narrabri is becoming unbearably hot. It's not quite there yet, but I have a feeling that this is a good time to leave. I will miss my grandmother and Lindsay. Being at their house is always such a wonderful experience. Happily, I will see them in Iceland before too long.
Christmas this year is going to be an epic family celebration. All of my family members who live in Australia will be there! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Christmas is still more than a month away.
Icelandic friends! Maybe I will be seeing you soon? There must be some excuse to party coming up...
Depending on internet access, this might be my last post from Australia. So I guess I'll see you guys on the flip side. Ciao!
Could someone just pay me to go to the gym and to the swimming pool? That would be optimal. Maybe I could trick rich people who are out of shape into paying me for going to the gym for them?
Anyway, Narrabri is becoming unbearably hot. It's not quite there yet, but I have a feeling that this is a good time to leave. I will miss my grandmother and Lindsay. Being at their house is always such a wonderful experience. Happily, I will see them in Iceland before too long.
Christmas this year is going to be an epic family celebration. All of my family members who live in Australia will be there! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Christmas is still more than a month away.
Icelandic friends! Maybe I will be seeing you soon? There must be some excuse to party coming up...
Depending on internet access, this might be my last post from Australia. So I guess I'll see you guys on the flip side. Ciao!
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sleepy
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Yay Obama!
Yay Obama! Congratulations to my American friends and to the rest of us! I'm so relieved!
In other news, I'm back in Narrabri and my day to day life is full of thrashing wheat (don't ask) and playing Scrabble. I love Scrabble. That's all for now, as my grandmother's internet connection is being weird due to some thunder storms. They're not even that close! Silly internet.
The weather has been hot hot hot, but everyone is hoping for rain rain rain. I even went swimming today in the unheated Narrabri pool and it was such a relief!
Anyway, back to my Scrabble game...
In other news, I'm back in Narrabri and my day to day life is full of thrashing wheat (don't ask) and playing Scrabble. I love Scrabble. That's all for now, as my grandmother's internet connection is being weird due to some thunder storms. They're not even that close! Silly internet.
The weather has been hot hot hot, but everyone is hoping for rain rain rain. I even went swimming today in the unheated Narrabri pool and it was such a relief!
Anyway, back to my Scrabble game...
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ecstatic
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Sydney and Byron Bay
It has been decided! Þorri and I are returning to Narrabri next Friday. It will be an interesting cross-country journey involving a bus and two trains. We'll have to leave Byron Bay on Thursday because one of the trains is an overnight train! It will be lovely to see my grandmother and Lindsay again. (As well as my grandmother's wonderful collection of books!)
As I mentioned in my very brief previous post, the stay in Byron Bay has been a dream come true so far. We could have been luckier with the weather, but I'm definitely not complaining. We've has some amazing sunny days.
However, I haven't told you guys a thing about Sydney! This post will be novel length if I try to go into all the details, so I'm just going to post a few pictures along with a few comments.
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Last Monday Þorri and I flew to Byron Bay. We've been spending time with Lindsay's daughter's family as we are crashing at their place. But like I said in my last post, we've also been able to take a trip to Currumbin Sanctuary (Australian animal "zoo"), walk to the most Easterly part of Australia, and hang around the beach for a bit.
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Tomorrow we're going to have a day of pampering at a spa and then we're going to the Lounge Cinema to see Looper. I'm really excited! I haven't had a full body massage since I was here in 2006! The Lounge Cinema is a treat as well. You sort of lie around instead of sitting! It's so comfy.
P.S. I totally recommend The Iron Lady. Fantastic film! Meryl Streep is a genius.
As I mentioned in my very brief previous post, the stay in Byron Bay has been a dream come true so far. We could have been luckier with the weather, but I'm definitely not complaining. We've has some amazing sunny days.
However, I haven't told you guys a thing about Sydney! This post will be novel length if I try to go into all the details, so I'm just going to post a few pictures along with a few comments.
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Last Monday Þorri and I flew to Byron Bay. We've been spending time with Lindsay's daughter's family as we are crashing at their place. But like I said in my last post, we've also been able to take a trip to Currumbin Sanctuary (Australian animal "zoo"), walk to the most Easterly part of Australia, and hang around the beach for a bit.
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Tomorrow we're going to have a day of pampering at a spa and then we're going to the Lounge Cinema to see Looper. I'm really excited! I haven't had a full body massage since I was here in 2006! The Lounge Cinema is a treat as well. You sort of lie around instead of sitting! It's so comfy.
P.S. I totally recommend The Iron Lady. Fantastic film! Meryl Streep is a genius.
Sydney and Byron Bay... More to come!
Sorry I haven't been posting! I promise I will tell you all about my adventures in Sydney and Byron Bay soon. Opera houses have been viewed, kangeroos have been fed from the palm of my hand, koalas have been cuddled, and books have been read on the beach. Life is good!
Rosemary's House and Beechworth
Soon I will be in the air heading for Sydney! Before I leave I wanted to give you guys a brief overview of what I've been doing for the past few days in Albury.
- I went swimming! It felt like I was home. Also it was exercise. Desperately needed physical activity. (Am turning into a blubbery beast.)
- I visited the family of an exchange student that used to live with my aunt. Turns out his family home is right outside Albury, and he put me in touch with his mother. She proceeded to invite me and Þorri to lunch and feed us all the things. (There was quail, squid and kangaroo meat among other things. All super delicious!)
The house was beautiful!
- Erin took me and Þorri to see Beechworth. It's an old gold rush town just south of the border in Victoria. We had a wonderful afternoon of walking up and down the picturesque main street, buying sweets and amazing honey, checking out the old court house and the old jail where Ned Kelly bought it. (Ned Kelly is a sort of Robin Hood figure in Australia.) There was also a telegram station! You could send an actual telegram and watch this amazing old gentleman send it in Morse code! Most entertainment I have ever received for four dollars.
Apparently sending a telegraph via Morse code has beaten a text message via mobile phone!
- I checked out the Hume Dam and the Hume Lake with Erin and Þorri. It was really beautiful, and we were able to wave to Jack (Erin's boyfriend) who was out sailing on the lake on a yacht. Erin and Þorri did a little bit of wading and skipping stones, but I kept to the shade since I had forgotten all about sunscreen. Silly me.
- Otherwise Þorri and I have been playing a lot of Scrabble, eating a lot of yummy food (Erin is a wonderful cook) and using up all of Erin and Jack's internet. It's been great!
- I went swimming! It felt like I was home. Also it was exercise. Desperately needed physical activity. (Am turning into a blubbery beast.)
- I visited the family of an exchange student that used to live with my aunt. Turns out his family home is right outside Albury, and he put me in touch with his mother. She proceeded to invite me and Þorri to lunch and feed us all the things. (There was quail, squid and kangaroo meat among other things. All super delicious!)
The house was beautiful!
- Erin took me and Þorri to see Beechworth. It's an old gold rush town just south of the border in Victoria. We had a wonderful afternoon of walking up and down the picturesque main street, buying sweets and amazing honey, checking out the old court house and the old jail where Ned Kelly bought it. (Ned Kelly is a sort of Robin Hood figure in Australia.) There was also a telegram station! You could send an actual telegram and watch this amazing old gentleman send it in Morse code! Most entertainment I have ever received for four dollars.
Apparently sending a telegraph via Morse code has beaten a text message via mobile phone!
- I checked out the Hume Dam and the Hume Lake with Erin and Þorri. It was really beautiful, and we were able to wave to Jack (Erin's boyfriend) who was out sailing on the lake on a yacht. Erin and Þorri did a little bit of wading and skipping stones, but I kept to the shade since I had forgotten all about sunscreen. Silly me.
- Otherwise Þorri and I have been playing a lot of Scrabble, eating a lot of yummy food (Erin is a wonderful cook) and using up all of Erin and Jack's internet. It's been great!
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cheerful
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First Day in Albury
Yesterday Lindsay drove me and Þorri to the doorstep of Erin's house in Albury. (A mere 9 hour drive. He is a saint.) Erin is a girl that came to Iceland last year as an exchange student and she ended up spending a lot of time with Þorri and his friends in the Political Science department at the University of Iceland. She and her boyfriend Jack are studying medicine here in Albury.
Today was our first full day in Albury, and apparently Erin took us to see all the sights. Now we just have to figure out what to do with our time until Thursday. (That's when we fly with Erin to Sydney.)
We started the day with a lovely bike ride to the Botanical Gardens and a walk to a couple of World War monuments.
We walked around a pretty neat art gallery which was full of aboriginal art, Japanese prints and interesting portraits. They even had a station where you could draw your own self portrait! I did a very quick one, but it was bad so I didn't take a picture of it.
Lunch consisted of sandwiches and pie, with ridiculously unhealthy doughnut things for dessert. (In Australia there is no such thing a plain doughnut. It has to be full of cream, and drizzled with chocolate, and liberally smeared with jam. In the very least.)
To distract ourselves from all the calories we imbibed we did some more sight seeing on our trusty bikes. (Mine was a squeaky one from the eighties.) There was beautiful scenery and absolutely no crashing into obstacles or small children.
Before we headed home we stopped to admire the river and relax on the bank for a while.
Erin made us an amazing vegetable curry for dinner and we devoured it along with rice, naan bread and white wine. Þorri and I did the dishes and we've just been relaxing ever since.
Today was our first full day in Albury, and apparently Erin took us to see all the sights. Now we just have to figure out what to do with our time until Thursday. (That's when we fly with Erin to Sydney.)
We started the day with a lovely bike ride to the Botanical Gardens and a walk to a couple of World War monuments.
We walked around a pretty neat art gallery which was full of aboriginal art, Japanese prints and interesting portraits. They even had a station where you could draw your own self portrait! I did a very quick one, but it was bad so I didn't take a picture of it.
Lunch consisted of sandwiches and pie, with ridiculously unhealthy doughnut things for dessert. (In Australia there is no such thing a plain doughnut. It has to be full of cream, and drizzled with chocolate, and liberally smeared with jam. In the very least.)
To distract ourselves from all the calories we imbibed we did some more sight seeing on our trusty bikes. (Mine was a squeaky one from the eighties.) There was beautiful scenery and absolutely no crashing into obstacles or small children.
Before we headed home we stopped to admire the river and relax on the bank for a while.
Erin made us an amazing vegetable curry for dinner and we devoured it along with rice, naan bread and white wine. Þorri and I did the dishes and we've just been relaxing ever since.