chantry wood

Time sure is passing by quickly! Classes have been really busy so I haven't been able to explore as much as I'd like. Luckily we are on spring break now so this past week I got to take some time to wander the woods about an hours walk from the university. The gorgeous weather has been amazing and delightful! This week I'll be in Madrid so check back for updates.

If you look closely in between the trees, you can just
make out Guildford cathedral!

Happy Sunday!

xo,
K

st martha-on-the-hill

About a week and a half ago I took a walk to the church of St Martha-on-the-hill in Guildford. I mostly wanted to walk through the Downs and from the map, St Martha's Church seemed a good destination. From walking out my door and returning, I spent about three hours out and about. The sun was shining, the weather was lovely and the day was perfect.  The hardest part was walking up Pewley St which is pretty steep; past that you're in the Pewley Downs and then its a short walk to the bridle path which leads you to Halfpenny Lane. It really only took me so long because I stopped to take so many pictures!

When you first enter the Downs...

you get this gorgeous view.

You enter the path...

with colorful leaves and bright blue sky...

and perfect foliage and scenery.

You make it along the path and up another hill to see St Martha's...

and the view is just perfect!

Definitely worth the miles walked and the hours spent!

xoxo,
K

cardiff

Last weekend my student union organized a trip to Cardiff, Wales. My friends and I bought tickets the first week of the term so we'd been waiting a while to go! It was about a three hour drive and we actually got better weather out there (it was raining in Guildford all day). Upon our arrival we went to the Castle as a group and then were free to wander the rest of the day.

We spent about an hour at the Castle exploring the old tunnels, the original castle and the castle apartments before heading into town.

Henry and Jane 

Library in the Castle Apartments

I bought some souvenirs and then we wandered through the German Christmas Market they set up, and then on down to Cardiff Bay. Before we reached the bay, we spotted a Portuguese bakery selling traditional pastel de nata. My friend loves it so we stopped and tried it - it's delicious!

We spent time in a coffee shop and did a little bit of shopping back in the center before having dinner at Bill's. It was an early birthday treat for me!

xoxo,
K

st. catherine's hill

The other day I decided see some chapel ruins on the other side of the city. I'd never explored that part and am glad I did. Even with overcast skies it was charming and exactly what you think of when you think of England. Old homes and businesses close to the road, little churches along the way and views of rolling pastures from the top of St. Catherine's Hill. The sun came out for a little while and it was delightful. I love this city!

xoxo,

K

bonfire night

Happy 5th of November! I've heard so much about this special holiday before I came and was excited to experience it. Imagine walking up in the dark through a park and as you crest the hill, you suddenly see a mass of people holding torches, waiting to light the beacon. Just past them were carnival style rides and food trucks all doing brisk business despite the cold temperatures and chilly breeze. And the music! Serious sound systems were staggered around the perimeter set up for the fireworks and the selection was great. Once they lit the beacon, we counted down for the fireworks, and as expected, the music changed and we enjoyed "Diamonds" by Beyonce, Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars" and "Firework" by Katy Perry. Definitely a night to remember!

A short video from the beginning of the show. Enjoy!

xoxo,
K

P.S. If anyone is looking for Hunters, check Amazon! I found some for half price :)

oxford ball

Time is just going by more quickly! I have a feeling I'll be playing catchup most of my time over here. So last weekend was busy - lots of activities with church!

We attended the temple as a stake on Friday night

All ready to party :)

Saturday night was the long-awaited Oxford YSA Ball! It was held at Oxford Town Hall and it was beautiful with minimal decorations. Naomi and I arrived early, planning to explore the city but we decided to visit with a family friend and then leisurely get ready for the ball. We drove into Oxford, parked and got dinner at a sushi and noodle place. Then it was time for the ball! We danced all night, had some yummy snacks and she introduced me to her friends. It was a great time and it passed all too quickly!

These past few days I've been trying to get out more and enjoy the autumnal weather before it gets too chilly to just wander about. I had planned a long walk but the weather didn't look promising so instead I went up to visit the castle.

You can just see the castle peeking out from all the colors!

On my way to pick up some mail I found this tree full of beautiful color. 

Can it just stay autumn for a while?

xoxo

catch-up

The last few weeks have gone by so quickly I can hardly believe it. It's been so fun and just to share a little, here are a few photos I've taken. Enjoy!

Last Saturday (the 15th) I went into London with some friends. We first stopped at Dominique Ansel Bakery - it opened up recently near Sloan Square and is originally from New York City. I loved the store itself, very clean and modern yet warm and inviting.

the famous and delicious cronut

Next stop was the Chocolate Fair!

chocolate as far as you could see...
(and yes, I did try most of these)

I wish I had an extra £50 to spend on a Cumber-bunny...

Then we wandered around London stopping only for the scenery (and a few photos).

Dinner at Punjab: delicious Indian food near Covent Garden.

And a stroll around Westminster Square to finish the night:

For those who made it to the end: some fireworks from the "Celebrate University of Surrey's 50th Anniversary" party from this past week.

xoxo,
K

university of surrey

Welcome from 'Steve the Stag'!

I made it to the University the day after I arrived (I stayed at a friend's house for the night) and quickly set about making it feel like home. We spent the day shopping in town and at IKEA and managed to get just about everything I needed. The rest of the week I had activities both for my program and as an international student which was a great opportunity to meet the other students. By Thursday I had phone numbers of a handful of students and we have hung out pretty much constantly the last two weeks. It has been great to have someone to get together with!

My program (Intercultural Communications with International Business) is similar in terms of courses with another program, Communications and Marketing and so they've put us together for the required course and many of us chose the same optional course. This means I get to attend class, study and hang out with the same group of people for the next year! What's really great is that my program and Comm./Marketing are made up mostly of international students. About a third are from China and Thailand, a couple from the UK, me and one other American, and then handfuls from Germany, Italy and Spain. I also met a girl the other day from Bolivia and another from Albania! Such varied backgrounds and yet we all ended up here at the same time. It's awesome!

Course wise I have a lot of free time to do the reading and assignments but I'm hoping to find a job so I can be more productive. We have class all day Monday and one class each Tuesday and Friday afternoon. The readings not been too much and I've actually gone ahead and started two (out of three) papers that are due in November. I finished the research and am working on outlining and organizing my notes - maybe I'll get them done early!

So far everything has just been a blast and I am enjoying it. I love my accommodations, my courses, my teachers (who are also mostly internationals!) and my classmates. I have some activities coming up that I'm excited to experience and I'll try to document the more interesting ones :)

Enjoying the scenery at Guildford Castle