Moving on...

Considering I've been back for over a month, it's high time I started a new blog. So I did.

Check it out!

Enjoy!

Adventures in Socialized Medicine: The Saga Continues

Just to keep you all posted from back here in America-land. I went to the foot doctor the other day to have a regular checkup (so I'm an old person) and he took a look at my foot. After much prodding and tuning fork hitting and x-raying, he decided that I had a stress fracture in my foot. Correction. I have 3 stress fractures in my right foot. This would be the same right foot from February that I was told was a "sprain".

Now I know socialized medicine is a great equalizer and allows the same access to medicine for all classes. But if that practice leads to a reduction in necessary tests performed, is it worth it? Or is it just another system that's broken and needs fixing? Just a thought.

Anyway, I get to wear a fun shoe thing that keeps my foot immobilized for the next few weeks. If it doesn't heal, I get to wear a cast in the middle of summer.

But, it is great to be back in Ammmurica and eating quality food again!

Only 95% left!

I miss being a hop, skip, and a jump away from... everything different.

I can make a comic book!

To sum up one of our favorite moments in Malta, I have made a comic book (with the help of a token geek or two)! Enjoy!

Mmmmmm.. Malta!

So I have been incredibly busy with finals, and also very unmotivated to write an entry about Malta. It was an absolutely amazing trip that I would love to tell you all about in person because I am SO done with typing and paper writing. Therefore, I will direct you all to my travel buddy Meg's awesome entry:

Read on!

For my part, I did put 3 albums worth of photos online, all with great captions describing the wonders of Malta, Mmmdina, the blue Mediterranean, the more blue Blue Grotto, and sketchy men.

C'mon. There are always sketchy men.

Mmmdina and my first time swimming in the (cold!) Mediterranean

Blue Grotto and the Fishermen's Market

Fireworks!

3 days until home!

Soaking up some culture

I guess I'll have to soak up culture here in London because we don't really see the sun much. Oh well, I'll leave tanning for Malta this weekend!

Tonight I went and saw the London version of Wicked (which I saw in NYC in a few years ago). I didn't take any of the drama classes at ICLC, so I've been on my own as far as seeing shows has gone. I've seen Richard III (in Stratford-Upon-Avon, and it only reaffirmed my boredom with Shakespeare), History Boys, Cabaret, and now Wicked. London's got a slew of half-priced ticket booths that make it infinitely more affordable to go to the theatre. Plus on weekday night shows it's very easy to move to better seats.

Wicked is my favorite show by far, and I have to say that I think I loved it more here than I did in New York. The actress who played Elphaba had a voice that gave me chills and Glinda was hysterical. However, some inadvertently funny parts occured when British accents came into play (dahhncing through life and all), which sort of messed with the rhyming and rhythm. But I loved every moment anyway, especially when we hung out by the stage door and watched the actors come out:



That's me looking like a dork with leading man Fiyero.



And that's me and my new love Kerry Ellis, who played Elphaba. She got ungreen reallllly fast.

On a side note, my internship ended today, and I already miss it. It was such an amazing experience with a great group of people. I totally lucked out.

Spring has sprung and all that jazz

Spring is definitely here in London - people are out en masse on my street (And only my street. Seriously. It's the most crowded place in the world). Some of them eventually make it to Hyde Park, where they undress and hang out in their bathing suits or (not kidding) underwear. I go there and attempt to write my final papers. I don't get much work done, and can you blame me?

But London is in bloom and it is absolutely gorgeous. I live right next to Hyde Park and, on my way to work, I cut through the Victoria Embankment Gardens, where I eat lunch every Monday and Wednesday. There are strategically placed flowers everywhere in grids of red, white, yellow, and pink. The sun is actually shining (Ithaca kids, are you jealous yet?) and I really can't complain.

Oh. Except for the fact that it has become all too apparent that I am allergic to said pretty flowers. Which was helped today by my boss putting 24 lilies (my favorite!) in a vase directly in front of my desk.

But I'll take the sore throat and runny nose any day just because those flowers are so pretty.

Anyway, life in London is pretty good. I feel really removed from the States though and want to just say now that all of us over here are thinking of everyone at Virginia Tech and their friends and families. No matter how far away we get, we still feel the pain of tragedies from home and think of everyone all the time.

I've entered the teen countdown of heading home (18 days now, I think). I leave for Barcelona tomorrow and next weekend I'll be in Malta, so I don't have much time to say goodbye to London. I'm going to miss a lot of things, my internship in particular, but it will definitely be good to get home (and have a decent bagel!).

Again, I miss you all and I'm thinking of you constantly. Cheers!