"If you don't like your life, you can change it"

I open with a title that is far more. On the london tube (their equivalent of the subway or t), there is a mass town overhaul to created artwork on the underground. plastered to a few of the walls is a huge poster, with spectacular artwork, that boasts this sentence: "if you don't like your life, you can change it".

Though this doesn't completely accurately represent my viewpoint (as i love my life!), it does summarize my feelings on this, my first, week abroad. I cannot eloquently and decisively put into words how i feel at the moment - i will need some time to match my spontaneity with linguistic integrity - but it has been absolutely amazing. to summarize it now would trivialize it. so i won't.

but i look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. i miss home so much, which surprises even me, since i will be returning to swarms of reporters and drunk italians (VIVA!!!!). but i can't wait to see everybody and sleep in my room in my house with all my friends and family closer than these 3000 miles away.

and yes, i got you all cool stuff.

i will see you soon. be good. and dad, stay out of the PUBS.

-kathi

ps mom, please file that prescription for me. k thanks.

From Angel to Victoria Station

Hi once again from london (by the time i leave this city i swear i'll find an interesting and non generic way of addressing these things!). Anyway, the trip has continued to just keep amazing me by getting better and better. Yesterday was a day filled with rides on the underground to london tower, where i spent the day walking in the steps of hundreds of famous members of history. absolutely beautiful and, don't worry, i took tons of pictures. The afternoon led us to the burough of westminster, where we saw all of london from the London Eye, the largest ferris wheel in the world, with glass capsules. It overlooks the thames and big ben and all of parliament and, well, everything else!

Today meant losing our ways. after an unfortunate split up, i ended up with the other girls at the national gallery. i saw the canvases graced by the brushstrokes of degas, cezanne, monet, manet, van gogh, lautrec, sisley, da vinci, botticelli, raphael, rembrandt and vermeer. to say the least, i was completely hushed by how breathtaking at the collected talent in such a small space. a work of degas was so beautiful it almost brought tears to my eyes! (all together now, awwwwww).

tonight brings me to the west end to see spamalot. honestly, being short on time, i wish there was more to write right now. the energy that i feel cannot be put into words, but is easily equivalent to the power of a sonic boom! i will fill you in on everything when i get home (as i gather you all presents!!!).

i miss you all and wish you were here. all my love always

kathi

ps. all the pregnancies are being covered over here. Gloucester High was the top story on the bbc the other day - 5 and 6 o clock news. we were also on the front page of london's major newspaper, and a segmant on a popular talk show. we've gone international, unfortunately.

Ello Loves! (the cheesiest/most generic "i'm visiting london" title ever)

Hello there from london. It is about 10 am here on pentonville street in london, england. that's about 5 in the morning for you guys across the pond. I'm not exactly sure what to say in this, but i guess i will make this as short and sweet and predictable as possible.

The trip over was excruciatingly long, considering that i arrived at heathrowe at midnight on home time...but it was about 5 in the morning here. we spent the next three hours taking the train and tube to our hotel. so yes, at our equivalent of 3 in the morning, i was dragging about 50 pounds of luggage through the london underground during their morning rush. then we proceeded to stay up all day. not the greatest choice, but still worth it.

The next day was filled with tourist-y musts; we took an extensive tour of the city, checking out westminster abbey, windsor castle (my new home, i've decided, if dad wants to splurge), and of course, the shopping district around Harrod's. Then we waited for a bus for an hour, one which never showed up (London transportation doesn't seem to agree with us). After arriving home at 11, we decided we were very much in need of some london night life. Our london experience thus took us to the Camden Head around midnight Saturday (London was very much still lively). For my parent's sake, we were very responsible and made good choices. For my friend's info, it was great and i'll tell you about it when i get home!

I'm here. I'm safe. I'm still in one piece. And i love and miss you all. I'll try to stay in touch on this borrowed computer, and hope you are all having half as much fun as me. See you on thursday!

-kathi