The sweetest job, if only for a short while...

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Lots of cameras!

Classic London.

A day excursion with some fellow staff members: Robert {Principal} and Elaine {admin}.

Longleat Manor house.

The famous "Golden Hill" in the little town of Shaftesbury. The view was breathtaking!

My home in England: the Shepherd family residence.

The lovely garden out back of my host family's home.

This is where I work: Richard Language College. Isn't it charming?

The second building of Richard Language College {RLC}.

The door to my office, "Social Organiser."

Okay, I seriously cannot believe I am getting PAID for this job. PAID to travel England! It almost seems to be too good to be true, but I am doing "work." Sorry I haven't written in so long...things have really picked up here at the college since all the summer intensive students have started to arrive. Here's a little info to catch you up on what I've been doing:

Last Saturday we took 24 students to London and gave them a walking tour to see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, the Queen's guards, Oxford street, and more! It was a gorgeous day outside and I really enjoyed my time with the students! We strolled the busy streets of London chatting and getting to know one another better. Then we stopped to get a coffee/tea before meeting back at the coach.


Sunday, I went on a staff excursion to Longleat Safari and Manor. Visitors drive through the safari in their own cars and the animals are wandering around. The best part was the monkeys...they climb all over the visitors' cars and cause quite a bit of mischief by actually doing some damage pulling bits and pieces off of cars! It was quite amazing to be so close to the animals, especially the lions, tigers, and wolves (you thought I was going to say 'bears,' didn't you?)! Then we visited Longleat Manor House, which was absolutely breathtaking. The rooms look as if they have been untouched for 300 years. And they certainly smell that old! There were also lots of other things to do at Longleat, like a ferry ride around an island to see the silver-back gorilla that lives there, a train ride, a Gorilla motion simulator ride, a parrot show, and an underground room with 30 or so bats just flying about the room! They fly really close to the visitors' heads and I was thinking the whole time about my mom and how she'd be freaking out! :) I also held a python in the "petting" area. On our way home, we stopped in the tiny village of Shaftesbury and saw the beautiful picturesque hill pictured above. The entire village was quaint and beautiful.


I was relocated this week to start working on the University of Bournemouth campus with our college's students who are using classrooms there. As you can see from the picture, the college does not have much space for classrooms and there are so many students here in the summer that the college uses Bournemouth University for the overflow. The students who take classes there are between the ages of 15 and 17. I am so enjoying my time with them! This week, a group of girls arrived, some Dutch, some Polish, and one German. They are so friendly and lively and I have really enjoyed getting to know them. This coming Saturday we will be going to Windsor Castle and Sunday we'll be taking another group to London.


Time has been flying by and I am really excited for what's to come this summer. I am especially anxious for Matt to come and visit! He will arrive on July 31st and stay until August 11th. After he returns home, I'll only have 10 days left working here. I cannot wait for Matt to be here and get to meet the wonderful staff and students here, as well as join me on the excursions!


It's certainly quite the adventure here....just what I need.


Cheers!