Ernst & Young- Liza Reineri

Today, the accounting majors took us on a site visit to London's Ernst & Young office. The afternoon was spent with a graduate recruiter and a few younger employees talking to us about their background, careers, and what it was like working for a Big 4 firm. They were all extremely personable, and their passion for the company was contagious. It was really eye opening (and a little overwhelming) to get a sneak peek into the recruiting process that many of us will go through in only a few short years.

All in all, it was one of the best site visits I have ever been on. Tomorrow we will be visiting the Bank of England, courtesy of the finance majors. 

Ernst & Young

 View from the top floor

Alex Speed - Iceland Excursion

A little over a week after returning from Spring Break 2013, I believe I have finally recuperated enough to the point where I can blog about it. Wow. Iceland was fantastic, and to make this post a bit more legible, I'm going to divide my trip into days.

Tuesday
I landed in Keflavik on Tuesday afternoon, and from there took a bus to the capital of Reykjavik. I checked into my hostel and grabbed a bite to eat there. That night I didn't have much planned, so I just wondered around outside my hostel and around the city. Reykjavik was a beautiful city that was very easy to get around and definitely had a small town feel to it. Only 200,000 people live there out of Iceland's population of about 300,000. Here are some pictures of Reykjavik.

Wednesday
Woke up way to early for a day that I was supposed to be on "break" to go on a tour of the "Golden Circle". This is a tour through Iceland that takes you to some of the coolest places to go ever. We started off at a geothermal powerplant (way more interesting than it sounds), continued to a volcanic crater, followed by the oldest church in Iceland, the Gullfoss waterfall, the Strokur geyser, and ended at the Thingvellir National Park. This entire day was magnificent and although I took pictures, they in no way capture the beauty of Iceland. On the bus ride back, our guide mentioned that this night would be a great night to see the Northern Lights. So, I did some finagling at the travel agency, switched some tickets around, and a few hours later I was on a bus to go see the Northern Lights. And luckily, I got to see them. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life and completely unexplainable. It is something that everyone needs to experience.

 Geothermal PowerPlant

 Volcanic Crater

 Strokkur Geyser

 Gullfoss 

Thingvellir National Park

(Northern Lights not Pictured)

Thursday

Made a game-time decision to go to the Blue Lagoon, which is a geothermal pool a few minutes outside of Reykjavik. It was a much needed day of relaxation. Thursday night, I hung around the hostel as a few bands playing at the music festival were "warming-up" there that night.

Friday/Saturday

Friday and Saturday were practically identical in nature, so I'm going to combine them here. These days, I attended the "Sonar Festival for Advanced Music". While some of the music was a little too advanced for me, I absolutely loved the artists I saw and the environment. It was held in the Harpa Concert Hall which was only about a five minute walk from my hostel, and located beautifully on the coast. At the festival, I made some Icelandic friends who offered me a place to stay if I ever make my way back there (which I definitely will be).

 Harpa Concert Hall

 Modeselektor

 James Blake

Me and my Icelandic friends

Sunday

Sunday was really just a continuation of Saturday, as the festival ended at 3:00 AM and my shuttle to the airport picked me up at 4:00 AM. And, after 18 hours of travel, I finally made it back to the flats in London at 11:00 PM.

Iceland was fantastic, beautiful, amazing, and everything I thought it would be. If you have ever though about going, I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

BEST DAY EVER! -Heidi Faust

We saw Justin Bieber today. That is all.

(Photo Credit to Maxx Young)

Bieber Fever on Great Russell- Rickey Dandridge

So, I woke up this morning thinking it was going to be a lazy Saturday with nothing out the ordinary. Maxx, Tate, and I decided to go out and get lunch from this Mexican restaurant which was amazing, but we had not idea what would be in store. We walked across the street from our flat and noticed there was this line of girls all with Justin Bieber books in hand. So, Maxx asked one of them what was the deal and that's when we discovered the Biebs would be doing a book signing RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. I'm not much of a JB fan myself, but when he is right there...you know...what can you do!

Amazing Spring Break- Heidi Faust

I have to say, this spring holiday was the best I've ever experienced. My break began in Bordeaux, France, with Liza and an older GLSer who is studying abroad a second time, Thien (or Aiden as he goes by in France). We had THE BEST time in this amazing city. It was so great to get to know Thien and have him show us all around Bordeaux and introduce us to his friends. Liza and I learned so much about their culture, and it was truly an incredible experience. 

Liza and I with our new French girlfriends Cecile and Amelia 

 Liza and I then headed to Rome, Italy, to meet up with our other travel partners Sydney and Amanda and the rest of our class. Our time in Rome was spent taking in the beautiful sights of the ancient city and having a mini reunion with the other spring break groups. It's crazy how much we missed everyone after just two days! 

Awkward picture, showing off my favorite boots at the Colosseum 

Me, Liza, Sydney, and Amanda at Trevi Fountain

View from the top of Saint Peter's Basilica 

 Sydney, Amanda, Liza and I were ready to hit the road after a few days in Rome, so we headed to Budapest, Hungary. Hungary is near and dear to my heart, so I was so happy to be able to share it with my friends. We toured the beautiful Parliament building and had a relaxing spa day complete with massages in Szechenyi Baths. Hungary is so great because it is so much cheaper for us due to the exchange rates. We were pleased to only spend the equivalent of $30 for a full spa day and thirty minute massage! 

Szechenyi Baths...So Relaxing!

My girls headed home to London after another day in Budapest, and I took a train to a town called Pecs to visit some friends. This was probably my favorite part of my vacation because I was able to spend time with girls I haven't seen in three years. We spent one morning visiting a friend in her Kindergarten classroom, and I loved seeing the differences in our education programs. Overall, I can't find one thing that didn't go incredibly well about my spring holiday. It was one for the books! 

Visiting Helga's Kindergarten classroom. This was after they did a performance for us! 

My sweet friends Erszebet (Hugi), Szilvi, Me, and Zsofi

We are now back in class (Management 207) for a few weeks with our director, Lane. It's good to be back in London with the rest of our group! Cheers!

El mejor descanso de primavera- Andrew Currey

Enjoying the sunny weather on a rowboat at Retiro Park in Madrid!

Without a doubt, this spring break was the best one I have had and will ever have.  My group went to Venice, Rome, Madrid, and Barcelona.  9 days of traveling was exhausting and very fast paced, but it was well worth it.  Madrid was my favorite city of the four.  I was able to speak Spanish, and I loved experiencing the Spanish food and culture.  Madrid wasn't as touristy as Venice and Rome, and that is another reason I liked it the best.  The weather was perfect, and I really enjoyed just wandering the streets and finding random and exciting things.  Traveling for 9 days straight and exploring Europe has really made me appreciate cultural differences, and also made me want to travel more.  I am already looking into going other places before the end of the semester!  Today was our first day of Management 207, and we visited Covent Garden and talked with some of the local business owners.  It's hard to believe that we have already been here for over a month.  The time has really flown by!

Cheers for now.
Hasta luego.

Spring Break- Maxx Young

This was definitely the greatest Spring Break of all time. Panama City has nothing on Madrid, Rome or the French Alps and we did all three in one week. Our group of 10 guys and 1 girl started the week off in Madrid, and as soon as we landed we went to Plaza de España, and the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. We saw Picasso and Dalhi as well as some other more abstract pieces, like one room filled with only a bale of hay. The next day we visited Retiro Park, which was beautiful and the Real Madrid's Stadium. That night we went to Plaza Mayor and ate at a pub before going back to the airport to spend the night in an attempt to save money. Sleeping in an airport is not a good idea. The next morning we arrived early and with slightly grumpy attitudes in Rome. However, our moods were soon brightened by the food and our visit to Vatican City which included seeing the pope give his Sunday blessing. St. Peter's Basilica was beautiful and after we climbed to the top to the the best views in all of Rome. The next day we saw everything. From the Colosseum to Trevi Fountain and everything in between. The next day we went flew into Switzerland and caught a bus to Bride-les-baines, a small ski town in France. The French Alps had the prettiest views I have ever seen and pictures cannot do them justice. However, skiing was by far the best part of this once in a lifetime trip and I really can't explain how much fun I really had. Arriving back in London, we were all exhausted, but it felt like we were back home. (I tried to fit everything in to this post that I could and I apologize if it is a bit wordy) 

Retiro Park, Madrid

View overlooking Rome from the top of St. Peter's Basilica

Skiing in the French Alps

We Came, We Saw, We Conquered - Ashton Banta

We have finally returned from spring break!  It was an experience of a lifetime, to say the least.  I traveled with a group to Italy, stopping in both Venice and Rome. 

Venice is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been!  It's a little confusing to navigate, with all the twisting canals, but getting lost and walking around all day is completely worth it!  Carnival (like the European Mardi Gras) was going on while we were there...this basically entailed of us running around in masks and trying to fight our way through the Venetian crowds.  It was an amazing time!

Caitlin, Jillian, myself, Sarah, Andrew, Caitlin, and Dania in Venice at Carnival!

Venice!

Sydney & I at Carnival!

After Venice came Rome, which was our favorite stop on the trip.  The food was ah-mazing!  And, for a history nerd like me, getting to visit all the famous landmarks was incredible.  We even climbed to the top of St. Peter's Basilica, which was rough...551 steps straight up is not an easy thing to conquer, but well worth it!

In front of the Coliseum!

Caitlin, Jillian, and I inside the Coliseum!

Best view of the trip, from the top of St. Peter's Basilica!

I had the best spring break imaginable, with an amazing group of people!  Trips like this are ones I'll remember for the rest of my life...I could not be more grateful to be having these experiences! 

Rosetta Stone-Sophie Henssler

I went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone today, it was amazing. Sadly my camera was empty, so I cannot post pictures. I will definitely go back to explore more of the Museum and I am looking forward to going to the National Portrait Gallery. I also saw Cleopatra's mummy, which was fantastic. This week of Spring break has been great and on Friday I am going to Manchester.

Spring Break 2013 - Alex Speed

While around 93.287% of my fellow GLS classmates rushed out eagerly Friday morning to various locations in Europe to begin their Spring Break excursions, I'm taking a bit of a slower start. I've spent today and yesterday exploring some more of London. Friday, I ventured to the Burough Market, which is a giant marketplace semi-under the London Bridge that has tons of things ranging from fresh produce, cheese, baked goods, coffee, meat, and tons of other food vendors. I had to snag a chocolate covered, chocolate filled, chocolate-y chocolate eclair, which was absolutely delicious. The Burough Market was amazing and I will definitely be going again. Friday night, me and a few other classmates who did stay behind ventured to The Book Club for some live music (although you would expect a lot of reading there). Today, I ventured out to Shoreditch in East London for the Shoreditch Vintage Fair. Sadly, I was unable to find a denim jacket that I've been searching for since I arrived in London. On the way back to the flats, I stopped at the Burough Market for the second day in a row and had the best grilled cheese sandwich I've ever had in my life. This is no exaggeration. See the picture below.

(Toasted cheese sandwich with a mix of minced red and white onions, leeks, and garlic from the Burough Market)

Regardless, these next few days are all leading up to my big Spring Break trip. On Tuesday, I leave for Reykjavik, Iceland, where I will be seeing waterfalls, geysers, national parks, and geothermal pools. In addition, I'll also be attending a music festival there on Friday and Saturday, and hopefully, if I'm very very lucky, I'll be able to see the Northern Lights one night. Even if I don't get to see the lights, Iceland is a place I've always wanted to go and I'm extremely excited about this trip. Don't worry, there will be pictures when I get back.

Gearing Up for Spring Break- Jillian Valk

Caitlin and I in our flat with our new backpacks

I am beyond excited today!!! It is our last Stat test and then I’m packing for Venice, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona because our flight leaves tomorrow. Caitlin and I went and bought backpacks for the trip. They were on sale for 19.99! We hope they’ll fit on the plane because Ryanair is really strict on baggage. I also went and bought leggings at Primark because they take up less space than jeans and I have to pack for a week!  When we go to Venice it is during Carnival, which is similar to Mardi Gras.

 I also had a meeting with HR at the Savoy Hotel, which is where I will be interning. It is only a 15 minute walk so I don’t have to pay for the tube every day. It is right next to Covent Garden which is like an outdoor mall area. After talking with her it has only made more excited about working there. The place is beautiful, historic and elegant. It’s the most iconic hotel in London and has a lot of history behind it. When I got there she took me to one of the restaurants inside the hotel and we sat on couches while they served us tea. It was really fancy and the lady was bubbly and vibrant. I’m ecstatic to be working with such a diverse company with a lot of history and pride.

Spring Break 2013 is Almost Here! -Sydney Eiler

Only a special occasion, like Spring Break 2013, could cause me to blog! I can't wait until tomorrow morning when I fly out with Amanda to Venice for Carnival, an exciting annual festival held across Europe. People wear masks, concerts are held in the street, and it's supposed to be a wonderful time! After Venice we're heading to Rome to meet up with Heidi and Liza and then two days later we'll carry on to Budapest to finish up the remainder of the trip. 

Our Spring Break 2013 Group: Amanda, Heidi, me and Liza!

Although I'm anxious about finding my way around all of these cities (especially since I don't know a word of Hungarian-yikes!) I know it will be an amazing experience. What's really great about it all is that we'll have 9 of our classmates with us in Venice and almost everyone will be in Rome. Anyways, what I really should be doing right now is studying for our final Stats exam, so as they say in Hungarian (at least according to Google translate) búcsú!

Spring Break with the Boys: Carly Frensley

The boys I will be with for Spring Break minus one
Tate Henson, Louis Trapnell, Maxx Young, Jacob Clabo, Alan Porter, Rob Graham, Sam Rule, Ryan Ridley, Luke Dyson

Oh and Alex Henke

And me.

This is about to be the experience of a lifetime.  Nine of us will first be traveling to Madrid for two days.  Then we will be headed to Rome where two more will join us for the rest of our spring break.  And it just so happens 25 of the GLS students will be in Rome together exploring for two days.  And our final location is Geneva to the French Alps to snowboard/ski for two days and explore the mountains.  We all can not wait, it's been a rough road planning everything but it will be well worth it.  Four countries in three days!

Sweet Tea at Last! - Amanda Prevost

Hello readers!!

I hope all my peers are keeping everyone entertained with all these updates and posts. We've been here nearly a full month now, and it has absolutely flown by. Cameras have been charged and recharged. Boots have been worn down and ice-cold snowballs thrown. Endless boxes of frozen pizza and stuffed pasta now lie in all 4 flats' trash cans...

I would like to share with you, though, an inside story. One beyond picturesque landmarks and gorgeous university cobblestone (Cambridge and Oxford...absolutely superb). Behold:

A glass of SOUTHERN sweet tea and a single ice cube as to not water down and ruin the perfection that lies within.

I made this from English breakfast tea, along with gluten free brownies to add a little more taste of home. We all enjoyed some as we watched the Super Bowl (kickoff at 11:30 pm GMT) and prepared for our last week of Statistics 207. Tomorrow marks our final exam in that class, and then Spring Break begins! I will be traveling with Sydney, Heidi, and Liza to parts of Italy and Hungary. It's bound to be a spectacular experience and I can't wait to share the stories with you all!! Until then, Cheerio!

Almost Spring Break - Alex Henke

As our final week of Statistics comes to a close, everyone is rushing to finalize Spring Break plans before Friday. 10 others and I plan on going to Madrid, Spain for 2 nights, Rome for 2 nights, and a ski resort in the French Alps for 2 nights. I can't express how ridiculously excited I am for the coming week. #SB2k13

Trying to Find Kensington Palace -Caitlin Burchette

Today Ashton, Georgia, Jillian, Sarah and I decided to visit Kensington Palace in search of Will and Kate. We wandered the streets of Kensington and eventually found our way to Hyde Park thinking it would be close to the Palace. We knew we were close but didn't realize how close so we decided to stop and take pictures.

 At the statue of Queen Victoria, with the Kensington Palace behind me...oops

After we wandered around Hyde Park a bit more, we found another entrance to Kensington Palace and realized that it was the brick building behind the statue, and decided to tour it. We visited the Queen Victoria exhibit, the Queen's Room and the King's Room and were this close to finding Will and Kate..

     Royalty Only Door! So close to finding them!

but we had to settle for just getting a picture with a picture of them.

Will and Kate!

Even though we might have gotten a bit lost, walking through Hyde Park and touring Kensington Palace was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with some friends!

Exploring London- Sarah Bishop

This week has been full of exploring our London backyard. It has officially sunk in that I am living in London! In fact, I got asked for directions this morning on the tube! That's when you officially know that you look like you belong in this amazing city. We went to see the beautiful Big Ben at night, and I fell in love. It is unlike anything else, and I love that we can literally go five minutes and see this famous icon. 

Georgia and I at Big Ben

Today, some of us went exploring at Kensington Palace (secretly in hopes to find Price Harry and fulfill all of our Princess dreams). We walked through the beautiful Hyde Park, and kept our eyes peeled for Will & Kate! We had a blast exploring this wealthy area of London and learning more about the history of the English throne.

Jillian, Georgia, Caitlin, me, and Ashton in front of Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace- Jillian Valk



Me with Prince Albert at the Kensington Palace

Today has been a fun relaxing day. We started off with Caitlin making homemade pancakes. I made eggs in a Wok because we don't have two big pans, it was fun though and they were delicious. We've missed American food; soon we hope to recreate biscuits and gravy because it is unheard of here! Then we went exploring the city! We made it to Hyde Park where there were a ton of birds.....didn't stay long though because the birds kept eyeing Ashton (she has bird phobia). We also went to Kensington Palace (with hopes of seeing Will, Kate, and Harry) and took a tour. We're all getting ready for our last week of Stats and then it's time for Spring Break!! We're going to Venice, Rome, Madrid, and Barcelona on Friday!!

Cambridge and Sunshine!- Sophie Henssler

We spend Saturday in Cambridge and it was an amazing experience. The weather was lovely and the town is full of history. Isaac Newton studied here and the discovery of DNA was announced in Cambridge. 

Courtyard of one of the Colleges

There were so many different Colleges that we could visit that I soon lost track of those already visited.

Walking from the Train Station to the Centre of Town

Lots of posters everywhere...

We arrived early to go see the Wren Library.
Sadly, it was closed,  but we got beautiful pictures in the morning sunlight

Our punting team- they were amazing!

Beautiful!

Little wooden bridge