"Don't bring up the past of a person trying to improve their future."

It's late on a Wednesday night and I just finished writing one of my personal statements for what is sure to be quite a few law school applications. To say I am feeling grateful would be an understatement and I just had to post to share my current thoughts/feels at this very moment. 

I graduated from ASU in 2011 and went almost straight into a career. Although many people go immediately into some type of graduate school, I decided that I was ready for the "real world" and vigorously began applying for jobs upon graduation. I spent three years in a field that I can honestly say I never imagined myself in, but am very grateful for the experiences learned throughout my growth in Retail Supply Chain/Compliance. I have since left that field, where as most of you know, I am now in a masters program studying International Human Rights and Social Justice in London. I plan on attending law school when I complete my program in September to one day practice Human Rights Law. 

It is in that sentence I often get the response, "Wow, aren't you going to be a little old to just be entering the work force?" or some variation of that pessimistic comment. I can't say that I haven't thought about it and it does sometimes bother me that it would be a bit later than most. HOWEVER, I am 24 years old! I'll have a BA and an MA before turning 25, and a JD by 28? That sounds pretty damn good to me, particularly in a field that I am passionate about. I can honestly say that one day I will have my dream job defending human rights on what I hope to be an international scale. How many of you can say that and if you can't why not? Make your dreams a reality.

I am so unbelievably blessed and grateful for the family and friends that I have, who no doubt continue to support me through all my spontaneous decisions (and cross-country/continental moves), that I just often become overwhelmed with emotion and sentimentality. I have had a great few weeks back in the states and plan to share more on my break soon, but from the bottom of my heart I am so grateful for all this life has given me and the opportunity to follow my dreams. I hope you're all around to watch me succeed and share in my successes, because I plan on doing nothing less! 

Shout out to my best friend, Maggie P., who has been there for every moment of my crazy adult life. No matter the distance, I will always have nothing but love for you Mags. Thanks for a great trip to TN and I can't wait until we can reunite again xo

Ten years from now, make sure you can say that you chose your life, you didn’t settle for it.

2 weeks and 20+ hours on a plane later...

A whole two weeks without a post? I must be ill or extremely involved with my studies; let's go with the latter. I am two lectures away from being a third of the way complete with my Masters Degree and couldn't be more ecstatic/proud of myself. Although it has not all been the easiest of roads getting acclimated to the English grading systems/lectures/culture/etc., I am still living in LONDON and loving every second of it. 

Going home for Thanksgiving was so wonderful, but it also made me appreciate how lucky I am to be on this journey across the pond even more. These past few weeks, in my online absence, have been spent in preparation for Saturday. Once it has come and gone, I will be one happy and stess-free lady. It will also free up some time for more adventures in Europe - Where shall I go next? Hmmm.

This will likely be my last update until the new year, but we'll see. I am going back to the states (again) for a few weeks on holiday. Break will be spent writing papers, exploring town, laughter, friends, and most importantly family. Hope you and yours are having a pleasant holiday season and I can't wait to see what 2015 brings. But first, time to end 2014 with a bang!

Some pictures from the past few weeks:

“Remember that you were art long before he came to admire you, and you’ll continue to be art even when he’s gone.”

Home For The Holidays

Cue the music - "Oh there's no place like home for the holiday's..." (and the somewhat ironic mention of Pennsylvania in the first few chords?)

If there's one thing I know, it is that I am beyond lucky to have the family I do. We're unbelievably close; so much so that I can't fathom to be without them, particularly during this time of the year. I'm not sure who I think I am that I have 2 flights to the States booked in the next 3 weeks, but I am beyond lucky to be able to do so. I can't wait to see my parents, my sisters, my cousins, my friends - everyone! To eat a proper Thanksgiving meal?! My stomach is growling already... Blessed is an understatement.

As most of you know, I've lived away from home for the majority of the past 6 years of my life, with a brief moment in 2011-2012 back in PA, but it truly goes without saying that there is NO place like Home for Holiday's. I'm not sure if the Atlantic Ocean, maybe a new country or whatever, has anything to do with it, but this year I was extremely upset thinking about the possibility of not coming home. However, as of this morning, I am spending BOTH Thanksgiving and Christmas with my loved ones - pinch me!

I know it has been a few weeks since my last update, but LSAT prep and my program in general have been quite consuming. In what free time I have I've been out trying to explore the lovely city of London. I'm sure Thanksgiving will warrant a new, more exciting post, but until then stay tuned! Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks:

The Blues Cafe in East London

Malakeh and I Before The Blues Cafe

 City View From Hoxton Overground

Horton Overground Station Entrance

 My beautiful mother sent a care package with my favorite wants and needs. She is an absolute angel!

Hip Hop Karaoke at The Social; Favorite Night thus Far!

 Oxford Circus Underground Platform

Oxford Circus - Regent Street Ready for Christmas!

“I almost thanked you for teaching me something about survival back there, but then I remembered that the ocean never handed me the gift of swimming. I gave it to myself.”

"Is He Angry? He Sounds Angry."

I'm positive that each new trip I take brings me such a great sense of peace and gratitude. Munich, Germany was a lovely experience in so many ways - the history, the culture, and particularly seeing one of my best of friends. 

Friday (Dachau) - click for an article about Dachau...

After landing in Munich, Sean and I went to Dachau where one of the first concentration camps from WWII is located. Although a somber start to the trip being surrounded by the memory of such destruction, hardship and heartache, Sean was quite the trooper taking me there knowing how important it was to me. Most of you, at least close family/friends, know how much a "history nerd" I am when it comes to the 1960's/Post-WWII (1945-75) Era and there's no need to explain why, but I digress. Back to Dachau, I never realized how large these camps were and finally seeing one in person is unbelievably moving. 63,000 people were imprisoned there at one point! The history, which is displayed throughout the camp, often left me speechless; to try and imagine what went on there doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what truly occurred. 'Arbeit Macht Frei' - the traditional Nazi slogan hung at many of the concentration camps - WAS on the gate of the entrance when we arrived Friday afternoon, but over the course of the weekend someone stole the gate! Besides the fact that it easily weighs 200+ pounds, the fact that someone would disrespect a place that is now a memorial to lives lost and liberated from the Dachau is absolutely despicable; Yes, Dachau is a place of historically tragic acts, but it is now a place of remembrance. Unfortunately, in what was meant to protect Dachau from feeling like a maximum-security facility there are no security cameras to find the perpetrator. 

All in all, Dachau has left an unbelievable impression on me and if given the opportunity, I suggest everyone attempt to visit; it will definitely put life into perspective for you. We ended the evening at a local pub on a much lighter note, seeing that it was Halloween, but no costumes for us this time.. 

Saturday (Schondorf am Ammersee)

Sean's family, so hospitable and kind, live a quaint village just outside of Munich in Bavaria; this is where I stayed while in Germany. We took quite a long walk along the sea and throughout the town, ate lunch at a local restaurant outside by the sea, and I was able to see what a quiet, small town in Germany felt like to live in. The scenery was beautiful; my favorite view along the sea was the view of the Alps in the distance! In Bavaria, a prominently Catholic area, November 1 (Saturday!) was a quite day around town being that it was All Saints Day. Luckily we were able to spend time out and about and do a bit of exploring without any of our destinations being closed for the day. After all the walking and quiet night with homemade dinner (Thanks Sean!) and Dexter was just the right amount of relaxation. 

Sunday (Munich; Hofbrahaus)

After breakfast courtesy of Sean, we went down in the city of Munich around mid-afternoon. We took a train, which was ironically my first experience on one here in Europe! It was unbelievably convenient and that way we knew some alcoholic beverages could be consumed by both :) The Hofbrahaus in Munich was fantastic - People everywhere sure did love them some Sunday Funday! I drank out of one of those huge beer mugs and listened to the traditional German music all evening - I loved it. I feel like there's a special name for those mugs and due to the amount I may have had (3-4), I don't remember it -oops! Regardless, it was the perfect way to end my trip to Germany. We made it home safe, had some drunk munchies on the way, and it was lights out when we arrived back - I had an early flight and Sean had work.

Although I didn't understand much of the locals speak, Sean was able to translate it all; Ordering food and drinks would have been difficult if he wasn't there! Being in Germany made me think of my trip to Koln, Germany when I was 15 - I felt all sorts of nostalgic - because up until arriving in the UK, it was the only other country I had been to! I am so grateful for the experiences I've had since arriving here last month and look forward to many, many more. I have one more trip planned before I head back home to the states in 36 days for Christmas with my beautiful family!

I hope you enjoy the pictures below, seeing as I took quite a few! Its crazy to think the gate no longer looks like that....

Dachau

Memorial in Dachau that reads: "May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because the resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow men."

 Left: "Maintenance" Building  --- Right: Prison Block (Bunker)

 Inside the Bunker; Tiny Cells Prisoners Were Held In.

Signs/Areas Inside the Maintenance Building

 Beds Inside One of The Barracks

 Lightening the mood with a little wine that evening...

 And Maybe Some Delicious Hefeweizen...

 Along the Sea in Schondorf am Ammersee

 More Hefeweizen, please! 

Sean Made Delicious Coffee Each Morning - He's the Best!

I'm Convinced All German Street Signs Look Like This

Saturday's Lunch Spot; See Post in Schondorf am Ammersee 

Lovely view outside the room his family graciously set up for me!

Hofbrahaus in Munich! 

 

 The map in the train reminded me of the London Tube...

My ride home from London Heathrow and basically every other day...

“Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant.”

Glencoe - "The Valley of Weeping"

Edinburgh, Scotland is unbelievable, particularly the architecture and history of the area; there are castles everywhere! I can't say that Scotland was high on my list of places to visit in Europe, but I am so grateful I did. 

Thursday Evening, after a long 9hr bus ride, we finally made it to Edinburgh! Navigating the city was a task as we tried to locate our hostel, but after a few wrong turns we soon became settled. I was a tad nervous being it was my first experience in a hostel, but it wasn't bad at all! Across the street from our hostel was a quaint Scottish Pub, Ghillie Dhu, where we had wine and some delicious Fish & Chips! Live Music is quite the popular thing in Edinburgh, or at least I assume it is, because we saw a local band play both Thursday and Friday night. The band at Ghillie Dhu was a cover band; not exactly what I expected in a Scottish Pub, but lovely none the less. 

Friday Morning we embarked on a guided tour of the Scottish Highlands, particularly that of Glencoe and Loch Ness. I learned quite a bit from our driver Patrick - I swear every area of the Scottish Highlands starts with Loch, Strat, or Glen. The tour lasted about 10 hours with a few stops along the way. The longest stop was in Loch Ness - Home of Nessie the Loch Ness Monster! We were able to take a boat out onto the loch and that was by far my favorite experience in Scotland. We returned after the tour and went to another Scottish Pub, Ensign Ewart, and had a few drinks and listened to good old Scottish Jigs played by a few locals. 

All in all it was a great and beautiful experience, one I won't soon forget! I decided to head out earlier than my friends and left Saturday morning to head back to London; I had a few assignments that needed done, I assumed London would be a circus on Sunday for the NFL game in town, and I didn't want to miss the Chelsea/Man U Match. 

I was attempting to multi-task by working on my assignment and Live Streaming the Match (Go Chelsea!), but due to the intensity the match took precedence; a draw is better than a loss? However before I put all of my attention into my assignment,  I wanted to share with you an update of my experience in lovely Scotland. I depart on my next journey Friday Morning and I beyond excited - Stay Tuned! xx

Somewhere in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, England Along The Drive

 Our Hostel/Scottish Pounds; Although they look different, they are still the same as English Pounds.

Music and Wine at Ghillie Duh

A Local Edinburgh Cathedral

The Tour Bus We Took to The Highlands

 First Stop In The Beautiful Scottish Highlands

 Glencoe - The Valley of Weeping.

Loch Ness

One of the Tour Boats on Loch Ness

I Couldn't Help Myself...

Local Scottish Band Playing A Few Jigs at The Ensign Ewart!

“I take pleasure in my transformations. I look quiet and consistent, but few know how many women there are in me.”