Tuesday June 17th Day 1
Whenever I go somewhere I wait until the last possible minute to get my stuff ready. I guess it doesn’t feel real until I’m actually there. So I got up around eight this morning and packed. We met at 1:00 p.m. at T.C. Central to load the busses we were taking to meet up with everyone else in Grand Rapids. I had to run to the bank first, though, to get my traveler checks. We got to T.C. Central and my dad got kind of choked up and had me going too. I can’t believe I’m sitting in a plane right now going over the Atlantic Ocean! Am I dreaming?
The bus ride to Grand Rapids wasn’t bad. Zoe, Kerrie, and I played cards the whole way. When we got to G.R., Kay gave us all our papers and we checked in luggage. Mine of course was checked, which was scary because they made me stand by the counter and watched me the entire time they were going through it. I know they were doing their jobs, but I was still shaking. After we all got checked in we had two hours to wait so we went to get some food and play cards. We finally got on the plane. I think boarding the plane took longer than the actual flight to Chicago! We got to Chicago and had a two and a half hour wait so Zoe and I went to get a Mocha Malt at Starbucks. Oh! So good! We got a big group of people together and played spoons on the floor in our waiting area. We finally got on the plane and prepared for the almost seven hour plane ride. I’m sitting next to Matt Kirby; he seems pretty nice. I got to sleep a little and I mean a little. I can’t sleep well on planes, so I’m watching “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” for the third time. I can recite every line by now. Well, we’re getting ready for breakfast now so the next time I write in here I’ll be in London!
Wednesday June 18th Day 2
Finally! We arrived in London at 10:30 this morning. I noticed as we landed that the towns are set up differently than ours. The houses are all the same colors and mostly brick. They are arranged strategically in circles. We got to the airport and it was kind of overwhelming. People from all over the world were gathered at this one place. We met our delegation manager, Mandy, who was a college student in England. We exchanged our money and waited for the Texas delegation to meet us at the airport. They came in on an early flight and had taken the bus around London. They finally arrived and we went out to lunch at The Kings Arms. It was funny because our group sat together and the Texas group sat together. I’m hoping that will change soon. After that we walked next door to Hampton Court Palace. Mandy showed us around the huge kitchens that were still in working order from the 1400’s. The fireplaces still had the ashes from hundreds of years ago on the walls. We also got to take a look at some of the kings/queens rooms. The paintings and sculptures were incredible! I never realized how much of our art came from Europe in the 1500’s – 1800’s. After that we were given an opportunity to try the maze and visit the gift store. The maze was hard, but we finally heard from someone to take all right turns and we finally made it out.
We then packed up and walked ½ a mile through a field to get to our bus, and went out to dinner. We got stuck in traffic for two hours in London, but finally made it to an old English pub for dinner of chicken and great potatoes! After we had stuffed ourselves, we climbed back on the bus and ventured off to find our hotel. I’m rooming with Kerrie while we’re at this Holiday Inn. We talked for two hours when we got in! We thought the hotel would be American style Holiday Inn, but it’s not at all! It must have been designed by a British Engineer because I’ve never seen this before! It’s so cool!
Thursday June 19th Day 3
Today was full of everything! We were late leaving the hotel because two kids overslept. They looked pretty good though for only having ten minutes to get ready. We then met our tour guide, a really sweet lady that took us to see Westminster Abbey. From there we went to the House of Parliament. We had to stand in line for a while, but we finally got through security and were shown to a small room. It looked as if the whole building was more than 500 years old, when in reality we found it only to be 150! We got to meet David Atkinson, a Member of Parliament and question him about his job/Parliament. I found that his job isn’t that much different than one of our senators. He answered all of our questions and even took some pictures with us. Afterwards we went to eat at the Knights Restaurant where they had prepared a feast of steak/mushroom pie, peas, potatoes, and bread for us. We had strawberry cake for desert and got the chance to take pictures with the “king” there. We walked off our lunch on the way to the Tower of London. The guide took us to the center of the castle and told us stories of famous people in history that had been beheaded there. We then got a chance to walk around the Towers and see the crown jewels, old armor, and torturing devices. We had to rush to make our cruise on time because we couldn’t find a few people. We got on the boat that took us up and down the Thames River. We got to relax for a little while seeing the sights of London from the water. From there we went to a play performed by three guys called “The Complete Word of God”. This was even better than the one I’ve seen before. It was so funny! The only other time I’ve laughed that hard was watching SNL. They picked apart everything from the bible and put it into laymen’s terms. We got out of the theater and split up into three groups; we each had a leader with us. We had to walk to the subway (still dressed in our fancy dresses and high heeled shoes) because our bus couldn’t come down that far. Once we got off the subway, which took us over an hour, we had to walk a good two miles to get back to the hotel. We finally made it, although I thought we never would, and everyone collapsed.
Friday June 20th Day 4
Today started off with a few problems. The hotel didn’t give us a wake up call so we were late getting on the bus and missed the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We got to stop and take a few pictures with a guard. I didn’t. I think it’s rude in a way because I know how they feel. I live in a place where we get tons of tourists every summer so I know how it feels to be stared and gawked at; I respect them for doing their jobs as well as they do. From there we walked to the park which had to be bigger than Traverse City! We had ten minutes to eat lunch and then we booked it to the London Eye so we wouldn’t miss our chance to ride it. We had to be there ½ an hour early to make sure we could still get our tickets. I’ve never walked so fast in my life, especially after lunch! We made it in about 20 minutes thought and got into our “compartment”. The sights were amazing! We could see for miles because it was clear out! One can really see the entire city and appreciate it in a whole different way. I used two rolls of film just for that one ride around in a circle, but I hope they turn out good. There was a group of German students (not Student Ambassadors) in the car in front of us. We were picking our brains trying to think of German words we could speak to them. It’s crazy how you can travel half way around the world and still connect with people you’ve never met before, but isn’t that the point of this trip?
We got off the Ferris wheel and rushed to Covent Gardens to do a little shopping. I didn’t buy anything because it was all so expensive and we have stuff like that in America. I want to find something original and meaningful that I can take back. We then had to climb aboard another bus to begin our drive to Worcester England for our home stays. The ride was longer than I expected, but the countryside was so beautiful! I felt like I was in a whole other world! I tried getting pictures but they probably won’t turn out because we were on a bus. We got to Worcester around 7 p.m. My family is so sweet! Cheryl reminds me of my grandma and Richard is a riot! They would fit in perfectly with my family. Mary Sue, Bria, Kerrie, and I are staying together. We got to the house and they gave us a tour. A very nice house, but very small because most people live in the city and they need to save space. They have a music room! It’s so cool! They showed us our rooms and then gave us time to unpack and then we all ate. They made us pizza and salad. We sat and talked about everything for hours, and then we hit the sack because we were so tired. I can’t wait to see what we do with them tomorrow!
Saturday June 21 Day 5
This morning we had to wake up and meet back at the school for a tour of the city with our entire group. We went to the beautiful Worcester Cathedral. The windows, organs, statues; everything was so incredible! I could have sat there for hours just thinking and praying. We also got to climb the 255 narrow steps to the tower for beautiful sights of the city and then take the 255 narrow steps back down! The stained glass windows were so pretty. The only other time I’ve seen windows like that is at my church, and those were shipped from Germany. We got to see the tomb of King John and some others in the Cathedral. From there we walked down through the old part of the city, looking at the houses and porcelain making factories. We sat along the river and ate the lunch our host family made us. I had a cheese sandwich, chocolate pudding, fruit, chips (crisps) and a chocolate bar. Cheryl loves her chocolate! Afterwards we had a few hours to shop and wander the city. I got to buy the 5th Harry Potter five hours before anyone at home! Around 3:30 Richard came to pick us up. We went home and took a long nap. Actually I read some of my new book and hung out with Mary Sue in the music room. They have three guitars, a piano, and a stereo. After our singing and dancing session, Richard went to pick up some Chinese take away (take out). We had a picnic on the living room floor, watched an English game show and talked. We all stayed up till two in the morning watching the teli (TV). I also found a surprise in my bed when I came up earlier. The Eades (my host family) are dog sitting for tonight and the dog took a liking to me, so he is sleeping at my feet now. He’s really cute; I think he’s a black lab/boxer mix but I’m not sure. It’s late and tomorrow is out last day here so I’m going to get some rest. Hopefully this dog is a peaceful sleeper!
Sunday June 22nd Day 6
Today Richard and Cheryl didn’t wake us up until 12:30! I’ve never slept that late in my entire life! Well, except when I was sick. We got up and ate “breakfast” around one and then they told us to get dressed because we were going to go for a ride. We went up to Malvone to sight see and go up the mountain there, but of course it had to storm, so we went to this small village. We walked along the river and the small shops but everything was closed on Sunday so we went to the pharmacy and bought some chocolate for the ride home and stamps. We got home and started to pack while they made dinner. Cheryl was nice enough to wash our clothes and dry them for us. We had a huge dinner of turkey, potatoes, steamed carrots and cauliflower, red current jelly, bread pudding, and topped off the night with ice cream and fresh strawberries. We talked for a while at dinner, and then they let us go finish packing while we watched “Tomorrow Never Dies”. I got to use their computer and send my parents an e-mail. We went down stairs to talk with Cheryl and Richard for a while and then upstairs to prepare for our big day tomorrow.
Monday June 23rd Day 7
I can’t believe our home stays went by so fast. I had a blast with the Eades and will miss them, but they have invited me back next summer to stay with them. They made me feel at home and made this trip even more memorable. Cheryl had to leave early this morning so she came in to say goodbye, then Richard drove us to the bus at 8, after our breakfast. I’m going to miss them dearly. Too bad they can’t fit into my suitcase……
We arrived at the Roman Baths around 11 in Bath. It was breathtaking! The water was dirty, but I really got the feeling of what it was like to live here in the Roman times. It was amazing to think I was actually standing where a Roman Emperor could have stood 2000 years ago! We got to see the steam room, furnaces, and the pool of the goddess, which no one was allowed into. We traveled around there and saw the different tools and stones they used to build this place. We ate lunch in the plaza and then went shopping for a while. There was this guitar player in the plaza we listened to; he was really good. I’m sure he could have gotten a record deal if he wanted. Well, we got back on the bus for two hours until we arrived in Wales for dinner and turned in for the night.
Tuesday June 24th Day 8
The museum of Welsh Life. Wow! The place was huge! We walked all over the place, but only found one exhibit that was open, so we walked through the huge gardens instead. We must have come at the right time of year because the flowers were in full bloom. Roses, bleeding hearts, and many more I’ve never seen before. I felt like a princess walking through my gardens in Paris. It was so beautiful! The brick walkways through the mazes of flowers, canopies, sculptures, and the fountains must have all been out of a fairy tale because I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking. I was lost in my own little world of peace and beauty. From there we went to Cardiff Castle. When we first pulled up and I saw the outer wall I thought it’d be pretty small. Yeah right! It was huge! Most of it had been destroyed over the years, but a lot of it was still in working order. We toured the dinning rooms, smoking room, queens bedroom, library, Italian gardens, grand hall, and the nursery that had nursery rhymes painted all over the walls. Everything was made out of 14 karat gold leaf. The castle had to be worth over 3 billion pounds! It was hard to believe the rooms were still intact! We also got to visit the Norman Keep (116 steps) that was still practically intact. The Romans had also been in control of this castle once and the wall they put up around the castle was still there. We went underground to see it, but it was incredible. I’ve seen this stuff on the History Channel before but never up close and personal. It’s hard to believe I’m really here!
Wednesday June 25th Day 9
My first time seeing the ocean. For months I have dreamed about this and now I’m finally fulfilling my visions. I never would have thought 7 months ago I would be here – the place I love more than anything. This is me, this is where I belong. We boarded the ferry and right away I realized this may be my one and only chance to see the Atlantic Ocean and Ireland. I love the water. I love the way that its beauty tugs at my heart and sends chills down my spine. I’ve never felt so powerful or so insignificant at the same time. The stabbing wind is slicing my skin open and leaving it vulnerable to the salty water. It’s incredible to think that this land was volcanoes 360 billion years ago. Imagine what it will be like in 5 billion years! It’s hard to believe I’m witnessing one of God’s greatest creations. Who else stood here like I am now in total astonishment at how great our world is? I feel proud and at peace here. I could die now and feel happy with what I’ve done with my life. All I wanted out of this trip was to see a dolphin. I’ve sat here for the past hour praying to God that the only thing I would ever ask of him again was to see a dolphin today. My life would be complete…
About ½ an hour ago I saw my life flash before my eyes. There, 50 yards away was a group of dolphins. I actually started to cry. In that moment I saw a miracle, someone up there was listening. I will never forget that single moment. I feel so close to God at this place I never want to leave. I will come back and work here one day. This is where I belong.
Thursday June 26th Day 10
Waterford Crystal. You see it all over America, but how many people have ever seen how each piece is personally made? They take minerals and heat them, then put them on a hand blower – constantly moving the rod. When they have finished a piece it’s put through inspection. If there is one tiny flaw it’s broken and melted back down to be used again. If it passes inspection, it moves onto the design department, where designs are traced onto the crystal with permanent marker machines. The pieces then go through the cutting process. They will either be cut with a soft blade or a square one. From there they pass through more inspection. It was cool to see a piece go from start to finished product. It was amazing to learn that these craftsmen made hundreds of pieces a day! My grandma has always wanted an original piece so I got her this nice bowl.
From there we went to Wicklow Jail and got to see where the prisoners of the 1916 revolution were kept. It’s hard to believe that up to 15 prisoners were put into each cell for crimes ranging from stealing a chicken to murder. We met our new home stay families tonight. They are very friendly and remind me of my aunt that has seven kids. These people have three young kids themselves and then have kids from all over America coming to stay with them all summer, and they work on top of that. It’s got to be hard, but they seem to love doing this which makes it fun for all of us. Can you believe I’m staying with a real Irish family!!!
Friday June 27th Day 11
Today we toured Dublin on the bus. We got to see Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College, Phoenix Park, and O’Connell Street. We also got to take pictures by the American Embassy gateway in Phoenix Park. We go to shop a little and had lunch. After lunch we got back on the bus to leave but the bus had broke down. So we all got back off the bus and went shopping for 2 ½ hours until they could send another bus for us. Mandy found us some tickets to the Irish Art Museum to use up some time, too. The bus finally came and we got loaded up for the long ride home. It was 7 before we got back for dinner. Our family let us go out but the rule was that the door would be locked at ten and if you were late it was trouble. Ceria and I went walking around town and met up with some other people from our group to hang out with. Mary Sue and I bought some candy at the store and boy do the Irish like their candy! They had every flavor and mixture available! Ceria and I went back around 8 to hang out with the other three girls that were also staying with our family. It was crazy because each of the families in our subdivision had anywhere from 4-9 ambassadors staying with them, but they were all from different places. The night we got here there were four girls from Ohio there, but they left the next morning. Then when we got home today there were three other girls staying at the house who were from Indiana. We got along well, although they were kind of wild…
Saturday June 28th Day 12
We spent the day on an Irish farm learning about old baking traditions, sheep farming, Irish music and dance, how the Irish survived the famine with only peat to keep them warm, and other farm chores. I live by farms so milking a cow and bailing hay I see everyday, but seeing the sheep dog demonstrations and playing Hurling was new. We also got to learn dances that go back centuries and the music with it. This part was important to me because my great, great grandparents came from Ireland and this is part of my history. This is who I am. I may never get the chance again to see how my family lived, what they ate, how they kept their houses warm during the famine, and how they made straw. I could study history from books back home, but never could have gotten the full effect of being here and actually taking part in this. We got to make soda bread that my great, great grandparents also used to make every day. I feel connected to my past being here and seeing how they lived. My grandma has always wanted to come here so I’m taking back as much history to her as I can and maybe one day I’ll have the chance to bring her here myself to show her all of this. I have the recipe for the soda bread so I can make it for everyone at home. I can tell my mom, the environmentalist, about how they cut the turf and why, and show everyone at home how to do a traditional Irish dance. This has definitely been one of the most enriched days of my life, and one I’ll never forget.
Sunday June 29th Day 13
Well most of today was spent traveling again. We were on the bus for two hours, then the ferry for 1 ½, and then back on the bus for four hours. We stopped along some back road in Wales to see the Neolithic sites. We had to walk along this old path through fields and farms to get to the burial site, but it was worth every step. It was this huge mound that the Druids had used to bury their dead in. We heard a few stories about how they buried the people and how the Druids were and then climbed back on the bus. A few hours later we got to stop at the famous train station, Llanfairpwllgwyngyl-lgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch! I forget what it means, but it’s something like the church of Mary under the bridge and across the river, or something like that. We got our passports stamped here and then continued onto the University of Bangor where we will be staying for a few days. We ate dinner here and then had a Welsh language lesson afterwards. I can’t seem to get the right accent to say these words! AHHHH!
Monday June 30th Day 14
We started the day off with rain. Our plan for the day was to perform our community service act up in the mountains. We went up to the Educational Center but they told us it was raining too hard to dig up the rhododendrons. They didn’t want us to get hurt so instead they told us a little about the geology and history of the area and what problems the rhododendrons are causing. We were given rain suits to walk around the property a little. We had extra time because we didn’t do our community service project so we went to the Welsh Slate Museum and saw the massive amounts of slate that made up the area. There was a 3-D movie Mary Sue and I watched about the workers and their working/living conditions. There were also parts about how the technology of harvesting the slate had changed over the years. We got to see some of the tools they used and how they started using TNT to blow the side of the mountain off to collect the slate. They had the train running too; showing how the slate had been transported until the 1960’s when it was shut down for hazards. It was nice just to walk around and learn the stories of people that worked and died for their jobs. We also had time to visit Caernarfon Castle. It was huge! There were so many towers and dungeons. It was cool to see a castle that hadn’t been restored or refurnished. This was the actual stone that had been here for hundreds of years. The castle was still a sign of power and security for the city. I wonder if Washington D.C. will be like that one day.
Tuesday July 1st Day 15
Today was meant for us to take a good look at ourselves and our future and really evaluate what we want to do with our future. How do we want to live our lives? Do we want to live them in self pity or denial or do we want to live responsibly and make the most of our time here. This was a nice break from all our traveling; we got to sit down and think about why we are really on this trip and how it’s going to help us in the future. I think it was important to incorporate this “Full On” day into our trip because it really tied in with why we’re here on this trip. We are trying to make the most of our lives and share culture/experiences with other people. They gave me a lot to think about after today. Where am I going with my life? What do I want to accomplish today, tomorrow, and next year? Why am I on this trip? Have I made the best of my life so far and put everything on the line? Are there things I regret doing or not doing? It took me a while to answer these questions because I had to think truthfully about how I would respond. Most were easy but some I really had to think about. For example, what are my weaknesses (fears) and how can I use those to help me get to where I’m going? I learned not to take things for granted, don’t be afraid to try something you normally wouldn’t, have fun, and don’t let anyone change who I am or the person I have the potential of becoming.
Wednesday July 2nd Day 16
Today was another one of those days spent traveling on the bus. We had to get up at 6:30 to eat and get on the bus by 8 am. We stopped a couple of times for bathroom breaks. I was getting motion sickness so Mary Sue gave me some pills that knocked me out for a couple hours. We got to St. Andrews University around 6:30 for dinner in the cafeteria. Their school food is a lot like ours. Afterwards the bus dropped us off down town for a ghost walk around the old city of St. Andrews. We saw the castle that had been built in his honor and destroyed. Our guide told us stories of a ghost dressed in black that haunted virgin men, a stone in the wall of St. Andrews Cathedral that you can see the face of a woman that was murdered there, and of the priest that had been murdered in the tower. There was another story about a cat but I don’t remember it. It was such a nice night and we were right on the ocean. I wanted to just go and sit there for hours. I get lost in the waves. There is a whole other world out there that I just want to explore, but can’t and it’s killing me! My pictures will never do this place justice.
Thursday July 3rd Day 17
Today we started by helping the park rangers clean up along the ocean. They told us a little about the geology of the area too, which was cool because I’m a geology freak! We found tons of trash for our bags and tons of shells for our pockets. I took a little detour to the water’s edge and stood there mesmerized for a while. I saw a seal too, which was incredible. From there we went to St. Andrews Old Golf Course and played an eighteen round of put-put. I had the best game of my life with a 48. I had third place. We then got to walk across the street to the Golf Museum and see the old feather balls they used and how they were made. We also got to play put-put with the old wood sticks they used for clubs. It was cool to see so much golf in Scotland. I’m not really a golfer, but it was amazing once I realized how long it’s been around. We had free time so Mary Sue and I went down to the ocean and waded in. It was my first time in the ocean! I wanted to swim, but we had to go to dinner and I don’t think anyone would have appreciated a smelly, wet Tesha! There were two little boys playing in the water, too. I remember when I was that young and played in Lake Michigan with my cousins. It’s hard to believe I’m on the other side of the world right now!
Friday July 4th Day 18
Independence Day!!! We got on the bus this morning and found it decorated for the 4th of July. Our leaders must have done it last night. It’s nice they did a little something for us. We got on the bus this morning and headed off for Edinburgh. We got to see the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. We saw the old cannons and the church that was built in honor of the king’s mother that had lived there. Mary Sue and I spent all of our time in the church with Kay. There are so many churches here, but every one is so different and they each have their own history; which makes this so much fun! We had time to walk around and shop, and then we met up with two Scottish story tellers. They took us around the city showing us the old “ghetto” and telling stories of famous Scottish men and women. From there we went to our hotel for our 4th of July dinner party. Dinner was great! The chief came out and did a demonstration for us and we all sang Our National Anthem. It was really nice, even though I’m missing the fireworks…
Saturday July 5th Day 19
Today we were on the bus – again! Mary Sue and I started the name game which lasted a while, but after that everyone slept. We stopped for lunch at a little café around noon and then stopped at 2 at the Wedgwood Pottery factory. We walked around there for a while looking at all the different types of pottery, clay, and designs. It was cool to see how it had changed and stayed the same since 1759. Well, after we stretched our legs and got some ice cream, we climbed back on the bus to continue our drive to the hotel. We made it there around 7, ate dinner and went to bed. I can’t believe how tired traveling makes me!
Sunday July 6th Day 20
When we first got to Warwick Castle I thought it was going to be another tour, but as soon as we walked through the gates I knew I was wrong. There were people dressed in old clothes, horsemen, bowmen, and salesmen walking all around like they would during a normal day in the castle. We got to actually see how the castle had been run many, many years ago! We got to experience how people lived and how the common people would come to the market to sell their goods. I believe that seeing and experiencing a part of history is more valuable to learning, than sitting in a classroom and being lectured (no offense to my history teacherJ). We got hands-on learning about the castle traditions that had been passed down for years. We got to go off by ourselves and look at what interested us. There were bowman shoes and rat catchers doing performances. They virtually kept everything the same as how it had been so many years ago. The dudgeons and torture chambers still had the original torture equipment hanging from the ceiling. I felt like I was there, living in the past, if only I’d had the right clothing on. I think we should have gotten dressed up like the workers there and got to walk around. I would have felt even more like I was living history and experiencing things I never would have experienced in my small town. I learned how the Victorian High Society would spend their weekends going to meetings or balls. We saw how the children were brought up by the nannies, the torture ways, and what the men did when they weren’t in their smoking rooms or off at government meetings.
Afterwards we went to London for our farewell dinner and awards. It was cool because the leaders had gotten together and picked awards for the ‘king” and “queen” of the trip, best hair, best laugh, etc. We had a blast! I can’t believe this is our last night though! It went by way too fast! Maybe I could miss the plane and stay here…. hahahah.
Monday July 7th Day 21
Where did all the time go? Three weeks ago I thought this would be the longest three weeks of my life! They went by so fast! It’s hard to believe that two weeks ago I was at Cardiff Castle! We have just taken off from London. I’m going to write this now so I don’t forget to. I hear many people say that this was a growing time for them. As a student I grew with knowledge, but as a person I didn’t really mature. I think I was matured before this trip and the experience only added to that. As for being an Ambassador, I feel I’ve made a difference, at least with my home stay families. We had to live with each other for three days. What a great idea - putting people together from different nations and cultures in the same house and asking them to get along! We did better than get along, we became best friends. I’m still talking with my host families and planning a trip for them to come visit me. When I finish this sentence I won’t be finishing this part of my life. I will be sharing my experience with my community, family, and friends and showing others how it really is a small world after all. Thanks to everyone who helped send me on this once in a life-time learning opportunity. Goodbye Great Britain and Ireland!
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