sam sees the world

Reflection Time, 

I am sitting on the plane right now, with two hours left of his horrid eight hour flight, and I am getting antsy. 

First of all, somewhere, for some reason, I was convince this flight was only six hours. Imagine my surprise when I wake up two hours in and see there are still SIX to go. It was rough. 

In the journal that we found in 508, I made a do’s and dont’s list, and I think that is one of the most effective ways to think about my time in England,

I do not have regrets, but I have things I would do differently. And nothing bad I promise. 

Like I would buy Percy Pigs to bring home to my family. I would talk to more of the people in the manor. I would use the state rooms more often. I would make a point to go outside every day. 

I think it is so interesting, thinking about how things could have gone, compared to how they dd. And I think too, it is so interesting how insightful I feel after sleeping for like five hours, not in a row, in the last 26 hours. 

I did not realize how much I needed to grow as a person until I was reflecting in Switzerland, and it has been on my mind since. 

I have always been independent. Or at least, I have in recent years. 

I started working at Camp at 16, which definitely sped up the process, and I just, did not realize how much being abroad would change me. 

Everyone says it does and that it will, but its one of those things you dont believe until it happens to you, and then you feel a bit silly of brushing it off, but how are you supposed to react to the statement that spending a semester abroad will change your personality? 

 There isnt an expected answer, and so you should not feel bad for brushing this off, but I am here to say, it really does change you. 

And it’s the minimal things. 

I have my own credit card now. I turned 20 without my parents. I successfully (and sometimes unsuccessfully) navigated public transportation for almost four months. I am now well aquatinted with taxis. Time management has stepped up, because you do not want to be writing papers while you are in a different country for the weekend. 

And overall, I just feel older. 

But that isnt bad I dont think. 

It just reminds me that others are as well. I am going home, and I am going to call my great grandma more. 

I will sit with my Grandfather and talk more often. 

I just spent four months growing older, and they did too. 

I know how to prioritize friendships now, and how to weed out the ones that are not lasting, and not kind to me. 

All of these things come together, and though they are all small, they create some huge changes of perspective. 

I think that that is one of the points of going abroad though. To experience different things. To get a new perspective. 

And leaving the manor has just taught me something as well. Everyone was distraught about leaving, which is so fair right, like when is the next time you will be in rural England and able to visit this place that you became very well acquainted with for the past few months right. Like when will you be back? The unknown makes people panic. It will be ok though. 

And while everyone was mourning the manor and leaving, I did not. 

Which is interesting, in pervious years, leaving camp, leaving college, it creates this feeling of dread, of knowing that change is coming, and that is not something that I felt this time around. My conclusion as to why? Because my experiences in England were highly infused by the people I surrounded myself with, and there is no unknowing there. I know I will see Lizzy and Kylie at Drake. I know I will continue to text Becca (not call though, she doesn’t like that). I know that I will see Becca again. And this idea people were connected to the manor is almost foreign to me because sure, it was home for a few months, but I also found my home in the people I spent time with daily, and I know that they will still be there. 

My time in the manor ending does not mean my time with my friends is ending and that is so huge. 

Dont get me wrong, I loved the manor, I loved 508 and my duck flag and the state rooms and hidden hallways and everything cool about the place. But the biggest connection I made was not with the building. Just because my room in those four walls has been left behind does not mean that the conversations in that room were left behind. 

And that is not something I would change about my time at all. I found my friends and I made them mine (they are people, I do not own them), but I said, we are friends now, and boom, it worked. 

Anyway, my list of Do’s and Donts. 

Do get uber eats premium for one month free, and then have each of your friends do it for a month, that way no one has to pay. 

Dont forger to delete the account before it charges you! 

Do Order Pizza king at least once, the pizza slaps. 

Do go to the movies in Grantham at The Savoy Theater, it is super cheap and cutie and easy. 

Dont feel pressure to drink if you do not want to. There is no reason to, you can have fun in other ways, and obviously, if you are of age, then drink if you want, but the party culture at Harlaxton is high because it is legal, unlike in the states, and so know your limits, do not be pressured. 

Do go to house competitions bro, I did not go to as many, and I really genuinely wish I had. 

Dont take things too seriously, you are abroad! It will all work out. 

Do book things in advance, and like, know that 300 dollars is just about too much for a weekend trip. 

Plan the trips of course, but dont over do it. You can stay at the manor over the weekend, it is ok. You need rest too. 

You do not have to be friends with every person in the manor, but dont be mean or rude to the ones that are not your favorite. It’s a small space, there is no need for grudges. 

Do befriend the Staff around you. The taxi drivers and Harlaxton workers, the cleaners and the cooks. It’s lovely getting to know them. 

Do not stress too much about class, like, you ARE abroad. 

I think that that is a lot of them. But there are also so many more. 

When I went on this trip, I did not know how I was going to do it. Travel and study and make all new friends, but it is so possible and so easy to do. 

Just remember to be kind and gracious to yourself and others, it’s your first time, it’s their first time too. 

Also, DO go to Grindelwald. It’s life changing. 

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Ok so I am home now, and it is Saturday and I have been settling in here pretty well.

I finished my travel and my experience at the Chicago airport was good, just long. I did everything to avoid falling asleep, and I have never been awake for as long as I was. And I hope I never have to be again.

I get home, I sleep.

My dogs are lovely and just as I have remembered them, maybe a bit whiter around the nose and paws, but that is ok because I have grown too.

I went grocery shopping with my mom, when I was hungry and that was a horrible combination. The world was at my fingertips. I was hungry and I had been away from American food for four months. I of course, bought cheese its.

It is really odd being home. Not bad of course, but like, Becca is in Athens Greece and Lizzy is wherever, still in Europe. Kylie is back to Missouri. I have never been away from them while still being friends, and looking at our locations on a map is a bit sad.

My dad asked me today, “are you glad you went?” and the only answer I have is of course. I am not sure how to convey to him that I am so glad I went, not only for the people, and the experience, but also because it created a buzzing in my stomach that glows whenever I think of the English countryside. That I will forever wish that we had trains that worked and went everywhere like in England. That the fish and chips in Wales was unbeatable.

How to do I convey that I will forever think of the semester and think of the color gold because that is what I associate with the manor.

That I have picked up vocabulary that I liked because I was around it all the time.

How do I tell someone that I now hold a piece of the manor in my soul, and that the manor holds pieces of my heart.

How do I tell someone that my best friends were forged through conversations about money and what one can and cannot do. How do I explain that I now have a best friend that lives in Indiana.

I dont think you can convey that. So instead, I told my dad “yes, I am glad that I went”.

The manor is unlike anything I have ever done, anything I have ever been to, and I think, unlike anything I will ever do again.

I will miss it of course, but like mentioned earlier, it is not that I miss the manor itself, rather I miss the easiness of the friendship within, the people I saw everything. The characters and people I befriended are the reason I am sad, not the building.

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I am so thankful for my experiences. I am so thankful for Professor McCarthy prompting us to meet weekly and go to random village meetings. I am thankful to my friends for allowing me to bark at them. I am thankful to my parents for sending me here and visiting. I am thankful for the manor and the staff inside. For taco Tuesdays and fish and chips Thursdays. I am thankful for bistro garlic bread and Percy pigs.

I am thankful for many many things from my time here. I will never stop shouting my praises.

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I wont be blogging after this I don’t think.

Des Moines only holds so much, and while it was fun while it lasted, and I enjoyed every second of writing down my stories, but honestly, as the semester ends, so will this journal and the chapter.

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Thanks for giving this one last read!

I said I would post my paper, and so here it is!

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St Margarets Chapel sits nestled in the walls of Edinburgh Castle, sat at the highest point in the castle walls. This small brick building does not seem like much to an outside eye. The walls are plain, the structure built in the simplicity of Romanesque architecture, with simple arches, thick stone walls, and small windows. Even though the site itself is small, the story that extends from it is extensive and holds a unique story of one of the most beloved Queens of Scotland. 

            The chapel was built in the 1120’s at the request of King David I of Scotland. He had this building built in honor of his Mother, Queen Margaret. Some hundred years after her death, Queen Margaret was canonized into a Saint by Pope Innocent III. After being formally recognized as a Saint, her title changed from Queen to Saint, and the name of the chapel adjusted to such as well. Saint Margaret had what can be described as a hands-on approach to helping the poor. Along with extensive donations, Saint Margaret was often seen serving the poor and nursing them back to health by her own hand. 

            Saint Margaret’s husband, King Malcolm, was described as rough and disorderly before his marriage to Margaret, and after the union it is said that she polished his manners, and helped direct him into the kind, gracious king that he is known as. Along with that, Saint Margaret was extremely religious, a mother to six children, and was often consulted in state matters. Furthermore, she founded multiple churches with her husband. Due to the exceedingly good impact that Margaret had on Scotland, her family, and the community they lived in, she was deeply loved. In honor of her, her son, King David I built the chapel that we see today. Both the construction of the chapel and the canonization of Margaret were supported by family and community. There was little to no controversy to be found. It seems as if Saint Margaret was simply adored by the people and her family, known for having a kind hand and personable demeanor. 

            As mentioned earlier, the chapel itself is a rather small building sat in the walls of Edinburgh Castle. The building has an extensive history, and is notably, the oldest building in Edinburgh. While the castle was destroyed and reconstructed several times, the chapel was never collapsed. The building that stands today is the original building that was built in honor of Saint Margaret in the 1100’s. Today the chapel can be visited by tourists who come to see the castle and is used as a private worship space for the active military members that train and spend time in the castle. 

            The narrative that is sought to be conveyed through this space is interesting to engage with, because the building is as old as it is. While the building itself has remained steadfast, the narrative that it presents has lost and never quite regained meaning and importance. Originally, the narrative presented by the creation of this building was to acknowledge and appreciate Saint Margaret, and to bring some light to the work she deeply believed in, helping others and religion. The choice to create a chapel in her honor was pointed and directed attention to the churches that she helped found with her husband. 

            Later, while the original family of Saint Margaret was gone, the Castle itself turned to a military base, and in turn, the chapel was turned to storage. The meaning of the building is essentially lost until the 1800’s, when the role of chapel was rediscovered, and restoration work took place to bring the building back to its original use. The space has been used and acknowledged as a place of worship and reflection since the rediscovery, though the narrative has changed further. No longer is the focus Saint Margaret and the incredible work she did, rather, there is not an easily identifiable narrative.  

            The narrative of the Edinburgh Castle itself has turned from the functioning castle, built, knocked down, and rebuilt, to that of a tourist destination. The walls holding stories of great success, and less about failures, the space turned from functioning to a storyline of what happened. While you can get audio tours, wander around the space, and read limited information posted about the Chapel, there is very little information, something that is done on purpose by curators. Religion is one of the more controversial things to talk about, and in doing so, one often has to pick something akin to a side. Are you for organized religion or against it? Are you a supporter of Christians and Christian nationalism? What about other religions? Because of these hot topic questions, the chapel is brushed over in the tour, with more focus of the brag of being the oldest building in Edinburgh, then the story of Saint Margaret, and why she deserved to be canonized. 

            Saint Margaret’s represented, before the change of narratives, the focus on helping others that was prevalent in Margaret’s religion and life. The focus on serving the poor in the same way that the Christ they believed in did. Though this site has a specific focus on that, I do not think that it represents the marginalized communities that she was helping, but I do believe that it represents Margaret, a woman. Because of this, it did represent a traditionally marginalized group. 

It is interesting though, because the traditional marginalization happened after this site was created. Margaret was strong, kind, had a good moral compass, and she was viewed as a partner to her Husband, the King, rather than a lesser subject, a wife. The building is so old, the site of memory is so old, that it existed before feminist movements. Simply, Margaret, in partnering with her Husband, in becoming well-loved and kind, in helping the poor extensively, fought against gender roles before they even had a title. And her fight was accepted and welcomed, hence the creation of the chapel in her honor. So, while the narrative now represents a traditionally marginalized group, at the time of creation, the idea of that wasn’t even in the forethought, and people, her son, simply wanted to create something to demonstrate who she was. 

            The narrative of this site is empowering and extremely positive. The idea that Saint Margaret was making waves in terms of gender roles, before the roles were even defined, is powerful to me. Margaret knew what she believed in, she knew the people needed a kind king, she knew that she wanted to help the poor, and she did all of these things. In a time where women were expected to be seen and not heard Saint Margaret walked and did what she wanted, and she wasn’t challenged for it, because it was in order to help those in need. Furthermore, to be considered a partner in a relationship, especially one with royals, in the 1000’s is incredible. Margaret was groundbreaking, and she didn’t even know it. 

            With that being said, the site itself does not push any of these narratives as noted earlier. In a space where there is opportunity for discussion on gender roles, powerful women, helping people who need it, the History Society that runs Edinburgh Castle says nothing. While the work she did while she was alive was allowed, the conversation now is controversial, which goes to demonstrate that she held the world in her hands, before feminism was a verb. 

            Because the site gives little to nothing about Saint Margaret, it is pretty disappointing to visit. When I entered the space I had no prior knowledge of the site, and honestly, genuinely, thought the space was bare and boring. The walls are plain, there is no information about why the space is incredible. There is no information about Saint Margaret. Along with that, Romanesque architecture is notoriously plain, so overall, the space was deeply underwhelming. The only emotional affordance given or sought relate to the building being the oldest in Edinburgh. The reason that the building survived multiple castle collapses is not written anywhere, though it is due to the fact that it was a chapel, and that it held the respect of many who knew the original story. 

            This site highlights some of the discussion we have had regarding memorials specifically for women. While St Margaret’s Chapel lacks the controversy that comes with other sites dedicated to women, it is arguably because it was created before those conversations were even being had. This is however, negated when you visit the site and see that there is little to no information on who Saint Margaret is or what she did for the community. While she did what she thought was best in her time, and it was best, now people refuse to accept or discuss the immense impact that she had on the space. The fact that she was so loved in her time period that the creation of this chapel was supported, but not her story cannot even be told is simply ridiculous. 
            I chose this site because it wasn’t like the other sites we engaged with previously, and because I wanted to know more about Saint Margaret as a person. I originally studied this site from an architecture and use standpoint, though not from a lens of looking at who it memorialized. This change of light was fascinating to me, and I think it highlights a major issue that women’s monuments are engaging with today, that is, not telling the whole story. We saw this with many of the other ones, the Margaret Thatcher museum exhibit, the Monument to the Unnamed Worker in Belfast, and many other sites that we discussed. When I originally chose this site, I did not think that that was the comparison that would be made, yet it is one that sticks out nonetheless. 

            Saint Margaret was a good person. She was kind, willing to help, loved by the people. She was the definition of ruling with grace. She was stepping over gender roles and taking on feminist issues unintentionally while trying to be a good leader to her family and people. Her story is incredible, and yet, left behind when you visit the space named after and dedicated to her. How one is able to remove the story of her from her own space is beyond me, and yet, it has happened. So visiting the site may be pretty barren if you do not do your research beforehand, but if you had, the space may just hold some value to you. 

Boy what a week. We started by arriving back at the manor at like 11am on Monday and while it was all fine and dandy, we were dead tired. 

BUT

We all still went to class (mostly). 

Anyway, here is a list of things from this week: 

Finals. 

Yes thats right, we like, didn’t do almost anything because it was finals week, but honestly, I wasn’t even that mad about it because some of those papers simply tool me out.

Anyway, this is for the weekend. 

Dont tell any of my Professors, (Hi Professor McCarthy,) but I started a 3500 word paper the day it was due because, like, I had all day to do it. And I did! I cooked on that essay, and split into multiple parts, I tried to convince my readers that in the Shakesepar Poem Venus and Adonis, Venus, who is the goddess of love, is also the boar that eventually killed her love interest at the end of the play. 

It honestly is a pretty solid paper, and I do believe what I was theorizing. I think that through analysis of color used, animal comparisons made, and a closer look at the choice of words and topic conversations between Adonis and Venus leads us to the fact that she does end up killing Adonis herself. 

It’s really interesting to me, I love analyzing the use of words and sentences to convey double entondre and such. Let me know if you want to read it, it’s only 11 pages long! 

Anyway, I also analyzed St Cathrine’s Chapel in Edinburgh Castle, that I did a post on earlier for Sacred Architecture, in the light on Gender and Women for my Sites of Memory final paper. 

This one was also quite fascinating to me, and essentially, my main point was that Saint Catherine, the woman that the building is named after, was combatting general norms before they even had a term. This was in the 1000s right, and so in all the work that she did, she was paving the way for future feminists, and there are records of her directing her Husband, the King, in official matters, records showing where she donated time and money to the homeless. There are readings discussing how she has bowed down to the poor and fed them, even though she was a queen. 

Basically, she was super cool and super uncontested when she was alive. But, in Today’s day and age, when you enter the chapel in the castle, they do not even tell her story. This is probably due to a few reasons, one of which is that she was a woman, another that in theory her work is controversial now because of the politics of it now. But the key is, it was not political when she was doing the. 

I think she was actually a pretty incredible person, and in my opinion, super cool! 

(I think I will make a post with my essay in it later because it’s a pretty cool read.) 

Anyway, Saturday comes around, and you know what? The entirety of England is in a storm warning. Storm Darraugh is just causing absolute mayham on the island, and making its rounds on tik Tok of course. 

Well, Becca and I had these plans to got to Seven Sisters in November, but that was around the time my friend group and I all fell ill, and so, in an attempt to not waste the tickets we moved them to this final weekend we have at the manor. 

And then the storm moves in. 

So we are at the train station right, and it is 6:15 am. It is early. We have a train to London and then a train from London to Brighton, and honestly, no plan when we arrive. 

The train before ours get cancelled. 

• Also side note here, the Starbucks in the station was supposed to open at 6, and I was going to get chai, and then they didn’t open and they didn’t open and they didn’t open. And other people kept trying to pull the door open, and when it did not open for their hand, they pressed teh handicap button, but the door was locked, and so it just kept jiggling in its place, I did get my chai though. 

Anyway, the train before ours gets cancelled. The train after ours gets cancelled, ours is still on. We commit and board. 

So we make it to London, and we make it to our second train with plenty of time to spare, and we lock in. We make a plan. The public busses in Brighton are really easy and accessible, just an FYI 

Also, we are standing in front of the train station, and becca goes, let me call a taxi for this evening really fast, and I of course agree, and the taxi people? They take our name, and tell us to call when we are sitting ON THE TRAIN from London to Grantham because there have been so many cancelations that they are not taking bookings, and if we make it, they will fit us in. 

Anyway, we make it to the right bus. And it’s a double decker! So you bet your buttons Becca and I headed right on up and sat at the very front, staring out at the rainey window. It was a lovely ride, it was being advertised as one of the most scenic bus routes in England, and honestly, I am pretty prone to agree. 

In case you didnt catch that though, it was raining. Like, fairly a lot, and it was blowing. The thing with this storm was that the wind was just insane this will come up again later, trust. 

Anyway, we deboard at the Seven Sisters County Park, where they are having a Christmas Market! Also, they had stickers for ONE POUND (thats quite the steal) and so Becca and I got matching ones. 

Anyway, B Dawgs map directs us to get back onto the bus, and to ride to the next stop, to do the hike to saven sisters. But, Becca had only put seven sisters in, and so it was a random residential area, and the map was directing us out of town on this small road and I was like, there is NO WAY this is right, and so we turned around, and walked back to the bus. We went back to the county park, and lo and behold, there is a trails map. 

Becca goes, lets do this one, and points at the shortest walk, 

Mind you, the wind is blowing, my hood is up, hat on, hands tucked away. 

I said, no let’s do the next one down! It was only ten minutes longer after all, 

We should have done the first one. 

The trail we end up on is muddy beyond belief. Becca and I are shuffling on the sidelines, but then, the trail is also lined with thorns, so its like, snare your jacket or step in mud (We were both wearing white shoes, hers eventaually came clean. I am going to have to bleach mine when I get home). 

Anyway, this trail is just, insane. And I want you to remember dear reader, that I am from Minnesota, and grew up on a farm, I have plenty of experience with mud, and this was just, next level (and not in a good way). 

We decide to keep going because it looks clearer ahead. And it was! For a little bit.

So this trail is like mud, grass with hidden puddles, nice gravel, mud, hidden puddles, mud, gravel, and then ends with just nice grass right up to the rock beach and sea. 

I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ONLY PUT GRAVEL IN SOME PLACES 

Anyway, Becca and I March on (that was an intentional use of the word march, thats exactly what it felt like we were doing). 

And then, it happens. I go to step into thorn, and barbwire appears? So I am slightly tuck its fine, and then, the wind picks up? 

And the next thing I know, my foot slides into this giant mud pile, and the force of it pulls my jacket, and the splah douses my other shoe. My shoes are no longer white. But it’s fine. 

I sort of gave up from there, and helped B Dawg in some places so she wouldn’t slip like me lol. 

Anyway, we are marching, and people are passing us, and one woman goes, “just keep going” and another goes “Dont look up, you’ll go down”. She was right. 

Anyway, we make it, the forty minute walk actually taking over an hour. 

But we see the cliffs and I have a grand time with the rocks! I picked up so many, I may have gone overboard, but they fit in my pocket! 

What’s so special about these cliffs that Becca and I spent three hours one way on a train to see them? They are white, and I think, if I remember correctly, made of chalk, and they line the sea, and they are frankly, stunning. The sea itself was also beautiful, though she was absolutely raging. I have never seen waves like that in my life. They were white capping insanely close to shore, and they were aggressive and powerful and stunning.

Anyway, becca told me we must go because she was cold, which is super fair. 

So we walk back and it goes minimally better, until that is, we get to the final strech of mud. I honestly dont even know how we made it in the first place, the second time around was so much worse. We were facing the record breaking wind, and like, we would step on the grass and then the wind would push us into the mud, over and over, and then, the thorns were just, out to get us. Becca and I both shed blood on this trip. (We’re fine, they’re small scratches, I just wanted to be dramatic). 

So anyway, we get the end, and to the parking lot. Becca pulls out her phone. The first thing she sees? Our train from Brighton to London is cancelled. 

Like bro. 

Of the trains we had to take, that was NOT the one we were worried about. 

We decide to head into Brighton, and see if we can just hop on the next train to London, and that is exactly what we did. Except, the bus ride was over an hour long, and the bus didnt have wifi, so we kinda sat in anxiety. 

And then the Wifi at the train station did not work. 

WE GOT CHRISTMAS PERCY PIGS THOUGH! – They were so good. We were going to save some for Kylie and lizzy, and instead we just ate them all. 

Anyway, we get to London, and left with tired feet and eyes, we wander to the closest Nando’s, and settle in. 

Then we sit in McDonalds. 

In taking the next train out of Brighton, we did not think about the fact that we would be HOURS early for our next train, but overall, the decision that being in London was better then being in Brighton was definitely correct. 

Anyway, we roll up the manor, muddy and cold, tired and sore. 

It was gross.

And that was my Saturday with Becca! 

Sunday we didnt do anything lol, still worked on finals. 

Here’s my Switzerland list (Im sorry it’s late, its finals week!)

• The Mountains !
• Bern Train Station
• Sleepy Grindelwald
• The walk to the hotel (LOL)
  • Naps
• The Bus System!
• The Food COOP, our best friend!
• 14 hours of uninterrupted sleep
• Zurich was sick
• Stayed in the nicest hotel I have ever been in
• CHOCOLATE
• Flight Home was good 🙂

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The Mountains.

Wow.

I haven’t even been to or even seen the mountains ever, and so this is my first time really seeing them and seeing them up close.

Our travel day was adventurous to say the least.

We left the manor on Thanksgiving, which was fine all things considered, but my thanksgiving meal was a 5 pound meal deal from WHSmith , it was a really good Sandwhich though, and the Fanta, though a weird color, reminded me of my childhood.

Anyway, the travel day. So we left the manor at 3:30, took a train to London, took the tube to Heathrow, (which was over an hour long, and that is just too much time to spend consecutively on a tube). Anyway, at Heathrow we made it through with a little bit over an hour until our flight, (this is where the sandwiches came in). From there it was an hour flight to Zurich, a train to the main train station, a teeny tiny hour lay over, and then onto another train. This one stopped in Bern, and we had a layover there for FIVE hours. Yep. You read the right. F-I-V-E. We will come back to that (see paragraph under this, titled, Bern Train Station). Anyway we caught a train at like 6:00am, or something crazy like that, and then we had another train transfer before we rolled into Grindelwald bright and early at like 7:45 am Friday morning.

The kicker? It was still dark. So we rode the (assumed to be) scenic train in the dark, whatever, it’s fine. But we hop off at the last train stop and look around.

Its foggy.

We cannot see anything because of the fog. We literally cannot even see the mountains.

BUT

The next couple of days were chilly, sunny and beautifully clear, which was amazing in its own right, and it allowed us to experience the village completely!

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The Bern Train Station –

reading that should have set warning bells off within your head.

so, fun fact, train stations in the UK rarely are enclosed, and rarely have warming spaces, they have buildings and cover from the weather, but it is not climate controlled.

Another fun fact, Switzerland gets a bit cold at night!

So, when planning this trip we found tickets that were overnight, and, thinking that they were overnight on a train, we purchased said tickets. Spoiler alert: They were in fact not on a train, but instead, just accounting for a five hour layover in Bern Switzerland.

In a train station that was not climate controlled.

from 1am to 6am roughly.

At first, it’s a bit funny, we are a bit giggly. We get some candy, we buy gummy bear Red Bull (?????) for later.

It quickly goes downhill.

Like, we stepped off of the side of a cliff and were free falling.

It quickly got cold. Hats, extra layers, additional socks, things were added, our outfits? top tier.

The station? kind of gross. It’s a train station, its not expected to be clean and perfect, but the longer we sat there the grosser I felt.

It was COLD.

Lizzy and I were sitting with one of my sweaters covering us. Kylie and B-Dawg were sharing a blanket.

Then there were these boys who were a whole thing in and of itself, and it was just, not enjoyable.

But we made it.

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Sleepy Grindelwald-

bro.

We roll into this town, the mountains are covered by mist and fog, it is 7:45am. We are running on less then three hours of sleep, Lizzy didn’t sleep at all actually. Anyway, it is early, the sun like, isn’t even up yet which is crazy because it is literally almost eight in the morning. And nothing is open. There are no people. This quant little village is the emptiest that we will see it for the entire weekend, and we are unsure what to do, the verdict? Go to the hotel, store our bags, explore.

We go to find our hostel.

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The Walk to the Hostel

picture this: Four girls, lugging carryon size suitcases because we didnt but budget airline tickets, so we all overpacked.

We are tired, the bags under our eyes drag down our faces.

We head in the wrong direction for a while. We get a bit lost.

We end up walking for about 20 minutes. 15 of those? downhill.

Did you know, and this may shock you, that it snows in the mountains???

So downhill, lugging bags, it’s muddy and snowy, we are, to say the least, cooked.

Lizzy biffs it. Kylie goes down. Becca causally states that she is sacred of ice. She goes down next.

Here is the deal, I did not fall, and I accredit this achievement to growing up in the country in Minnesota. Lost of snow, obviously, and nothing to do but walk in it, obviously.

Anyway, we stumble into the hostel. They are super kind, the let us store our bags.

And then we stumble onto an open door in the hostel to a common room.

We go to sit and make a plan.

We all nap. Not at the same time, someone always stays up.

We found the space at like, 8:45, and then we did not leave until like, 10:30, making sure we all got some shut eye. It was a good place to pause and it worked well for us.

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The Bus System:

So the hotel gives us a pass to use public buses for our stay in the village, and never ones to miss an experience, we use this to the best of our ability. We would ride to the city center, and go from there.

Basically, the town was beautiful. but also, in the mountains. and Mountains equal hills. and we were dead tired, so a couple times we juts piled onto random busses and rode them to the end of the line, just to see the sights without having to walk extensively up and down. It was, in my opinion, one of the best ideas my friends and I had.

Along with that, the busses ran all day, so on our second day we popped to the hostel and napped and then went back out for dinner, which worked really well!

AND! We did this because we wanted to see the Christmas lights and how the town was decorated in the dark right, so we head back into town and lo and behold, there is the cutest Christmas market in the city center! It was the cutest thing ever, they had like, cheese fondue to go, which I did not even know was a thing you could do with fondue, and the whole place smelled like stinky cheese (but in a good way), and it was just lovely!

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The Food Coop, Our best friend.

Listen. It’s getting closer to the end of the semester, and honestly, money is a bit low, we are passing on things because of money etc etc. At the end of the day, we are all just college girls.

BUT

There was a coop. So basically, a grocery store that had a hot section and pre-made sandwiches and fresh pastries.

We ate there, no joke, for every meal except for breakfast.

Like we spent so much time in that store, but it worked so well, because we ate realatively well, and it wasn’t that expensive at all. We would just, schedule going into our day. Like ride the bus for a while, go to the coop, nap, that was what happened.

It worked so well.

And like, Switzerland was expensive, and it is expensive in general, even when you are not in the tourist areas right, and so it was still a bit pricey to eat at this grocery store, but it was honestly our best option, and it was kind of fun that!

Also, we were at the airport in Zurich, and we couldn’t decide what to eat, and then our inspiration pops up, in the form of a coop, because they are everywhere. We did eat there also.

(While we are here, let’s talk about the Zurich Airport, because, holy cow? This place is huge. We are shuffled onto a tram after we deplane and then, we get our bags etc, and we are in this GIANT MALL? Like this airport is also just a mall on the other side of security, and it isnt like the mall that is in European airports when you get through security. No, this is like, a main mall that you would and could go to to do your main shopping, but it is also just connected to the airport.

And, it has its own train stop? So we are able to like, get through security and everything and down some escalators, and boom, train station.

And also, bus station, tram station, luxury shopping, an entire food court, and connections to multiple hotels.

It was insane. And also really helpful and cool. But when we went to leave, its like, 5am, and we are just, walking through the silent empty mall and up stairs we go to go through security, and again, its just connected. It was so odd).

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Anyway, back to Grindelwald – 14 hours of uninterrupted sleep

Listen, I love myself some good sleep. And just sleep. and I value and prioritize my sleep over a lot of things, and so staying up for this long is like, unheard of in my life.

And so, our first day in Grindelwald, we turn into the hostel right when we can check in, 3pm. I showered, ate my dinner, and doom scrolled for a bit. I fell asleep at 7pm, and I slept all the way through until 9am. It was majestic. I woke up refreshed and cozy and warm and content.

I had good dreams and a good sleep and right outside my window there are mountains.

Of course, my friends had less luck. Lizzy and Becca both had gone to sleep earlier than me (crazy I know), and woke up and could not fall asleep in the middle of the night for a while. And Kylie just did not sleep as well. This isnt my fault though, I just love sleep.

So I was the most well rested, and my friends made jokes about my adoration of sleep for the rest of the weekend. (And longer).

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Zurich!!

This place was sick.

Zurich, pronounces Zur-ick, was cool enough. This huge city is spread far and wide, and have one of the biggest train stations I have ever been in. like, it was a distance train station, but also a city tube station, and it was just, huge.

Someone tried stealing my phone in Zurich, we ate too much chocolate, they drive on the same side of the road as America does. It’s a pretty cool place.

To begin with, we get to the city center at like, 11:00pm on Thursday night, and, with little left to do at the time, we obviously decide to go to McDonalds because we are hungry and American, and this place, is, BUSY. I have never been to such a full Maccies. and like, the screens stopped working, so people are talking in all languages, the people behind the counter are yelling in German, and we have all handed out receipts to Becca because none of us know German but her.

And because it is so full I am standing out of the way with my and lizzy’s bags right, and, when I travel in places that are busy I tend to tuck my phone into my inside pocket, or close to me right, just a security thing. And as I am leaving, this couple is waking in. The man side steps me, its fine, and my jacket is open (this is important), and so we, the lady and me, do the thing where you both move one way, and then you both move the other, and you are still in each other’s way, and she smiled in a almost condescending way, and I am just tired. And she goes to move away from me, and brushes her hand over my jacket pocket and in, trying to grab whatever I have in there I guess. BUT, the pocket was empty. And she was able to do this because my jacket was open and so the pocket was not on my front. It was a whole thing, but I was fine.

I did not tell my friends until much later because it took me a second to realize what she did, and then it was just irrelevant. Anyway, don’t keep your phone in your pocket.

Obviously we also went to the Lindt factory, but I will come back to that later. And also, we ended up getting an uber because it was the easiest thing to do in the moment, and it turns out, they drive on the same side of the road as us. It was very odd.

Anyway, the town is big and sprawling, and filled with interesting people and it was definitely worth a visit. Also, we did not get a chance to try fondue, but I hear that its huge here.

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The hotel?? Incredible.

So our second time in Zurich, this time it’s light out, and we are able to check into this hotel. We splurged a little bit to be close to the airport so that the next morning we do not have to worry about getting there for our 7am flight. We wanted it to be simple.

So we get a hotel for two, and fit all four of us in it.

The room is incredible the accents are green, the bathroom is huge, the shower has two heads, the mirror is like nothing I have ever seen before. There are slippers and robes!

The twin beds are like, oversized. Not quite a full but most definitely not an average twin.

It worked out so well.

Also, the next morning, we get up at 4:30am, pack up and out we go, and it works great. It was good planing on our part.

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So much chocolate bro.

So, for 16 dollars, (not pounds), (which is such a steal), you can tour the Lindt factory and try a bunch of chocolate.

So obviously we go.

We make our way there, we are giggling and kicking our feet. We have all seen the videos. free chocolate.

We make our way through the audio tour, it’s fine, and then boom. Chocolate fountains. Dark, milk and white chocolate, flowing freely. We get spoons and get to taste test. You bet your buttons I FILLED my spoon up each time. The warm goodness coated my tongue in delight and peace. And then I got more of each.
And then there are like, pieces of dark chocolate bars that we go through a process of trying. The audio is talking us though how to use our senses to elevate our chocolate experience. I already ate my piece, so of course, I had to get another to get the full experience.

And the final room.

Glory.

we get to take pictures as a group with our friends, there are cutie giant Lindt chocolates to look at, lost of cool things.

And

A selection of many eight to ten clear contains, with a small hole to stick your hand into. Each one holds a different chocolate. There are staff walking around reminding people to only take one piece.

Lizzy goes first, and she makes a big deal of only getting one.

Behind her we all load our hands and pockets with every kind of chocolate there is. I mean I am grabbing three at a time, (I have big hands) and jamming them into my pockets, pretending we are all grabbing one.

The heist is a success.

we walk out, proud smiles gleaming on our faces. criminals sure, but the satisfaction is unbeatable. I am in my rebel phase, I feel like I can do anything.

Kylie gets out her foldable reusable bag, and we all add our chocolate. I cannot convey to you how heavy that bag was. It was bulging and heavy and the the sweetness of our crimes makes it all that much better.

We then get more chocolate. I buy some. It is a success.

We saved so much money.

It was so good.

My favorite was the Irish cream truffle. I died. It was so good. There was no bad ones. It was incredible.

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And then we flew home Monday Morning at like 7:00am.

The airport was pretty simple to navigate, and I was just glad to be back in a place that didnt speak German really loudly everywhere.

It was such a good trip!

Here is a list of things because I find when I list it out they are easier to remember and then expand on!

• Monday – Wicked and Christmas Tea
• Tuesday – Elf
• Wednesday – Host Family Festive Event
• Thursday – We flew to Switzerland !

But, let’s start at the beginning.

Monday November 25th, B-dawg and I, sitting in our separate beds in my room (Well, I am in my bed, Becca is in the community bed), I say, “are we going to Wicked?” Becca goes “let’s do it”. So we order tickets.

It should be noted here that movie tickets, and going to the movies in general, is so cheap here??? Even with conversion rates etc. etc. It was so cheap!

The tickets were like 9 pounds each, large popcorn was like, 4 pounds, slushy’s were just a few pounds, and overall, it is just so nice!

So we go to see Wicked. But, here is the deal, Wicked is a musical, -obviously- and thats find and stuff, but the movie is only the first half. Thats it. So our story isnt over.

And also, I have seen the Wizard of Oz. I have engaged with wizard media. And like, I acted in a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz. I have seen the Musical of Wicked all the way through. I still don’t like that they make the Wicked witch out as evil. Like I know that is the point. and I know that it creates commentary on discrimination, and that is all absolutely fantastic and the conversation needs to be had. but I love a good happy ending bro, and Wicked doesn’t actually really have one.

Also, while we are on this topic, I saw the full Musical Production of Wicked in London when I was in 8th grade and here on a school trip. It was a whole thing for us, the theater was nice, we all dressed in our best clothes that we brought with us, makeup and hair was done, we ate at a fancy restaurant, going to the play was a whole production for me and the school group I was with. And I remember it. I remember how nice it was, we went out back and got our pamphlets signed by the cast, it was incredible.

And so it is such a full circle moment that Wicked the Movie came out while I am here in England, and that I went to see it as well. It was also a whole production, but different the second time around. We went and got snacks that we wouldn’t normally get. We sat in good seats and we had a great time. I didn’t put together the connection between the first time I saw wicked and now until afterward, and I thought it was so cute, and I still do. It is a fun connection to my visit when I was a lot younger.

Anyway, earlier in the day my Drake crew and I went to Christmas tea as a little event together. We all dressed in our Sunday best, took taxi’s into town, ate little tiny sandwiches and desserts, and we had a good time joking and sitting with each other!

Through our time here we have been meeting almost weekly, checking in with one another and keeping doing events together, as I have noted in my other posts, and it has been absolutely wonderful. I can full heartedly say that I am friends with the others from Drake. This ongoing connection was a great way to settle in here at the beginning and a great place to bring up concerns and what not as needed. It allowed my relationships with the others to grow, and I am so glad that these meetings were required of us.

Anyway, back to the tea.

Literal tea that is, not gossip.

Because it was Christmas tea there were Christmas poppers and we got little green paper crowns to wear. We got to pick out our drinks, I got English Breakfast tea, my favorite ever. It is so good. I will miss it when I go home. I take it with two sugars and a splash of milk.

Anyway we settled in with the tea and then these giant trays came out and they were layered and so good, with sandwiches and desserts and some of the things were warm and almost everything was good. I did not like the mince pie though.

Anyway after that we came back to the manor for afternoon classes.

and then as you read above, Wicked!

Tuesday:

Tuesday was, without a doubt, it seems to be, the first day of Christmas. The Manor has been taken over and decorated. It almost feels like Santa’s bag threw up a bunch of glitter and green and red things, and now there are decorations everywhere!

Its lovely.

I have also found out, and stated out loud on this fateful Tuesday, that I am rather conservative with Christmas decorations. I dont want pastel trees and pink tule and bows, I want red and green and gold and maybe, if done well, silver. Thats all.

Anyway, I turned to my friends, and I said, I want to watch Elf. And they said ok.

So we piled into the Junior common room, and we made hot chocolate, and we settled in to watch the film. The issue? We couldn’t find anywhere to watch it, and, in an attempt to avoid purchasing it, I looked it up on Youtube.

What came up was a collection of videos of the movie with bad dubs and changed words and songs. It made us cackle.

Anyway, we ended up buying the film for a whole 99cents, (It was on my mom’s Amazon Prime Account, and I asked for forgiveness instead of permission, because again, it was 99 cents lol).

My friends and I spent the movie mouthing the words and singing the songs, and it was a lovely little Christmas evening!

Wednesday:

On Wednesday after a bunch of long classes, the host families were invited to the manor for a goodbye reception, with treats, hot chocolate, and of course decorating the large Christmas tree in the Great Hall with the families.

My host family arrived and it was lovely catching up to them again! I had just seen them a few days ago, but we sat and drank hot coca and ate treats together, it was fantastic.

After sitting for a bit we joined the slew of others who were throwing ornaments at the tree, and hoping that it looked good. It did of course, how does one get a tree that large and filled with vibrant boughs.

(My host family and I decided that the tree would get undecorated and fixed the next day by the staff).

Anyway after that we took a walk through the State Rooms in order to see all of the tress that have been being put up. Each state room has its own tree, sometimes more than one, and it is simply incredible.

After that they family had to leave, it was late for a five year old to still be awake, and it was a lovely time seeing them off.

Thursday:

So Thursday during the school day it was a simple and average day, and then, my friends and I pack our things up and begin our venture to Heathrow, and eventually, Switzerland!

We took a train from Grantham to Kings Cross, and then the Tube from St Pancreas to Heathrow. It was an adventure.

First, Becca and I almost missed the train. No joke we had to RUN to get to a door and into a train car.

Anyway we made it, and we settled in for the ride.

After that we went on over to the Tube and hopped on, and Lizzy and Becca got seats, and Kylie and I did not. Let’s be real, it was a long time to be standing, the whole trip over an hour long. Also, spending an hour straight on the Tube is just not fun.

Anyway, we made it in, we get through security and everything is set.

SIDE NOTE: It was Thanksgiving, and so while our classmates were enjoying a Thanksgiving meal prepared by a collection of British Chefs, my friends and I ate a 5pound meal deal of sandwiches and crisps from a grocery store in the airport. Mine was chicken, bacon and it tasted, no joke, like my childhood. It was kind of cutie honestly.

Anyway, we get to our flight, I broke seven nails, and we were settled on the plane!

And then it was midnight, which means that it is Friday, so read the next entry for more from Switzerland! (Spoiler alert: It was insane!)