Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

(Merry Christmas for those back in the states…)

I just wrapped up my first semester of grad school. Yay!

Now that I have a whole week before I come home, I decided I want to be a tourist.

After all, I have to do Christmas in London right, and I’m cataloguing my adventures so my grandma can follow my blog (hi grandma!).

To start, I paid a visit to Trafalgar Square to see the tree that Norway gives London every Christmas.

Christmas markets (German-style) are huge here. They have booths that sell everything imaginable.

The London Eye isn’t super Christmas-y, but I enjoyed myself.

Oxford Street is quite festive this time of year.

Then it was off to Covent Garden.

Lovely!

 This just felt so London Christmas.

In Hyde Park, there’s a huge winter-themed carnival called Winter Wonderland. My sweet boyfriend Tom took me on the ferris wheel. This was at the very top.

Our church put on a 40’s themed Christmas dinner last weekend. The committee did a wonderful job with it.

As corny as it sounds, Christmas is truly magical here in London. I’m grateful I get to experience part of my holiday season here.

Before my mom gets worried, I am excited to come home, too. I can’t wait to be back in the states, especially after seeing this shop during today’s adventures.

Not thinking there’s a whole lot of American flare there.

Til the next adventure, 

Wendy

Spread the old people Love!

Hilo!

Usually it takes a lot more than my mom and my sister badgering me to update, but then once
my roommate Katherine started to, I knew it was time.

Life's good! The radio show is grand! And I have an adorable puppy waiting for me at home (who is now 1 years old!)

All & all I'd say I'm a pretty happy girl!

Thanksgiving was AMAZING!!! I absolutely adore my family <3 Thank you Auntie Laurel and Uncle Gavin for hosting again this year!

aren't they the cutest :D

Grandpa, Gavin, and Ryan

This one takes the gold! Gosh, I love them :)

Can I just say, some things never change. My sleeping schedule, like my fathers, is way out of wack. One night I couldn't sleep. So me being me, I decided I didn't want anyone else to sleep either. After making sure my roommate was awake, I went into my other roommate's room and asked, very quietly, if they were awake. After no response I yelled ,"are you awake now?!"

They woke up :) and I'm sure they love having me for a roommate!

And so it was, we were all up until 7 am! I think the lesson learned from that was when Michelle's awake, everyone's awake. Yay!


I love sleep overs, I had this marvelous idea that we should all sleep in the same room :) After making the boys stack up our furniture, we laid out our mattress'. Party!

It's hard being fancy when you're in college living on a dollar. But we make it happen! Starting with a free, on-campus, play, followed by Olive Garden! For no reason :)

Plus a movie night after! (Tommy Boy)

Tonight we went caroling, mostly around old-folk neighborhoods (my favorite genre of people in the world), my roommate Katherine and Rachel were running around knocking on doors, and when they first opened their doors they looked sorta grumpy, then when they saw we were caroling, their faces lit up! It was AMAZING, and my heart swelled up! Yeah, I understand that making old people smile isn't something to be too thrilled about, but I for one find joy in it :D Spread the old people love! Also it was cute when all the little kids ran and pressed their noses on the screen door.

Needless to say, I am so blessed! And as the holiday comes around, I'll be giving away all my money to those people with bells in front of grocery stores, but I don't mind! Because I love it!

Thank you for reading this far! and...Wendy comes home in less than 2 weeks!

<3.michelle

Viva Barcelona!

Hola! I apologize it’s taken me forever to update the blog. Life caught me up in whirlwind and I don’t know where time’s gone.

Now without further ado, BARCELONA!

Day 1- La playa (beach)

It was literally two minutes away from our hotel. It was 74 degrees and absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t believe I was in a swimming suit in the middle of November. Nicole and I certainly enjoyed a day “a tomar el sol” (sun tanning). I was so excited to be on the beach in Spain that I decided to go running a little bit on the shore. Nicole told me she was just relaxing and when she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see me jogging and skipping down the beach front. I couldn’t help myself!

Day 2- Las turisticas (The tourists)

I’ve always wanted to do one of those hop on-hop off tourist buses, and I thought Barcelona would be the perfect chance. Beforehand, we went to a buffet called Fresc Co where I got to try paella and couscous. I asked the nice man for a piece of fish (un pescado, por favor) and he smiled and said, “Ah, Americana?” I said, “Si” as he took my plate. He was giving everyone else a small piece of fish off the grill, but he heaped mucho pescado on my plate and handed it back. He grabbed my hand and said, “You a beautiful girl. For you, big fish.” That’s when Barcelona won me over :)

The major attraction I wanted to see was La Sagrada Familia, which is a beautiful cathedral. It was never completed in Gaudi’s time, and it remains unfinished permanently. It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t believe how massive yet intricate it was.

I took this fotografia for Cole. It’s the FC Barcelona stadium! I bet it would be wild to watch a match there.

Another Gaudi masterpiece. I think I want a wavy exterior on my future home.

We also went to Park Guell, which has some beautiful architecture too with color tiles.

We finished off our tour with a quick stroll down La Rambla, the most famous street in Barca. I wasn’t intending on buying anything else besides the gift souvenirs I already got, but something caught my eye.

How could I resist? A euro fifty for gelato? It’s a no-brainer, especially when it looked that good.

Nicole and I decided to sample each other’s flavors.

Another perfect Spanish day. Coming home, we accidentally got on the wrong bus. I asked el conductor if he spoke English. He responded, “No.” Suddenly it was a test to see if I actually learned anything from those Spanish classes I took during my undergrad. Surprisingly enough, I remembered a lot more than I thought. It sure came in handy as he instructed me on how to take two more busses to get back on track. We found our way to the mall so Nicole could get some souvenir high heels and we headed back to the hotel. I finished off the day by watching some Spanish television. They have a channel completely dedicated to FC Barcelona. It was so fun to watch Messi highlights!

Day 3- La Playa (again)

When you’re staying close to the beach, you have to go as much as possible, right?!  It was little bit colder this day, so we didn’t swim. We had fun taking pictures of each other, though, and enjoying the beauty of the Mediterranean.

We had an early morning flight the next day, so we ended up staying up the whole night talking. So much fun, even if we were exhausted!

I had a blast suspending winter for a while and soaking in the Spanish rays. It’s crazy to think the next plane I get on will be taking me home to the states for Christmas! Where does time go?

Hasta la vista (baby)!

Con mucho amor,
Wendy

Proof that I go to class

Since many of my loved ones back home are questioning whether or not I'm actually attend school out here, I present you with today's blog post.

Yesterday we put on a live news broadcast for class.

My teacher assigned me the role of editor, which made me super nervous! He emphasized that if anything went wrong during the broadcast, it’s ultimately the editor’s fault. I had a co-editor, Patrick, which made me feel better because we could split the blame!

Patrick and I at our morning editorial meeting

Luckily, our group was able to pull it out in the end, despite several hiccups along the way.

When one of our stories fell through, I knew we needed to fill in the time at the end, so I suggested we do a weather bit.

Everyone else was off filming and editing, so I had to film the segment. I may have a future in meteorology…just kidding!

It was a truly amazing experience to see how our class really came together. Someone would scream, “I need a tripod!” and the next second, one would be flying across the room.

Fixing my earpiece, and apparently staring longingly at our logo

We knew we were going live at 4 p.m., and we stuck to that. Even though we had to drop two stories at the very end, we made our deadline.

I haven’t been that stressed in a while, but I feel like that stress really helped me push myself and push others around me.

If you want, you can check out our broadcast here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrznEPM0lg&feature=youtu.be

My "weather girl" segment starts at minute 7.

Tonight I got to meet an Indian queen!

She spoke at the university’s International Scholarship Recipient Banquet. She was absolutely lovely. (She’s the one to my right.)

When I received the invitation, it cracked me up because they requested that all participants wear national costume.

I’m still trying to figure out what the United States’ national costume is…

Some helpful classmates suggested I be a cheerleader, a cowboy, or a pioneer.

I thought of being a handcart-pushing cowgirl with a mean high kick.

Regardless, I was impressed with the beautiful costumes of Kazakhstan, India, Spain, and many others.

Then my flatmate Gen and I had to take advantage of the gorgeous rain outside.

Isn’t she lovely?

 

So here it is. This is officially proof that I do go to class. Yes, I do more than just travelling. No really! Except at the end of next week when I go to Barcelona. Perhaps that undoes my entire argument…

Only 7 weeks until I’m back in my home country for Christmas. Maybe I can figure out the national costume while I’m there.

Love to all!

What am I doing here? (and other frightening questions)

I had one of those moments this week.

It was the kind of moment where I completely re-evaluated my life.

Do I actually like journalism? If not, what am I doing here?! Those were my questions coming back from class on Monday.

I mean, seriously, I’m doing a master’s program in journalism. Most would say that’s a little late in the game to be having an identity crisis.

The doubt was spurred by frustration with my perceived inabilities in journalism. That night, I let it consume me.

Then Tuesday came, and I worked with my great colleagues Bibek and Stefania on a story about a local library closing. As we edited the footage, something changed in my attitude. I saw the passion in a resident’s face as she talked about the archaic structure she loved which was boarded up by the city council. She was fighting with everything she had to change the minds of those in power. We were giving her a channel to say those things. Then I remembered something my professor said on the first day of class.

It’s all about people.

That’s why I am a journalist. I am here to give the people a voice, especially those who otherwise have no other outlet. If one person is helped because of something I do, all of the frustration of learning will be worth it.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that just because I’m in a master’s program doesn’t mean I’m supposed to be a master at this. I’m here to learn and progress. I’ve noticed that some level of discomfort comes with every form of growth, and I can’t wait to see how far I go.

Ultimately, I need to keep in mind that what I do is not for good grades . It’s not to win awards or impress very important members of society.

It’s about people.

If there ever comes a time when my motivation is anything other than people, I will take it as my cue to find a new profession.

Until then, I write on.

If you're interested, here's our finished library video: http://youtu.be/QylIezUSM3M

Cheese and...more cheese.

I had the world’s greatest grilled cheese sandwich.

No, seriously.

Kappacasein is a famous cheese stand located in Borough Market, and it is delicious.

I don’t know what they do to it, but it has garlic, onion, leeks, and their famous cheese on homemade sourdough rye bread.

 Nicole and I quite enjoyed our cheesy venture, as you can see by her satisfied expression.

Then it was off to Portobello Market. 

It’s literally one road chocked full of vendors selling everything you could ever think of.

I don’t know why, but seeing this bus made the whole market seem legitimate.

Afterwards, we found a tasty Mexican food restaurant, as we are wont to do.  Then Nicole humored me in my request for McDonald’s soft serve ice cream. That 59p bit of frozen-ness makes me happy. I can’t explain it.

A few days previous, our church group had a boat dance activity. It was the perfect night to be out on the Thames!

The people on the boat were so fantastic! There really is nothing like London at night.

Last weekend, my lovely friend Dee showed me an amazing view St. James’ cathedral. It is phenomenal.

Oh and on our way back, I saw a pink hummer limo. It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but I'm pretty sure I'll own one when I become rich and famous.

Things are going well on this end of the pond. The weather is definitely starting to change, which is always exciting. I’m preparing myself for the freezing cold winter of England that I hear so much about.

I do have a ticket booked for Barcelona in a few weeks, which should help me transition into winter with greater ease :).

Hope you all are well.

p.s. Huge shout-out to my Cougars for the big win yesterday!

p.s.s. Shel, I totally listened to Josh Groban while writing this. Just thought you should know I took Joshy with me to the UK. Love my life.

Que Sera, Sera

Hello Hello!
This is DJ eM reporting LiVe from the aggie radio station located in the TSC.

You're going to want to stick around because coming up we have the GOOD the bad and the ugly on what's been going on so far in Michelle Anstead's life.

This is going to be good stuff, so you won't want to touch that dial!

Did you catch a glimpse of my radio voice? Maybe? If not, then that's just OK because every Saturday from 12-2 you can catch my show on

http://www.usu.edu/radio/

^^ this link right here :)

Pretty neat!

Alright alright, enough promo. Back to the good stuff :)

Parade:
I had the marvelous opportunity to participate in a parade! (good alliterations?)

It was so much fun!!! I wish I could be in a parade every day! I absolutely LOVED getting the kids all excited for candy, and every time I shouted "GO AGGIES!" or something to that extent, the crowd went crazy! They were so adorable, all waving and what not.

I thought it was the coolest thing when we went under a red light

Taylor Swift Concert:

2 Taylor Swift tickets have been collecting dust on my wall as of late spring 2011. Last week, my brother Cole and I had the opportunity to GO to the concert and make good use of those tickets :) I cried. Taylor was AMAZING. Cole was AMAZING! The portly man that gave me $20 sitting behind us was AMAZING!


Impromptu:

go with the flow....

That is honestly how I run my life. Yes be prepared, No don't procrastinate. But, when something unexpected happens, or something that you never planned goes down, Que Sera, Sera ya know?

Allow me to make you a list of things I did last week that I didn't plan on until that moment:

-Spending the night in American Fork
-Spending all day Thursday in American Fork
- Lying to my teacher to get out of a test
- Spending Thursday night in American Fork
- Having dinner with my mom :)
- Spending yet another night in American Fork
- Spending all day Friday in American Fork
- Going to the USU vs. BYU in Provo with my dad and my brothers (wearing a plain blue shirt...)
- The shuttle ditching my father and I at the Salt Lake Airport
- Chasing down a shuttle that Saturday morning
- Crazy customer service that refused to answer the phone
- My dad and I laughing about it
- Road trip to Logan with my dad
- When we finally did pass the shuttle it disappeared. No really, it did.
- Brigham City temple trip
- McDonald's Monopoly is back...
- First time radio show was awesome!!
- Bear Lake/shakes/ aunt Marie's house (Canyon was so beautiful...my goodness)
- Dinner date with my dad in my cafeteria
- Best weekend ever!!!

My dad and I after we realized there was no catching the shuttle, we're funny.

Just go with it you guys! You never know :)


Zombies vs. Humans

This school is weird. One day you're a human and the next you're a zombie.
Well, only for the days of Oct 3-7.

It's basically like a giant game of tag played all over campus. The humans use Nerf guns to shoot the zombies, and they're stunned for 15 min. All the zombies have to do it touch you and you turn your card over to them and you're a zombie.

You sign up online and they gave us all cards with an ID# on them, as well as a bandana where one side said "Human" and the other side said "Zombie."

Everyone starts out a human except for maybe 4 or 5 zombies. This year we had over 800 people sign up. We also had a combined game with Arizona State.

It was intense. So intense that by the third day, there were over 400 zombies, and less than 350 humans. All of my roommates were zombies by the fourth day, and I was the lone human.

It was so much fun though! I shot a zombie!!

I didn't show up to the final battle, I was too busy watching USU kick Wyoming's trash in the football game. But I guess humans won? I think?

my "human" arm band. woo!

Isn't life fun? Even with all the messy bits, I enjoy it quite a lot.

The colors are changing, and it's getting COLD.. way cold

Oops, I just missed a study session typing this blog! Oh well, I think I'll set up for a dance instead... que sera,sera?

That's all I've got for the time being. Till then, enjoy yourselves!

--michelle a.


more pictures from bear lake..



...my camera obviously did NOT do the colors justice.