London And Some

Hi All--

It's our first post from across the pond! (Not because there's not much to say, just that finding wifi is proving more difficult than previously expected.) But here we are, wifi and all, on a train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. We've only just arrived in the Netherlands--we took an overnight ferry from Harwich international port in England to Hoek van Holland. And while we're very pumped about Amsterdam (and everything after that as well), leaving London wasn't easy. Let me tell you why:

-We had great company. We were very fortunate to stay with friends of a friend while in London, which was not only great for our budget but for meeting new people and exchanging cultural dialogues. We also were able to meet up with an acquaintance that we made while traveling in India. Dave and his classmates were on a train from Shimla to New Delhi three years ago when Allie and I first met him. It was very cool to meet up again and hang out in London.

-The spirit of the Games is still very much present. While no, we did not make it to any Olympic events, which I think we now regret more than ever, the vibes and the joy left over from the Olympics are still alive in the streets of London (especially with the Paralympics coming up at the end of the month). Dave did take us on a walking tour of where he (and thousands of others) watched the marathon FOR FREE close to Buckingham Palace, though, so now we're still dripping with jealousy.

-The city is so steeped in history and culture that there is never a dull moment. Allie and I took an open bus tour on the first day; a boat tour on the second; visited the National Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, Leicster Square, Covent Gardens, and Hyde Park (to name only a few); and even enjoyed high tea like proper English ladies at Bond and Brooks, a highly recommended location for the event via a magazine Allie had bought. There was so much to do, and unfortunately so little time!

But, to wrap this up, we are both doing well and enjoying the traveling life. Everything is beautiful, people are friendly, and things are working out for the best. We'll try to blog again soon, but until then please keep up with us on Facebook and on Twitter (@fernweh815)! It's much easier for us to micro-blog (tweet) than it is to sit down and write out a full post. But until then...

x
Kelsey

T - 12 Days

Hey all,

Allie and I are so very excited (and are becoming increasingly overwhelmed) by our Europe trip.  It seems that in our initial planning stages, we were a bit overeager to see the world and thus planned accordingly--we just want to see everything, y'all!  But this is just not feasible in the time we've set aside for our European adventures.  So in the last couple of weeks Allie and I have really had to cut down on the itinerary in order to fit in time in our more important stops.  It'll all come together nicely, to be sure, but for now it's kind of thrown our brains for a loop; but hey--a part traveling is experiencing the clash between reality and expectations, and learning from all of that. 

We're about to learn a lot. And that is something to be very excited about.

Here's hoping,
Kelsey

P.S.
We have tickets to see Sigur Ros in Paris on August 24th and Coldplay tickets for September 16th in Prague. (Also some things we're totally stoked about)