Two days of tours...

is actually really exhausting, especially when you don't really get a whole lot of sleep from Friday night to Saturday night. To close out Freshers Week the Student Ambassadors had planned trips to Trentham Gardens on Friday and Alton Towers on Saturday. I thought it would be fun to see the local attractions. It was fun but it was also exhausting and like everything else since I've been here an adventure.

First let's start with the Monkey Gardens. It was really great and really interesting. They had monkeys running around everywhere and we were able to walk a path through the gardens and see them, take pictures, as the guides questions if we had anyone. As I was walking along I felt something hit my face and I was under a tree so I thought it had just been an acorn or something, but then I reached up to touch my face and oh no I had been pooped on.....yeah......I don't want to talk about, but I had to share it because I feel like those of you that read this blog at least deserve a laugh.

Next we went to the actual Trentham Gardens which were breathtakingly beautiful. I loved them. In addition to the main large Italian Garden off on one side they had show gardens. I don't know if it was the sun finally being out (first time I have worn my sunglasses since I have been here) or the peacefulness of the gardens, but I was feeling very philosophical that day. See the show gardens all had different themes and different names and had been designed by different people and I thought to myself how each person has to find the right garden for them and what fits who they are or what they need. I found myself drawn to the time garden, it was pretty and the sun shined right on it and there were little benches, and so I sat and spent some time in the time garden and it was really nice. Shortly after that we found a park with a rope swing. You never see those in America. It was awesome. I had to go play on it. Finally, it was off to check out the shops in the shopping center and eventually take a break for tea.

This morning I got up bright and early to catch the coach to Alton Towers a local theme park. It was really fun but boy am I exhausted. We tried to hit all of the major rides and I think we only missed one. We started off on Oblivion which dropped straight down for far too long, then Thirteen and Rita in the haunted forest. Next we went on the scariest thing I have ever done worse than any haunted house I have ever been on. It was called Nemesis Sub-Terra, then we went on the much less scary Nemesis roller coaster after a break for food. Then it was back to the bus for us. Now that I'm back its nap time for me because I am exhausted.