This Isn't Goodbye but See You Later

"But know this: when Jesus invites us on an adventure, He shapes who we become with what happens along the way."

Ever have a time in your life when you're just blissfully happy? For me, it's a point when there's no drama, your biggest stress is whether or not you'll have enough time to do and see everything, and you make these unexpected friendships that you know will last a lifetime. That's how I've spent the last five months. They've hands down been the best of my life and I'll cherish these moments forever. Items were finally checked off my ever increasing bucket list and I saw the things I've always dreamed of. This experience has changed me. I have a deeper appreciation for all of my blessings in life. I have become more confident in who I am as a person and know I can handle anything life throws at me. It has also intensified my desire to see the world. There is so much out there to do and see and this is only the beginning.

The past few weeks I have been trying to live up to the fullest. I've enjoyed the sunny days in the park (while they were numbered), rode the London Eye, had my chocolate dreams come true at Cadbury World, saw Phantom of the Opera and Jersey Boys, and revisited all of my favorite places. I even had two of my best friends, Kirby and Monica, come to London! No matter what I was doing the thought of the end was always looming at the back of my mind. The time has come way too quickly. It seems like I was just counting down the days until my arrival. Then, it was my down to the day I said my tearful goodbye to my family, boarded my flight, and prepared for the accomplishment of my life long dream. I traveled to nine countries and numerous cities but London remained my favorite. Yes, I saw things like the Vatican, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, etc. But London is unique and special all on its own. I'll miss stuffing my face in Borough Market, marveling at the beauty of St. Paul's Cathedral, listening to the performers in Covent Garden, and gawking at Buckingham Palace dreaming of the day I'll marry my royal and live inside. I'll miss the history, culture, diversity, and maybe even the tube. (Nope.) I gave my heart to this city. It has become my home and a part of me will always be here. I cannot believe my study abroad experience is over but it's something I'll treasure forever.

I have a few very special people to thank for this journey.

First, to Melanie, Emma, & Allyse:
 -We've conquered countless cities, numerous modes of transportation, braved the craziest of weather, had tons of laughs, and memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for making these past 5 months the ABSOLUTE greatest. I had no idea coming into this whole experience that I would leave with 3 best friends and I am so grateful God blessed me with you girls. It's crazy to me how fast we clicked right from the beginning and it felt like we had been friends our whole lives. It's so rare to find those kinds of friendships. I couldn't imagine better people to go through this with and London would not have been the same without you all. I am beyond grateful to you girls and will miss you all terribly. It is going to be incredibly weird not seeing you all everyday so these reunion trips better happen. (And soon!) I love you guys!

Second, to Robert, Caron, Sian, & Ciaran:
- Thank you all for absolutely everything. I don't even know where to begin. Thank you for inviting me into your home, thank you for treating me like a third child/sibling, thank you for not making me live off frozen pizzas. You all have made me feel so at home and so comfortable. I knew if I needed absolutely anything you all would be there, which was a very comforting thought. Thank you for making me feel so apart of the family. I love how much closer we've become and I am going to miss you all incredibly much. I hope to be back very soon! :)

Lastly, my biggest thank you goes out to 4 special people, Mom, Dad, Fefawn, & Grandma:
- Without you four this whole adventure wouldn't have been possible. I'll never be able to express how much this experience has meant to me. Thank you for making one of my biggest dreams come true, for believing in me, and for your unconditional love and support. It's an incredible feeling knowing four people are willing to do anything for you. You have given me the courage & confidence to go after my dreams, and now it's time to move on to the next one :) I will never be able to repay you, monetary & otherwise, for this amazing opportunity, so I will simply say thank you. Thank you Mom, Dad, Fefawn, and Grandma for giving me the world. I love you!

See you soon Oklahoma. 

The End. 

Vamos A Barcelona

Now when I think of a vacation I think of relaxing, sleeping in, laying on the beach, eating, etc. This is exactly what Barcelona had in store for Allyse and I.

At first I thought I was never going to make it there. It seemed like a string of bad luck was destined to keep Barcelona and I apart. It started with the time of my final being changed. No big deal? Wrong. It was changed to the time my flight was leaving. After a very panicked phone call to Allyse and EasyJet, all was right the world again. I would simply leave on a later flight and meet Allyse in Barcelona. Wednesday arrived, I took my final, panicked when I thought I had to stay the whole 2 1/2 hours of my final, turns out you can leave early, boarded my bus to the airport, arrived at the North terminal to find that it was closed due to "an unexplained item in the parking lot" (the bomb squad was there along with dozens of policemen), cue another panic mode, had to use a shuttle to get there, and then finally arrived at my terminal to board my plane that left 30 minutes late. Did I also mention my pants ripped along the way? Fabulous. Needless to say I was ready for this vacation.

The roughness didn't really stop there. After FINALLY making it to Barcelona, Allyse and I were so kindly woken up by a drill, sawing, hammering, and all sorts of other construction noise happening right outside our room. Thankfully our hostel moved us to a much nicer quieter room. (Until the garbage trucks arrived at 3:30 the next morning.) Whatever the noise may be nothing was keeping us from the beach. We put on our swimsuits, grabbed our towels, and spent the entire day laying on the beach working on our pale. It was perfect. Our only break was of course lunch & dinner. We went to a place called MakaMaka for dinner. It was there that I had the best burger I've ever eaten. Delicious!

My only downside to beach day was I may have gotten a tad sunburnt. (When I say tad I mean I fried my back.) Friday we decided to give our bodies a cool off and explore the city. We headed to La Sagrada Familia. Now this may seem like a good problem to have, but Allyse and I have been into tons of old cathedrals at this point, and we were skeptical of buying tickets because once you'd seen one you'd seen them all. La Sagrada Familia was unlike any church I have ever been inside though. It was amazing. Construction began on this place in 1882 and has yet to be completed. (It's supposed to be done by 2030.) The inside was just completed three years ago and had a huge dedication ceremony by the Pope. It was very modern looking and had beautiful stained glass windows that projected different colors along the walls and ceilings. It was well worth the 11 euros. From there we made our way to Park Guell. The architecture at the entrance looked like a gingerbread house and after hiking up a ways it offers views of the city that extend all the way to the beach. While it was packed with tourists, Allyse and I managed to find some lesser known parts of the park.

Saturday we made our way to a large food market and stuffed our faces with fresh fruit and calzones. We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach before our flight home. A big thank you to Allyse for being the best travel buddy this semester. We've had some great times and I'm so thankful we've been able to go to so many amazing places together.

May has sadly arrived and my return countdown may have begun for my mother but I refuse to accept the fact I'll be leaving. I plan to take full advantage of the beautiful weather and see as much of London as possible! Stay tuned :)