Amsterdam. Derbyshire. Stratford.

Hello from England...once again.

My camera had a little sassy fit so i lost my pictures from this past weekend. But i am hoping to obtain them when I get back to the states from my memory card. So I am sorry for that unfortunate event, because you will not be able to look at most of my pictures from this past weekend. Boo.

Wednesday morning at about 4am my friends Sara, Molly, Chelsea, and Jeremy took off in a taxi to the airport to catch our 6 am flight to Amsterdam! We arrived in Amsterdam and took the train to the center of town and walked to our Hostel (which I am never staying in again because it is nasty and awful) which so happened to be in the Red Light District. For those of you who dont know, this is where all of the prostitutes are and much of the marajuana coffee shops and selling goes on hahaha!!! So to our lovely surprise, we were staying there for the night! I actually didnt see any prostitutes to my knowledge, but I wasnt walked around our alley at night either. However, I did have the wonder pleasure of smelling weed everywhere, especially outside of the weed bars and coffe Shops (sarcasm). It was very fun though and quite halarious. When we got there, everyone was beat and really tired so they all laid down a took about a 4 hour nap, haha. I didnt want to waste the day because it was beautiful outside so I went walking around by myself. Now, before you freak out, Amsterdam is completely different than people think it is. Not everything is like th Red Light District, which is alleys and coffe shops and weed everywhere and prostitutes and stuff. It is actually and incredibly beautiful city and I felt very safe and not threatened at all. I walked up and down the wonderful canals and to Dam Square which was very cool. There were really cool buildings everywhere and food places too with tons of pizza (heaven.), so that was awsome. In Amsterdam EVERYONE...i mean EVERYONE rides bikes. There are separate roads for bikes. There are bikes everywhere. There is a hundred percent chance that you will get hit by a bike rather than a car. bikes. Bikes. and more Bikes! I also walked to Anne Franks huis (house) which was their hiding place from 1942 until they were captured during the war. It was an incredible tour and place to visit, and I really enjoyed being by myself. Its hard to be around everyone all the time. I went back to the hostel around 3 and woke everyone up to get ready for Dave Matthews Concert! We got ready and were frantic because we didnt think that we would have good places in the line to get into the concert. We arrived at Heiniken Music Hall at 4:30 and we were the 3rd people in line!!! As it came closer to opening the doors (which happened at 6:30) tons of people showed up. At 6:30 they opened 5 different doors at the same time and everyone rushed in...I got squeezed in between two huge guys and got picked up off of the floor and I didnt get to the security line with everyone else haha but I eventualy made it. After security, we bolted into the concert room and got Front Row, slightly left of the center!!! They were incredible places. We met some awsome people while we were waiting too. A guy from California who had been in Germany for 8 years getting his masters and phD in Mechanical Engineering. He was awsome. The lady who I ended up standing by (of course) in the concert was baout 50 years old, HUGE, and she had her hands planted on the gate in front of us and was in an army stance that took up about three-four normal people spaces. When we told her to move she said taht she need her space and that she knew that we would push her if she moved. ummm...YOUR ON THE FRONT ROW AT A CONERT CRAZY!!!!!!! Needless to say, it was extremely annoying. But it didnt stop me from having a great time! There was no smoking in the concert thank goodness, I wouldnt have been able to make it (from the smell and the fact that I would have been as high as a kite).  After the concert we went back to the hostel and pass out! We were so tired and I had to get up early and travel back to England all by myself haha! It went very smoothly which was a releif. It was, again, nice to be alone and dependent on myself.

Friday I went on a trip with my Meet-A-Family to Derbyshire (prounuciation: Darba-Sure (r's are silent)), which is a county. We went to Matlock, Hathersage, and Chatsworth which are all in Derbyshire. This is the place where Pride and Prejudice was filmed. It is also known as the Peak District. Chatsworth is where Mr. Darcy's house (Pemberly) is. UHMAZING! Hathersage is where the peaks that Elizabeth stood on in the movie are. It was such a beautiful countryside and lovely quaint towns. I wish I had the pictures to show you. The girl who is my "sister" got some pictures but they suck because they arent nearly as good as my pictures with my camera... because my camera is awsome :). But anyways it was a lovely day. We had two tea times...i didnt have tea, and one dinner. I was starving basically. So I have decided taht I am gaining weight here...because literally, all I eat is pre frozen and processed nastiness and it is repulsive. I am so ready to be back on my normal diet of fresh healthy food (aka raisen bran crunch and oatmeal). That night after we got back to the school I went to the goose with a couple friends for a few hours and then came back to school and got ready to go to Stratford the next morning!

Saturday morning we left for Stratford. This is the first time I met Cassie's boyfriend Chris!!! He is the sweetest and coolest guy. They are so cute and perfec for each other. We are best friends :) We stopped at Conventry to see a cathedral (whatelse is there to see in England but castles and cathedrals...nothing). This is also the place that Lady Godiva rode through the town naked on her horse to prove something to her husband. She told all of the town that she was going to do this so to close their curtains and to not look outside. Everyone did this except for one person....Guess who....PEEPING TOM! Yes, Godiva Chocolate and Peeping Tom come from Coventry England. And according to some English friends that we met, Coventry is an awful place and parents in the UK threatened their kids by telling them that they are going to send them to Coventry if they behave badly haha!! Next we went to Stratford and spent the day there. This is where the birthplace and home of Shakespeare and his family is, including his sister and wife and parents. This is also where is tomb is, which lays in Holy Trinity Church. Other than that we ate and waited for the play to start. This trip was required for shakespeare students, so we went and saw King Lear, which is a shakespearian play. It was 3 and 1/2 hours long. I had to stand up for the last 30 minutes because my knees hurt so bad. but the play was FANTASTIC! ... or so i hear from all of the theatre students that I go to school with haha! They were telling me all of this stuff that I didnt even notice. It was awsome (not sarcastic).

That basically ends my lovely weekend, full of pictures that you cant see. Sorry. It is Spring Break time over there! Im a little jealous, only because I know that so many people are going to the beach (excluding you chance) and I want some hot weather...im not even asking for hot...maybe 60 would be good. I would even go for 50. That would be fantastic! And an actual storm would be awsome too...not one of these half assed, wimpy rains that they have over here. I want some heavy duty thunder and lightening...I want to see some trees moving and some branches falling from the sky. Haha!

I miss all of you so much! I am getting excited for my up coming trips, but mostly coming home haha. Sad I know. But I'll have you know that there has been no moping or any taking granted of the time I am having here. Im living up this Party in the U.K.! (Not too much Daddy).

I love love love love yall so much. I miss you daddy and mommy :) I hope everyone has a great week this week!

Dont forget to stay tuned to Party in the U.K.

Coming Up This Weekend: Trip to Lake District (largest lake in England), where I will be rock climbing a water fall and mountain hiking! Nature! Woo!   
Next Weekend: London (going to see Phantom of the Opera & Legally Blonde on Broadway)
Weekend After: Paris!!!

Adios! (I miss Tex mexican food)

- Alejandra (...just for you daddy, even though I hate it :) )

Chatsworth House (Mr. Darcy's house)..this is the only good picture that the other girl had

Us with our new friend Sean (Germany man - right) on FRONT ROW

Note: Crazy lady to the left in her army stance

Me and Chelsea at the front of the line to get in Hieniken Music Hall!

Front Row with our Dave Matthews England Tour shirts on! (yes i know im a geek Chance)

Girls! and Jeremy in the background

(Chelsea, Me, Sara)

Dave. Awsome.

A trash can in McDonalds in Amsterdam! hahaha! Dank U

Canal in Amsterdam

Me in front of Shakespeares house