The Greatest's

A post about the “greatest” things of London according to me, here we go.

Greatest adventure: On a large scale I would say my greatest adventure was my trip to Ireland with my girlfriends Callie, Cami, and Rocío. It was such a great time. We were only there for 3 days, but we had so much fun. We spent a day in Dublin enjoying the city, spent a day touring the East Coast of Ireland and the other day the West Coast. We visited Galway, and sang Galway Girl endlessly, tried not to fall off the Cliffs of Moher, and became a close group of friends. That was probably the best part of it.

On a smaller scale I would say my greatest adventure was either my first “date” with my girl Callie or my endless outings with Rocío. Rocío and I always end up eating then wondering around the city. Both are great memories and will always be a wonderful part of my trip.

Greatest cultural difference: The biggest thing that I’ve noticed since coming here is that everyone is in such a big hurry. Maybe I didn’t notice it back in Ohio, but it seems like time is against you here, therefore hurry. Also, the lack of friendliness was a bit different. It wasn’t really a shock, but still it’s nice to smile at someone and for them not to look at you like you should go crawl in a hole and die. Ohio I’m coming back soon don’t worry!!

Greatest food experience: In London it would have to be broken down into types of food. There are so many great restaurants and cafes. Some of my favorites include Chiquito Mexican restaurant, the Breakfast Club at Hoxton, the Diner, Nando’s, this random Argentinian ice cream shop off of Regent Street Prêt Manger, Red Dog Saloon, and the list goes on forever! Plus all of the fabulous places I’ve been in Ireland, Paris, Nice, and Monaco.

Greatest memory: Looking back and remembering how and when I met all these lovely people that I now call my friends.

Greatest challenge: Being away from my family and friends is what everyone is expecting me to say, but honestly that wasn’t it. Don’t get me wrong I have missed everyone, but it’s been a nice change to be completely on my own and fending for myself. My greatest challenge has been finding myself this year. Who I thought I was wasn’t really me. It was a compilation of all the people I love and the attributes that I love that are part of them, but it wasn’t me. I’ve made great strides in finding myself since coming to London and that won’t stop once I head back home.

Greatest fear: Let’s be honest, it was making friends. I think this was such a big deal for me because I wasn’t comfortable with who I was and I didn’t know who I was without friends and family.

Greatest accomplishment: I’ve become independent and I’m so proud! Yes, I spend many days just chilling in my room on my own, but I enjoy it! I’m comfortable being myself, but I’ve also become more social at the same time. I’ve made friends that are social butterflies and want me to be friends with all their friends. They know my fears and my insecurities, but still want me to be part of the group. Friends. I’ve made so many of them from all over the world and I’m so blessed to have met them all.

See it’s hard to pick the greatest things when everything has been so great. Yeah, there have been some pretty crappy times, but the great memories will always outweigh those crappy feelings. Any day. It’s about time for me to come back to Ohio, while I’m super excited about it I’m super sad to leave this city and life that has become so normal to me. Especially leaving all the friends that have shaped my life in this way and that way. But that’s the thing about friends you make in your adult life, there are some that you just know will be with you for the rest of your life. Knowing that makes it all a bit easier to go back home.

             

Boy Does Time Fly

Howdy ho!

It's been a while since I've written a post. I've told myself countless times that I needed to get up and write one, but I've just been having too much fun to sit in my room at my computer!

Much has happened since I've written last! Let's see, where to start?! The beginning is best!

As I said, in quite a depressing way, in one of my earlier posts I was having a bit of trouble. I was feeling lost and just down. Not sure why, but doesn't that happen to everyone? The difference is I decided to blog about it. I'm happy to report that much as changed and I'm not in that mindset any longer.

What I've done in the last few months...
~ met a lot of great people, which makes things so much better.
~ made my room as "homey" as possible and gotten pretty used to traveling and navigating the city.
~ got accepted to OSU for summer 2013 :)
~ traveled to Ireland with some great friends AND learned that Ireland is NOT part of the UK. Very important fact to the Irish.
~ finished all my course works, uni commenced, and I completed my internship. Holla!
~ Dad and Crystal visited and we had a great time exploring the city.
~ I survived the black plague. Not really, but my bout of sickness was probably close to that of the plague.

Things that I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks...
~ the Colour Conference! This weekend, Thursday the 25th through Saturday the 27th, I am attending a conference held by the Hillsong Church here in London. I've never really been to a conference for women before and I'm really excited. I'm excited to get to know the other women there and hear the speakers and what God has to say through them. So many Godly women in the same place, should be pretty awesome! I'll tell you how it goes :)
~ another trip! I'm going back to France and spending some time in Paris then heading down to Nice for some sun.
~ finishing up uni by taking my one and only exam. Prayers appreciated.
~ final visits to landmarks in London, spending time with friends, and packing.
~ heading back to the US via Iceland, should be its own adventure!

Sorry I didn't write in proper paragraphs. I've been in somewhat of a bullet point mood lately.

Cheers!

A Week in the Life of Moi

Greetings all!

SPOILER: if you fall asleep easily DO NOT read the following post!

A week in the life of Julianna Patterson-Blight is what we shall cover today. What do I do on a daily/weekly basis you may be asking your self? Don’t worry; in this post I will assuage all your fears about my daily life.

Monday

On Mondays I have one module that starts at 10am. I normally wake at 8am to shower and get ready in order to get to the Tube station by 9:15am-9:30am to get to uni on time. Mondays are special because they are the only days that I don’t have to go to my internship. It’s more of a relaxed day. After module, around 1pm, I leave uni, make my way back to the Tube station and make my way back to my flat. Sometimes after my module is over, I grab lunch with my friends, but it really depends on the week. As for the rest of the day it’s pretty chill. I’ll watch some Netflix, veg out on Facebook, and if I’m really lucky do some homework.

Tuesday

Tuesday, more like the day straight from hell. Tuesday is by far the most stressful day of my week. 9am I am at my internship doing whatever random task my boss wants to throw at me. By 1:30pm I am making my way to the Tube station in order to get to campus by 2:30pm for my Business module. From 2:30pm-6pm I am in class trying not to fall asleep or play on my iPad. From 8am-7pm I am on the go, one place to another with barely enough time to breathe in between.

*Thankfully uni is now over and I can breathe all I want to on Tuesdays*

Wednesday/Thursday

These two days are very similar. I wake at the same time, leave for uni at the same time and make my way to work after uni at the same time. It is a day full of modules and internship. The only thing different about Thursdays is that I get to see Dr. Philip. Every Thursday at 7pm I make my way to Virgin Active Fitness Club and hike down to the basement for my weekly visit with Philip. Not only is it helpful for my back, but for my soul. He is such a kind person and I just feel so much better after seeing him. I’m glad to have made such a good friend.

Friday

Thankfully, I don’t have uni on Fridays, but I do have to go to my internship all day, 9am-5pm, which is really 8am-6pm when you add in the hour commute from Shoreditch to Tooting. I really didn’t mind working all day when Mao, the other intern, was there, but know that she has returned to Japan I am really lonely. Friday nights are mostly nights to relax and catch up on some reading or television from the week.

Saturday/Sunday

I can’t really tell you what happens on the weekend because it changes from one week to the next. Sometimes I lay around my flat all weekend, but others I go out with friends to museums or just walk around the city. I love the weekend more since having this job because it seems like the only time that I actually get to myself. But it’s also the time when I get to see my friends and I love that as much as having alone time.

Where do I live?

I live in Shoreditch, which is in East London. It’s a nice, eclectic part of the city with a lot of clubs, restaurants, and independent shops. I really like it, but sometimes I wish that I could be a little bit closer to the heart of the city and a little bit farther from the other American students.

What do I eat?

Now that is a tricky question. At the beginning of my trip I would eat a variety of things, but now that I am back to my gluten-free diet I eat a lot of meat, veggies, and fruit with some yogurt mixed in. While there are a lot of restaurants that accommodate a gluten allergy it’s usually more expensive and it’s the sit down restaurants. That is not to say that I haven’t found some great “fast-food” places that are gluten-free. My new favorite is Pod! It’s all about organic, chemical-free foods and all their dishes are gluten-free or have a gluten-free substitute, such as gluten-free toast for their breakfast sandwiches! And it’s fairly cheap, which is a plus. On the weekend I’ll go out with my friends and depending on who I am with we go to different kinds of restaurants. If I’m with Rocío we will either go to a Mexican, Argentinian, or Italian restaurant. If I’m with Mao we will have either some Asian food or Italian. With Sonia or Callie it is American or Italian. Seems like Italian food is really the universal type of food.

Well time to wrap it up. All this talk about food has made me hungry. Maybe I shall go make some food. Who am I kidding, I don't cook! 

Cheers! 

Love the Life You Lead

Hey ya'll! 

In this post I am supposed to reflect on my pre-departure thoughts that I published back in December/January.

As I’ve said in probably every other post, I love England. I think a big part of why I love it so much here is because I am a history major and everything here is surrounded by history. Unfortunately, it is a history that I’ve not really learned much about and one that I still don’t know a lot about, but I’m getting there slowly.

I’ve learned that the impressions that I've accumulated regarding the English pre-visit are mostly false. I figured that everyone would love the Queen and the royal family, but I guess that would be the same thing, as assuming that everyone in the US loves President Obama. I know they are not exactly the same thing because one is a political figure and one is more of a figurehead, a symbol of England and of the Commonwealth, but the idea is the same. I think a part of my reasoning about everyone loving the Queen was because I love the Queen so much. I’m not sure if I actually like her or what she symbolizes, or rather it is the appeal of everything that she has experienced in her lifetime. She is rather an extraordinary person Queen or not. 

As for imagining that most English people are posh and intellectual, I was right, well from the outward appearance I was right. "All" of the men dress so lovely here and it definitely makes the hour commute to work everyday a little bit easier on the eyes. 

Honestly, I haven’t met a lot of English people since arriving here. My boss and the other intern at my job are Irish and Japanese. My teachers are mostly English and Irish, but they aren’t very approachable, which makes it hard to get to know them, let alone their culture. The only real “English” person that I’ve been able to learn about English culture from has been my chiropractor, Philip. He is very English and he loves hearing about Ohio and how different life there is from life here in the city. I enjoy very much talking to him and listening to him try to imitate my accent. It’s simply hilarious.

I said in my earlier post that I imagined England to be similar to the US, but better. I’m not really sure if I was serious or if that is true. I do rather enjoy living in the city here and that is why it is hard for me to judge whether or not one is better than another. I would like to say that life is better here, but being here means that I am left without my family, friends, and puppies. While I love so many other things about being here, those are the things that are missing. I’ve never really lived in the “city” before so I don’t think that I can accurately grant one country better than another, plus there are so many other things that separate them and make them unique.

I believe that I have rambled quite a bit above, but that is how I am feeling right now. I am in the moment and loving every minute of life here. A little less than two months left here and I shall enjoy every minute and second that I have left with the wonderful friends that I have accumulated along the way. 

Limbo Land

Greetings all! 

Lately, I've been having these weird feelings. I would sometimes have them when I was back living at Akron. It's this feeling where you don't know where you belong. It's like a never ending feeling of limbo. I'm at school, but that's only from August to December then January to May. For those other countless months where do I belong? I have no idea. 

Well, as most of you know I am not at Akron. I am in London and loving every single minute of it. Maybe it's all the new places, friends and experiences, but since I've been here I've never felt more alone or lost. I can be completely surrounded by people and feel like there isn't another person in the room. It's just plain weird. 

My professor said that it may be culture shock and she added at the end of our conversation that reverse culture shock is going to be worse when I return to the states. I was a bit baffled because England really isn't that different from the US. I can see culture shock if I went to Argentina or Japan or something, but England? It doesn't make sense. 

When I'm here I don't feel like I belong here, but then when I'm home I don't feel like I belong there either. I don't know how to make myself feel like I belong. I'm that person who has everything planned out and these past few years my life hasn't followed my plan and it really pisses me off. I can't not have a plan. 

Doubt. I'm a doubter. I doubt my abilities, my skills, my strengths, and I don't allow myself to see past my weaknesses. I'm afraid that my constant need for approval and my discontentment with my life will only drag me down. I second guess everything. My faith, my family, my friends, my major, my "life path." Do I really want all these things? Most of the time I think so, but it's become harder to really know. 

It's all so confusing. In conclusion, I am in one of the greatest cities in the world and something inside me is stuck in "Limbo Land." Frankly, it's annoying and I want to move on and make a plan for my life. The college thing is challenging, but I think that there may be some good developments happening that could change my future in a lot of ways, which makes me optimistic about everything else that I don't have figured out yet. It'll all fall into place sooner or later, I just have to have faith that it will. 

Cheers! 

Sunshine

Sunday 3 March, 2013

Cheers to all!

Today, I saw the sun for the first time in weeks. You do not realize how much you appreciate the light and warmth that it brings until it is no longer there. Living in London has a great many perks, but the weather is certainly not one of them. For instance public transportation. I may occasionally complain about how long it takes to get from one station to another or how crowded it is getting on in the morning, but then I think how busy it would be if all of these people were driving cars. It would be simply chaotic. 

Sunshine is a big deal here in London. When the weather resembles what may be a sunny day, people are out in short sleeves and on some occasions you can find women sun bathing in Regents Park, while it is still 40 degrees outside. Here the sunshine is like a state of mind. It brings happiness and joy! It is simply invigorating. It does not happen often in the winter and when it does you just have to go out and dance in its glorious rays! I know, I did that very thing today. 

The other simple pleasures of spring: the blossoming flora and fauna! Rocío and I saw this beautiful tree while we were in Notting Hill this afternoon. It matches the door, which is half of the reason it is so cool! Who cannot look at flowers and be awed by their beauty and fragrance? I know that I cannot.

                                                    Photo credit is due to Rocío Oyarzun 

London is just so magnificent. Yes, there are rough areas, but there are rough areas everywhere. You just have to learn to enjoy and appreciate those areas because that is where some of the worlds most successful people come from. Beauty is all around us, you just have to know where to look. 

Cheerio! More to come later! 

Joining the Struggle Bus: Yay or Nay

Saturday 2 March, 2013

Hello beautiful people! 

In these past weeks I have found myself a bit downtrodden and frustrated. I am sure that it is a combination of many things that have me feeling this way. School for one, as well as life in general, my incredibly obnoxious back issues, and the devastating poverty that I see everyday. It is this poverty that has had the biggest impact on my heart in the last few days and weeks. 

I have never personally experienced poverty. I have never had to worry about where my next meal would come from or where I would sleep once night came. I have been fortunate that my Father has provided for me and that I have not had to endure that difficulty so far in my life. 

It is since moving to London that I have seen homelessness at it's finest. At the same time, everyday, I see the same men in their usual locations begging for quid. Anything at all. It is usually on my way out of the Tube station, during the evening rush, that I see them the most. It breaks my heart to see them struggle and hurt, but there is something holding me back from helping them. 

My heart is telling me that I should give them some quid, but at the same time there is that skeptical voice in the back of my head telling me that they will just waste the money on booze or cigarettes. I know that putting a whole "group" of people in the same category, such as "homeless," is not right, but honestly that is all that I have ever really known when it comes to the issue that is homelessness. 

At home I have learned to just ignore the homeless and their pleas, but it was one night on the way home from work that I saw a man sitting with a blanket, like one that you would find on a long, overnight flight, wrapped around his frail body, while he had his Lab in a sleeping bag. He was counting the change that he had acquired from the generous passers by. I did not want to be a creep, but I stopped to see what he was going to do with the money. 

We always assume that the money is used for alcohol, but we never really KNOW. As he slowly got up, he tied his dog to the downspout and went into the little convenience store. A few minutes later he came out with a single bag filled with a few cans of dog food. I watched carefully and noticed that the bag contained nothing else. This man not only gave up his "home," but also his means of financing his next meal in order to feed his best friend, his dog. 

To give or not to give that is the question...What would you do? 

Life is hard and who knows if I will become that man that I pass every morning on my way to work one day. Do I help that man today and hope that I do not see him tomorrow or do I wait for someone else to help him and hope that he makes it through the night? 

 As I said earlier this is something that has been weighing pretty heavily on my heart. Anyway, thoughts are much appreciated. 

Love from London!