Eye Love Ben

Well it's been a while since I last documented my life so I figured I should update you all on what I have been doing that is more important than sitting at my computer and blogging about my every move in London. My internship is still going great and I am getting more and more responsibilities with that, they even let me proof read important documents...I know scary right? The girls that I work with are just so cute and bubbly in their own ways and I love being around them, it gives me a great idea of what actually working in London would be like...fantastic! But I still haven't been convinced that is it great enough to move here forever, you're welcome mom and dad (and B). By the end of Tuesday I think it was a general feeling that everyone in the program had worked so hard during our two day work week (pathetic I know) we all needed to grab a drink or two. But wait! We had something much more important to do before alcohol could enter the picture. I'm not sure if any of you have ridden a ferris wheel or ever seen one? But I experienced a ferris wheel on drugs!! Yes folks I am referring to The London Eye!! 438 feet (give or take) high of pure beauty and a little bit of body odor. Yep. I got stuck inside of a box for forty-five minutes with a dude who could have used a few sticks of deodorant to put a dent in what was steaming from his arm pits! But the ride? SO.MUCH.FUN. The best part of the whole thing was snapping billions of pictures of good old Big Ben! I think that might be the main reason people ride the darn thing, to take pictures and pictures and more pictures. Actually I think that is the sole reason that people do most things in London, so they can take a picture and post it and tell everyone that they were there, I mean I do the same thing! So let me show you a few pictures that I took when I rode the Eye!

 This was the Eye when we approached it from a distance, so so so pretty! Doesn't look as big as it actually is trust me. The box things that people ride in have two benches and fit up to like 20 people!

 A night shot of the one and only Ben himself. Which just in case you were wondering because many people (Londoners included) don't even know that neither the tower or the clock are Ben. Big Ben is actually the name of the bell that is inside of the thing, so technically nobody has seen Big Ben, or at least I haven't, I'm not going up in there!

 And yet another snap of Big Ben, just this time it has me in it too! BONUS. This was captured after a long day of internshiip, walking, tubing through London to find the Eye and scarfing some McDs on the way to the Eye-so don't judge my messy pony and glasses!

So what about the rest of the week? Wouldn't you want to know! Well folks I am about to tell you about a week/weekend that will go down in history as one of my favorites while in London! I hosted my first visitor this weekend and it was the best thing in the world. Who might this visitor be? Well it was (traveling all the way from Kansas City!) Miss Mary Carnes...eldest sister of my very favorite Sarah Carnes!! Okay, she is studying in Ireland but it was still pretty cool to have a visitor from home and we did EVERYTHING! Saying as the trip began with us planning MY trip to Ireland in December, we seriously had the world at our fingertips and we took full advantage!! Let me just explain this weekend in a nutshell via pictures because who doesn't love seeing pictures of two girls wondering around London?!

 We went to a place called Drink Shop Do which was recommended by the Sarah Carnes. This place was adorable, you could literally drink, shop and do! Well I am still a little curious as to what the doing was but the drinking and shopping was brilliant. Above and below is my hot chocolate that was magnificent and so so so rich! I loved it and yes that came with a little refill mug thing! It was so perfect. The best picture ever!

 After that we ventured to the fabulous Buckingham Palace! Yes we braved the crowds on a Friday morning for the changing of the guard. Just a suggestion, when people who have been there before tell you to get there at 10...THEY AREN'T KIDDING. We got there around 10:15 and it didn't begin until 11:30, yes we should have been there at 9:30. But we made our way to the front with our American ways and saw the whole thing up close and personal with all of the other tourists. No joke I guarantee that at least 3/4 of the people were non-Londoners! But the changing was really cool, I mean it took them forever to change out the poor guy but it happened and we witnessed it all.

 Above is the dude getting changed out after a 30 minute ceremony leading up to it. And then we followed them as they walked out and (below) I got a picture with the guards! Does anybody wonder how they keep the hats on their heads? Because that is all I could think about the whole time I watched! Also the hats are NOT the same size, some are shorter and fatter while others are skinny and tall. It's so strange. I think I could write a report on the guards and their lives! Probably not, I'm just rambling about nonsense because I am SO HAPPY!!

 And then we got a picture of the whole scene! Like just stare at it for a minute...pure beauty! Just ignore that I am taking up a chunk of the building but seriously such a pretty picture. If only the little, baby, perfection in a blanket of George was actually in that building it would be a million times better BUT I will just pretend that he is!

 Then we stumbled across the St.James Place and the fabulous guards that we harassed for quite some time. We realized that you can no longer get close enough to take a picture next to a guard so we had to stand there for a while and time it so that we could have a picture right next to the guards! It was quite a rush and super fun to plan out, everyone around us was cracking up at us but totally worth it! And then we accidentally ran right into the horses changing of the guard! We waited forever to see the human changing of the guard and then literally almost got ran over by the horses while they were changing! It was great. So we took a picture with the guy guard the horse stables and the whole dealio!

 After a bunch of Royal business we ventured over to the super touristy sites so that Mary could see what London is all about! So we walked past Parliament and Big Ben and of course saw Westminster Abbey. But needed a better angle on the view for pictures of course. So we crossed through an adorable little park area so we could cross a bridge that pictured the perfect snap! Above we have everything with me photo-shopped into the picture! Just kidding, but that is what it seems to look like huh? And then another picture of what London is all about, Parliament and the ever so famous Ben!

 We hit up Trafalgar Square again and had to be pictured with the famous lions! Then after such a long day of walking we caught the tube and headed back to Russell Square for some food and relaxation. The next morning we hit up some great markets with some decadent food and a few cheap buys! We sat down to enjoy a giant fruit kabob that was smothered in chocolate and candy...DELICIOUS! And then to the Tower Bridge of London! Beauty.

 The Tower Bridge was so beautiful and perfect. Like look at the top picture...now pick your jaw up off the floor because you have to be in awe!! Seriously I should go into the post card business because these pictures will blow people's minds in the states!

So I guess you could say that this weekend was a success! I mean yes it was a complete and utter success in so many ways...best weekend ever! I was the ultimate tour guide even though some of the questions I was not super confident in my answers I was so excited to tour around a great traveler! We had a blast, ate some great food, witnessed some hilarious selfies being taken...speaking of selfies, oh my goodness! People here don't understand that if you own an iPhone you can turn the camera around and see the picture you are taking...better yet you can also ask someone to take it for you! Gosh it was great to see all of them trying though, super great! Okay well there is my weekend in a nutshell and a little extra rambling to go with! I had a great time and still can't believe I am living in London permenantely but it is getting more normal. Thank you for reading if you got this far you are a true fan!!

Until next time (which will be a lot sooner than this I promise) love you all and miss you tons!
The Site-Seeing Softball Player

P.S. I threw this week for all of you softball players/fans out there...in an alley and it was great! Paige caught for me and I would say it was super successful, felt like I was in Kuyper again pitching like nothing changed. Just in case you all were wondering!