Fighting Hard

So I started the trail all is going pretty good. Have some minor other issues. but overall getting stronger each day. Have some great support from everyone thanks so much.

In the mist of the trail Myles had to have his appendix taking out. That was a scare. There was Matt again at the hospital taking care of everything. While I am at home resting, too sick to go. Life sucks sometimes. Myles is recovering and can't wait to get clearance from the doctors.

I am going a little crazy just resting and trying to forget all my aches and pains. Had a acupuncture a couple of days, seems to be helping. thanks to Laura Jenny's sister in-law. thank you so much. Many more weeks in the trail. I will try to keep you posted!

This is just a quick post to keep you up to speed.

In it to Win IT!

Love ya

julie

london photos

on my way to london!

our hostel right by Hyde Park.

some of the girls on the river.

road that leads to buckingham palace. yes i was in the middle of the road taking this one.

loved this guy, this is the one alysa cracked.

matching aviators, me and tom.

jack sparrow meet jack ciolek.

the beatles.

peace. ghandi and me.

london bridge.

my idea for our single/personal shots.

another one of the london bridge.

picture from the london eye of big ben and parliment, and west minster abbey.

the london eye.

big ben.

had to take one of these.

troopers.

planes, trains, and automobiles ... literally

Sorry this post is verrrry delayed ...
London was amazing! I absolutely loved it there. Expensive- YES buttt soooo worth it.

Our flight left thursday night around 10pm and landed in London around 11:45pm. When we got to London everyone was absolutely tired and cold from the plane and had to wait in this rediculously long line to have our passports checked. When we got through the line, we figured out that our hostel was an hour and 20 minutes away. YIKES!! So we all bought these bus tickes for 13pounds (=$26american dollars). When we got into the city, we got off the bus only to realize that our hostel was around a 35 minute walk away. With everyone now tired and crabby we got cabs instead of wandering in the city for forever. We finally made it to our hostel at 4:30 in the stupid morning. AHHH!!! We wake the other three girls in our room up because we had to turn on the light to find where to put our stuff. Being my first time in a ''real'' hostel I slept with my purse under my arms the whole night.

Friday we woke up around 10 got some BURGER KING!! Oh this was such a nice break from pasta and pizza. Then we all got tickets to tour the city on a double decker bus!! We got off the bus around Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. We walked from here to Buckingham palace. On the way here a few of us were a little behind when we noticed our friends ahead and they were talking to these people on some double decker bus- As I got closer I realized that they were not people we knew it was the JONAS BROTHERS!!! They were filming a music video, and were talking to us and we made it on their website. (www.bebo.com/jonasbrothers) At buckingham palace we took pictures with the infamous guards. ANDDDD my roommate Alysa got one to laugh. It was wierd because we think that these we new guards in training because they were quite easy to crack. On our walk home we went shopping and went to dinner at Cheers during happy hour and our food was rediculously cheap. Thank god! After dinner we went to Kate Moss's store TopShop. Holy Crap, this store is amazing. It had clothes, shoes (TONS TONS TONS of shoes), jewelry, purses, guys department, place to get your hair and nails done, a fashion consultant, cafe area, vintage level. Oh man if our American dollar was worth more I would have for sure spent money here. Buttt i didnt dont worry! Friday night some of us went to this club called TigerTiger. This club was set up really cool, with two different levels and really good music, and of course best of all CUTE BOYS, who SPEAK ENGLISH!!!

Saturday we woke up got some lunch/breakfast, and then got back on the bus to tour some more of the city. We went to the wax museum, which by the way is a play house for big kids. I had a blast here! After this we headed to the london tower and the london bridge. And then took a long way to the london eye. This is where we had some awesome views of the city. After this we grabbed some dinner at an English pub. I had some delicious fish and chips. It was about 7pm here and all of a sudden when we were waiting for our food this guys is getting kicked out of the pub and he gets into with the worker, and the cops are called. It was rather intense. After dinner we headed to ABBEY ROAD! It was late and we couldnt take good pictures, but the lady taking them accidentally took a video. I will have to figure out how to post them. That night, our last night, four of us decided that despite the taxi coming at 3am to take us to the airport, that we wanted to go out. We went to TigerTiger again. Moral of the story, not such a good idea. We almost missed our flight, but we made it just in time.

Sunday I slept alllll day long.

Last couple days in Roma ... post to follow.

Almost missed my flight ... buttt I did make it home from London

Just to let everyone know that I did make it home from London ... butttt I did almost miss my flight due to some "I have to go out on our last night in London" complications. I am really busy working on 2 presentations that are due in the next couple days, but I will post pictures and stories as soon as possible.

bungalos, karaoke, & getting kicked out of pools

Thursday night we all met up at Hard Rock, for our leader Becky's last night. She has to go to a conference in New York, and now Tom takes over. Here at Hard Rock, I was walking back into the resturant when I bumped into this man, and I looked up to say "sorry excuse meee, Jeffff" IT WAS JEFF FOXWORTHY and I was just so caught off guard that I stood there with me mouth wide open, and he just laughed at me and walked outside. By the time I got my self together and walked outside, he was gone!! BUMMER!!! That night we all went to this open Piazza called Campo Di Firore where we found this bar called the Drunken Ship, they had beer pong and flip cup going on which was alot of fun. Mom - they had the wierdest drinks with the wierdest drinks, andddd one was close to Fishnets and Hookers, hahaha.

Friday we left for Florence for the weekend. Florence was beautiful. On our way to the hostel we got off at the wrong stop and had to walk up hill in the blistering hott sun, then we finally got back on the bus ... only to go one more stop and then we were at our "hostel". The hostel we stayed at was a campsite with tents, and I mean ligit tents. So we tried to make ourselves feel better and call them bungalos. We all know that I hate camping, but this actually was alot of fun, and an experience to rememeber. Our campsite was up on this hill, the most beautiful view of the city. It is known for its view, so this was a plus for staying there. In Florence we went sight seeing ... the Duomo, this church that looks like it is out of place and not real, it is sooo intricate and beautiful. We also saw some other churches, and this bridge and according to my friend Matt it is the only bridge to stand after WWII. Dinner that night was at this resturante in a piazza where we got free carosel rides with our meal, but the stupid mean Italian lady wouldnt let us ride because we were too big. So we all gave our tickets to these families that were right there, because there is no way that I was giving my card to that stuck up italian lady. That night we went to this bar called Red Garter, where we all finally got to do kareokee. This was a blast. My friends Allison and Kelly and I did Sweet Caroline, and the crowd went wild. These guys said that our applause was the best he heard all night. Hahaha, its all about song choice!!

Saturday we walked around downtown again, got some sovenirs for some lucky people at home. That night we started this bar crawl, but after the second bar a few of us met up with my friend Matt who was in Florence too. We met up with him and his friend at this street festival that was going on the famous bridge in Florence. After the festival we walked around to look for another place to go to buttt we were unsuccessful so we all layed on the street and stared at the Duomo. I mean straight up stared, no words were spoken just serious staring. That night me and Alysa went back to their hostel because they had a pool. Only to find out that the pool was closed, so we were all sitting outside, when we were told to silencio! (not the first time that weekend that that happened to me and alysa -- the night before this lady stood outside our tent and clapped and told us to silencio!) While we were sitting there these kids walked to the door to the pool and pulled a little harder than we did and magically the door opened, and so we all went swimming. I was trying to get the suana started and I pressed this button, but Matt thinks I pressed an alarm button because only moments later we were being kicked out of the pool by the security guard. This of course would only happen to me ... sometimes on this trip I think that I will forever be known as Death Cloud, thanks family -- that bad month I had will forever haunt me!! Nothing happened because all ran for ourlives and hid. Needless to say I had to sleep in my wet clothes! (Mom I know what you are thinking .. not only did I swim in my clothes but I slept in them as well)

Sunday we went sight seeing again and got to see the David. Beautiful human being, with a nice butt haha! On the way to the train station we got lunch at this resturant in a piazza, I had delicious gnocchi with meat sauce!! I am going to miss this food for sure when I get home!!!

This week we have class and finally a beach day on Tuesday!! Thank goodness because it has been sooo hottttt!!! And then this weekend is LONDON!!!!!!! I cant wait.

some photos from france && the vatican

Vatican, where we had a like an outdoor viewing of the pope!


This is how close I got to the Pope!! He actually gave MSU a shoutout, and blessed us. I have a video and I will try and post it.

Me, Alyssa, Alysa, and Allison inside of St.Peter's Basillica.

Night shot of the main street in France where our hotel was.

The closest I will come to riding a vespa is taking a picture on one. I might have to sit on more to feel somewhat fulfilled.

Jesse, Dave, Tony, Stefan, Evan, and Evan at the harbor in Monte Carlo.

A shot from the train of a harbor on the way to Monte Carlo.

Group shot of the girls on our way to the beach.

This ones for my dad, picture of the harbor in Monte Carlo.

Another one for my Daddy of the harbor.

gotta love the french riviera!!!!

France was amazingahhh!!! We were right in downtown Nice,France. Only a 5 minute walk from the beach, and we were right off the main street with lots of shopping and resturants.

Saturday we got there pretty late so we all just unpacked and then some of us went to Subway for dinner. (lol Chelsea I thought of you because I knew that you wouldnt have been able to resist either) Then we walked downtown to this open area, and lining the street were these colored lit up buddahs on posts. There were these guys break dancing in the street, and some of them were really good. Then we just went to this local Irish pub, Kings Pub and listened to a live band. It was wierd the band played all american music but couldnt speak a lick of English. Its strange to think that they have to include that element into their music.

Sunday (fathers day -- and yess I called my Daddy because he's the best) we had a free day, so a bunch of us took a 20 minute train ride to Monte Carlo. This place is just bleeding out money. I am talking when walking from the train station to the beach, it was Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, Lamborghini. In the harbor were some of the most beautiful boats I have ever seen. (Nothing compared to the wooden boats Dad, dont worry I still have appreciation for the woodwork ones we saw in the UP) But these boats were not boats I should say yachts, or mansions on the water. We actually got to go on one and drink wine and hang out with the crew. The beach was alot of fun that day hanging out in the sun and on one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. That night I just went to bed because I had to wake up early for the Cannes Lions Advertising Film Festival.

Monday and Tuesday we were at the festival watching ads, going to seminars, looking at print ads, and just taking it all in. The tickets to this festival normally go for $2000-$3000 EUROS, and we got to go to this at a discount because we were students. I cannot express how lucky we are and how much people told us that they were jealous that we had the privledge to go to this at such a young age. Going to this, I really know that this is the area of work that I want to be in. I was actually interviewed by Nokia who is doing a documentary on the festival. Monday we went shopping when we got home and then dinner at this really good Italian resturant where I had seafood pasta. I was in heaven, I had muscles surrounding the pasta and the pasta was tossed with shrimp, calamari, and crawfish. SOOO GOOD!! That night we went to CheckPoint, and to Waynes a dance club. Tuesday there was a strike for the trains so we had to take a 85 EURO taxi to Cannes. But our taxi was a mercedes suv with this really cool lady, so it was okay I guess. After doing what we wanted at the festival, some of us went to the beach to lay out. GORGEOUS beach!!! That night we went to dinner and watched the soccer game, and then went dancing at Waynes again.

Wednesday we headed home, and some of us went to dinner at this American resturant in Trestevere. After dinner Natalie and I went to Scholars (our favorite bar) to meet up with our favorite bartender. Haha, we had some good conversations about the weekend in Cannes and just life. Also we learned that while we were gone that Scholars had a karokee night. AHHHH we all have been looking for a kareokee night. So we convinced the bartenders to have it again before we leave.

Now we head to Florence. Our first trip by ourselves .... o god this will be a good weekend.