Mum and Pops are in Londontown!

So as I arrive home from my 16 day Spring Break Extravaganza at 11pm on a Monday Evening; Ma and Pa Walt arrive in London-Town!

Since it was so late, we decided it would be better to just wait and meet up the next day; But I could not wait! I mean ok... here I sit anticipating seeing my parents... What has London done to me?! But to give me credit; it is J-Dubbs and C-Dazzle we are talking about here... and it has been almost 3 months! Right - so Parents, anticipation, excitement - Moving on....

TUESDAY
Today is THE day! I get to see my parents! So I try to keep myself busy by actually going to class, and then I just about sprint to meet my parents at their hotel; The Charing Cross Hotel. Now let me first begin with this hotel - BEAUTIFUL. It is right next to Trafalgar Square (big hotspot with the National Gallery), and when you walk in; you just feel like someone important. It was amazing...

But as I begin to walk in; anxious and almost nervous for some reason, I see him. My dad! AHHHH! I got so excited and wanted to run into his arms; but this place didn't really seem like that would be appropriate... so at a brisk walk I went over and hugged my dad for the first time in three months. Even if he may hold our hugs a little too awkwardly long, it felt good. Then we walked a little bit before I see my mom! Oh wow, this is crazy weird. It feels like I haven't seen them in years!

*On a side note, my family is really awkward sometimes. From here on out, just read without judgement. We are who we are... The Walt's don't live by any rhyme or reason...

Ok so there is an awkward hug, an awkward "Hey, How's it going?" stupid, irrelevant questions... But I wanted the good stuff... like, "Where is all the food and clothes I asked you to bring me!?" Clearly my priorities are straight... But this was not even needed to be asked since I basically felt like it was Christmas all over again!

We go to their huge room with a TV (it's the little things in life...) and they have a WHOLE DUFFEL of goodies for me! They brought me shoes, summer clothes, snacks, but most importantly roughly 13 pounds of Mrs. Grass Chicken Noodle Soup Packets! I am just near tears when they surprise me with even more... Lion King Broadway Tickets for that night! Can life get any better?!

So I pack up all of my stuff before heading out to dinner... FOR FREE. Yes. things could get better! We end up eating at a great place called the Mermaid Tail and just caught up with one another. I gave them the rundown of London and they gave me the rundown of Wisconsin. It was so nice, a little taste of home... Skype doesn't do justice to actually having them in person.

But I think the best part was watching them interact within London. They are so funny because first they have to learn how to use the tubes and their "oyster cards," and then get used to the cars on the wrong side of the road, as well as getting accustomed to London's fast-paced lifestyle where everyone always appears to be in a hurry to get to nowhere, and finally the stand-offish attitude it seems many "Londoners" have. Have to give them credit; they did pretty well... I forgot how lost I thought I was when I first arrived... and now I just laugh at what I think to be simple questions (whoops!).

But we finish off dinner before seeing The Lion King which topped off the perfect day! Amazing. So then we head our seperate ways, right after I reassure my mom I can travel home by myself hahaha

WEDNESDAY
Today I thought I would show my parents the shopping district after my classes, so I took them over to Regent and Oxford Street with all the high end shops. We didn't go in many because I am not used to such nice things, and I think I was torturing my dad, but no worries because Lunch made up for it!

After being squished into a back corner of a restaurant down some alley off Oxford Street Called "Burgers, etc." we had an amazing meal yet again (they keep lucking out with all the restaurants we choose). Another free meal... oh life is good. It's from there that we explore different parts of London, show them around town, before they take me grocery shopping and then I bring them back to my housing; NIDO.

Well I think it was everything they expected... four walls and a bed. So I did some laundry for them, being the good daughter I am, while we just continued catching up, before having an Italian feast at the restaurant below NIDO, and then we parted ways... this part frightened me a little since they are not 100% sure of themselves and using the tube to get home... Luckily they made it back and life is good.

THURSDAY
Well to keep things short and simple - my parents went to visit some of my Dad's work friends in another area of London where they got to stay in a castle... as condolence to TK and myself, they gave us their hotel room for a night and bought us dinner at a Mexican Cantina style restaurant! So TK and I grabbed dinner before heading back to the room and watching roughly 13 episodes of friends... TV is a luxury you know... and then we were surprised to find out that when we awoke - we got BREAKFAST! and not just bread and tomatoes... No, my dad set it up where we got VIP seating on the balcony and had a full breakfast buffet with bacon, oatmeal, eggs, potatoes, cereal, 14153 different juices, and so much more! Clearly we took advantage of this before going back and sitting in the room for some more TV time.

Eventually we headed back to NIDO, which surprisingly seemed a lot worse after staying in their hotel room for one night haha. But later, I went to meet up with my parents and their friends across town for a couple drinks on a river bank where the water was literally touching the tip of the restaurant, and then we had another delicious Italian meal with my parents friends, the Brunero's, before heading back home.

SATURDAY
Today is the day I take my parents to the infamous Portobello Market... This was a "bittersweet" idea if you will... You see my mom LOVES things like this; antiques, home furnishings, other useless objects one doesn't require; while my dad goes for novelty "toys" and just kind of hangs out for the ride. Well sure enough my mom goes straight for the doorknobs... Yes doorknobs. After doorknobs comes the toast holders, followed by little tea spoons. Oh it may be a long 2 miles of shopping. But eventually we make it through after all the pushing and shoving, and I think they really enjoyed the experience. It's sad because the novelty wears off; but it was good in the end because my mom found her favorite drink - Fresh squeezed Lemonade! and the weather was more then anyone could ask for! Just beautiful.

After Portobello, we head back to the hotel where I doze off to Back to the Future 2on TV, while my parents went to explore Tower Castle and the crown jewels. When they arrived back we grabbed dinner at a Angus Steak House before I showed them my favorite part of London: Covent Garden. It was later and a bit chilly now, so we didn't stay long; we just shopped around a bit while watching a couple street performers before heading off for dessert at a local pastry place. Grabbed some cakes and pastries and then feasted in the hotel room while watching more Friends... Did this show just arrive out here or what?! But then I headed back home yet again... sad that everything is going so well... I wish my parents could stay longer. Only two days to go (or so I think)...

SUNDAY
Homework day. So I am technically here for school; so I decided to stay in while my parents went off exploring so I could get some things done. Needless to say I was not put into the best mood by this, but no worries, we planned to meet up later to see another musical, Jersey Boys. This is based on the life of Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. Really funny and good! I personally feel a lot of people in my age category couldn't really appreciate it; but since I grew up listening to only oldies - this was right up my alley!

Afterwards we grabbed a bite in China town and then I took my bad attitude and myself home to finish up some more school work. Booo.

MONDAY
Last day before my parents were supposed to leave and I am stuck at school and working on group projects. This clearly made me really unhappy; but thankfully some Volcanoes in Iceland decided to erupt, therefore causing all air travel to be at a standstill for almost 6 days! Good for me (more free meals), bad for my parents (buying Caitlin more meals)!

But we decide to catch up in Covent Garden again where we grab yet another Italian meal (as if Spring Break wasn't enough) for lunch, before we met up for dinner with TK at a mexican restaurant called Chiquito's. Oh this was just delicious, and it was a lot of fun. Got to hear my mom and dad make their awkward comments about life... oh how it made me miss home...

TUESDAY
So today my parents were supposed to leave, but are stuck here till Friday because of the volcano crisis. YES. So yet again I have this thing called school getting in the way of my social life, but I eventually meet up with them at guess where... Yep. Covent Garden. But this time they introduced me to something - Ben's Cookies... AKA the most delicious thing I have had since my arrival. You buy a cookie by how much it weighs and they have so many kinds: white chocolate, double chocolate, coconut, peanut butter and so many more! Oh so good. But I had to go back for more school work so I couldn't really hang out with my parents for that long unfortunately (never thought I would say that haha).

WEDNESDAY
Today my parents and I decided to check out "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese," the oldest pub in London. The food was definately pub food, but it was a neat little restaurant.. Luckily we got in, cause normally you are apparently supposed to have reservations?... even though we were the only ones there? No worries... Yet another free meal... How many is that now? (It's at this point I think my parents may believe I am using them for food.... I am ok with this).

THURSDAY
More homework. Yuck. And today was the day my friend Kevin Schleicher was supposed to arrive from Germany to visit, but due to the Volcanoes, his flight was also cancelled. It was really sad too since we planned a wine tasting at a place called Vinopolis with him... Atleast we got to use his extra tickets for ourselves (sorry Kevin)!

So after our tasting, TK, Kelley, and myself met up with Ma and Pa Walt for one last meal... It's really unfortunate that this last meal occurred at a restaurant called Garfunkel's. This was horrible. We each got a different dish; yet they all tasted the same... well actually I would like to think water had more of a taste then the food. But it was ok, cause we went over to Chiquito's afterwards for some dessert before my parents surprised me with a box of Ben's Cookies and all of their left over British Pounds! Free meals and money?! I could get used to this...

So then we did our awkward hugs... knowing it will be another 1 1/2 months before they get to see my face again. It was actually quite sad... This was probably the most time I have spent with my parents in as long as I can remember; and I had them all to myself! It was an amazing week and a half. I mean how lucky can one be? Getting treated to the luxuries out here in London, and having my parents come and visit? I can't even begin to express how happy and grateful I was to have them here. I feel as though they catered more to my needs then their own, even though it was their vacation!

But if London has taught me anything, it's this - I am a homebody. I never thought I would say that I miss Wisconsin and my family and everybody else at home... but being here truly helped me appreciate how lucky I am to have such a perfect life with an amazing family.

Dear Mom and Dad - I hoped you enjoy coming out here as much as I enjoyed spending this time with you. I love and miss you guys, and look forward to coming home. You may miss me now; but be prepared and appreciate the quiet while you still can! Love you