jim and dianna

my past two days have been spent with....myyyyy PARENTS!! :] we've had some incredible days together and this morning we are off to london til thursday and then heading to munich. i will give many more details about our days in oxford and all the rest (with pictures) when i get back. i can't wait! have a great week

would you like to walk to school with me?

i thought i would show you guys my walk to school because it is unbelievable. the pictures don't do it justice...but i think you'll get the picture...pun intended. ha.

on the street.
a really cool pub right on the river.
the river thames. cross it every morning.
my favorite little cafe that's on the way to school.
christ church college.
willow!
secret garden?
my favorite building on the walk...it has red ivy. red!

a beautiful huge empty field to the right.


pretty pond.
leaves starting to turn colors.
sleepy heads.

thats the street we were just walking on
oxford version of the crestview blinky crosswalk!
a gorgeous cemetery we walk by every morning.
secret garden number 2.
made it!!

i honestly think i have one of the most beautiful walks to school anyone can have. it's such a peaceful way to start the morning. hope you enjoyed it!

washing machine

ahem...*cough* well we got the washing machine fixed....i asked the guy what was wrong with it and he told me that it had been over stuffed and the pipe had gotten clogged...

heh. oops. sorry roommates. haha. at least my clothes are now safe and sound in the dryer!

haha that just sounded really selfish and i didn't mean it like that..

mail!

also, i got mail today! at my oxford address! it was so exciting :] thank you thank you sisters and grandma and grandpa. you guys made my day.

oxford sunset

this was the sunset right outside my window last night. i think i had the best view in the whole city. i knew oxford was going to have pubs and schools, but who knew it would have such gorgeous sunsets?

sunday

yay! this one isn't underlining itself....

ok so yesterday (sunday) was beautiful.  it was a nice 70 degrees with a cool breeze.  (that rhymed) some of us had been studying almost the entire day and needed a break, so we decided to go on a walk down the river thames, which is right by our house.  the walk was beautiful and soothing and a perfect afternoon to go on it.  

kim brought bread to feed the ducks with so she and i sat on the bank and tossed the bread into the river for the ducks.  some of them were really aggressive and feathers were starting to fly...literally.  after a few minutes i look over to my right and there is a duck a hands length away from me.  i scream so loudly that it echos throughout the river and all the old people and couples and families that were there quickly looked over at me, probably thinking i was getting attacked or robbed.  i started cracking up because i had not heard myself scream like that in quite some time.  then the duck started waddling closer to me. i immediately got up, sprinted away, and chucked the rest of my bread behind me. by that time at least 10 ducks were out of the water and following kim and i.  we walked backwards for about 10 feet, and the whole group of ducks followed us, until we showed them we didn't have anymore food and they ditched us.  

we also saw an adorable poodle puppy and a 2 year old boy speaking french.  he melted my heart and i wanted to take him.  but i just settled for snapping some pictures of him.  is that weird? he was so cute. i think his mom would've understood. 

5 days til my parents get here!!!

and my clothes are still stuck in the washing machine! haha

half and half

well, it's true. i had my very first no good day in oxford.  hey it's gonna happen, right?  although the events of yesterday are a bit comical, it was traumatic at the time and not comical.  i will just briefly summarize the different events:  i was stressing out because i had five papers to catch up on, and needed to start a huge report due on thursday that is worth 80% of my grade and has to be presented in front of the whole class and critiqued by an oxford tudor. intimidating to say the least.  i decided to go to starbucks after 4 hours of studying in my room and literally almost got pummeled by a bus while i was crossing the street.  i mean the felt the heat of it on my leg.  it was scary.  and i had no other reaction but to laugh extremely hard on the side of the road....the notebook??  hmm...anyway.  then i went to starbucks and got my first sting of homesickness, so i couldn't focus on my schoolwork at all, and was so distracted that i completely left my phone, which isn't mine, there. and sprinted back in a panic and had to answer like 3 questions about the server and phone company, which i had no idea about because it's all different stuff here. then i came home to find the washing machine jammed, with half of the clothes i brought soaking wet and being held hostage in it.  i sat there trying to pry it open with a knife for an hour, then got cussed out for the third time by my neighbor for asking him for help.  it's still jammed and my clothes are still in there.  

the good thing about days like that is that they really make you thankful for certain things that  help you feel better.  and i decided to share my "help you feel better on a bad day" things here. enjoy:  (i do not know why all the typing is underlined in this...i tried to fix it but i think all my fixing thoughts were used up on the washing machine....)

i'm holding my heart out but clutching it too.

today as i was walking to school i started thinking back to the 2 weeks before i came out to europe.  those two weeks brought more stress than finals week, more tears than i ever thought i had in me, and more goodbyes then i ever want to have to say again.  those 2 weeks brought all of this because i was so nervous for everything that was about to happen and, to me, God was flying me business class to one of my worst fears; the unknown.  those 2 weeks were full of anxiety for the trip.  but as soon as i landed and got my first breath of my new chapter, i knew that God was in control, and i really started putting my trust in Him.  having my unforgettable experience in spain, and my comfortable and amazing experience here, so far has completely reminded me of God's wisdom.  it puts me at such an unique peace when i am reminded of this, and it is a reminder that i often need.  it is such a powerful thing to be able to trust God, and these past few weeks have given me so much growth in that area.  it has been so good to see that even in a place that is unfamiliar and new, God is still consistent and present.  

i made psalm 23 my theme for this trip, and once again the beautiful words of david's poetry has been a comfort to me.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflow.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

sometimes this place seems like a dream.  like the color of the trees is too green to be real.  and the history of the buildings is too old for me to be walking in them.  and like the fields that never end just don't exist.  but that's when i'm most thankful for it all, and that's when God's creation awes me most.  when i see that nothing, other than a masterful creator, could ever make some place like this, so beautiful. 

the english restroom

i would like to take this post to briefly tell you guys about the british "toilets."  (my dad just rolled his eyes haha) that's right toilets.  no where in england will you ever see a sign for the "restroom" or "bathroom", which i myself think is a bit crass that refer to it as this, but then again i think the british start saying the f word when they start to speak.  when you first walk into the toilet (that sounds funny) your hand will immediately reach over to the wall for the light switch. but you will not find one.  what you will find in its place is a long beaded string.  the first time you will nervously pull it hoping that it does not flush the toilet and the person that is outside doesn't think you're unusually fast in the bathroom....toilet. but, as you pull it, you discover it is indeed the light.  you walk to the toilet, and being your sanitary self, reach for the toilet seat cover.  what?! there is none! this must just be a flaw in this one toilet, you think to yourself. but no, it is a flaw of the entire country.  no toilet seat covers ever. anywhere. *sigh* gross.  but, the british do make it up to you by giving you hand cramps from having to hold the flusher (? what is that thing called? you all know what i mean...) down for at least 30 seconds, sometimes more depending on if the person before you flushed or if it is a particularly old bathroom...toilet.  

although these are two downfalls of the british bathroom, you do however, get much more privacy in the personal stalls than in america, where the walls of the stall are so short that even my nine year old mom took advantage of them and peeked over to scare her friend, but found an old woman instead. we've all done it.  the british just out smart our american pranks in this area.

 would you like a paper towel, miss? sorry.  none.  they're with the toilet seat covers.  you'll have to use the extremely high powered air dryer. but don't worry! it will get any raindrops off of any part of your body. you just have to stand there!

if you're using a public bathroom with more than one stall, the occupied signs will instead say "engaged."  for some reason this causes me to have an attitude of  "why yes i would like to wait patiently in line....i mean the queue."  the british have a funny way of being crass and incredibly polite all in one room. 

to fly south for the winter

these are some of the pretty birds that were at st. james park.  i just really love feathers and i kept a HUGE flawless white one that i found.  don't tell me it carries a bunch of diseases or anything it takes the magic out of it. 

random happenings in colleen's life

take 2.

1.  the rough cardboard sheets that we received in our houses are so harsh that my friend slid into bed the other night and gave herself a rug burn from the sheets.  

2.  i got a coke from a store, and it was the store brand.  after i had finished it, i was looking at the label and saw "allergy information: contains barley and gluten" WHAT?! england, seriously what do you make your cokes out of it.  it is supposed to be 90% sugar and 10% fizzy liquid.  how is it possible to add gluten? weird and funny.

3.  i put a load of laundry in (i was on my last pair of underwear) and when my load finished was informed that the dryer was broken.  i tried it for 2 hours and pulled my clothes out....still very wet.  i hung dry everything around in my room.  

4.  ate at a place called the mission today which is owned by chipotle.  i remember why i hate chipotle.

5.  mitchell made me realize that i have been, for my entire life!, using the word "secrete" in place of "discreet" thinking the entire time that they are synonyms........... 

6.  i got rice milk here...it tastes like marshmallows....i like it better. (and since when is marshmallow spelled with an a??? mallow??) 

7.  i saw platform 9 3/4.....need i say more?

8.  i realized yesterday that everything closes at 5 here on sundays and had to get my groceries for the night at a gas station near the house.

9.  i realized that i literally do not even notice anymore when someone has a british accent or an american accent.  

i love it here.  and i can't WAIT for my parents to get here! 

here's to you, london.

this weekend i got to spend two gorgeous sunny days in london. since we only had two days, we tried to pack in as much as we could.  unfortunately, this meant that we didn't spend a very significant amount of time at any place, but it did allow us to see everything we wanted to.

day 1:

-saw big ben. took pictures

-saw westminster abbey. took pictures

-saw buckingham palace. ran around. posed for thousands of different pictures. took more pictures.

-st james's park.  spent the rest of the beautiful afternoon in the park with couples, old people ,children, and hundreds of trees and birds.  decided it was my favorite park i have ever been to.  it MIGHT beat balboa park.....probably not.

-got dressed up and wore red lipstick for the first time since i played dress up with shannon when we were 5.

-ate the hottest most delicious thai food ever

-saw chicago. in london.  got choked up because the dancing was so unbelievable.

-had the most awkward situation of my life on the tube ride home. sobbed because i was laughing so hard.

-slept in a hostel with 5 other girls. the room? 100% purple.  i'm not even kidding.

day 2:

-crossed the london bridge (it's not even cool....i didn't even know i was on it...ha)

-walked to the tower of london. took pictures.  really really cool.

-walked across the tower bridge. took pictures. really really really cool!

-walked through a fair. so much fun and the girls got homemade fudge. mmm.

-saw shakespeare's globe.

-walked across the millennium bridge...way cooler than london bridge.

-saw st. paul's

-got afternoon tea for 2 complete with 2 scones, 2 pieces of cake, 4 sandwiches and free refills. all for 10 pounds.

-sat there for 2 hours and let the exhaustion take its run.

-picked up a british vogue and read it while i was walking.

-booked it to the train station.

-got a too expensive salad with mayonnaise dressing (i thought it was ranch. gag.)

-fell asleep on the train.

-got home

busy busy but so so fun!

flea market hey hey

the picture is for my dad because he strongly requested a picture of my house.   mine is the blue door on the right!! :] 222

today i stumbled on an incredible flea market and discovered my first english treasures.  one for me, one for steph (which i already showed her on skype haha) and one for mitch.  it was such a fun place and all the people selling stuff were so friendly and really sweet.  

warning:  this next story is gross and when i just told stephanie this story she said she got a stomach ache.  so today i was cleaning the kitchen in our house (that you now have a picture of...dad :] ).  it was so gross in there that i was literally vacuuming the countertops in order to get all the crumbs and food on them.  as i was sliding the vacuum across the counter, i stopped it and my heart dropped.  right in front of my hand was a two inch long slug.  i didn't say anything and just sprinted out of the kitchen.  i made one of the boys set it free, it didn't feel right killing it.  it was just enjoying the sun in a nice kitchen. i was basically doing the same thing.

after the flea market we went to the natural history museum which was basically just full of rocks and minerals and dinosaur bones.  kelly and i left and got tea.  

tomorrow i leave for a weekend trip to london!! i can't wait.  hope you guys have fun weekend plans back at home! 

the view from my window

i just think it's so gorgeous. 

sunshine and fairs

the weather here has been absolutely gorgeous lately! it has been in the 70's everyday and i have been wearing dresses and shorts just soakin up as much sun as i can while it lasts.  

a few days ago there was a fair in downtown that my friends and i went to.  it was very odd and surreal to be there because they had rides and booths set up everywhere and right behind them were these gorgeous old buildings that were built hundreds of years ago.  there was fair food, giant teddy bear prizes and the bodlein library as the back drop.  i mean, it was really the best of both worlds.  some of us went on the ferris wheel right at sunset and got a breath taking view of the city.  i don't think i'll ever get to see the city like that again, so i took lots of pictures.  

tomorrow we go to the natural history museum for class.

i'll take it.  i haven't had a field trip since the 8th grade.  should i bring a sack lunch?

random happenings of the day:

1. i got threatened for black mail with my driver's license picture....alright alright get a good laugh. everyone's is bad... except for mitchell's. 

2. i found out i have the same birthday as shakespeare! so cool.

3. i had a lecture on the history of london and walked out with absolutely no new knowledge on the history of london, but with a free map.

4. i found my dream flannel

5. i got hilariously down on myself after my roommate who worked in parliament last summer and has been studying in 6 different countries this year asked me what other language i speak.  i said pig latin.  then he asked me if i played an instrument.  i said no.  he asked if i played sports.  i said i did in high school.  he answered all of these with a sad "oh."  i just took my oatmeal to my room and watched friends. yeah whatever, go back to parliament or something. haha

6. i tripped down 3 stairs and almost choked i laughed so hard.

7. i ate almost an entire chocolate bar while i was writing this and now feel completely sick.

8. i know i just got done saying that it has been super sunny lately but this morning it was raining while i was walking to school and i got to use my umbrella the whole way.  it was so magical. 

happy first day of school apu!!