Christmas & London with the Family!

So my parents finally arrived!! The whole day I waited for them I was so anxious and excited! I could not wait to see them after 4 months. So my mom told me the bus would pull in at 4:30 and my friend Char and I were there for 4:15 well buses kept pulling in but my parents weren't getting off. 5 buses later they finally got off the bus! While there was some tears and super long embraces it was amazing to see them again. And my amazing friend Char offered to meet them with me and take them to their  B & B. So we loaded up all their suitcases and went to the B & B. We had dinner at a Wetherspoons and then walked back to my house. They stayed for a while just to meet my room mates and see the house. I spent the night at my place because I had to work the following morning. Then on Christmas eve we went into Cardiff to shop and so they could see the castle. My mom then cooked a meal (one of my fav's) and we just hung around. I spent the night at their hotel and we opened gifts and stayed up watching a movie. I then went to work the next day and the room was amazing. We had giant snowmen, a life size gingerbread house and an amazing selection of food! After work I met my parents at their hotel, got dressed and went to Char's for a Christmas spread. It was really good and filled with great conversation. I then came back home so I could pack for London and do some laundry. So the next morning I met my parents at the bus station and we were off to London! London with my parents was awesome! We saw the Changing of the Guard, we did the London eye and did a river boat down the Thames. We saw Big Ben. Westminster Abbey, and the Parliament buildings. I had loads of fun and we managed to see Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Great show! If you have time and the opportunity go see it! But on the 29th I had to come home because I had to work on the 30 and 31st. So I ate my food at 5, got on the tube at 5:08ish but it broke down and took me a total of 12 minutes. Once off the tube I had to run at least 2 blocks which isn't too bad but with a whole steak in your stomach it's pretty bad! Got my luggage and made the bus lol. Took a lot of energy but I did make it back to Newport. I then worked on the 30th and I have to work tonight. Then I am going to a friends house for some drinks after work but I have to catch the 9:25 am bus tomorrow to meet my parents back in London because I am going to..... PARIS! So on the 1st I am doing the London dungeon all by myself, meeting my parents and going to dinner and the musical We Will Rock You and in the morning we are taking the Eurostar to Paris until the 5th. I am so unbelievably excited for Paris. But in other news back home, one of my closest girl guide leaders just had her surrobabe. I am so proud of her and incredibly happy to call her my friend! Congrats Dar on the beautiful journey and the incredible joy you just gave a couple! Enjoy your Guinness tonight!
Happy New Year to everyone! See you in 2012!

Update from the last 2 weeks, because my internet was down!

I have to say I have surprised myself with how little I have felt homesick. There have been days where sure I miss my mom, my dad, my brother and my friends. But things always perk up and I feel much better. However this past month I had a sick day. I woke up at 4:30 with the intention to go to work. I got up and instantly felt dizzy; I thought it was because I stood up too quickly. So I sat back down for a second and then got up and went to the kitchen. I put in my piece of bread into the toaster and attempted to make my way up the stairs to go to the toilet. However once half way up the stairs I fainted and rolled back down 8 stairs while feeling nothing. Once I had awoken I felt so nauseous so I called in sick to work. Now fainting is a common occurrence in my life. However it hasn’t happened in 2-3 years and usually I can stop it before it happens. However this time it hit me like a ninja. Normally when I faint I go forwards and I have been standing still on flat ground. This time however I went backwards as I was walking up stairs. But usually when I am sick I like to have ginger ale. This country doesn’t have any. Then I wanted those square crackers that come in a red box and I never know there name but guess what? This country doesn’t have any. So the next best thing, Lipton’s chicken noodle soup and omg guess what? This country doesn’t have any. After realizing that food wasn’t going to comfort me on my sick day, and my mom was thousands of miles away I gave up and just slept. I slept 20 hours on my sick day. This was the first day I was truly homesick. So I decided when I woke up that evening I was going to Skype my parents but to my frustration the internet was down and was down until the 20th.. So now I had e-mail only on my phone but it’s so slow! Needless to say that was a bad day. I did not like that day. But now were going into the final stretch. My parents are going to be here in 2 days and I am so excited! It’s been 4 months since I have seen them and I cannot wait! It’ll be a nice visit and it’ll definitely be the boost I need to get my through till June!

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

My Christmas Tree

 Hello All,

My fireplace Mantle

I hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit! I know I am! This christmas is going to be great. This week I bought a 4ft christmas tree for me and my room mates. I also bought a window display and some decorations for the mantle. I am a total christmas nut and I am convinced that its hereditary because my mom is one too! So my christmas tree is black, 4ft tall and covered in green,pink and gold ornaments. Needless to say it screams me! In my window is a merry christmas sign with little ornament lights and on my mantle are reindeer with color coded candles. But my room is my masterpiece. I have a snowflake on the door and star lights hanging from the ceiling. They illuminate my tinkerbell advent calendar from home (thanks mom!) The tree went up on the 1st, like its normally done in my house and there were presents underneath already by the next day. Now because my room mates are european, the big focus at christmas time is on christmas eve. That's when they have their feast, and set up the tree and thats also when they open presents. So on christmas eve my mom is going to make us a meal at our house for me and my room mates and they can open their presents then but I am going to wait till christmas morning. Oh yeah did I mention my Parents are going to be here in like 19 days!!!!! I am so excited. I haven't seen them in person since September 10th! There going to be here for 2 weeks and that is the best christmas present ever!!! I do have to work christmas day but thats alright. It's a 10-6 or 11-7 shift so I can have some time with my family on christmas morning and then afterwards my family and I are going over to Charl's house for a christmas spread. It's a whole new experience that I am looking forward to. It's nice to see how christmas traditions are different all over the world.