1. granola bars! i don't eat a lot in the morning, but i need a little something to get me to lunch. only one of the hostels we stayed at has had free breakfast (the hostel in interlaken kicked some serious butt in many ways), and you can bet i ate that. but if breakfast isn't included, i have a luna bar and lots of water in the morning. and it's free! hooray! this habit has changed now that i'm in oxford...breakfast is paid for by the program, so you better believe i have a croissant and some orange juice in the morning. note: i realize this might not be good for my waistline, so for the past couple days i've gone out and gotten a yogurt from the grocery store instead.
2. my laptop. i can't believe i almost didn't bring this. several hostels had free wireless internet, which is awesome. i have my checkbook on my computer so i can keep track of my finances (also important). and when we have free wireless i make sure to download the most recent episodes of my favorite podcasts (all free). that way i can keep up with the news (with a liberal slant, via the democracy now podcast and the NPR "story of the day" and "it's all politics" podcasts) and listen to "this american life" and "wait, wait, don't tell me." now that i'm in the uk i'm downloading the bbc's global news podcast, as well. if you are not listening to podcasts, you are not really living.
3. this is a little moleskine notebook that is about the size of the palm of my hand. it fit easily in my bag (also pictured - i love the bag, too!), and i write all sorts of things in it - how much money i've spent, funny moments from the day, good food we've eaten, directions.
5. internet, meet my new rain jacket. i bought it in interlaken, and you all know the tragic story of how i lost the old one on a train, etc. a rain jacket is crucial, and this one is finding its way into my heart.
2. my laptop. i can't believe i almost didn't bring this. several hostels had free wireless internet, which is awesome. i have my checkbook on my computer so i can keep track of my finances (also important). and when we have free wireless i make sure to download the most recent episodes of my favorite podcasts (all free). that way i can keep up with the news (with a liberal slant, via the democracy now podcast and the NPR "story of the day" and "it's all politics" podcasts) and listen to "this american life" and "wait, wait, don't tell me." now that i'm in the uk i'm downloading the bbc's global news podcast, as well. if you are not listening to podcasts, you are not really living.
3. this is a little moleskine notebook that is about the size of the palm of my hand. it fit easily in my bag (also pictured - i love the bag, too!), and i write all sorts of things in it - how much money i've spent, funny moments from the day, good food we've eaten, directions.
4. my quick dry towel! everyone who travels NEEDS one of these. it is folded in half in this picture, and even then it's hard to tell how big it is. let's just say it's too small for me to walk from the shower to my room in it, but i towel off with it and change in the bathroom. it absorbs LOTS of water and dries very quickly. it is amazing.
5. internet, meet my new rain jacket. i bought it in interlaken, and you all know the tragic story of how i lost the old one on a train, etc. a rain jacket is crucial, and this one is finding its way into my heart.
and happy 4th of july, everyone! this is the first time i haven't been in the us for the 4th of july, and it's a little odd that today is just a normal day here. no watermelon and no fireworks...we worked all day in the program office getting ready for student arrival day (tomorrow), and tonight we're getting kebabs and drinking beer in college because we won't be able to do the latter part of that equation once the students arrive tomorrow. i am thinking about the day, though, and wishing i could spend it with all of you. i'll leave you with this quotation, which i think is appropriate:
"A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle, and patriotism is loyalty to that principle."
--George William Curtis
1 comment:
If not on July 4th, when to the Brits get to shoot off excessive amounts of fireworks? Not after a homerun; not every night at Disney World.
Since you missed the Fourth celebration, and I know you are wondering: the fire engine parade was shorter this year, although Toad's Garage sent a wrecker and Boomer VFD had three trucks. The fireworks were glorious, but there was a long pause to set up the grand finale and most people thought the show was over and were in their cars on the way out.
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