Winchester, Southbourne, two air guitars and the end of a European trip

28/5 - And that's the end of my first go-around hosting someone through Couchsurfing, and it's a little bittersweet.

Just like my first two Couchsurfing encounters, I don't have any complaints. Joel was an awesome guest, and he got along with everybody. Stella and I took him out to one of the local bars last night, and it felt like he's been a part of the group for a long time. In short, he fit in.

Like my hosts, I cooked him dinner and refused payment. And like my other hosts, I tried my best to make him feel welcome, which I think I did well. I also went to the bus station with Joel to help him figure out which busses he needs to take in order to get to his next destination: Salisbury. I told him with confidence he wouldn't need to hitchhike. After all, it's what I would want a host to do for me if I was traveling across the continent. I'm paying it forward and making a contribution to my good-karma meter.

It was really cool hosting Joel. I learned some new words and got more comfortable speaking Spanish. I also learned some different pronunciation that comes with Argentinian Spanish compared to the Spanish I know. For example, a "yuh" sound I would make is the same as a "sh" sound in Argentinian words. I'm glad he made that clear to me; I had an easier time understanding him after that.

So from here, Joel will go to Salisbury where he will Couchsurf with another person for a few nights. There he will meet up with his friend from Argentina and go to Bath, and later farther north into the far reaches of Scotland. He's on a truly epic adventure. I'm glad I was the first person to host him in this country and on this trip. I hope I made a good impression. If nothing else, I think I made a new friend, and hopefully I'll have somewhere in Argentina where I can visit in the future. That's the cool thing about traveling like this or hosting travelers: it really expands your networks across country lines. The world is getting smaller for me.

(Update: Joel left a very positive review of me on the Couchsurfing website. Gracias, mi amigo!)

30/5 - Another couple of people reached out to me via the Couchsurfing website. One guy is from Texas. But I turned him down because I'll be in Wales during the time he wants to come. Another girl is from Germany, and that might be a possibility because she's coming to town next weekend.

Anyway, we all went to Winchester yesterday and braved the periodic rain. We had more cream teas while waiting out the rain and got distracted multiple times (a specialty of ours) on Winchester High Street. We saw Winchester Cathedral too. Though they wanted an entry fee - Please, Duomo di Milano or St. Paul's doesn't charge you to get in, so why should this cathedral, which is smaller, charge? - it was a good break from the rain. But I'll give credit to Winchester Cathedral for generally being more open for exploration. And in the far reaches of the building, it got quieter, and your footsteps on the stone, which held epitaphs of those who existed hundreds of years ago, echoed loudly. There was also a point when a gentle voice over the loudspeaker urged everyone to become silent during the Lord's Prayer. The voices slowly faded and the Prayer echoed inside the church. It was quite a peaceful moment.

Winchester is a beautiful city, which still has ruins dating back to Roman times. We were able to see the old Roman city walls, the ruins of Wolvesey Castle, which was built by a Bishop, and the Round Table. So it's an ancient place. Plus, the river running through the center is awesome. Some houses on the banks have their own bridges that lead to the public path.

The family really enjoyed this city, but all four of them are exhausted. They've been constantly moving for two weeks now. I don't think they're used to the time change yet, and they're still thrown off by the fact the sun rises at 4:30 a.m. and sets at about 9:30 p.m.

31/5 - The two weeks for my family is up. They're on their way back to the states today. Wish them luck on their 12 hours of flight time!

We had a great last day yesterday. We visited the Wheels Festival in Southbourne and had a few drinks in a pub. My cousin and I spent a few hours on the beach catching up, and my mother and I finished off the night by getting trashed during the dying stages of the festival. At one point both of us were dancing to live music in the middle of the street and playing air guitar with a blond-haired kid whose skateboard played the part of a guitar.

We had a few drinks in a micro pub which had only opened its doors that night and had three choices of beer to offset various painting supplies in the corner and a hastily built bar in the center of the room where several plastic cups lay sad-looking and abandoned. A knitted lampshade from the cafe across the street was the source of the warm, but dim light in the room. And from there, both of us stumbled home, and my family's first trip to Europe concluded.

So today will be a day for me to rest and relax. I need to get some work done on these essays, but it will have to be quick because I'm leaving again tomorrow for another trip. It's the thing I've been looking forward to since March...

I'm riding to Wales on a motorcycle.* Finally.

Buckle up and enjoy the blogs! And as a send-off, here's something incredibly awesome.

*Transformers theme music.

Rookie travelers, France, Bournemouth rugby and Couchsurfing host

24/5 - I can now say I've played in a real rugby game, made a tackle and hurt a part of my body while playing (my right middle finger and ring finger are both sore, swollen and bruised). It was during this day I think I finally figured out how to tackle correctly (get low, eyes on thighs and wrap up the legs).

The Bournemouth 7s festival was a pretty fun event. Some of the people there were to play rugby, while 90 percent of the 30,000 people there showed up to listen to some music and get hammered, and that includes some of the rugby teams. There was also some really great food, like the burger made of kangaroo meat that was so unlike other burgers I've had in England, or the chicken burrito with guacamole and jalepenos.

We played three games on Saturday and won one. The game we won was against the Overdressed Pandas, a team with the greatest jerseys I've ever seen. In the background were red flames, while a transformer-like robot was riding on a red-eyed and vicious Tyrannosaurus Rex with a screaming panda on its shoulder. They were incredible and I wanted to trade my shirt for one of theirs. But we scored two tries against them and held them scoreless. We certainly exceeded expectations by scoring, never mind winning. It was a great feeling to win, one that certainly deserved a snakebite (beer and cider with some red-colored juice).

Our other two games were losses that looked typical of a group of guys who have either never played rugby, or haven't in a few years. The first game was a 57-0 loss to the Batmen, a team dressed in black, Batman logos and capes attached to the socks. There were about seven semi-professional players on that team, and they came out to knock some skulls around. By the third game of the day, however, they had slowed down by a fair amount, mostly because of the amount of alcohol in their systems.

By far the most odd game of the day was between one team dressed in nothing but water wings and thongs, G-strings or briefs, while the other team was dressed in overalls or costumes. There was one guy dressed in a kilt who carried around a beer bottle the entire game. That would be an odd game to play in, for sure.

That day reminded me of being on the cross country team in high school, in that we spent all day at a meet, huddled in the shade of a tree, waiting for our turn to play. And in the meantime, we screwed around and had a laugh. While the results weren't fantastic, it was so worth it. I learned a new sport, kept in shape and grew some more. After school finishes and I get a job, I'd like to keep playing rugby.

My family and I made the trek to London today. I'll say right now I'm so happy they got to see my favorite city in the world, the one where my greatest memories were made. They were able to see why I describe London as a chaotic mass of humanity. But they were only there for one day, so they saw but just a tiny fraction of the city. I dragged them through masses of people in the Camden Town Stables, a small but incredibly dense marketplace with the feel of a flea market. And of course, since there were five of us, all of us just refused to stay together due to getting distracted by something shiny or tasty.

This was my dad's first time in a truly big city. He compared the amount of people to Disneyland. It was his first time having to pay 30p to use a public toilet. He's never used a metro before. I think my family were deeply grateful to have a guide with them, as they'd be completely lost if I wasn't there. But now that I think about it, that's what my mom likes to do. She has a knack for being at your shoulder one moment, but then completely vanishing the next minute because she got distracted by something else. She strolls and takes it all in. She's not walking to anywhere. Rather, she's experiencing everything along the way, and if she gets lost, so be it.

We ate street food, like the falafel wrap in Camden Town or the mutton curry we had near Waterloo Station. It was all incredible, with just a little bit of spicy bite to it. I dragged my family through the underground maze known as the Tube, and to St. Paul's Cathedral, where a Swedish organist was filling the dome of the cathedral with deep, haunting bass that somehow reached the inside of your chest, like how a dragster in a drag race does. Five years ago I stumbled upon a service inside this cathedral; I was stunned at how big it was. I had never seen anything like it. While it's still pretty incredible in present-day me's point of view, I've seen better. The Duomo di Milano has ruined all other cathedrals for me.

I was able to show them the neighborhood I lived in during those months with the British Studies Program with the University of Southern Mississippi. I showed them a small taste of that city, and after 10 miles of walking today, some of them want another day there. Success.

As a side note, after being a guest on Couchsurfing adventures, I'll play the host to someone this week. This guy comes from Argentina, and it'll be another opportunity to practice Spanish.

27/5 - I (and the rest of the family) are back from France. It was their (beside mom) first time in France, and a place where the language isn't English. The language barrier is definitely awkward. Plus, it was another change in currency, this time to the Euro.

While I'm known for winging it, I don't usually wing it to the degree we did in Cherbourg. We got to the ferry station in Poole without having bought a ticket, reserved a place to sleep or rented a car. Since that wasn't my idea, I lost my cool on the ferry, and I made it known to my family I was losing my mind. And for that, I later apologized, because as we all know, these things tend to work themselves out in the end. We eventually snagged a hotel room outside of Cherbourg, and from there we drank some truly delicious beer from Strasbourg in the bar and later ate dinner. I had cheese and wine for dessert, and that might be my favorite French food. I admit it: I like stinky and strong cheese.

We rented a car the next day. This way we were able to see more of the countryside and try to decipher French freeway signs. I rented the car, and this time I didn't have a huge fee slapped on because I'm not 25. But when I got in and started the engine, I had an oh-no-that-might-be-an-issue moment when I looked down and saw the car was a manual transmission. But all was well because I drove stick for a year before coming here. It was easy. And really, driving stick is more fun.

We explored the small villages and sights associated with World War II. These include Sainte-Mere Eglise, Pointe Du Hoc and Utah Beach. I've seen all of these places before, but I'm glad my dad was able to see them and geek out. He's a WWII buff. It was also fun to drive around narrow countryside lanes that lead through tiny villages and the coastline. It was another quick, yet meaningful adventure.

I mentioned earlier I'll host someone through Couchsurfing. While on the ferry back to Poole, Anna called me and said the guy was already in Corfe House and staying in their flat!

What?!

I initially thought he got there early, and I was kind of ashamed my friends were keeping an eye on him for me. But it was a massive coincidence. Anna (who was also in France the last couple of days) was on the same bus from London as this guy. So they were talking, and she found out he was going to Corfe House. She helped him get here and, along with Symeon and Emmanuel, kept him company until I got there, smelling of beach and sweating from the quick walk from the ferry station. The situation is fine, and I'm glad nothing bad happened. Symeon and Anna had absolutely no problem with it; they both told me that's what friends are for. I'm sure this guy is good with just having a place to stay for the night.

His name is Joel. He's from Argentina. He just graduated law school and now he's traveling around Europe. It's a massive backpacking trip which will take him north through the UK, south through Ireland, through Scandinavia and eventually into Russia, a place where he doesn't need a visa just to visit like Americans or Europeans do. I think this is the beginning of his trip, this stop in Poole.

We've been speaking Spanish, and also talking with Stella. She didn't know I could speak Spanish at the level I do. But even in this short amount of time, I feel more comfortable speaking. And as for Joel, he's staying in a place where he's able to meet a lot of new people. It's a pretty cool situation. But this made me realize I have some awesome friends who have my back. They know I'm not in some sketchy situation and I wouldn't do anything to screw them. And honestly, that is such an amazing feeling.

Quarter of a century, castle ruins and a leg break

20/5 - I'm now 25.

Yesterday was my birthday, and if I'm honest, it was the first time in years I've actually enjoyed my birthday. I celebrated modestly with family and friends, and at one point took a note out of Chinese culture by buying drinks for my family. It was special. It was in another country, surrounded by family and friends like Danny, Tim and Anna. But I also deeply appreciated the fact Tim and Danny actually took the time to wrap a present and a birthday card, even though it was a 4-pack of Estrella Damm beer. Somehow I'm not surprised, from what I know of my friends.

We took a trip to Corfe Castle today by bus. My parents sat in the front seats of the second story so they could get more comfortable with driving on the left side of the road. There's lot's to study, like the way the lane lines are marked and how traffic moves on a roundabout. I think they're getting more comfortable with the idea of driving.

Picture taken with an old iPhone 4s. It's amazing how good the picture quality is with this phone. And again, I can see this from my bedroom window in Corfe House.

I went to Corfe Castle in January with some friends, but we never stepped foot inside the castle grounds because we didn't want to pay to see rubble. But today I did see everything, and it was really cool. There's very few places within the ruins you can't go, and like Stonehenge, there's something about the ruins of a thousand-year-old castle, surrounded by gently rolling English-countryside hills, that leaves you rooted to the spot, picturing how it once was. We then had lunch in the shadow of the castle, which consisted of Clotted Cream Teas and fish and chips. Having a cream tea is probably the most British thing you can do, but everyone was wondering why there was no cream in the tea.

Psssh...Americans.

I've explained it here a couple of months ago. Cream teas consist of tea and scones or biscuits, and you're supposed to add generous amounts of clotted cream and jam to the biscuits. For the fish and chips, what they thought was guacamole was actually mushy peas. I have to remind myself to keep patient in the face of so many questions from my family about details of what, where, how and why. I know all of this stuff, but my family is completely new to this.

But the family thoroughly enjoyed themselves in Corfe Castle, and the fact those fish and chips were the best they've had is the added bonus.

I got my rugby uniform for the tournament this weekend. It's so tight it's painted onto me. I guess that's how it's supposed to be. But I'm feeling a bit anxious. It's the same feeling I get when I have an oral presentation or when we had a football game. I know I'm going to get torn up, but then again, so are the rest of my teammates. But on the other hand, it'll be a blast. I think rugby is super fun.

22/5 - The family went to Bath yesterday, and I hear they loved it. I can understand why; Bath is a beautiful city in the hills where there are natural hot springs. My mom loved it so much she wanted to stay a second day.

I stayed in Poole because I still have plenty of reading for school and some essays to start; I thought it would also be good for them to find their own way around. After doing some of that, Tim and I visited our friend Djamila (Jah-mee-lah) in Poole Hospital. She'll spend the next two weeks there after she broke her leg skateboarding. It was one of those freak accidents where she wasn't going fast or crashed very hard. Her foot ended up backwards and a bone poking out of the skin near her ankle. She'll need surgery and won't be able to walk on her own until the end of summer.

However, this break came at the worst time for Djamila. She can't complete her exams, it's going to drive an incredibly active person like her insane being immobilized for this long, and her plans to live and work in San Francisco, CA this summer are null and void now. I told her I know the feeling of being this close to moving to San Francisco for a job, only to have the rug unexpectedly pulled out from under you. She's worried about having full function of her leg in the future, but I told her it would be no problem; people have come back from much worse.

This story illustrates the positives and negatives of the NHS in England (National Health Service). First, it took more than an hour for an ambulance to pick her up (she was at Slades Farm, near Talbot Campus), and that was because the first two called to get her were diverted to pick up people with a heart attack. That's fair enough, but more than an hour is a long time to wait. But you're covered with the NHS. Since taxes pay for it, you don't have to worry about funds if you badly break your leg like you would in America. And since the UK is part of the European Union, if you get hurt in another EU country, you don't have to worry about medical costs either. It's a good system.

It goes to show that some random accident can wipe out your plans in an instant. That's life. Djamila will come back stronger than ever, and this just means there's something much better waiting for her. As for me, knock on wood; let's get through the summer scuff-free.

Royal Navy assassins and family visits

16/5 - The weather is absolutely fantastic. It's the perfect time for my family to come. I took the bus to Sandbanks today and got sunburned lying on the beach. It was bliss lying in the warm, reminds-me-of-brown-sugar sand with a gentle breeze dancing across my face. See, English weather is awful most of the time. When it's sunny and warm and perfect like this, there's nothing better.

As it turns out, I didn't get the placement at the Calshot Activity Centre. I wasn't that disappointed considering what we were talking about at the interview. I saw my rejection email, felt that small stab of disappointment for a split second and then moved on. That just means there's something much better for me out there.

But this means I've lost my trust for one of my lecturers. He keeps making opportunities sound much better than they really are, and like yesterday when we met to discuss dissertation methods, I took his job opportunity with a grain of salt. A golf company wants someone to start May 31; this job will be paid, have free accommodation and is based in Tuscany. You need a car, though. While it sounded awesome, I had to hold myself back because of my distrust of the guy. Plus, I'm busy until August. I'll be honest and say I seriously considered blowing everything off and putting my name down for this gig. But I have to give the guy credit for trying hard to find us jobs through his numerous connections. I'll have him edit my CV until it's perfect, but I just don't trust him with anything else. Plus, I have a very strong suspicion he used to be an assassin with the Royal Navy. I straight up asked him if he was; he neither confirmed nor denied it, and then he laughed.

So naturally, I'll just assume my lecturer used to be a Royal Navy assassin. That seems legit.

The commercial team at Poole Town had its first meeting today at Tatnam Ground. We were all sitting in the boardroom lit only by sunlight through the open door and the two dusty, grimy windows, as the electricity was turned off to the building. That meant the countless bottles of beer, soda and lemonade in the fridge were warm and we were unable to make tea or coffee. But as I sat there brainstorming with everyone (Mark, his daughter Sam and Tim), I noticed how comfortable I am here. It doesn't feel like I'm in a foreign country anymore. That's what happens when you learn about characters or rumors in the community, like the potential buyer for Poole Town absolutely nobody likes - that guy was described as "a shark" to me - and news that hasn't been released to the public yet - like how Poole Stadium will be torn down and rebuilt so Poole Town can move in, within the next few years. It's stuff like this that sucks you into a community.

And speaking of the club, I snagged a meeting next week with the Go Outdoors store across the street from Corfe House. It's a big chain, so hopefully I can get a yes then.

18/5 - It's great to see my family again! It was sunny and warm yesterday, but I told them it could start raining the next day. And sure enough, the next day it was raining and storming.

Typical England.

But what's funny is everything I know as normal here is totally new to them. I'll be teaching them about the things that are a bit different here compared to California, and that includes words and food and culture.

And we're thinking about going to France and then Amsterdam, where we'll partake in activities one normally associates with Amsterdam. More adventure!

Positive vibes annihilate Negative Nancys

9/7 - Yesterday was the awards night with the American football club. It was great to get together with everyone, down in the stuffy cellar of the Four Horsemen pub. I'd like to write something fancy, but there wasn't much to it. All I can say is about what the team means to me. Those guys helped me get comfortable in a new country, and I'm so grateful for that. This was such a great team because everyone, besides one, were great teammates. The guy who was voted team MVP, Charlie Sweet, is one of my most favorite teammates I've ever had, and that's because he's so humble despite being so gifted. He's basically everything every guy wishes they could be. But this team was my first group of friends. I learned a new sport with them. We struggled through practices, sweated and got hurt together. Joining this team was the greatest decision I've made since coming to England.

12/7 - I have to apologize for waiting so long between each post. These last few weeks have been a little bit dull compared to that week in mainland Europe. But things are about to pick up, especially in June!

Our rugby tournament is fast approaching. We've (the people who do show up) been going hard in practices lately, and on Sunday we actually started bringing each other down to the ground. After Sunday's session, we were dirty, bleeding, bruised and exhausted, but exhilarated. My teammates have been singling me out after practice for playing well and making plays. It's really flattering because I think rugby is easier to pick up than American football. Here's to practice in the morning.

I made the trek to the Calshot Activity Centre this morning for my interview. It wasn't terrible, but I've also had better interviews. If this does happen, it'll be a short-term placement, as there are no actual available openings; This is something that is being done for the benefit of a student. I'll do data entry, some video production and the odd snowboard instruction. Though there won't be much money in it - if at all - I'll still be able to say I have a little bit of experience in a sporting venue environment. I think it would be a fun place to work at, honestly. I'll have to seriously temper my expectations. And the most important duty of all: keep positive.

One of the best things about the interview was the trek there, even though it was a bit expensive. The good thing about making your way to a place as out of the way as Calshot, is the fact you get to explore an unknown area, thus increasing your knowledge of the country. There is no train that comes close to Calshot. I rode the train to Totton, which is on the edge of Southampton after the New Forest, and then took a taxi the final 14 miles (I heard my wallet moaning in pain in my pocket) in order to make the interview on time. There's a bus that goes from Totton to Calshot, but my train arrived about 10 minutes after it left, so I had no other choice. But I had no problem with the taxi because the driver was really friendly (what brings you here from California, mate?).

The weather today has been incredible. I think my family will be coming at the right time, as it's getting sunny and warm. (But I still think you all should bring a jacket.)

One funny thing that has happened to me in the last day is the fact I'm still kind of tied to Porterville, investigating whether the local paper is going to write a story. It's days like this I wish I was still at the paper because there is so much drama at the city council in Lindsay. A friend of mine works with the city (nod to you, because you know who you are) and is in a peculiar position. After tonight's council meeting, which is sure to attract a lot of media attention because of circumstances only possible in dramatic television shows, my friend will either move up in position or leave her post completely and voluntarily, and head to Costa Rica where she will work with sea turtles. Wow. How dramatic! This is like the penultimate conclusion to an epic struggle, a ruse for power. Things are about to go down tonight in Lindsay, and I wish I had a way to follow online. So to my friend, good luck to you. Whatever happens, you really can't lose. I think we would all love to be in that position.

And finally, Mother's Day was on Sunday. So accordingly, I have to give a shoutout to my mother, Denise Lingberg. This is the woman who kept pushing me to go to grad school. She taught me to question everything, with the most important word being, "why?" I wouldn't be where I am without her influence. She (and dad, of course) has done so much for me, and I have no clue in this wide world of ours how I could pay her back. On Sunday, I sent her a simple message of "Happy Mother's Day!" along with a picture of me with the jagged peaks of the Swiss Alps in the background. It's one of my favorite pictures of Lauterbrunnen Valley - sometimes the simplest gifts are the best.

But having said that, I'm immensely excited to see her when she, dad, Aunt Carol and Kevin come to Bournemouth on Saturday! I'll be able to show all of them all of the great places that inspire me on the south coast of England and the friends I've made from all over the world. I can't wait to see all of them coming out of the terminal at Heathrow Airport. They'll eventually be able to see Central London and why I both love it and hate it at the same time. I'm just looking forward to showing them the places I've been to; they'll finally be able to have memories of the same places I do.

They land at 1 p.m. on Saturday. That means they have to stay awake for eight hours with jet lag. Sleep in the day is bad if you have jet lag. Is it bad to say I'm excited to see them struggle through that first day?

Road trip revisit video

5/5 - As I sit here thinking about what to say, I keep going back to the thought of how I...don't see myself as an outsider anymore. I don't really hear accents anymore, and it's strange to hear another accent like mine. When I do, I usually interrupt to ask them where they're from. I've been sucked into this community, much like what happened in Porterville. And I love how my group of friends is so multicultural. I would never have been able to experience this had I not left drought-ravaged California.

There's been a lot of stuff that has been happening the last week. And like always, it seems like I'm the only one not concerned at all about school. As usual, I've been focused on other things, like Poole Town (still haven't snagged a sponsorship) Bleacher Report and putting my summer together. I'm this close to setting up an interview at Calshot in Southampton, but since the director has been away since Saturday, I've been left anxious, wondering why I haven't seen a response from him.

There are no Cinco de Mayo celebrations in England; that's new and strange to me.

7/5 - During the last few rugby sessions, Josh has been telling both me and other people how much I've improved. It's really flattering to hear that. Honestly, rugby is a bit easier to understand than American football.

I've produced a video that shows where Danny and I went on that road trip. I slammed it out yesterday and today while working in the media school. I used Adobe Premier, which I've never used before, but I found it to be very similar to Final Cut. But it was great to go back and look at all the raw video we got. That trip was pretty much perfect. I left out a lot from Switzerland because, frankly, the video would have ended up 15 minutes long if I did that.

(And since I spent a large amount of time on this, it goes to show how thin and feeble my program is. I have no work to do!)

My trip to Wales on June 1 is set in stone. I reserved the motorcycle today. I'm excited! I'll take a stop in Bristol on the way to Snowdonia and back to stay with a friend, and will also Couchsurf. And this time, I'll take Danny's GoPro and somehow strap it to my helmet or the bike. That'll be some impressive video.

When I first applied for school in England, I had intentions of traveling, seeing lots of things and making fantastic memories. The video above, and the future trips I have planned, proves I'm on the right track. I'm taking advantage of this opportunity. And it's a lesson: if you really want something, you'll find a way to accomplish it.

From wedding anniversaries to riots and everything in between

29/4 - I had another Facetime chat with Felix today, but I also spent time speaking to his wife, Rosa, and his two children, Nuria (7) and Alexandro (10). Felix and Rosa want me to only speak English when the kids are around, but when they're out, they'll only speak Spanish with me. Felix likes to run and ride bikes, and it sounds like he's very active. Alex is a big Barcelona fan, and he was wearing a Barcelona shirt when I spoke to them. I'll show him some of my pictures and video from the Barca game I went to; he'll like that. Maybe I'll also give him my Mexico World Cup shirt as a gift.

I talked to Rosa mostly in Spanish because her English isn't great. I told her a little bit about myself, as did she. I was smiling the entire conversation, with all of them. It's a thrill to talk to them, and it never gets old. I even feel a surge of adrenaline. And just by talking to me for a few minutes, and with her brother, mother and father there as well, Nuria looked to get a little bit more comfortable. I like to work with children, but this will be unlike any time I've ever worked with kids. But wow! I've gotten myself into a huge, giant adventure. I cannot wait for June 23!

I had a 4,000-word essay due today. I didn't start it until yesterday. I finished it in plenty of time, but I think I fried my brain in the process. Remember those old anti-drug commercials where the man cracks an egg, fries it in a pan and tells the camera that's what your brain looks like on drugs? That was me yesterday. Luckily I gave myself a break and went to see Poole Town play in their final game of the season. It was a playoff game, but they lost 1-0. It was so disappointing because Poole didn't achieve promotion to the next league up. They absolutely nosedived the final month of the season; that 4-game stretch where they only got one point really hurt them. So they'll play in the same league next year. I'm looking forward to it. Time to start selling advertising.

I'm going to switch tracks here and talk about the riots in Baltimore. While I don't agree with the way people are sending the message, I completely understand it. I think the people have grown frustrated with how the police force, not only in Baltimore, but in the whole country, is able to get away with bullying, assault and murder. The system has failed them dramatically. Even I, who have never had issues with police, have lost all trust of the police. But why is it not OK for people to loot or vandalize cars, but it's OK for cops to use serious force on people, sometimes killing them? It's a difficult situation, that's for sure. And it feels like, hearing about all of these stories from a different country, it's twice as ridiculous. It's embarrassing. Why is America like that?

30/4 - It's time to make another wedding anniversary shoutout, this time to my parents, John and Denise Lingberg. And like I said about Sharon and Brent Gill for their 50th anniversary, I consider them family! But in all seriousness, these two people were the ones who kept pushing me to go to grad school. They've always pushed me a little bit farther. Mom has been known to kick me in the ass or yell in my face and make me feel ashamed when I haven't been giving something my all. And without their immense help, influence and constant support, I'd probably be scooping ice cream somewhere as a best-case scenario. They've been together for 27 years now, as of yesterday. If there's anyone to thank for the head on my shoulders, it's mom and dad. And they'll be here in England in a little more than two weeks to visit in an awesome house next to the beach. That'll be their first time in Europe, along with Aunt Carol and my cousin Kevin. I remember how I felt in the final weeks before leaving for London back in 2010; I wonder how they're feeling? But I'm really excited to see them all again and for them to live here for a couple of weeks.

And one last thing: I've created a catchphrase Tim especially likes. It's very simple and it shows the amount of respect I have for school.

It's only school...

Inspiring.