Cardiff, London, Minneapolis, Home.

Saturday August 14 was Travel Day! I couldn't believe it. Later that night (although really it would be like 24 hours later) I'd be breathing Utah air and hugging my family. Now, ok. Bear with me. This day was a WHIRLWIND, obviously. I hadn't slept, I was traveling, which is always taxing, and I was crazy excited. Unfortunately, because of all this, I did not write anything down for this day. Even if I did it would probably be incoherent. So I'll try to remember it as best I can. {Number of times Diet Coke is mentioned in this post = 11}

First, to help you understand the relative times and length of my trip, a chart:


The biggest thing I want you to take away from this chart is that I was traveling for over 24 hours. Also, keep in mind that I didn't sleep the night before. And wait. I landed in SLC at 11:30 and didn't get to bed until 8 am? That must be a mistake, right? Well, stay tuned for the thrilling explanation.

So packed and prepared, I jumped into the van with Anna, Anders, Talia and Jessica (other Jessica). Everyone kept asking me if I was tired or felt ok for staying up all night, but honestly I felt fine (I HAD chugged like 3 of my last Diet Cokes. I had to get rid of them somehow). I bid a quick farewell to everyone and clambered out of the van and into the dreary, sketchy bus station covered terminals. It was rainy, slightly cold and the gross, irregular yellow lighting of the terminals combined with my sudden realization that

1. My luggage might be too heavy for the bus requirements
2. All I had for my bus ticket was a printout of payment
3. The monitors did not list a bus leaving for London Heathrow at 7:30
4. Since I threw away my debit card in Preston on accident, all I had was the 30ish pounds and $50 cash on my person, and didn't know if I could buy another bus ticket or taxi for that amount if my bus pass didn't work.
5. Just a general realization of all the things that potentially COULD go wrong on this long and complicated journey home.

Jessica and Talia were supposed to take a bus, but were worried that it wasn't coming or that they hadn't bought the right tickets, so they made the executive decision to run over to the train station and get on the next train to London. Their flight was much earlier than mine and the train only takes about 1.5-2 hours, compared to the 3 hour bus ride. Once they left, around 7:00, I was all alone. Sitting there. Cold and damp. Trying to contain my anxiety. I ended up throwing away some t-shirts, my towel, and my trusty charcoal peacoat (it was falling apart anyways) in an attempt to lighten up my luggage.

The bus came a little late, and wasn't the exact bus number on my ticket. The driver said the schedules change all the time and he had no problem letting me on. Although he did laugh at the weight of my bag and asked me if there was a dead body in it. I climbed on a bus, got a window seat and pulled out a book, but I just wanted to get a nice last look at the UK while I could. I streamed "First Train Home" by Imogen Heap (and other appropriate songs) over and over as I said goodbye to Cardiff, Wales and garbage lining the streets. Excitement filled me, but then I started to crash and wanted to save my food and Diet Coke for when we were closer to London. I'd need to be alert when I got off the bus and had to negotiate multiple terminals. So I set my alarm to wake me up around 10:15 (my mom had been stressing that I would be too tired and sleep through my flight/stops/arrivals), and fell into a superficial, unsatisfying doze. I hate those big buses. They are cold, uncomfortable and cramped. Even for a little short girl like me. Pulling into Heathrow was fantastic. I had consumed my chips and apple, downed my Diet Coke, and was ready to rock.

I grabbed my luggage, hopped on the underground tram, and stepped out at the appropriate terminal. I was able to quickly check in and deposit my luggage, which was a HUGE relief. My backpack was also full to bursting, and lugging them both around was making my back tighter than a drum. Around 11-11:30, I was through security, located my terminal and sat down with every intention of working on my paper. Luckily, it was like 4 in the morning at home, so no one was online to tempt me with conversation. The people-watching was entertaining enough, though. Finally around 1 pm I decided I wanted to eat, stock up snacks and blow the rest of my soon-to-be-useless pounds. I grabbed lunch, bought gum, Toblerone, water and another Diet Coke to drink when I was about to get off my flight, and headed back to my terminal to await boarding call.

I boarded the plane around 1:45 and popped several Dramamine as the plane was taking off. Goodbye, UK! I'll miss you. And I was out. OUT OUT. Every couple of hours I would wake up for just long enough to look out the window at the ocean, check the time on my seat monitor, maybe sip some water and pass back out again. I was miraculously awake when they came around to serve us dinner. I wasn't super hungry and that food is generally super gross, so I think I just stuck to the rice, cookies and jello. The cute little Indian man next to me offered me his jello before falling back into motionless, soundless sleep again. Best row-mate ever. Before I knew it, I was looking out the window at land. And not just any land. The US of A! I had tears welling up in my eyes. My heart was swelling in my chest. I was really home.

I downed their last round of complimentary Diet Coke and my secret stash of Diet Coke and Toblerone in the last 30 minutes of the flight. By this point I couldn't sit still. And I know what you're thinking, but no, it wasn't because of the chocolate and Diet Coke. Maybe a little. But mostly I was just DYING to use my cell phone. I could TEXT! I could make phone calls! Wow. It had been forever. I hadn't really minded it at all, it had even been nice, in fact. But now I was ready. As the plane touched down and stood idle waiting for an opening, I giggled like a child at the little startup tone of my phone. I sent my first text back in the US:

"Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

You know who you are.

Then the texts to everyone else - "Guess who's back in the US?!" to all my friends and coworkers and "Landed safe!" to my family. When I finally stood and shuffled off the plane, I was herded directly into Customs, which went surprisingly fast. A big, jolly American guy processed me, and asked me about my final destination and teased me while I put away my paperwork. "Well, good luck. And welcome back to the USA!" A high five, and then I emerged in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

American voices on the intercom. My phone buzzing cheerily in my pocket. And then... a vending machine. I happened to glance in it as I walked through the last terminal and what did I see?



Tears welled up in my eyes again. Over CHEEZ-ITS for crying out loud. I was a wreck, clearly. But you don't understand.... one thing (among other things like real Diet Coke, Reese's and Wendy's) they do not have in the UK that I had been DYING for was good cheese crackers. Like Cheez-its. This was America.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul airport is ENORMOUS. Seriously. It's huge. I can't even imagine the Mall of America. It took me almost 25 minutes just to walk to my terminal to make sure I could find it. From there, I called my parents, called my grandmas and updated everyone on my situation. Those were some great conversations. I was loving seeing kids in pro sports jerseys, people talking about Glee, and even a man wearing a Dunder Mifflin t-shirt. It was like Christmas. Everywhere I turned, something thoroughly American! Around 7 or so, I realized I was starving, having eaten nothing but snacks and Diet Coke since London. I decided I was going to find a nice sit down restaurant and eat me some American food and have Diet Cokes delivered to my table, Ed Budge-style. I had seen a Chili's and thought that would be a good safety, but started looking for other options.

And suddenly, there it was. A Cafe Rio-esque MEXICAN RESTAURANT. I practically sprinted in. Did I mention Mexican food is my favorite? Did you know there are literally NO Mexican Restaurants in the UK? The allure of chips and salsa was intoxicating. I sat down, got a REAL Diet Coke (oh how I've missed you), started to tuck into my delicious burrito, but then I looked up. What did I see? What could possibly stop me from devouring my precious Mexican food like a barbarian?

Baseball.

There was a TV in the restaurant. On that TV was a baseball game. It was just a Twins game, but still. America's pastime. Not cricket. Not golf. Not soccer. BASEBALL. At this point I really started to cry. It was just too much. So here I was, sitting in this airport restaurant by myself, a mouth full of steaming delicious rice, beans and pico, staring up at a baseball game, with tears escaping from my tired eyes.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

When I pulled myself together, eliminated my burrito, cashed a few more Diet Cokes and watched the last couple innings of the game, I headed all the way back to my terminal. I tried to work on my paper and got some done, but ultimately just wanted to text and talk. I boarded my plane around 9 and soon we were en route to Salt Lake City! The flight was a little under 3 hours long, and while I slept for a good hour at the start, I spent the remainder staring out the window, listening to my ipod, and day dreaming (well, night-flight dreaming) about seeing my parents and siblings, the boy, my friends, my office, grandmas, everyone! I fantasized about my comfy, dark bedroom at home and how I would sleep for an entire 24 hours once I got home. After I took a luxurious shower, of course. I finished touching up my makeup as we flew in sight of Salt Lake City. I know this will sound ridiculous, but as I saw the city lights my heart started to pound, and once I caught view of the Salt Lake Temple, I was flooded with the Spirit. Again, my eyes welled up with tears and I had to fix my eyeliner. Worth it.

I stood in line to get out of the plane, bouncing on the balls of my feet. The guy riding next to me laughed and said "Don't worry. The airport isn't going anywhere." Not funny, random guy. You don't know that. Seeing the familiar terminals of the Salt Lake Airport was awesome. I quickly swerved in and out of passengers to make it to the open floor, and then jogged to the escalator to baggage claim. As I descended below the overhanging beams, I caught sight of my mom and dad, waiting for me. Biggest smile ever. I ran over to them, dropped my backpack and jumped up into my dad's arms. I'm such a daddy's girl. Me and my mom were emotional and excited. I love them so much. My dad grabbed my bad and we headed out to the car. Mitch ran out and hugged me as we walked up and I was having such a hard time holding the tears back from my laughter. I jumped in the car to find my adorable little Blade! I think I missed him even more than my friends and family because I couldn't talk to him.

It was so bizarre to sit in a nice, leather-interior Audi that didn't smell of wetness and feet. The backseat was this enormous expanse of open space, and WE WERE DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD! There were no roundabouts, no fields filled with sheep. Just billboard after billboard, and exit after exit populated by Wendy's and Texacos. I told them funny stories and answered their questions, meanwhile texting all my friends. My now-boyfriend Ryan and a few of our friends were hanging out and wanted me to come say hi. It was midnight, I was with my parents, exhausted, and hadn't been home in 6 weeks. So naturally I decide that's a good idea. Clearly I like this kid. My parents drop me off in Orem, bewildered, no doubt. We pull up next to my friends, I say thanks and goodbye to my family, and jump out, excited to see the guy in the white v-neck walking towards me with a big smile on his face. He picked me up with a huge hug and a "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!! I missed you." I'm pretty sure my heart melted. Enough of that embarrassing gushiness.

I said hi to our other friends and we all hung out and talked for a while. Finally, they decided to go up to Kader's "Le Cabin" and watch a movie. It was close to 1 am at this point, so I thought I should go home. Turns out, Ryan's car was parked at someone's house, and it would be a huge pain to have to go get it. Plus I was having a great time. I shot my parents a text to say that I'd just come home in the morning and to go ahead and go to bed, and we piled into Kader's car and headed to Le Cabin. We watched Smokey and the Bandit, which was awesome, and hung out until about 8 am when I figured it was safe to head out to Mapleton without waking anybody up.

I got home, went inside and went straight down into my room. As I opened the door and flipped on the light, the best surprise ever greeted me. A HUGE new bed and cute bedding.

Well, now I feel completely worthless.

My parents had bought a nice new bed to suprise me and welcome me home with. And I didn't even come home until 8 in the morning! Worst daughter ever. I ran upstairs and thanked them, apologizing for not coming home with them. They rolled their eyes and laughed. They're used to me being inconsiderate and making decisions under the influence of fatigue, apparently.

And then. THEN, I went to bed. That bed was a celestial cloud of dreaming glory. I slept till 4 or 5. I can't remember. But it was delightful.

There's no place like home.

Wales: Day 41 The Beginning of the End

Friday, August 13 was my last full day in Wales. It was exciting and surreal, but kind of sad. Who knew I would begin to feel nostalgic about dirty, dirty Cardiff? Our packed and smelly vans? Climbing stone spiral staircases in the sheets of rain?

After going to bed super late, I again set my alarm so I would get 8 hours and not oversleep, because I had far too much to do. I got up, had breakfast/lunch, showered and got to work. I spent most of the day working on my textbook, hoping to finish it up, and preparing to leave. I would pound away at my textbook for 15-20 minutes, then allow myself a Facebook-Email-YouTube break once my attention span expired. At several of these different breaks I would confirm plans with my parents to pick me up, chat with my friends and coworkers, or check the in transit status of my Welsh compatriots who had already left for home. This would leave me utterly helpless in the face of my excitement and anxiety about the trip home, so I would abandon my computer for my suitcase. Sorting, folding, throwing away and packing, all while singing and dancing around my room helped me to temporarily forget the ENORMOUS task of the textbook. So eventually I'd feel guilty and get back to it. Only to take an email break and start the cycle all over.

Hot Mess.

When dinner time rolled around, Jessica, Sam, Gillian and I decided to head to Pucini's, like we did on our very first night. We spent the entire time talking about how things have changed and our favorite days and inside jokes. A good portion of the dinner was spent talking about how no one knew me (I didn't take the prep class and was accepted to the program late, so I literally knew one person - Kayla from Springville High), no one knew anything about me, and that at dinner six weeks ago, this weird tired girl showed no signs of being the crazy, loud part of the program that I turned out to be. I went from being the one that no one knew, to the "crazy inside joke machine" that was friends with everyone. I love that transformation.

We laughed all through dinner. My favorite moment?

"Do you guys have Coke? Ok... I'll take a Sprite." - Sam Parkvold (soon-to-be Manning!)

After dinner everyone who hadn't left yet headed to 57 for the "Friday the 13th" Scary Movie Marathon. Anders and Anna were going to be running a van shuttle service all night, taking people to Cardiff Central and various train stations at 3 hour intervals all throughout the night, so we decided to pull an all-nighter with them.

First we watched The Grudge. I don't care what you say. It's a classic. A few girls didn't want to watch it, so I gave them my laptop so they could watch Hot Rod upstairs. At one point, they climbed down the outside of the house and used the hose to spray the widow and blinds which scared us OUT OF OUR MINDS. There was a good amount of reflex cursing, screaming and jumping. I seriously can't remember the last time I got scared that good. Bravo, ladies. Bravo.

Around midnight the vans took some people home and some people to the train station, then we settled in to watch one of my all time favorite movies - The Silence of the Lambs. You guys know how I feel about cannibals. At 2:15, the movie still had 30 minutes or so, but Anders and Anna had to take a bunch of people to the Cardiff Central bus station (including Jessica), so we just paused it and headed back to Penny Lane. We bid a dramatic and ceremonial farewell to the roommates and set about packing while Gill went to bed. Once I was about 80% packed, I got to work on my textbook from about 3-5 am. Didn't get very much done, obviously, as I was sleep-deprived and crazy excited to get home. Every few minutes I'd remember that I'd be home soon and my stomach would somersault inside me. It wasn't that hard for me to stay awake. But it was hard for me to work. I didn't finish my textbook. Not even close. We had until the following Tuesday to turn it in, and I had a huge layover in Minneapolis that I was SURE I'd use to work on my textbook.... right?

After Anna and Anders took care of their 4:30 am shuttle, they came over to Penny Lane to finish the movie before the 6:30 am Saturday Morning shuttle. My shuttle.

And thus begins my journey home.

Wales: Day 40 First Day of the Rest of My Boring Life

Thursday, August 12. Even though this day was fine, in contrast with the best day of my life it just seemed so dull. I slept until about 2 pm, exhausted from a long day of walking all over London and getting home so late. I got up, wasted some time, pretended to work on my textbook, wasted some more time (seriously, the idea that I would be home in 3 days was a little too much for me to be able to focus), and then showered and got ready.

Gillian and I walked down to Tesco for baguettes and cream cheese, and then to Blockbuster to rent The Ring for movie night at 57. I am not sure I've said anything about the Blockbusters here, but they are HILARIOUS. Twilight was featured in the "Horror" section. They had no kind of cataloging system or record of what they had or was rented out. They would have 10 copies of some DVDs and then tiny collections of drama or comedy films. We just enjoyed our time in there. Anyway, they somehow had The Ring, which we wanted to rent because Gillian, Anders and Anna hadn't seen it, so we faked our residency to get a Blockbuster card (I still have it. Treasure) and rented it.

We headed over to 57 around 8 pm with the movie, blankets and treats. We pulled extra mattresses into the living room, circled the couches and chairs and settled in for scary movie night. It was fantastic. Everyone was screaming and freaking out. Just what scary movie night should be.

Anders took us home around 12:30 am and ended up coming in and hanging out with us for a couple hours. We did some solid facebook stalking (yeah, if you're reading this we probably stalked you too), had deep and meaningful conversations and laughed until 3 am when Jennifer came out and reminded us that people were sleeping and leaving at 6 am for their flights home. Kind of made us sad to realize that it was ending. It was pretty evenly split between people going home Friday and Saturday, but as I was leaving Saturday I hadn't thought too much about actually saying goodbye and getting ready to leave.

You guys would have been so proud of me. I set my alarm for 11:30 am so I would get a nice 8 hours and not oversleep because I had so much homework and packing to do, and then crashed into bed.

Wales: Day 39 Best Day Of My Life - Part 2

I left you when Anna, Anders and Zoe took off to get food and meet everyone else for Wicked. They asked me about a hundred times if I would be ok by myself, if I knew where I was going, how to get there, not to talk to strangers, etc. etc. I'll admit, I was a little nervous. London is really big, and if I got lost and missed Phantom I'd have to throw myself in front of a tube train, so maybe it was best for me to just go sit outside the theatre until it started. But no. I was feeling independent and adventurous, and wanted to see Leicester Gardens and Piccadilly Circus on my own time.

I bid them farewell, plugged in my headphones and set about looking for something to catch my interest. There is so much to see that it really isn't hard to get completely wrapped up in a matter of seconds. I checked out touristy little shops (I got a pair of London Underground boxers, suckas!), used book stores, little art galleries and any other stores or attractions that caught my eye. I loved it. I was in a huge city, on my own, 20 years old and completely confident in my ability to function and enjoy myself.



Around 6:15 I walked down to Her Majesty's Theatre to pick up my ticket. I couldn't be risking anything here. You guys know how important this is to me. Once I had it in hand, I realized how hungry I was, and walked down to Piccadilly Circus to hit the Tesco Metro. I got a Diet Coke and some dried mangoes, because nothing else looked good. I honestly think I was giving myself crazy anticipation anxiety about Phantom. I was so jittery. I think I checked my bag for my ticket every 30 seconds. Once I had my food I went and hung out in the square on the steps of the Statue of Eros. Legend has it that if you stay at the fountain for at least 1 hour you are guaranteed to see someone you know. We also heard that since Eros is the god of love, throwing coins in the fountain would bring you true love or something cliched and gay like that. Anyways. I hung out here people watching and getting progressively pumped up for Phantom for half an hour or so.



Around 7 I headed back to the theatre to try to catch Talia & Kelsey, or Kayla and her mom who were all going to be in the same showing as me. By 7:15 I hadn't seen them, so I headed in. I HEADED IN. Finally. To be seated. To see Phantom. The only thing I've ever really wanted to do before I died. It was surreal. I bought a program and a shirt (completely unashamed of my nerdiness at this point) and by the time I made it to my seat I was STRAIGHT TRIPPIN.

Seriously, I can't remember ever feeling like that. Who knows if I'll ever feel it again? I was jumpy and fidgety, which is not like me at all. My entire being seemed oriented towards the the stage, every cell in my body was yearning to hear the first notes of the overture. My seat was actually really good. I paid a little more for it, but obviously it's worth it to me. I had a seat just off center on the first balcony, and my view was great. (The last photo is dark but you can barely see the stage and the chandelier covered in a canvas.)


The lights went dim. Instantly my heart started to pound. I felt the adrenaline dump in my system and my heart battered away at my rib cage, to the point that I almost couldn't sit any longer. As the first notes rose out of the pit, I honestly felt my heart and soul kind of seize up. I really was losing control of my body. The first scene, the auction, is very quiet, but when the chandelier lights up and the orchestra starts blaring the theme I completely fell to pieces. I was CRYING. Crying you guys. I could barely breathe. I have never been so emotionally moved in my life. I highly doubt the ability of anything else to ever do that for me again. This really nice lady sitting next to me I'm sure thought I was crazy. Before it started we'd been chatting (she's a Kiwi - a person from New Zealand), and I communicated to her how much Phantom meant to me and how crazy I was about it. So maybe she got it. I don't know.


Phantom was amazing. I mean, the music speaks (sings?) for itself. One thing the movie can never duplicate though is the fantastic use of props and scenery. The decor for the underground lair, the boats and candles, was breathtaking. I often felt like I didn't know where to look because there was just so much that I wanted to drink in.


My heart didn't stop pounding the entire time. Masquerade and Music of the Night were way better Broadway-style. Each person was perfect for their role. The orchestra sounded fantastic. The props, as mentioned, were elaborate and fascinating. The entire experience filled me, lifted me, raised the dead in me. It was honestly one of the high points of my life. As I walked out of the theatre, elated, I had a sad moment of wonder.

Will I ever top this? What else do I have to live for? I guess that remains to be seen.


I quickly jogged down to the tube station, hopped on the train to Paddington Station (again, by myself. Loving it.), and caught the train with minutes to spare. I was delirious. Everything I've ever wanted came true that day. Anyone who knew me in 9th grade has a very good perception of what it meant to me. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Even the anxiety of late night tube riding by myself, with the risk of missing the train back to Cardiff couldn't keep the bounce out of my step. I was exhausted on the train ride home, dozing in and out of Phantom dreams. Unfortunately we had to walk home at 1 in the morning, with plenty of "hen parties" and gross drunk Cardiff men downtown, but when I crashed into bed around 2 am in my Phantom t-shirt, I was content knowing that Phantom had exceeded my expectations and breathed new life into me.

Wales: Day 39 Best Day of My Life - Part 1

The big day finally came. Wednesday, August 11, I woke up bright and early at 6 am, already crazy excited. We walked to Cathays station (about 20 minutes away, and in a quite ghetto part of Cardiff. Which is saying something.), and caught the 7:15ish train to Cardiff Central. A quick breakfast and then we boarded the 8:25 train to LONDON!!!! I love train rides. They're so smooth, quiet and comfortable compared with cars and especially huge packed vans. Gillian and I listened to some Dane Cook standup, which was delightfully entertaining to our tired and excited minds. Then we slept for the rest of the ride. That's really why train rides are the best - sleep.

We arrived in London around 10:30, got our tube passes and then ventured out into the city! Our group of about 8 or 9 went to Leicester (the theater district. All of the big Broadway signs line the building facades) so most people could get their Wicked tickets (I already bought my ticket to Phantom. I was too excited to wait or chance it.) then we grabbed some pizza from a little street vendor. Probably the weirdest pizza I've ever had, but I was starving and it was decent. Anna, Anders & Zoe were interested in seeing Les Miserables, so clearly I jumped on that bandwagon. We walked down to that theater and got tickets for the matinee. I was straight trippin' at this point. Two legit world-renown musicals. In London. One Day. Couldn't have been more excited.




We had about an hour until showtime, so Jessica, Gill, Sam and I walked around Leicester and Piccadilly Circus (kind of the downtown of London) in search of sights and a delicious treat. Come on. We get ice cream in every city as a tradition. Piccadilly Circus is my favorite area of London. I just ate it up. We walked down to Trafalgar Square which is one of the coolest areas of London without being too touristy. The architecture there is fantastic. We grabbed some chocolate ice cream outside the National Gallery and hung out people-watching for a while.



I love that people just hang out in the square. Such a cool vibe. I wish we did that here.



Jess, Gill and Sam went into the National Gallery, but I had to be back for Les Mis, so I bid farewell to them and headed to the Queen's Theatre. I was slightly nervous about walking back to Leicester from Trafalgar by myself, but I was happy to see that I knew where I was and where I was going, and hopefully I didn't look like too much of a tourist! haha.

Les Miserables was INCREDIBLE. I loved it. I'd heard the music before, but never read the book or seen the musical anywhere. I fell in love with it. I was completely captivated. The actors were so talented, stage effects and props were awesome, and it was all-around amazing. I'm so glad I finally got to see it, and in London, no less.


After Les Mis, we walked through Leicester Gardens (seriously this is the coolest area of London. People who focus on Big Ben, Parliament and all the touristy stuff don't know what they're missing out on), saw some pretty good break-dancing street performers, Anna got hit on, and then Anders, Anna and Zoe headed off to get food and go to Wicked.



You may be thinking, "Wow. That day sounds awesome. Borderline perfect." And you're absolutely right. It was. But it got even better. From this point (approximately 4 pm) onward, this day was 100% perfect for Danica Budge. Everything I could want or need. I knew that I would have a lot to say about my evening, and that Phantom deserved a much more thorough treatment, so stay tuned for another epic, emotional, exciting chapter in the London adventure.