Meeting the Mascot: Ellie

Meet my mascot, Ellie! She's an adorable little doll made out of recyclable material. She was a present from ny sister last Christmas. She doesn't really stand on her own but we're working it out.

And there she is! Looking very calm next to ranging Lake Michigan up in Door County, Wi. That's one of my favorite things about her; she is always calm. Not only is she cute, unique and easy to carry but I like the fact that her name is a derivative of mine. It's a coincidence, but its a nice identifiable one.
"Ellie" as a nickname was first given to me when I studied abroad in Mexico. It's the only nickname I have accepted because I generally hate nicknames. My name is so long that you can make lots of unflattering words out of it. However, in Mexico many of my good friends called me "Ellie" and my roommate from undergrad also picked up on it. I don't generally go by it, but it has a nice affectionate association for me.
I'm very excited to have her as my mascot and accompany my way through London; she'll be a very calming influence. It'll be great to think of her as just like this:

This is also in Door County, but in Sister Bay on the Green Bay side. Just chilling and feeling the vibes.

Everything a good friend and mascot should be.

London Last Time

I'm leaving for London a month from today so it seems like a good place to start the blog. I haven't really started packing; I'm still preparing for class via homework and school supplies. Oh, and my plants. I'm trying not to worry too much about the well-being of my tomato plant that will be living with my parents while I'm away.

But I can't talk about going to London for the second time without mentioning the first time. I'm looking forward this summer's trip immensely, partly because its longer. Three weeks definitely tops three days. Not to mention that the last time I was in London it was October or November and pretty chilly. Not freezing like it would've been here in the Midwest but definitely chilly. The last time I was London, I visited the city on one of my weekends while I was living in Spain, just outside of Madrid.