KaylNorton

This summer has been a beneficial learning experience for me in terms of my own personal goals and plans for the future. I have a better understanding of independence and adulthood. These first few years in college have taught me the cold, hard facts about the real world, but now I understand how it actually works. For example, I never understood why my parents would complain about having a long day at work and how stressed out they were as a result. After working full-time for eight weeks without pay I understand what it takes to be a working adult. I feel transitioned from adolescence to adulthood as a result of living and working in a foreign country. The working part made me realize the effort it takes to work full-time and climb the professional ladder. ... read more

Sadly, my time in London has come to an end. I arrived back in the United States yesterday afternoon and already miss the hustle and bustle of the city. Naturally, I arrived at the airport six hours early (12:20 flight), so I had plenty of time to get to know Heathrow airport. I had a delicious sit-down breakfast, shopped, and played my with iPad for quite some time. Everyone who helped at the airport commented on my punctualicty. Although one commented on the amount of luggage I had (what's it to him? I had to pay 45 pounds to check it; if anything I was giving him money). The flight was relatively smooth and interesting. I sat next to a young girl about eight years old who commented, "We talk Polish." She was traveling with her ... read more

Upon arriving in London I realized how much the locals drink tea. To fit in with the culture, I not only went to afternoon tea once, but twice, and would do it again if I had more time. The only thing I knew about afternoon tea was that it is very proper and there are various mini sandwiches and scones served. To prepare for the occasion, I dressed in a more conservative dress just in case others were wearing similar clothing. I was a tad overdressed compared to the others, but in general, high tea was what I expected it to be—formal, yet relaxed. The room at the hotel was very spacious, with white tablecloths neatly hugging all the tables. The waiters calmly stood by and attended to my every need. The mini tray of sandwiches, ... read more

I just realized that I have not blogged in four days! I'm so sorry! A few things have happened since... First, I went to Brick Lane, a street close to my work, last night. It's famous for ethnic food, but most notably, Indian food. The restaurant owners linger outside and try to entice you to come in. After passing up a few places, we decided on an Indian restaurant. The man gave us a free round of drinks and 20% off the bill. They are clearly looking for business, so I left a generous tip. The food was delicious--vegetable curry and vegetable masala with rice and naan (sp?). Second, I found out that I am going to the Olympics! I will get to enjoy women's gymnastics this Sunday at 9:30 AM. It's hard to believe that ... read more

Upon arriving in the UK, my nerves were shattered by cultural euphoria. I had trouble transporting myself from the airport to Nido and was forced to take the underground. I spoke to an elderly gentleman dressed in a pink tie and shirt who reinforced some of the stereotypes I had of the Brits. He was quick to comment on the amount of luggage I had and promptly suggested I should have taken a different underground line. I was completely taken back by his confrontation and felt like a sore thumb sticking out. He came off as very rude; however, despite the man’s comments, I was eager to try new things, meet new people, and adapt to the culture. The second stage, cultural confrontation, was one in which I lost the cultural euphoria and felt frustrated with ... read more

Okay, so Paris IS all it's cracked up to be. WOW. I had such an incredible weekend in the most visited city in the world. The group (about 100 in all) left on Saturday morning from St. Pancras International on the Eurostar train. Of course it was delayed so we lost an hour, but we still managed to do so much! Upon arriving we took a long way to our hotel to see the major sites like the Eiffel Tower, Opera House, and Arc de Triomphe. By this point in the day the group was incredibly famished and the hotel served us sandwiches and tarts. Although it was kind of sad given that all the sandwiches had meat on them and literally had chunks of butter. Not my cup of tea. Instead, I ate the tarts. ... read more

So this post is going to be a very random collection of thoughts mainly because I want to have 20 posts! Here are some random thoughts, updates, and feelings: Sunday I actually slept in. Yes, slept until 10 AM. Sleep is marvelous when you don't get any for days! Since it was raining I thought it would be a good idea to finally hit the gym and burn off all those pesky pounds. I managed to do an hour on the elliptical. Yay, hooray! Now if only I could keep that up every day... Following my very exciting workout session, Stav and I decided to go to Baker Street, which is famous for Sherlock Holmes (a museum, store, hotel, etc.) and shop. Instead of expanding our horizons with Sherlock Holmes, we went into a Beatles store ... read more