As the semester comes to a close, many Kingsville and Corpus Christi students are pouring over books preparing for finals and on their off time looking for something to do. Families are also preparing for Thanksgiving and getting ready for the madness of black Friday. Soon Christmas trees and decorations will be popping up everywhere. Do you feel overwhelmed by the stress of the upcoming holidays? If so, take a night off and come check out Global Connect's affordable community hay ride. We will kick off our hayride adventure in Corpus Christi, TX. Our hayride will feature the most beautifully decorated locations throughout the area. We will take you through a winter wonderland of lights and scenery. For those music lovers, we will be listening to festive music and caroling. Also, enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate with cookies and candy canes. This is the perfect type of stress relief. It's a night of fun, laughter, and song. If you are stuck in Kingsville and don't have transportation, don't fret. Texas A&M University-Kingsville offers the Blue and Gold Shuttle service to Corpus Christi. This is a great way to take a break from the stress of the holidays and school, and to spend time with family and friends.

   
     The holidays fast approaching, the stressors that accompany are quickly arising. Many families are preparing to spend massive amounts of money on black Friday searching for the best deals. Grocery stores are filling up with shoppers looking to buy ingredients and food for holiday feasts. Department stores are sending out loads of advertisements to showcase their sales and most desired items. Families are coming together and preparing for out of town guests. All of these events combined at once, prepare a cocktail of stress.

      I know I have had my share of the Holiday Blues. Being from a family with a single parent has sometimes been difficult. I have watched my mother stress about not having enough money to get a gift for everyone, making sure that the house is clean for our guests, and staying up all night to prepare the feast for the following day. Every Christmas, all of the aunts and uncles from my mom’s side of the family come over to exchange gifts and enjoy a dinner. It is tradition for us to get together on December 24, eat dinner, and wait until midnight to open our presents. We have another lunch feast the following day on December 25. Cleaning up and putting the food away after Christmas Eve is sometimes time consuming. During this time, it is rare for anyone in the family to get enough sleep, which leads to moodiness the next day. It is difficult to avoid feeling a little blue with all of the hustle and bustle that happens.

    The holidays are not meant to be sad or stressed. This is a time of cheer and joy. The Holiday Blues can be avoided by following a few simple tips. First, when preparing to buy Christmas gifts, the family should get together and create a budget of how much to spend on each gift. Then the shopper should create a list of what type of gift to give each person. This will create a smoother shopping experience, and save time, energy, and money. Another good idea is to get a headcount of how many guests are going to be arriving and at what time. This will allow the host enough time to prepare his or her home and estimate how much food to buy. When it comes to food, it should be bought in advance to avoid the last minute shoppers. Grocery stores get crazy when the holidays come near. A list should be made of what items are needed and how much should be bought. It is also wise to scout out coupons beforehand or look at advertisements to see what stores have the best deals. Also, the family can split up the meal by figuring out who will cook what dish. As far as cleaning up afterwards, chores can be assigned so that no one person becomes overwhelmed. It is also important that everyone gets enough sleep during this time, because being well rested is key when it comes to having an enjoyable stress free holiday. By following these simple tips, the holiday blues can be avoided.

   
    Throughout my career, I have been given the opportunity to travel to many places within the United States; however, my destination of choice is that of the most recent Olympic games, London, England. I started my adventure in the spring of 2008 for a choir competition. I departed from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport at 6:00 p.m. and landed in London at 9:45 a.m. the following morning. It was an overnight flight. Stepping off the plane there was a cool crisp breeze. The month of March is typically cold, and the perfect month for snow. It is the type of weather for coats, scarves, and layered clothing. London is full of sights, tours, plays, and attractions. It is impossible to see or do everything in one week.

    If you wish to learn about the Royal Family, a few great  places to visit are Windsor Castle and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Our first tour was of Windsor Castle, the oldest castle in the world, which is a place of royalty and splendor where the guards stand still and in uniform. It is the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen, and covers 13  acres of land. St. George’s Chapel, Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, The Drawing’s Gallery, and State Apartments furnished with treasures from the royal collection lie within the castle walls. The castle is beautiful and full of wonders. My favorite part of Windsor castle is Queen Mary's Dollhouse. The Dollhouse is astounding. It is 5 ft 4 inches tall, which is 2 inches taller than me. Each room in the dollhouse is elaborately decorated. I was also able to see the Drawing Gallery, which has numerous paintings of the Royal Family. We next went to St. Paul’s Cathedral which is the nation’s church. It has been the location of Royal Weddings, Royal events, and state burials of British military leaders. The alluring stained glass windows are a sight to see as well as the radiant mural painted on the high arches of the ceiling. These history rich locations have beautiful scenery perfect for photographers and students of all types.

    One of the most well known places to go in London is the British Museum. This museum has the largest collection of Egyptian treasures and antiques. If you go, check out the Rosetta stone, the Colossal head from Amenhotep III, the Mummy of Cleopatra from Thebes, and a mummy dating back all the way to 3300 BC. I was fascinated by the mummies. Inside the display case is an actual sarcophagus with a real body inside. They even have a mummified cat. Alongside the massive Egyptian collection, the British Museum has a large variety of statues, paintings, artifacts, and artwork from all over the world. Every few months, the museum caters to special exhibitions ranging from Shakespeare to Dinosaurs. When I went, they had a Dinosaur exhibition with a T-Rex, display but I couldn't afford the ticket to enter. It looked amazing from the outside. There is always something new to see at this miraculous museum. It is never enough to only go once.

    For those who are interested in literature and theatre
arts like myself, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is the place to go. Over 100,000 students and teachers visit the globe theatre each year. While visiting, I was able to see a small production put on by local elementary students who were also visiting the theatre. The theatre offers classes, seasonal events, plays, and an amazing gift shop. This theatre is an almost exact replica of the original Globe Theatre, which burned down in 1613. During construction, a few changes were made to keep  up with modern fire codes and safety guidelines. The standing area, also known as the pit, is what makes this theatre different from modern day theatres. The pit was where the“groundlings” were able to watch the performance for only a penny. This location has an interesting story and continues to educate students about one of the greatest playwrights of all time and how his plays were experienced in the past.
 
      One of the most frightening moments of my trip was the Jack the Ripper Tour. This tour provides graphic photos of the victims and crime scenes from the horrific murders. The full story of Jack the Ripper is read to the group before the tour begins. The tour guide does an amazing job of recreating the story, while showing the locations of the murders. It is well worth the two-hour walk.  If you are looking for a good fright, this is the perfect tour for you especially on a cold, chilly night.

     London is just a beautiful place to be. Whether you are taking a ride on one of the underground railways, taking a stroll by the numerous tourist attractions, watching a play, or visiting some of the famous buildings like Big Ben or the London Eye. We wrapped up our trip and took the 9 hour flight back to Texas. This is a place I definitely want to go again. There is so much to do and a week just isn't enough time.