After a long journey, we finally made it home. We went to Manchester Friday night and spent the night in the airport with about 8-10 other Central students. Some of us got some shut eye but others just played cards and hung out. We did use the check in scales in the terminal to weigh out luggage. Of course they were all overweight so we had to do some adjusting. I think other than some lotions and other liquid things, we were able to fit it all in our carry-ons or in other people's bags. Our flight finally took off about 10:35. We got a full meal and then another snack/meal, watched movies, slept, and 8 hours later we were in Chicago. We didn't have any troubles getting through customs or getting our luggage! My parents were there to meet us and we drive back to Oxford where Derek's mom, Amy, and my brothers were waiting with a home grilled meal ready to go. We had grilled pork and fresh vegetable salads. It was delicious!! Afterward, a bunch of family came out for dessert before Derek and his mom left to Pella. They also made it back safely so all is well.
So even though we are very tired and probably a bit smelly, it feels great to be home. We are ready to spend some time in Iowa, enjoying all that it has to offer! We still have more pictures ad stories so this blog is not done even though we are both home. But of course since, we are here, and we would love to hear from you and catch up with all that has been happening. Let us know if you have any questions about this last semester!! Well, considering that it is 6:40am back in Bangor, I think I am going to head to bed. Glad to be home and hope to see everyone soon!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Last Post from Wales
Well folks it has been 144 wonderful days since we wrote our first blog. We have done a lot and gone through a lot in that small amount of time. Many of you back home and even to us it may seem like forever since you have seen or spoke to us. It feels as though we just got settled in and used to our surroundings. We have just got figured out many new things and adjusted to a new way of life. We are now coming back home and again we will have to readjust. The biggest difference at first will be the time change.
These past few days since we returned from Poland we haven't done much except pack, take some last few pictures, and prepare for our return home. Last night we all went out together and had one last supper together with Tecwyn. It was good time for everyone. We hung out the rest of the night and just enjoyed being together for one last time in Wales. Today we packed up boxes and suitcases and ate any food we had left over. Anna and I had very little food left we planned the meals out just right. Tonight we are ordering pizza from the Pizza House one last time.
We are heading to the airport tonight in Manchester at 8:16 and spending the night there for our flight at 10:40 tomorrow morning. There are about 15 of us Central students going to the airport tonight the other five will leave early tomorrow morning for the airport. Anna and I will arrive in Chicago at around 1 o'clock. Anna's parents are picking us up and then we are driving back to Iowa City where my mom will meet us. It will be another long day of traveling. If there is one day that we are ready for a long day of traveling it will be this one. It has been a long sobering day. Packing everything up and saying good bye to Tecwyn.
We are ready to get home. We don't have much money left and our parents would both like us to be home. We are for sure going to miss Wales and the people we met here. We will probably be back at some point in the future, not any time soon though.
I would say that we are anxious and excited. I don't think that we will get much sleep tonight especially in the airport.
This is by no means our last blog we will let you know when we make it back to the United States and how things go our first week home. We also have a few more pictures to put up. We would just like to thank you for your prayers, letters, emails, and for following our journey, even though it may not have been very easy at times. We have fully enjoyed the opportunity to not only be abroad especially in Wales but also to be able to share it with all of you. It makes the experience so much more enjoyable if you have friends and family to share it with you even though you are six hours and 3,500 miles away.
SEE you in the states!!!
These past few days since we returned from Poland we haven't done much except pack, take some last few pictures, and prepare for our return home. Last night we all went out together and had one last supper together with Tecwyn. It was good time for everyone. We hung out the rest of the night and just enjoyed being together for one last time in Wales. Today we packed up boxes and suitcases and ate any food we had left over. Anna and I had very little food left we planned the meals out just right. Tonight we are ordering pizza from the Pizza House one last time.
We are heading to the airport tonight in Manchester at 8:16 and spending the night there for our flight at 10:40 tomorrow morning. There are about 15 of us Central students going to the airport tonight the other five will leave early tomorrow morning for the airport. Anna and I will arrive in Chicago at around 1 o'clock. Anna's parents are picking us up and then we are driving back to Iowa City where my mom will meet us. It will be another long day of traveling. If there is one day that we are ready for a long day of traveling it will be this one. It has been a long sobering day. Packing everything up and saying good bye to Tecwyn.
We are ready to get home. We don't have much money left and our parents would both like us to be home. We are for sure going to miss Wales and the people we met here. We will probably be back at some point in the future, not any time soon though.
I would say that we are anxious and excited. I don't think that we will get much sleep tonight especially in the airport.
This is by no means our last blog we will let you know when we make it back to the United States and how things go our first week home. We also have a few more pictures to put up. We would just like to thank you for your prayers, letters, emails, and for following our journey, even though it may not have been very easy at times. We have fully enjoyed the opportunity to not only be abroad especially in Wales but also to be able to share it with all of you. It makes the experience so much more enjoyable if you have friends and family to share it with you even though you are six hours and 3,500 miles away.
SEE you in the states!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Krakow, Poland
Well we will try not to end our whole semester and expeience abroad on a sour note. It seems like a sorrowful trip to take especially the last week we are in Europe but it is worth the experience and time to honor those that suffered and died. However, to ignore and disregard the tradgedy of the Holocaust and the effect WWII had on the whole of Europe would be far worse.
We started off the day with a short... one hour bus ride out to Auschwitz KL 1. The Auschwitz camp is actually divided into three camps. Auschwtiz 1, Auschwitz 2 (Birkenau), and Auschwitz 3. We only visited 1 and 2. There isn't much left of Auschwitz 2, Auschwitz has been turned into a museum and most of the buildings are still standing. The reason we chose to see Auschwitz I suppose over a camp that was still standing or complete today is the fact that this is where close to 2 million people lost their lives and stands as a remembrance to the evil and extent of mass murder that was the Holocaust. This is were the Germans executed the Final Extermination.
We had a two hour tour of Auschwitz 1 and then a short break and drive to Birkenau and a 20 minute tour there. Auschwitz 2 is the more recognizable of the two because of its size and entrance. At Auschwitz 1, an old Polish Army barracks, their is one crematory and many brick buildings and storehouses used for the prisoners. As I said there wasn't much at Birkenau so you were just looing at the bunks and barracks and the buildings that were left trying to piece the picture back together of 100,000 prisoners being held there. It was a humbling experience going through all of them and trying to imagine what it would have been like there 55 years ago. It is hard to think of what living through all of that would have been like, or even today what people are going through. It puts a lot of things in perspective as you are actually at the place where these things took place. However there wasn't much of Europe that wasn't touched during the war either so you could literally be about anywhere. We had a good night just hanging out and we watched a movie, The Pianist. I had already seen it so the rest were surprised by its intensity however considering we were in Poland it was somewhat fitting I suppose.
We are flying out tomorrow at 10 am and should be back in Bangor at around 9 pm so it will be a day full of traveling however it will be relaxing. We have a straight trip back to Bangor from London with no changes. Then we have two days in Bangor before we will head to Manchester to fly out. It is getting late the sun rises early. Later.
We started off the day with a short... one hour bus ride out to Auschwitz KL 1. The Auschwitz camp is actually divided into three camps. Auschwtiz 1, Auschwitz 2 (Birkenau), and Auschwitz 3. We only visited 1 and 2. There isn't much left of Auschwitz 2, Auschwitz has been turned into a museum and most of the buildings are still standing. The reason we chose to see Auschwitz I suppose over a camp that was still standing or complete today is the fact that this is where close to 2 million people lost their lives and stands as a remembrance to the evil and extent of mass murder that was the Holocaust. This is were the Germans executed the Final Extermination.
We had a two hour tour of Auschwitz 1 and then a short break and drive to Birkenau and a 20 minute tour there. Auschwitz 2 is the more recognizable of the two because of its size and entrance. At Auschwitz 1, an old Polish Army barracks, their is one crematory and many brick buildings and storehouses used for the prisoners. As I said there wasn't much at Birkenau so you were just looing at the bunks and barracks and the buildings that were left trying to piece the picture back together of 100,000 prisoners being held there. It was a humbling experience going through all of them and trying to imagine what it would have been like there 55 years ago. It is hard to think of what living through all of that would have been like, or even today what people are going through. It puts a lot of things in perspective as you are actually at the place where these things took place. However there wasn't much of Europe that wasn't touched during the war either so you could literally be about anywhere. We had a good night just hanging out and we watched a movie, The Pianist. I had already seen it so the rest were surprised by its intensity however considering we were in Poland it was somewhat fitting I suppose.
We are flying out tomorrow at 10 am and should be back in Bangor at around 9 pm so it will be a day full of traveling however it will be relaxing. We have a straight trip back to Bangor from London with no changes. Then we have two days in Bangor before we will head to Manchester to fly out. It is getting late the sun rises early. Later.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
One Last Adventure
Saturday afternoon we went geocaching over on Anglesey one last time. We had a geocoin and a travel bug to drop off before we left. We only found one of the three that we looked for. However it was a beautiful day outside and it gave us one last chance to get out and about Wales before we left. We also took a quick video tour of Bangor when we got back. Last night we hung out with everyone and played cards and just enjoyed out last weekend here in Bangor. They had the Summer Ball last night with bands and a small ferris wheel however it was rather expensive at 45 pounds a piece, so few of us went. Everyone had a good night. Today we after we went to church we have been packing and getting things ready for coming home. We did some laundry and also tried to finish up what little food we had left. Tomorrow morning we leave at 7 for London from there we will fly out to Krakow Poland. We have all day Tuesday there and then we will come back on Wednesday. After that we have all day Thursday and Friday and we will be leaving for the Manchester airport on Friday night at 8 to fly out the next morning at 11. It is getting down to the last few days. There aren't very many students around Bangor anymore and so things have quieted down quite a bit. We are excited about coming home but at the same time we feel we have just gotten settled in and adjusted to living here. One of my flat mates is coming over to America for the summer to a camp in Chicago so there is a possibility that I might meet up with her for a day or something sometime. It is getting late and we have to finish up things yet. Catch ya later.
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