Well, I definitely haven't been updating this as much as I should. Sorry about that for any of you reading who might be interested. I figured I'd do a quick update now, but do a real post in a few days.
The University hasn't given us much time to do our own things. There were lots of events and introductions to the Uni, so much so that it was hard to get basic shopping for my flat done (in fact I still need to go grocery shopping...) It's been good they have so many events, as ti's definitely helped to keep me from feeling too homesick, but it's also been frustrating to be unable to do things on my own/for myself.
On the topic of homesickness and culture shock...haven't had too much of it yet. I find the differences more interesting than anything else, though I have been homesick for a few things...friends and family, obviously. And my wide collection of shoes I have back home that I couldn't pack with me. I don't miss the food back home, but I'm also a bit tired of the food on campus....again, I need to grocery shop so I can eat more of what I want to eat.
Most of everyone I've met has been very friendly, eager to hang out. The freshers and other international kids in my flat are very nice, which is good.
I don't love how hot it is here at the moment...I know I'll soon regret saying this, especially when it is raining and snowing all the time, but I did not bring any summer clothes, so the heat (esp. in my flat) has been almost unbearable...but I just tell myself it's nothing like Southern California.
As for lectures and classes, I've only have one so far. And it was very, very intimidating. It is Early Medieval European History...which I know basically nothing about. We're covering the late 200s to the 900s...and as I am not a history person, and I am in a class with lots of history majors...it will be a very long term for me! I already feel behind on my reading as I know I will get loads more (especially from my Lit class tomorrow), and I wonder if I will ever be able to be as social as I hoped to be. Right now this semester seems like it'll be spent at my desk or in the library. Hopefully I can find a decent balance. (I'm also hoping that I'll be able to focus more once my room/the temperature calms down....but again, we'll see).
I know I should have updated this sooner, and I feel as though I'm missing out on capturing and remembering all the experiences I've had thus far, but I've just felt so busy, and when I have time I feel tired or lazy (like right now, though I am forcing myself to type this up!). Hopefully I will find a groove I can fit into and go with before too long. (And hopefully I don't fail my history class!)
Travels with Duffy in Search of Myself.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I made it!!!
So, after almost 2 days of traveling, I have finally made it to England!!! And it was no easy feat...well it was, thanks to modern technology, and being able to travel in 2 days instead of 2 months or so, but I did have a few problems of my own, especially with my luggage. For any of you who don't know, I'm diabetic, and thus require a lot of medication to go away to live for the year. (I don't even have enough for the year), but when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. One of my carry-ons was dedicated to medication, with the occasional random small electronic item crammed in-between it all. I had a lot of trouble fitting this bag into the overhead bins as all my medication, plus some of the papers I needed made the bag just too tall to fit into the bins. Luckily, one of the nicer flight attendants gave me a plastic bag to alleviate space which helped with my dilemma. Flying with so many meds. was still nerve-racking nonetheless (especially when your life depends upon safely transporting all you can carry). Anyway, as stressful and difficult it was to fit the required bag sizes, my medications and luggage made it safe and sound!
Now to this beautiful country! England - at least, based upon the view from the plane ride and what little I have seen of the town I am in - is gorgeous. This town is so quaint, and picturesque. The houses look adorable, most made of brick. And the land is so green! Being from CA (especially the desert that is Southern CA) I'm used to brown grass, brown hills, brown everything that is foliage. Even in the winter, it gets a decent shade of green for about a month - then starts its browning phase again. The green here is such a deep, rich color. I don't know if I've seen anything like it in person before. Another thing I noticed was the smell - cow shit. And I don't mean this in a negative way. The scent here, in the slightly humid air, is almost a nice characteristic, adding a new flavor to the air to mix in with the smell of fires in fireplaces at night :) ...Then again, perhaps I'm biased because I'm used to (once again, SoCal) where you drive along the highway, and it smells like the (smoggy but) warm, California air and then WHAM! : Cow Shit. Here it does not override any original smells, nor does it just completely choke out any fresh air for miles around. In a very odd way, it's kind of endearing. Though I'm sure I'm also just in love with the new & the different.
That's it for the moment I guess...I should be off, re-packing and showering before I move in to my dorm tomorrow (I'm staying at a hotel for the night.) I will update once I get situated into my room...or until something exciting happens. 'Til then :)
Now to this beautiful country! England - at least, based upon the view from the plane ride and what little I have seen of the town I am in - is gorgeous. This town is so quaint, and picturesque. The houses look adorable, most made of brick. And the land is so green! Being from CA (especially the desert that is Southern CA) I'm used to brown grass, brown hills, brown everything that is foliage. Even in the winter, it gets a decent shade of green for about a month - then starts its browning phase again. The green here is such a deep, rich color. I don't know if I've seen anything like it in person before. Another thing I noticed was the smell - cow shit. And I don't mean this in a negative way. The scent here, in the slightly humid air, is almost a nice characteristic, adding a new flavor to the air to mix in with the smell of fires in fireplaces at night :) ...Then again, perhaps I'm biased because I'm used to (once again, SoCal) where you drive along the highway, and it smells like the (smoggy but) warm, California air and then WHAM! : Cow Shit. Here it does not override any original smells, nor does it just completely choke out any fresh air for miles around. In a very odd way, it's kind of endearing. Though I'm sure I'm also just in love with the new & the different.
That's it for the moment I guess...I should be off, re-packing and showering before I move in to my dorm tomorrow (I'm staying at a hotel for the night.) I will update once I get situated into my room...or until something exciting happens. 'Til then :)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Leaving the States...
Well, it is the night before I began my 1 day & a half journey to England. (It's going to take a long time due to long layovers, etc.) Anyway, as I've been stressing to try to fit every last thing I forgot into my bags, I haven't had much time to realize what I am about to do: start on a year-long adventure to a new town, in a new country that I've never been to before. As I type this I'm starting to get nervous about going to a new school, having to start all over to make new friends, having to learn my way around a new city, etc, but I've been so busy packing and worrying about flights, and I don't even feel that I know what I am getting myself into. I mean really...part of me feels slightly crazy to force myself into new, uncomfortable situations by taking myself out of the comfort-zone I've turned SF into. However, I know I need a change, a new perspective (both on life and on myself) and something different to change up my mind-set - hopefully for the better. I need a new challenge, so I can get a new vantage point on my life, and hopefully what I want to do once I'm done with college, or even just gain new things to take into consideration with my life.
Anyway, I am kind of rambling. I still have packing to do, I need to shower, and I should have been in bed by now, which is why my mind and thoughts are not very coherent at the moment. But my last day of packing turned into a last day of goodbyes to good friends, so everything has been left until the last minute (including my sister finishing the last few button-holes on a new jacket she has been making me for the colder weather! - Pictures to come :) )
One thing I have been thinking about, besides my packing and flights, is the loss of naiveté I'm about to lose. I partly have no idea what I'm getting myself into because I've never been abroad before, I've never left the country, and once I get on that international plane, that will be changed for forever (not that that's a bad thing!) Anyway, it's weird. It reminds me of coming to SFSU my freshman year and moving into the dorms and not really knowing anyone, but instead of visiting the campus first, having my parents help to find the school, and starting a slow, but hectic process of moving my stuff into my room with my family's help - I'm heading off by myself. I'm honestly starting to get a bit nervous. But it's a good nervous feeling too. I haven't really been pushed into a new situation like this in awhile. Sure, I've been pushed academically, and challenged by frustrating people and roommates, and meeting someone new is almost always a new experience since one person can be so different from the next, but nothing this...big of a change. And as nervous and stressed and anxious as I am...I can't wait, because I know I need this experience, good or bad.
Well...goodbye States! See you in a few months! And hello England!
Anyway, I am kind of rambling. I still have packing to do, I need to shower, and I should have been in bed by now, which is why my mind and thoughts are not very coherent at the moment. But my last day of packing turned into a last day of goodbyes to good friends, so everything has been left until the last minute (including my sister finishing the last few button-holes on a new jacket she has been making me for the colder weather! - Pictures to come :) )
One thing I have been thinking about, besides my packing and flights, is the loss of naiveté I'm about to lose. I partly have no idea what I'm getting myself into because I've never been abroad before, I've never left the country, and once I get on that international plane, that will be changed for forever (not that that's a bad thing!) Anyway, it's weird. It reminds me of coming to SFSU my freshman year and moving into the dorms and not really knowing anyone, but instead of visiting the campus first, having my parents help to find the school, and starting a slow, but hectic process of moving my stuff into my room with my family's help - I'm heading off by myself. I'm honestly starting to get a bit nervous. But it's a good nervous feeling too. I haven't really been pushed into a new situation like this in awhile. Sure, I've been pushed academically, and challenged by frustrating people and roommates, and meeting someone new is almost always a new experience since one person can be so different from the next, but nothing this...big of a change. And as nervous and stressed and anxious as I am...I can't wait, because I know I need this experience, good or bad.
Well...goodbye States! See you in a few months! And hello England!
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