I WANT CANDY!!!

M&M World is truly a world of its own.


London just opened a four-level M&M store less than two weeks ago. We ventured there today, and decided to go inside and see what all the fuss was about. Gossip Girl took the words right out of my mouth: OMG.


It was colorful, fun, busy and candy-coated. I felt like a kid again. We really didn't know where to start; there was so much to see! We made our way through the four levels of M&M goodness, posing with some M's along the way. You name it and there was M&M memorabilia for it. Golf balls? Of course - one in every color of M&M. Kitchenware? Yep. Cups, plates, bowls, coasters, spatulas. Martini in an M&M glass? Don't mind if I do! (But I really didn't.) There were M&Ms of every color. A true M&M lover would have fainted from all of the excitement.


We left a good while later (time flies when you're in another world, especially one filled with CANDY). I made a few purchases, including a green M&M spatula for my mom and three M&M toy figurines for my 7-year-old niece. (Note: I purchased four, but only three made it into my bag. I came to the conclusion that one M&M had made a run for it.)


We walked out the front door of M&M World and immediately entered reality, and the busy streets of London.

All the colors of the rainbow

I was beside myself; look at the green M&Ms behind me!

If I were an M&M, THIS would be my room (see the trend yet?).

This is where the magic happens, folks... the M&M Lab.

Glass cases of collectible M&M items (not for sale).

Harrods: The envy of stores everywhere

Former President Ronald Reagan went to Harrods and asked if he could buy an elephant. The Harrods employee didn't blink an eye. "Would that be African or Indian, sir?"

I went into Harrods determined to inquire about a pet chicken, zebra or some other random wildlife for purchase. I really wanted a pet chicken, but forgot all about my request when I stepped inside.

Harrods is nothing short of AMAZING. It is huge, consisting of SEVEN floors - each with more and more surprises. Our small group quickly disbanded as we walked further into Harrods. Jennifer and I split from the group so we could take our time taking everything in. We spent hours in Harrods, and I know we still didn't see everything.

Little did we know we entered on the Ground Floor, which consisted of beauty, fashion accessories, food halls, an arcade, menswear, jewelry and watches.  Now, I didn't see all of this on the Ground Floor, but according to Harrods' map it's all there. I gawked at the gorgeous, yet overwhelmingly overpriced handbags. Someday, I thought to myself, someday...

Jennifer and I knew there were more floors to explore, so we set off for the First Floor, which housed women's clothing and shoes. Oh, the shoes! It was eye-opening. I walked slowly past each shelf, closely examining the color, design and detail of each shoe. Neither of us tried on any shoes - partly because we knew in the back of our minds that we'd fall in love with them and end up buying a pair that cost more than a week's pay - and also because we couldn't figure out the shoe sizes. Even more excited, we headed for the Second Floor.

The Second Floor held home decoration, bed and bath, kitchenware, tableware, travel goods, garden living, a bureau de change, gift registry and the Harrods Gift Shop. We spent forever in the gift shop. After all of my looking, I ended up buying only a few small items. (I'd tell you what they are, but I want them to be somewhat of a surprise to some who may be reading this blog.)

We cruised by the Third Floor, which contained furniture, home entertainment, books, lighting, pianos and musical instruments, antiques and bed studio. It was well after lunch time, so we hopped on the Egyptian escalator and headed to the Fourth Floor. (Each floor up to this point had included places to eat, we just hadn't found one we liked just yet.)

Floor number four had our answer. We walked through the Toy Kingdom, posed with a Lego statue along the way, and headed for The Diner. We split an appetizer meal and an order of cheesy fries. (I LOVE that they have fries ("chips") just about everywhere in London.) After, we headed past even more shoes, maternity and children's clothing to the Pet Kingdom and The Pet Spa. I heard a Harrods employee ask a teenage customer and her mom if they were waiting for someone. I was having a hard time listening in because of their British accents, and I thought I heard the teenage girl say they were waiting for her dad, who was having a bath. I found this odd, and wondered why her dad would be taking a bath in the middle of a department store. Then it hit me.

I turned to my right and there was the puppy pampering room. Sure enough, big and small dogs were there getting five-star treatment. I shook my head - at myself. The girl had said, dog, not dad. I decided I needed to brush up on my eavesdropping skills.

We had been at Harrods for hours at this point, so we decided to skip the Fifthy Floor (sportswear and equipment, hair and beauty, and The Penthouse). We rode the elevator ("lift") down to the Lower Ground Floor, which we had apparently skipped when we went in. Looking at Harrods store guide just now, I see that we missed a large portion of this floor, too. Oh, well. We at least made it to The Wine Shop and had a few samples. :)

Hours later we left Harrods with just two small bags from the Harrods Gift Shop... I had forgotten about my pet chicken after all.

Quite a busy place.

I almost caved and bought this one... but managed to talk myself out of yet another mug.

Harrods (Yes, it IS that big)

He's probably cross-eyed after too much time in the Toy Kingdom.

You can buy puppies at Harrods (and hamsters, too).

Too bad I don't drink coffee...

Buckingham Palace

I stood outside Buckingham Palace Wednesday morning, eager to witness the infamous changing of the guard. The guards walked out, formed a half circle, pulled out musical instruments and started to play a familiar tune. It wasn't long before I found myself humming along.

Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl.

The guards were playing Barry Manilow's "Copacabana." I didn't see that one coming, but I was thrilled! They went on to perform several other familiar favorites, which they were very good at. I hadn't expected a free concert, but I loved every minute of it.

A small group of us went to see the changing of the guard. We hopped on the Tube and arrived at Buckingham Palace a little before 11 a.m. The actual changing of the guard takes place daily at 11:30 a.m., so we had time to spare - which meant time to scout out a good place to stand and wait. We managed to spread ourselves out along the gate, behind three to four rows of people in front of us. I decided to take advantage of my height and occasional pushiness, and managed to move myself up a little closer to the gate so I could get a better view.

There were people everywhere. It really was something to see, and it seemed like everyone was there to see it. The guards were chanting as they marched, but it was hard to hear them over everyone else. But it didn't matter. I was in awe - and jealous of their fuzzy black hats (called "Bearskins"). They looked warm, and I was feeling pretty cold at the time. Plus, I think I could pull one off. :)

I ended up with great pictures - minus the ones where people's heads, hands and other limbs obstructed the camera lens - and great memories. I had crossed changing of the guard off my London bucket list.

Attention!

And they're off!

Much to my surprise, they pulled out musical instruments and began to play.



Me and Jennifer outside Buckingham Palace



Just outside the palace gate



The flag was flying... which meant the queen was home!

Regent's College (part of the University of London)

Regent's College quad

Campus signage

Entrance to Regent's College

Emblem

Regent's College is pretty neat. The campus is beautiful. It is located inside Regent's Park, and is across the way from the London Zoo. I do feel sorry for the college students who live in the dorms where I'm staying (Commonwealth Hall) during the school year because it is quite a trek. It's best to take the bus and then walk to the college. Check this out.

London pics



Big Ben



Me and Jennifer on a double decker red bus tour of London.

London Eye... can't wait to go!!

Me at London Bridge

Guard

We just don't get it...

Things we like, dislike and those that confuse us in the UK...

• You typically go through two doors before getting to the bathroom.
• England is very good about reducing its carbon footprint, but the hand blow dryers are as powerful as the jet engine of an airplane. Seriously, you worry about sacrificing a hand to the blow dryer gods.
• Public toilets. Some cost money, some don't.
• Seedy Internet cafes... You KNOW it's not a secure connection.
• The British aren't as smart on smart phones. They rarely use their phones.
• Question: Which side of the street do I walk on? Which side of the stairs?
• There is little to no water pressure in the toilets.
• LACK OF DIET PEPSI AND PEPSI PRODUCTS... Enough said.
• Coke dominates in the UK, but it all comes in glass bottles.
• Ketchup packets are nearly impossible to open.
• Brown sauce? It's like BBQ sauce? Just not sure...
• The women wear really tight pants (leggings, skinny jeans, etc.).
• Bikes are apparently a popular method of transportation.
• Which way do I look before crossing the street? Right or left? Pick one!?!?!
• Tennis shoes are called trainers.
• French fries are called chips.
• The beer is far more potent and served warm.
• The pubs play a lot of 80s music - SCORE!!!
• The police and other rescue workers wear neon yellow and drive neon yellow vehicles. Can't miss em.
• Even London has a China town.
• Trash cans are very hard to find, yet the ground is litter-free?
• There are public telephones everywhere. Maybe that's why Brits never use their smart phones...?
• They withhold wi-fi from Americans.
• You can find porn next to kids' DVDs... Whips and chains were next to "Chicken Run"!?!?
• There are cameras everywhere. England is very Big Brother. You feel safe, but also feel like you're always being watched... Because you ARE.
• The British actually use their coins to buy things. And, there are a lot of them. Paper notes are not as common.

London: Day Two

It was Sunday morning. My alarm went off at 6 a.m., but I stayed in bed until almost 6:15 a.m. I gathered my things and dragged myself to the bathroom to shower. Using the shower was an experience. The water doesn't stay on. I thought perhaps this was a European thing, saving water, etc. Nope. It just doesn't stay on. So, I took a one-handed shower.


We were told to bring our own towels, but found one in our rooms upon arrival. We were also given single-use shampoo, conditioner, lotion and flimsy foam DIY flip flops to wear in the shower. (I was very grateful for these foam flops with no traction come shower time.) I slipped and slided in the bathroom and made my way back to my dorm room to finish getting ready. I stopped by Jennifer's room on the way to breakfast. We made our way to the cafeteria in the basement.


Breakfast is a buffet, complete with cereal, milk, apple and orange juices, eggs, tomatoes, hashbrowns, some fruit and a few other oddities you wouldn't find at an American breakfast table. The food is good, typical college food. I befriended a girl while in line for food. Her name is Rachel, and she is from Utah. I invited her to sit with our Maryville group at breakfast. Rachel is in England for the summer for an internship at an art museum. She just finished her undergraduate degree and will start her master's in the fall.

After breakfast, we met as a group with the other students and faculty for our study abroad program. Then, we went on a very fast-paced walking tour of London led by a history professor here in the UK. It was an interesting tour, and the professor's animated voice and humorous stories made for a great walk on the streets of London. We returned to the dorms with a half hour to eat lunch. Myself, Jennifer, Kate (the Maryville resident assistant [RA], a senior at Maryville) and Tina (a fellow grad student [there are only three of us]) ventured to a local strip mall of sorts to grab a quick bite. After lunch, we headed back to the dorms to meet up with the group.

The group walked a ways to a bus stop in front of the British Museum, where we loaded a double-decker red bus for a sightseeing tour of London. Most of us found seats on the top of the bus - the best view. We rode around London and saw the sights: Big Ben, London Tower, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, London Bridge and much more. The guide provided great information and humorous commentary, which added to the overall experience. The bus tour gave us a good idea of where we'd like to go back and visit.

We ended our tour at Piccadilly Circus, where we were told it was our time to explore. Jennifer and I stayed in Piccadilly Circus, a busy, touristy-type of area. We wandered around, taking it all in. We ended up in Chinatown (or what we named Chinatown), and had pizza for dinner. Haha. We saw a McDonald's, KFC, Hot Shots and a casino. We bummed around until about 9 p.m., when we decided we were tired and ready to head back. We hopped on the Tube and went back to our dorm.

Another student was going for a walk to find a local church, so at about 10 p.m., we joined him. After a few wrong turns we found it, and then started our walk back to the dorm. We stopped at a pub on the way, but it was near closing time. So, we continued to the dorm and stopped by the vending machine. The one with snacks and sweet treats works, but the one with soda either eats your money or just doesn't take it at all. We heard a wine/beer store down the street was still open, so we headed there to buy a soda. We got back to the dorm at 11 p.m. and I was in bed by midnight.

You are never without a phone in London.

Neighboring street

Traditional fish and chips

View from my dorm room.

First day in London

Heathrow Airport in London was an adventure in and of itself. We waited in the line for customs for nearly an hour. I was nervous, but also excited to add another stamp (current total: 2) to my passport. Jennifer and I approached the counter. A nice British man checked our passports and letters from Regents College (the university where we are taking class) and welcomed us to London.

We were relieved to find our luggage had also made it to London. As I saw my green suitcase approaching, I also saw some man grab it off the belt. I bolted from my spot and politely (but also assertively) took it from him. Jennifer and I found a wall and stopped for a few minutes so I could put on tennis shoes (called "trainers" in the UK) before starting our public transportation journey. We found the Tube, or Underground, and stood in line to purchase Oyster cards. We either looked confused or were too slow (or both), and workers punched buttons and got our cards. We moved to the next line to put money on our Oyster cards and before we could even try it for ourselves a worker started doing it for us. These two workers weren't overly happy to help us; they looked me annoyed than anything.

We figured out our train, the Piccadilly line, and headed for our dorm. We didn't know it at the time, but our dorm, Commonwealth Hall, is located on the other side of the universe from the airport. It was a very long ride. We arrived at our station, battled a few more escalators and several flights of stairs - with a carry-on, purse and suitcase each - and made it to ground level. We were already exhausted. We grabbed a cab to take us the rest of the way to Commonwealth Hall. Little did we know that our dorm was a mere few blocks away, but it didn't matter. We were jetlagged, exhausted and a bit frazzled. We just wanted to find our Maryville peers.

We arrived at the hall, checked in and found our rooms wouldn't be ready until noon. It was about 10 a.m. (our flight had arrived a little before 8 a.m.), so we had time to kill. We plopped down on the floor in the lobby with a handful of other Maryville students and hung out.

Later, we signed for our room keys. Both Jennifer and I were listed as "Mr." We were assured it was a mistake, but I became more nervous when I saw my Regent's College e-mail address was "stephan.kiszczak." I silently cursed my parents for giving me a long first name in addition to a long and confusing last name. I laughed and joked that I apparently have an alter ego in London.

We took the elevator ("lift") to the eighth floor. Jennifer's room is at one end of the hall, the early 800's, and mine is down the hall, around a corner and down another hallway, 827. Aside from being in no man's land, my room couldn't be any farther from the only women's bathroom on the floor (which has a bathtub, two toilets and two showers). It looks like a typical college dorm room: small with a bed, desk, desk chair, closet, a few shelves and another chair. Not bad. The view from my room is neat. I have no idea what the other buildings are (either more dormitories or hotels), but it's pretty. Some two days/nights later, I'm used to it.

We were supposed to go to Regent's College, where we will be taking class, but plans changed since so many students had not yet made it to London because of flight problems. A small group of us ventured into London to find the college and stopped at a grocery store. We didn't actually make it to the college campus, though. The college is located inside a park and at the time the park was hosting a Taste of London event and was blocked off. (We are actually going there in less than a half hour for orientation.) We went to dinner at a local pub with the Maryville group. I had the traditional fish and chips (yum!) and went back to my dorm room and passed out. It was around 8 p.m. London time, so 2 p.m. St. Louis time. I was exhausted. I slept until 2 a.m. London time and woke up to someone talking very loudly on a cell phone. Like U.S. dorm rooms, the walls are very thin. I fumbled with the lock on my door and ran (literally) to the bathroom a million miles away. I went back to my room and slept until my alarm went off a little after 6 a.m.

Commonwealth Hall (Where I'm staying)

My dorm room

How big IS this airplane?

It was almost 6 p.m. and we hadn't yet boarded our plane to London. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:15 p.m. This would be my first international flight, and I was excited. I looked outside the window at the massive aircraft waiting for us. I had never seen a plane that big before. I was in awe.

I looked at my boarding pass, seat 50A. Hmmm. It must be a big plane if there were 50 rows. Jennifer was in row 38. When we purchased our plane tickets online through Orbitz, we chose seats together - or so we thought.

We stood in a very long line to board the plane. Being in row 50, I was in no rush to board. As the flight attendant checked my boarding pass, I casually asked how many rows of seats the plane had. She said, "I think 46." Huh. I said, "Well, I'm in row 50 so there's at least that many." She laughed. I smiled and began my long trek to my seat at the end of the plane, all the way praying I wasn't right next to the bathroom.

I got to my seat, 50A, and was pleased to find there were 51 rows. Whew! AND, the unlucky people in row 51 were seated across from the bathroom. I felt better about things. A very distinguished man with dark hair and dark features, dressed in black stood up so I could get to my seat. He was from the country of Jordan. He was an architect who had moved to Canada to get dual-citizenship and better pay. Turns out the pay for architects in Canada really wasn't that great and he had been offered a job in Abu Dhabi. He had helped create the blueprints for structures all over the globe. (Unfortunately, his accent was thick and he spoke broken English so I can't really name any of these places.)

He told me I reminded him of his oldest daughter, who is 17 years old. I laughed and said I was much older than 17. He smiled and said, "20?" I laughed politely (though I was secretly insulted as year after year I never look ANY older), and told him, "26." He seemed surprised, and I saw his eyes glance at my left hand. "I see you're not married. Kids?" Really? I was in a totally different country talking to someone from an entirely different country than the one I was in and I still get the marriage question? I smiled, "No kids." I went on to explain my reason for going to London. This stirred more conversation about the differences between our cultures and education. It ended with him urging me to take a job in Abu Dhabi. He said he would find a job for me and contact me, that I'd be more valuable in the job market if I lived and worked abroad. Since I had no intention of moving to Abu Dhabi and wasn't too keen on exchanging contact information, I casually changed the subject.

We had been sitting there a while, and I wondered when this plane was going to take flight. The pilot came on to announce there was a problem with the radio. We waited. And waited. And waited some more. The pilot said the radio was fixed, but that we needed to top off the fuel. Some 90 minutes later, we were on our way. I watched two movies during this flight, both of which I hadn't seen yet, "Morning Glory" and "Just Go With It." Each person had a mini TV screen on the seat in front of them and individual headphones for private viewing/listening. I had some issues with the Canadian technology at first. It was a touch screen, but no matter how much I pressed my fingertips on the screen I ended up watching part of a movie in French. I eventually got it to work.

I slept for a good part of the flight. It was the most uncomfortable seat I have ever been in, but I made it work... sort of. There was very little leg room (and I have short legs), and the seat in front of me was all the way back almost touching me. This forced me to lean my seat back, causing the same discomfort to the pre-teen sitting behind me. I woke up just in time for dinner. Or so I thought. Sitting in the back of the plane also means you eat last. I have no idea what time it was, but it was late. The flight attendant walked by my row at least five times with the food cart. When she noticed I didn't have food yet, she was startled (which led me to believe that she forgot to serve the back rows).

There were two choices: chicken and pasta. Well, there was only a couple of meals left so I was given the choice of pasta or pasta. I chose pasta. It wasn't good. It tasted like a frozen meal you'd buy from the dollar store back home. But I was so hungry it didn't matter. I also ate the bread (also not very good) and dessert brownie. I drank some Diet Coke and went back to sleep.

I woke up off and on during the flight. I awoke for breakfast: a huge, scrumptious-looking muffin. Needless to say, this was not St. Louis Bread Company quality, so I ate only the top. Everyone started to unboard, and I wished my new friend well as he ran (literally, since we landed more than 90 minutes later than scheduled) to his next flight. I stood up, even more tired, anxious and excited than before. I was in London.

O, Canada!

Two things Canadian airports lack: wi-fi and ice cream.

You might be wondering, what do these two things have in common? You're right: nothing. BUT the Toronto airport boasted "free wi-fi" everywhere (even on the doors of bathroom stalls) and yet you couldn't access it. Aggravating and disappointing. As for the ice cream, Jennifer (my travel companion), just REALLY wanted ice cream - and it was nowhere to be found.

Our journey to London started in St. Louis, and took us to Toronto, Canada. We were the only students in Maryville's study abroad program to fly through Canada. However, despite the five-hour layover and 90-minute delay on the airplane, we did just fine compared to others in our group. Several flights were delayed because of bad storms in St. Louis, others were re-routed and a couple flights were cancelled entirely.

Other than hanging out for about five hours in a Canadian airport with no wi-fi, we did OK. We ate lunch (nachos... real Canadian, right?) and just hung out. By hanging out, I mean we charged our iPhones and struck up conversation with fellow travelers. We met a girl named Nicole, a Toronto native, who was also on our flight to London. However, she was just passing through London on her way to Bulgaria. The three of us compared passports; I proudly had one stamp (Canada), Jennifer had several and Nicole had every page filled with little space left. She had been everywhere: USA, Germany, Africa, England, Turkey and numerous other countries. She was traveling to Bulgaria to see her boyfriend, who was on the filming crew for a reality show. She told us of her plans to explore Asia with her boyfriend for five months in the fall. I know there's a whole world out there, but it never really resonated with me until just then. And to think I was happy and proud to expand my international travel outside the USA and Canada.

My middle name isn't 'adventure'... it's Lynn

I am not an experienced traveler, and I don’t consider myself adventurous.  Until now, my experience with different countries has been limited to Canada and Mexico – and at the time I didn’t need a passport to get into either country!  I am excited and nervous about going abroad.  Although I haven’t left the United States yet, I am already proud of myself.  A trip of this capacity and duration is new for me – and a big deal.  Family and friends are surprised when they hear I am going abroad.  Many still remember me as the shy little girl who wouldn’t leave her mother’s side, even to spend the night at a neighbor’s house across the street.

This summer I will travel to London, England, to study abroad for graduate school.  I recently completed my first semester at Maryville University, where I am pursuing a master's degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership.  I will be in London from June 18 through 30.  During my time there, I will go on several excursions for class, including trips to BBC, the British Museum, and Stonehenge and Bath.  (Myself and fellow student traveler, Jennifer, hope to visit Paris, France and Edinburgh, Scotland as well.)  I am taking two classes abroad (for a total of six credit hours): "British Culture and Social Media" and "The Transplanted Executive."  I will conduct interviews for both of these classes, which I miss terribly from my days as a daily newspaper reporter.  Jennifer and I will fly out of London June 30 and head to Athens, Greece.  We will stay in Greece until July 4.

Thus far in my life, I have few regrets... except one, which I didn't realize until much later... to study abroad.  I earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Webster University, a private institution with numerous international campuses.  During undergraduate school, I had no interest in studying abroad.  My goal was to be editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Journal, by my senior year.  I told myself that I would do whatever it took to get there.  If I had studied abroad I might have missed this opportunity, so I passed.  However, I am a firm believer of fate and the notion that everything happens for a reason.  Some eight years later, I am about to study abroad...