Moment of silence for my favorite purse that broke the day before we came back to America. *tear* I got it in Italy when visiting my sister a few years back. She did study abroad there in Rome.
So we get to Geneva, Switzerland for our final day, and of course it's raining. It like never rains, but go figure. We took a boat cruise around Lake Geneva, which was serene. A wittle cold. Then we went back to our hostel. Guess what? Wifi was only available in the lobby, but our room was right above it. The party room was ours. People used us for our wifi. Not ashamed. Come one come all.
Then we were off the next morning to the Swiss airport, which, again is actually in France. Shhh don't tell. But my backpack was taken at security, and it made my life because as the guy was searching through it, he stumbled upon a minion from a Happy Meal. (My friend Ale gave it to me) Then he goes in the cutest French accent, "Oh, a minion." But he pronounced it min-ee-yon. I died.
OH MY GOSH. We had been playing soccer and volleyball with a little ball that had Olaf on it from Frozen. And for some reason my friend Jake wanted it to come back to America, so we could have it in the Chemistry building. So it got through security...but the flight attendant wasn't pleased.
Anyway, all I have wanted in Europe was cheez-its. But instead I adopted pringles as my staple and ate some carrot cake at the airport. It even made it through customs. HEHE. That and I got a burger king crown to wear for our waiting time in the airport. Little kids were jealous.
On the plane, the head of the chemistry department sat behind me, so I had to be on good behavior...
What's funny is that all of my friends and I played an interactive trivia game on our TV screens. You could play with whoever logged on, but of course it was only us. Then my screen kept acting up, and I couldn't even play sudoku. I cried.
At one point as we were in the line of planes waiting to depart, I saw a plane that said SAS on the tail. I need that plane for me. Sassmaster Amy.
Wait, also this guy near me had my favorite candy I got when I had visited Israel in December. It's called Marzipan and tastes like almonds. Yummo. Really stop reading this and go buy it. I wanted it.
Quick note to everyone that leans back on plane seats. NO ONE LIKES YOU. You cause discomfort and hostility. That is all.
As we descended into Boston, Home by Philip Phillips played. Very nice, itunes. At the airport this little girl thought I was her mom and handed me her gum. No little girl, I have a flight to catch. BYE.
Sitting in the airport for my 3 hour layover to Chicago (kill meh) I reminisced on the last five weeks. Then I got into thinking about how there were barely trashcans in Europe. That was an inconvenience. And don't get me started on how there was like one recycling bin in the whole continent. Hmph.
But hey, now I'm home, I weighed myself, so I could laugh. And I ended up crying because I lost ten pounds. Like what even. Thanks nonstop food and beer. I don't get it..
Not complaining!
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
A stubborn suburban princess forced to grow up as she takes on the city of Boston and all its wonder. Read what's on her mind.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Alp, I need somebody
"There's a fly in your turtenwurst" - quote of the century.
First of all, I just looked up turtenwurst on google and nothing pops up, so that's unsettling. But why is it unsettling you ask? That is what we thought was turkey in the dining hall, and many people used it to make sandwiches. Eep. The flies were also all over our food.
One of the interesting parts of our stay in Fiesch was the lack of wifi. There was wifi down at the reception area and where we ate, but no wifi in our rooms. Womp. We did find a bench that could pick up single, however, and we deemed it the wifi bench. So original. Many weird things happened at the wifi bench that I will never feel the need to discuss.
Anywho, I climbed an alp! Well, sort of. We took two cable cars up, and then we climbed to the peak. It was the scariest thing ever. Talk about being afraid of heights. I played some Andy Grammer while we hiked for pump up. It made me move faster! Go Andy.
My friend Scott had 3 bars on his phone when we got up there. I was shocked. Then he said not to worry, that he'd be able to tell someone if I fell. Thanks Scott. You really made me less nervous...
Then, on the way down, my friends asked me to play more music because they liked hiking to music as well. And some lady had the audacity to scream at me. She barely spoke English, but she could muster out a "shut up". Okay lady. I'll turn my music off, but you need to get your hiking stick out of your ass. Then she ran off. Bye Felicia! Best part of that was a little while later a kid passes us with a shirt that says "Let music be the answer". I wish I could show that lady.
Then we had some lunch and found out our friend Mao got lost after she had left the mountain early to go back to the resort. But no worries, she flagged a van down, and they took her back. Such a Mao move. I'm glad she was safe. Switzerland probably has less creeps than America at least.
Interesting things to note: A random church bell decided to ring at 8:48 AM for like 10 minutes. I do not understand one bit. And #yourewelcome to my friends for holding their phones in my purse while we went swimming at the resort. On the way there I got them some mad steps on their pedometers.
Once again we played soccer and volleyball at nighttime. I played soccer as my girlfriends watched from the sidelines and cheered for me. They are so good to me.
Oh and we did superlatives. I got best puns. Not upset about that :)
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
4 Trains and some Mad Chemists
This post will start angry and end happy, so bear with me.
Oh my effing lord. This was probably the most stressful travel day of my life. First, we get onto our first train leaving Basel, Switzerland. The trains here do not wait for anyone, even if you're standing out by the door. So we got onto the wrong car in order to just make the train. We were able to switch cars when inside. However, that did not happen. There were 1903094093094 rude people who would not even let us through or who stared as if we were terrible people.
I ended up standing with my luggage for the hour ride in the area by the doors. It wasn't worth it to me to take my luggage up stairs and down aisles to find my seat. We finally get off, and we hear my friends (who had tried to find their seats in the chaos) rant about how awful the ride was. They literally sat for about five minutes after struggling to get through the massive amount of stagnant passengers. This ride was both a trust exercise (because some people left their stuff with me and a few others at the door and hoped we would take it when we got off) and it was a team-building task. We all had to make sure everyone got off during the short interval where the train stops and that no bag was left behind. STRESSSSSFULLLL.
After that we got on another one hour train, which was less stressful but still bad. We arrived at a place called Visp. There we went on a tour of a company called Lonza. In the powerpoint presentation they gave, they referred to us as Boston University. From there on out no one paid attention. Plus they made us go up 70 thousand flights of stairs, and we were already so tired from the train fiascos. Ugh. And to put a cherry on top, one of the guys asks if anyone is afraid of heights, so I raised my hand. It ended up being nothing, but right before we went out on the balcony, my friend Melanie goes, "Who's got Amy?!" So loved.
After that we took yet ANOTHER train, but guess what? It was broken, so we got off and transferred to our fourth and final train of the day. I literally could not even. And on each of these we had to carry our luggage. Remember that time I didn't pack light?
Just going to take this moment to thank all the boys who helped me with my bags. You are the real MVPs.
Pictured: one of my teachers and one of my TAs carrying my Vera Bradley duffle. Looks good on them hehehe.
Between the third and fourth train we actually had time for a quick lunch. I got ice cream and others got beer at the grocery store called coop. We call it co-op because Northeastern is known for our co-op program, but it was pronounced like a chicken coop. Bawk.
On the last train Mel and I pretended we were asleep, so we could have two seats each. Not sorry about it; 'twas a long day.
Our destination was Fiesch. I liked to pronounce it fish but it was fee-sh. It sort of reminds me of my hometown Kildeer. It's in the middle of nowhere, and no one knows of it.

Our resort was like a summer camp. Legit looked like it. There were rope courses, a zip line, pools, and other sport courts. We played volleyball and soccer next to the mountain after dinner. It was so picturesque.
I think I'm falling in love with Switzerland. Don't tell the others.
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
Oh my effing lord. This was probably the most stressful travel day of my life. First, we get onto our first train leaving Basel, Switzerland. The trains here do not wait for anyone, even if you're standing out by the door. So we got onto the wrong car in order to just make the train. We were able to switch cars when inside. However, that did not happen. There were 1903094093094 rude people who would not even let us through or who stared as if we were terrible people.
I ended up standing with my luggage for the hour ride in the area by the doors. It wasn't worth it to me to take my luggage up stairs and down aisles to find my seat. We finally get off, and we hear my friends (who had tried to find their seats in the chaos) rant about how awful the ride was. They literally sat for about five minutes after struggling to get through the massive amount of stagnant passengers. This ride was both a trust exercise (because some people left their stuff with me and a few others at the door and hoped we would take it when we got off) and it was a team-building task. We all had to make sure everyone got off during the short interval where the train stops and that no bag was left behind. STRESSSSSFULLLL.
After that we got on another one hour train, which was less stressful but still bad. We arrived at a place called Visp. There we went on a tour of a company called Lonza. In the powerpoint presentation they gave, they referred to us as Boston University. From there on out no one paid attention. Plus they made us go up 70 thousand flights of stairs, and we were already so tired from the train fiascos. Ugh. And to put a cherry on top, one of the guys asks if anyone is afraid of heights, so I raised my hand. It ended up being nothing, but right before we went out on the balcony, my friend Melanie goes, "Who's got Amy?!" So loved.
After that we took yet ANOTHER train, but guess what? It was broken, so we got off and transferred to our fourth and final train of the day. I literally could not even. And on each of these we had to carry our luggage. Remember that time I didn't pack light?
Just going to take this moment to thank all the boys who helped me with my bags. You are the real MVPs.
Pictured: one of my teachers and one of my TAs carrying my Vera Bradley duffle. Looks good on them hehehe.
Between the third and fourth train we actually had time for a quick lunch. I got ice cream and others got beer at the grocery store called coop. We call it co-op because Northeastern is known for our co-op program, but it was pronounced like a chicken coop. Bawk.
On the last train Mel and I pretended we were asleep, so we could have two seats each. Not sorry about it; 'twas a long day.
Our destination was Fiesch. I liked to pronounce it fish but it was fee-sh. It sort of reminds me of my hometown Kildeer. It's in the middle of nowhere, and no one knows of it.

Our resort was like a summer camp. Legit looked like it. There were rope courses, a zip line, pools, and other sport courts. We played volleyball and soccer next to the mountain after dinner. It was so picturesque.
I think I'm falling in love with Switzerland. Don't tell the others.
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
No Place Like Lucerne
Halllllo.
Mount Pilatus (yes, we made one too many pilates jokes while there) was awesome. The views were unreal, and you could even see the Alps from across the way. Unfortunately there were bees everywhere though. I know, even at that altitude. My friend Jordan got stung, but the people inside the gift shop area had sting cream. It must be a frequent thing.
Welcome to Lucerne, Switzerland. Probably the most gorgeous place I have ever been to. No exaggeration on that one.
As we get out of the train station we boarded a ferry to take us across Lake Lucerne. All around us were mountains and gorgeous, breathtaking views. Yaaaaaaaas is all I could say. Then my friends started singing Barbie Girl. I don't know why.
Today was the day of mass transportation. We took a train, a ferry, a tram up Mount Pilatus, and a cable car down the mountain. Not to mention, we took a bus around town. Oy. It was kind of funny, though, when we went up to the mountain, my pringles can got really inflated. So much that the top ricocheted off into my backpack. No pringles lost, don't worry.
At the top we met this lovely man playing some instrument that could only be described as the Ricola Guy instrument. See picture for understanding.
He was funny and asked, "American?!" as he could probably tell from our incessant giggling and obnoxious voices.
Mount Pilatus (yes, we made one too many pilates jokes while there) was awesome. The views were unreal, and you could even see the Alps from across the way. Unfortunately there were bees everywhere though. I know, even at that altitude. My friend Jordan got stung, but the people inside the gift shop area had sting cream. It must be a frequent thing.
Of course I bought a cute Swiss winter hat at the gift shop, even though it was really hot. Then one of my chaperones who happens to be my academic advisor asked where I found it. She then proceeded to buy the same one. TWINS. I have never felt more proud of my fashion choices. Mostly because she looks like a J.Crew model every day.
So Bern is the capital of Switzerland, and I got sunbern. So I think I win. Also, in Lucerne, there was a plaza that literally had chocolate and cheese shops right across the street from each other. Tourist paradise. And I had a genius moment when I figured out that Swatch is Swiss Watch. Mind blown.
A couple things I have noticed: many foreign people do not smile in pictures. The Swiss flag is square. And I still want a Vespa even though I would be killed if I used it to get around Boston.
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
The Rad Rhine
Today we toured another Novartis pharmaceuticals campus! This one was freaking phenomenal. There were like 5 restaurants and all these cool science-y things. I think it's that hardcore because this campus is the world headquarters.
We had four different lab tours, which were interesting. I even saw some of the equipment I used during my latest internship. I got way too excited. The best part was a sample chute that took samples from a chemistry lab to an analytical lab. Thus, the scientists didn't have to walk down 4 floors to do a 5 minute test on each sample. I know of some hospitals that use a tube system to move emergency tests to a lab for quick analysis. Supposedly Novartis is the first pharm company to do this method. I love the efficiency.
It was also so freaking hot outside...like 90 degrees. We all melted. And that's when we decided to take a dip into the Rhine River. You know, the river that runs from Switzerland to France and Germany. That's what people were telling me at least. A couple of days ago we saw people floating along, so we thought we'd try it out. We rented floating device/bags from the hostel and were on our way. Basically we put all of our clothes in the bag (water resistance HELL YEAH) and used the bag as flotation. It really wasn't necessary because the river ran at a sweet, lazy river speed. I was pissed I didn't bring my phone because I would have gotten mad steps due to my phone pedometer. The river was far away from the hostel, and we walked there and back.
I'm pretty sure I got some sunburn, but it was worth it. Then for dinner we got burritos...again. Still no shame people. None at all.
Favorite quote of last night was when Melanie texted me, "I'll cook brussel sprouts for you every damn day."
She then explained that she meant to send that text to her boyfriend. I cried. True love going on over there.
AND FINALLY, I figured out what my fans should be called. Like people who fangirl over my blog (besides my parents and the occasional friend who brings it up). Call them the anDEEZ nuts. If you don't get it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHFFdy2NSdE
It has become a viral thing to say. I don't know why. Just deal with it.
Anywho,
peace.love.meep
-amyjoyandeeeeeez nuts
We had four different lab tours, which were interesting. I even saw some of the equipment I used during my latest internship. I got way too excited. The best part was a sample chute that took samples from a chemistry lab to an analytical lab. Thus, the scientists didn't have to walk down 4 floors to do a 5 minute test on each sample. I know of some hospitals that use a tube system to move emergency tests to a lab for quick analysis. Supposedly Novartis is the first pharm company to do this method. I love the efficiency.
It was also so freaking hot outside...like 90 degrees. We all melted. And that's when we decided to take a dip into the Rhine River. You know, the river that runs from Switzerland to France and Germany. That's what people were telling me at least. A couple of days ago we saw people floating along, so we thought we'd try it out. We rented floating device/bags from the hostel and were on our way. Basically we put all of our clothes in the bag (water resistance HELL YEAH) and used the bag as flotation. It really wasn't necessary because the river ran at a sweet, lazy river speed. I was pissed I didn't bring my phone because I would have gotten mad steps due to my phone pedometer. The river was far away from the hostel, and we walked there and back.
I'm pretty sure I got some sunburn, but it was worth it. Then for dinner we got burritos...again. Still no shame people. None at all.
Favorite quote of last night was when Melanie texted me, "I'll cook brussel sprouts for you every damn day."
She then explained that she meant to send that text to her boyfriend. I cried. True love going on over there.
AND FINALLY, I figured out what my fans should be called. Like people who fangirl over my blog (besides my parents and the occasional friend who brings it up). Call them the anDEEZ nuts. If you don't get it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHFFdy2NSdE
It has become a viral thing to say. I don't know why. Just deal with it.
Anywho,
peace.love.meep
-amyjoyandeeeeeez nuts
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Manchester UnUnited
I hate the damn Manchester airport. There, I said it.
I got screwed at security, twice. Maybe it was my fault, but I don't think my hand sanitizer is causing any harm to anyone ever. I think it brings people joy, to smell the lovely sweet pea or warm vanilla sugar scent. But hey, my opinion isn't always right I guess.
They also thought my cuticle clipper was a weapon. And I begged the guy to ask if I could keep it because I've been through a lot with that thing. It took a million years to find the perfect one. And I will not leave it without a fight. He let me keep it as he saw the tears forming. Yaaaaas.
When I finally huffed away from the guy who had checked my two bags (yes, my carry-on and personal item were flagged at security), I was anxious to see if they'd get through this time without a problem. He put them back on the conveyor belt. One of them was flagged again. And then, super randomly, the same guy got my bag. I saw him roll his eyes because he knew it was mine. It has flowers, and it just super noticeable. Thanks guy. I really needed your eye roll. YOU DON'T KNOW MY STORY.
Finally he let me go. I stormed away, found food, and my heart rate finally settled.
My flight to London Heathrow was fine. Then we had another to Switzerland. Supposedly the Swiss airport is in France. I don't know. Someone said that, but I think I need a fact check. The second flight was great because at first I was in a middle seat, but then there was an empty row, so I grabbed the window seat. Winning. Another girl, Emily, sat in the aisle seat. She is really sweet! When I was sleeping she made the flight attendant leave me water and the food they passed out. I wanted to hug her. But like, I was restricted with my seatbelt.
Weird thing, though. As we descended, the flight attendants announced to make sure we knew where our nearest emergency exits were. I felt a little panicked. But we landed smoothly, and we got out of the plane to the warmth of the sun. The big yellow object I haven't seen much in weeks is still living. Phew, I was worried.
As we got off into the walkway that attaches the plane to the airport, my friends and I all cheered because it was hot. I exclaimed, "This is the best day of my life!" A nearby flight attendant said, "Yes it is! Welcome." I cried.
Since I've been here, I've seen the chemistry department at the University of Basel, the tropical medicine center in Basel, and even been to an Asian restaurant called Mister Wong's. It was amazing.
At the University of Basel we had a barbeque with the students today. They had so much food. Even that is an understatement. They also provided beer, so I coined the term "beerBQ". Clever, I know.
There was also a random cat just chilling, trying to eat probably. My friend Eric got bit by it. Oops. Now he is complaining his hand feels weird and tingly. Good thing none of us can read any of the signs or even start to find a clinic for him. He'll live. Hopefully.
Aw and look at this cute house! It appears to be a minion.
Oh my gosh. Today for breakfast the hostel provided us food. They gave us 2 rolls of bread and a croissant. Oh and an apricot. I call it the bread and breakfast. LOL. Please tell me you chuckled.
And the hostel played Cheerleader, so I'm a happy camper. It's a YMCA hostel. 8 girls in my room- all from my trip though. Hopefully we make it through the heat and peak estrogen levels.
I'd like to just mention that in England they do this thing called a duvet day. It's if you want to stay home from work and just stay in bed all day. It reminds me of college, hehehe. Just kidding, I go to class mom and dad.
LASTLY,
My friend Jackson said the best quote of the day, "There's a lot of up sides to being in Switzerland. I mean, the flag is a big plus."
*ba dum tsssss*
peace(tons of that here in Switz).love.meep
-amyjoy
I got screwed at security, twice. Maybe it was my fault, but I don't think my hand sanitizer is causing any harm to anyone ever. I think it brings people joy, to smell the lovely sweet pea or warm vanilla sugar scent. But hey, my opinion isn't always right I guess.
They also thought my cuticle clipper was a weapon. And I begged the guy to ask if I could keep it because I've been through a lot with that thing. It took a million years to find the perfect one. And I will not leave it without a fight. He let me keep it as he saw the tears forming. Yaaaaas.
When I finally huffed away from the guy who had checked my two bags (yes, my carry-on and personal item were flagged at security), I was anxious to see if they'd get through this time without a problem. He put them back on the conveyor belt. One of them was flagged again. And then, super randomly, the same guy got my bag. I saw him roll his eyes because he knew it was mine. It has flowers, and it just super noticeable. Thanks guy. I really needed your eye roll. YOU DON'T KNOW MY STORY.
Finally he let me go. I stormed away, found food, and my heart rate finally settled.
My flight to London Heathrow was fine. Then we had another to Switzerland. Supposedly the Swiss airport is in France. I don't know. Someone said that, but I think I need a fact check. The second flight was great because at first I was in a middle seat, but then there was an empty row, so I grabbed the window seat. Winning. Another girl, Emily, sat in the aisle seat. She is really sweet! When I was sleeping she made the flight attendant leave me water and the food they passed out. I wanted to hug her. But like, I was restricted with my seatbelt.
Weird thing, though. As we descended, the flight attendants announced to make sure we knew where our nearest emergency exits were. I felt a little panicked. But we landed smoothly, and we got out of the plane to the warmth of the sun. The big yellow object I haven't seen much in weeks is still living. Phew, I was worried.
As we got off into the walkway that attaches the plane to the airport, my friends and I all cheered because it was hot. I exclaimed, "This is the best day of my life!" A nearby flight attendant said, "Yes it is! Welcome." I cried.
Since I've been here, I've seen the chemistry department at the University of Basel, the tropical medicine center in Basel, and even been to an Asian restaurant called Mister Wong's. It was amazing.
At the University of Basel we had a barbeque with the students today. They had so much food. Even that is an understatement. They also provided beer, so I coined the term "beerBQ". Clever, I know.
There was also a random cat just chilling, trying to eat probably. My friend Eric got bit by it. Oops. Now he is complaining his hand feels weird and tingly. Good thing none of us can read any of the signs or even start to find a clinic for him. He'll live. Hopefully.
Aw and look at this cute house! It appears to be a minion.
Oh my gosh. Today for breakfast the hostel provided us food. They gave us 2 rolls of bread and a croissant. Oh and an apricot. I call it the bread and breakfast. LOL. Please tell me you chuckled.
And the hostel played Cheerleader, so I'm a happy camper. It's a YMCA hostel. 8 girls in my room- all from my trip though. Hopefully we make it through the heat and peak estrogen levels.
I'd like to just mention that in England they do this thing called a duvet day. It's if you want to stay home from work and just stay in bed all day. It reminds me of college, hehehe. Just kidding, I go to class mom and dad.
LASTLY,
My friend Jackson said the best quote of the day, "There's a lot of up sides to being in Switzerland. I mean, the flag is a big plus."
*ba dum tsssss*
peace(tons of that here in Switz).love.meep
-amyjoy
Your Mom's A Pigeon
London round 2 betchessss.
This must have counted as leg day at the gym. I tell ya, I walked at least 25,000 steps. Then the next day at the airport was arms day. But I'll get there in a second. We walked to the same tourist sites as the other day because I hadn't been with all of my friends then, and they didn't get to see the London Eye or Big Ben or the Buckingham Palace. As we walked near the ferris wheel, I saw that something I had written in chalk was still there!
I don't know if you can read it, but put your spectacles on closer. It says "Lost in London". SO artsy, right?
At one point in the day we were baffled to see the roads shut down due to 25,000 bikers passing on through the city. They road 100 miles. I repeat, 100 miles. Unreal. And they stopped at the palace, which is just so cute.
And that reminds me of how much I complain when there aren't even moving walkways at an airport. If these people can bike 100 miles, I can walk 10 more feet to my gate. Enough said. I'm signing up for the Tour de France.
It was so hot in London. My friends and I weren't complaining because we've been in rainy Ireland and cold Liverpool for 4 weeks, but it did get to the point where we had to sit and rest. And then my friend Nick decided to bring up an interesting point. What would it be like to be a pigeon? Would you hang out with the ones that looked like you, or the ones that were better at getting food, or even the ones that pooped slightly less? Let's just say it was a long day.
And as if we didn't find enough landmarks on this trip, me and Melanie found the Colosseum, Arc de Triumph, and even the Great Wall of China. All in England. I sincerely apologize to my geography teacher. I got a five on AP Geography, but never understood why.
So our last day was spent in London, which was fab. But then we had to pack. I hate nothing more than packing. Nothing. Except when lactose defies my trust.
More about the fantastic experience I had at the airport in the next post. All sarcasm intended.
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
This must have counted as leg day at the gym. I tell ya, I walked at least 25,000 steps. Then the next day at the airport was arms day. But I'll get there in a second. We walked to the same tourist sites as the other day because I hadn't been with all of my friends then, and they didn't get to see the London Eye or Big Ben or the Buckingham Palace. As we walked near the ferris wheel, I saw that something I had written in chalk was still there!
I don't know if you can read it, but put your spectacles on closer. It says "Lost in London". SO artsy, right?
At one point in the day we were baffled to see the roads shut down due to 25,000 bikers passing on through the city. They road 100 miles. I repeat, 100 miles. Unreal. And they stopped at the palace, which is just so cute.
And that reminds me of how much I complain when there aren't even moving walkways at an airport. If these people can bike 100 miles, I can walk 10 more feet to my gate. Enough said. I'm signing up for the Tour de France.
It was so hot in London. My friends and I weren't complaining because we've been in rainy Ireland and cold Liverpool for 4 weeks, but it did get to the point where we had to sit and rest. And then my friend Nick decided to bring up an interesting point. What would it be like to be a pigeon? Would you hang out with the ones that looked like you, or the ones that were better at getting food, or even the ones that pooped slightly less? Let's just say it was a long day.
And as if we didn't find enough landmarks on this trip, me and Melanie found the Colosseum, Arc de Triumph, and even the Great Wall of China. All in England. I sincerely apologize to my geography teacher. I got a five on AP Geography, but never understood why.
So our last day was spent in London, which was fab. But then we had to pack. I hate nothing more than packing. Nothing. Except when lactose defies my trust.
More about the fantastic experience I had at the airport in the next post. All sarcasm intended.
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
Until We Meet Again...
Remember that English guy I met on an Irish pub crawl week one of this trip? Yeah. We have been non-stop talking (when I have wifi, of course), and he decided to visit me in Liverpool. He drove 2.5 hours. So sweet.
The situation was funny. He bought a new car that morning and spent all day figuring out insurance and taxes and actually traveling far to pick up the car. Then he drove the opposite direction to see me! What a gem. When he got to my dorm, we had no idea about the parking situation. So I hopped in his car, and we circled the city 3 times before finally finding a legal spot. I saw my friends walking past us at one point, so I waved. They probably thought I was being kidnapped, but at least it was in a cool car... Nah, I told them he was coming, no surprises.
We talked for hours and laughed a lot. It was absolutely awesome. I'm still not over his English accent. We kept making fun of certain words or phrases the other one used. He made me say words like aluminum and garage because they say it differently there. It's weird. I feel like I've known him for a really long time. And I think he's a great guy.
I don't want to gush too much, but I made him take a chalkboard picture with me. It's tacky, and he hates taking pictures, but he did it for me. How nice :)
He definitely became that Prince Charming that Princess Amy was after. So we shall see what happens...
All I know is that I sent him home with a gift in the form of a pringles can. But, inside was a letter I wrote to him before he came, a keychain with his last name on it (that I found randomly in Ireland), the wristband I wore that I kept from the pub crawl where we met, and a special necklace I had with me. It was a Hope in a Bottle necklace.
Backstory: A couple of years ago I decided to make necklaces and keychains that had little bottles at the end with a piece of paper saying "hope!" in them. Hence the name Hope in a Bottle. They raised money for juvenile diabetes, which my dad has. Here's a pic of some keychains:
Anyway, I gave him this pringles can full of goodies because I'm a romantic person with nothing less than a huge heart. No, I'm not tooting my own horn. I just believe in love and fairytales. And there's nothing wrong with living mine the way I want to.
So people can sit and judge me for talking to this guy once I return to America, on a 5 hour time difference, through whatsapp. I might have judged me too like a month ago. But I'm just going to go with the flow and see what happens.
All I know is that my heart is happy that I met him.
peace.much love.meep
-amyjoy
P.S. If you vomited after reading this, I don't blame you. And mom and dad, don't worry, I will never get into another strangers' car in Liverpool ever again. Promise.
SUPERLAMBANANA
There is a statue situated outside the dorm where we stayed in Liverpool. It is a lamb shape shifted into a banana. A superlambanana. And we didn't even make up that name. I know, right? The whole city is full of all different ones, painted in weird ways. I bought a keychain lambana. It is super.
We went on a tour of the University of Liverpool chemistry building and had a lecture about malaria. It was highly interesting, especially because the tour guide was an Asian man with a half British, half Asian accent. It was everything.
We also decided to create the hashtag #followthelocals. We are so bad at crossing streets here. So might as well follow people who look like they know what they're doing, right? WRONG. Also, one night at 2 AM in McDonald's one of my friends gave my other friend a big Mac if he let her touch his "firm" butt. He was ravenous, and so he did it. That and he had already eaten a meal, which they only charged him 50 cents for. 50 pence and a butt touch was the theme of that night I suppose. Things got weird. I just ate my snack wrap in peace.
Another night the girls stayed in and had a Mamma Mia sing-a-long. I love my friends. They even complain as much as I do that we're on the third floor of our dorm, which is actually the fourth in England. DAMN 0th floor.
Quick word of advice for people planning to go to Liverpool: Don't try and go get food after 5 PM at pubs. Most of them just serve drinks after then. More specifically, don't get your hopes up for nachos at these places after 5 PM. I did this twice and cried twice.
Our first trip to London was really really enjoyable. We did have to wake up early, though. But at least a lady named Lesley on the train handed out free pens. Highlight of my morning for sure. Okay, but one complaint: the Buckingham Palace guards were behind the gates! I couldn't try to make them laugh or even take a picture with them. That Mary-Kate and Ashley movie "Winning London" is a bunch of bullcrap. They probably paid random people to dress as guards. But I digress.
Upon arrival, before the site-seeing, we went to a science museum. It was weird. There was an exhibit on cravings and on finding who you really are. I learned that different color spoons may affect the taste of your food. Like if it's white, it will be more smooth or something. Might be a load of horseshit, might just be science. We also heard a man talk at Imperial College. He spoke about chemistry. Shocker. Then we had free time.
So I saw Big Ben and the London Eye (a huge ferris wheel that takes a long time to go all the way around). I think you can fit 20 people in each carrying pod. Oh and I just want to give a quick shout out to the elderly people that still hold hands with each other. You melt my heart. Keep doing you.
And we were super American, taking a 5 min-wifi break wherever we could. No shame.
I also almost cried happy tears because this cute little family loved my chalkboard and wanted a picture with it. We were riding on the subway in London called "The Tube". Here's a creepy pic of them my friend Mel got:
I loved every moment of that.
Then on a different day, we went to a pharmaceutical company called Novartis. It is a huge company that creates flu vaccines and many other drugs. We were at the plant that focuses a lot on the vaccines. At one point they split us into groups to tour different parts of the facility. We had limited time, so each group only got specific tours of one part of the plant. I went to the egg incubation unit. Fun fact: a lot of vaccines are made using chicken eggs. They grow the embryo and then inject the virus into it. And somehow the vaccine comes out. I don't know, guess I should've taken notes.
What is hilarious, is that my friend Jordan is afraid of birds, and she came to this part of the plant as well. She doesn't like any stage of a bird's life, be it egg or feathery feathers. We suited up (see picture) and saw how they incubate the eggs, check for embryos, and discard the unwanted/dead eggs. There was a conveyor belt that got rid of some eggs as they passed through. As we watched, we saw the eggs crack and sometimes they had little chicky nugs in them. SO SAD. But it was like a car accident; you couldn't look away.
Okay also they used a system to heat the eggs for incubation called the chick master. Retweet if you cried. Here is all of us at Novartis!
Want to know the best part of my life? My friends keep telling me, "Write that in your blog!" if something funny happens. I love it. And they keep screaming Amy from across the room or restaurant or public area. Why, you may ask. Because they want to make a stupid joke or pretend they are walruses with straws in their mouths, and they know I will laugh. Glad I have that kind of silly reputation. Wouldn't change a thing :)
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
P.S. I am the Walrus - The Beatles.
We went on a tour of the University of Liverpool chemistry building and had a lecture about malaria. It was highly interesting, especially because the tour guide was an Asian man with a half British, half Asian accent. It was everything.
We also decided to create the hashtag #followthelocals. We are so bad at crossing streets here. So might as well follow people who look like they know what they're doing, right? WRONG. Also, one night at 2 AM in McDonald's one of my friends gave my other friend a big Mac if he let her touch his "firm" butt. He was ravenous, and so he did it. That and he had already eaten a meal, which they only charged him 50 cents for. 50 pence and a butt touch was the theme of that night I suppose. Things got weird. I just ate my snack wrap in peace.
Another night the girls stayed in and had a Mamma Mia sing-a-long. I love my friends. They even complain as much as I do that we're on the third floor of our dorm, which is actually the fourth in England. DAMN 0th floor.
Quick word of advice for people planning to go to Liverpool: Don't try and go get food after 5 PM at pubs. Most of them just serve drinks after then. More specifically, don't get your hopes up for nachos at these places after 5 PM. I did this twice and cried twice.
Our first trip to London was really really enjoyable. We did have to wake up early, though. But at least a lady named Lesley on the train handed out free pens. Highlight of my morning for sure. Okay, but one complaint: the Buckingham Palace guards were behind the gates! I couldn't try to make them laugh or even take a picture with them. That Mary-Kate and Ashley movie "Winning London" is a bunch of bullcrap. They probably paid random people to dress as guards. But I digress.
Upon arrival, before the site-seeing, we went to a science museum. It was weird. There was an exhibit on cravings and on finding who you really are. I learned that different color spoons may affect the taste of your food. Like if it's white, it will be more smooth or something. Might be a load of horseshit, might just be science. We also heard a man talk at Imperial College. He spoke about chemistry. Shocker. Then we had free time.
So I saw Big Ben and the London Eye (a huge ferris wheel that takes a long time to go all the way around). I think you can fit 20 people in each carrying pod. Oh and I just want to give a quick shout out to the elderly people that still hold hands with each other. You melt my heart. Keep doing you.
And we were super American, taking a 5 min-wifi break wherever we could. No shame.
I also almost cried happy tears because this cute little family loved my chalkboard and wanted a picture with it. We were riding on the subway in London called "The Tube". Here's a creepy pic of them my friend Mel got:
I loved every moment of that.
Then on a different day, we went to a pharmaceutical company called Novartis. It is a huge company that creates flu vaccines and many other drugs. We were at the plant that focuses a lot on the vaccines. At one point they split us into groups to tour different parts of the facility. We had limited time, so each group only got specific tours of one part of the plant. I went to the egg incubation unit. Fun fact: a lot of vaccines are made using chicken eggs. They grow the embryo and then inject the virus into it. And somehow the vaccine comes out. I don't know, guess I should've taken notes.
What is hilarious, is that my friend Jordan is afraid of birds, and she came to this part of the plant as well. She doesn't like any stage of a bird's life, be it egg or feathery feathers. We suited up (see picture) and saw how they incubate the eggs, check for embryos, and discard the unwanted/dead eggs. There was a conveyor belt that got rid of some eggs as they passed through. As we watched, we saw the eggs crack and sometimes they had little chicky nugs in them. SO SAD. But it was like a car accident; you couldn't look away.
Okay also they used a system to heat the eggs for incubation called the chick master. Retweet if you cried. Here is all of us at Novartis!
Want to know the best part of my life? My friends keep telling me, "Write that in your blog!" if something funny happens. I love it. And they keep screaming Amy from across the room or restaurant or public area. Why, you may ask. Because they want to make a stupid joke or pretend they are walruses with straws in their mouths, and they know I will laugh. Glad I have that kind of silly reputation. Wouldn't change a thing :)
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
P.S. I am the Walrus - The Beatles.
And I'm Proud to be an American
So this girl stops my friend Jordan at the bar the other night (the bar was called Brooklyn bar)...and she asks if we're all American. Why yes, yes we are Jordan says. The girl flipped out. Supposedly it's her dream to be American. She gushed about wanting to go bowling and then having sleepovers with her girlfriends and gossiping about how Becky is just the worst. I think she has quite the basic view of American girls. Quasi-accurate, though. Also, I do not know who Becky is, but this girl had something against her.
GUYS. I went to Wales and love love loved it. First stop was my castle. Lol jk, but we did stop at Conwy Castle. Unfortunately it decided to downpour on us, but the bus driver had extra umbrellas. New best friend!
Not only do I love the animal whales, now I really want to visit the country Wales (is it a country, I don't know) again. The UK is confusing.
I finally got fish and chips for real! They were delicious, but my stomach hurt from the greasy and fried goodness. Worth it. Also, I think my friends and I ate all the ketchup at that restaurant. Not sorry about it. They have lame ketchup portions in their packets here in Europe. STEP IT UP.
Shout out to my home friends because we passed a place while driving called Hong Kong, which is one of the funniest and quirkiest bars in Boston. I miss my frands.
After lunch we came back to our meeting spot in a cute little pier in the town Llandudno of Wales. There was a guy with an owl (named Angel) sitting with our group. Alright, I thought. But Jordan who is still afraid of birds *read last post to understand* could not handle it. It was strange; the owl had bright orange eyes. Never seen anything like it!
Then, a tragedy happened, I lost Mel. She went to go get donuts (these donuts were the best I've ever eaten in my whole life). I told her I'd wait, but I'm the absolute worst and followed the group as I forgot why I had been waiting. I'm a derp sometimes. Anyway, halfway up this hill we were walking I realized I had left Bae behind. Finally, after panicking, she comes up to where we were. PHEW. The head of the Chemistry department almost texted her (she can receive texts without wifi).
She looked so confused, and I asked her why it took so long to get donuts. Supposedly a little child asked her for help to find its mom. LOL. So she was a good samaritan, and she also got her donuts. Good day for Melanie.
We ended up on the top of the hill to catch a cable car to the top of a mountain. It was so cool, even though I'm afraid of heights. At the top I took this picture with Nicole, mind the wind.
It was an all-around exciting and beautiful day. And when we got down the mountain from the cable car, there was a cool hill you could toboggan down. I decided to explore the city instead. I found out when we all met up for the bus that the line for the toboggan had been too long. So my professor felt bad and bought us all alcohol for the bus ride home. I opted for sleep, but regardless, what is this life.
Quote of the day:
"I think Amy's spirit animals wouldn't be able to fit on Noah's ark"- my friend Jake.
He's right...
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
GUYS. I went to Wales and love love loved it. First stop was my castle. Lol jk, but we did stop at Conwy Castle. Unfortunately it decided to downpour on us, but the bus driver had extra umbrellas. New best friend!
Not only do I love the animal whales, now I really want to visit the country Wales (is it a country, I don't know) again. The UK is confusing.
I finally got fish and chips for real! They were delicious, but my stomach hurt from the greasy and fried goodness. Worth it. Also, I think my friends and I ate all the ketchup at that restaurant. Not sorry about it. They have lame ketchup portions in their packets here in Europe. STEP IT UP.
Shout out to my home friends because we passed a place while driving called Hong Kong, which is one of the funniest and quirkiest bars in Boston. I miss my frands.
After lunch we came back to our meeting spot in a cute little pier in the town Llandudno of Wales. There was a guy with an owl (named Angel) sitting with our group. Alright, I thought. But Jordan who is still afraid of birds *read last post to understand* could not handle it. It was strange; the owl had bright orange eyes. Never seen anything like it!
Then, a tragedy happened, I lost Mel. She went to go get donuts (these donuts were the best I've ever eaten in my whole life). I told her I'd wait, but I'm the absolute worst and followed the group as I forgot why I had been waiting. I'm a derp sometimes. Anyway, halfway up this hill we were walking I realized I had left Bae behind. Finally, after panicking, she comes up to where we were. PHEW. The head of the Chemistry department almost texted her (she can receive texts without wifi).
She looked so confused, and I asked her why it took so long to get donuts. Supposedly a little child asked her for help to find its mom. LOL. So she was a good samaritan, and she also got her donuts. Good day for Melanie.
We ended up on the top of the hill to catch a cable car to the top of a mountain. It was so cool, even though I'm afraid of heights. At the top I took this picture with Nicole, mind the wind.
It was an all-around exciting and beautiful day. And when we got down the mountain from the cable car, there was a cool hill you could toboggan down. I decided to explore the city instead. I found out when we all met up for the bus that the line for the toboggan had been too long. So my professor felt bad and bought us all alcohol for the bus ride home. I opted for sleep, but regardless, what is this life.
Quote of the day:
"I think Amy's spirit animals wouldn't be able to fit on Noah's ark"- my friend Jake.
He's right...
peace.love.meep
-amyjoy
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