Teasers phone pics.

On way to Croatia!!

(Bye London!!) 

(View from my friends apartment) 

(Pano shot of dubrovnik !! 💛)

(I have never seen such a clear amazing blue. Pics can't do it justice) 

(This is my friend Juli.) 

(Not the Thames) 

(Random beach on random adventure ) 

(Whuuuut) 

(Abandoned hotel. It was bombed in 1991 ) 

(Part of my day tomorrow will be sitting here watching the waves) 

On the way to Croatia

Let me tell you about the chaos of my day. It seemed so easy. My flight didn't go out until 450 which means I had plenty of time to get everything done that I wanted to and make it to my flight in plenty of time. I did a few "I'm going to Croatia" jigs.. Some special song and dance that will not ever be repeated.

I checked and rechecked my bags.. I made sure I had the basic necessities for my venture. So I departed at the proper time to catch my transport. (Overground to the underground and switching to another underground to the airport.)

Oh crap I forgot that one thing!
Do I need that one thing?
It wouldn't hurt.
Probably a good idea.
I will go grab that one thing.

I depart again and make it to the overground train in the nick of time. Bam. Easy.

Wrong direction! Wrong direction!!
Why isn't my phone working!
I went the wrong direction!!

Panic and hop off next stop to run around to the other side for the correct direction. Whew!

The next train for my destination doesn't come for 20 minutes.
Craaaap...

Do some math and configuring... Instead of waiting I opt to hop on the next train, transfer to the underground.. And make 3 transfers.

Was this the best decision? Not sure. But I did it. And I made it to the airport in plenty of time.

Airports don't announce the gate until 40 minutes before the flight goes out.. So I wander and wait for that oh so important message to come..

It doesn't. The board says we must wait until 1605. It's 1605... 1610... 1612... Please wait.... 1615... 1620.... I've been staring at this board for 15 minutes...

I'll go ask those ladies.
I ask the ladies. They are perplexed. I'm trying to appear calm when utterly panicked.
Plane has landed.. Not sure why it hasn't changed. Just wait..

We're supposed to be boarding now.. I have tight schedule to keep. Panic panic panic.

1625... 1630.... 1633.... A20! Go go go!

Old man stops me. I'm easily suspicious. And I need to get to my gate. He asks if he can use my eyes.
Absolutely, I say.
Zagreb. What gate does that say.
I know without looking.
A20!
Are you sure?
Yes. That's where I'm going too.
Nice old man.

We get to the gate. Told to wait. Starts to board. First class etc.
We will board by row! She announces. Rows 20 and up first.
Bah-da-bing. Sweet. I'm in 23. I feel triumphant as I weave back and forth back and forth back and forth. Now I feel ridiculous. Back and forth. The lady is arguing with an older lady. (Not old just older) You have you wait your turn. Were only doing these rows. Old lady goes away I'm huff. We slowly proceed to man ticket taker.

Now the lady is asking a man if he went through the line or went around and cut the lot of us.
I went through the line.
Did you go around this way?
I went through the line.
Sir, did you cut through the line.
Have it your way. (Off in huff)

There will be no line cutting today, suckas!

I get on flight. We've left the ground 40 minutes after we intended. I'm concerned but not panicked.
It's fine. I'm fine.

Were getting off the plane when my next plant is boarding.
Concern and panic.
They open both front and rear if plane to let people off.
So smart.

We get on shuttle bus and wait. And wait. And wait.
Concern and panic. Let's go. Let's go. Doors close and we go.
Okay! It's okay.

We get to the airport and we have to get our passports checked. Here?! Now?? My flight is leaving in 20 minutes or less...
Expletives...

Finally get through line of line cutters and follow directions to domestic flight. After all I am.. Zagreb to dubroshnik.. I exit to the main part of te airport ! Oh no!!
No no no.
I get to security gate close to tears. I Tell the lady my plight.
No you're in the right spot, she says.
Not helpful at all, I think.
15 minutes till my flight leaves.
I go through security again. Rip off my sweater and dump my boots into the tray.

I go through detector. No beep. Win.

But I had put water in my water bottle in London not realizing I would go through friggin security again. The security guy gets the bottle, tells me not to go anywhere, and I grab my things. He comes back with an empty water bottle.
10 minutes before departure.

I rush forward only to realize I have no idea where I am going or what gate. I find a sign. All hail, it's right in front of me.

I sigh in relief and come forward checking that I'm in the right place.

Yes, get on the bus.
I made it.

Now all I have to do is land and catch the 2230 bus to meet juli. It departs in 34 minutes I am currently up in the air.

Maybe it will be like the airport in Ireland where it's uber small and I just have to go outside. Maybe getting out of the airplane and airport will only take 5-10 minutes. And all will be well.

Thankfully, God heard my prayers in the midst of my cursings.

Nothing quite like..

A Primary Children's Christmas program to really put you into the right spirit of family and Christmas. The mom of the kids I babysit is the primary president of her ward.. She had mentioned on several occasions that she had been stressed about the program. Did I offer to help? No. Not at all. That didn't even cross my mind until now. 

But I wanted to come! 

And that was today. 

So lets set the scene of the front of the chapel with little munchkins from ages 4-11. They would systematically go to the front and say their line.. Share their stories and their testimonies. It was great. A periodic song in between. 

I think some of my favourite moments involved this trio of boys. There was one in the centre (the one I babysit) that spent the intro to the song messing with the microphone. He may have had a purpose but he seemed to just be messing with it. He opted to leave it alone once they started to sing. And he carried his own.. Loudly and slightly off key. And then sometimes he would forget the words and just kind of mumble along with them... And hey.. I know I do this sometimes in choir when I just cant hit that note.. but he was right in front of the microphone. You know when he was singing and you absolutely knew when he stopped. It was hilarious. 

Then there was this little asian girl that had three pig tail buns on her head that I swear to you was rocking-out during one of the songs.. Head banging and then stopping to look around... And then rolling her head around rocking out to whatever song was playing in her head. She was clearly having a good time. 

And there was also this little girl.. I'm thinking 4-5. Blonde hair and pigtails that was kind of just standing there swaying to the song and then would catch on that she knew the words... And-she-would-BELT-it. It was so absolutely fantastic. She knew a lot of the songs too, which would just add such a special flavour to the songs. Whenever she would stop I would just wait until she would catch the words again. What was amazing to me was when she got up to give her part of the program. She got up on the stool with her paper and said her piece clearly and distinctly. I swear, I think we've got a little Matilda on our hands. 

I love Christmas.
I love primary programs. 

I love kids. 

Tentative Plan

My roommate was just giving me her 5 year plan of when she would have a house of her own... To decorate in her own way.. To have her own kitchen appliances.. That kind of stuff. It sounds wonderful actually.

But I have a tentative plan for now. Not the kind that I get to buy my own kitchen appliances and a house of my own... but.. the next year or so.

Ready? Okay.

So in the next month or so I have 2 papers to write and an annotated bibliography.
Then I will travel and see Christmas markets in France, Belgium, and Germany..

Christmas Christmas Christmas....

Apply for part time job.
Apply for internships at publishing houses around here. Some of them offer 2 week internships just to rotate through people and so you can get your feet wet.

Awesome.

Then I will win the hearts of those I come into contact with, as I regularly do through awkwardness, weird Amanda-isms and baked goods.

School is finished in March BUT my dissertation is due in August.. with other papers due in March and May. (o.o)

Friends and family will come and I will show them my city. (Kaylie in March , Ileah in April , Krista, Trisha and Josh in Summer , Mom and Stan (for graduation?), etc) 

And then, those publishing people who I have won over with my charm and work ethic will say,
"Yes, Amanda. Please intern with us full time this summer."

Then I will get awesome job experience. Continue to go on adventures and travel..

And then when I graduate, whenever THAT is.. I will apply for jobs IN:

Seattle (YAY)
SLC
San Fran

I will return home in glory with awesome pictures, ridiculous stories, and that annoying habit to compare things to "that one time when I was living in London."

I will find a car, settle down in the city of my choosing, and start paying off the mounds of debt that I have put on myself.

But all will be well because at that point I will have an apartment with my best friend (who is keen on moving out of Utah by now and to Seattle.. and I will have bribed her with a sun/happy lamp to deal with the dreary winters) and we can decorate however we want.

And I will buy cool kitchen appliances.

London Days Photos

 This is Jess & Aimee. (if you look closely in the back you can see me and shauna in the reflection...) BUT we were about to go on a grand adventure around London

 Oxford Circus

 Day wanderings and new places... 

 (that's rather high praise..) 

 Old vs New

(happy halloween...)