Washington, D.C!

Hi all,

A few weekends ago, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Washington DC and it was better than I ever expected. Although I was only there for one day, I saw so much! Amy and I went on a tour of the city in a tour bus and it was by far the best way to see all Washington has to offer in just one day.

We drove past the White House, the Supreme Court, the Capitol, the Washington Monument and so many other famous landmarks. The tour was going much shorter than we planned so Amy decided we would hop off at the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial (which I did a research paper on in English this semester and got an A+ for!) When we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, it was packed!! There were so many people, but I didn't care because just being able to be at a place which I have only seen on TV and dreamed of going was amazing. I took heaps of photos in the mall and in front of Abraham Lincoln's statue before we went and saw the Vietnam Memorial.

When we arrived, there was a guide speaking and the stories he told of loved ones coming to the memorial and leaving gifts for the fallen moved me to tears. I may not be an American citizen but I felt proud to be a part of the society that these men and women proudly gave their lives so that freedom could reign. After walking the memorial, Amy and I got on a bus again and finished the tour where we met up with Amy's aunties. From there, we all went to the Crime and Punishment Museum where we spent the rest of the afternoon.

The exhibits ranged from wild west criminals to mobsters to modern day criminals and new techniques being used to fight crime. This especially interested me because its what I want to do after university and so it only made me more excited and prepared for what is to come in university. At the museum, they also film the TV show FBI's Most Wanted and so we got to go and see the set and read about the cases on the show and the show's host.

I cannot wait to go back in a few weeks because I have fallen in love with Washington, D.C. It is a beautiful city that is full of so many things to do!

This week also marks the final week of school before summer begins and that also means saying goodbye to the senior class and all of the friends that I have made who will be graduating. It also makes me think back to when I graduated and how amazing it was. Next month is halfway, but I don't want this experience to end because it has been everything I have dreamed of and more!!

Until next time,

Ellie
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Spring Break!

Hey Guys,

Spring Break was one of the most relaxing but fun weeks of my life. It started on the 29th of March when Amy, Caroline, Jeremiah and I left early in the morning to drive 10 hours to Florida! While it was a long drive, I got to see more states of the United States including Georgia and North and South Carolina. We stopped for lunch and snacks and after 9 hours of driving we arrived in Jacksonville to stay for the night. The next morning we drove an hour and a half to our final destination, Ormond Beach. There, we met up with Amy's parents and Amy's brother's children, Izzy, Jake and Jesse. 

Our hotel was right on the beach so before we did anything, all the children ran onto the beach. This was the first time I had seen the beach in close to 3 months! While it was much cooler than what I am used to, just being able to see the beach (something I took for granted) was great! Later that day, Amy's brother and sister and their families arrived and I soon felt a part of their family because they were so welcoming.

The next few days consisted of relaxing on the beach, playing beach soccer as the sun set and boogie boarding in the waves. It was great to just relax and not have to worry about school or rehearsals. The children all had so much fun racing between the cold sea water and the scolding spa water. 

On Tuesday, Amy took Caroline, Jeremiah, Haley, Izzy, Jake, Jesse and myself to......DISNEYWORLD! It was one of the greatest experiences of my whole exchange experience! I saw Cinderella's Castle, which was one of my dreams! It was so beautiful and seeing it evolve as the sun set was beautiful! We went on heaps of rides including the wild west ride where I was partnered with Caroline and we both felt like we were going to fall out, but that made it more fun! As the night progressed and the park became fuller with people, the ride wait times became longer and so we just walked around taking in everything including the fireworks and laser show at the castle. It was a great way to spend the day and I cannot thank Amy enough for taking me there!! 

Unfortunately, the WV State Thespian Festival was on the same week as Spring Break so I had to leave early but I don't regret it one bit because I had so much fun rooming with Izabel and Shayna, watching so many acts, doing workshops and, of course, performing. The festival was 3 days long and it included a dance on the 2nd night which was so much fun because I got to have fun with all of my theatre friends and the new friends I met at the festival. That night we had dinner with Huntington High and it was great to get to know people, who were considered our rivals, as our friends and form friendships that will last forever! 

The spring break week was one of the best of my life and I will never forget the memories I made during that week!

Until next time,

Ellie 

xoxoxo