Week 1: Liverpool, England

Ello! (See what I did there?)

Seems like an eternity since I left America, and yet its only been a week! I had forgotten to add a few things in on my last post, so I'm just going to do it here ;)

How does one pack for a 3 month journey, accommodating for being north of the Artic Circle AND sailing in Greece--using only a backpack, no less?! Well I'm here to confirm your suspicions. IT. IS. SO. DIFFICULT. Tough decisions were made, and I am already longing for a time when I have my own closet full of clothes again!

Unpacked

In that pile, I have a total of: 

-2 dresses (1 fancy-ish, 1 casual)

-2 pairs of shorts

-1 pair of jeans

-2 pairs of leggins

-6 t-shirts (2 long sleeve, 2 short sleeve, 2 tank tops)

-1 base layer (similar to a thin running jacket)

-1 sweater

-2 swim suits (that can be mixed and matched)

-1 rain coat

-delicates 

-5 pairs of shoes (1 pair of boots, converse, Tieks (flats), shower sandals, and Tory Burch flats)

I also have a sleeping bag, travel towel, sleeping liner, etc! And my Longchamp purse for day-to-day stuff :)

Packed!

As a chronic over-packer, this was really difficult haha. My *current* backpack weight is about 30 pounds. We'll see what it is by the end of my trip....

Although I am abroad, this week and next week are separate from my "trip trip", in the sense that I am working during these two weeks. Many of you may remember when I spent the summer over here in the UK a few years back...since I was coming to Europe anyway, I reached out to the company and asked if they would like me to work at all, and they said yes! It's an easy way to make some extra spending money, as well as have some fun! The company I am working for is called Campus Clothing, and they make tshirts and hoodies (i.e. "Jumpers"...I called it a sweatshirt on Monday and this lady looked at me like I was nuts) that have the graduates names' on them. Here's an example:

Each shirt/hoodie can hold about 800 names on them, so I typically have a different print to sell for each day of the week since there are so many different ceremonies as it is a college (i.e. "Uni") graduation. My favorite quote was from this old lady when she saw it, "It's like I'm doing Where's Wally!" And I giggled and said do you mean Where's Waldow?! And she called me adorable.

My stand!

The t-shirts sell for the equivilent of $26 (20 pounds) and the hoodies for $53 (40 pounds). I get paid for working each day, plus commission if I sell out of the day's stock (which I do) and for each additional order I take (usually about 15-20 per day on a good day) AND for entering the paperwork at the end of the day to the system! The only downside is this week I am working alone, but next week in Wales I'll be working with another girl and my boss/owner of the company, Rupert!

This is from the night I arrived in Liverpool. He may be 45 and a dad of 4, but he sure knows how to have a good time! 

I spent the first few days re-adjusting to the time difference, which I'm just now getting used to. The weather was quite rainy and cold on Monday and Tuesday, so I spent a ton of time indoors READING! *heart eye emojis* In 2 days I finished a new YA novel and its sequel, and since my Bogle students are going back to school in a week (hi, guys!) and will be in need of books for AR points (this is your not so sublte hint, incoming 8th graders) here's a Link to book info! 

Beginning on Wednesday was fantastic weather so I finally was able to go out exploring! If you don't know, Liverpool is the where The Beatles are from, and there are reminders of it literally everywhere you turn. Even the airport is named Liverpool John Lennon Airport! The building I am working in is...

As with any city, there of course are many "touristy" things and attractions, but one of the aspects that I love about it here is that the locals don't bash you for wanting to do any of them--rather, they highly recommend it and are happy to give you any information you need! The museums I am wanting to check out include The Beatles Story and the International Slavery Museum. I read about them before I came over but once I got here I was told repeatedly they are simply amazing. Since they close at 5 each day, I wasn't able to go during the week as I was still working, and on Saturday I was camped out in my hostel room sick...slept for 16 hours straight! :( 

Here's some of my favorite spots I discovered, and I've uploaded the rest to the pictures page here on my blog!

Here's whats known as "The Three Graces"-- the Liver Building (on the left with the clock tower), the Cunard building (in the middle), and the Port of Liverpool building (on the right). They are a on Pier Head, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning that is has met one of the ten criteria that are of "outstanding universal value." I had heard that term before, but didn't really know the significance of it. One of the locals explained it to me extremely well, but since I don't want to butcher it, i'll just post a Link for you to read about it if you are a loser  totally awesome person like me and love to learn! ;) 

This is the Grand Central shopping center, which is sort of like a mini-indoor mall that is filled with quirky-type shops! 

THIS IS THE LIBRARY. *drooling* Not only was the building itself beautiful, but my favorite part was the walkway in to the entrance:

Filled with the titles of famous novels. Can I have a walkway like this leading to my front door of my house one day? #Wishfulthinking 

Even in the week that I've been here, SO much has gone on with the Brexit situation. This is a sticker I saw on a street sign that was left over from the campaigning--it is such an interesting time for me to be here. I've asked a decent number of locals their opinion about it, and no one is shy about telling me how they really feel, to say the least. I've also had people ask me about our upcoming Presidential election, and they are well aware of the strain and uncertainty Americans are feeling right now. It was actually pretty cool to see how many people are in-tune with American issues/politics. 

Anyway, next week I'll be working at Swansea, Wales--be back with more soon! 

Cheers!