Travel Week (Day 21 & 22): Roaming through Rome & Parading through Paris: Part 1...to be continued ;)

Wow... I just woke up from the longest/ most jam packed dream of my life! It's all a blur... but I remember seeing the Italian countryside zooming past a train window, the catacombs of the Colosseum, Eiffel Tower in the pouring rain, and French crepes...yum :) Hold it!... What is this authentic Venetian mask and oil painting of Paris doing on my dresser? Wait a minute...Did I really BACKPACK THROUGH ROME & PARIS?!?!

HaHA! I DID!!! No wonder I was craving gelato and crepes when I woke up! (This also explains why I crumpled to the floor when I got out of bed this morning- SO SORE! Backpacking through Europe on hyper speed + 1,000,000 stairs= Herculean legs of STEEL! ) I can't believe I spent the past week in Rome & Paris! It was the most awe inspiring and culturally overwhelming week of my life thus far! SO many priceless/ hilarious memories I will cherish forever, so in the words of Julie Andrews "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start..."

Like any good daughter before heading off to Rome & Paris for a week on her own, I Skyped my parents! They were practically saying their final farewells thinking something terrible was going to happen, but HAHA! I proved to them that I am capable of travelling through Europe without being "Taken" (Dad, do NOT watch that movie until I get back, ok? This is for you own peace of mind! I don't doubt you are as capable as Liam Neeson, but better safe than sorry!) And with that we were on our way!

 In general, it was a MIRACLE that we got everywhere without getting lost. I don't know why everyone was so worried, because all the Italians & French people we met were super nice and polite! We got in late Monday night to Rome Fiumincio (had to do the "Brussel Hussle" to not miss our lay over in Belgium!) and spent the night in the cutest family run motel close to the Sea (Glazed croissant for breakfast... its a real thing that should be monitored!) Tuesday was our 1st day in Rome, so after planning out our adventures (THANK YOU CIERA!), we took a train through the Italian countryside (dreams DO become reality!) to Vatican City, where (after a fun detour trying to find Wifi at a little pizzeria) we took a tour of the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel. SENSORY OVERLOAD #1 

This begins a very long stretch of Greek & Roman Mythology references that I KNEW! (Thank you yet again BYU class!) So can you see Aphrodite in the middle? Oh wait...that's me! *Toss. toss* Next on our list was the Pantheon, and after learning how to CORRECTLY use a map, we found it! We accidentally came in during a prayer service, so took a quick rest on the pews, hugged a pillar and were on our way...don't worry, its not normal :)

Next we found the Trevi Fountain (Lizzie McGuire Movie, eh?) and had to throw in a coin, right? Maybe we would become Italian Pop stars over night too! Sadly, no Paolo came to whisk me into a duet, but Poseidon was waiting for a wish!...

Turns out that by tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, it means you are destined to come back to Rome...not to find love :P Oops! Well that's good too! We had dinner at Sciarra Pizzeria with very friendly waiters (the most jolly old Italian man kept teasing us about coming back to Disco with him!) and we were very happy :) The only thing better than pizza in Italy is gelato from San Crispino's! Get Honey & Ginger/ Cinnamon flavor if you're ever in Rome= PERFECTION IN CHILLED SWEETNESS! We hiked to our hotel then crashed but not before entertaining ourselves with Italian SpongeBob Squarepants on TV! It was hilarious, but so is everything when you're exhausted from a day roaming through Rome :)

More "Roaming through Rome" to come tomorrow... :)

Day #19 & 20: "How happy some o'er..." about sunshine in London! :)

Day #19: "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East...and HOLY CRUMPETS! Is that the SUN?!" = My thoughts when I woke up on Saturday morning! It's been raining all week, so I was begging for a chance at Vitamin D. I totally get why so many British poets talk about the Sun... its a flippin' novelty here! Not wanting to waste this beautiful opportunity, we spent the day at Regent's Park, along with hundreds of other Londoners. (...yes, I'm a Londoner too. I now accept all perks and responsibilities to such title!). I now quote Prince Albert from The Young Victoria... "There's nothing to rival an English garden..." Amen, brother!

I should've lived in the Victorian Era! Forget air conditioning (hot? in London? HA!), cars (I'll miss you Honda Fit!), cell phones (no more instagrams and picstiches?!),  and TV (NBC is canceling SMASH anyways! I cry if I dwell on it...WHY?!), and bring on the teatime, carriages, high society, corsets and balls! Woohoo! Wait... no movies?! Ok, I cave! Don't think I could handle it...but maybe for a day! I'll just dream about it instead...(yup! That's a field of flowers, NOT snow!)

We swung by Portobello Road on the way home to pick up some trinkets we had our eyes for our family (Ciera, you're going to LOVE it!), and after successfully denying all the tempting treats, we made dinner (we were FAMISHED! A long day in the sun = eat everything at home! Go thing we walked about 10+ miles before! ) and headed once more to The Globe for A Midsummer Night's Dream. I was SO excited! This is my favorite comedy by Shakespeare ( #2 is As You Like It #3 Twelfth Night #4 Taming of the Shrew), so I made sure to elbow my way to the edge of the stage again! If you're not familiar with the play, its basically about four lovers getting lost in the woods and the chaos that ensues after fairies intervene. It's much more witty than that pitiful summary. Lysander was by far the most handsome *cough,cough* I mean most talented actor, and it was the best Shakespeare performance I've seen yet!

Oh! On the way to the show, we saw a film crew outside of St. Paul's! We freaked out and tried to get a closer look, but the cameramen didn't see the potential stars behind them... their lose! I can cross that off my bucket list next week ;)

Day #20: Happy Sunday :) My favorite day of the week! It only took us 2 hours to get to North London for Church... Progress, people! I was grateful for it because it gave me precious time to stop and think on all the blessings my Heavenly Father has given me, and what I want to improve on this following week. Being miles away from what you are used to and the normal routines that make up you daily life is the perfect chance to discover who you are! I am a silly and hopeful girl trying my best to be what Heavenly Father needs me to be for others. If its the roommate who goes on an hour excursion through South Kensington to find a doughnut with you or the crazy flatmate across the hall who keeps you laughing at being terrified of The Woman in Black, I'll be that! He has given me everything and the least I can do is pay it forward by making people's days a little more comical or happy.

Day # 16, 17, 18: How to Dance, March, & Survive 627 steps before Tea Time!

You know what I forgot about this Study Abroad in the midst of my adventures? The STUDYING part! Oops! Blogging has been harder to do lately with all the papers and reviews due in class...BUT! At least its not math or science homework... I would die. Give me a paper analyzing the similarities between putting on a play and marriage ANY DAY over Calculus :) Next to alliteration, metaphors are my favorite literary device (GEEK!) and there are quite a few in that prompt! See!...

"A marriage then becomes a live performance of the play. You must be aware of many technical elements in high stress situations and press on regardless of missed cues. There must be collaboration and communication between each other (whether actor and technician or husband and wife) for a lengthy run to be possible."

I was half awake writing this, and have never been married ( still waiting on Prince Harry though! Finding him and his sister-in-law has proven to be harder than I thought-DANG IT!), so hopefully I get an A! As a reward for stellar analyzing, we saw Billy Elliot Wednesday night and OH MY CRAZY! I got chills from that little boy's dancing- it was flawless! This song is my favorite...:)

Bah! No big deal, he's only like...12! He must have come out of the womb doing pirouettes, because I definitely did not, and I'm stuck between envy and awe! This wasn't the "Billy" we saw, but he's still just as amazing! I want to DANCE now! My friends and I have a "dance" for every adventure we've had since being in London, so at the end of our happy study abroad (NOOOOO! Won't. LEAVE!) be prepared for an epic music video ;) Maybe we can call up Billy Elliot to endow us with his magical dancing powers...nah!...I'll get a poster instead!

Day #17: Thursday morning in London...what do you do? (Mom will be happy now!) Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard *trumpet fanfare* and a hopeful glimpse of  the Queen! No such luck on seeing her though, BUT when we first arrived, her crest was flying on top of the palace for ten minutes before it was switch to the Union Jack! When the Queen is at the palace, her crest flies and when she is gone, the Union Jack flies. The first time the flag was ever flown at half mass was when Princess Diana died= Random fact of the day! A bit morbid :/ Anyways... it was so crowded! I didn't know what to expect, so we got there an hour and a half early and scored some awesome spots!...

Best time to be crammed together in a group of random people= when its COLD! Spring in London = Winter in Dallas.(That's 2 = signs 2 many...WHAT'S MATH?!?) They helped block the wind! Just when I thought it would never happen...the Guards came marching in! (I wanted to start singing "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In", but seeing as that's an American folk song, not so smart! But who knows! Half our hymns/ folk songs go back to the Motherland of England, so it could have worked! Probably would've gotten confused looks or maybe have even distracted the Guards! Oh! Or made them smile! Blast! Why didn't I do it!) It was quite the fanfare, and I bet they get tired swinging their arms like that...

We got the famous grilled cheese from Borough Market on the way back home...it was a delicious detour :) Later our group met up to see One Man, Two Guvnors which basically is the British Servant of Two Masters set in 1963, so hilarious, but some of the references blew over my head! Lots of improv too! They had a girl from the audience come on stage and get covered when the actors had a food fight! I WISH IT WAS ME! How fun :) That's on my bucket list...FOOD FIGHT! I wonder if I can check that one off in London ;)

Day # 18: Next to rainy days, London has A LOT of stairs... and St. Paul's takes the cake on stairs! 627 to the very top! It started off very pleasant with beautiful archways and lots of leg room, but the further up you got, the tinier and more claustrophobic we all felt. It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights or I would've cried!

My Shakespeare professor almost did- bless his heart! Imagine this face on him! We made it back down alright- FEEEW! I had a video with the epic view from on top, but all you can hear is the roaring wind and see my mouth moving like a fool! So as here is a video from the highlight of my week...Tea Time at The Orangery at Kensington Palace! We went right after and it couldn't have been more perfectly prim and proper!...

The actor in me wanted to step back in time and talk about the latest news of high society..."Did you hear that Lord Grantley is betrothed to so-in-so?" Every girly whim was satisfied today after 10 cups of tea! Yup! I literally soaked it all up! (Well, it was raining, so not everything.) With the tea house being next to Kensington Palace, we had to meander through the Gardens to fully complete the nostalgic afternoon...I survived it all (including a lot of rain!) and was very much satisfied!

Day #14 & 15 What the Crepe?! Helen Mirren, Victoria & Albert, Sherlock, & Churchill?!

Day #14: Ok, for starters...OH MY FANTASTIC!!! I MET HELEN MIRREN TODAY :D Does this make me fabulously famous by association?? (That's a lot of "F" adjectives- my love for alliteration has yet to diminish...I feel no shame!) More on that later, I was just too excited to keep it in! So we pretty much have the best professors ever because they make us peanut butter & lemon curd sandwiches for no other reason then "Your life will never be the same!" Turns out he was right! Look at that man go!

Some girls in our group initiated "Crepe Mondays" when we first got here, so we happily joined after class and were NOT disappointed with the results! How have I not gotten these angelic creations until now?! I must keep my distance and be satisfied with PB & LC as shown above! But who am I kidding?!

Not wanting to waste the vast cultural experience London has to offer, we made our way to The National Portrait Gallery (suffering from a TOTAL sugar overdose! Who'd have thought that 16th century busts could be so hilarious! Museum workers we not amused surprisingly- hehe! But karma had us crash by the Victorian Era paintings...that's #47 Stupid American moment!) that has the only surviving picture of Shakespeare drawn in his lifetime! COOL! Did you know that Princess Kate Middleton is the Patron of this gallery? I kept hoping she'd pop out from behind a painting or something, but she's probably busy trying not to pop right now! Later in the evening, our group went to see The Audience starring Helen Mirren as  Queen Elizabeth II and she was PERFECTION! Its about how the Queen has a private audience with the Prime Ministers behind that famous "10" door in Buckingham Place. Sounds boring, right? (For the "Joe Cool" American guys we sat next to, who were trying to invite us for a night out it was! They left right at intermission after we rejected their offer. They could barely stay awake the 1st half! And we don't do that, yo! BYU study abroad keeps it classy! ) It was witty and mesmerizing...so we waited to see Helen Mirren, AND....VOILA!

FINALLY! A successful encounter with a star! I even gave her the right ticket stub to sign, unlike my chance encounter with Luke Treadaway :/ WOOOHOOO! I have overcome my foot in mouth moment (though I'm sure there will be more to come!) and actually spoke coherent words with her. She said, " Oh I love seeing young girls at the theatre!" and I said, "YOU WERE AMAZING! *Insert nervous giggling*"... so we're getting somewhere!

Day #15: Who else is obsessed with Queen Victoria & Prince Albert after seeing The Young Victoria (starring Emily Blunt, also won best costuming in 2009- SEE IT!)...? Well, I am a HUGE fan and was practically giddy to see the V&A today for class.WOW...it is giant and we only saw a third of it! It houses some of the most historic pieces and artwork ever because Prince Albert loved the arts! Queen Victoria wanted to originally call it just Prince Albert's Museum, but they HAD to be together! Hopeless romantic tearing up, right here! Anyways...The main entrance housed mythological statues by Rodin and Miranda & I just about died because Rodin is a favorite... Geeking Out! Sorry! But it is my blog, so ha! I'll step off my soap box on priceless sculptors!...But look at this one! (Poseidon, watch it!)

We especially had fun in the theatre history exhibit with the costumes before heading to 221b Baker's Street where Sherlock Holmes lived! More costume role play! I could pass off as his secretary, right?

I'm pretty sure the guy dressed up as the Inspector behind me was "Kent" in the King Lear we saw on Saturday! That was in Greenwich... What was he doing here? Oh the life of an actor, I suppose! Still, talk about a small world... he recognized me from being on the front row and screaming in fright at a scary scene. I'm a wimp who couldn't handle a bloody Lear popping out, sue me! Go back to your post! Our next adventure was seeing the Churchill War Rooms from WWII in honor of my dad and Grandpa who love him! It's so crazy, because the rooms were forgotten after WWII and within the last few years were found in the exact same state as if they just left. I was so moved by the blood, sweat, and tears the men put in to keep the war rooms function. It wouldn't have been easy without a vivacious leader like Churchill, that's for sure! This one's for you, Dad and Papa! "Never was so much owed by so many to so few...Never, never, never give up!"- Winston Churchill

(Days #11, 12, 13) My Whimsical Weekend with Dukes, Towers... & Tennis?? OH MY!

What are your first thoughts when you hear (wait for it) ... BA-BADA BAH!...TOWER OF LONDON?! Gloom and doom, right? Most people think of the chopping blocks, crown jewels (NO GLOOM THERE! Holy Sparkles! There were so many gold and shiny things! I felt like a dog in a park full of squirrels...Diamond! Ruby! Pearls! AH!) and Anne Boleyn, right? Well so did I! But that was all before I bumped into a duke...;) It all started as a simple group excursion to another London landmark...but ended with a romantic rendezvous (not really not I like alliteration if you haven't noticed!) It was a cloudy (with no chance of meatballs) morning and adventure was just around (the river bend! ...ok, I'll stop!) the next looming corridor. Guess whats right next to it!

It's the TOWER Bridge, NOT the London Bridge... the locals are touchy about that- Oops! (My finger will now LIFT the bridge :D) Apparently the London Bridge is in San Francisco! Confusing much? I was! I need to pay more attention in class instead of daydreaming about HBs though, because this was clarified in class...hah! Here begins our journey...

First, we went through the Royal Armoury where I thought a knight in shining amour could be my love...

But sadly, I offended his honor when I said he suit wasn't that shiny...which resulted in this!

Needless to say, our relationship ended and I was left lonely... AGAIN searching for my Knight...or Duke! As we were walking out of the Crown Jewels exhibit, I noticed a group of people taking pictures with a man dressed in a regal red coat, so naturally I went over to inspect! It turned out being a young man dressed for the Costume reenactment, but being an actress I played along ;) He was James Scott the Duke of Monmouth and I was his Lady Wentworth...

You still don't believe that he loved me? Well here's proof in the first few seconds!...("You, Madame, cannot come close enough!")

It was a lovely afternoon in the Tower of London afterwards! Not even the block, shackles, or ghosts got me down! A little role play made my day :) (I rhymed!) We then walked across the Tower Bridge and got purposefully lost in Southwark for the rest of the day!

Day #12: On Saturday, we decided to take a step off the beaten track by going up to Wimbledon! Home of the Lawn Tennis Court Championship! I have always said that if I could pick a sport to be a pro at it would be tennis. Its one of the random facts I keep in my pocket when you're on an awkward date and the guy's like, "So tell me something random about yourself!" Can't you see a champion in that form?!

The Centre Court is further out from the actual town of Wimbledon which was adorable! We happened upon an art exhibit at the public library and found the best kept secret in local artists. I could live there eating crumpets for the rest of my life! And then stop my the Cafe at the tennis courts that is famous for its strawberries and cream :P

Later that night our group made the long trek to Greenwich (Prime Meridian, what!?) to see a production for King Lear. It was...interesting to say the least. I've never seen so much fog in my life! *Gasping for real air!* King Lear was actually QUEEN Lear, there was a blow horn between each scene, and Edmund was parallel gesturing (a BIG no-no in acting!). I have a feeling our class discussion on the production will be quite heated tomorrow! The real tragedy happened when we missed our train back home...I. Was. THIS! Close....

Day # 13: It was Stake Conference today for the London wards, and I was amazed by the dedication of the members who came from all over! Did you know that there are 3 other BYU study abroad groups here right now? A general, business, and accounting one! BYU takes London! The conference was broadcast from Salt Lake with Elder Richard G. Scott and President Henry B. Eyring addressing us. I was so touched by the love they expressed to the members, and then looking around and seeing the same love being completely reciprocated back in their eyes. SO humbling to be here... I took a walk in Hyde Park by myself today and it was the first time I've been alone in I dont know how long! Doesn't it look like I walked straight out of a BBC film?!

All in all, I rather enjoyed my weekend of Dukes, Towers, (stupid trains) & Tennis! Thank you, London for making everyday quite whimsical (if you're looking for adventure at least!)

Day # 10: "All the world's a stage..." When you're at SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE

Today was the pinnacle of my London theatre experience for I went to...*cue fireworks*... SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE!!! I wanted to put on a doublet and speak in iambic pentameter the whole day! (That wouldn't have worked since women didn't act in the English Renaissance...they were missing out!) We were allowed to see the exhibit before our group tour in the late morning and the theatre's history alone was fascinating! My favorite part was the costumes...I could totes be a merchant of venice, eh?

They also had this booth where you could hear past renditions of classic Shakespeare monologues... I had a little too much fun, especially when I saw that my favorite Shakespearean Actor Kenneth Branagh was up there...GEEKING OUT WITHOUT SHAME!

Took me long enough to notice I had an audience...Oops! Finally our tour guide took us into the Globe and I had a fit of theatrical nostalgia. (This quickly dissipated my frustration two minutes earlier while trying to master Temple Run 2 as a way to curb my impatience for the tour! Curse my slow reflexes! In 7th grade, we timed our hand eye coordination and I was the slowest...I got better! (name that movie!)) Although the original theatre burnt down and this present one was recreated in 1997, it still was magical to behold. It shows how valuable Shakespeare is to the British culture when you see how many donations were given to complete it (one lady noticed they were lacking wood and gave her very on oak tree from her backyard now seen in the benches of the balconies! Tender!) and research worked on to make sure every detail was as close to the real thing. Here is the inside :)...

There's more but not all are lovers of The Bard (crazy!) and I don't want to bore you...only show you how cool the inside is! We had a break before seeing The Tempest, and crossed off a big bucket list item = FISH & CHIPS! For the life of me, I cant remember what the pub was called where we got them! It's right by St. Paul's Cathedral though! Yum... its basically the American equivalent of getting a well done burger. It hits the spot :P

Rushing back over the Thames, we scored a "seat" right against the stage in the peasant standing section of the theatre! Guess who was going to be acting inches from my face...ROGER ALLAM (Original Javert in Les Mis) and Colin Morgan from Merlin! Score 2 & 3 for celebrity encounters!

The play was witty and whimsical! There is something so surreal about it being outside, and having the actors interact with you! Remember how I once thought I was impervious to rain? Well its still true! I didn't want to lug a jacket on what appeared to be a warm day, but ironically the weather wished to appeased the title of the play quite literally... it POURED throughout Act 2! I was soaked from the rain bouncing back off the stage too on top of the heavens raining down. The actors went on without a slip (literally!) and Allam had some epic moments when the rain seemed to bend to the will of his lines...ah! Live theatre! Do you see the puddles on the ground? Yeah, we definitely saw The Tempest!

By the time the show ended, the day was coming to a close and we were exhausted, wet, and on cloud 9 from the stellar performance! I've decided that if I could go back in time, I'd spend a day in the English Renaissance during the performance for the Queen of "The Twelfth Night" and see how Shakespeare's words revolutionized the literary world! How corny, but what do you expect from a romantic dreamer like me!

Day # 8,9: Charming Museums & Foot in Mouth Moments!

Day #8: I survived my 1st week in London! Well... survived makes it sound like a struggle when its been the COMPLETE opposite! (Minus the whole shower hating me...seriously though, it took 15 minutes to turn the dang thing on today! And the stakes where high (acting reference...wow this is a thought within a thought...INCEPTION!) because I had to be to the Museum of London in an hour and had just finished running in Hyde Park (pinch me!) on a surprisingly warm morning! What a tease, European Plumbing!) If you haven't realized already, I love it here. Even as a little girl, when people asked me "If you could go ANYWHERE in the world...where would it be?" I would answer with a resounding "LONDON!" This city is the setting for so many classic stories, so how can I stop myself from daydreaming! (By seeing a "Hot Buns" walk by! I think its a Wednesday thing, because yet again, we saw an increased amount of attractive British men today!

Ok, so the bottom left was too adorable.Talk about the picturesque Englishman! Do you see the matching green socks? PRICELESS! I could be entertained for hours on the Tube just people watching! Oh, which reminds me... two of the girls from our group were on the same Tube cart as Stanley Tucci yesterday...and talked to him! The cruel irony is that I was in the next cart! Bah! (He's from Devil Wears Prada, Hunger Games, and Easy A to name a few!) I WILL have a celebrity encounter (foreshadow for Day #9!) before I leave London... We spent a good chunk of the day at the Museum of London and it was a blast! I love museums (geeking out :P) and this one was unique in how it incorporated the old with the new elements of London's history. Shout out to my dad! You would have loved the WWII exhibit so much... the guns, memorabilia, and video would make you cry! I personally liked the Victorian Garden Party Exhibit where they had authentic gowns, and an interactive movie like Pride & Prejudice covering the walls! But the city's history is truly remarkable for how small the land is! London continues to fascinate me!

Oh, and they also had the ORIGINAL PETER PAN COSTUME from it 1st performance! Kind of spazzed out then...just a little. And if that bike was for sale, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! Later that night, our group went to see the "smashing" new musical Matilda based off of Roald Dahl's children's book. It was spectacular, hilarious, witty, and heartwarming! You really can't go wrong with any show on West End, but this try stands out because the little kids in the show are even better than the adults! Like they were hard core belting and dancing hip hop/ jazz with NO mistakes! Who are there's children and how are they so talented already?!

I know I'm abusing the picstich in this post, but they're effective you got to admit! That's "Ms. Trunchbull" the evil headmistress who was crazy... and also played by a man! Oh theatre and its tricks!

Day #9: Today was the first day I felt like things were starting to move faster...OH NO! By all means, move at a glacial pace! (name that movie! Hint...Stanley Tucci is in it!) Class sped by in the morning, leaving the afternoon open for thrift store grazing at the Camden Markets. Miranda totally scored, but I couldn't get over the beauty and classiness of this wonder...yes, the bottom is velvet.

After wandering around, we bummed into The Camden Eye Pub, which"The Best Pizza in Camden Town", and with our bellies grumbling, we dove in. Apparently Angelina Jolie went there and said it was the best pizza see had ever had, so naturally Miranda and I split the "How To Impress Angelina Jolie" pizza...it was divine!

I highly encourage going off the beaten track to find great hunts like these because they are the "diamonds in the rough" of fine foods! YUM! Well once we realized we were running out of clothes to wear, laundry time became necessary... where's my fairy godmother when I need her! On the plus side, I got to Skype my fabulous sister, Ciera, and baby Jax! Love you, travel agent! I'm bringing back the best chocolate as compensation! Then on a whim, we decided to try and to score tickets to the Tony Award Winning musical Once...here's our adventure in the tube!

WE GOT TICKETS!!!! We be lucking out! The show was based off the 2008 movie, featuring  music by Glen Hansard like "Falling Slowly" (top 10 favorite songs ever for me!) and left me in tears by its moving, yet simply realistic love story...I'm such a sucker!

Oh! Remember my vow to see a celebrity? It happened!!! After Once, we went to the Apollo Theatre were Siera lost her phone to double check, when out waltzes Luke Treadaway!!! He was "Christopher" in our favorite play The Curious Incident from Saturday afternoon! Miranda and I just stared with gapping mouths all while Siera talked to the stage manager...ermergeshchristopherimgonnapeethisisreallyhappening! Like the silly flustered girl that I am, I stumbled in front of him and stupidly gave him the 1st scratch piece of paper I could find = my receipt from Once! He looked at it then laughed at me! Did I care? Nope! Not one bit! Did I take the gold for stupid American moment champion...OH YEAH! This is what he looks like by the way (he won an Olivier award for best actor! The equivalent of a Tony in England! Booyah!