Where does your journey end? You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule. A quest to reclaim a homeland, and slay a dragon!

It has been an extremely long time since my last update, and I do apologise for that! Things have been a little hectic as the semester is coming to an end. Lots of essays to write and readings to catch up on. This semester I put my priorities somewhere other than school work, and to be honest, it felt great! I've gotten a taste of what post-graduation is going to be like and I cannot wait to be done with school! That being said, I have really missed going to a school with a huge creative outlet. I try to explain to my friends how much I miss sewing, drawing, and painting, and I get some strange looks, especially from the history students!

One of the great things about living in London is that everyone gets really excited about Christmas really early, and it's acceptable because there is (obviously) no Thanksgiving here. Trying to find a resemblance of a Thanksgiving meal here is pretty difficult, which I why I settled with some pasta and pale ale. It was strange to be on my own for the first time on a holiday. It gave me time to reflect on all of the things I'm thankful for, and get excited for the next big holiday..... Candy Making! For those of you who don't know, the Rehberg family gets together once a year and we spend all day making candy canes, surrounded by family, friends, and lots of sugar! I think I get more excited about candy making than I do about Christmas! I am bummed that I won't be able to be there, but  then again I have a very good reason not to be!

Ever since Paris, I have been putting a little bit more focus on getting all of my essays done, so I have more time to play during my last couple weeks. I saw two shows in the last two weeks. First I saw a show called Mojo. The best way to describe it, is as a 1950's gangster comedy. There was some serious star power in this show. It was an all male cast including Rupert Grint, Brendan Coyle (Mr. Bates from Downton), and Ben Wishaw (Q from Skyfall). It was an amazing experience and I guess you could say I was starstruck. Then I saw The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. This is by far, the best performance I have seen yet! I was moved to tears by the sheer beauty of the staging (and if you know me at all, that never happens!). It was one of those shows  that if it wasn't executed perfectly, it would just come off as pretentious and self-indulgent. Thankfully it wasn't! There's nothing I loathe more than art for art's sake (and I have seen my fair share of that!).

This is officially the last week of classes. Time has just flown  by! I have a few things left on my to-do list, including schoolwork, but it's mostly more of the fun stuff.
That's about it for now!
Cheers,
Amanda

A New Day Will Come. And When the Sun Shines It Will Shine Out the Clearer.

Well readers, this last week has been very exciting and adventurous. It was reading week at Kings, which is essentially a mid-semester break. It's recommended that students take this week to work on classwork and our essays, but where's the fun in that? I took the beginning of the week to go and explore Paris!!! It was such a great trip that ended much too soon!

Yup. I went all the way up!

I arrived in Paris early on a cold and rainy Tuesday morning, checked in to my hostel, and turned on the tourist switch. My first stop... the Eiffel Tower. I got off at the right metro stop and walked in the wrong direction for quite some time, which landed me at Hotel des Invalides. This is the site of Napoleon' s tomb. Unfortunately, it was gated off so I wasn't able to get as close as I wanted to. I was a little bit lost, but all I had to do was turn around and BLAM! there was the peak of the tower sticking out like a sore thumb over the Parisian skyline. I made my way over, joined the queue, and up I went. There are two levels you can go to. I went all the way up! You take the lift to the first floor, which has an observation deck, and several different shops. To get to the top you take another lift from the first floor. The view was incredible! Since it was grey and rainy the clouds would roll over the view, but I wasn't about to let that stop me. My next stop was supposed to be a fashion museum right across the river, but I couldn't find it for the life of me. So instead of wandering around I decided to just keep going. I grabbed some lunch and brought it to the Champs Elysee and just sat and enjoyed the view. The last stop of day one was the catacombs. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. You cover about 2 kilometers of underground Paris. It really wasn't as creepy as I thought it was going to be, which I was fine with. You go down, and you walk through the sunken streets before you get to the catacombs. It was kind of amazing how many bones were stacked down there in so many different ways. Then after about 45 minutes being underground, you make the trek back up to the surface and face the harsh daylight. After the tour I was pretty beat, so I went back to my hostel and called it an early night.

Day two in the city of lights, I left to spend with some french aristocracy. I jumped on the train and headed out to Versailles. It was incredible! The estate is so big and beautiful, there was just no way I would be able to see everything in a day. I took a tour of the chateau and spent a lot of time in the hall of mirrors. Everything about the palace was just magnificent. I especially loved the gardens. There was so much ground to wander and explore. I wish I could have been there a  few weeks earlier. It was a little too late in the fall. The leaves had changed and most of them had fallen. Most of the fountains and statues were covered up because it was the off season. It was still a beautiful sight to see! At the other end of the estate is the Grand Trianon and Petite Trianon, both were smaller estates made for a retreat for the royal families. It was such an enjoyable day to experience and soak in history first hand. I most definitely want to return someday!

The marble courtyard of the palace

Thursday morning came and I was not ready to leave quite yet. Luckily, I have an evening train out, so I still had the day to play. I headed out to the cathedral of Notre Dame. It was the perfect place to be in the morning. The sun was shining and it really provided for a picturesque experience. After spending time reflecting at the cathedral, I walked over to the Louvre. This was one of things I was most looking forward to. Like every other tourist, my first stop was the Mona Lisa. It was an absolute zoo. For starters, you are about twenty feet away from the painting, but the worst part was the massive crowd. People were literally shoving people out of the way just to get a picture. When did going to an art museum stop being about the art? It seemed like everyone just wanted to get a picture and move one. It was frustrating for me, as an artist, to see the value of priceless works of art be reduced to a photograph. It's just seems so sad that this is what our society has reduced to, but what am I to do except to get my word out. I wasn't about to let the average tourist ruin my trip to the Louvre! So I strolled down and saw the Venus de Milo, and then just wandered around and took in as much as I could. And with that, my trip had sadly come to an end. I returned home and got to back to work.

It was an amazing trip, and I am so glad I had this experience! There will be more to come!
Au Revoir!

What About Second Breakfast?

Well readers, it's been a long time since I've updated you about my travels. Sadly I don't have much to report, now that classes are in full swing. I am enjoying my classes as much as possible. It's very strange to not have any theatre courses and not be in a costume shop! However, it is nice to have the feeling of a 'real' college experience. I have this really quirky Austrian professor for my philosophy class. Imagine Christoph Waltz's character from Inglorious Basterds (if you haven't seen this movie, do!), take away the fact that he's a Nazi, add some pep, and you get my professor. He is definitely more entertaining than the subject matter. All in all, classes are fine. Nothing special, but it was a great excuse to get me out here!

Since my last post, I have only seen one more production and that was the new musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was visually stunning! The costumes and the set were fantastic! The script was predictable, but it's hard not to be when you're telling such an iconic story. Douglas Hodge, the tony winner for La Cage aux Folles, was Willy Wonka and he was delightful! Probably the strongest part of the show. I had seen him in La Cage, and went in with high expectations, and they were surpassed! One of the best parts of the night was getting bumped down to the first balcony. I bought a ticket in the nosebleeds with a restricted view, but when I got to the theatre they upper balcony was closed. So I got a great seat for a great price! I have every intention of seeing more theatre, but for the meantime, I am saving up and laying low before my Paris trip! I am leaving for Paris in a week!! I am beyond excited! So this week is dedicated to finalizing my itinerary to make the most of the few days that I have there.

One of the most common questions people ask me, other than what time it is, is if I'm making friends. I am most definitely making friends! However, this is the first time I have been completely on my own and I want to use this time to get to know myself better. When I'm back at school, it's so hard to find time for yourself between classes, work, and production work. I want to use this time to grow up and really discover who I am, without the pressure of all of the deadlines of a busy life. It's a time for me to slow down, reflect, and re-evaluate my life by having completely new experiences.

I will have much more to update you on after I get back from Paris! For the mean time, here's a picture of the Tower of London....

Cheers!
Amanda

The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there.

Well readers, you can now consider me an honorary Londoner being that I've been here for almost three weeks. In my last post I said that I would be starting classes last week. I lied. The term for the university started last week, but the classes in the school of arts and humanities did not start until September 30th. So I had a lot more free time then I initially expected! Although throughout the week, I had a few departmental welcome meetings. Most students here only take modules (classes) in one department. Being that I have gen-ed requirements to fill back home, I was not able to focus all of my studies in one department. So I am in four different departments, which tends to be the case for most of the study abroad students from the U.S. that are here. I look at it as a way to meet more people and the opportunity for more adventures! 

So with all of my new found free time, I decided to explore around my campus. On my way , I discovered that I probably get one of the best views on my daily commute. I take the bus that goes over the Waterloo Bridge, and if I just look to the left, I have a beautiful view of the Thames, the London Eye, and Parliament. It's a great way to start my day! I discovered that Trafalgar Square is just a ten minute walk from campus. I have very fond memories of Trafalgar Square, or as my little brother calls it, 'the pigeon place'. When we were kids my parents took us there and my brothers and I proceeded to chase all of the pigeons around until they would fly away. It was so nice to go back and see that some things never change. There were still pigeons, and there were still kids chasing them away. There is an excellent photo spot on the steps of the square where you can get a long distance shot of Parliament. I had a near perfect photo! Readers, meet the unintentional photo-bombing tourist! 

Hi! How are ya?

One of things I love most about London is that it is still insanely busy, but there's space. I mean I love New York, but it's nice to walk out my door and not have a fear of huge crowds sweeping me away. One could say that there's more room for activities! Anyway, after I had had my fill of the square, I wandered up to the west end and through Leicester square... my day was filled with squares (the good kind)! Being the theatre lover that I am, I couldn't resist all of the discount theatre booths scattered throughout the west end. I ended up seeing Wicked. I had never seen it, so I figured this was probably the best place to see it. I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I know it's not the kind of show that makes you contemplate the meaning of life, but you know, that's not the only kind of art there is. I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to see this show! For my theatre readers, don't worry, I fully intend on seeing much more theatre during my stay! 

The next couple of days I spent in preparation for class (the thing I'm actually here for). One of the great things about the school system over here is that you don't have to buy books! Most of the material is on the student website, or it's very readily available in the library. I have loved not having the hassle of trying to find the right book, and getting it ordered on time! During the week I planned my Paris getaway. That's right folks, in November I'm going to Paris for three days! I am beyond excited! It's been challenging trying to fit in everything that I want to do while I'm there, but I'm sure I'll manage. I couldn't have made this trip happen without the help from my awesome parents. I just want to say a HUGE thank you to them, because they have given me the opportunity of a lifetime and I want them to know how grateful I am! 

Alright enough of the mushy-gushy stuff! I have finally started classes this week and they seem to be just fine. I really like the structure of having lecture once a week. It gives me time to actually do all of the work for the course, instead of cramming it all into one night. My favourite class by far is film studies! (I know, you're all shocked). Our first screening was looking at the costumes of the film, interpreting them and looking at their historical accuracy. I think I'll be alright this week!  

That's it for now dear readers! 

Cheers,

Amanda

"If I Take One More Step, It'll Be the Farthest Away From Home I've Ever Been"

I have now been in London for a total of 5 days now, and I feel like I've done so much already. I flew out on Friday the 13th of September (oooh scary!) Well it just so happens that 13 is my lucky number, being that I was born on a 13th. The flight, in itself, was very uneventful. It  took about 8 hours, so naturally I watched more movies than I should have instead of trying to get some sleep. It didn't really matter though, because as soon as I landed (and got through customs) the adrenaline started pumping. So it ended up feeling like a very long Friday, most of which I spent moving in to my flat and unpacking.

The next day I decided to do some exploring/ shopping. So I flipped on my city walking switch, and away I went. My first adventure: conquering the tube. I would consider myself a somewhat experienced subway rider. If I can navigate my way through the NYC subway system, the tube should be a piece of cake... and it was! I made way to Cannon St. which is somewhere between St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. I went out there in the hopes that the mobile phone stores were open, so I could pick up a temporary phone. Sadly, it was Sunday and most of the stores were closed. I then decided to just make a day of it. So I walked over to the Tower of London. They have a really nice walkway between the Tower and the Thames. I walked that until it took me to the Tower Bridge (you know, the big blue one). People often confuse the Tower Bridge and the London Bridge. The London Bridge is actually the next bridge over, understated and brown. So I casually walked across the Tower Bridge ,which was pretty incredible despite the rain!

I promise, I actually took this photo!

On the other side of the river, there was a green peace festival that was going on, so I wandered that for a little bit. I then discovered that it's only a 20 minute walk to my flat from the Tower Bridge. So I anticipate that I will be making that journey quite often! There are also a bunch of little shops along the way. The Borough Market seems to be the coolest by far. It's a food market that has every kind of food imaginable. I want to go back and try many more things!

The next day was filled with school related activities, boring I know! I confirmed my enrollment, got my student I.D and went to a couple study abroad sessions.I found out that I will be spending all of my time on the Strand Campus which is in the borough of Holborn. One of it's many attractions is Fleet Street, the alleged home to the demon barber, Sweeney Todd. On the other side of the strand building is the Somerset House, which is currently the home to London's fashion week. After all of my registration was over, I wandered over to the library on campus, which is incredible! It looks like a castle, and as I discovered they shot the scenes in Dumbledore's office for the Harry Potter films in this library! My inner nerd was freaking out! Also, if I just wander down the street I run into the Covent Gardens, the West End, and Trafalgar's Square. So, needless to say I love where I get to go school for the next three months!

The Maughn Library- Definitely looks like a castle!

After a day of rest from the rain, I got out once again. I went to the glorious Victoria and Albert Museum of design. It was like I had died and gone to heaven! If you are an artist in any way, shape, or form, you need to come here! They have a beautiful collection of period clothing, which was naturally the first exhibit I went to. They had everything from Christian Dior to Madame Gres to Charles James to Victorian fashion- you name it! Each time I turned a corner, the smile on my face got more and more ridiculous, especially whenever I saw anything Madame Gres. After a long period of time went by, I left the fashion wing and made my way to the theatre exhibit (weird, huh?) That exhibit was also like amazing! They had it set up so if you walk through the exhibit a certain way, you go through the basic process of putting on a production. They had old casting books, old contracts, an old stage manager's prompt book, and so much more. There were also stunning costume pieces there. It ranged from pieces from the Royal Ballet to the Lion King, and anything in between. There was a great display of head wear and masks as well! There is so much in this museum that I have yet to see. I am very sure that I will be returning here several times. One really great thing about museums in London, is that they are mostly free! Right next door to the Victoria and Albert is the Natural History Museum. I remember going there when I was a kid, and that they had the coolest dinosaur exhibit, but sadly the dinosaur exhibit was not open. I made my way to the minerals room, because what girl doesn't like looking at big shiny rocks? In the back of this room, they have 'the vault', which is home to very beautiful and very large gemstones. At this point, I was pretty tired out, so I conquered the tube once again and made my way home. 

I am loving my time here so far! I think one of the best things is actually  being on my own. I was little worried at first that it would be too much to be in such a large city on my own, but it turns out that I love it! When you travel in groups, you have to do things and go places that pleases everyone. When you travel by yourself, you get to do what you want to do, which is so refreshing. It's not that I never want to travel with people again, I'm just very grateful to be doing what I want to do without hurt feelings. I hope that in these next few weeks I have just as many,  if not, more adventures! Although classes start on Monday, so that should be an adventure all in itself! And with that, the second London installment has come to an end. Till next time! 

Cheers,

Amanda

p.s. For those of you who got the reference in the title, you're awesome! I think it will be a theme from now on...

Getting Ready to Jump the Pond

Hey all,
This blog is here to keep everyone updated on everything that I'm doing while I'm studying in London. So here goes, my first post!

It's official! I only have ten days until I hop on a plane and head  to London. There is a lot more prep that involves going overseas for four months, and I have been pretty good about staying on top of things. I got my passport renewed which was fun. The last and only time I used my passport was when the Rehberg family went to the UK when I was 8 years old. So needless to say, I'm ready to go back and experience the city on my own and truly appreciate the things I might not have as an 8 year old.

I am studying at King's College right in the heart of London. They have three campuses located in the city, and I believe that I have class in all of them. That means I will be a very experienced tube rider by the end of this semester! I am lucky enough to only be taking four courses this semester, one of which is film studies. I am most excited for that course; like theatre, film has been one of my passions for a long time now, and I am so excited to study film in such an artistic city. No worries to all of my theatre friends, professors, and colleagues, I will most definitely be seeing and experiencing as much theatre as possible! I mean how can you not? My other classes are not as exciting as film, but I am looking forward to my history class; I get to learn about this history of this country, and then I get the chance to go to museums and art museums and see that history. It's just much more applicable than in the states.

I was lucky enough to get into a great apartment building on the south bank near the tower bridge! It's called the Great Dover Street Apartments. I get my own room, which will be nice since I've been spoiled with a new building with my own room at Viterbo! That red star is me! So, I should be just a jump, hop, and a skip away from the River.

Needless to say, I was very excited to see that I am living so close to the river. I am also right next to Tabard Gardens, which seems like a great place to go when I want to escape my studies.

Well that's it for now! My next post should be coming from a much longer distance. I just want to thank everyone who has supported me and given me the chance to embark on this amazing endeavor!
Cheers,
Amanda