I live my life!

It has been over a month since I have been home from England and I miss it so much.  My mind often wanders back to the moments that I experienced while in London.  I have to say that this experience was nothing of what I ever could have imagined.  I grew so much within those short two months.  I saw through Heavenly Fathers eyes and learned to have patience and love towards the people around me in England and even those in the program.  I see the world and the church in a whole new way.  

The last days in London were bitter sweet.  I made some really great friends and I just hope I'll never forget these amazing experiences and people that I met there.  I felt it was time for me to go home, but I knew London would always have a place in my heart.  And it has so far, but then again I feel like I dreamed it all.  It is so hard remembering some of my experiences.  

Here are 25 of some of my favorite moments/experiences that I had in London!

1.  Taking the train.  Trains have really become one of my favorite things ever.  They are so peaceful and relaxing, especially compared to the the noisy tube.

2.  In Paris,  all of these french men wanted to take a picture with all of us "pretty american girls."  haha They were so funny!

3.  That time in Scotland when I bought this really awesome sweatshirt and every one else went out and bought the same one.
3.  Long, looong hours on the bus to different places in England-- half miserable, half really fun.

4.  Seeing "Jersey Boys" on my last weekend in London.  It was such a fun show and I think it was one of my favorites.  I am now obsessed with the Four Seasons music haha
5.  Creepy tube stations with nasty rats and nasty men.

5.  Speaking of rats, this show (Mousetrap) was pretty good, but I would not recommend it.  It is the longest running show (over 50 years) in London.  It is one of those twisted, mystery plays.

6.  AH! The haunted ghost tour in Edinburgh!  The scariest night in my entire life, but so worth it.

7.  Reading all of the juicy gossip in the London tabloids on the tube every day.

8.  Big Ben at night.
9.  Trafalgar Square at night after we would go see plays or musicals.  

10.  The London Bridge

11.  Mary Arden's Farm (Shakespear's mom's house) ... boooo!  This place was lame.
12.  Parliament day when we had to take our picture in the security office before we could enter the gates, I had no idea they were taking a picture of me until after the fact... Hence, why I am making the dumbest face ever.  This is me reenacting it.

     
13.  The paris tour bus with my home girl Abby.  I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on half the tour because we were so exhausted from traveling haha

14.  The telephone booths.

15.  Me and Becky when we went to Parliament.  I love this girl so much!
16.  On top of the eiffel tower, we met another study abroad group of architects from Texas.  A few of the girls got eiffel tower kisses with some of the boys.... ew! I know right?  But this was really one of my favorite nights!
17.  Amazing crepes.  Mine was a turkey, cranberry crepe I think.
18.  I thought I would throw in this picture for Emily hahaha
18.  The amazing "munch and mingle" that our ward threw for us after church.  They had some of the strangest combination of foods.  The afternoon was filled with food, good company, lots of hugs and tears, and some performances from my young men and primary.  Some of the primary kids sang for me and Jared danced for me but never got around to doing his rap for me.

19.  Our Relief Soceity President.  She turned 50 years old that day.  This was one of those days that I will never forget.  The spirit was very strong and it was just so fun, because I felt that finally the youth and the kids were opening up to me.  At the end of relief society, they chose to sing "God be with you till we meet again"…  Before we even started singing, tears were flowing down my face.  I was just picturing that I may never see any of these people again, but I know that we will embrace each other in the next life.  I feel as though I was friends with some of them in the preexistence.   Its hard to explain but I felt like I knew them before.  I didn’t feel like a stranger at all.    

20.  The young men that I got to teach in Sunday School.  In sacrament meeting that day, they confirmed a new member of the ward named Colby. My favorite part was after the bishop confirmed him he said, in his African/English accent, “Welcome home brother.”

21.  The beautiful Young women.  The president of the Young Women is going to Ghana in September for a memorial for her father, mother, and brother.  She has done their sealing’s and is so excited to tell this to everyone.  Her father was a Methodist minister.

22.  Double decker buses.

23.  Living with my homie, Abby.

24.  London Eye, Which is basically this huge ferris wheel where you can fit about a dozen people in each tube.  It was so amazing at the very top when you can see all of London and I actually knew what every thing was!  The view was beautiful!

25.  Portobello Road.  I would wake up really early on saturdays to get a head start because it would get so crowded by 10 or 11 am.  I just loved walking up and down this road.  It reminds me a lot of the French quarter.  I ran into some Louisianans-- I could tell by their LSU outfits.  They were so nice and we had an instant connection with one another.  We were talking about how much we love London and the husband said that Portobello road was his favorite.  It reminds us a lot of New Orleans.