One Month

Well, I've hit the one-month mark in my study abroad adventures. It's strange to think that I'll be returning to the world I left in just 4 short weeks. So much has happened, and so many things have caused me to change. I know the world to which I return is going to be a familiar, yet different, one. Still, I can't wait to return.

First, I'll start with the rest of my break. Mainland Europe is amazing! As soon as I arrived in Marseilles, I was taken aback by the beautiful, coastal city. This goes for all the places I've visited in April, as all included ports (I went on a cruise, for those who aren't in the know.) Absolutely gorgeous!

The cruise itself was a lot of fun! Since I was paying my own bar bill, I had to go easy on the partying, but I didn't mind. I had more time to enjoy the sights! The cruise ship was gorgeous! The passengers and staff were also very colorful; there were 5 languages spoken on the ship at all times. Even though 4/5 of the ship didn't speak English, I still had a lot of fun. It was a pretty humbling experience to have to communicate mostly via sign language and broken Spanish. I guess this is how the old traders did it? Europe is such an interesting place; all of these vastly different cultures and languages are right next door to each other. I try to imagine America in a similar situation, and it just seems silly. I mean, people in Texas and Mississippi talk funny, but at least it's still English (I think.) Anyway, the language barrier experience has inspired me to relearn Spanish and maybe even pick up some French. I still plan on carrying on with my Japanese, though!

Needless to say, the cruise was a blast. The news I received after my travels, however, dampened my high spirits. I'm not getting into all of that again; it's still too fresh for me. Still, if anything, it's taught me that sometimes I can't control the events in my life. This is not a reflection of myself; how I handle the situation defines my spirit. I was pretty close to coming home early, but I'm staying until the end. I want to finish this experience for myself; I want to feel that sense of accomplishment as I step onto American soil after almost 5 months of being away.

So, that brings me to the one month. I have one month left in England. I am on a VERY tight budget, and I can no longer travel to other parts of this side of the world. It's all right though; I regret nothing. I will be back to Europe in the near future, and I think I've taken all that I can from this trip. Now, I must focus on exams and do well in my classes.

Then I can return home.

But I have no fear, 'cause London is drowning, and I live by the river!

I know it's a little bit of a cliche title, but I couldn't resist! That catchy song by the Clash was on my iPod when I first flew into Heathrow, and it followed me back on my trip to London, which, by the way, has been the best time I've had so far! I can sum up my 4 days in London with a haiku (written by me, of course. And you thought you were going to be able to escape my crappy poetry this time..heh heh.)

Ride the London Tube,
Images before my eyes,
Black things in my nose.

I'll break this thing down into three parts.

The Underground/Tube pretty much dominated my trip through London. I mean this in the best possible way. Now, I'm not really used to underground transportation; it's pretty much impossible to do back home. Riding the tube my first time in London was a pretty stressful experience. I had just gotten off of a plane with two suitcases and an extreme case of jet lag. Needless to say, I was not in the mood to handle the crowds gushing into the cabin and being pushed around and packed in with smelly, loud people. This time around, however, the tube was a pretty nice experience. Sure, it was dark and hot, and deodorant was a rarity, but it was VERY convenient. After a few tries, I could successfully find the way to my next destination via the tube. I prefer London's underground transport to Manhattan's any day! Thanks to the tube, I got to go to all of the touristy places; I wanted to get most of my sightseeing done this week, so I can go back and enjoy myself later. I hate being a tourist. Back home, I can spot the tourists just by looking at the crowds in the French Quarter. Actually being one is a humbling, yet self-loathing, experience. Still, I did snap lots of photos and thought that all changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace was pretty neat! Next time, however, I'll work on my 'local' skills.

Needless to say, I saw lots of things while in London. Parliament/Big Ben is definitely something one must see in person in order to grasp it's magnificence. It's absolutely HUGE, and I couldn't get over how shiny it was! Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, London tower/bridge, and Piccadilly Circus are also must-see attractions. I think my favorite place in London is SoHo. It includes the fashion, theatre, and artsy side of town. Also, it has a lot of gay bars, which reminded me of home! Camden town is also one of my favorite places; you get all of your cheap shopping done there. I also visited Oxford, aka the world's snobbiest place. Sure, the colleges were nice, and it was pretty cool to see one of the best universities in the world, but the town itself has nothing special. I don't understand why the people in Oxford are so stuck up. OK, you live in a college town; sure, it's one of the BEST college towns, but still, you live next to university students. Congratulations, you couldn't live anywhere else exciting. Please stop taking your frustration out on other people. I did buy an "official" Oxford shirt. It made me feel slightly smug. Visiting the Burberry factory also made me feel smug. Even with the purses being on sale, I still couldn't buy anything special there. Sure, a 800 pound purse on sale for 300 pounds is a great deal, but it's not great enough for me. I'm just that special :p I DID buy someone something from the factory, but I'm not telling until June! Anyway, London was definitely a sight to see! I think the best images that flashed before my eyes were simply the glimpses of city life. Keele isn't in a very developed area; there's not much to do. I was starting to go a little stir crazy; New Orleans isn't anything like NYC or London, but at least there's always something to do no matter what time of day/year/month/life cycle/etc. I really missed just being able to go out and sit in a cafe or go window shopping at nice stores. I am definitely not cut out for the "country" life. The sad thing is, Newcastle is still a pretty decent town. I guess I'm more of an urban girl.

Now for the black things in my nose bit. Riding the underground will give you this experience. You can't zip halfway through London in the blink of an eye without getting some retribution. The soot in my kleenex after the first day sort of startled me, but then I remembered the same thing happened in New York. It's just a little souvenir from visiting a major city. Other things stuck with me after leaving London. One of them is the feeling of amazement from being in such an old and powerful city. Seeing things, such as the London Tower, helped me to attempt to put the world into perspective. I experienced something similar when visiting Bath. It's just insane to thing that you're standing before something that has withstood the test of time and remains in the modern world, especially in the middle of such a busy city! Hyde Park had the same effect on me. Outside, there was the traffic, people, and noises; but inside, there was calm. There were children feeding the ducks, elderly couples going for strolls, joggers, and people just lounging on the beautiful grass. It was comforting to know that amidst all the hustle, one can find solace. Another lasting impression was that of the city itself. I remember having my afternoon tea next to two men who were having a business interview. One guy was trying to merge his small business with a larger English one (yes, I am a very skilled eavesdropper.) I thought to myself, 'here's a place where the world happens. Where things start moving.' It made me want to start moving my own plans in life forward. Everyone has dreams he/she wants to fulfill. Being in a city that gets those things done makes you want to check things off your own agenda. It's a very empowering thing!

English city culture isn't the only type of culture I've experienced over these past few days. I also had my first hostel experience, in a Korean hostel. My friend, Soohyun, recommended that she, my other friend Kristina, and I stay at this hostel. It's run out of a Korean house that is close to Victoria Station (a pretty convenient location for those ignorant of London geography.) The price was 20 GBP a night (pretty decent price) and included two meals (makes the price pretty AMAZING.) The only setback was that the host knew very little English, and the hostess knew none. However, I took on the challenge as a learning experience. And learn, I did! I had to take my shoes off before entering the house, had my first taste of Korean food, and I even picked up a few Korean sayings. 안녕하세요! (the first greeting I learned upon entering the house) Since the hostess cooked dinner for us, we had to return to the hostel by 8:00 PM and could not be out later than 12:30 PM. She also woke us up (Mom-style by turning on the light and talking in a loud voice) for breakfast around 8 each morning. I didn't mind having the curfew and human alarm clock. There was something comforting about being woken up and served breakfast and dinner. Also, the beds were super comfortable and the bathroom was clean. Is it sad that I miss my hostel and would rather live there than my dorm room? Yeah, I thought so. The host and hostess were very nice. The host was quiet, yet sweet; and the hostess was quite the chatter-box. I didn't understand a word she said, but she spoke in a very exuberant manner and would sing to herself in the mornings. She also watched Korean dramas while we had our dinner. It was also comforting to be in a house after living in my solitary dorm room. I would recommend this hostel to anyone (who speaks Korean) that wants to be in a convenient location in London and likes Korean food! And to my Korean hosts, 감사합니다!

There are still many things I'd like to see in London. I didn't get to go into any of the museums, I would like to see Abbey Road, and I hope Kings Cross platforms 9-11 is open when I return. Also, I would like to experience the London nightlife above all other destinations. At least I got most of my touristy things out of the way. I feel the best way to gain a sense of a place is to walk and talk like a local. I look forward to my next trip to London!

Highway thoughts...

Hey, all!

Seems like I'm keeping pretty up-to-date with my travel blog, right? Yeah, I wouldn't get used to that. I just had some profound thoughts on my way home from Bath today, and I wanted to jot them down (on the computer; yes, I'm that talented!)

First off, Bath is by far the prettiest city I've seen...ever. It's situated in a valley in the South, surrounded by a river, and is in the perfect position for weather, culture, etc. Naturally, I went to visit the Roman Baths for which the city was named. That was phenomenal; I've no way to describe how I felt with prose. It was surreal to be around things that are almost as old as Western civilization itself. The baths were HUGE (yes, there were multiple baths in the same vicinity; those Romans enjoyed their baths!) When I get my amazing mansion after attaining my fame/fortune, I'm making a replica of these baths as my swimming pool. Absolutely, GORGEOUS. There were lots of Roman artifacts in the museum surrounding the baths, too. Those were pretty surreal to view. They even had a skeleton of some Roman guy, and they recreated what his face would've looked like. I love that kind of stuff! We also did the fashion museum (there was a combination ticket saver) but that really wasn't my thing. I did get to try on a hoop skit and corset, though. That's every girl's dream, right there!

The rest of Bath, as stated above, was just as pretty. It's definitely an old city; there was hardly any new architecture, which made the city that much culturally richer than the other places I've been! There were lots of savvy shops dotted around the city, but that didn't catch my eye, the street performers did. I sincerely MISS hearing music on the streets, and I didn't realize I missed it so much until now. It's those sorts of things that stick in my mind about a city; not the geographical settings. Mind you, Bath is EXTREMELY pretty, but the culture helps, too :) Also, I'm really getting into taking photographs. I think I'm starting to develop a little skill in photography, though I'm no (insert famous photographer here.) I'll put up the link to my photobucket after I upload some Manchester and Bath pictures!

Overall, I had a very good Saturday. I think I'll take advantage of these school-sponsored trips more often!

Anyway, back to my highway thoughts. The ride to Bath is about 3 hours each way, so it's a pretty decent trip. On the way back, I had two seats to myself, and I did what any college student in this situation would do; I slept. When I woke up, I swear I thought I was on an American highway. I couldn't see the driver in the front of the coach, I couldn't see any cars passing us on the "wrong side of the road," and I saw billboards everywhere. I had an immediate flashback to the countless family vacations I've taken every summer. I imagined that the coach was taking me somewhere in America. Was I returning home or was I going to another destination? Honestly, I still felt as if the coach was taking me to another destination, which means (to me, anyway) that I'm still thoroughly enjoying my journey this semester and that there's more to learn along the way. I'm not ready to go home yet; my vacation's not over. Still, I remembered how much I love road trips (and DRIVING) and I plan on taking a few over the Summer!

Two Months

Yep, two months.

It's been exactly two months since I boarded my first plane alone. Two months since I (somehow) found the courage to leave the city, family, and world that had been a core part of my life since I was born. Two months since I first landed in England, not knowing how it would be or what kind of places I'd see.

And I'm so glad I did it.

There have been many ups and downs, of course. This is essentially my first time living "on my own." Now, I know I'm in a dorm at a university, so I'm not completely alone, but Keele is very different from Loyola. First off, I have to take a bus to get to my lectures on time or I have to dedicate 15-25 minutes (pending on temperatures) to walk to the main campus. Also, there really isn't a meal plan here like American universities. Yes, believe it or not, I've been cooking for myself. Don't get any ideas, loved ones. You STILL wouldn't want to eat my cooking. But I'm surviving.

I've learned a lot about myself these past two months. Sometimes I find faults with myself that I seek to change; other times I find that I possess a lot more inner strength than I take for granted. I'm made of tougher stuff than I thought!

As for the traveling, I haven't been able to do much. I mean I'm in school, so there's not many places I can go for the weekend. Liverpool remains my favorite city that I've visited. I went to Manchester last weekend. It was a pretty city, and the shopping was good, but it lacked a sort of culture that I crave in a city. I don't care about your fancy shopping centers or fine dining (OK, well fine dining WOULD be nice.) I care more about the people singing on the streets, the locals going out for the day, the natural beauty around the city. New Orleans has definitely jaded me; I like a city with culture, what can I say?

I hit my first real bump in the road at the end of last week/beginning of this week. The two girls that I had planned spring break with (and got my friend Sue to accompany) bailed on me. At first, I thought it was shattering my break plans. After all, the girl who got her mother to book our cruises was the one who decided to drop of out study abroad completely. However, I stepped away from the problem and realized that I could make my own plans now; I could do my own thing. I haven't made any concrete plans yet, but I know I will probably enjoy myself more, because I'm the one making them. Also, I'm definitely doing the cruise. And Sue brought up a good point; we can do whatever we want on the cruise now. We won't have to worry about what the other girls want to do. Sue and I know how to have a good time together. It should be fun! I can't even fathom dropping out of study abroad, especially since we're more than halfway finished with school work. We seriously have 4 weeks left of classes for the entire semester. Sure, there have been times where I was extremely homesick, but I never thought to go home. I don't want to go home yet! How many people get the opportunity to study abroad in another country? Well, more than back in the day, but still not a lot. I'm very grateful for my opportunity to be here; lots of people invested support and money for me to be here. I'm not going to throw that away. I'm glad I didn't have any set expectations before coming here. Has study abroad been what I thought it would be? Yes and no. But the parts that I don't expect have been my favorites.

Such as assimilating into the English culture. I catch myself doing little things, eating with a fork and knife in hand, having beans and toast, drinking copious amounts of tea, saying certain phrases (like ya all right? and cheers.) Every time I catch mytself doing something English, I just smile to myself. People back home are going to be entertained by my new habits!

Alas, I have 2 more weeks of class before I can fantasize about sunning on a ship. I also have a lot of assignments coming up, but I don't mind. It will keep me busy.


I can't believe I'm basically at my halfway mark.

So much have I learned

and so much more have I got to go.

I'm loving every minute of it, though :)

I know what it means to miss New Orleans

Another blog so quick? This must be the MARDI GRAS EDITION!!!!!!!!!!!!

And since I'm not parading it up, I have the time to express how I feel about this situation.

(I placed this as a note on Facebook, but I feel like my non-Facebook friends should be able to read it, as well!)

It's about Mardi Gras and New Orleans in general. Now, anyone who's known me for a few years knows that I used to LOATHE Mardi Gras season. Sure, the parties, drinking, beads, drinking, seeing family, drinking was great, but the roads were blocked (God forbid you had to cross the river when they were moving floats) and the streets were filled with drunken tourists. Seriously, there ain't no place to pee (or park) on Mardi Gras day!



Also, I don't know if a lot of you know this, but I was getting kind of fed up with New Orleans in general. The constant road construction, the crime, the random functions in the city causing traffic (yeah, lots of these are traffic-related...I've been a commuter for awhile!) just caused problems. I was sick of school, sick of my routine, sick of my life.



But leaving this amazing city has made me see otherwise. Now, don't get the idea that I'm hating live abroad. In fact, I'm very glad I came here. The people are amazing, I've made great friends, and I've got to see lots of different places! Also, the life lessons I am learning here are beyond value. However, I never realized how much New Orleans meant to me. How much the city is a part of me.



This is the first Mardi Gras I have ever missed. I tried 'escaping' on a cruise when I was 14, only to get stuck in port due to a river accident. I've always longed to be away for Mardi Gras. Now that I have my chance, I wish I were back home.



There's just something about the atmosphere during the Mardi Gras season. Everyone in New Orleans becomes your family. Plus, the food is amazing. I HOPE my family members froze king cakes for me! I put in special requests! And, although the 'adult' side of Mardi Gras is publicized more, the parades really are mostly for kids. One of the greatest things I see during Mardi Gras are the kids playing football in the streets before parades. It's like the entire city becomes a family cookout in a backyard!



I suppose I should say a little about New Orleans as a city. I am sorry for ever doubting you. You will always be my home, you will always have my heart. New Orleans has been through so much trouble throught its history-- battles, natural disasters, political problems, decades of bad football seasons, BP-- and yet we keep bouncing back stronger than ever. I have fallen in love with what New Orleans was, is, and will become. There is great hope for New Orleans, and it's due to the fires that reside in its citizens' souls. Keep on shining, N'awlins. I'll be back soon!

__

Bring be back to Bourbon Street,

That funky jazz a'playin' when I'm tappin' my feet,

Walk on down around Old Uptown,

I miss you, New Orleans.



But the river rolls down to the Gulf Coast,

Whether or not I see it,

Lord, I know, this is for sure,

My heart aches so, I miss it.



So just a' bring me back for that Bacchus parade,

Play me the bands, and I'll hear it,

Although I may be far away,

Toss me that bead, and I'll catch it.



This trans-Atlantic romance,

As sweet as my Mint Julep,

I'm gonna be back before I know it,

But I still miss you, New Orleans.



The Mississippi rolls down to the coast,

I couldn't stick around to see it,

But I feel her run right through my soul,

Bringing me home again <3



--Lauren Frederick, travel journal, written February 10, 2010.



.

Midterms!

Hello, world back home!

It's been awhile, I know. I apologize! I WOULD say that I've been super busy, but that would be somewhat of a lie. I've just been finding my weeks slipping past me, as if I'm on a fast-paced train through my life that has no intention of stopping.

...also midterms and planning April have kind of been absorbing my life.

Keele's idea of midterms greatly differs from Loyola's. Instead of every teacher secretly meeting to discuss when the most INCONVENIENT time to place exams would be, Keele sort of gives you a layout of how the semester will pan out. There are roughly two assignments for each class: a final exam in May and a 1500-2000 word essay sometime in March. Also, my English class does weekly presentations on the works we read, so I knew which week I had signed up for well in advance.

That assignment was last Friday. I'm not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous...only a little, though. Anyone who knows even a tiny bit of me knows that I revel in the spotlight, especially when I'm presenting or performing. Needless to say, I think my presentation went very well. The professor seemed to enjoy it, anyway! Assignment one: check!

The next assignment was my psychology paper, which was due this past Tuesday (March 1, for those who don't avidly check for my blog's updates/can't read the date this blog was posted.) Now THAT paper took me FOREVER to finish. I had started it two weekends in advance, attempting to be a good student. However, I am NOT that kind of student, I never was. I perform best when under pressure. SO, I naturally finished the paper the Sunday before it was due. I let my professor check it over on Monday, and she said that it was very good. I made the technical corrections to my paper, and I felt comfortable turning it in. Assignment two: done!

The next big project I have is my philosophy essay, which is due on March 23. I already wrote a 500 word paper proposal on it, so I only need to add 1500 more! I'll attempt to work more on it maybe this weekend. Like I said, I'm not good with working ahead of time!

Now, enough of the boring school stuff. As I've said before, I didn't come here to STUDY! I CAME HERE TO LIVE!!

And I shall do so in April!

Our cruise is officially BOOKED. It wasn't the one that we originally wanted (that one was booked months in advance) but we got a pretty sweet deal on one that leaves April 16. The cruise will take us to France, Sicily, Spain, and Tunisia. That's a pretty sweet itinerary! Tunisia is where Star Wars was filmed, so my geeky side is jumping for joy! Just pray that Tunisia doesn't jump on the North African crazy train, all right?! We're attempting to go to Greece and Rome before our cruise. I'm pretty sure Rome will happen, since Cristina is AMAZING! But I don't know if I can afford Greece; plane tickets are a little more than I had anticipated. Still, I'm going to all of these other places, and I'd much rather see Italy than Greece. I'll make it to Poseidon's temple one day! I also plan on revisiting Liverpool and going to Wales, London, and Dublin in May! Hopefully I'll get to London before my cruise...I feel like I need to get more excited about visiting that city!

I guess I should add something about my social life for all you DYING to know! I'm getting really close to my blockmates. We have parties almost every weekend, and we go out to the local bar every Thursday. They're pretty much my family. Now, I'm not gonna lie; my dorm is the shittiest dorm on campus, and it's far away from everything. My blockmates, however, make me love this place. It feels like a home. I am very grateful for this!

I'm still singing in the church choir. It's nice to at least exercise ONE of my musical abilities! The guy, Jack, with the guitar never got back to me about playing his Crafter. I think I may have scared him just a little bit. I was just VERY excited to see/play a lefty guitar! I'm gonna have to reteach myself in the summer!

Although I'm enjoying myself and learning a lot whilst abroad, I am keeping an eye out for the summertime. There's lots of good things coming my way! I keep imagining myself working at Barnes and Noble again, so I think I'll shoot them an email right before I come back. It's a pretty chill job, I'm not gonna lie! I'm learning to budget myself a lot while overseas, which will definitely be a vital skill in the future.

Oh, and despite my constant social life, I've managed to start up one of my novels! It's not the one I had originally attempted to finish, but hey, I'm glad I got re inspired to work on this one! It's more of a steampunk/fantasy genre, while the other one is straight up psychological/sci-fi. I like how they're pretty opposite. Still, I think young readers will appreciate them!

Well, that's pretty much my life...at least the bit that I can turn into an enjoyable blog anyway! I'll keep y'all updated! Catch some beads for me!

Week 4?!

There's no way that week 4 of classes at Keele starts tomorrow!! I just got here?

Oh...my calendar says otherwise.

Anywho, there's one good thing that the rapidly passing time ensures: I am enjoying myself and actually living a life in the UK! Classes are cool, friends are awesome, and being independent is eye-opening and empowering! I even did my first load of sink-laundry! Now that's an important mark in a young woman's life!

This week was pretty nice! I'm getting to know my blockmates better, and I'm starting to make really close friends. Initially, I thought I would have a lot of free time, so I brought notebooks, video games, and books to occupy my time. However, now that I'm at the gym, meeting friends, and attending the occasional class (they're occasional because my schedule is so barren compared to the 7-course workload I have at Loyola) I find I really don't have much time to do a whole lot of those things! I'm sort of sad about this...I really want to start working on my novel more. However, I should make time for that and not write silly things such as this blog!

But then how would any of you cats back home know about my adventures?

See the dilemma I have!

Anywho, the best thing that came out of this week was somewhat solidifying Easter break plans. Guess who's going on a cruuuuuuise? ME! As most of you know, I feel most at home/peace/the brink of enlightenment when I'm at sea. Words cannot express how the ocean makes me feel, and a cruise (in my eyes) is simply the only way to travel! I originally wanted to do a Mediterranean cruise when I first looked into studying abroad. Now, I can find that dream turning into a reality, and I'm pretty PSYCHED! This break is going to turn more into the vacation I so desire!

Oh, another interesting thing: I sang in the church choir today. I was a bit rusty at first, but then I started throwing out some random harmonies and getting into the swing of things. People even noticed that there was a new girl (without visually noticing, of course!) and said that I sounded perdy :) that made my day! Speaking of music, I found a guy who has a left-handed Crafter...that's my guitar at home, folks. What are the ODDS?! I played his guitar a bit, and I had to fight back the urge of running away with it. It's an acoustic-electric version of the Crafter...Lauren knows what SHE'S saving up for this summer (after repaying all my debts to loved ones who have been funding this time abroad, of course!) The guy, Jack, said that I could use his guitar for folk night at KPA (post graduate bar at Keele) Folk night is kind of like an open mic night at a local pub/coffee house. I've got a few covers that I think they'd like to hear...can't wait for Thursday!

Saturday reminded me of how much fun a girls' day can be! My fellow E-blocker, Meghan; my friend Ana; and I went to Newcastle for some shopping. 80s night was that night, so we bought some funky clothes and accessories for the occasion! Then we started discussing Spring break plans (the cruise idea popped up then!) cooked pizza, and got ready! An all-girl (and one guy) pre-gaming session ensued, and then we all headed off to dance to some of the greatest tunes of the 20th century! I was applauded for knowing all the words to "London Calling" (and almost every other song for that matter) which I thought was funny, because that was the song I listened to when landing in London. I also got on stage for a dance-off to "Billie Jean." I did that one for my Uncle Charlie, who I miss dearly! I didn't win, but it was such a good night I didn't care (which shows you how great I thought that night was...I'm a pretty competitive person!) Saturday reminded me of all the good times I had with my girls, Kristi and Brittney, at the Republic! We MUST do that again when I come back!

Well, lots of good things happened this week! I hope next week is the same!

P.S. I did my wonderful VOICE for my blockmates. That's how comfortable I feel around them :)