Shop 'Til You Drop

Half Term: Day 3

On the third day of half term I decided to take my family shopping. I knew my dad wouldn't be terribly interested in shopping, but I just had to show my mom and especially my sister some of the really great shops in London. We shopped up and down Oxford streeet, a bit on Regent street, and then we made our way to Harrods. First, Kristi and I spend two full hours shopping in Primark. The recently opened location on Oxford street is much larger and much more organized than the Primark in Kingston. On Regent street we visited Hamley's, the large toy store. By large I mean it had five levels, actually make that six, there was a lower ground floor too! The crowds in Hamley's were so thick all I could do to get from one place to the next was shuffle my feet. I think I stepped on a lot of heels, but that's the nature of Christmas shopping in London!! After Hamley's, my family and I hopped the tube over to Knightsbridge to shop at Harrods. Harrods is a 7 level store. I don't really know how to describe it well other than the word 'fancy'. Harrods sells incredibly nice things. It's a great place to find gifts for people too. My mom and I spent a large quantity of time looking at the crystal and china. It was a long day and all of our feet were hurting and our arms were full of shopping bags on the tube ride home. The small hotel room actually seemed very welcoming that night. Kristi and I had the chance to relax at the bar before heading to bed. A friend came to visit us at the hotel, so I enjoyed a Strongbow cider - my favorite, and Kristi had a Smirnoff Ice. 

Shop after Shop

Dress purchased from Republic. 

 In Kingston, there is a plethora of good shopping places. Just last week, I spent half the day in the Bentall Centre with some friends. I'm quite a fan of the fashion here. I especially love the collars on ladies dresses and tops, so I purchased a dress yesterday with an adorable collar on it. Other current fashions I have noticed are peplum tops, the color maroon, see-through tops, colored tights, and platformed shoes to name a few. Some new name brands I've come across are Super Dry and Jack Wills - quality clothing if you're shopping near London. If you're going to be spending some time in Kingston, I definitely recommend you try out some of the different fashions. I'm not really into fashion normally, but it's a great way to experience a new culture. The fashion choices are actually all very practical considering the amount of rain the people here deal with. 

At the Bentall Centre with my friends last week, we visited unique shops such as Republic, H&M (which is actually a large chain, but not located near my hometown), New Look, Gilly Hicks, Yumi, and Oliver Bonas. It was a great activity for a rainy day! There are even plenty of restaurants located inside the shoppings centre, so you really can spend an entire day there. 

After the Bentall Centre, my friends stopped into Primark to buy some Christmas sweaters. Primark is always a busy shop, but it is a great place to find the latest fashions at the cheapest prices. I especially love buying my sweaters (or jumpers) from here. 

At the end of our shopping, we went to Pizza Hut for a hot meal. I always have friendly service here and  we got free side salads with our meals. It was such a great day, and socializing over a meal is my favorite way to end a day with friends!

The first days in a new country

Flying to England was the first trip I've ever made overseas, and it is the first time I've ever flown on a plane. Needless to say, my nerves were a bit worked up. Once I got on the plane though, everything was great. 

Despite a fifty minute delay, the plane ride went very well. It was absolutely amazing at take-off to see the city of Chicago all lit up beneath me. I had a fantastic view, right on the edge of the plane's wing. I could see the city below and watched the tiny cars look like they were floating on golden rivers. 

Sleep was not easy on the flight, and sitting for eight hours in a cramped seat became a bit agonizing. None of that mattered though when I could see over the beautiful country of England just an hour before we landed. It was the most magnificent view, for just beneath a row of puffy clouds was the place I was going to be living in for the next three months. Excitement level: uncontainable.

After landing in Heathrow airport around 9:30am (UK time), and breezing through customs. I met the Kingston University Welcome staff and had a lovely greeting after my long flight. I had to wait just over an hour to get on the bus to Penrhyn Road (Kingston's main campus), and then I had to wait another six or so hours for enrolment and my taxi to take me to my home stay. I was exhausted.

My landlady has been very kind and lovely since my arrival. My bed was ready, I had a hot shower, and nice cooked meal. It was such a nice way to end a very long day. 

a view of Richmond Park

Today, Torie made me tea for breakfast, and I'm already obsessed with it. It is just so good! Then, we went for a walk in Richmond park with Torie's dog, Millie, and the view was magnificent.

Later in the evening I went shopping with some friends in the busy shopping center of Kingston. I finally got a useful phone which will be incredibly helpful when I try and navigate my way around a huge, new city. I actually almost boarded the wrong train today, but thankfully a very kind and helpful woman pointed me in the right direction. She missed two of her buses to help me find mine and she even waited for me to board it before returning to her bus stop. I have already met such nice people! 

just doing some shopping