Home Sweet Home?

Hello readers,

It's been more than a month now that I've been back in the states. This will be my last blog entry, so I thought I'd sum up for you how my life has been since my return! 

During the last week I was abroad, my sister and I traveled to Madrid, Barcelona, and London. We touched down in Little Rock on January 20th. I was utterly exhausted the entire time I was home for the holidays. It seems as if all my adventures from the last five months had finally caught up with me (although everything was definitely worth it!). It was nice to relax in the house in which I grew up, but at the same time, I was still living out of my suitcases. And I definitely ached for my comfy bed in Fayetteville! I spent the majority of my time in Little Rock scrapbooking my life as it was in England. Throughout the semester, I'd kept hold of ticket stubs, train passes, post cards, receipts, pictures, newspaper articles, notes from friends, assignments for class, etc, etc. I've since filled up two huge books with all my memories! I keep looking through them, even though I know I'll be a bit sad by the last page just because it came and went so quickly. 

I was forewarned that I may suffer "reentry shock," which is pretty much the same thing as "culture shock," except you tend to view your home through a much more negative scope. For instance, I am now fully aware of the problem of obesity in this country, which I hadn't really paid much attention to before I went abroad. I was immediately taken aback by the amount of fast food chain restaurants that line the roads. And gas station food scares me now! I was completely overwhelmed in Walmart on a busy Saturday afternoon, and I even got nervous to drive my car for the first time (thinking maybe I'd forgotten how to do something, or even that I'd drive in the opposite lane haha). Not to mention, I've searched for specialty foods I'd grown to love in England, but I can't find them anywhere. 

I kind of feel restless and unsettled, as if I'm not really supposed to be here anymore. Like I'd somehow already graduated from this point in my life. It's very surreal to be sitting on my couch right now, when it feels like just 24 hours ago, I was sitting here pairing down the clothes I would pack for my trip! I'm actually more stressed out about graduating then I was when I left, mostly because the date is fast approaching, (yikes) but also because I understand now how difficult it's going to be to get a job. Most students my age are suffering the same anxieties, but it certainly doesn't help seeing the upcoming struggles from an outside perspective. I also have an Honors Thesis to begin (gulp). On the bright side, my cable isn't set up right now, and I actually don't miss it! I tried watching some reality TV while in Little Rock, but I quickly got bored. Who is this Honey Boo Boo?

One thing's for sure; living in another place opened my eyes to numerous other possibilities that were previously hidden from me. I'm already planning my next adventure. Possibly (fingers crossed) a long road trip to some national parks over spring break. I've reconnected with friends here, but still miss my flat mates. Luckily, I've been in touch with a couple, and hopefully one day I'll visit! 

Yep, things are definitely weird. And different. Not in a bad way at all, just different. I'm grateful for the experience that I can honestly say changed my life, and I wouldn't take it back for the world! Initially, this blog was meant to catalogue my events for future prospective study abroad students. It ended up becoming a sort of diary, which I'll always treasure. But hopefully my stories have been inspiring, and for those in doubt, persuasive!

Thanks for reading! Cheers!
Kat

The End is Near

Dear readers,

As I sit on my bed gazing sadly around my almost fully packed room on this last night I'll be sleeping in Canterbury, I can't help but think about the beginning of the semester. I had no idea what the class expectations were like. I had no idea who my flat mates were going to be. I had no idea how frustrating learning my bus route into town would prove. And I had no idea how coddled I had been at home. I can't begin to sum up everything I've learned here; from English history and literature to how quickly true friendships can form, to the difference between 'chips' and 'french fries,' to the correct way to pronounce certain French words. But if there's one thing I can guarantee, it's that studying abroad has proven time and time again the independence I've gained and the newly found trust I have in myself. 

I've commuted by train, plane, metro, automobile, water taxi, and more. I've learned to exist without the security of my own car. Or the safety net of a parent or sibling. Or the reassurances from friends. I may have griped about the inconvenience of stopping by several different grocery stores to pick up specific items, when back home I have Wal-Mart, the ultimate one-stop shop. But searching for those items acquainted me with the town. And griping made me appreciate those items more once I'd found them. My point is this; things happen that we can't explain. Situations turn sour, and we're left without any control. We waste time complaining or blaming the circumstances on others, but more often than not, we don't realize the good that blossoms from the bad. Every time something went wrong, something fantastic would happen within the hour. I've learned to stop focusing all my energy on the negatives and have started recognizing the innumerable and immediate positives. 

I am a very lucky girl, and I don't think a day goes by now that I don't appreciate all the opportunities I've been given. The thing is, everyone has the same opportunities. We all enter this life as equals. So my challenge to you is to do something about that. Prove you're the best. Change people's minds. Create beauty. Compete with great theories. Meet people and really know them. Travel the world. Travel to a town ten minutes away. Do something, TODAY, because you'll regret it if you don't. 

Ok enough with the sappy, inspirational bit. I've packed my bags & am ready to start backpacking again! My sister arrived yesterday morning. I showed her around town and parts of campus, which is eerily quiet now that so many students have left for the holidays. We did a bit of Christmas shopping and topped off the night bouncing between a few different pubs trying locally brewed beers, basking in the glory that is finishing finals! Ah, sweet, sweet relief! I fully completed all of my essays a few days ago and began preparing for my upcoming adventure! We'll take a quick train to London tomorrow after my two huge suitcases are picked up by an awesome, international luggage carrier [http://www.firstluggage.com/]. We'll spend one night there, then we board a plane to Madrid late Saturday afternoon. After a few days there, we'll catch the train to Barcelona, hang out for a bit, then make our way back to London. Eventually, we'll have to take the incredibly long, boring flight back home to the states. (Unfortunately, my student visitor visa doesn't allow me anymore time here. Pooh.) I will be back, though! That's for sure. 

Our Christmas party was absolutely splendid! We had a four course meal, and everyone chipped in! The kitchen was a mad house for most of the evening. For our starters, Margaux cooked tiny pigs in blankets and delectable mini-cheese quiches. Steve took control of the veggies and made a tasty, healthy salad blended with chicken bits and potatoes. Our main course was a huge oven-roasted chicken prepared by Lily, accompanied by garlic bread, tomato/cheese bread, and Mediterranean couscous I made. Charlotte and all of her amazing baking skills created a mouth watering and extremely decadent chocolate cheesecake. Mmmmm. And Frankie supplied the champagne and wine!! It was one of the most fun Christmas parties I have ever had the honor to attend. We exchanged secret Santa gifts before dessert. Steve made me a calendar with a different picture from the semester for each month. What an awesome memento. I got Lily some fury, squishy, over-sized slippers. Frankie bought Margaux an adorable English teddy bear. Charlotte gave Steve some hilarious penis-shaped pasta and a nice journal. Lily got Charlotte some fine cheese and crackers along with an ornament, and Margaux gave Frankie candy! They are my family, and I will love them forever. 

I haven't said farewell to any of them yet. "You can't leave until you say goodbye!!" I think all of us have been avoiding each other for that very reason. It's such a surreal feeling, sitting in this practically empty, undecorated room when just a few weeks ago, I felt as if I had all the time in the world. I can gratefully look back on these last few months with absolutely no regrets. I went everywhere I wanted to go. I saw everything I wanted to see. I met amazing people who will always have a place in my heart. The basic knowledge about life and living I thought I knew has been totally obliterated. My mind is open, and my inquisitive spirit has taken control. My study abroad coordinator put is so perfectly; "I suspect that you've not seen the last of that travel bug..." Hell no, I haven't! All in all, I think the most important lesson I've finally come to accept is that fear (of the unknown, of failure, of disappointment) is NOT something to be avoided. It's a good motivator. I've never taken so many risks as I have since coming to England. And I'm still here. 

I'm excited for Christmas and to see the rest of my family, of course, but I can also honestly say that I do not want to leave. I cringe at the thought of my apartment back home. Not because I don't love it, but because it's something old. Something I know. Something comfortable. I've become so used to being in the minority, feeling like a fish out of water, that I'm scared of how cold the water will be when I jump back in! Ah well, one day at a time. I still have 3 semesters left before I graduate. Perhaps I'll give this whole study abroad thing another go.  :) 

I'm off to bed to get as much sleep as I can before our busy day tomorrow. 

Cheers! And thanks to everyone who read this blog. I hope you've enjoyed it!
xox 
Kat

Break for Barcelona

Hello, hello and happy holidays!

I feel like I wrote a post just last night instead of two weeks ago! I can't seem to grasp how quickly my time here is winding down. My flat mates and I finished up a family meeting a few minutes ago. We've planned a formal Christmas dinner for next Tuesday and picked names for Secret Santa! I've completed 2/4 essays so far and have begun researching for my final papers. My older sister arrives next Wednesday to spend a week traveling between London, Madrid, and Barcelona with me, so my goal is to have all of my course work completed before then. Speaking of Barcelona, I returned Saturday night from a weekend trip touring the city with my boyfriend. What an amazing atmosphere!! I'm so excited to return with my sister to see some other things we didn't have time to cover. 

Steven and I left from London Southend Airport Thursday morning. We arrived in Barcelona in the early afternoon, then checked into our room in the Hotel Ramblas, a cozy hostel right off the central street in Barcelona, La Rambla. We walked down the avenue to stretch our legs enjoying the gorgeous weather and the fabulous street art. There were vendors set up selling souvenirs, post cards, fresh flowers, even small animals like chicks, bunnies, and hamsters! We made our way around el Gotic area and visited La Seu (el Gotic cathedral). We mosied around the Christmas market just outside the cathedral perusing the hand made jewelry, bags, ornaments, and clay nativity scenes. 

The following morning, I picked up a delicious coffee from a small side-street cafe on the way to the Picasso Museum. Wow. That guy really was a child-artist prodigy. And that's a massive understatement! The pieces in the museum traced his life from age 14 when he mastered realistic paintings under the instructions of the Royal Academy of Madrid, to his unbelievable cubism works, all the way to his famous abstract pieces. I became lost in the asymmetrical lines, bright colors, and busied brush strokes. We both commented on how he must not have had much of a personal life since it seems like he was painting 24/7! After a few hours, we finished up at the museum and treated ourselves to a delectable lunch of lentil soup, pasta, grilled chicken, beef, potatoes, and fresh bread. Mmmm. 

After wondering around Placa de Catalunya, we then found ourselves right in front of La Boqueria, a massive local farmer's market! It took my breath away. I was oo-ing and aw-ing at the varieties of fresh fruit, nuts, spices, meats, baked goods, smoothies, sea food, candies, chocolates, soups, seeds, etc, etc etc!! We were lucky we'd just eaten a huge meal or else we probably would have spent the majority of our money indulging in every food possible. We continued down Passeig de Gracia where we saw Gaudi's beautifully intricate architectural works including Casa Batllo, Casa Amatller, and La Pedrera, then we saw his massive Basilica, La Sagrada Familia! We also went to Park Guell to see his gorgeous tiled artwork. That evening, we gorged ourselves on two platters of Spanish Tapas with a glass of refreshing white wine. On our way out that night, we saw the Colombus monument before hitting up a club on La Barceloneta (the Barca Beach area). The club was jam-packed with people despite the 20 Euro entrance fee. At the end of the night, we took a long walk along the beach and enjoyed the festive city lights! 

We came back early Saturday evening to give ourselves enough time to catch the trains from London to our universities. I've been in the library ever since researching sources for my essays. Tomorrow is my last day of classes, then I'll start packing up my room to ship the majority of my luggage home before my sister and I begin our travels. I think I'll be ready to get back to the US. There's just no place like the states, and coming abroad for an extended period of time definitely makes me appreciate everything I have at home. Unfortunately, I have exceeded my photo quota, so I can't post any pictures of Barcelona with this entry.

I take a quick day trip to London this Friday to have one last dinner with Robin, my study abroad coordinator, and some other students who are also studying in the UK through Globalinks Learning Abroad. I'll try to write again soon after that, but things will be getting pretty hectic around here so my posts will be a bit spotty. Until next time!

Cheers,
Kat

Work Days & Day-trips

Howdy!

I wanted to give a quick blog update now, since I'll be locking myself away in the library for the next several weeks and probably won't have a chance (or the energy) to write a post. My second "assignments" (aka essays) are due for both my classes on December 14. Unfortunately, I have not even received the essay questions for one of those classes, so I'm starting to get a bit stressed. Not to mention, my "takeaway" finals for both classes are also essays of the same length. So all in all, I have four, 2000-2500 word essays to write in the 3.5 weeks I have before I head back home for the holidays. Yikes. 

But before I become too much of a negative Nancy (I did want to study abroad, right? hah) I figured I'd give you all an idea of the course work I have on a weekly basis, as well as an example of the essay questions. For my 18th Century Literature class, we're usually assigned a book to read each week, or excerpts from other journals or historical writings that my professor provided us in a big course pack, free of charge. I have recently finished reading Moll Flanders by Defoe and Pamela; or Virtue Rewarded by Richardson. Both were easy reads, although Moll Flanders was much more entertaining. I became enraged while reading Pamela & almost refused to finish it. No worries, my seminar leader completely understood. (And you would too, if you've also read it. If not, feel free to Google it. Or don't, for your own sanity.) 

I also have weekly readings for my Medieval - Tudor Lit class, which usually consist of shorter poems or letters that were written in Middle English. Since the amount reading is so light, (although it takes much longer since I'm constantly trying to decipher the language) we must also research secondary literature and write a short analysis (roughly 400 words) on those sources each week. I'll have to begin my 9th summary (or "log" as my seminar leader calls it) tonight once I finish this post. The essay/assignment questions for both of my classes are incredibly vague, compared to the very specific questions I'm used to responding to for classes at Arkansas. For example: " In the Restoration and early eighteenth century, 'writing becomes a gender-indeterminate activity, if yet an activity incessantly about gender' (Margaret Anne Doody). Discuss this quotation with reference to any of the writers we have studied this term." TAs construct the questions and like to keep them as open ended as possible, which can either help or hinder the process, depending on your aptitude for essay writing. 

In any case, I have only 2 more days of classes left! Woohoo! This fall seems to have completely flown by, and I will definitely not be ready to leave when the semester ends. I feel like there are still so many places to see and things to do before I go! Speaking of which, I can at least check a few more destinations off my list, seeing as I just returned late last night from a weekend visit to Bath. I finally got a chance to explore the Roman Baths themselves and take a turn around the inside of Bath Abbey!

The Roman Baths

Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey

The baths were amazing. I became completely immersed in their history and spent as much time as I could reading the info panels that decorated the inside of the museum. At the end of our tour, we stopped to take a few swigs of the "healing" water from the natural springs that feed the baths. I hadn't expected the water to be so warm, and it tasted like rust or iron with a "hint of strawberries," so said a little boy to me when I asked him what he thought. Bath Abbey was very peaceful, as are most religious sites I've seen on my trip so far. It was also incredibly quiet given the amount of tourists walking in and out. 

Sunday evening, we went to an early showing of Skyfall at the local cinema, which was fantastic, by the way! And after walking around the city centre and enjoying the festive holiday lights, we called it a night. 

Bath city centre

The following morning, we caught a quick train to Bristol, a bigger city just 15 minutes outside of Bath. We spent the afternoon touring the city by way of Banksy graffiti art!! (Please, do yourself a favor and go Google Banksy RIGHT NOW if you don't know who I'm talking about.) It was so. much. fun. I have been looking forward to that since I arrived in the UK, knowing full well this is Banksy's home land! We saw several of his works, like these: 

"Grim Reaper"

(Photography by Steven)

(Photography by Steven) 

We also saw other Bristol landmarks along the way, such as the Bristol City Docks, St. Mary Redcliffe Church, The "Matthew," Bristol Cathedral, College Green, the Council House, Wills Memorial Building, Christmas Steps, as well as the See No Evil street block, which has been completely saturated by legal graffiti art on every surrounding building and corner.    

                           

The City Docks

(Photography by Steven)

St. Mary Redcliffe Church

 

The Council House in front of College Green

(Photography by Steven)

                                      

                                                                 Wills Memorial Building

(Photography by Steven)

'See No Evil' city block

(Photography by Steven)

As we wandered back to the train station Monday evening, we came across a shopping/event center called Cabot Circus. Wide pedestrian avenues were lined with shop after shop after shop, and in the middle of those streets were wooden cottages filled to the brim with Christmas decor, gifts, treats, ornaments, clothing, accessories, coffee drinks, alcoholic beverages, etc. Each tiny hut held more holiday surprises than the one before it! Dazzling light displays overhead illuminated the area with a soft, warm glow.  I must admit, I was absolutely giddy to be welcomed to the holiday season so formally! We stopped to enjoy some drinks and the surrounding atmosphere before heading back to Bath! 

Wooden cottages en route to Cabot Circus

And now, I'll attempt to begin researching for my essays after I finish up some weekly homework. I have a planned trip to Barcelona coming up the first weekend of December, so I'll be sure to post something about that once I return. 

Cheers!

Kat 

Midterms, More Travels, & Other Treats

Hey there!

Apologies ahead of time for the novel length of this post! On the plus side, I've added lots of photos :)  To begin where I left off...

My midterm essays (of which I had two, each between 2000-2500 words) were due on November 5th. Of course, I couldn't wait that long to begin writing them since my boyfriend & I had planned to leave on a trip to Copenhagen on Wednesday, October 31st. Yes, I missed Halloween to travel Europe. To anyone else, this may be a very small sacrifice, if one at all, but Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday ever of all time, even more than Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter combined... So needless to say, it took some convincing. But more on that later. I ended up turning in my essays a week ahead of time. How was such a feat done, you ask? Lots and lots and lots of caffeine. Other than that, I have no clue. But wow, was that ever a process. 

Usually back home, I print off a hard copy of any essay from the printer I have in my apartment (easily and always accessible, keep that in mind) to turn in to the Professor at the beginning of class, then submit one online via Blackboard. You all know this. Easy as pie. But here, I had to first submit both online, then I had to wait on the site, Moodle, to email me a "receipt" saying I turned it in without plagiarizing. I had to then print off those receipts along with 2 hard copies of my papers from a printer in the receptions office of my housing area, which is in a completely different building from where I live. (I also had to first buy printing credits online and have an IT person set up my computer, a Mac, so that it successfully spoke to the printer, which is set up for PCs.) After that, I had to walk both copies to the English Office on campus to deliver in person. This doesn't seem too hard, you may think, but the office is only open from 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm on weekdays, which makes it tricky to catch & even trickier to turn in papers to the receptionist if there are a lot of people attempting to do the same. I can only guess that for students whose class times conflict with the only open office times must choose between going to class or turning in an essay. It's a very strange system. 

Luckily, I had no classes the week prior to the due date, as it's dubbed "reading week," to allow students a chance to catch up on assignments & complete their midterms essays. So I had plenty of time. But once I got to the English Office, I had to fill out cover sheets for both my essays then hand them to the receptionist, who then signed off on them. Of course, something had to go wrong with mine since I'm a study abroad student. And I have bad luck. The first receptionist took them & said they were good to go. The second receptionist (who I assume is the first one's boss) came up to double check, & I had stapled them together in the wrong order. Oh dear! So I had to take all of them apart, fill out new cover sheets because the old ones had torn, reassemble the pack, then turn them in again. Finally my midterms were complete! Phew, what a load off.  

I had a few days of down time to do laundry, work out, clean my room, pack, all that good stuff, before we left for Denmark. I met my boyfriend at the London Gatwick airport on Wednesday evening, and we spent the night in the airport to catch an early flight from London to Copenhagen. We arrived with no trouble and easily located our hotel, Hotel Copenhagen. By the way, it was a huge treat to find! I highly recommend it for the price, location, and amenities. Check out more on the website: http://www.hotelcopenhagen.se/1/sv/hem/hem.php

The weekend was....interesting. The city itself was very cool, a lot of modern architecture mixed with cracked and weathered old buildings, all quite aesthetically appealing. But from the very beginning of the trip, I had the weirdest, most unsettling feeling, almost like we were being watched. I can't really explain it, but we definitely stood out way more as Americans in Copenhagen than in anywhere else we've been so far. Probably because the Danish all look alike. No joke. Tall, slender, blond or sandy colored hair, poker face expressions, a TON of babies. You read that correctly. It was like we had stepped into a freaky episode of the Twilight Zone. EVERYONE had babies. At least one. Usually more. While dodging hundreds of the expensive carriages, we checked out some really cool tourist attractions, like Frederiksberg hae, the Church of Our Savior, Rosenborg Castle, Rundetaarn (aka the round tower), Tivoli Gardens, Gefion Fountain, Kongelige Teater (aka the royal Danish theater), Christiansborg Palace, Frederik's Church, Christianshavn, Citadel, Christiania, the H. C. Andersen statue, and the Little Mermaid statue. We got to walk all around the main parts of the city stopping for tasty food & to shop along this huge strip of stores called Stroget (aka my paradise). We also just relaxed a lot of the time enjoying coffee & crepes in their beautiful parks. 

View from across the river where our Hotel was located

Cute side street

Local graffiti

The entrance to Christiania, a local community in the heart of the city that does not abide by the laws of Denmark. Google for more information. It's an unbelievable place!! 

Crossing the river to the main part of the city

Danish canal, very similar to those in Amsterdam

 Christiansborg Palace

A scenic view of one of the parks

Christianshavn

The Little Mermaid Statue

Frederik's Church

Frederiksberg hae, a local park

A tree in Frederiksberg hae dripping with pacifiers, baby dolls, toys, and more. See, I told you. It's a baby-infested city!

Rundetaarn

The whole reason we made a trip to Copenhagen was to attend a concert event called Sensation White, which was on Saturday night, Nov. 3rd. We were both really pumped since we'd bought the tickets way back in May, but I couldn't shake off that weird feeling. Something was just off. Overall, the show was great!! It was a massive mix of DJs playing House, Dubstep, & some Techno. The light show was amazing, and they made use of pyrotechnics, trapeze artists, and phenomenal stage designs. 

Less than half way through the night, maybe 10:30 or so, two girls randomly jumped up next to us & started dancing right in front of my boyfriend. I took a step back & saw three or four others staring at his back pocket & attempting to grab his wallet. I glared at them until they felt the wrath of my angry eye contact, but less than a second later, the two dancing girls were back and trying to block my view. One of the other girls walked briskly passed us, and I saw her very obviously slip a hand into his pocket. I was astounded that she'd have the guts to do so when they all knew I'd seen. I couldn't control myself. So... I flew after the girl, fearing she'd taken his wallet & all his money, chased her through the dancing crowd, caught her by her wrists, held her up to my face & in not-so-nice-words demanded to know what the heck she thought she was doing & what she took. The look on her face was priceless; humiliation coupled with fear coupled with shock that I'd physically caught her. I really wanted to drag her to security, but I heard my boyfriend say that she hadn't taken anything of importance, just a free map of the city which we didn't need anymore, so I let her go. I didn't want to start a fight. Plus, I was in a foreign city; her territory. Not to mention earlier in the evening, I'd been randomly accused by a completely different girl that I'd stolen her phone after I'd given her some of my glow sticks. What was up with these people? Couldn't we all just dance & have fun? That pretty much killed the night, so we headed back to the hotel & passed out. Needless to say, the concert was fun, but the people were not.

Be forewarned; no matter how comfortable you may become in a new place while studying abroad, or traveling anywhere outside your own country for that matter, you are not a native & really do stick out like a sore thumb. People will try to take advantage of you, especially Americans, who I've come to find have a reputation that proceeds us: Apparently, every one of us is filthy rich. Did you know this? No? Nor did I.  

Sensation

We headed back to our respective universities in England on Sunday evening. I was suddenly struck by the most unwelcome & unexpected torture of homesickness. Very weird for me, because I don't think I've felt true, overwhelming homesickness since my first day of pre-school. It crept up slowly, but after the trip to Copenhagen, I felt myself slammed in the head with more and more intense longings for the easy comforts of home. Like my own apartment. The familiar Arkansas campus & beautiful fall colors. Football games. My mom's uncanny ability to always have the fridge back home stuffed for days with my favorite foods. My older sister living in the apartment right below mine. I realized that this would be the first Thanksgiving I will have ever missed. I even daydreamed of the Walmart Neighborhood Market, open 24hrs, barely a minute's drive from my apartment complex. And hearing non-stop US Presidential Election coverage certainly did not help. I think I've been asked my opinion on the candidates more than 100 times.    

So I did some research. (If you know me, you know this is always how I solve problems, very meticulously finding the source of the issue in order to combat it accordingly.) I came across this chart that looked surprisingly like the one we'd been shown at our study abroad orientation (that I may or may not have forgotten):

Now imagine the Arrival is labeled #1, the dip down to Culture Shock #2, the Recovery #3, so on and so forth. I expected the Culture Shock to occur early in my stay, like when I first got frustrated when people were unable to understand some of the things I said due to my southern accent (& I don't even have a thick one like so many other southern Americans!) But no. True Culture Shock sets in around 2-3 months and is recognized by core symptoms like homesickness, insomnia, depression, irritation, withdrawal, and deep frustration or longing to leave the host country. Low & behold, I'm exactly 2.5 months into my stay. It's amazing how accurately psychologists can predict human behavior. Luckily, I only experienced the first of the bunch, and for a few days, I did feel like an outsider.

But I was in no way ready to leave. I snapped myself out of it by continually reminding myself of where I am, what I'm doing, how this semester will influence the rest of my life, & that this is the opportunity of a lifetime to make connections & friendships like none other. Plus I'm lucky to have such amazing flat mates who I adore that were eagerly ready to listen & helped keep my mind occupied. The trick to coping with any new situation is focusing on the positives. I counted the weekends I had left in England, scribbled down my future travel plans, & told myself that my family and friends will all be waiting when I get back. I also made myself go out with friends & be social, when I could have easily stayed in my room watching the new episodes of The Walking Dead on my computer. (Shout out to all the other AMC Zombie-lovers!)

I had classes on Tuesday, then my boyfriend & I met up again in London on Wednesday afternoon. This time, two of my boyfriend's hall mates from Bath tagged along to attend the Soccer matches with us, which was my birthday gift! We checked out the Chelsea Megastore to make sure we had all the necessary paraphernalia. We had to look like we belonged, after all. The first match was Wednesday evening, Chelsea vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, a UEFA Championship match. The game was tied, 2-2, with 3 minutes added at the end for stoppage time. We all thought it was over until Chelsea got a corner kick in the last minute. With only about 40 seconds left, they took the kick, & Victor Moses managed to get a foot on the ball & hammered it into the back of the net! The crowd literally went wild. This was an important game for Chelsea since the team had to defend its title as the European Football Champion. We hollered & high-fived with the rest of the Chelsea fans, all of us smiling from ear to ear. 

Chelsea vs. Shakhtar Football match in Chelsea Stadium

Chelsea. vs. Shakhtar

 Go Chelsea!!

Football players on the field

The following day, my boyfriend & I traveled to Tottenham in North London to attend a second match, this time between the Tottenham Hotspurs and Maribor at White Hart Lane Stadium. After eating a surprisingly delicious dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Greek Kebab restaurant, we checked out a local pub to expose ourselves to the "Football Fan" atmosphere. That was such a unique experience! Everyone was decked out in the Tottenham jerseys & scarves; the bar seemed to be swimming in the team colors, navy blue and white. We stopped by the store there too to buy some things to wear to the game, which have doubled as awesome souvenirs! Like my hat :)  See below. The Hotspurs totally dominated the match, winning with a final score of 3-1. What a game! And what a perfect birthday gift!! 

Enjoying an English Beer at the local Football pub!

White Hart Lane Stadium, setting up for kick off!

Yay Hotspurs!! We won!!

The stadium was crazy crowded, & the crowd was crazy loud 

(Try saying that 5 times fast.)

We caught a late train back to Canterbury Thursday night after the match and stayed here for the weekend. We finally had the chance to explore more of Canterbury the city (versus Canterbury the campus) & made our way into Canterbury Cathedral. It is such a serene place. A calming and warm sense of home seeped into me as we slowly strolled through the rusted gates and crumbling stones of the church. 

The entrance to Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

Inside Canterbury Cathedral

Another outside view of the cathedral

 We walked around the city a bit, stopping to admire the quaint shops & local farmer's market. 

Local farmer's market

Main avenue in Canterbury City Centre

(No, I didn't spell center wrong. They spell it centre here.)

Another shopping area in the city

I took another day trip to Leeds Castle with my boyfriend this afternoon before he had to catch the train back to Bath. The sun was just setting as we made our way around the castle grounds. The view of the moat from the castle bridge was breathtaking. The photo below does not even begin to do the sunset justice. 

Leeds Castle Moat

Right now, I can hear my flat mates below me in the kitchen playing some sort of card game. And I'm looking around my room thinking it may be interesting to let my blog readers see where it is exactly that I am living. Well, my bed room looks like this: 

Fully decorated with items from my European travels...

(If you can see in the pic, the blue push pins on the map  identify the places I have been. The red ones stick in the places I want to visit.) 

...A sink, a mirror, some shelves, some drawers...

...And a comfy bed right next to the furnace to keep me warm & snuggly at night!

It's nothing big, but it serves it's purpose well. And instead of sharing a room half the size of this one with a person I've never met before in my life (cough, cough, freshmen dorms), I have privacy and my own work space!  

I'm off to begin some reading for Tuesday classes. Apologies again for the length of this entry. I'll try to post shorter entries more often. But don't say I didn't warn you! Haha.

Cheers!

Kat