Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Flight

I know, I know - I said that I was probably not going to post once I got home, but it 8:30am here and 1:30 in my brain. I am wide awake. Also, no one in my house has appeared so I am sitting on the couch watching my favorite guilty pleasure: Millionaire Matchmaker.

Though I am tempted to go try and make waffels.

Yesterday, Ruth and I had one of our adventures as she brought me to Heathrow. I am certain that the way we had to get to Terminal Five was a way we had never been before. We had to go on the underground, and then in a lift that seemed to go up about 12 floors.

It was - new.

After wandering around until I could drop my luggage, I said goodbye - promising I would pick her up some grape jam - and went through security. It each time I go through it seems like it seems to get easier. There were a few girls ahead of me who seemed to have NO idea what they were doing. They held up the que as I watched the security fill up about four plastic bags with their makeup that had been in the carry-on. This is a big no-no. It was like they had never been on a flight before.

My flight was pretty - long.

I never realized how long seven and a half hours is when you are sitting still, going home for Christmas and cannot settle on a movie. All I wanted to do was get home - all the way home to Cooperstown. After seven-point-five hours in a plane, the car ride almost drove me insane! I had to allow myself to fall asleep to not let the traveling continue to stress me out. When we pulled in the drive way, I was ecstatic - though I am sure no one could tell, because in my brain it was 6am and I practically slept walked into the house and onto my bed.

Oh, I love my bed.

It felt really bizarre to wake up in my room - as it always does after being separated from it for a long stretch of time. It felt like the last three months were a dream. However, this time is not like the others. I have to remember that I will be going back to London mid-January. As I promised a few people - I will not forget about England. BUT for right now - I am really, really happy to be home.

UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY!!!

I will see most of you so, so, so soon and I CANNOT WAIT!

Anyway, back to Millionaire Matchmaker!

xx, Kristin

Monday, December 19, 2011

Today is the Day!

I AM HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

My flight leaves in about 14 hours, and I am up packing my last minute items. I am meeting a friend for breakfast and she has so kindly offered to bring me to the airport. I am really excited today is here - obviously, I haven't stopped talking about it for the last several posts - and I am just as excited that this time I have the chance to return to London and get a proper degree.

My first assessment for Creative Writing has been handed in, and while I want to puke because I am so nervous about what they will say about it, I am also very much relieved. I believe that working with the Writer's Workshop helped me refine my story into the beginning of something awesome! I hope and prayer my tutors will feel the same


Anyway... 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

&

SEE YOU IN
COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK!!!





xx, Kristin


  • PS: There is a super good chance I will not be posting when I am home - because I will be with you all anyway!
  • PPS: If you are interested in reading the beginning of my story that I have submitted for writer's workshop, please just send me an email and I will attach it for you to read.


Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Countdown Says...

Screen Shot of my Countdown!

I cannot even believe how fast the last two weeks have gone. Everything I was worried about seems to be ironing out and I might be able to get home without my face exploding again! That right there is the dream ladies and gentlemen. There are only a few last minute things I need to do before I can consider myself officially homeward bound.

  • Tell my UK bank I am leaving the country.
  • Print and Edit my 5,000 words one last time.
  • Print and hand in my 5,000 words.
  • Clean up my room and put the mess in my suitcase - after washing it.
  • And possibly check in my visa? (Still not very sure about this one).
There are not too many responsibilities there! 

LESS THAN THREE DAYS TILL HOME!!!

xx, Kristin

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Dear New York

Also, here is a picture of Emma Leslie
 and myself in front of the London
Christmas tree - seen above in the
current header - 2011.
Maybe it was the Christmas spirit, maybe it was the break I have chosen to take as I work on my creative piece, but I came to a realization...

Dear London, does not say what it needs too.

Therefore, in the few minutes of a break I have allowed myself from work, I have changed the title of this blog to - wait for it - Dear New York. That is right, you are now reading a blog entitled -

Dear New York

Each time I write a little message on here, I am addressing it to my family and friends that are still in the States. Implying that I am writing a little letter to London - where my family is not - just does not make any sense. Even though, it made sense back when I was working my way to London.

Also, I am quite fond of being able to say: Dear New York - xx, London

Now with this change out of the way and no longer plaguing my mind, back to my 5,000 words. I have vowed to not leave this house today until I reach a point I am comfortable with. I am still crossing my fingers it will be handed in before I get on the plane next Tuesday afternoon.

I am also crossing my fingers that I will defeat this cold before I get on the plane next Tuesday afternoon - she types while coughing. When will I have time to pack?

xx, Kristin

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

ONE WEEK TILL MY FLIGHT

I cannot help but post on this day - even though I have recently posted about the interesting things on my to-do-list. But this particular day is really exciting because...

IN ONE WEEK I WILL BEGIN MY
JOURNEY HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

Kaylan has so kindly agreed to picking me up at the airport next Tuesday night around 5:40pm, only to put me on the train the next day. I'll get to Albany sometime in the afternoon, where my Dad will bring me home and I can begin celebrating the holiday celebrations!!!

And this all happens in ONE WEEK!

Who is excited?

I am excited!!!!


xx, Kristin


ps: imagine my post the night before I leave London: stress? excitement? exhaustion? euphoria? 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

9 Days till Home.

I am down to nine days and it is looking less and less likely that I am going to finish my Writer's Workshop assessment before I head home. While I have reached the word count, I am not yet comfortable enough to submit the piece. Although, it is certain I will never think it is ready and at some point I just have to let it go. The good news is I can email my assessment from New York, as long as it is postmarked with enough time before the due date of January 11th.


But let's rewind for a second:

This past Friday night we had a Christmas gathering at The Maple Leaf for those in the publishing degree - plus a few friends. As usual it was really wonderful to hang out with everyone outside of campus and in the centre of London.

Then Emma arrived on Saturday morning and I brought her around Kingston. She is officially the first person from Cooperstown that I have been able to show my London home = AWESOME. Later that night after a meal at The Albert pub, we met up with a few of my friends for Christmas Karaoke in New Malden. Even though I said I wasn't going to, I did end up singing three songs - The Elephant Melody from Moulin Rouge with Andi, Feeling Good by Michael Buble, and Baby It's Cold Outside again with Andi. If I do say so myself, we kinda rocked the house. I should also say I was only fueled on by a couple diet cokes - what caffeine does to me.

And to complete the weekend with a bang - I took Emma to my favorite cafe in London. We also walked through a Christmas market along the river Thames and there were so many cute / wonderful stands. I really would like to go back there before leaving London.


Anyway - back to what needs to happen in the next nine days. 

Thanks to Philippa for this great picture!
Other than my creative piece, I have a massive list of awesome social obligations and a pretty intense to-do-list. On Monday I have a Christmas Party with my publishing mates, tutors and the journalism MA students. I think it goes to show that here in England we party hard as much as we work hard.

On Wednesday I have a hair appointment at noon - which I really hope I do not forget. I cannot wait even nine more days, or at that point six more days, to chop off the mop on my head. I am thinking about two inches on the back and half and inch on the front. I lost the hair battle over the last three months in London. On Friday the newest Sherlock Holmes movie comes out, and I have already said I'd go with Ruth and I am really looking forward to it - dinner and a movie!


Other things I would love to do before heading back to New York for Christmas are:

  • Have lunch / dinner with a few of my friends.
  • Visit the Christmas Market along the Thames in the center again.
  • See the musical BACKBEAT again - & my love Andrew Knott.
  • Have a Christmas Market frankfurter from the Kingston market. 
  • Finish my assessment - still hoping for this.
  • Pack my suitcases for home - including carry-on & important paperwork
  • Finish the little amount of food left in my possession. 
  • Laundry - which is at least two weeks worth at this point
  • A possible pub quiz on Wednesday - though I am not certain of this
  • Visit the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland fair. 
  • Spend as little money as possible!

This is no real particular order to this list, and also I may have forgotten a ton of things I wanted to add - which is probably for the better. I am going to try and not stress myself out, but knowing me - which most of you do - I will be ready to pass out on my living room sofa by the time I get home next Wednesday afternoon and eat a pizza.


Oh well, worse things could happen!

I am very excited about heading home for Christmas and seeing everyone!!! Except for Jenny, because she will be having an awesome time here in the United Kingdom instead - cannot say I blame her

Only nine days to go!!!
nine days...  
& a massive checklist...
& social obligations...
& my writer's workshop assessment... 
... nine days.
xx, Kristin


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

BIG NEWS

Today I signed on a flat.


In the center of Kingston, London.
That
            is
                      ALL
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xx, Kristin

Sunday, December 4, 2011

IT IS ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!!

It is now December and the countdown begins:

  • 16 days - I will be boarding the plane home.
  • 15 days - I hope to hand in my writer's workshop assignment.
  • 6 days - To find a place to live. 

Before then and now, I have two weeks of classes left, 5,000 words, several social events and - if luck has it - some food shopping because I am down to oatmeal. I am trying to learn how to say no to socializing, so this week I can spend my nights working on this creative writing piece. I made incredible progress yesterday and the day before, I just have to keep my energy up for the next 14 to 15 days. 

Also, yesterday and the day before I was at a publishing conference called Publishing Now - #pubnow. It was very interesting and we were filled with new ideas on where publishing could be headed over the next few years. 

  • Day One: was a debate in the back of a pub on several controversial issues in publishing such as self-publishing, eBooks, the survival of traditional publishing, etc. - free wine included. 
  • Day Two: was a day long conference were we continued to learn more about where publishing could be heading - even though the professionals admit it is hard to guess. Some conversations were even suggesting that eBooks are about to be old news and we are about to break into a new world of reading - free lunch and tea provided.

However, all of this future talk allowed me to realize something yesterday... I know where publishing might be going. I know there is a battle for traditional publishing - even though there is no way we will lose the paper pages of the book.  But, I have very little knowledge about actually printing books. Everything we are taught is about the future. Granted that is where I will be when I am working in publishing, but right now I need to know about how to print books. How many pages are allowed in the book, what are the requirements for setting up the pages in indesign, how do they send the pages to the printer, how do they work out cover designs, ect? 

Ask me about the future of publishing, I have several possible answers. 

Ask me about the present, I'll have to shrug my shoulders and pass on the question. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found the current weakness in my education. I am planning on speaking to one of my tutors about it this week to ask if they can have a Master Class to give us information on the present publishing world and the details on printing. This is information we need. 


xx, Kristin

PS: Are you informed when I respond to your comments on my blog - because I do always try to respond!!! Because, I love you guys - haha.


PPS: Philippa is planning on getting a tree soon, and said I could help decorate!!! YAY CHRISTMAS!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Three Days of Thanksgiving!


I realized this morning that I forgot to mention my three days of Thanksgiving, just like the Pilgrams and Native Americans did on the very first Thanksgiving. 

24, November 2011:
Thursday afternoon, on the actual day of Thanksgiving, I went out for a Thai lunch with a friend from the states. Then after Writer's Workshop, we went to the pub - we always go to the pub - and made a turkey from the tinfoil of mince pies.

Mince pie tinfoil turkey. 


25, November 2011:
We had a large dinner at The King's Tun, where anyone who wanted to be part of the Thanksgiving Spirit was invited to come. It was a lot a fun, and great to spend time with people outside of the classroom. We then moved to another pub where I had dessert of the american beer Blue Moon - oranges included.

26, November 2011:
A few of us from the States were invited to a friend's place in the campus halls. We all contributed to the meal and it was delicious. I made my traditional apple pie, except against tradition it came out perfectly well! Also, it was square, which was pretty cool. After dinner and pie - which I could not eat one bit of - we went out for a little karaoke. It was terrifying but I did sing Set Fire to the Rain by Adele and I think it went okay - although I felt like I was screaming into the microphone.


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
xx, Kristin

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Wales - A week later.

I was so incredibly busy this week with schoolwork and trying to figure out Thanksgiving plans that I forgot to post about Wales. Now, I have to hope that I can remember all the wonderful details of that Christmas themed weekend.

PS: This is one of my infamous, un-edited posts - I apologize for any mistakes...

18, November 2011:
A Christmas Celebration in Cardiff, Wales. 
We left London at 12:30pm - I think - for Cardiff, Wales. It took about an hour and thirty minutes to get out of the city - but it was such a pretty drive. London really is a gorgeous city with its old buildings and the Thames river. Once we got out of London, I remember what grass was - the grass, and trees and flat open fields ending with rolling hills. It was wonderful that we left in the daylight just so I could remember how much I love being in the country - even though we were not able to leave the bus to grab some fresh air. The countryside was as beautiful as London. It has pushed me towards planning a trip to some small English town in the future.

When we arrived in Cardiff the sun was just beginning to set - it gets so dark so early here now. Ruth knows her way around Cardiff like the back of her hand, so just as we landed she directed us off to the hostel. It was one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in. There was security everywhere, and lockers where we could leave our backpacks while spending time out in the city.

Cardiff Castle. 
Once we settled in a bit and cleaned up from the ride, we decided we needed a roast for dinner. After getting directions from the woman who had checked us in, we headed to a local pub and spent a few hours eating and chatting. It was a very nice relaxing time. After this, Ruth showed me Cardiff at night - we walked around the city for HOURS. We found a Christmas market that would be open in the morning, many really cute shops, and a Christmas festival. They had ice skating, rides and food.

On the way home from our exploring, we walked past a cinema and decided that to keep our Christmas weekend theme going we should watch Arthur Christmas. It was a really cute movie, a new holiday favorite about Santa's youngest son who is desperate to make sure not one child is left out on Christmas morning. It made me laugh, made me cry and made me get OVER excited about Christmas.

19, November 2011:
Myself and the Keep in Cardiff Castle. 
We woke ourselves up pretty early - Ruth did a much better job than myself - showered, and then headed into Wales. It seemed like a whole different place in the daylight, and I was pretty confused again as Ruth directed us through the city - which is a lot smaller than I had thought. Our first stop was Cardiff Castle. I have to say, every town in the world should have a castle - what a cool concept! It was a lot of fun walking around inside it, and discovering where they turned part of the castle into a bomb shelter during WWII. That part of the castle was very spooky and took my breath away as we walked through the dark tunnel. I cannot imagine having to hide out in there during wartime.


We also climbed up the keep, and explored inside the palace. It was full of monkeys and other jungle animals - like birds. It was really gorgeous, and had the most brilliant library.

After walking around the castle for a few hours, we then decided to get lunch at one of the Christmas markets. It seems to be a thing in the United Kingdom to have German Markets to bring in the holiday season. We have one in Kingston and that was what we found in Cardiff. I bought myself one of the most delicious hotdogs I have ever had and we then proceeded to walk around the market. There we many cool - and very Welsh - stands, and I found myself always having to pull myself away from the Love Spoons. They are so fantastic and I found so many that I wanted to hang on my walls.

Cardiff Bay. 
We then went exploring for some Doctor Who memorabilia and that is when poor Ruth discovered that her favorite place in the world - The Doctor Who Experience - was closed so they could update the exhibits. Luckily, she had already gone to a Forbidden Planet - google it - and filled up on her geek for the day - haha!

Next, we headed to Cardiff Bay where we bought ourselves some Welsh Cakes - SO GOOD - and walked to the waterfront. Industrial life could be seen in almost every direction I looked. After staring out at the water for a moment, Ruth then led me to the entrance of Torchwood - google it - where fans of the show had taken to posting sympathy letter when one of the more popular characters was killed off. It appears they were not pleased with the writer's decision of cutting him out of the series.

While reading all the notes, I noticed that there were some boat tours heading in and out of were we stood in the bay. The tour was only 5GBP and I figured because we lost a few hours of our planned day because of the Doctor Who Experience being closed, we should see the bay. Ruth sucked up her fear of boats really well for me as we headed off to see a close up of Cardiff Bay.

Torchwood Letters, Cardiff Bay. 
Then next planned step in our journey was to watch Santa light up Cardiff. They had set up another market here in front of the world famous Millenium Center - including rides, food and live entertainment. Ruth and I spent hours walking around the tents and exploring the center. It was really good Christmas fun and it really got me in the mood for celebrations. The fireworks were really excellent, even better then the ones I saw for Guy Fawkes and it was fun to see the whole city light up.

Millennium Center at Cardiff Bay. 
That is when I decided we needed to have one last bite of Christmas before calling it a weekend - as our bus would leave at 4:30am. I suggested to Ruth we use this Welsh market to buy each other Christmas presents. We took turns with a 10GBP limit and exchanged the gifts to Ruth's ipod which she has playing Christmas Carols. IT WAS WONDERFUL.

On the way home, we again passed the cinema and with little hesitation ran to the 3rd floor to again watch Arthur Christmas. As I said, I loved that movie - and it seems that so did Ruth!

20, November 2011:
We left Cardiff at 4:30am. After attempting to sleep the whole way home and failing, I crashed in my bed for many hours on that Sunday afternoon.

T H E  E N D . 

Fireworks for the Christmas Celebration at Cardiff Bay. 






xx, Kristin

PS: Did I mention I got to hold an owl?!


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Family and Friends,

I would like to start out this letter with a massive THANK YOU. Although I have said it before and I will say it again, the support you have given me has always been incredible. I know I could not be more blessed with the family I was given, and the friends I have earned. Even over here from across the pond, I can still feel the positive encouragement from you all. From taking the time to post a small comment on this blog, or on my pictures, sending me emails and letters, or finding a moment to skype with me, I am grateful for you all. 

Even though I am unable to sit around the dining room table today for the Thanksgiving feast, I am still thinking about you all and making my annual list of everything I am thankful for. Family, friends, the chance to return to London, the ability to continue getting my education, being lucky enough to have a home here in England, and having something to bring me back to New York, everything on my list makes me ecstatic. 

Nothing can stop me from smiling today. 

I wish you all the happiest Thanksgiving and the reminder that it is not the turkey that makes this day great, it is knowing you have a reason to be thankful. That is enough, and I have enough. 

H A P P Y  T H A N K S G I V I N G !!!

I love you all very much, and for those counting I will be seeing you in less than a month!
xx, Kristin

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Fact -

I  L O V E  W A L E S
(more to come soon).

Cardiff Castle 2011 : Photographer Kristin Bergene


xx, Kristin


Thursday, November 17, 2011

THANKS MOM AND DAD FOR THE POPCORN!!!

Norbiton Train Station - towards Kingston.
I am much worse at updating this blog than the one I kept in 2009, I wonder if that means something - haha.

From the last time I posted I have accomplished quite a list of activities - if that is what you want to call them, haha. I had a conference on publishing at Stationer's Hall, I dorked out with Ruth in various geek shops in the center of London, I went shopping for warm clothes, I wrote a paper on production in publishing - which required me to take books from the library - I agreed to attend the mid-night premiere to see the next Twilight movie, I emptied my fridge and have not restocked it, I booked a spontaneous trip to Wales for their Christmas events, and I got a ton of popcorn in the mail from my parents - etc, etc...

In other news, NaNoWriMo is going terribly and I do not know when I will focus on that. Maybe today, before class, and while finishing my laundry, packing and preparing for tonight. Also, I have yet to find a place to live, and I am completely unable to keep up with my incoming emails - so much stuff, all the time. Thanksgiving plans have failed to move forwards, and I am not really motivated to work out the kinks without help. BUT the golden light at the end of this tunnel is -

I AM GOING TO WALES THIS WEEKEND
(Cardiff to be exact). 


Mentally - I am still doing really well, and I am really loving everything about being here. But do not worry, I am super excited for Christmas and to see my family and friends. Also I am super excited for New York Pizza, wings and an antipasti salad - So, if someone wants to put that order in for me? All the doubts I had before coming are gone now, and honestly I cannot even remember the details of those extreme moments of panic - I am sure they are in this blog somewhere.
Ruth and I at M&M World, London. 

Sure, I do not know what will happen once I get my degree.

But, I have a plan, and I know what I would like to happen.

But that is all in the future, and there is no point is killing myself today about what will happen in a year. A year ago today, I had no idea I would be back in London. I had the plan of moving to New York City, or Boston - maybe even Seattle - after getting decent experience at The Freeman's Journal. Working towards a degree in publishing and creative writing was not even a real consideration and it took a few more months to bring me to that single decision. Which is silly of me after all, because I love books, so working with them is just the correct answer.

My point is, right now is really good, and in one year the most important thing will be that I am still able to feel confident and happy. That is really the most important thing for anyone. If all I have in one year is the memory of this experience, and the knowledge I have gained, I want that to be enough. However, I am sure my dedication to carving out a niche for myself, and my stellar work ethic will continue to pull me through.

And on that note,


Myself, new winter gear
and a poppy. 

THANKS MOM AND DAD FOR THE POPCORN
(It's one of my favorite foods). 

Here's for constant optimism,
xx, Kristin



Monday, November 7, 2011

'Kristin Bergene' & A NEW BAG!

So, I accomplished some things today. I accomplished getting out of bed. I accomplished getting into Kingston to accomplish some schoolwork. I accomplished making it my class on time at 18:00 (6pm) and I accomplished some stuff to help market myself better.

Our lecturer today was talking about social media, and frankly it brought me to the conclusion that I am not doing enough - cue laughter. I have no idea how to market myself, and I really never considered that it was something I should be responsible for. However, there was a very good point brought up which was if you have a pre-existing group of followers you are more likely to be published. This includes self-publishing, which I may just have to give a shot - eventually. Anyway, this has me planning out a new marketing strategy which involves making 'Kristin Bergene' the product I want it to become.

Once Jane from The Office (US) said: "Dress for the job you want." In a way that is what I am trying to do, I am making my name recognizable as a brand. A brand of what?

That is still to be determined.

But today I worked towards my newly organized ambitions - not new ambitions, just reorganized. I have two blogs for my professional life, two blogs that I have failed to touch seriously once arriving here in England. Today, I changed their URL's to a more appropriate name.

They have now become:

With their new names, I hereby swear to market them the "right way" - as opposed to just having them there in the background. I will dedicate at least one hour a week to spreading the word on 'Kristin Bergene' - which I think is plenty enough time for one week, considering I am still doing my masters. 

My responsibilities are slightly overwhelming. It seems this easy / fun blog is my best source of stress relief that can be played with between serious responsibilities. Well, this blog, traveling into London's center and shopping - speaking of which...


LOOK A NEW BAG!



I thought a sleek bag like this would be perfect to get me in the right mindset of a professional. As I stared it down, I imagined going on interviews with a pencil skirt and this guy. It seemed like an unbeatable confidence booster - mostly because both my planner and kindle fit inside beautifully, along with all my other crap.

Bring it on world.

xx, Kristin


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Guy Fawkes Night


I took some shots of the annual fireworks celebration for 

GUY FAWKES NIGHT 

& here they are:










xx, kristin


UPDATE: For those unaware on the other side of the pond, as requested by Aunt Sandy, here is a link to tell you what Guy Fawkes night is all about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_fawkes


You may have also seen V for Vendetta which is loosely based on his story. 



Friday, November 4, 2011

My week was AWESOME

A quick shot with my Android of the Thames river,
a few boats, Big Ben and the London Eye. 
I began this reading week comparing it the last one I experienced in London. That reading week I travled to Norway and Wales. A piece of me was thinking about that time with a bit of longing, as I had no plans for travel. I figured that I could do a few day trips, but with the beginning of NaNoWriMo - a self-assigned project where you try to write a 50,000 word novel in one month - and all my assignments for school, the thought of leaving London became more unlikely. However, with an incredible and unexpected twist of events it turned out that leaving London would have been a mistake.

NOTE: This is poorly edited on account of time, excitement and exhaustion from the following week.

November 1st:
It was a successful first day with NaNoWriMo. I have an easy goal of 2,000 words a day, and the first day I finished the lot in under two hours. To celebrate my friend and I decided that the most important thing to do was to go see...

Backbeat - The Beatles the Musical!

IT.
WAS.
INCREDIBLE.

I laughed, I cried. It gave me a new idea of what it was like to live during the rise of The Beatles and I have to say, I really wish I was around for that. They played their music and told the story of the fifth Beatle, Stewart. I was so emotionally involved in this musical that when it ended I almost wanted to cry for not being able to listen to anymore of their music. They ended the musical by having a full blown Beatles concert playing four of five of their songs!!! I felt like a screaming fan girl as they asked the audience to get up and dance with them! The whole theater was jiving to the beat, and laughing. It was a blast!

BUT, it gets better!

The whole time we were watching, there was one actor on stage that I knew I had seen before. For a moment I considered that maybe he lived in London and I had walked past him on the street - he was attractive enough for me to remember if that was the case. However, I could not place him no matter how hard I thought about it, so I gave up to just enjoy the moment. When I got home however, I went right onto the internet and looked the boy up. My heart nearly broke as I looked at his name.

It was Andrew Knott.

The Secret Garden, 1993
Picture fromBackbeat website.















Andrew Knott, as in: Dicken from The Secret Garden, and little Joey from The Black Beauty. More importantly - My very first crush... EVER. Later he was in the History Boys, and that time I had no trouble recognizing him. The fact that I spent two hours in the same room as him, watching him preform live and did not recognize him - well, it nearly broke my heart.

So, you can imagine I will be going to see Backbeat again.


November 2nd: 
It was much less successful than the day before with my NaNoWriMo goals, I was 500 words short and for good reason.
I did NOT take this picture,
small credit to google images.

I went for a nice long walk in Richmond park with Philippa and Saxon, the temporary household dog. She drove us deep into the park to a place I have never been before, and as we began to stroll she causally mentioned that the London School of Ballet was the great building I could see in the distance.

The London School of Ballet.

As in where all the greats go for training, as in where part of Billy Elliot was filmed. It was another one of those classic movies in my life, and between this and the whole Andrew Knott surprise thing, my week was already emotionally draining.

That building is magnificent. I did not take any pictures, as I had not expected to need my camera while walking the dog, but I do intend to go back and get some incredible pictures to share. There is a path leading up too the front of the building with great trees and birds. I felt like I was in one of those old classic english movies.

I then had a LONG and fun lunch with one of my classmates at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Kingston. It was delicious and also... Jamie Oliver - enough said.

Then I did a Pub Quiz with the Adam's family and crew. WE CAME IN FIFTH - also, really exciting!


November 3rd: 
So, I was sitting at computer, slowly waking up and trying to figure out what I was required to do today when I saw this:


Kingston University class of 2012The olympic torch will be on campus TODAY! Come down to have your picture taken with it from 12noon.

And I was like - UM WHAT?! So, as it was nearly 11am I hurried my butt down to campus and got this:


They had four different backgrounds... haha!
I am almost certain this one is my favorite.



I was then required to head into central London to meet up with some Publishing people and see some really old books at the British Library. But on the way, something really incredible happened...


I SAW THE QUEEN!


I snapped this picture after I
regained my ability to move.
 That was her caravan,
but not her car. 
As in, Her Majesty the Queen! How many people jokingly said, "Say hey to the Queen for me," as I got ready to fly over. I laughed, thinking, no one ever sees the Queen. But as we were walking in front of King's Cross station (yes, the one in Harry Potter!) all the traffic was stopped in such a weird fashion. A police man came through on his motorbike, directing traffic to pause - ignoring the traffic lights. After a few more motorbikes came through, two cars passed by. I had stopped, asking "Are we going to see a parade?" (Which I think not one of my friends heard me say) But as I finished the sentence and looked in the window of the car, I saw her. She was just sitting there, like a normal person - THE QUEEN. By god, I have seen the Queen of England - in real life and unplanned. 


Evidence that I went
to the British Library.
Now onto the Library, which for a book person is just as exciting as seeing the Queen. There were books dating to the 4th and 5th century, my jaw nearly dropped. Jane Austen, Bronte, old song workings from The Beatles, the Magna Carta and the list goes on. We were not permitted to take pictures of the books, but seeing old pages from well recognized text in person was humbling. It came with this surprising result of stealing my intimidation from the old greats as I look at their scribbles in ancient notebooks. My own handwriting was simliar to many of theirs, completely illegible and quick. I was inspired to grab a notebook and just write and write - though I may have to wait till after NaNoWriMo to play with that idea.


After the British Library Exhibit, we headed to a pub not so very far away to something called 'BookMachine.' It is a social where people in the publishing world can meet up and make connections. I talked to a few very exciting people, mostly from Random House and got to spend more time with the people from my course which is always fun.


The night was finished by playing Kings in New Malden, like the good Uni kids we are.

November 4th: 
Now is the day before November the 5th.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November. 
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.

All I want to do is have a night in and settle down from my week. Figure out how to send money home, fill out applications for a Railcard for the trains, a student Oyster card (which is cheaper), and work on NaNoWriMo and my other heaping pile of ever growing assignments. I would even perhaps like to paint my nails and relax with a movie for just one night, but no. The fireworks are starting and because I have to be involved with everything all the time, even after my amazing week, I am heading out again for fireworks at 8pm.



xx, Kristin


Thursday, November 3, 2011

AHHHHHHH!

I have to apologize for the post I am going to create tomorrow which will not only be full of capitalizations, but also quite possibly very, very long! It will cover such topics as:


  1. HOW I WATCHED ANDREW KNOTT IN BACK BEAT (as John Lennon)!
  2. HOW I HELD THE OLYMPIC TORCH (even though it was not lit)!
  3. HOW I SAW THE QUEEN (near the British Library)!

Till tomorrow,
xx, Kristin


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Halloween from Home!


I would like to take a few moments and appreciate this
Halloween card that came from my parents today:




HAHAHAHA!!!!

Thanks Mom and Dad, it made me laugh and smile!



xx, Kristin


Sunday, October 23, 2011

My New Best Friend

I have a new friend, and his name is Saxon.



In other news, I do not think I am allergic to dogs anymore!!!

xx, Kristin



London, London, London

Sebastian and myself in the
Cafe in the Crypt, I am going to
have to eat here sometime!
Taken by Justin White.
Close up of the
London Eye. 
This has been such an incredible weekend. I am not very good at the weekday part of my schedule - with the reading and the academic writing - but I am very good at the weekend part of my schedule where I am allowed out into London!

This should come as a surprise to no one.

On Friday, I did complete my writing workshop piece - which you will all be able to read in a few days when I post it on my writing blog. I had been working on it over the last few weeks, and I am pretty happy about the result. I put this in print now, so that when my class gives me feedback this coming Thursday, I will remember a time when I was proud of it - haha.

After I finished up with my work, it was time for me to take on the fun side of my schedule. (From Friday night to Sunday night, I am allowed to do whatever I want - says me). I met a few friends for dinner, and then we went to see the movie Contagion. I really enjoyed it, and the cast was incredible, but if you are even a slight hypochondriac DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE. You will never touch anyone or anything again. Then, we went out on the town - hit one of our new favorite bars and then crossed the street to do a little dancing at a local club. I was exhausted by 1:30am, but did not get into bed until 3ish in the morning - do to peer pressure, I'm looking at you Stace, haha!

Andy, Alyssa, Justin and myself in the Maple Leaf pub.
Taken by Justin White.
Saturday, I met up with a few people from my course at Waterloo Station and we headed into London. It was really crowded with tourists, but we could not resist walking to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. While I love this walk because of how beautiful the buildings are, and the many memorials along the way, my favorite part this time was that I actually remembered how to walk there! We made a goal of taking 50 pictures each, I only got to 17 pictures for the day. I was having too much fun just being in London.

After strolling through the gallery we headed to a Canadian pub called the Maple Leaf. It was a nice sports bar, but it had a homey atmosphere - even though I am not from Canada. I also tried a new beer called Moosehead. It was delicious. It was really nice getting to know the people in my course a little better and I have to say, we are really cool people!

Andy, Sebastian and myself walking...
somewhere . Taken by Justin White. 
Tomorrow, I have to get back into work mode. I think it will be easier after having such a busy, exhausting weekend. I have some big assignments coming up that I really need to focus on so that I can use my reading week for something exciting, like traveling. I was thinking somewhere easy in the United Kingdom, Wales or Scotland perhaps.

In other news, does anyone want something specific from England for Christmas?



xx, Kristin


Thursday, October 20, 2011

"I'll be home for Christmas..."

One of the hardest parts of my decision to come to England was leaving behind my family. I come from a very close, and supportive family. Every Christmas we get together, and while the celebration only lasts a few days, the comfort that comes from lasts the rest of the year. There was nothing I wanted more for Christmas then to be able to join my family in the celebrations.

AND - I got my Christmas wish! 

I love being here. I love Kingston. I love being in Uni. (And I know you would love it all too)! I feel really great about everything here, and I am feeling more inspired and motivated to work on my writing craft. But I am still really excited to see everyone for the holidays!!!

So, without further ado - here is the information on my coming flight:


LEAVE LONDON:

From my flight from Italy - 2009

  • December 20th, 2011 @ 2:40pm
  • Flight Number: British Airways 189


ARRIVE IN NEWARK:

  • December 20th, 2011 @ 5:40pm
  • Flight Number: British Airways 189

and then... 

LEAVE NEWARK:

  • January 17th, 2012 @ 8:50pm
  • Flight Number: British Airways 188


ARRIVE IN LONDON:

  • January 18th, 2012 @ 8:35am
  • Flight Number: British Airways 188



xx, Kristin


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Show and Tell



This is the view outside of my window: 



This is a spider inside my house:


This is me and some friends at a bowling alley:


This is me, and a friend, and a stranger, on the train:


This is my attempt to balance school work and socializing:



T H E  E N D. 

xx, Kristin


Thursday, October 13, 2011

One Month in London

I have hit the one month marker for my time in London. Last time - this is when I began to get homesick. This time - I am not.

I miss my family and friends - like whoa.

I miss my home and my car - for their small comforts.

I miss knowing where I am and where I am going - because, I am here now and haven't created the next goal yet.

But, I am not really that homesick. I have been in a weird funk, which could be attributed to homesickness, but in further thought, that does not seem to be the case. It actually seems more logical that I am trying to figure out how to balance be a student, being social, and being in London. I give up and, with exasperation, I fall on my bed to never rise - while thinking of the massive amounts of things I could be doing, or should be doing.

Okay, so I do rise.

I do go to my classes.

I do meet up with friends.

Etcetera. Etcetera.

But I am still funked nonetheless.

In other news:

  • I am getting ready to by my plane ticket for the winter break. The dates I am looking at are the 20 to the 8th, but they might change. I am aiming to buy my ticket by the end of the week, so we will know for sure then.
  • I am trying to arrange a time to visit my family in Norway. Right now we are looking at the week of October 31 - November 7. This is my fall break, when I should be doing work - but I'll just make sure to be a little more productive and a little less funked. 
  • My friend, and fellow dork, Ruth and I have just bought our tickets for the STUDIO TOUR OF HARRY POTTER IN LONDON!!! I am beyond, beyond, beyond excited for many inexpressible reasons, which I don't think need to be expressed anyway. We will not be going until mid-April however, so I have to hold onto my pants until then.
  • OMGOMGOMG! ... And now, this 23 year old is moving on ...

These current ramblings are no where near the mental state I thought I would be in after my first month. I guess this is the fun of trying new things, you never know where - or what - you will be in a month. One month ago, I was freaking out in an airport. I was lost between my emotions of being afraid to fly, and leaving my family. I had little, but dear, friends waiting for me here, and now I have more international friendships than I can handle. I was excited to see what this whole publishing thing was about, and to challenge myself as a writer, and now, I am more sure I will be a happy career woman surrounded by books. I knew I wanted to try living in a new place, start fresh, and now I know I want to grow up to be an American. I know want to be the New Yorker that I undoubtedly am.

However, some things never change, like my bewildering and obsessive love of Harry Potter. 

I am very certain the next month will go much faster. I will have more work, less time, higher ambitions and a larger appreciation of a good cup of tea. Also in the next month, I hope to get outside of London and see something new, perhaps make a solid trip to Wales or Edinburgh, maybe Dublin. Maybe I will just get on the train and head north, hoping I am lucky enough to find a small town, with a smaller hotel. I imagine northern England to be much like Cooperstown; right on the edge of a massive collection of culture and excitement - of which it absorbs - but still able to reamin calm, and friendly. 

xx, Kristin



Sunday, October 9, 2011

Care Package

Good News everyone - My inhaler is here!

Just wanted to send out a little public THANK YOU to my parents for sending me a care package that includes chocolate, my inhaler, a compass and some pumpkins. It was really fun to open that bag up.

It seems that my parents really understand me, (note the listed items) - weird.

Other than care packages, I have been having a very lazy weekend. I realized yesterday as I looked at my to-do list, shopping list, and reading list, that it had been a very long time since I did absolutely nothing. Probably before this whole "I want to go to graduate school" thing started.

So yesterday, I took a guilt free break and did nothing.

Now I feel slightly guilty though, because I have no food.

xx, Kristin





Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Timetables & Critical Thinking

Do you ever pause for a moment and ask yourself:

  1. "What am I doing?"
  2. "How did I get here?"
  3. "Is this a good idea?"

They are three very important questions, that inspire a thought provoking answers - if asked.

Today, I woke up decently early to prepare for my 10am class. I struggled to leave my bed, hitting snooze for an additional hour. My body was already arguing with my brain as I sat down in the front of class. Even though I held a distinct smile on my face, there was not much going on behind the deceptive, curtain of my electric-blue eyes. As I tried to shake my mind into action, I tried to remember why I decided to audit this course. I am not required to take it, I will not be assessed for it, and it requires me to accomplish 100% of the weekly reading list.

Ladies and Gentalman, I give you: Product Development and Editorial Management. It filled me with an energy larger, and more explosive than the latte I was sipping at a consistant rate. My tutor, Anna, practically danced in front of the class with the excitement of her material. It filled me with an itch for understanding. I wanted to fully comprehend the depth of her passion for this topic. This feeling grew wider, and within the next two hours I had added another class to my auditing plans.

I wanted to know. 


I needed to know. 

Anything and everything to do with Publishing became a valid interest, and in the security of being surrounded by other book-dorks, it was perfectly acceptable. However, perhaps I should have glanced at the following schedule - my schedule - before letting my excitement get away with me.

As my mother always tells me; "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach." I believe this idea is very similar to what happened to me today, and explains the following intense, and voluntary timetable:

On Monday... 
  • 6-8pm: I attend a Publishing Master Class. This is a guest speaker who comes in and fills us with information of their particular field. This week we had Peter Ashman who works with STM publishing, which involves the lucrative area of medical and scientific journals.
On Tuesday...
  • 10-12am: I attend Product Development and Editorial Management. This is one of the many classes I am auditing this term, however unlike the others, I will have to attend the seminars. So far, Anna has begun talking about developing products and being a commissioning editor. 
  • 12-2pm: Catch up on reading in library. 
  • 2-4pm: I spontaneously decided it would be important for me to learn / audit the Evolution of Publishing. I was right. To know where you are going, you have to learn where you came from. We will be discussing large publishers now and how they got to the top. I volunteered to put a presentation together for next week on John Murray Publishing House, because I have the time. 
  • 4-6pm: Catch up on reading in library. 
  • 6-7pm: I am auditing 10 Critical Challenges for Writers. So very, very interesting but most of the time so very, very over my head. I get so lost in the vocabulary used by our tutor - James Miller - that I find myself dancing and skimming over the main points. But with that in mind, I am absolutely engrossed with the theories and thoughts he brings up in discussion. I find myself in the second week of this class beginning to step back and look at myself as an aspiring writer - it is terrifying. Sentences beginning with, "What if..." as I leave the room, and I have to shut myself up with an encouraging, "You're good." Leave it to me to massage my own ego - which I have learned this week, is a good thing
On Wednesday...
  • As far as I know there are no classes possible for me to audit on this day, and I am not even going to look. This will become a catch up on reading day, PLUS a personal writing day. When am I going to see friends? Or London? 
On Thursday...
  • 6-8pm: Writer's Workshop. This is officially the only class I am responsible for this term. I am really excited for the chance to read the work of my peers - sort out the competition - and have my peers read 'me,' to give feedback. I love feedback, and with the years of art critiques and other strengthening experiences - coughcough - I should be okay. However, that annoying and frightening, "What if..." phrase keeps finding it's way through the chaos of my brain. 
On Friday...
  • 2-3pm: Yes, I am auditing even a class on a Friday afternoon - Narrative Techniques in Popular Fiction. It is also important to mention that this is an undergraduate course. It is also important to mention that I love the basics - you can never get enough basics to build your expertise on. Currently, this class is a hell-of-a-lot-of-work. I have three books to read by Friday, and to balance that with the articles, chapters and essays from other classes, plus spontaneous presentations and my own writing to accomplish, I don't know when I'll find the time to breath... yay being a student again!
Now back to those important questions, I must keep remembering to ask:

What I am doing, is taking advantage of my time as a student at a great university. I am creating the time to learn my field; from the evolution of publishing, to the current workforce. I am focused on gaining the confidence through the knowledge found in classes, and through the guidance of my peers. I want to get every ounce out of this degree, even if it means attending more classes as an auditor, than a registered student. The only downside to my current plan is the growing multitude of valued texts suggested at the beginning and end of every class. They are texts I desperately want because lets face it - I love books. Even if I never read them, they look damn pretty on my collapsing book shelves. 

I am here, because I am serious. I am not here to waste my time or the time of someone else. I am hear to learn, to experience and develop myself as a writer, and as a professional. Sitting in the back of class might be easy, and keeping quiet might save me from looking like an idiot, but I will not gain anything from those bad habits. While I would find it completely acceptable to be the janitor at The New Yorker just to have their name on my paycheck, I am capable of more. I want more. This is the catalyst to reach the next level of achievement, and I am aware of that. 

This is a good idea. This is a wonderful idea. Before I even left the states I was doubtful of my abilities of being a student. Knowing my weaknesses, I feared that I would fold back into my lazy ways and do the minimal required, gaining a decent understanding of the experience, but nothing extraordinary. Once I stepped outside the classroom and used my skills in the workforce, I learned how valuable experience can be if you take advantage of the resources around you. I think it was in the fear of not achieving, and in the inspired awareness, that I have begun to find my success. The drive to learn more, and be more, than the required timetables, and reading lists. In one year, I must build a confidence that will propel myself in the direction of my goals. How can attempting to achieve your goals be a bad idea?

Now, on a completely unrelated note: I appear to be one of youngest students in my programme. Still evaluating the positives and negatives of this one...

How is everyone doing State-side? I ask in the hopes that someone made it to the end of this wordy post on my inner-monologues, and timetable organizing. But really, How is everyone back home? Anything exciting to report?

xx, Kristin