the inspiration behind the title for this blog

after the big earthquake in haiti last year this video was made and i LOVE it. we really are the world! those around us are our brothers and sisters. it is up to us to lend a helping hand. we are asked to "lift the hands that hang hopelessly down." i feel a strong connection to people. i know we are all Children of God. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve His children in Uganda!

8 days!

day trip planning

as you may, or may not know, i have a 12 hour layover in London. basically a city i only dreamed about seeing in real life. 12 hours isn't long so i want to see as much of the city as i possibly can! today i googled "places to see in london" and the results were pretty much endless. after looking at about 20 different places that sounded cheap/free and interesting. HOLY CANOLI. can i please say that i need waaaay more than 12 puny hours in London!? here are just a few places i am dying to see

- Churchill War Rooms:

why yes, i am a history nerd. i've read every WWII book out there and Churchill is one of my heroes! To be in the rooms he was in would be inspiring!

- The National Gallery:

they have Monet, Rembrandt, van Gogh (they have his "Sunflowers"!!), Michelangelo, and oh boy i could go on and on.

-Houses of Parliament:

i would be content to just see these. hmm, i think i will

-Shakespeare's Globe Theater:

i really don't think i have to say much about this. i mean it's Shakespeare people! the playwright who pretty much started it all. Baaagh i want to go there

-The London Eye:

it's like a ferris wheel in the middle of the city. coool. costs a bit of money (15 pounds) but worth it?

-Buckingham Palace:

the Queen lives here! plus they have those cool guards. not to mention all the history behind this magnificent structure! it costs to go inside, but maybe if i just stand outside i'll get that royal feeling.

-Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross:

you may not know that i lurv Harry Potter. just a little. you can go see the platform! maybe i'll go to Hogwarts instead of Africa! learning to be a wizard is important too right?

- Oxford Street, Portobello Road Market, Soho: 

each are unique shopping/ cultural centers. i love shopping and i love learning about other cultures!! also, where else am i gonna get some cool gifts for my family?

-Trafalgar Square:

i kind of consider this the Times Square of London. the center. i just want to stand here. it is beautiful.

- The Royal Opera House:

oh how i wish i had time to see an opera! (or a play on the West End.) but i don't. they also do ballets, jazz concerts, and contemporary concerts here. 

phew, i feel like i barely scratched the surface. ( i did only get through 4 pages of places to see and i didn't mention all the places.) so out of these attractions (or others you know about already) what should i do while in the great city?? 

three weeks

in 21 days i will be flying over the Atlantic Ocean, on my way to Uganda! AH!  Before I leave I have a huge list of things to accomplish including:

- pass my finals (hopefully with grades that improve my GPA instead of lowering it)
- run a half marathon (this saturday!)
- get my malaria pills
-find a suitcase big enough to carry everything to Uganda
-get a haircut
-celebrate 2 birthdays, 2 graduations, and an early Mother's Day (shh that last one is a surprise)

i have two 12 hour flights on my journey to Africa. since i am an unseasoned traveler i need advice. what should i take to keep me occupied on these loooong flights??? granted, i hope to be asleep during most of the flight, but what if i can't sleep? should i take drugs?
ok that sounded a bit dramatic.

but seriously, any travel tips you have will be greatly appreciated!

countdown

in  one month from today i will be flying over the Atlantic Ocean! headed for London, and then Uganda. I am so. . .  excited/nervous/scared/thrilled/fill-in-the-emotion.

i have a list that is miles long to get done!

i just need to survive finals and then i'll be ready to get my stuff together!