I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse - Walt Disney

12th April - 19th April 2014 - And so ends the best week of my life: Spring Break 2014

It took a 12 hour car journey; we drove through Alabama and Mississippi to reach Florida, but get to Orlando we did. Day #1 - Magic Kingdom. The morning was dedicated to rides; Space Mountain, Splash Mountain (which broke while we were on it; just before the huge drop!), Thunder Mountain - there is a theme here... - all enjoyable and a great way to start the day. Gets the adrenaline pumping after a 6:15am start!

Ah the face characters, such perfect people! Gaston has to be one of my favourites - he had the voice, sexist arrogance but the guy who played him was so so handsome (we all fell in love even if he was a bit creepy...I suppose that's the point of his character) Met plenty of other characters today as well; Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Mary Poppins complete with dodgy English accent...

Group shot with Cinderella because she was adorable. I love the new Princess costumes!

The new Fantasy parade was fantastic - here is Anna & Elsa on the Frozen float. Other characters including Cinderella, Ariel, Rapunzel & Flynn Rider, Peter Pan & Wendy...poor Snow White was demoted to a walking role; no float for her!

Just about to meet Cinderella & Aurora! There is always time for a quick selfie!

Day #2 - Epcot here we come. Oh hello there Tink! There weren't many rides at Epcot; we went on a ride called Soarin' which was SO COOL and you ride over California and this TERRIFYING water ride in Norway which was a Viking ride. I just do not like water rides and this had a random explosion half way through in which I screamed. I jumped off that ride so fast and the operator laughed at me. Getting laughed at by handsome men - story of my life.

Kisses for Mickey! We also met Minnie Mouse & Goofy (who was very tall!)

So this has to be one of the highlights of the trip; these two are my favourites and while I have met a Jasmine face character in Paris, I have never met Aladdin. So I told them they were my favourites and Aladdin said I had made his day so that's all I ask for really!

I also spent two hours and 20 minutes in a queue to meet Anna & Elsa. Yes, I am insane but their costumes were just so wonderful and I got a hug from them both!

Day #3 - Hollywood Studios! I chickened out of the Tower of Terror (I don't like normal lifts, I have no desire to go on a ride!) We also met more face characters - Woody & Buzz and a very scary looking Mike & Sulley!

It rained in the afternoon when we got back to Magic Kingdom. We escaped the storm by going onto the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. When the rain still hadn't stopped, we queued up to meet Rapunzel and Snow White!

Meeting my new bestie Merida. She poked her tongue out at me in the queue, we mocked the normal Princess poses and she asked me for a hug! She also called me her curly haired friend. Perfect face character was perfect!

No Princess smiling for us! (Goal reached - meet every single Disney Princess!)

Day #4 - Final day and we started in Animal Kingdom. Went on a safari, went on a rollercoaster called Everest WHICH WAS THE BEST RIDE EVER, met Pocahontas where we were told we were going to be in a Disney parade.

Now, I may be 21 years old but it is a life long dream of mine to be in a Disney parade. Being chosen was the best feeling in the world - I cried. Not ashamed. I felt so lucky to be there; waving and smiling is tiring after an hour but I wouldn't change the experience for the world.

That evening I went to the Be Our Guest restaurant with Natalie. It was so beautifully decorated inside, just like the film. The food was so good - I tried the grey stuff, it was delicious! You even get to meet the Beast after dinner!

Day #5 - No longer at Disney but we went to Universal Studios & Harry Potter world! Everyone ended up taking a picture of me at this moment and the guyasked me if I am famous. Yes...yes I am.

The ride inside the castle is TERRIFYING. I had my eyes closed for most of it - Spiders in the Forbidden Forest, dementors coming after you, a dragon breathing fire at you...erm, no thanks! Hogsmeade was well decorated - it was smaller than I imagined but if you enjoy the Harry Potter movies, it's a great place to see!

I was not brave enough to go on The Hulk ride so I met Captain America. He asked so politely for our photo; 'do you mind if I protect you ma'am?' TELL ME HOW I COULD SAY NO TO SUCH A LOVELY MAN?

Also joined the X-Men; here I am using my mutant powers for good with Cyclops.

I did prefer Disney from Universal; Universal is very ride heavy and although I am a fan of rollercoasters, extreme speed & height do not appeal to me and most of the rides there tick those two boxes. Went on two water rides even though the weather wasn't good - Jurassic Park & Popeye - I GOT SOAKED. It's always my luck to get soaked on water rides; it happened on the rapids in Animal Kingdom too!

This blog post only has a selection of photos - I took over 500 and choosing my favourites has been hard but I will always always remember this experience and I want to go back to Disney as soon as possible! It's such a happy place - everyone is always smiling and asking you how you are etc. Hate the fact that Spring Break is over, went so quickly. Just like this year abroad...only three weeks left including essays and finals. I don't want this to end!!

Of all the hardships a person had to face, none was more punishing than the simple act of waiting - Khaled Hosseini

Saturday 5th April 2014 -So begins the longest week of my life... 

One week; a Sunday and five days of classes stands between me and a ten hour drive to Orlando, Florida for Spring Break to begin. 21 years and I will finally have stepped foot in Walt Disney World.

What have I been doing since the month I last blogged? (I can't believe it's been a month - how time flies!!) Well, work mostly. I've had reading, essays, midterms and presentations. However, I have had the ocassional chance to have fun....

It was a friend's birthday & it also happened to be the night a frat threw a neon light inspired event at the same bar; hence the ears!

That isn't alcohol in my hand, it's....erm...orange juice!

Nikki 'wing woman/spirit animal' Grant and I!

What can I say? I have definitely become a more confident person on this year abroad and just happier with myself. Or perhaps that is just the effects of discovering alcohol!!

Today (Saturday) was our last time in Tiger Stadium for the spring game. My time in there has to be one of the best moments here at LSU and I'm really going to miss the atmosphere of the place.

Before we were distracted by the team walking into the stadium in front of us!!

Finally. course choices have gone up for next year. Am I surprised about the lack of choice? No. They've taken the Herman Melville course away from me which devastates me but they've replaced that course with one on Edgar Allan Poe. All lecturers are a surprise as is how the courses are assessed- let's see how final year goes!!! 

But during all these years I had a vague but persistent desire to return to New Orleans. I never forgot New Orleans - Anne Rice

Saturday 1st March - Tuesday 4th March 2014 - Laissez les bons temps rouler!

It's a thing to tick off your bucket list isn't it? Spend Mardi Gras in New Orleans! So many pictures were taken and because I couldn't choose which ones I liked the best, this blog will be told through the medium of pictures!

3am start to catch the 5am bus. Only we didn't manage to get a seat until 7am because the buses that turned up were all full. One of the guys who worked at the station realised we were British and the questions we were asked made my jaw drop...my personal favourite - 'is there 7 days a week in Britain?'

When we had arrived and dropped off our stuff, it was time for the parade watching to start!! The weather was beautiful, beads were flying from all directions (watch your head) and the parades were really great to look at!

Post parade - in case you are wondering why I don't appear to have many beads, I only wore the special ones because I felt too claustrophobic with them all around my neck! I caught many!

Nikki and I waiting for Endymion to start. We waited HOURS to catch a glimpse of Ian Somerhalder (and catch a cup for Nikki - SHE WAS SUCCESSFUL!) Practising my pulling face in the mean time.

Parade in process, time for a cheeky snap. Jodie showing off every single one of her beads whereas I'm keeping it simple.

Sunday and we went on a tourist mission. The French Quarter was really pretty & we explored the market. I also bought myself a Mardi Gras t-shirt.

Time for the Bacchus Parade on Sunday evening - not only was Hugh Laurie throwing beads, but Quentin Tarantino was in the balcony behind him!

Afterwards, we went for food. The gumbo was good and I tried some of Nikki's fried alligator (so chewy!) We had cocktails (mine was a Cran-Apple Martini) and we all decided the waiter was adorable! It had gone midnight by the time we left - and it was time for us to hit BOURBON STREET. It was mental. I met my first ever Canadian however - he lived up to the whole friendly stereotype they've got going on as well as saying 'about' in the GREATEST way.

No pictures were taken Monday during the day but we watched a parade in the evening (the temperature had dropped back down to 3 degrees so I had no desire to stay out for too long).  I have finally gone to IHOP as well - so many chocolate pancakes...so good. Here is us pre-drinking, and I am modelling Nat's bra. It's Mardi Gras; why not?

Tuesday morning was even colder than yesterday, plus we had the added bonus of rain! We went to Zulu and I caught a crown. I apologise for my appearance in this photo - the rain doesn't treat anyone kindly! After we checked out, Megan's dad kindly drove us home so thankfully we didn't have to get the bus!

I plan to go back to New Orleans before the year is out when it is less busy because it is a lovely city; with a great history behind it, I plan to explore more!

To finish, here is a picture of me with Mike. He came up to the window while having a swim and stayed there for a bit - such an adorable mascot! 

Music expresses that which cannot be said - Victor Hugo

19th February - 20th February 2014 - We'll be burning up like Neon Lights

After having booked tickets to see Demi Lovato in November of last year, this Wednesday the day I had been waiting for had FINALLY arrived!! The only thing standing in the way of the concert was a four hour drive across a state line. We were coming Texas.

How many people can you fit into the state of Texas?

That lone star is taken very seriously!

We arrived eventually, and the concert was amazing. I have been wanting to see her live for years and this is another amazing thing that this year abroad has allowed me to do. My favourite song - Skyscraper - was played which, I will admit, made me very emotional! 

Skyscraper moment.

We (which I should specify included Nikki & Megan) stayed in Texas overnight, at Megan's aunt's house which should only be described as mansion as house doesn't do it justice. I slept in my own room (oh privacy, how I have missed thee) in a bed so comfy that I forgot where I was when I woke up! I fully expected to go straight home the next morning but we spent the day in Texas. We were taken to a British food market in which Megan's aunt treated us to goodies - I have more squash AND more chocolate! We went for pedicures and for authentic Mexican food, again we were so kindly treated by Megan's aunt!

Here at LSU, Baseball season has started. Nikki and I took a very warm Sunday afternoon away from our desks to visit Alex Box Stadium and watch a game against Grambling. LSU won - but the highlight of the game has to be the group of guys sitting in front of us. Their commentary was hilarious and the grief that they were giving the player standing closest to the student area (who I assume they knew because it was friendly [I hate this next word] banter) was very funny!

Thumbs up if you enjoy Baseball!

It is for this reason that most of us would rather love than be loved - Carson McCullers

12th February 2014 - Tale as Old as Time, Song as Old as Rhyme

I do apologise for my lack of posts of late. Alas, the workload has resumed which leaves little time for pleasure. We've had no more "snow" days which means full weeks of work (I know, it's a very hard life!!) I'm enjoying my classes which is a good thing but ask me again when the essays start! In a shock twist of fate, I've also started going to the gym.

I decided to blog because this evening I saw the Beauty & the Beast musical. It is a touring production and they stopped by at the Union theatre. I really enjoyed it!! Okay, the Beast had a bit too much of the 'comic relief' role, far from his 'tortured soul' role in the film, but the costumes, dancing and singing were all so great. I loved the guy who played Lumière - but I love his character in the film too. I am now even more excited for Walt Disney World; 2 months today.

Nikki may be pulling an...interesting face, and this may be a snapchat picture, but here we are waiting for the show to start. We were on the second row which was fantastic! 

In other news, it is Valentine's Day in 2 days. I'm breaking my life rule of 'not acknowledging that day exists' for the time being to explain how big a thing it is here. Everything is either pink or red in the supermarkets, themed food suddenly starts appearing and my RA has a little gift planned for all who live down my hall. I will further break my rule by posting a picture my friend Carrie put on my Facebook wall.

ONLY VALENTINE'S DAY CARD I COULD EVER WANT IN LIFE!!

May all your days, not just Friday, be filled with some sort of love but for all the women who wish to follow my path into spinsterhood, you're welcome [I suggest you click it ;)] Until next time.

A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship - Markus Zusak

28th January 2014 - Do you want to build a snowman?

Supposedly my second semester at LSU has started. I say supposedly because I am yet to have a full week. The first week started on a Wednesday, last week gave us Monday off for MLK day & Friday for a 'snow day,' and this week we've had today off AND we're getting tomorrow off - again, due to icy conditions!! It is rather funny to see the reaction here to cold weather! I thought England was unprepared for the cold (I am aware that this weather is very unusual for the state but still!!)

Apart from the disjointed weeks in which I'm finding it hard to get motivated to do any work (I have discovered 30 Rock on Netflix and frankly, it is brilliant and would much rather watch that), the classes I have had have been good! 

1. Tudor England is a course by the same professor I had for Stuart England and I enjoyed that so much I decided to travel back in time.
2. Science Fiction & American History - it is only once a week so I've only had one class but we had to read War of the Worlds and I'm so happy to finally have the excuse to read some H.G.Wells.
3. Women in 19th Century America - I've not had a class for that yet as the professor has been ill but the reading I have to do is interesting!!
4. Comic Books & Graphic Novels of the 1980s - the professor is funny and rather adorable and he got the seal of approval when I noticed he had a copy of Walden in his office. Anyway, some of the books we have to read look weird, some look like classics but I'm excited! I get to read Maus - once more, finally an excuse to read this!

Socially, I've been doing....well. I've been out every weekend so far (WHAT IS THIS?) and because this is my blog, I hold the right to not expand on this! :D But below are some pictures of non-bar activities I associate myself with!!

I have discovered I'm terrible at bowling without the barriers (you can only have those if you're under 7).

We watched the gymnastics.

And I played a very tense game of Jenga with Nikki. Oh the lifestyles of the rich & famous.

Anyway, I hope to find my motivation soon as I feel it is needed. I have booked Spring Break - WALT DISNEY WORLD & UNIVERSAL STUDIOS - so it's nice to have something to work towards!

I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts - Henry David Thoreau

30th December 2013 - 9th January 2014 - The Spirit of America

What could I possibly say about Massachusetts? For a state that proudly declares on it's license plate that it is 'the Spirit of America', from what I saw, it is a state very proud of it's literature, history, culture and overall 'American-ness'. This blog will be slightly different from my previous entries - instead of going through by days, I will instead go through by places (because some days we simply played in the most snow I have ever seen in my life, or simply had a slow relaxing afternoon playing backgammon!)

Boston - We did the entire Freedom Trail. Picture that. The entire thing. I can't complain, Abi did what I wanted to do in Concord (see end of blog) so as a good friend, I returned the favour.

Got tired of walking so went the rest of the way by donkey.

The great thing was the end of the day - I tried Boston Clam Chowder. IT WAS AMAZING. How is this not a thing at home?

The last day, just Abi and I went into Boston. We finished the freedom trail (walking to Bunker Hill) but the inside was closed...great (notice this, it will become a theme for the trip). She also wanted to go to, which I admit sounded fun, the Tea Party Museum in which we could have thrown tea into the harbour. Arrived - 'the museum is closed due to a frozen pipe, sorry for the inconvenience'. A frozen pipe. It is New England...in winter...WHAT WERE THEY EXPECTING TO HAPPEN, GLORIOUS SUNSHINE?! Abi got herself peppermint hot chocolate (revolting on several levels 1) mint and 2) hot chocolate) to make herself feel better. We then went back to Quincy Market before returning to the Boston Common and going for a little walk. We got chased by a demon squirrel. Those things should be hibernating or something.

 People were playing ice hockey and others were also risking life to stand on the ice. This is the closest I got.

Cambridge - After being snowed in for 2 days...

I thought I'd help out shovelling the drive way.

we decided to brave the temperatures (even though the roads were surprisingly clear; England take note!) and trek to Harvard! It's a lot smaller than I was expecting, saying that, I'm not sure what I was expecting but definitely bigger. If it was pretty in the snow, it must follow suit when it's green.

Hillary and I attempting a 'clever face' - because that's what people in Harvard look like all the time...right?

We didn't do much while there apart from look around Harvard, quickly circle the town and eat Mexican food at Border (so good!) but hey, it was a good day out!

Salem - Unfortunately nothing was open. By nothing, I am excluding the spooky spirit shops because all of them appeared to be open but the witch museums and even the house of Seven Gables were closed! It was a very Hawthorne-y place because there is a statue there of him in which people mistake for a warlock and we saw the house in which he wrote The Scarlet Letter. Still, walking around the town in what must have been -17 degrees Celsius with the windchill was interesting. It must be so lively in the summer and I hope to return at the end of the year to confirm that prediction.

Concord - BEST DAY OF BEING IN AMERICA SO FAR. Was that too enthusiastic? Or was that not enthusiastic enough? It was like all of my dreams had come true. The day started at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where we were met with a 'Cemetery closed sign' - the world started to collapse around me, my breath quickened, I HAD BOUGHT FLOWERS so naturally we stepped over the sign and walked to Author's Ridge.

Abi morbidly put it as; 'this is the closest you're ever going to get to him, 6 feet under ground'. I didn't cry here...but I did get a bit emotional.

Flowers delivered, we made our way to Walden Pond. Prepare yourself for the happiest photos of me you will ever see in your life.

Because his arm is outstretched, Abi thought it would be a good idea to do a 'dramatic dip' pose. It went well for her. However, there is a bit more of me bulky wise so it made me chuckle!

In case you haven't figured out from these photos, Thoreau is the love of my life (sorry it's not a real, breathing man mum!) I just loved the recreation of the cabin. When I return in the summer, I plan to visit the actual site he stayed at plus go swimming in Walden Pond. It was rather frozen over when we went - however the people ice fishing probably liked the conditions.

Next, we visited Orchard House, the home of the Alcotts. Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside but it was really cool to see where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women. Finally, we went to Concord Museum - I wished to go to see the Thoreau collection (including the desk he did many of his writings on) and Emerson's study. I'm planning on coming back - I want to see Thoreau Farm and go inside Emerson's house (which are closed for winter). If I had a spare $800,000+ lying about, I would move there. Maybe in a few....forty years.

To conclude..

This is Abi, on her way to steal your man.