Cheers Mate!

There's the Common, Central Park, and then there is Hyde Park. One of London's most infamous attractions continues to be a popular location for locals, tourists, and student such as myself. Enjoying the beautiful weather we have been experiencing the past couple of days, my friends and I had a lovely lunch of fresh baguettes and gelato. After our meal, we decidedto explore a portion of this beloved area. Hyde Park is home to many trails for walking and biking, memorials for the deceased, palaces, etc. The sights were surely astounding!

Across the way, we noticed a father and son kicking around a soccer ball over the green plains. It made me nostalgic on one end thinking of playing catch with my dad when I was younger, and it also make me realize how much I want to play a real football match here in England. Certainly something added to my Extra Credit list.

Speaking of, my Extra Credit list is a play-off of the overused phrase "bucket list."

Idea sparked by Critty, we figured that making a goals list is much more efficient because if something is completed, you can reward yourself with the memory of having it done. If something is not completed, there is no penalty; you just have to keep it on the list for next time. This Extra Credit works out well since there's no real way to lose!

Throughout Hyde Park, there were SO MANY PUPPIES. Being a huge dog lover, I was imploding at the sight of all these pooches. In fact, one dog (coincidentally enough named Pooch) approached me while running through the park!

Prior to this incredible day at Hyde Park, I needed to finally pick up a European pay-as-you-go phone at the Orange store (Orange is a popular phone company in London). The friendly employee was wicked helpful, and the purchase was made with no issues..until...SPLAT. The

sandwich I was holding in my arm fell out of its bag and landed all over the floor. Thinking it

was my fault, I made contact with the employee and apologized. Before I could even pick it up, the employee had gotten a roll of TP and picked up the sandwich pieces on the floor. Not knowing what to really do, I let out a "aww, woof" and skidadled my way out of the Orange store. I'm not planning on returning to the store for the rest of the semester hopefully.

This morning required an early start for me and my colleagues to travel to the Hatchlands. Here, we were scheduled to visit with Mr. Alec Cobbe. Cobbe is the owner of many various keyboard instruments ranging in harpsichords, keyboards, and pianos. We met up to this beautiful gate that led to acres and acres of green grass grazed with cows. It was a beautiful sight to see and was a nice change from the city. When we approached Mr. Cobbe's mansion, a lovely woman brought us in to enjoy some tea and biscuits. The home was

absolutely breathtaking! Every room had multiple instruments, statures, and beautiful

artwork. It was like his own MFA! From one of King Charles' II original keyboards, to Chopin's favorite piano, all of the archives were astonishing! Mr. Cobbe provided us with a brilliant tour of his instruments, and at the end, I found a great appreciation for the development

of such an iconic instrument.

After our trip to the Hatchlands, we traveled back

on the Tube. Today was actually my first time on the actual Tube, and it was a great experience! The Tube is 100 times better than any transportation I have ever been on. It's clean, fast, on time, and was pretty easy to figure out. Highly commend England and their great work with their public transportation system. I felt like a pro using my London version of a Charlie Card, called an Oyster Card. The most astonishing part of the Tube was just how deep underground the system goes. When you take the escalator's up or down, you realize just how steep everything is built in this system. And of course, 'Please mind the gap' is always dependable.

Tonight, my friends and I went out to the Queen's Arms to enjoy a few brews on a perfect night in the city. There we enjoyed the locals and the beauty of knowing we're living out the

opportunity of a lifetime. Once we made our way outside of the bar, my roommate and I met some other students from Arizona University who happen to live right around the corner from us. They were wicked nice people also studying abroad and completing internships like the BU students. Though we are all looking forward to embracing the British culture an meeting locals as our friends, having met fellow Americans from different places of the country was still an exciting part of the night!

To all my friends in the states, on abroad programs, and just met tonight, cheers to you!