Traveling blog

So after my epic trip to Nawlins I decided that making a separate traveling blog would probably be a good idea. So here is the link to my new blog! This will probably also be the blog that I will be using for my adventures to London this next semester!

Speaking of which, I have an appointment with the international studies department here at LR. So much excitement!!!

http://annaharris42.blogspot.com

N'AWLINS

So as I type I am sitting in the lobby of the New Orleans Marriott! I have been here two days and my adventures have been numerous. I explored Bourbon Street yesterday and had lunch at this local joint called Olde N'awlins Cookery. I had some gumbo and jumbalaya and both were absolutely fabulous! I walked down the canal, all around the french quarter and I don't want to stop there.

The reason I am here is because of a media conference NOLA13. It has been an experience on its own. I have been taking sessions on advertising as well as journalism. Everything I have been in has been informative and very helpful. Our paper, The Rhynean, THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT http://lenoirrhynean.blogspot.com got a good critique and will be a part of a newspaper competition. It has been a long day and now I am sitting with three of my fellow communication majors with laptops out.

We are smelling the deliciousness of New Orleans and will probably be eating very soon. So I shall be signing off.

Hugs and kisses
Anna xoxo

Why Can't Money Grow on Trees?

So update since my last post! I got my passport. Spent $244 for that sucker to get expedited and also paid for overnight tracking fee. It was so expensive! I also got my bill for the abroad program. Over $17,000 for the semester. YIKES! Need to get some financial aid ASAP or I might not be going. I will be getting in touch with financial aid on campus today and am also paying $126.85 to go to New Orleans this week! There is a communication convention there that the communications club will be going to and we leave tomorrow night. I am so excited! Never been to that part of the country and I will be looking forward to seeing the different landscapes and way people live. It's one of the birthplaces of Jazz and I will be looking for street performers!

Well that's all I really have for today. Going to be busy getting all this together!

Have a great day bloggers!
Hugs and kisses
Anna xoxo

Worried

So this dream of studying in London may be squashed quickly. I spoke with my advisor and she put in my application for Westmister but told me that having a passport if a requirement, and I still don't have mine. I am going to go and get everything worked out today (hopefully) and pay extra to expedite it. I am extremely anxious and worried that I will not get accepted into the school. This will bust my bubble if it ends up that way. :(

AMAZING NEWS

So a couple days ago I got some incredible news regarding past posts that I have been writing about. First of all I was on the train heading to PA so I could work on an ethnographic study for my communications class. We are studying an organization and how they run, and so I decided to do the Hershey Lodge since I worked there. So I was on the train heading up north when I got an email from the CIS abroad people. 

Now quick little story about a panic attack I had. A couple days ago I emailed them asking if they got my transcripts and they replied back with yes, but that they did not have my $200 deposit. Well the money was out of my account and it went to the company it was supposed to because I saw it on my bank statement. Well I begin to panic thinking I gave my money to a scam and I'm going to lose all my hard worked for money that I'm saving if I do end up going to London. I get a call from the head of finances and he said that they should have received it and that he is going to look in his files. I was placed on hold for an extreme amount of time and my call dropped. I waited for over an hour and my nerves are sky high. A little while later I got an email explaining that they did receive it and that it was sent to the wrong department. I breathed a sign of relief, but then worried that this would make it impossible to go over seas next semester.

Well on the train I checked my email and noticed I had an email from CIS abroad. I saw it was from a counselor  and figured it was them saying sorry about not getting accepted. Far from it! They were congratulating me on getting accepted into the program and gave me my advisors information! I about leapt out of my seat! I am going to LONDON!!! My advisor then contacted me a few minutes later and asked about my passport situation. Now that I have been accepted I am willing to pay the extra $60 to express my passport so I don't have to worry. My advisor said she is going to be getting in touch with Westminster and helping to set up my classes. I am so excited I can barely contain myself! I now know I have to buckle down and get all of my stuff situated ASAP before Christmas so there are no worries. 

I will be hearing from my advisor soon about classes, visas, important papers and all that stuff soon. I cannot believe that this is happening. It's so surreal! 

Good news!

I just got some fantastic news today! Even with the government shutdown I will still be able to apply for my passport! I did some research and called the local post office that does passports and they said they will still get my my passport! Huzah! No need for Washington to face the wrath of flying monkeys and german Daleks!
Passports pay for themselves so I don't have to worry about my passport being sent into the abyss of paperwork at homeland security. I also received an email from CIS abroad that they have everything and I need to give them my passport information. I explained to them that I do not yet have a passport but am in the process of getting one.

I do hope that things will turn out for the better and I will be able to study abroad next semester!

Until next time,
Hugs and kisses
Anna xoxo

Going to visit home!

So it is now official. I am going to be heading back to Pennsylvania for my fall break next weekend. This wasn't my original plan, but a project I need to do for my class has changed my plans. For my organizational communications class I have a project that requires me to study and observe an organization. This is both internally and externally. Since I worked at the Hershey Lodge for over three months I thought that would be a great organization to do. Especially since Hershey is extremely dedicated to the legacy of Milton Hershey. This requires me to look at all online information, paper, billboards and commercials and observe what vibes they give off. I then have to do an internal analysis and speak to employees, managers and even the head of the organization. So I am now going to be in Hershey this next weekend. :)

This means that I am going to get to see all of my PA friends who I miss dearly! It's going to be a quick visit since I will be going by train. Going to be taking the late night train which means I will be boarding around 1:40 am Friday and getting back into Charlotte Tuesday at 2:20 am. I prefer these times actually. The trip seems to go much faster since I go straight to sleep.

So my wait now begins for an answer. It has been confirmed that the study abroad people received my transcripts and now I await an answer if I am accepted or not. I am extremely nervous because I do not know if my transcript being late will effect my being accepted or not. I really hope it isn't.

Also (I am not sure if this is nerves talking or my subconscious being an ass) I am beginning to think about all the negative possibilities about going to London for a semester. I have had people mention they may not want me to go, I've recently discovered that my best friend is pregnant and she has asked if I would be the god mother. I feel so honored and she is due in April. I will not be in the country when she gives birth. I am worried my relationship may take a turn for the worse. I would not be working so money will be an issue and I want to travel. There is just so much running through my mind it's driving me insane.

Well, that's all I really have right now. I am sorry to cut it short but my roommate is telling me she has never seen Sherlock Holmes and I am going to change that NOW.

Have a great day/evening and I will post soon!
Hugs and kisses
Anna xoxo

The first bump in the road

So I am sure that almost everyone has heard about how the United States government has shutdown because they cannot agree on Obamacare. After complaining to friends about how childish the government is acting I suddenly realized, I still do not have a passport. With a government shut down everything federally funded is closed. All national parks and websites have been closed both in the US and around the world. Since one needs to go to a federal building to begin the process of getting a passport this will be slowing down my plans. The last time there was a government shut down in 1995 over 200,000 passports were put on hold and did not even get completed. I do not want to spend almost  $200 for a passport I am not going to get.

I printed out the paperwork I need to fill out and I did everything I can as of today. I know where I can go to hand in my paperwork and get my photo, I just do not know if I can set up an appointment yet. I do not want the government's hissy fit to stop me from possibly studying abroad. It takes 4-6 weeks to get the passport and who knows how long this shutdown is going to be...

I am prepared to go to Washington with my army of flying monkeys and german Daleks if needed.