a british birthday!

hello my lovely readers, i actually am just assuming everyone is lovely since i can't see y'all. i know i look my best when i blog!

so sorry i haven't updated recently & sadly i have no pics to put up yet either but once i settle into a routine (and don't have to come to starbucks for internet access) i'll become more regular in my world updates.

mom and i left london bright and early at 8 am friday...why, yet another great idea for our travel agent to have. make them leave london, a huge city with tons to do, to get to oxford, a small town where hotels wont let you check in at 9 am.... great, not. so we get to oxford & find our hotel. its freezing and raining and my newest mantra is "im so cold im dying i can't stay here i have to go home." We had to leave the fire place to trek for goods, specifically crispy m&ms that mom can't live without. university college, where i'm studying for the next 5 weeks, is about 30 minutes away... in the rain. so sad so cold. but the rain let up and we survived the hike.

oxford university college is BEAUTIFUL. the doorman, colin, is the most charming yet dentally challenged brit i've met yet. he's all bark and no bite. so gruff but such a marshmallow. we've got a pic but its on moms camera. the grass is tempting, mostly because its off limits... here's a secret I ran across it for a photo last night as my first rebellious act as a 21 year old! the dorm rooms are small but homey & somehow im one of the only people satisfied with their room. probly since i never filled out the housing form? laziness pays off. im on the top floor with a corner room & incredible views (photos to come soon i promise!) there are only 3 rooms, mine and two other girls. one is my great friend stacey & the other is a muslin girl named siara. (sigh-ruh) she's actually fascinating. i'm planning on learning a lot. she's engaged (to another muslim) who will ride a white elephant into their wedding. she's cool im excited about my living situation for the next 5 weeks!

mom helped me unpack and get settled. and after a tearful goodbye, i settled in to my new home. i'll miss switching hotels every night with mom but its nice to have stability. my first purchase was a fan...the dorms aren't air conditioned. but its nice with the fan & windows open! my dad sent me birthday flowers which are lovely :) and are in a lovely coffee pot vase in my room.

everyone in the group is great & before going out for my birthday we went to the beer cellar on campus! so cute & i've never been to a bar on a campus somewhere.  the bar we went to afterward was called the purple turtle. its underground... interesting crowd but fun & not airconditioned... i got free drinks and saw some interesting things. my friends are the best & i had a great birthday song played for me at midnight. after sweating and drinking and telling anyone with ears it was my birthday we walked home. don't worry...in a large group. some father figure named luke is super into "taking care" of people and honestly im glad he walked with us, most of the other guys with us were semi-impaired. some hoodlums on bikes taunted us a little bit but otherwise we were fine. and home sweet home was only 7 flights of stairs up... but i slept like a baby in my twin bed. and today we start things at 1:30 with a walking tour of oxford. i'll take pics for y'all

miss and love everyone!
love, the birthday girl :)