A final cheers from London to you all! This will be my last update from the greatest city in the world. Let me put a list of expected statements out right now so I can get them out of the way: I’m leaving my heart in London; I can’t believe the time has passed so quickly; this experience has changed me; study abroad is amazing; I’m going to miss every person I have met so much; and I do not want to leave. Of course, every single above statement is very, very true. I’ve had the best possible time I could have imagined. I’ve made life-long friends with my international flatmates and my fellow American students. I traveled to eight different countries and met people from all over Europe. I took long walks around London and Athens by myself and learned so much about myself from being alone. I’m dating the sweetest, kindest English guy who has made my time in this country the best semester of my life. To put it easily, study abroad and London get an A+ and two thumbs up. To put it eloquently, I return to Trinity not only knowing more about literature, but about how independent I can be, how hard and deeply rewarding doing something new and scary can be, and how to love a city (and everyone and everything in it), with all my heart.

I know that was probably over-sentimental and sappy, but I mean every single word of it. I really can’t imagine how my life would have proceeded had I not chosen to come to London. It would have been fine, I suppose, but I know that everything that happened here was for the best and will influence just about every major decision I make for the future. I just feel wiser in all ways. Silly, yes, but true. I’m writing this on breaks from packing up my room. Alex took two days off of work so we can be together during my last minute London sightseeing (Tate Modern and St. Paul’s tomorrow, and then I go home the next day). I think we’re going for a pub dinner (aka...Thai food) tonight as a send-off to the grand institution of The Pub. I just returned a few days ago from a two week London and Italy trip with my family, and can’t wait to tell you all about it. Trust me, when I start up my internship (two days after I get back) and spend the rest of the summer in Katy, I will have plenty of time to tell you more tales from abroad (like Scotland and Barcelona). I will also be closer to my technically-inclined brother, who may be able to help me update past blogs with pictures I tried to load. All in all, don’t worry, you will be hearing plenty from me.

It’s just about dinner time here, so I should probably finish packing a suitcase and head out. But, I will leave you with that story about a celebrity encounter that I have been promising for ages. See, I’m very reliable! I hope you all enjoy it and I didn’t build it up too much. It was a great experience from my perspective, and I hope you can all imagine me just about losing it when this happened. I will try and get a picture of my face from my friend who witnessed the insanity. Cheers, and love from London!

The encounter:
My friends and I were walking back along the south bank from our first class at The Globe. The iTV studios are next to the National Theatre, and we noticed a small, grungy-looking crowd gathered at the back gates amongst the trees. Of course I go up to them and ask who they are waiting for, and they ignore me at first, but then I notice the glossy pictures everyone is clutching- of MARTIN SHEEN. So I tell my friends who it is and push my way back through the crowd to wait, chatting up a paparazzi guy while I wait. We wait about twenty minutes (and these fans are completely hardcore), when he finally comes out. There is so much pushing and shoving and downright violence to thrust a photo at Martin that I admit defeat and move away from this crowd. Suddenly, a young guy sees my dejected face and says, “Oi, do you want to talk to Martin?�. Ummm…YES. So he yells down to Martin, “Hey, Martin! We’ve got an American up here!� and Martin shouts, “Oh really? Where, I want to meet her!� and the crowd begrudgingly parts as I move to the fence to speak to Mr. Martin freaking Sheen. The conversation goes as follows (Martin is M, I’m A):
M- Hi! How are you? Where are you from?
A- Hi! I'm great, I'm from Texas!
M- Texas? What are you doing all the way over here?
A- Oh I'm a student, I'm going to school
M- OH, excellent, what are you studying?
A- (hmm famous actors wants to know what you study...), Drama!
M- Oh great! Where? At...RADA??
A- Oh no, at King's College
M- Oh is that a good school, I bet so
A- Yes, I really love it there
M- Great. Oh wait, I forgot to ask you sweetie, what's your name?
A- Mandy
M- M-a-n-d-y?
A- Yes that’s it
M- And where do you live in Texas?
A- Houston, have you been there?
M- Right right, it’s nice I like it. So having any luck with drama?
A- Oh it’s going alright I suppose
M- well Mandy, best of luck to you, keep on going. Are you having a good day?
A- It's great now that I've met you. Thank you so much, have a good day!
M- You too Mandy!

He signs my folder, “To Mandy, Best of Luck and Peace, Martin Sheen, London, 4/23/08�. And that is how I met Martin Sheen and nearly had a heart attack.