London Photos

25/02/2012 EDIT: I combined the England photos into one album to make navigation on my end easier. Update your links :)

Photo Album

Mellow Sunday

It took some time to get motivated the next morning. I couldn’t tell you why, but I rolled out of bed at 10am. Luckily, it was a gorgeous day outside (It didn’t stay that way all afternoon, unfortunately). The only to do on my agenda for the day was to meet up with my cousin, Belinda. Even though the weather was awesome, I really struggled to fully wake up and remove myself from the comfort of Terry’s couch. I eventually was able to make my way to Belinda’s. It took me far longer to cross town due to construction delays on the tube and getting los… err, I mean exploring near Clapham Junction. I tried to stay as long as I could to have a quality chat for our first meeting. Belinda is a rockstar. Unfortunately, I made plans with Terry for dinner, so I couldn’t stay too long and really get to know one another. I can see why my brother speaks so highly of her though.

Jeremy and Terry

I arrived back at Terry’s flat and put together a stir fry for dinner. If I may, it was quite tasty. We enjoyed the meal and beers with some good conversation and Jeremy, Terry’s flatmate, was even around. Afterwards, the three of us headed out to have some beers and shoot some English billiards at The Blind Beggar (Look it up for historic value). Yea, don’t play Terry if you ever meet him, he’ll hustle you and you’ll somehow feel good about it. It was a great laidback final night in London. And oddly, the first time I tasted proper English ale, quite yummy! In the morning, I get to try my luck at hitching again. Only this time failure is not an option as I’m committing myself to thumbing my way all the way to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Thames Sunset to Whitechapel Sunrise

Sunset on the Thames 

The next day I spent the day walking from Southwest London near Clapham Common back to Terry’s in East London. It was an excellent afternoon of walking along the Thames and catching a spectacular sunset. It really was the highlight of the day, though that evening was a ton of fun too. I met up with Nick for a birthday dinner and night out for his friend Zubin (I met Zubin during the pub crawl in London my first week in England). It was great because now Zubin knows that when I said I’d hang out with him again and we’d go to a rave that I wasn’t making an empty promise… Better recognize! I was even able to hang out with Tom again (Also from the pub crawl). We didn’t breach global politics this time around but we did get into self-propelling yourself around the world. I also met several new faces at dinner. Most notably, Camilla, Nick’s sister. I mention this because he’s met my entire family, albeit through Skype, except my eldest sister. It’s enjoyable to continue meeting his as well. Oh yea, dinner was at a Persian-Afghanistan restaurant… yummy!

Camilla

Rave preparation... Glowshades, check!

After dinner, we headed to Village Underground for some much desired night life. Though I didn’t actually make it to sunrise, 4am is pretty close. I must say, my first rave was a pretty positive experience. It wasn’t as sweaty as I expected and the people were actually quite friendly. My ears were definitely requesting some relief very early on, but they survived unscathed. There was also some guy who kept asking me if I was eyeballing him. I thought it was really funny since he was about 5’9” and skinny as a pole. I just laughed and continued rocking my glow stick wristbands, courtesy of Nick and the 1 pound store, until we concluded the evening.

Me, Zubin, and Nick

I’ll finish by saying Happy Birthday, Zubin!

Teiges Banda

London… Oh, how you desire my presence. I’m back in London for the weekend because I felt like I missed seeing it the week before when I got sick. Boy, am I happy I returned for a few days. I’m CouchSurfing with Terry, a CS friend I was able to connect to through Nick (My first CS host). After spending the weekend with Terry, I wish I could have stayed longer to talk more about life. He’s still young, but he’s been backpacking all over the world and done so many tremendous things. Though I didn’t get to tap into it all that much, his music knowledge is vast and I hope to exploit it as I travel to occasionally freshen my iPod J

My first night in town he took me to a back alley club for a very unique live music venue with a couple of his friends. Apparently, the first band had some visa issues at customs and was unable to perform, so we shot over to a local pub. When I say local here, I mean an indigenous experience. The four of us walked in and every head turned to look at us. No worries, it wasn’t in a Manchester United v Liverpool I’m going to kill you way. But when we ordered, even Terry was asked where he was traveling from. Nonetheless, it was a cozy little pub that had so much character. After we downed a pint, we cruised back to the venue for some music.

View from the door

View from the inside

Amazing! There is no way in hell anyone would ever find this place unless you knew someone that had been there. We’re still trying to figure out what kind of music fusion Teiges Banda was, but so far we’re pretty set on eastern European (Possibly Polish) mixed with Hebrew chanting. All I can say is whenever the band went on (3 sets) I was sucked into an intense state of hypnotic focus and became utterly useless to any attempts at conversation. I’ll see if I can extract the audio clip I recorded on my camera and make an mp3 out of it for everyone to experience. Terry, top notch evening good sir!

Teiges Banda

Southampton, Round 2

Me and the swans

I am back in Southampton of all places. When I left, I had absolutely no real intention of ever returning. A while ago, I mentioned a random meeting with someone that I ultimately couldn't resist seeking out. You probably don’t want to hear all about it, but, more importantly, I don’t plan on telling you, so here is what you get…

Touch rugby... What the hell, Southampton?

Pinky and the Brain... hilarious!

Time Out London (2)

Okay, now that I’ve settled down and found a Laundromat, I have some time to burn. Dodgy business, one doing laundry in England. Apparently, there are old men that get upset when travelers take off the shirt they are wearing to launder it. I wonder if a chick performed this if they would have the same reaction. For the record, I asked not only the worker, but also the clientele if they would be bothered by this before just assuming… I wouldn’t want to be someone else’s story about dumb tourists :)

Now where was I…? Ah, yes, London. With what I saw around the city, I was excited to continue exploring the city on Thursday and Friday.

So, Thursday was a bit of amazing and I went to…. MOAN!!

AND on Friday, let me tell you how much fun I had…. GROAN!!

I was able to rouse enough energy to go out Friday night for a hearty meal at a Thai restaurant near Leicester Square with Leif followed up by meeting Steve at the Zoo Bar. Definitely reminds me a bit of home, only dirty. It’s a massive club with several bar/floors and lots of drunken people. I had a few drinks, but kept it mellow so I wouldn’t be mistakenly observed as drinking too much if my stomach couldn’t keep it down (I’m smart like that). The evening was probably the coldest it has been since I arrived, yet, all the women continue to wear fewer clothes. I’m beginning to think that the number of articles that can be worn is a bell curve of sex appeal. I don’t have Lenny’s mad MS Paint skills to provide a visual representation of this, so you’ll have to use your imagination. No worries, I laughed too when I thought about what it would look like if he drew one up. I’ve also come to realize that I do not want to be the type of guy I see in London clubs. They pick up… rather, they try to pick up chicks using a method I’ve dubbed a Blocadance. This is the act of creating a blockade amongst one’s friends in the form of an unwelcomed dance party with the girl(s) that is passing. I’m sure you’re wondering what alternative method I would be using. After spending some time with Leif and his coworker, Steve, I went to mingle, so let’s find out.

Basically, I looked for the least scantily dressed girls in the place and walked up to their table to send America’s best possible greeting, “Hey, how are ya?” What can say, I stick with the classics. Shiva, Tasha, Vicky, and Vicky were very cool indeed and possibly the only 4 women in the bar that could have a conversation. They were just out for a drink after attending the Usher concert. They gave me plenty of ideas on where to go in London. My next visit will definitely include Brick Lane. Shiva and Tasha are both from Ireland and suggested several places to avoid. Once closing time was near, we said our goodbyes and I went to find Leif and Steve. They were rocking out with a few Columbians that were trying to persuade Tequila shot rounds. Good times all around! The walk home was cold and a bit wet from drizzle, buurrrr!

Sunday was here and that meant it was time to say goodbye to my brother, good riddance! Finally, I can get back to having some fun… :( It sucked to see him go, but he gets to go home to his wife and kids, a good day indeed. I checked into my hostel and then headed out for some city life. I started by heading to Kensington Gardens. I don’t know how the world works and I may never understand it, but I am glad for the existence of people that aren’t living life with blinders. Granted, Bill was a bit off at the beginning of our conversation, but I let it continue to see what would happen.  A couple hours later, we stood up from the park bench and said goodbye. You’re probably asking yourself, “What on earth did you talk about for that long?” That’s the beauty and power of a conversation. We started with where we were from and how we got to where we are. Along the way, we somehow managed to discuss music, people, wildlife, hobbies, and all kinds of other stuff. Then we just got up and parted ways. People ask me why I desire to travel and it’s these moments that make the world a better place. I love seeing a monumental landscape or a beautiful sunrise from 14,000’ (4250m), but connecting with someone you’ve never met in the blink of an eye brightens an otherwise cloudy and rainy day. You can’t take a picture of it and I’ll likely never bump into him again, but connecting the world without the use of Facebook is a testimony to the power of authentic human interaction.

Time Out London (1)

Though I have enjoyed what I’ve done in London, the week has been a bit rough and I wish I was able to get out there and do more. I arrived on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon to meet my brother, Leif, for the week. He was here on business for a medical conference, which afforded me the opportunity to stay at the Hilton on a backpacker’s budget! J A blessing since I woke up Thursday morning unbelievably sick. It would have been an interesting experience if I was at a hostel, let alone CouchSurfing… I was confined to the bed and the bathroom for 2 days, and then left with a very uneasy stomach for the remainder of the weekend. It’s now Monday and it’s the first day I feel 100%.

Yes, we are brothers... No, we aren't twins... Come on people!!

Before I was incapacitated by the whirlwind of illness I’ve dubbed the 24-Hour Liquefier, I was able to see a few things. Tuesday, before I met up with my brother, I took a stroll through Hyde Park. The weather was shit, a big surprise, but it was enjoyable to walk about and see the grounds. Considering the temperature and lack of sunshine, the park was quite busy. I can only imagine how festive it would be in the summer months when it warms up. Even though my trip wasn’t even two weeks in, it was really great to see a familiar face. Leaving all my family and friends back home wasn’t easy, but I know they all understand. Unless someone wants to surprise me and come visit (hint… hint…), the next friend I’ll see is 3 months from now. For dinner, Leif and I went to J Sheekey, a seafood restaurant in Soho (a really nice one!). The meal was incredible, but being able to hang out with my brother in London was a new experience that highlighted the night. After an extensive meal of enticing flavors and an exceptionally delectable bottle of French wine, we headed back to the hotel on foot allowing us to enjoy the nightlife of Soho’s finest patrons. At the first stop, the bouncer straight up asked if we knew it was a gay bar. Not knowing whether to laugh at two guys unable to walk into a gay bar unobstructed or the fact that as two guys we clearly did not give off the impression of being gay, I decided to merely say, “Yea, that’s probably not going to work for me. Thanks though and have a good evening.” What would have been a great story is the guy knowingly letting us walk in and figure it out for ourselves. That would have been something to write about! We ended up sliding into a small pub around the corner for a lager before making the 45 minute trek back to the hotel.

Nearly perfect... :(

Wednesday involved walking around Westminster, Soho, and Marylebone to take in sites, such as Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, St. James Park, Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. I appreciate the historical and cultural significance of all these places, but I really feel out of place when it comes to tourist sites. Here’s why:

You hear the horror stories of tourists visiting other countries and being obnoxious, but they are always hearsay. Well, last night (Sunday) I experienced my first eyewitness account of such an event. I stopped at a Thai place for dinner and I walked in behind this guy who asked the hostess how late the place was open until. Harmless, right? Oh, well, let me go on! In her clear, though broken, English she asked him how many for dinner. He immediately leaned in with his shoulders rolled a bit, raised his hands for visual indicators (I have no idea why… Maybe he thought he could mimic the arms of a god damn clock…), and repeated a little bit more forcefully exactly what he had said the first time. We’ll give the guy the benefit of the doubt, because perhaps she didn’t hear him the first time. She looked at him quizzically. He then cocked his head a bit and realized that, JUST MAYBE, there was a communication glitch somewhere between the two of them. However, he really didn’t make the situation any easier when, for the third time, asked the EXACT same question. To his credit, he added a single word… with emphasis… C-L-O-S-E. I can only attribute the Thai hospitality to this guy not having a broken nose. Hell, I wanted to punch him in the face! She politely said 11:30 and the guy abruptly turned around and walked out without saying another word. She looked at me and asked how many. I held up a single finger and said, “Uno, por favor.” Yes, that guy was American.

Gah… Now I’m upset! I’m going to take a break and come back later to write.

Bristol Photos

25/02/2012 EDIT: I've combined the photos for England into one album to make navigation easier on my end. Update your links :)

Photo Album

Happy Valentine's Bristol (2)

Tribute to my dad

Sunday was just a miserable afternoon of rain. I didn’t want to be a couch potato while I’m backpacking Europe, so I charged out with the idea of going to the Brighton Museum. After what seemed like wading through a pool for an hour, I hoofed it back to the hostel for what ended up being a movie marathon afternoon with Mark in the warm, and more importantly dry, confines of the hostel. I couldn’t even tell you what movies we ended up watching. I think that’s how bad I wanted to be outside but didn’t want to be wet and cold. I used the time to write some emails and journal.

Harbourside

On Monday, I checked out the Create Centre, the SS Great Britain, and a bit more of the harbor. The Create Centre is a small eco-museum that used to be an industrial building. The exhibit they had going was on sustainable fashion. It was really interesting to see how designers are really going out of their way to lessen the impact on the environment of clothing: everything from the sourcing all the way to the laundering by the consumer, which actually turns out to be the most harmful. They also have an eco-home that isn’t fully self-sufficient, but considering it was built like 10 or 20 years ago is pretty impressive in reducing its footprint. The day was a bit like Saturday, the major difference happened to be that it was Valentine’s Day. It’s one of those holidays when you are alone that really makes itself obvious. I solved the problem by bringing back a couple bottles of wine when I headed back to the hostel. And yes, I drank them myself! Don’t judge me…  Since I’m being so forthcoming, I knew exactly with whom I wanted to spend my evening; it’s difficult when you’re miles apart though. That’s all you get. I’m still working on the open communication.

Could someone point me in the directio of home!

Happy Valentine's Bristol (1)

It is another dreary day in England. I’m heading back to London now to meet up with my brother, Leif, after spending the long weekend in Bristol. Because it was last minute and I didn’t really have time to set up a couch, I stayed at the 007 Traveller’s Hostel in Bedminster, about a 15 minute walk from City Centre. I also figured the hostel would be a good way to meet some fellow travelers with whom to explore the city. It was also my very first hostel experience. It really reinforced why I try to tear down any expectations out of life. Though I met some cool people, all of them seemed to be on an extended stay living in the hostel and not travelers. I do have plenty of ideas for Scotland now!

Bristol Cathedral

I was told to visit Bristol for its nightlife, but I really didn’t have any interest to go out clubbing. I spent most of my time walking around the city trying to get an idea of what daily life was about. Saturday ended up being quite a tranquil day. I walked out of the hostel and headed toward the city. I really had no idea where I was going or what I wanted to see. With a quick look to the skyline as I crossed the river, I noticed a few iconic towers. I plotted a course for the nearest one and ended up landing myself in the Bristol Cathedral. While there, I was able to sit and listen to the choir practice for a bit, utterly mind-blowing. I exited and somehow made my way down to the harbor for a stroll along the water.

Day

Last year, Bristol celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the completion of a floating harbor. With all kinds of vessels, old and new, it makes for a splendid afternoon walk. There is an outdoor amphitheater at the heart of the harbor that skaters turn into their own little skate park. I decided to stop for a breather and watch the tricksters collide and tumble all over the place. A few laughs later, I walked back through the City Centre and came upon Castle Park, where I decided to stop for a late lunch. I’ve noticed that when the sun comes out in England, the locals really capitalize on getting outside: picnics in the park, dog walks, bike rides, hanging out with friends, etc. And even though it’s still rather chilly, they find a way to wear shorts and t-shirts. I parked myself on a ledge looking down at the park, the river, and a bit of the city. It was here that I met Kat. She had the same idea of enjoying a meal overlooking the park. I ended up sitting here for about 2 hours enjoying the cheerful aura and the sun drop behind the clouds while we talked. As I started to get a bit cold, I decided it was time to head back to the hostel for the night and have a cup of tea to warm up. I planned going out later because I was told it’s absolutely ridiculous to see how crazy people are in Bristol. However, I ended up starting a conversation at the hostel with Mark (English), Mary (Scottish), and Lauren (Aussie); the next thing I knew it was 1am!



And night...



Epic Fail

A new day and I’ve managed to find more time to write about my journey. My brief stay in Southampton was, in a word, interesting. After departing the train last night, I wandered aimlessly looking for a place to stay on the cheap. With nothing in sight, I stopped at a festive pub. The Ballroom Society at the local university was having an 80’s night on the town. I struck up a conversation with Hayley, a French woman from Nantes, but I don’t think a friend of hers was very happy about that. Though a nice guy, Chris, an Irish Englishmen with a very outspoken worldview, quickly intervened and prevented both Hayley and me from getting too involved in the conversation. My first thought was that I happened to chat up this guy’s girlfriend and he wasn’t too pleased about that. I rather regret not being able to spot the lack of a relationship sooner. I can’t put my finger on it, but I just have this feeling that I was meant to have a longer conversation with her. Maybe someday my journey will cross her path again. They soon moved on to a nightclub and I tried to find a local hostel for a bed. Unfortunately, Southampton has absolutely none of them. I think I may be going into business soon! The least expensive guest house was 35 pounds a night… yeah right! By now it was about 10pm and time was running out. The pub was fizzling out so I decided to move on and check another where I met Anna and Sam.

Though I’ll never see them again, I am glad to have met Anna and Sam. I’m not sure why they are living in Southampton as they are part of the minority of people in the city worth knowing. They were sympathetic to my situation and even tried to go out of their way to assist. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in my favor. As consolation, Sam bought me a pint before the bar closed. He even let me try his mobile to ring a stagecoach inn to haggle a late night rate; no one was answering. We said our goodbyes and I reinforced that they need not worry about my situation because it’ll work itself out.

About .25 miles down the road, I thought things were coming together. I ran across a bloke smoking a cigarette outside a lounge and we got to talking. A fellow traveler who had visited the LA area, he was empathetic to my dilemma. Turns out, a friend of his operates a guest house and he was going to try and get me a room for 15 or 20 pounds. I really believed the plan was all coming together for me. I think that was my folly… Rather than accepting that things would work out, I moved ahead of myself. Backfire! The guest house was booked solid and there were no rooms available. While waiting, I had been talking to a Portuguese woman called ‘Layla.’ I came to realize I had walked into a lap dance lounge. For the first time, I felt a bit unsafe on my trip. I wouldn’t say threatened, but the thought occurred to me that the bloke could be setting me up for a kidney transplant! When I found out the room was unavailable I extricated myself from the situation. ‘Layla’ seemed nice enough, so I asked if she wanted to go for a drink elsewhere. After leaving, ‘Layla’ became Natasha and we wandered around the city.

All the clubs and pubs had closed by now; everything except a small Indian restaurant. My strategy had shifted to finding places that were open late so I could sit in warm rooms instead of sleep on cold concrete. Natasha is a bit of a lost soul. She is trying to figure life out, and she will someday, but right now she is going through a period of trials. Like Sam and Anna, she was sympathetic to my situation but unable to offer sleeping quarters, so she bought me a pint of beer as a parting gift. Around 4am, I stumbled into a loading dock area and fell asleep against my pack. Though not a bad night of sleep, it would have been so much better with my sleeping pad to cushion the concrete. I think by now, everyone can agree Southampton is a place to go with a plan! The following morning I checked the local transportation board to find out how the hell I was going to get to Cornwall. With only two cost effective options, I decided to purchase a coach ticket over trusting the English to pick up an American hitcher. However, I went on the cheap and decided to jump up to Bristol instead and save 10 pounds.

Brighton Photos

25/02/2012 EDIT: I've combined the England photos into one album for easier navigation on my end. Update your links :)

Photo Album

CouchSurfing Game Night

The CS meet and greet was a relaxing night of board games and beer (Big surprise!) at a pub in Hove, actually. I met many wonderful people, but didn’t really sink into the conversation of the evening until I sat down with Michael and Lamia to talk. Michael is from Düsseldorf, Germany but moved to Brighton because he loves speaking English and wants to live in a beach community. Lamia relocated from Casablanca, Morocco and is pursuing an artistic lifestyle, very fitting in Brighton. Afterward, Alex and I met an anthropology student from Toulouse, France, Laure, who was looking for interviewees for an upcoming research project on ethno-graphics related to CouchSurfing. She is now my inspiration for hitch-hiking in difficult situations and dealing (You don’t want to know…). The last person I met was Chloe; only the second Brightonian I had met during my stay. She is very outgoing and extremely excited to travel but will need to overcome some of her anxieties about language barriers. Like I did, she is having difficulty deciding where to go first.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to stay in touch with all of them, but after only one evening of conversation, who knows what will happen.

After a wonderful pancake breakfast from Alex, it was time for me to gather my things and head west to Cornwall. I am now sitting on a train heading to Southampton and I definitely will not be making it to Cornwall this evening. I walked for about 4 hours today trying to hitch a ride in considerably wet conditions. Of all the days I have been in England, I picked this one, the wettest, to try and hitch my way across the country. I think the English find the idea of hitching to be humorous. No one seemed to have the generosity to stop and pick me up; yet, many had the audacity to wave and honk as they zoomed by smiling. No worries though! I’m not going to let bad weather, and the lack of a ride, stop my good spirit. As I was walking, I came upon a forced exit for pedestrians. Since I was no longer allowed to hike the main highway, I followed it and found a market to stop for a bite to fuel my journey. After I dried off and warmed up a bit, I continued on my way and almost immediately walked up to a sign that said, “Portslade Station.” I’d like to think that I go with the flow when it comes to traveling and realize when things are going in a direction I should follow. With my shoes soaking wet and my hands numbing again, I booked a single to Southampton. Though this is only half-way to my destination, it should provide me with the means to find a warm place to sleep. At the very least, a proper station to sleep overnight inside and stay dry.

The Downs

Alex and I went on an amazing bike ride yesterday up to Devil’s Dyke. It’s up in the rolling grassland just outside of Brighton, aptly called The Downs. I slept well last night and woke up a bit soar from the uphill riding, but it was totally worth it. England is much greener than I expected and it was the perfect day. Since I arrived, the weather has been cloudy and wet; yesterday, the sun was shining all day long and made for a splendid ride. At Devil’s Dyke, we stopped for a pint to soak in the views from the patio. Alex told me that when it snows in the winter you can snowboard down the valley, if you know someone with land. We didn’t stay long because the wind was blowing fairly strong making it considerably colder than it should have been. I snapped a few pictures and then we hopped back on our bikes to head back into Brighton.

We made a stop at the Booth Museum on our way back, a taxidermy museum showing off many specimens of natural history from across the globe. There was even one from a film you may have heard of, the badger in The Chronicles of Narnia. Some old lady totally kicked us out of a section where they were having a teaching with kids. Of course, it was after we already walked through ¾ of the exhibit, go figure! Nonetheless, a good example of the cultural scene Brighton has to offer. The rest of the evening was spent getting to know Alex and his girlfriend, Natalie. They are a dynamic couple that has a great rapport with each other. My plan was to head to Cornwall the following morning but Natalie kindly offered me to stay an extra night. After Natalie went to work, Alex followed through on a challenge to try some blazing hot Indian food around the corner. I was utterly defeated. It was delicious but I barely finished the two peppers Chicken Vindaloo. I was supposed to go three peppers, but after talking with the owner, I didn’t have the stones to go for it. I may have been hospitalized… Even though he was right, I was still rewarded. Alex introduced me to scotch. I think I need a few years before I dive into that nightcap. It definitely helped me relax for the evening though.

Wednesday was low-key and calm. I took a leisure bike ride through Brighton to make a quick stop at Nick’s. While there, I met his mom who is a pleasant woman. She is a freelance photographer with a very outgoing personality and is also well-traveled. She was telling me about where to go in the US to have some fun (Sand dune surfing anyone?)! After saying goodbye, I cycled back to Alex and Natalie’s where we cooked up some homemade pizza creations. All of them turned out amazing but the sauce and dough Alex made was utterly fantastic! When I email him asking for the recipe I better get some details. After letting our flavorgasms digest, Alex and I will attend a CouchSurfing meet and greet.

Photo Album

English Culture, Brighton Style

Sunday was a bit more relaxing and it was nice to catch my breath a bit. Nick needed some time to take care of a few chores and errands so I went off on my own for the afternoon. I decided to walk to the Brighton Museum and see what the history of the town was all about. Though not a very large museum, there is a vast history to Brighton. The information on various industries that have thrived here, the philanthropy of its wealthier residents, the economic hardships the community has experienced, and the cultural happenings are all documented quite well. Learning about the history of Brighton was fascinating, but I’ve learned far more about what Brighton is now through the people I’ve met. After finishing, I met up with Nick and his friend, Rosa, for a Sunday Roast at Earth and Stars. Yummy… The roast is a traditional Sunday meal consisting of meat (they do have a vegetarian option), potatoes, vegetables, gravy, and, of course, a pint. The conversation for the night was awesome, but it was really overshadowed by the meal. Afterwards, we met up with Alex to catch the end of the Liverpool v Chelsea football match. For those soccer fans out there, Liverpool won 1 to nil. Compared to the weekend, it was a relaxing night out with good conversation to get to know my new friends even better.

The next day, I was able to visit another historic landmark, The Royal Pavilion. This is a former royal residence that has an extensive chinoiserie interior design. It was most widely used by King George IV for vast entertaining. The level of detail in its construction is insane. My favorite room was the Music Room. There is a semi-hidden organ in the north wall, large windows looking to the east, and a fireplace on the west wall. The ceiling design is meant to imitate dragon scales and each chandelier (7 I think) has a unique artistic design. I have never seen anything like it. The most impressive aspect of the residence was the Banquet Room chandelier. Weighing 2,000 pounds and hanging over 30 feet, it is quite a site. The chandelier is actually held by a large dragon and there are 5 smaller dragons below made to look as though they are breathing fire when it is lit. All of it was amazing! Just when you thought the day couldn’t get any more English, I met up with Nick and Alex for a football match with their friends. Being the American and really never having played soccer, I was sure this experience was going to be a riotous laugh. Though it was, I think I performed rather well with my 2 assists and when I moved to the keeper position I shut the other team down with my 4 blocked shots. My side did end up losing 7-4 though. After a round at the clubhouse, a few of us went for England’s finest fish ‘n’ chips in Lewes. Let me tell you, when they give you an entire filet of Cod, you’ll know you’ve been properly served fish ‘n’ chips. Apparently, you can even go bigger with the Haddock… Ridiculous! You would think the night was over by now, but we decided to head straight to The Florist (a pub) for some more beers (and shots this time) and some live music. Between bands, we were able to enjoy the company of many other locals. I even met a Brighton local that has been to Newport Beach! The music was lovely and I wish I had more time to explore some of the local musicians. The night came to a close and the lights went out. Good times!! And I seriously need to start taking more pictures, where the hell was my camera during all of this!
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CouchSurfing Brighton, England

48 hours in England and I have met so many generous and wonderful people. After landing, I headed down to Brighton to explore the area a bit before meeting up with my host, Nick. It’s a beautiful community with so much culture and energy. My first stop upon arriving was at Belcher’s Café, a small and very local breakfast stop. It reminded me of the kind of place construction workers would go to for breakfast in the mornings before work. Anyway, a quick order of a typical English breakfast (beans, toast, tomato, bacon, and an egg… very hearty) and I was satisfied and ready to go on to meet Nick. Around mid-day, I knocked on Nick’s door and out walks an Englishman in his robe. I immediately knew we were going to hit it off. In the short amount of time I’ve been here, Nick has shown me such hospitality, generosity, and friendship that I never expected. We spent the early afternoon chatting and getting to know each other. Within the hour, we had made plans to have dinner together and a night out at the pubs with another friend, Alex. While Nick had an errand to run, I headed back out into Brighton for a walk about town. For the next three hours I walked through The Lanes, down to the water and along Brighton Pier, then up through the Brighton center. It has given me a number of ideas of things I would like to see. The Royal Pavilion will be a visit on Monday that I am looking forward to seeing.

I made it back to Nick’s around 6:00 and we started our evening with a beer. Alex arrived shortly after and it was like I had known both Alex and Nick for a long time. We shared experiences about our travels and our lives over dinner and through the entire evening. The two took me out and showed me a great time with drinks at a couple pubs followed by some really awesome live music at a jazz club. By the end of the night, Alex was lost (and found, but then lost again) and Nick and I wandered back to the flat at 4am.

Saturday turned out to be a long day but every moment was amazing and enjoyable. Nick’s good friend was having a typical English pub crawl for his birthday. We started in Clapham Common and took the tube north to Angel stopping at each stop along the way for a drink and to pick up a couple more additions to the crowd. By the end of the night, there were about 30 of us walking around. Everyone was just as friendly and inviting as Nick himself with lovely and interesting stories about where they’ve been and who they are. For the next 12 hours, there was never a time in which I felt uncomfortable or out of place. I always had a conversation going and it really felt like I was a longtime friend with everyone. Some talks as simple as the weather in the UK and Southern California to those as sophisticated as global politics surrounding nuclear disarmament and interventionism (Tom and James are brilliant!). I know my trip is only going to get better, but I really don’t know how…

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Hasta Luego America...

A wonderful farewell dinner with my sister, her boyfriend, Manuel, and my mom filled my belly with the same excitement I had been feeling all week. It was a tough goodbye and I already miss them, but I know where I’m supposed to be going right now in my life. The anticipation kept me awake and prevented me from sleeping that night. Once I boarded the plane to Charlotte, I knew I had started my journey and easily slipped into a deep sleep knowing the next 20 hours would be spent in the air and inside airports. After landing in Charlotte, I had 6 hours to contemplate leaving family and friends behind to fulfill my dream of backpacking Europe. I did not enjoy sitting alone in the airport with this on my mind. There was a sliver of happiness though. Being one of the reasons I left college to begin with, I smile at the irony of it being the last thing I do before going back this fall. The flight to London was quick and painless with the 140mph tailwind pushing us along and an empty cabin for my 6’4” frame to stretch out and get some shut eye. So far, no jetlag!! Landing at 7am makes it easy to start your day fresh.