It's Been a While.

Heya! (I love that saying and I have found that loads of Brits say it!)

I am a month and a day into my great adventure and, may I say, it has been great! I have found myself busy nearly all the time, but I love it. Even when I have a day all to myself I find myself very "busy" sleeping, drinking coffee and doing nothing. It is great! The busy, fun packed days are a blast and the days off are greatly enjoyed as well!

Yesterday was Kit's birthday so we had to have a bash! We had some people over at ours on Friday, then supper, bowling and Scream on Saturday and a chilled Sunday. It was delightful!

We have a week of classes this week, and then I look forward to a wicked week of travels! I am going to couch-hop for a week and see the sights. I will be checking out a secret town (can't say now, but will blog about it later), Portsmouth and London! Friends I will see? Japanna, Lizzie, Liz, Nick and Charlotte! It will be a great time and I can't wait! I will post pictures when I am back! : )

Right... I am hungry and I miss ranch dressing so I am going to go to Subway and order a bacon chicken ranch sandwich. Don't get in my way!

Bye for now!

Love!

-Lauren

Lincoln Photo Project #1

Hellllooo!!!

For the last week or so Alyssa, Whitney and I have been putting a great deal of time into a photography project that is due in on Friday. It has been a long and stressful adventure at times, but I feel it is soon going to pay off.

Our project brief was to capture an image for a book cover. The book is Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and it has to do with human destruction of nature. The requirement is that it is shot n fujifilm. The only issue there is that we had to check out a camera which was less than pleasant. Not the checking out part... the using part. My (along with my comrades') first two rolls were shot and we were running out of time. We reshot Tuesday morning and had some success!

Anyway, here are my final shots. Two of them I will submit to be marked and the lonely tree will... well, remain quite lonely! I hope you like them! : )

'Ello Darlings!

Hi All! I just wanted to write for a bit to let you know I am still alive!

We made it to Heathrow on Thursday morning and then Tom (our professor) met us and drove us up to Lincoln. It is absolutely beautiful here and I am having a great time!

The jetlag was a bit of a butt kicker! It amazes me how odd it is to get used to a 6 hour time change!

Nick and Liz came up to visit me for the weekend! It was so wonderful seeing them! I find it hard to believe that I have not seen Nick in over 2 years, and Liz since the summer, and it still feels like it has been a matter of months or weeks since our last meeting! Some things don't seem to change a whole heck of a lot and it is a comfort that is nice to hold on to when there seems to be nothing but change in daily life. I have a feeling that the few constants in my life may be what I hold on to when times get tough in the next 5 months.

All of us American girls were taken out for a proper night on the town this Saturday and it was fun! Wow, can the brits drink!

Anyway! I suppose I better go meet up with the others. The radio stations want to ask us our takes on Obama taking his place as President today! We went to BBC Lincoln this morning and now will be interviewed by Linx FM and then Siren, the Uni's radio station.

Right, I am off, but will try to come back on later and do a better job of this blogging business!

Love! x

Screw my "U"!!!

Today has been a long day. Not a bad day, but a long day. I had my comm law exam this evening so between producing something... ANYTHING to please Reggie and show her that, yes, I have been shooting for my digital storytelling class and organizing my notes for the exam I have been scrambling to keep what little sanity I have and prepare myself for the exam that was before me.

My exam is done now. I do not feel sick thinking about the scan tron I turned in so that is a good sign.

Even though my exam was fairly smooth, I have a lot on my mind and am slightly stressed/sad. I thought, well... what makes me feel better other than just rambling on for an obscene amount of time about something that has nothing to do with anything?!?! The answer is simple! Nothing! Rambling is beautiful as one is able to go on and on about something completely unrelated to anything of real importance or value. Does Rambling not appeal to you? That is fine! More for me! Rambling is like curry. It is not for everybody, but the people who like it can't get enough!

Well... I thought I would come here to ramble a bit and that is when it happened... my damn "U" key popped off again!!! It keeps popping off and I am about ready to tweak! Gurr...

I lust after a mac!

Thirty Seven Days

Thirty seven days until I leave for England. I am looking forward to it so much, but I can't help but be slightly worried.

I have a number of dear friends that live in England whom I love very much. I first thought about doing an exchange in Lincoln because I have so many connections there and wanted to go for a visit anyway... so why not make the most of it! Why not spend 5 months there and study, travel and photograph to my heart's desire! I can hardly wait!

As my departure creeps closer and closer, I begin to worry about all of the what if's that have been lingering ever so slightly in the back of my mind.

The greatest of these would have to be: what if I go to England and find that I no longer have anything in common with some of my friends that I have not seen in a long time? Life gets busy and there is not a single adult that could argue with me (unless he or she has no life... in that case would one really want to admit it?). As uni/work has gotten busy for me and many of my friends not located in the states, I have found it increasingly difficult to keep in touch. I just worry at times that I will go to England and expect to have the same relationship with friends that I had 2 years ago. The only problem is that nothing is the same now. Everything changes. I have changed and it would be silly to assume that they have not changed. But what if we have changed into different people? People who no longer have anything in common? It might be silly for me to think about this, but it is hard not to. One of the most exciting parts about studying in England has always been, and continues to be, seeing old friends. As my contact with friends becomes increasingly rare, the greater my anxiety becomes. If it has been so difficult to keep in touch via facebook, messenger and skype when we never get to see each other, why should it be easier to get together for a weekend? I have no reason to believe it will be easier. I guess there is nothing I can do but say come what may. What will be will be!

I am lucky to be traveling to England with 3 fantastic girls! As leaving nears I have so many mixed emotions. I know not to hold too many expectations and just take life as it comes!

Life is good!

Documentary Photography

As most of you likely know, I am in a documentary photography class at MSUM and we have our exhibit on December 17. I am very excited for it and I hope all of you can make it! However, seeing as I am slightly realistic (despite what many might think), I know that not all of you can make it... the whole ocean between us thing might be an issue. Long story short, here is my exhibit work from doc photo!

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Hello Friends! I wanted to apologize for my mass amount of blog entires (or lack there of). I tried to post my photos that will be in the documentary photography exhibit, but it was being stubborn and I did not have the time to figure it out. Well... no more excuses. Time to write something! 

Finals are coming. Fast. They will come fast and go fast. Time scares me sometimes... it never takes a rest. I remember being in elementary school waiting, first of all, for Christmas break... then the second Christmas was over I would start counting down until summer. I was never terribly patient. This continues to be, and I fear will always be, a great downfall of mine. My inability to be  patient has changed from days until a break to specific situations (a.k.a. people). Time goes way too fast for me to count down much of anything... except for England. 40 days. No matter how much I feel I can't wait for the next 40 days to go by, I just want to enjoy them. The faster they fly by, the faster my five months in England will fly by. I want nothing more than to enjoy the here and now. 

Right here, right now, I am able to enjoy time with my friends between preparing for finals week and sleeping as much as possible (I have a cold and am dedicated to kicking it's butt before my finals begin). In a couple weeks, after I move back to my parents house, I will be able to enjoy time with family and friends between working and drinking coffee... which both are able to be done with friends a great deal of the time. I am blessed with the ability to travel with wonderful friends and I feel so lucky to have such an amazing opportunity that allowed me to meet some wonderful girls! That 8 hour flight will be a breeze! 

Time is too short to wish it away! My hope is to enjoy every moment and that you will do the same!