I'm in Love with Cities I've never been to and People I've Never Met

Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre has been high on my travel bucket list for quite some time now. I've been wanting to go since 2008, and the desire has only grown stronger as several friends have visited and showed off their photos. When my friend and classmate, Scott, first approached me about a trip to Italy for our travel break, I said I was interested but I wanted three things: to go to Cinque Terre, to see Melania (a coworker I know from Madrid, but is from Naples) and to go to Pompeii/Naples. He agreed it sounded wonderful, and this trip was born.
The Cinque Terre did not disappoint.

Meaning "5 lands," Cinque Terre is actually 5 little hill towns that sit along the ocean's coast nestled in between ocean rocks, vineyards and steep cliffs. I knew that Scott wanted to do the hike between the towns, but it wasn't until about ten minutes into the first hike that I realized what a great error I had made in agreeing to do such a ridiculous thing. We got to our little house that we rented right on the sea in Manarola (town #2 from the South) and took the boat to the most Northern town- Monterosso. The view from the boat shows just how far apart the towns are, and just how incredible it is that houses sit on the rocky unstable land overlooking the sea. This was my first indication that hiking between the towns would almost kill me. 

But I was so enchanted with this place and knew I had to see it in the most intimate way possible - step by step. Admittedly, I wouldn't have done it any other way. The hikes were tough- straight up the mountain, hundreds and hundreds of steps straight up then straight down, a footpath just inches wide, and lots of rocks/sticks/mud etc to contribute to the complications of the hike.

Vineyards galore. 

Vernazza 

Vernazza

Vernazza

Sunsetting on our second hike 

Corniglia with the ocean meeting the horizon just before sunset

Corniglia floating on vineyards

Gelato for the second time in one day, yes please.

Just a few inches of pathway. What a beautiful chunk of the world. 

Manarola, the town where we stayed on game day. 

the most southern town, Riomaggiore. 

Alas, the calorie-burning was well worth it. I have beautiful photos of this place.
And now, I will know when I get on the stair stepper at the gym and give up at 30 staircases, that I am actually capable of much, much more like 356 sets of stairs.
I think this could be a brilliant marketing strategy for Treadmill and exercise equipment everywhere - TOURIST setting. Where you walk all over beautiful cities without even realizing that your feet are screaming until you get home and collapse into your hard twin-sized, overly starched sheet. 

special.

I spent ten glorious day traveling the winding back streets, wandering through vineyards and eating a diet strictly of espresso, carbohydrates and gelato. The order was this: London to Venice (1 night) - La Spezia (1 night) - Cinque Terre (we stayed in town #2 Manarola two nights) - Florence (2 nights) - Rome (2 nights) - Naples (2 nights). Youll have to spot these places on the map to get the right idea of how much of the country our ground covered. It was an amazing trip, but I'm going to tell you about it a bit out of order.

When the plane touched down in Venice, I felt some unease about revisiting the cities where I spent the hardest summer of my life. As most of you know, my mom died in summer of 2008. I had been studying in Florence for about six weeks when she decided she wanted me to come home. I packed my bags and was on the next flight. Those hours spent in limbo between Florence and Atlanta, were some of the toughest hours of my life. The weeks leading up to that, I had managed to craft an ideal escape route- in a beautiful city, surrounded by many distractions. I did many stupid things that summer but I also visited some great cities in Northern Italy. It was in Venice when I learned the cancer spread to her brain. It was in Florence that I lived the most immature and youthful days, and so in many ways I feel I left that innocence in that city when I boarded the plane to come home.

Although the entire city of Venice itself is a huge tourist destination, there ain't a whole lot to do there other than marvel at its canals and brightly painted buildings. Our hotel was just by the Realto bridge, so after a night stroll we woke up to hit St. Mark's Square before beginning our journey across the country. Venice has this ability to blow your mind. When you see those sticks in the ground they call parking spots, the ambulance boats, a boat with UPS on it... you realize, these canals really are highways and this place is real. Venice is shrinking in terms of its population, but the tourism there is more alive than ever.

We spent one full day in Florence and two nights. I finally entered the famous Duomo (which I inexcusably walked by every day that summer without ever going inside). We found the bar I frequented with my friends, and talked at length about how in the summers the streets flood with American students. Standing in line to see Michaelangelo's David, I refreshed myself on 1 Sam 17. I am amazed at Michaelangelo's works and his outstanding talent. We walked across the jewelry stores on Ponte Veccio and hiked the 30 minutes up to the Piazza del Michaelangelo to enjoy a sweeping view of the city. One of the nights, we sat next to a wonderful British pair of friends, who became our best friends, and we spent the entire night telling stories and talking about everything and nothing at the same time. I always say I travel to meet cool people, and this was one of the best encounters.

Florence will always have a special place in my heart and it was a delight to be circling its duomo again, and sipping on its table's finest house Chianti. 

40 sleeping law students

The European Union and how learning comes into play amongst these many adventures

I know you're probably wondering if I ever study. The answer is yes. As I've said in earlier posts, law school has not slowed down in any way. One of the largest attractions to this program in London is the two school trips that are offered. The first is of the European Union - to the European Parliament in Brussels and to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. 

Since taking a course on international organizations in undergrad, I've been fascinated by international cooperation and conflict. What makes states decide to work together, and what makes them fight tooth and nail for centuries on end? From a political science perspective, from a historian's perspective and from a legal perspective, there are dramatically different answers to these questions. In the case of the EU, cooperation is mostly economic. It was incredible to see at the European Court of Justice a case tried over an issue that was decided decades ago in the United States. In many ways, European Union law is just a much much more complex version of our federal law. This semester I am taking a course called European Union law, so it was interesting to visit these places  as a way of bringing words in a textbook to life. Although these institutions are open to the public, we had special treatment by getting speakers and guided tours. 

See if you can guess what all these ingredients lead to.  Take 40 law school students to a beer capital of the world, then drag those 40 hungover students to a court room at 8 am, toss 'em  in the room with little headsets to translate from German that is not simultaneously translated into English for the first 30 minutes and what do you have?? 40 sleeping law students? You guessed it. We didn't exactly represent our University in the finest light that day, but it wasn't entirely due to apathy. 

Luxembourg, country number 28 for me and for London, country number30

having a chocolate covered strawberry in front of the original Godiva. DELICIMOSO.

chuffed

Yellowhammers in Scotland? Yes please. 

Ross scrunching down about three feet to be my height

Castle Edinburgh 

Overlooking Edinburgh

tell me that's not exactly how you always pictured Scotland...

A few weekends ago, I had the pleasure of visiting a friend in Scotland. I know Ross through my little sister in the sorority, and we haven't seen each other since 2011. Ross is from a little village outside of Edinburgh but studied at "uni" in Aberdeen, where he is still living and working. I can't tell you how spoiled I was to have a weekend completely immersed in the great people that live in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. I was welcomed with such warmth, had a lucky streak of great weather and laughed hysterically all weekend. Thursday night, I flew into Aberdeen. All day Friday we explored a castle, had a great lunch along the harbor and collected supplies to make Yellowhammers (the delicious signature drink of my favorite bar in Tuscaloosa). Yellowhammers were the key ingredient to a birthday party for Ross' little brother that night. Saturday, Ross, his best friend from high school and I drove into Edinburgh. After walking the streets of Edinburgh's city center, we headed to Ross' hometown- a picturesque Scottish village with sheep and green pastures for as far as the eye could see.

On the train back on Sunday, I left feeling I had met great people and enjoyed a completely authentic Scottish experience. The country has so much to offer. I am so grateful to Ross, for being such a phenomenal friend and letting me crash his weekend plans. It's certainly been a highlight of my year. I got to watch Alabama football on Saturday night with a KAO koozie on my beer. I learned excellent English phrases and words that Americans should adopt. Ross and friends are hilarious, and had me laughing until my stomach hurt multiple times. I was the shortest person for miles. It was an absolutely delightful weekend and I'm indebted to all who helped make it happen. Can't wait to host the Scots in Tuscaloosa, Atlanta, York, Los Angeles, London or wherever I happen to be!

Where have all the Londoners gone?

About life and thoughts on London

I am living in a brand new apartment building about a thirty minute walk from the school. Most days when the weather is nice, I try to walk. I can also take the tube (London's underground) or a bus. There's a huge grocery store just a few blocks away and the apartment is in a really beautiful, quaint, quiet residential area. On my walk to school I can hear anywhere from two to five languages. London is one of the most international cities I've ever lived in. It's such a melting pot, it has me constantly wondering where all the Londoners are! 

I like it a lot. The weather has been remarkably good, but I expect that to change any day and that many miserable rainy days are ahead. There are about fifteen other Pepperdine students that live in the building with me and about forty students in the program all together. Pepperdine rents out a huge house that hosts two large classrooms, two student lounges, a big kitchen and library and living spaces for about forty undergrad students. The undergrads and law students don't really mix too much, but I expect the library will get a bit territorial around finals time. The schools location is great- in the heart of a nice walking plaza and museums galore just two blocks from Hyde park. 

London food isn't nearly as terrible as everyone always says it is. But what it absolutely is is mediocre. It's almost like someone comes around to every restaurant tasting the dishes and saying, "nope, it's too good. remove the pepper and that one ingredient so it's merely mediocre." Everything we eat is completely edible, but it's just not great. Food is really an afterthought- many of the restaurants are merely take-away cafeterias catering to people who want to walk in, grab something quick, walk out and eat while on the way to doing something else. Sound familiar??

I feel that calling this experience a "study abroad" is a misnomer for many reasons. In no way does it meet any expectations you carry of a typical "study abroad." I am not studying at a University in London, I am still enrolled completely at Pepperdine University School of Law. I will not have transfer credits, and my professors are Pepperdine-employed. There are three visiting students in our classes, but they're all Americans, and it's in no way an "international" school. I haven't met any real Londoners, have hardly any interaction at all with the culture (by comparison to living or traveling anywhere else) and haven't had any culture shock at all whatsoever. Of course, there are differences between the US and London, and there are things about living here that really manage to irk me. For example, the fact that the toilet flush handles are usually inconviently placed in a way where you have to SHUT the toilet lid in order to flush - like, seriously? WHY? Or that ATMs = cash point, cents = pence, buggy = stroller, chips are fries and chips are crisps. The guy at the PETROL station yesterday straight up laughed audibly at my "so funny accent." The lack of RUBBISH BINS in the city is appalling, and will leave you carrying your trash for over thirty minutes. Indeed in three months, I will be able to list on two hands every single trash can in this city. No doubt. But annoyances are prevalent anywhere you live, and the opportunities to meet Brits and to do all the amazing things that London has to offer are endless. However, I am a law student and its all I can do to work hard from sun up to sun down during the week, and let my gypsy side run wild on the weekends. 

view from the roof of our building

Proof we do actually work. Occasionally. (Taken in Pepperdine's Library preparing for our Internal Moot Competition) 

At Hillsong (a major producer of phenomenal worship music) London

Navigating the chaos of tarmacs and baggage claim

Its been ages since I've had one spare second to write a post. I am finally back into the swing of law school and actually feel like I am a student again. The first weeks here were whirlwinds and it was all I could do to get myself out of bed and to where I was supposed to be, managing to read about 50% of what was expected from me. But get prepared for a series of great posts!

I went to Copenhagen with five fellow law students at Pepperdine who are also spending the semester in London. There was a spectrum of travel experience, ranging from one friend who has been to over 30 countries to one friend who landed in country #3 upon our arrival in Denmark. I can never appropriately reiterate how blessed I've been not only to travel as much as I have, and that most of that travel has been throughout Europe. Copenhagen has been somewhere I really wanted to go for quite some time and it did not disappoint. 

The highlights of the weekend were a canal tour through the city and endless wandering on accident because many canals left us at dead ends. 

In an outpouring of God's goodness, my boyfriend was offered a job in London next summer and they flew him out here for the weekend. We had a chance to do a few touristy things I hadn't done since I was in London a year ago. As he poetically point it, we took "a mile wide instead of an inch deep" approach, but had a lovely stroll from the Tower of London all the way past Parliament and Big Ben. It was wonderful to have him here and this whole long distance thing is old. Although it is not the end of our long distance chapters, as I have already accepted a job for next summer in Los Angeles and he accepted the offer to work here in London. The phrase "when you plan, God laughs" has never been more poignant. I'm so proud of him and thrilled for his incredible opportunity. 

Brian spoiled me by taking me to a sushi restaurant on the 38th floor of a building in the city center for our 1 year anniversary dinner. 

My schedule has never been crazier. Law school is no joke, and I am still expected to read about 100 pages of cases (tough reading) per day, plus working for a law firm, plus juggling any other responsibilities and expectations. Then I am traveling every three or four days to some places I've already been, and new lands I haven't yet seen. I get that not everyone would choose this lifestyle - the jetsetting, navigating the chaos of tarmacs and baggage claim. But I have no post code envy,  I love what I am doing, I love where I am at and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's likely that I will hit fifteen countries this year alone. I'm amazed at what I am learning, and its my sincere intention of carving out more time to tell you about it. 

As always, thanks for reading.