Happy Thanksgiving!

Instead of my weekly "Thoughts From Abroad", I decided to make a post dedicated solely to my first Thanksgiving in England.

I'm not going to lie, Thanksgiving this year was hard. Having said that, I think this has been the first year I have truly appreciated the holiday. I now live in a country where not only did I have to attend class on Thanksgiving, but I also had to prepare a meal on my own. There was no turkey, no football, and no family. 

However, I am thankful for so many things this year. I feel so blessed to be living out my dreams, and sacrificing Thanksgiving in Texas was just a small price I had to pay. So here are a few things I am thankful for:

+ My parents who have supported me in my move abroad.

+ My sister who is rocking her sophomore year at Tech.

+ The other MA History students. They've helped me so much in adjusting to life here in England.

+ My friends who Snapchat me like crazy, making sure I don't miss a thing.

+ The volunteer position I have at the museum. I am gaining experience I need for my future career, and having a lot of fun doing it. 

+ My faith, which has helped me overcome any struggles I have faced in my move.

+ Mission Burrito which gives me my Mexican food fix whenever I need it. 

+ This little blogging community I have become a part of. 

+ The education I am receiving here at the University of Bristol. Sure, my life would be a lot less stressful if I wasn't doing a masters, but life would be far less interesting!

I'm off to London for a wonderful weekend getaway!
How was everyone else's Thanksgiving?
xoxo

Throwback | Paris, France

I'm attempting to organize my life.

And when I say life, I mean the 'Travel' page of my blog. 

Most of the countries I have visited were pre-Bristol in my Pocket. I thought long and hard about how I should include some of those travels, and it dawned on me: Throwbacks.
So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the lovely pictures of me in my awkward years.
_______________________________________

July 2011. Age: 20.

I'm probably going to be the only person to ever say it, but I'm actually not a fan of Paris. I had built Paris up in my head to be this wonderful place when in reality I felt extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome. 

I desperately want to change my perception of Paris. I'm hoping that one day I'll go back and have a wonderful time. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to, but my overall experience was, dare I say, terrible.

That's the problem with traveling. There is always a possibility a destination may not live up to your expectation.

Have you ever been disappointed by a destination? Let me know!

xoxo

A Walk to Work

I love my job. 

Well, it's not exactly a job. It's a volunteer position. But I'm gaining experience in museums and I love it.

It takes me about 20 minutes to walk to the museum, and it still amazes me how beautiful Bristol is.

So here are a few pictures of the things I see on my walks to work. 

It's starting to get to that point in the semester where I'm absolutely exhausted.
Somehow I'm managing to balance research, writing, volunteering, and blogging.
Coffee is a lifesaver.
How is everyone else's week going?

xoxo

German Christmas Market | Bristol

The best thing about living in Europe during the holidays?

The markets. They are everywhere. The German Market in Bristol was one of the first Christmas markets to be set up this holiday season. If you haven't noticed by now, I love getting into the holiday spirit. So I brought a couple of friends along with me to check out the market.

There was live Christmas music, gifts, and crepes. 

It was perfectly German. 

The only downside? These pictures were taken at 4 in the afternoon! It's crazy how dark it's getting here in England!

Happy Sunday!
xoxo

Arnos Vale Cemetery

Today marks my two month anniversary in Bristol!

Crazy, right?
I've been living in England for two months now and it feels like no time at all.

One of my favorite things about living in England is the close proximity to history. History is everywhere, and as a MA History student it's my job to take advantage of it.
Having learned from my mistake at Hereford Cathedral, I made it my priority to bring my camera on our class trip to Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol.

Arnos Vale Cemetery was established in 1837 as a 32 acre cemetery. Now, at 45 acres, it houses more than 300,000 souls (both buried and cremated). The cemetery is overgrown and rugged, very unlike cemeteries in the United States. By maintaining a wildlife feel, Arnos Vale holds unique British character. In the 1960s, little was being done to care for the property. It was under serious threat of being shut down. However, the Bristol locals made it their mission to keep it open.

In order to keep the cemetery open and successful, Arnos Vale now holds weddings, yoga classes, art festivals, and other public activities. It even houses a cafe with wi-fi. The property is so large that you can still buy plots today.

Happy Wednesday!
xoxo

Throwback | Scotland

I'm attempting to organize my life.

And when I say life, I mean the 'Travel' page of my blog. 

Most of the countries I have visited were pre-Bristol in my Pocket. I thought long and hard about how I should include some of those travels, and it dawned on me: Throwbacks.
So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the lovely pictures of me in my awkward years.
____________________________________

July 2011: Age 20. 

While studying abroad in London, I had the opportunity to go with some classmates on a weekend trip to Scotland. To this day, Scotland is one of my favorite travel experiences. 

Although it was raining most of the trip, we were able to travel across the entire country. Our guide was a local, doing our tour as a favor he owed to a friend. He was extremely knowledgable, and had that Scottish flare that really just added to the experience.  It was an exhausting weekend, but completely worth it. 

Edinburgh

St. Andrews

Cairngorms National Park

Inverness 

Culloden

 Glen Coe

xoxo