all mixed up.

I am happy...

sad...

excited...

very excited...

disbelief...

eager...

willing...

anxious...

melancholy...

I don't want to leave my {favorite} city. 

Some day, I'll be back. 

{Maybe sooner than we think...but that's all up in the air still}

I think I am more upset about the experience ending, 

rather than having to say "see you later" to London.

Because I know I will be back. But I will never experience

 the "study abroad" life in London again.

I am thankful and blessed beyond belief. 

{We'll save those feelings for another post}

On the contrary, icantwaittogohome.

I love home, so this needs no explaining. 

This photo says it all. 

Haha, totally kidding. {Or am I?}

In all seriousness, I love home because of who I share it with! 

Cheesy? Yes. True? Very.

I cannot wait to see these people! {I am such a lucky girl!}

But at the same time, I will really miss these girls:

See what I mean? I am all mixed up.

thanksgiving in the united kingdom.

{traditional Thanksgiving picture, but this year, in Hyde park!}

This Thanksgiving was the first {and hopefully last!} that Christine and I spent away from home.

I love Thanksgiving. I feel bad that the poor little holiday is often overlooked by the anticipation of the Christmas season. We all have so much to be thankful for. Plus, who doesn't love a day spent with loved ones, eating the best food until your tummy is stuffed beyond comfort?

That being said, I would have been very upset this Thanksgiving, but I am beyond blessed because I had visitors! Christine came to London for the week, along with our wonderful friends, Mary Carol and Josephine.

When they found out Christine was visiting me, they asked if they could join. We are so glad they did, because we had so much fun with them! Just like I did with my parents, I played extreme tour-guide and showed them all of London! I really don't think we missed anything. 

Spending my Thanksgiving in London with my sister and some of our closest family-friends is something I will never forget! Although it was a little sad for all of us to be away from home, we had a blast being in London! As for Thanksgiving meals? We had cookie for lunch. That's it. Just cookies. {Ben's cookies in South Kensington has the buy 3, get 1 free deal. 

How could we resist? We'll take 8, please!}

As for dinner, I brought Christine with me to the ISA Thanksgiving dinner. We went to a restaurant in Notting Hill and although it was not as good as home, they did a great job! {Considering they never make this type of food!}

Highlights of the week included: being photographed by a random man next to Buckingham Palace who did not speak English, Stonehenge and Bath, ear candling, Phantom of the Opera {ummmm AMAZING. The musical exceeded my expectations in every way!}, eating at Byron four times, and some serious people-watching. 

I don't want to bore you with the usual tourist stuff, so here are a few photos that highlight what we did all week! 

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, delicious food, and of course loads of gratitude!

Now on with the Christmas celebrations!

a whole lot of crazy.

Insanity. Crazy. Unbelievable.

The themes of my week.

Why? A lot of reasons. 

1. Christine and the Henderson's have already come and gone. It was so much fun! How is that visit possibly over? 

2. Homework. I have a ton of homework to do this week. Actually, two weeks. I am calling the next two weeks "homework week" because I am finishing everything before my last week here. {Who wants to spend their last 7 days in London doing homework? Not this girl!}

3. My last week? I have caught myself using that sentence far too much already. Why are we already speaking of my last week abroad? Oh, that's right. Because time flies. Unbelievable.

My head is spinning. One minute, I cannot wait to get home. The next, I find myself longing for more time in my city. {Yes, London is my city.}

I am currently sitting in Starbucks in one of my favorite 

areas of London—Covent Garden. 

I should be doing homework, but all I can think about is my blog. Weird? Maybe because there is so much I want to share and so little time to do so!

That being said, keep an eye out for the following posts in the next couple weeks:

Update on Christine's visit plus the Henderson family, and Thanksgiving in London

Brussels and Germany {which is this coming weekend!}

The difference between Christmas season in the U.K. and in the U.S.

Hope your week is a little less chaotic than mine!