Goodbye London...

I'm sad to say that this is one of my last times sitting in our small, cramped, dark flat before I leave this wonderful city. What an experience it has been, and I cant't believe how fast time has flown by.
I have seen lots, learned lots and most of all met lots of wonderful people.
It's bittersweet though, as sad as I am to leave I am really looking forward to be home with family and friends once again.
I know I will be back, and I say goodbye to London for now and can't wait to be experiencing it's many sights sounds and people again.
It's been a blast London, thanks for all the amazing memories you have given me and see you soon..

The Ink is On

I have a BEAUTIFUL tattoo on my back now (upper back not lower!) and I love it. And surprisingly it wasn’t that painful. I sat in the chair for almost 2 hours and in some parts I kid you not I could have almost fallen asleep. I was sitting across from Quinn who was not quite so relaxed and looked to be in A LOT of pain. Then again she was getting it on her ribcage, apparently one of the most painful spots to get it. It takes a lot of care and attention to maintain at the moment, as it basically is treated like an open wound. It has to be kept clean and moisturized etc. But I am sure it will all be worth it in the end.
At work this week Mary our HR manager told me that she will be hiring both Dawn and Ressa to work at the hotel. What a small world! Two girls from our program back home in Victoria would be working with Quinn and I! The Canadians are starting to take over the hotel 
What else is new…oh! My birthday is in a few days and a bunch of us from work are planning on going out. This will be the first birthday that I will be away from home and my family and friends so it should be different this year. None of my mom’s famous homemade ice cream cake or family dinner  I can’t complain though, I’m in London for goodness sakes.

Am I Already Half Way Done!?

It’s official. I have booked my tattoo appointment, paid my deposit and everything is lined up for me to get inked next week. Can’t believe it is actually happening. Mom and Dad know already so it’s no big secret. Mom even helped me brainstorm of what it should say and look like. I am a bit nervous, as I am not sure what to expect but at the same time cannot wait!
I was just thinking the other day that my co-op is already half way done! Time is now flying by, I am settled at work, settled in my flat and it seems like smooth sailing from here on out. I was checking out my goals the other day and am happy to say that some progression has definitely been made. Although my manager has just up and left for another job without much warning so I am not quite sure where that leaves me. I never even really got to talk before he left. And it doesn’t look like they have even started looking for a replacement yet. So I feel that I am on my own for at least the next few weeks when it comes to pursuing my goals. Hopefully the new manager will be able to help me out. A bit frustrating to say the least..

Chalk This Up to Embarrassing Moment #1

Well I certainly didn’t think that I would find myself sitting in the emergency room on a Friday night alone, but there I was. It’s rather embarrassing why I was there in the first place. I would love to say it was something cool but it’s far from it. I basically well..ermm..ummm..got my ring stuck on my finger. I had put the ring on in the morning just fine and worn it all day with no problems. But upon returning home from a day of shopping, I tried to take it off but it simply wouldn’t budge. I tried butter and oil, icing it and elevating it but nothing was working and it was starting to turn a deep shade of purple. After 4 hours passing and it looking worse than before, it was time to head to the ER. Thankfully the wait wasn’t too long, and the nurse was able to cut it off (my ring that is) and now as a reminder I am left with one very bruised middle finger. God, how do I get myself into these situations!? The following day Quinn and I wandered around the Soho and Chinatown district. I did not get the memo that Soho quite so dirty. It is considered the gay district and there was XXX signs and posters and VERY graphic photos every way you turned. Me and Quinn definitely had a few laughs walking around there.
Work this week has been hectic, Wimbledon has begun and in turn the hotel is fully booked all this week. We have a couple of tennis players staying with us and I even served one yesterday in the restaurant. I forget his name, I am not a big tennis fan what can I say? But apparently he is very good (well obviously he is playing in Wimbledon after all) and some young up an coming Spanish player. Have been working overtime almost every shift but honestly I like it being busy, it certainly does make the shift pass by a little faster not to mention I swear I have shed a few pounds from all the running around I do day in and day out!

"What did you do this weekend?"..."Just jetted off to Portugal"

This week at work has sure been busy! With school now out it seems that everyone is starting to take their summer holidays. I have been working many a days of overtime and do not stop running around in a shift. If this is a taste of what is to come for summer I am not going to have much time for anything else! I do really enjoy work being busy though, it makes the shift pass by much quicker and is certainly giving me lots of practice. I feel as though as each shift goes by I am gaining more and more confidence and starting to perfect aspects of my newly acquired skill set. And since work has been so hectic, Quinn and I’s weekend getaway couldn’t have happened at a better time. With the work week ending us two girls were able to jet off to Lisbon Portugal for our weekend to soak up some sunshine! We flew out after our shift and were there in hot Portugal within a couple hours. We had booked a hostel in advance that ended up being perfect. It was right in the heart of the city and we could walk around to everything. It was clean and bright and we were able to meet a bunch of cool people from all over. Most of the other travelers there were Australian mixed in with a couple Americans, but sadly no other fellow Canadians! During our first full day there Quinn and I took a bus tour of the city which gave us a great overview of our surroundings, the architecture was stunning and the people were so friendly. That evening the hostel was having a pub crawl that allowed us to see the Portuguese nightlife and dance until the wee hours of the morning. After sleeping in the following morning Quinn and I awoke determined to still go out and explore on our last day in Portugal. We decided to catch a train to a smaller town outside of Lisbon known for its breathtaking beaches. All I have to say is WOW, white sand, the bright blue ocean and hot hot sunshine. Could it get much better than that? We both had a relaxing day lying on the beach before hopping back into a cab to take us straight back to the airport. Upon landing in London, we were greeted by pouring rain and a cold wind  Oh home sweet home..

Street Hockey in Trafalger Square

HAPPY CANADA DAY! What a patriotic week it was! Apparently London loves Canadians, because it was a BIG celebration here. Trafalgar square was transformed into a sea of red and white. Complete with everything Canadian..street hockey matches, poutine, Canadian beer, Tim Hortons and Canadian artists performing. I felt as if I was back home. There was random out breaks of the national anthem being sung and lots of hugs form other Canadians wishing us a happy Canada day. This day was also the night that my parents were back in London for one final night before flying back home. So I left the celebrations early and met up with them at the hotel (My hotel!) to hang out and say goodbye. The hotel was great, and made my parents VIP guests and went above and beyond to make their stay wonderful. I was very impressed. And my family definitely appreciated the effort the hotel made which made everyone happy. I ended up staying and talking to my family until nearly 1 in the morning and then I said my final goodbyes. Mom was crying (of course!) and I told her I would see her in 10 more weeks and that it will fly by. It was the perfect end to a perfect day, for sure one of the best Canada days I have ever had. Who knew that it would have been half way across the world?
With my parents now gone Quinn and I head off to go explore the Camden market today. I think I have fallen in love with this place! It is a maze of alleyways and tunnels packed full of vendors selling everything from antiques to the latest fashion craze. You can find anything you possible could ever need there. And it is not just the shopping that’s great, it’s the people watching. I could happily sit on a bench anywhere in Camden and observe the diverse crowd of people that hang out in this part of town. Lots of tattoos, lots of piercings and some of the strangest outfits I have ever seen. Definitely will be back to this part of London for some retail therapy sooner rather than later

The Family has Invaded!

My parents, brother and grandparents have officially landed in London! I walked down from my flat and met them at the South Kensington Tube station and let me tell you it was so great to see them. I may have shed a tear or two! Thankfully since I have moved here I have been fortunate enough not to be hit with any type of home sickness but this last month and a half have been tough. Between starting my job and living on my own and all the up’s and downs in between, it was wonderful to have my family here in London showing their support. They were all pretty tired having just flown in so we just took it easy and I gave them a walking tour around my neighbourhood, showed them my flat and then went for an early dinner. Over the last few days we have seen lots of sights (I tried to save the most expensive tourist attractions to do when my parents were here lol) like the London Eye for example. We spent the first couple days they were here in London doing all the things they wanted to see. We spent one of the days in the Picadilly Circus area, walked though Trafalgar square and then went and watched the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Pretty cool I must say, Grandma was in awe and just couldn’t believe she ever got to see the palace in real life. Then the family, Quinn and I made a day trip up to a small city named Bath, which is about and hour and a half train ride outside of London. This city is most famous for hosting the originally Roman Baths that were used by the Romans hundreds of years ago. This was a must see on Grandpas list. The town itself is picturesque, and upon stepping off the train it feels like you have stepped back in time. We took a bus tour of the city, tour the baths and then Quinn and I went and toured around the Fashion Museum. At the museum we both tried on corsets like they had to wear back in the 1800’s. You should have seen the two of us trying to get into them! It was so great being able to have a few days off work to be able to show them around this city that I love so much. WE certainly all had lots of laughs and saw tons. My family is now heading off to Scotland for a week to be able to dive into some of my ancestry and my grandparents are both hoping they will be able to locate some gravesites of their grandparents and aunts and uncles. Although I said goodbye to my family for now, they will be stopping back into London for one more night before flying out of Heathrow airport the following morning.