One Week

I've been back in London for a week.

Most of my time has been trying to fix my sleeping, catching up with friends, figuring out the flat situation, reading (that's one trilogy and three books down for the week), and continuing to work on my book. I've now finished a solid 30 pages, and have another 40 waiting for me to mold. This would be a lot harder if I hadn't finished the whole book two years ago.

Good times.

I should be moving into my new flat this coming Wednesday. This is the moment where I ask you all to take a breath and say a little prayer that everything goes smoothly, and my next nine months will be blissful and trouble-free in this place. It shows me to get my first flat on my own in a foreign city, on the day my flatmate won't be in town. 

However, no one should worry too much because I do have a lot of support on this end.

Support - I always seem to need it. It's worse than just plain approval, because you need to rely on someone to be supported. With approval it's all you until you look back and see the nods and smiles. Maybe this is a new goal for myself, seek approval not support. It will surly force me to grow a little more and make my own decisions at the peak of choice making time. I'll stop worrying about other people when I need to make decisions for me.

... OR maybe I'm just being stupid - Can't blame it on not sleeping enough, haha.

Anyway, it feels good being back in London even though I do miss my friends and family. I'll have to start working harder on those train-tracks over the Ocean right onto Main Street Cooperstown. What would that be called: Atlantic Rails, West and a Bit More West Trains, Sunset Station? Ah well - building first, names later - although Sunset Station gives me a good idea for a shortstory.

xx, Kristin

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

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

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

CRAZY Days

It has been so crazy here over the last few days. In the short span of a week, so many things have happened, changed and exploded. It is unbelievable that only one week has passed since arriving here in London.

First of all I went from:

• Eternally grateful to the Adam's family for taking both Stacey and myself into there small bedroom upstairs.
• Freaked and stressed because I could not find a place to move in a decent amount of time, aka: the end of this coming week.
• Relieved, because Philippa set Stacey and I up with a friend with two bedrooms to rent in New Malden.
• Stressed again, because one room was very much smaller than the other - and one would have felt very guilty to get the larger room with a desk. 
• Eternally grateful to the Adam's family for suggesting I rent this room from them, without a contract, so that Stacey and I might continue looking for a flat without stress.

Then I learned that:

Myself in front of the Parliament Building,
just out of Waterloo Station and under the
shadow of the London Eye: 20, Sep. 2011

• I could still manage my way around central London.
• I still LOVE Harry Potter - getting to enjoy the last film on the largest Imax screen in all of Britain. (My fourth time seeing it, of course).
• My degree is going to kick my butt, and I have only been introduced to half of the course! (The other induction is tomorrow for Publishing). 
• I am still capable of making friends, even though I was practically on solitary confinement for the last year and a half. 
• Jet lag takes a long time to kill off.
• I can survive on little food during the day when stressed.
• I can survive on little sleep during the night when overwhelmed.
• The internet makes this world a very, very small place. 
• My writing style gives me strengths as a story builder.

Every night I go to bed after midnight. Every morning I get out of bed early to start my day. But I still keep trudging on with a smile, because I made it and I am following through on my goals. As long as you love what you are doing, you can afford to smile even in the most difficult parts of the journey.  

And this was my first week in London...

xx, kristin

Adjusting

Adjusting - or if you can call it that.

I have been so busy in the last couple days I do not even know how long I have been in Kingston. Socializing, starting a bank account, socializing, enrolling, dealing with small details of being a postgraduate student, socializing, trying to find a good cell plan, and socializing -It is no wonder I cannot keep track of the days. I am almost certain I have been here a month, surviving on peanut butter and toast.

I am certain it has been a month.

Although, that may also play into the part where I have been here before, making me comfortable and confident as I walk the streets - Still possible I get lost though. Knowing my way around has made the prior list much easier on my brain. I knew where the Lloyds bank was that - with some advice from new friends - I chose to open my account in. I knew where all the cell phone places where. Most importantly, I knew the short route between all those places and campus as I ran in circles with my head spinning today - Even if sometimes I forgot to use them.

Anyway onto what I have accomplished -

• I have enrolled into the University, getting my ID card and all that lovely official stuff.
• I have begun to complete my bank account at Lloyds for my loan money to be dropped into.
• I have begun research into cell phones, even thinking I have found the right plan for me. 
• I have finally glanced over my timetables.
• I have continued to search for flats, getting a few really decent options but more indecent ones. 
• I have met up with many of the people I found on facebook before coming to Uni and more. 
• I have taken a tour of Kingston - because I thought it would be fun... it was.

All I have left to accomplish -

• Actually finish of my bank account.
• Finish off the cell phone.
• Find a flat to live in - and hopefully soon.
• Get organized to for my courses.
• ACTUALLY GET INTO LONDON! This I might run off and do on my own, just to have a good, old fashioned moment. 

That is all I can think of anyway.

OH - on account that I am required to head to a pub down the street and continue socializing, this post will be completely and entirely unedited! Socializing Calls.

xx, kristin

Here we go again!

So, yet again I've found myself with a compass directed eastwards. I will be attending a master program, yet again, in London, and yet again, at Kingston University. This time I will be a full time student, gaining a master's degree in Creative Writing and Publishing. If you are interested in my writing abilities, other than this unedited blog, you can check out this site I have created for a portfolio -- Beginning.

This blog is again to communicate with my friends and family to communicate with me. I still have skype (username: kristinbergene) and I can always be emailed (kberg032@gmail.com), but this is a way for flexible communication. Though unlike last time, I am not planning on updating daily.

As I prepare to head over, I will jot down notes of the process, but this is just the start.

xx, Kristin