Dear IES/London Family

This is a tribute to my wonderful IES family. That's what you guys are to me. You are truly my family, and this is for you.

When I decided to come to London, I knew I would love it. I didn't, however, know that I would meet people like you. (Here come the tears.... :/) I didn't know spending one semester with you would change me forever. Every single one of you has changed me for the better. I will carry that with me always. (Anyone else hearing "For Good" from Wicked beginning to play in your head?)

From crazy nights out at O'Neils to classes, there have been instances that have touched my heart. Everyday I thank God for people like you. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know each and every one of you. Not only did I get the chance to live in London for 4 months, I was lucky enough to do that with you guys. Every single person on this planet should forever be jealous of me for that. I literally have the best life, and it is in large part to you IES family.

Virginia- you have been the best roommate I could have ever asked for. Our late night talks about anything and everything always made my night. I can't wait to visit you all the time, and for you to come to the states! Also, send my love to Alfonzo!

Alex-you are SO fun. I have loved every minute we have spent together! Dancing in the snow, being goofy, etc. I wouldn't trade those moments for the world. I plan on visiting you too, and we MUST stay in touch!

Miles-you are probably one of the craziest people I have ever gotten the chance to meet, but you are so funny! I loved all your stories, and having you in class.

Roy-I'm sad we didn't get to hang out at Ke$ha! haha! But we have had a lot of fun this semester. You are a crazy kid, but I love you! You better stay in touch! I see a trip to Texas in your future for sure ;) I'm going to miss you!

Matt Anderson-we didn't really talk much... haha but you were a lot of fun and seemed to really enjoy your whole semester. I wish you the best of luck in the future, and that you have just as much fun next semester as you did this one!

Dan-you are probably the nicest person ever. You were always fun to talk to, and I enjoyed our class together! You are really musically talented and I hope you get to pursue that one day. Good luck with journalism and everything you do!

Garrett-you are SO lucky you got out of British Politics! haha! You kept Ann on her toes in architecture, and were always really funny. I hope you had a great semester here, and that you do here next semester!

Matt Slayter-I'm SO glad we were neighbors and that I got to know you! I loved all our nights out and just crazy talks. We also own at beer pong as a team. With you being at TCU we really need to keep in touch and you will have to come visit me at TU! I'm really going to miss you!

(Douche Bag) Steve Klink-you may be a douche bag, but I love you for it. We had so much fun this semester. Nights out just won't be the same without you. Also, while I hate to admit it... you are the KING of beer pong. Cherish that compliment forever, I will never compliment you again ;) haha! You must come visit Texas. (Lots of girls! haha) KEEP IN TOUCH!

Alyssa-I love you! I loved all of our conversations, especially the one that lasted until 4am that one random night! You must keep in touch. We have had so much fun this semester! I love your dancing, your hot chocolate, you cooking skills...everything! haha! I will for sure come visit you, but you have to come visit me too! I'm going to really miss you!

Kristy-I really hope you had a great semester here in London! Watching you light up with the reindeer in Scotland like made my life! I really wish you the best of luck in the future!

Kelly-you are a great person! You light up a room with your laugh. You were so fun this semester. I hope you had as great of a time as I did! Good luck with everything! :)

Nicole-you are fabulous. I love your obsession with Taylor Swift. It may only be rivaled by Drew ;) haha! You were so fun! I wish we would have gotten to hang out more! Good luck with everything all that you do! I hope you had as much fun this semester as I did :)

Emily Clarkson-you are so nice. We never really got to talk much, but you seemed to have so much fun this semester. I hope you enjoyed your internship for the most part! Have a great next semester!

Ben-you know SO much about theatre. You are really going to go far, and I'm sure I'm going to be watchin tv and see you and say "Hey! I studied abroad with him!" I hope you had an amazing semester!

Alli-you have really been around all of Europe! I hope I will be as well travelled as you one day! Even though you studied abroad a lot, I hope you loved London! Good luck with graduation next semester!

Stacy-YO! haha! 1) I absolutely ADORE London Calling. You are so good at video editing, and you will go so far in it! 2) I really hope we stay in touch. We have had so much fun this semester. You are so great in every way, and I count myself really lucky to have met you! I'm going to miss you!

Kori-girl, I LOVE YOU. I cannot wait for you to come visit me. I loved all our talks, and every other thing we did together. You have really become a great friend. You are one of the nicest and fun people I have ever met. I'm going to miss you so much. Keep in touch. Oh and be in my life FOREVER! :D

Michael-you are also a great person. I loved chatting with you in class and on trips. I wish we could have done that more. You have such an interesting take on everything, and I loved getting to know you. I hope you have a great semester back in the states! You are awesome!

Izzy-you are someone I wish I could have spent more time with. You have a contagious happiness, and I love being around you. You are so fun and spunky! haha! I hope we can keep in touch when we leave London. You are such a great person, and will go so far! I will really miss you!

Drew-I better be invited to you and Miss Swifts wedding. That is a demand. Not a request. You are also one of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. It has been great getting to know you. I'll miss you, and I hope we can keep in touch! Have a great spring semester :)

Steve-I really don't know what I'm going to do when I can't talk politics with you. Oh yes I do, I will simply text you and make you discuss it with me. Get prepared. You are a great human being. I am so blessed to have gotten the chance to be friends with you. I love you, in spite of your love for Claire. You have no choice but to stay in touch with me. It would be "God awful" if you didn't. I would come to Indiana just to monkey paw you in the face. Sooooo be in my life! kthanks. Love you and I'm really going to miss you!

Jamie-why didn't we become friends sooner? No excuses. We WILL hang out at Trinity. Oh and at home since we live so close! You are amazing through and through. You have a passion that I find enthralling. I love you. No doubt.

Charlotte-so glad I met you. You are fabulous in every meaning of the word. You must keep in touch. I need more of you in my life especially when we return to the US! We had a lot of fun this semester. London wouldn't have been half as amazing without you! I'm going to REALLY miss you! Love you!

Laura-I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! You are crazy, and one of the most fun people I have ever met. Do NOT be a stranger once we get back to the states! You have to keep talking to me! Oh and you have to visit me too! :D Stay awesome. You are a one of a kind, and I'm going to miss you so much it will hurt!

Brandy-I loved our classes together! You are so fun, and I hope you had a great semester here! I wish we could have hung out more. You are a great person, and will go far :) Have an amazing time back in the states!

Sara-this semester has been a blast! You are so nice! I wish we could have talked more as well. I hope you had a great time in London, and that you have an amazing time back in the US! It has been so fun!

Jennifer-I loved hearing your stories about internship. It's great that you connected with those people that you worked with! You are really going to go far! I hope you had a great semester here even though you tragically got sick! It has been so fun!

Velma-I hope the home stay was awesome! That was such a unique experience I'm sure! This semester has been crazy! I hope you had a great time! Congrats on finishing your major! Good luck with everything!

Taylor-you are truly brilliant. You will go so far with whatever you choose to do. I hope you had a great semester! It's been fun. Good luck with everything you do!

Megan-your smile is contagious for sure. You always seem to have so much fun. It's too bad we didn't get to talk much, but I hope your time here was amazing! Have a great next semester!!!

Jacque-it makes my life you live so close to me. Plaza date is going into my calendar. It will be epic. Food, shopping, lights! <3 You make my life. So much fun. So charismatic. So YOU and that is what I love. I'm really going to miss you, but not really because you must be in my life! I love you!

Jenny-you are crazy fun. You are just you, and you always have a good time. I hope you have as great of a semester as you did here in the spring! Good luck with everything! If you are ever in TX hit me up!

Josh-I don't even know what to say. (God...I'm so lame for sitting here and crying in my dorm just trying to think of the words!) You may be my favorite human being ever. I love you. You are such an amazing individual. So strong in yourself and your convictions. I'm going to miss you more than the desert misses the rain. I need you in my life always. You have made one of the biggest impacts anyone has ever made on me. I am a better person, because I met you. Thank you for giving me the chance to be your friend. I hope I have made your time here in London half as amazing as you have made mine. Text me everyday, visit me often, and always stay you <3

Anne-I'm you're biggest fan! I was so glad I drew you for secret sisters! I hope you liked your photo book as much as I liked making it! You MUST stay in touch! We have had so much fun this semester. I'm going to miss you singing The Beatles every time I walk to a club! haha! I love you, and I'm really going to miss you. PLEASE stay in touch always!

Alec-I'm glad you finally got to see Cockfosters! haha! And that it was magical! We had a ton of fun this semester! London wouldn't have been the same without you! I hope you had at least half as much of a good time as I did! Good luck next semester and with everything else!

Micah-WE'RE DONE WITH ERICH FOREVER! hahaha! It's been a great semester. It wouldn't have been the same without you! Buying Christmas Crackers was probably the best decision you ever made. No joke haha! Keep in touch. Have a great semester back at Rochester!

Becky-Oh Becks.... I love you SO much. You have become one of my best friends. Thanks for putting up with my craziness. I'm really looking forward to my monthly music enlightenment CDs! I really don't know what I'm going to do without you in my life on a daily basis. I see lots of visiting each other in our futures! (Ugh tearing up AGAIN! Fail...) If you visit me...I'll make you mac n cheese and oreo balls! I promise! I'm going to miss you so much. SO MUCH. I can't even describe it enough to give the amount justice. I love you!

Jenna-"It's just an expression!" How I love your quotes. Drunk and sober. You make my life everyday. Our kitchen adventures, stuffing out faces, UK Media, everything. I am so lucky to have you in my life. You are more amazing than you will ever know. (I've just accepted I'm going to cry consistently until I'm done writing this blog entry...). I'm going to be in Illinois SO much this summer. No joke. I will also text you everyday. I'm so glad we were neighbors. We've had such a phenomenal time in London. I'm really going to miss you :'(

Melinda-Mindi.... (I really hate crying SO much, but I can't help it now..) You have become like my other half. I literally don't think I will function without you. Skype dates EVERY day. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. (So many tears....) I can't explain how much you mean to me. I know we will be friends forever. Who thought one semester could bind people together so tightly? I'm the luckiest person in the world to have a friend like you. I'm glad I could be your cultural experience too! haha! I can't wait for all the fun stuff we will inevitably do in the future! I'm going to miss you more than I think I can handle. I love you. SO MUCH. Fact.

Emily-(Now i'm bawling...This is going to give me a crying headache...Damn). Ok, I may have composed myself enough to write this. Friends forever. That is the only way I can give us justice. From day one, we clicked. You are so gorgeous inside and out. I have the most fun I've ever had when I'm with you. What am I going to do with out you? Thank you for a semester full of laughs, drinks, dancing, and an amazing friendship. I love you. For everything that you are. I wouldn't change a thing. We will have so much fun in the states. That is a fact. I'm going to miss you everyday, and you can be assured that I will then text you every time I miss you.

Welp, there it is. I love you guys. Thank you so much for the perfect semester. I never want it to end, but we'll always have London. We'll always have each other. I hope I have given you all at least a tiny idea of how much I have enjoyed and appreciated everything. Stay amazing. Keep in touch.

XOXOXO