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The Thames River pigeons.

Time in London is going by much faster than I expected it would. Friday evening my friends and I celebrated our one month anniversary of arriving in London. I can’t believe I have been here for over a month already! Its been frustrating lately not to have the time or money to travel and go places in central London. The value of the USD is killing me. Prices here are about the same as prices in the U.S. except they are in pounds which one USD is equivalent to about 0.61 GBP. I am barely surviving off of my minimum wage bartending job and may have to resort to shamelessly begging for tips at work. Every tip I do make is going towards the polo fund to try to pay for as many polo lessons as possible.

I have been trying to take polo lessons at least once a week at a polo club in Chobham called Ascot Park. It takes me about an hour and half by train and bus and then about a 20 minute walk to get to the polo club. So far I have been using an appendix quarter horse named Pepe as my fearless polo mount. Unfortunately for Pepe my swing still needs a little work and he has been hit by the mallet a few times. Thankfully Pepe is extremely forgiving and has been an awesome horse to learn polo on. Last week my polo lesson was taught by one of Ascot Park’s professional players, Tarquin Southwell. I learned so

Tarquin Southwell playing in the Ascot Part Arena

much from him during the lesson and my polo skills are really starting to come around. I even managed to score a couple goals! The amount of strength it took me to gallop around the polo arena holding the mallet was insane! The day after I could barely walk! I had to stock up on the pain killers just to make it through the night at work. In class I also noticed that my hand would shake whenever I gripped my pen, from clutching so tightly on the polo mallet. However all the money and pain is worth it, polo is the most exciting and challenging sport that I have ever done before. I am definitely hooked on polo for life!

Other then polo my life really has not contained too much excitement. I have just been working extremely hard to try to save up for polo and a trip to Amsterdam and another to Ireland that I have planned with a group of friends. I am also hoping to be able to go to some theatre sometime in the near future, but for now its back to the old grind of work and school.

Best

Lauren