It's been a while since I updated, so I figured I should post a new one!
Life has been good since I got back from Italia. I got to spend New Year's Eve watching the fireworks by Big Ben and the London Eye.
It was really one of those awe-inspiring moments. One of those times when you really have to pause and think "Holy crap, I really AM in London...."
There were so many people there too, it was insane. I heard some people saying that about 1.5 million people came to London just for New Year's. I easily saw over 1000 of them. It was such a zoo. Fun, but a zoo.

My classes are going well. I'm only in three: Naturalism, Performance Composition (which is 8 hours long and the reason I'm only in 3 classes), and Interventions.
So far I'm enjoying them.
My Performance Composition class already feels like a big family, and we've only had three meetings. That impressive.
We meet every Tuesday from 2-9pm. Last Tuesday was the inauguration (duh) and it was on at 4pm here.
Since it's a HUGE deal here (almost bigger than it is at home) and our teacher is an American, she stopped class and let us all watch it. So that was really cool--I got to see my first presidential inauguration, and it was for the first guy I ever voted for!

Also, I have a week off in February. It's my Reading Week so I'm supposed to stay on campus and study, but most students don't stay and I don't want to be in the minority when I could just as easily wander around Europe for a week.
So I found a really cheap flight and decided that I'll be going to Malta for a week!
Malta is a REALLY tiny series of islands in the Meditteranean just south of Italy, if you didn't know.
I'm going to be all alone and since it's an off season, I've been able to find some really cheap resorts to stay at (like 20 Euro a night cheap....that's GOOD.) I'm really looking forward to this. It's not going to be too warm, but the water is apparently warm enough year round to swim in, and I'd like to learn how to scuba dive. Plus, it will be sunnier and warmer than here, which is such a nice thought.

Most importantly, my mom and grandma came to visit me last week (and part of this week)!
It was so incredibly wonderfully nice to see them, even if they did think it was a good time to get the flu! I'm not sure how I dodged that one, but I did and boy was I lucky--it didn't seem too pleasant.
It definitely helped cure my homesickness a little bit. Not entirely, but it did help.
We saw Buckingham Palace, which is nowhere near as impressive as it should be. I also took them up to Camden for the Sunday market. It was a good time, but quite mad. However, the food was good and there were lots of cool places to shop--I got a purse that's shaped like a VW bus! mom and grandma both have pictures--ask them if you'd like to see it.
I think I'd like to go back there alone and just mosey around.
We also went to see a few West End shows. All three of us went to see Jersey Boys, which was so much fun. I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy it since it's about Frankie Valli/The Four Seasons and I haven't heard much of their music in my life, but I had such a good time.
It was definitely a good choice for my first West End show. I loved it.
Next, Grandma went to see Oliver! and I went to see The Lion King. My mom was suppose to join me, but she decided to be all sick and whatnot. I really enjoyed the Lion King. I was really close so I could see everything and oh my gosh, the COSTUMES.
Some of them I had seen pictures of before and so I wasn't surprised, but that elephant costume? WOW.
Just WOW.
And the cheetah costume was just incredible. I wanted to try it on and walk around with a cheetah hanging from my head.
The little boy playing Simba hadn't really been vocally coached so while everyone else had South African accents he kept busting out a really thick east London accent. It made me laugh. I'm sure that people who don't live in the UK or South Africa or whatever wouldn't really notice, but it was so obvious to me and it was just absurd. Endearing, but absurd. The Little girl playing Nala was kind of in the same boat, but her accent wasn't as strong...plus, she has fewer lines, so it was just a lot less noticeable.
I really enjoyed it though. Having waited almost 10 years to see the stage version of it (since the movie is my very favourite Disney film) I was not disappointed.

Tonight, I am going to see Phantom of the Opera. I'm so ridiculously excited about this.
I haven't seen it since 7th grade, and being that it's one of my favourite musicals, waiting 8 years between showings is just not acceptable!
I really can't wait for tonight. I bought my ticket on a whim like two days ago and I'm front row of one of the balconies, and I'm on an aisle, so it's further away than I was the first time I saw it (I was in NYC and I was like 10 rows back--SUCH a great experience!) but it's still a really good seat!

Also, Molly has bought her ticket to come visit me! I can't wait to see her. I haven't seen her since June and I miss her like crazy.
AND Caleb, Emma, and Angela are going to come visit me too! Not at the same time, but they'll all be coming here! Jane and Amanda might be coming too!
I love seeing all of these people, it makes me really happy.
:)