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!