why does that smell like whiskey?

So, I'm afraid I can't seem to keep up with this thing on a consistent basis. That's HIGHLY disappointing. Maybe I can give a quick summary of the last two weeks in London, then a bit on Texas. That sounds like fun, right? Good.

Well, I went to Windsor one weekend. Just a day trip on Saturday. It was pretty, and I guess I should have let Harry and William know I was coming. They were sorry they didn't get to see me. It's been a while since we hung out.

The next day an older lady made friends with me randomly walking down the street. She's originally from Italy, and she has children that are about 50 years old. She's been in the UK over 50 years. At first, she thought I might not be able to understand English. I didn't want to tell her this, but I had trouble understanding her because she had a strange accent. She was friendly, though. She shops at M&S Foods because they always have fresh produce.

The next weekend was spent in Edinburgh. It was WONDERFUL. I have redecided that I need to live in Edinburgh at some point in my life. I know I already lived there for university for a term, but I mean REALLY live there. Maybe the government can find me a job there. IDEAL.

The LASERS (woot!) let me stay in their place (thanks!), and we went to see lots of things at the Fringe Festival. We also went to see a Miles Davis cover band called Miles Ahead for my birthday that weekend, and they were WONDERFUL. Everyone was so talented.


This weekend, I have arrived at home. The land of wide open spaces, highways, and the best food. In honor of the occasion, I'd like to give you a list of some of the strange and fun things about the Dallas area.

1. Trees. How did all these trees get here? London may have 5 Royal Parks, but they have nothing on the amount of trees in Dallas. We plant trees for everything. All new houses get a tree in the front yard. [You can practically tell the age of the house by looking at the tree.] Most business have trees out in front or surrounding them, and trees have been planted along highways and such to fill things out and prevent sad things like erosion. You may be thinking that all the trees are a strange sight in a land with too little water. Well, you would be right. I don't know how these trees manage to stay alive.

2. Cement. There is SO MUCH cement in Texas. You may think this is a bad thing, but let's think. I mean, in London [and most big cities] there is a lot of cement and lots of crammed roads and squished houses. In Texas, we just like to spread things out. It's not like there's too much MORE cement, just that it's used to space things out, not cram them together. It's nice.

3. Sunsets. I missed them. The sunsets in Texas are still the most consistently beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.


There you have it. A short list, but a list nonetheless.

Funny sidenote: I worked so hard to bring home scotch for my grandfather. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the airport, I realized my bag reeked of whiskey. It had broken. So much for bringing back a nice gift. Gah.

And, on that note, I hearby declare today Laundry Day. All of my clothes must be washed -- including the ones that now smell like scotch. Soon, I will have to repack them. And by soon, I mean Tuesday. I'm leaving for college again in the early hours of Friday morning. Hooray!