Departure Countdown: 27 Days

Now that I have officially finished sophomore year (exams and all), I can finally start thinking about my trip. I leave in 27 days and that means that I have 27 days to shop my brains out, do paperwork, save money, pack, and emotionally prepare myself for what lies ahead. I am hopeful that all of this hysteria is worth it in the end... HAH! Just kidding!

LET'S DO IT!

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Departure Countdown: 31 Days (ONE MONTH!!)

Woah. I just realized that one month from today I will be headed to London. Rather than excited, I just became extremely anxious and I think I'm going to throw up. Annnddd I still have 2 finals left.

Travel Hacks (thanks, Buzzfeed!)

Departure Countdown: 36 Days

I have officially finished my classes for sophomore year. Now, we're looking at a paper and four finals. Let the apathy begin!

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Departure Countdown: 39 Days

It's important to prioritize your stress before it gets out of control.

I know that only because I suck at it. Even though I start finals in 7 days, all I can stress about is getting everything ready for the UK. It looks like I need to back off of the travel stress for a while. In 11 days I can get back to pulling my hair out over booking flights, buying clothes, packing, and registering for classes abroad. For now I need to worry about starting the paper that is due in 4 days and studying for finals.

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Departure Countdown: 42 Days

I'm starting to get the uneasy feeling that my trip to the UK won't pan out like my favorite movies. A girl can dream though, can't she? These movies set the bar unachievably high. And I'm realizing that I have terrible taste in rom-coms.

Eurotrip

What A Girl Wants

(and possibly the worst photoshop job ever)

Chasing Liberty

Passport to Paris

The Lizzie McGuire Movie

The Holiday

Midnight in Paris

Leap Year

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Celebrity Guest Post: Cindy Lude

Today's post is a copy of the email my mom sent me in response to reading my blog. I think she had some good information and want to share it. Without further ado, here is Cindy Lude's take on European travel etiquette:

In the spirit of enjoying your trip vicariously myself, I started compiling (or "blogging," if you will) a list of travel tips you may find useful. Here's what I've got so far:

1.  In England, if you say, "I  can't find my pants," you have just announced to everyone around you that your underwear is missing.  Instead, say "I can't find my TROUSERS."  Better yet, keep your pants in your trousers and/or your mouth shut. 

2.  Don't say "bloody" too much. It's the same as saying "f**k" here .

3.  "Fanny" refers not to your bum, but to your lady part. A "fanny pack" is just wrong on so many levels. 

4.  It rains a lot in England. Bring a raincoat (called a "Mac", short for Macintosh), wear rain boots and carry an umbrella Ella Ella. 

5.  It's rude to tip your waiter, cab driver or hairdresser.  Decent service for a fair wage is implied. If the service sucks, you'll live. Get over it. 

6.  Don't take mini-cabs; they're a ripoff. 

7.  "Ale" is not ginger ale and "cider" is not apple cider, at least not the kind you're thinking of.  Also, Coke tastes different there.

8.  Don't accept food or drinks from strangers on a train or anywhere else. Stick with bottled water. 

9.  Europe is a continent but England is an island, part of the British isles. You may be quizzed on this. 

More to come...

Thank you, mommalah!