Before I get into my Thanksgiving plans, I should probably tell you about Rome! I had the time of my life, and I got to see the Colosseum, the Forum, Vatican City and the Trevi Fountain. The GELATO in Rome was much better than in Venice. I think it was my meal supplement for just about every meal Here is a picture of the SLU kids who visited Rome:

After Rome, I had a little time to relax. My friend Megan (from SLU) and I were both figure skaters. This week, we went to the largest outdoor ice rink in London. It’s in Hyde Park at what they call Winter Wonderland. Practically overnight, the park went from pure green to rides, shops and food stands everywhere. It was so much fun! As I said, I was a FIGURE SKATER…not a hockey player. At the rink, they only had rentable hockey skates. Here is a picture of me and Megan with our skates:

My roommates and I are jealous of all the Christmas decorating in London, so we decided to decorate our flat. Here is a picture of our beautiful two foot Christmas tree!

My friends have sort of become my family (even though it can never be replaced). Since I don’t have my mom, dad, sister and brother here, I have to improvise. I did not have dinner on Thanksgiving like most people, but that’s because my friends and I wanted to go somewhere that felt a little more like a home. As a result, we’re leaving today for OUR OWN COTTAGE IN WALES! There, we’ll make our own Thanksgiving dinner, explore the countryside, walk along the coast and sing songs by the piano…the whole nine yards, really. I can’t wait!

I miss my friends and family from back home a lot, and it’s never easy to be away from them on Thanksgiving. Luckily, I’ll get to see them in EXACTLY three weeks. I can’t believe the time has flown by.