So Sad!

Well, in exactly three days I will be back in the USA! I'm excited about coming home, but SO sad about leaving England and my friends! I've lived here since September, so it's become like a second home. This won't be a long post, because Marfo, Cat, Michelle, and I are about to have dinner together. On Thursday, Michelle, Marfo, and I went to Cardiff, and had a wonderful time! The weather was perfect. It's really warmed up a lot! We walked around the city, took a tour of the castle, and then sat in the park. After dinner, we headed back to Stratford. Cardiff is less than two hours away, and we passed some unbelievably beautiful countryside. Wales is gorgeous! On Friday night, we went out and had a girl's night. Saturday, Mike and Judy took me on a tour of the Cotswolds along with Mike's brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Denise, who now live in Los Angeles. (Steve just retired from Paramount Pictures). We spent ELEVEN hours touring different villages like Bourghton-on-the-Water, Stow-in-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, Lower and Upper Slaughter, Broadway, Chipping Campden, etc. The weather, once again, was perfect, and we had a great time! It was really sad to say goodbye to Mike and Judy...they're like my British parents! Today, I roamed around town and sat by the river in the sunshine. Stratford is so beautiful! I took a few more pictures, just for memories, but I tried to do it discreetly, because I HATE when people mistake me for a tourist. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to London, and I fly out early Wednesday morning. It still doesn't feel like I'm leaving for good. Of course, I'm not leaving FOREVER...I'll definitely be back to England. But I just won't LIVE here anymore. It's very bittersweet! I'll try to make a final post when I arrive back in the U.S. I have lots of cute pictures to post! Pray for me on Wednesday when I fly home!

London with the Gang!

I had a great time this weekend hanging out in London with some of my best friends - Kate McIntosh, Katie Witthauer, Ashley Parker, and Walt Cain. I hopped on the train Saturday morning to London, where I met two really cool British guys named Lucas and Steve. They're both 23, too, and taught me how to play poker! :) We played Texas Hold 'Em for two hours (NOT for money...for aluminium foil chips)...it was so fun! I had beginner's luck, so I beat them in both rounds. Once I arrived in London, I met up with Kate and Katie, and showed them the awesome sights of London. We had dinner at Wagamama's, and then met up with Walt and Ashley to walk around China Town and SoHo. On Sunday morning, the five of us went to St. Paul's Cathedral for church. St. Paul's is absolutely gorgeous...one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen! Jeannie and I went to a service there when we lived in London one summer, so it was neat to go back. (By the way, St. Paul's is Anglican, or Church of England, not Catholic). After church, we headed to Oxford Circus to browse through some of my favorite shops in England...TopShop, Oasis, etc. Then we headed to Leicester Square for the European premiere of the movie Poseidon! I love watching stars walk down the red carpet...I totally get star-struck. :) We saw Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Josh Lucas (from Sweet Home Alabama), and others. So fun! After the premiere, we ate dinner at Pizza Express, and had a huge, delicious dessert at Haagen Daz. We walked around SoHo for a long time, and then called it a night. Monday morning, Kate and Katie woke up early to catch the train to Scotland, so Walt, Ash, and I got breakfast and walked to Westminster Abbey. We said our goodbyes (they were catching a flight to Italy later that evening), and I headed to Notting Hill to walk around before catching my train back to Stratford. Tuesday and Wednesday, I've been hanging out, running errands, and attempting to pack. I got my haircut one last time by Mary Ann...I'm going to miss her! She's the best haircutter! She told me I should fly her to Mississippi, and she could cut my whole family's hair! (What do you think, Mom and Dad?) Thurday, Marfo, Michelle, and I are going to Cardiff (the capital of Wales) to sight-see. It's supposed to be a really cool city. On Friday I'm going to run errands and finish packing, and also close my UK bank account. Wish me luck...there's no telling what kind of craziness will occur when I try to do that! On Saturday, Mike and Judy are picking me up, and we're going to take a day trip to the Cotswolds. On Sunday, Marfo, Michelle, Cat, and I are going to have a small dinner party, and on Monday I'm going to go to London to spend Monday and Tuesday night, saying farewell to my favorite city. On Wednesday morning, I fly home to Mississippi. My how time flies! :) Be prepared for more updates and pictures in the next few days!