MUM in a Million: December 2011

BACK TO LONDON (July 9^th – July 15^th)

It was nice to go back to London where people spoke English, but I missed Paris and I missed crazy Megan. I didn’t know what I would do for another week in London but believe it or not I didn’t even get everything done that I wanted to. I guess that means I will have to go back! Lisa was awesome and picked me up at the airport. I was so glad because they had tube closures everywhere. Lisa’s sister Stephanie came into town while I was in France, so I was glad to have someone to do stuff with while Lisa was at work.

Day 13: July 10^th

Today was a nice relaxing day. We went to church and after church we went to the Natural History Museum. It was huge and we didn’t even see half of it. I was so excited because we found a Paul’s in London right by the church. I was so excited because I thought I would never see it again. Of course, we had lunch there. Delicious!

Day 14: July 11^th

Today, Stephanie and I ventured out to find the British Museum. It was an adventure finding it but we did pretty well. The outside of the building was awesome. It was full of exhibits on ancient Egypt and Sudan and also Greek and Roman Antiquities. My favorite thing was the Rosetta stone. I am such a nerd but being a math major I learned quite a bit about the Rosetta stone in school so it was so cool to see in person. After the museum we went and shopped on Oxford Street. I bought by white purse and an awesome pair of Barbie sunglasses. After shopping, Lisa met up with us at Regent’s park. Regent’s park is one of the Royal parks of London. I love the parks in London but this was one of my favorites. It was beautiful. My favorite part of the park was Queen Mary’s Garden. It was full of beautiful roses and flowerbeds. The colors were incredible. After hanging out in the park we ate at Pizza Express (so good) and headed home for the night.

Day 15: July 12^th

Today I took off on my own to see St. Paul’s Cathedral. Stephanie and Lisa did it while I was in France and they told me I had to go. St. Paul’s Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London and is one of London’s most famous sites. Its dome is also among the highest in the world. I did the audio tour and it was so cool to hear the history and stories of the Cathedral. I walked up a lot of stairs all the way up to the top of the Cathedral. It was an incredible view. Stephanie met up with me after and there was a Paul’s right next to the Cathedral so where did we go to lunch….yes the one and only Paul’s! We walked across the Harry potter bridge and went to the Shakespeare’s Globe. We were to late to tour the globe that day so we decided that we would come back tomorrow. We were walking beside the river and we decided to go see how much it would cost to ride on a boat. It was super cheap and so we bought tickets and took a boat to the Tower of London. It was awesome. We went underneath the Tower Bridge, it was a different view than most people see. We toured the Tower of London. The Tower of London is her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress. It is a historic castle in central London. We did the audio tour but it was confusing to stay along with the commentary. My favorite was the Crown Jewels. It was amazing to see crowns, scepter, and swords full of jewels. After the Tower of London we met up with Lisa to do the London Eye. The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel. Stephanie was scared of heights so she didn’t do it with us. It cost quite a bit of money but it was a fun thing to do once.

Day 16: July 13^th

Today, we went back to Shakespeare’s globe. I was excited about it and we took a tour that taught us some things about the theatre and about Shakespeare. I was disappointed when I found out that the building was just a reconstruction of the globe. After the globe, we went to the Royal mews, which was right by Buckingham Palace. The Royal Mews (Royal stables) is the mews of the British Royal Family. It was cool to see a few horses and to see the carriages. The Gold State Coach is there and it just reminded me of carriages like Cinderella, which is why I enjoyed it. We then went to Kensington Palace. This was the official residence of Princess Diana. It was under construction but we got to do the haunted museum inside. It was a little weird but what can you do. We met up with Lisa right next to the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where we were going to see Wicked. I have been looking forward to this since before I even got to London. Wicked was incredible! Hands down the best show I have ever seen in my life! The story is amazing; the music was to die for. The song “For Good” hit me hard because all I could think about was Whitni. I knew that would be our song!

Day 17: July 14^th

Today, we ventured out of London and went south to the city of Brighton, which is on the coast of England. We took a train and it took a little over an hour to get there. I listened to Wicked the entire time. I was obsessed what can I say. It was cool to see a different part of England. We went to the beach and then walked the Brighton Pier. The pier was fun and we got henna tattoos. The guy was really cool that did them for us and told us things to do. He suggested we take a bus up to Devils Pyke to see the countryside. I am so glad he suggested that. We took his advice and rode on an open top double Decker bus. We got up to Devils Pyke and it was breathtaking. My pictures don’t do it justice but I would totally move there. When we got back we did some shopping and then we went and saw the Royal Pavilion. Today was a fun day.

Day 18: July 15^th

Let the travel back to the states begin. I was sad that my trip was over but I was ready to come home. I got up and made the trek to the airport. My flight wasn’t bad at all. I just watched movies the entire time. I got to Texas and it took forever to get through customs and then I had to through security. I was so tired; it was the middle of the night London time. I had to wait a little bit for my next flight. I was so excited to turn my phone on and get tons of messages but my phone only gave me the ones from the last few days so I was a little disappointed. I sat by this guy on the way home that works on the temples and he was just getting back from working on a temple in South America. It was really cool to talk to him. I slept a little bit on the flight and then I was back to the good ole state of Utah. Cami was nice enough to pick me up from the airport. I got to the baggage claim and didn’t see her so I called her while I headed to the restroom. She didn’t believe me that I was out. She surprised me and brought Ac. It was so good to see my friends. They made me a sign and brought me Henry Weinhards. I have some of the best friends ever. I was so excited to be back that I was so tired and loopy I didn’t want to go to bed. We went downtown to see Ac’s new place and then when I got out of control Cami took me home. What a great trip. I am so grateful that I was able to do this trip. It will be a trip I will never forget.