4.0.

Cross another thing off my college bucket list.

YES.
..chelle..

DONE.

I wrote this the day I left London.
I don't know why I didn't publish it.
Except for the fact that I was probably waiting for all the pictures to upload with the shizzy internet.
And now,
Here they are.
Enjoy.

I have 12 hours left in London.
We're all sitting in the classroom, ready to pull an all-nighter
Full of movies, chats, and tears.
While I'm waiting for everyone to pack,
I knew I had to reflect on London.
Because, as cheesy as this sounds,
I can honestly say this has been the best 3 and a half months of my life.
There's nothing I would have done differently.
I'm so grateful for all the friends that I have made.
For all the places I've traveled.
And for all the things that I have done.

I can honestly say that I am a new person from this study abroad.
I have grown up so much.
And I've learned so much about myself that I didn't know before.
The friendships I've made on this study abroad are so real.
We lived through our bests and our worsts.
I'm so grateful for all the people on this study abroad.
They truly are 38 of the coolest people on Earth.
I love my London Ladiez...and the 3 London Gents with all my heart.

So.
I could make this sappy.
I could recount everything that had happened to me these past 15 weeks.
Or.
I could make this last post from London light and happy.
I could just give you some hints and tips.
For all you world travelers out there...
This one's for you.

TOP FIVE PLACES TO GO IN LONDON:
#1. Camden Market- I'm serious. It may seem creepy and sketchy at times, because it kind of is. BUT. I can seriously say it's had some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life (DONUTS. ORANGE JUICE.) It also has some of the coolest trinkets I've ever seen. I got some pretty sweet bracelets there and some cool little souvenirs. They have tons of vintage clothing and cool shirts and pants. It's definitely a must do. You can spend a whole afternoon there. You won't regret it. I promise.

DONUTS.

#2. Embankment walk to Westminster- Get used to walking in London. It seriously has the prettiest views and the most unique feel to the city. I hated walking until I went to London. Now, I just love it. It is great to just clear your head and think. Anyways, if you get off at the Southwark tube stop, you can walk over the Millenial Bridge (for all you HP fans out there, it's the bridge in the 6th one that the dementors snap) and walk along the Thames until you hit Parliament Square (home of houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben). When I want to go by myself in London, this is where I go. Seriously. And on a glorious day, the views of the London Eye and the National Theatre can't be beat.

#3. St. Paul's Cathedral- As touristy as this may be, I LOVE St. Paul's! It seriously is so beautiful. And so great. When you walk around the center of London, you can see it from so many angles. And at night it's beautiful. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures of the inside, except for down in the spiral staircase (they filmed scenes from Sherlock Holmes and HP 7 here). But. It's gorgeous. And the grounds are so pretty. It's definitely worth going to see. Take the tour. You can learn so much from those tour guides. And they're super awesome people too. And don't be afraid to climb up to the Whispering Wall and the top of the dome, either. It's so worth it.

#4. Sommerset House- seriously! This is one of London's hidden gems. I love this place! It used to be a member of the London aristocracy's house, but it's since been transformed into a museum. And it's so cool! All of the old furniture and household items are still in place. And they've made an art gallery out of half of it too! It's cheap (free on Mondays before 2:00 pm) and the artwork is amazing. It was one of my favorite afternoons in London. I was glad we went. So cool! Do it!

#5. Parliament Square- Too many memories were made here to count. I love this place about London because of the stories I can tell about what happened here. Seriously. Tour everything in the square: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. You won't regret it. Walk it both day and night...the views are beautiful at both times of day. And don't be afraid to have fun. People will think you're crazy, but you'll remember the moments for the rest of your life. Trust me.

And now.
I'm done.
Cheers to you London.
Thank you for changing my life.

Next up, this girl is New York bound.
..chelle..

America.

I'm HOME.

The term bittersweet has a new meaning that I never understood before.
I was so depressed when I left 27 Palace Court.
SO depressed.
Then, I pulled into New York,
And saw that Manhattan skyline that will be my new city in 10 days,
And I got so happy.
That Wendy's in Terminal 2 while I waited for my next flight really helped also.

But then I woke up today.
And a part of me is missing.
It's in London.
WIth my other family of 37.
And I miss my friends.
SO much.

I promise I'll make a wrap up blog post next time.
But for now,
Enjoy some of the last snapshots of the trip.

Pyramid outside of Buckingham? Check. Oh how I miss these ladies.

Meet the crew. I love these 20 with all my heart.

Donuts with the ladies at Camden.

Last dinner! 

..chelle..

Temple.

Monday,
Alexis and Anna find me and say, "Let's go to the temple this week."
Done.
Brooklinn puts her planning skills to work,
And we make an appointment for Thursday.

After a tube ride to Victoria,
Waiting a half hour for the train,
Riding the train for almost an hour,
Trying to get taxis from the train station,
And being 40 minutes late for our appointment,
We all did baptisms at the London England Temple.
It was AMAZING.
The people of England are so faithful.
They believe the temple is a great blessing and travel hours and hours just to come to the temple.

We met Esther and her mom while we were waiting to go in and do baptisms.
They had traveled 4 and a half hours to do baptisms.
It was incredible that these people gave up their weekend to come to the temple.
It inspired me, and made me realize how much I take living 5 minutes away from one fore granted.

It was such a blast to go to the temple with all these people.
I love the group.
Everyone has such a sweet spirit,
And I'm going to miss them so much when it's over.

So.
Less than a week left....
To hell with finals,
LONDON IS CALLING OUR NAMES.

Eleven.

And so the countdown begins....
11 days left with these wonderful women and more.

..chelle..

UK.

I have now conquered the entire United Kingdom.
From Dublin for St. Patrick's Day (such a crazy experience)....

We also went out to the coast and the country. Wicklow was AMAZING.

Utter madness.

To Scotland and the lake district in Northern England.

 Fountains Abbey. Some ruins for ya.

Beautiful hike in the lake district.

Holyrood House...aka Scotland's palace.

So.

No more travels shall be had.

Crazy huh?

15 days and it's hello to the good ol' US of A.

Portuguese.

2 months ago,
Lex and I were called as Young Womens teachers to the South Kensington Branch.
A Portuguese speaking ward.
We knew no Portuguese whatsoever.
We had been residents of London for less than 48 hours,
And we were overwhelmed.

Now,
We can bear our testimonies and sing a song (Firme na Fe, check it out) in Portuguese.
We've given a couple lessons,
And we've met some of the most humble and faithful people this world has to offer.
The Portuguese people loved us from the instant we walked in the door.
They opened their arms and welcomed us into the unfamiliar city of London.
We began to love them like they loved us.

These people are so amazing.
They have so much faith and a light that I've yet to see in anyone else.
I'm so grateful for my experience in the ward,
And for how much they helped my testimony grow.

Last Sunday was our last time in the ward.
I miss those girls so very much.
And I'm so grateful for all I've learned.
So,
On being Portuguese,
It's not bad at all.

3 of our 6 Young Women with the Presidency.

Our 2nd Counselor (Bruna), our President (Karla), and our 1st Counselor (Divina).

..chelle..