The last few days

So just some brief bulleted highlight blurbs:

• Dorothy Perkins is becoming my latest clothing store obsession. They have been having a clearance sale online and in their stores and the deals are insane. I’ve bought some really good pieces in the last week for ridiculous prices and the things I bought are making me very happy.
• My throat still hurts pretty bad left over from my little cold so if it doesn’t go away that’s one more question to ask at the health centre.
• I am ridiculously excited for Glee’s Michael Jackson episode. It just looks so fun I can’t wait.
•  My cool new ring (from Dorothy Perkins) and a fresh manicure. I’m quite pleased with myself for keeping my nails nice and not biting them.
• I started to catch up on the TV show Supernatural again and I’ve been entertaining myself by drawing parallels and making connections to Milton’s Paradise Lost. Super nerdy.
• We still need to finalize a lot of our trip plans but it’s still way too exciting!
• Cookies are delicious.
• My sense of style is a lot different here, I guess you could say it’s better. For some reason I felt like I could sort of re-invent myself and the way I usually dress and wear things that I would usually think I can’t pull off. There’s something sort of nice about putting together outfits that I’ve thought would look awful on me, and being pleasantly surprised when I like the result. It’s fun to be one the stylish girls too.
• Speaking of clothes, I took a picture of my outfit yesterday because I really liked it and was complimented on it too. (here’s my face)  (a view of the actual outfit)
• I need to take more pictures. And have people take pictures of me too. I want these memories to look back on
• Sometimes I don’t like leaving my room when I hear people outside because I feel nosy or like I’m interrupting something. But I think that’s just me being weird because everyone is always so friendly but still. Nobody wants to be the weird kid.
• I think the International Student’s Association is going to be really good for me. Their meeting was very relaxed, and they had food. I think this could work. Also, I’m going to the Harry Potter Society meeting sometime this week. Hopefully it’s fun!
• My tiny Nutella jar is now a pencil holder on my desk.
• All I’ve done today is read and think of essay topics. Blah I’ve been shut in my room all day I should probably have some sort of human interaction today.
• I had dinner at Pizza Express last night with a few friends and it was even better than before. Our advisers took us to the one in Edinburgh, and I had a gift card from them to use so we went last night. My pizza was delicious.  I got the Soho with rocket and olives. It was so yummy and I definitely ate the entire thing. And still had room for cheesecake. Yep.
• I need to cook more. Especially on the weekends. It makes me happy and keeps me healthy.
• Alright, time for more food. To the kitchen I go!
• Playlist for this post: Supernatural Season 6. I took a break from reading to watch and write this post.

I never know how to title these

I don’t have any new pictures to post unfortunately, but I’m hoping in the coming days I’ll have some more photo memories to post along with my updates. Sorry!

On the school front, I’ve settled into my classes for the most part. I really don’t spend very much of my time in the classroom as compared to at home, which is a bit different. More of the work is done individually and almost at each student’s discretion. In the end the amount of work and reading someone has put in either makes it easier or harder to write final essays which, duh, makes sense. I’ve been keeping up with my reading for the most part and I have a few ideas floating around in my head already, particularly for my Milton seminar. But enough boring school stuff. On to the bulleted highlight blurbs! (I think that might be an official name from now on)

• My room has stayed surprisingly clean so far. Usually it gets so messy without me even trying but that hasn’t really happened. Maybe it’s because I simply don’t have as many things to get cluttered and it’s easier to clean up the few things that are out of place.
• I finally bought curl mousse for my hair so maybe it’ll stop being limp and frizzy.
• My bed padding and extra pillow got here over the weekend! My bed is super cozy now, even if my weird dreams have been making sleep difficult. My brain needs to calm down.
• I bought Yorkshire Gold tea from the market. It seemed like the right thing to do.
• Nutella comes in small glass jars here. It’s not nearly enough to last a substantial amount of time for a Nutella addict. But the jar is cute.
• I went into town all by myself today to get medication and a few other things and it was awesome. Even just a tiny bit of independence stemming from going to town alone and taking care of business is very satisfying and liberating.
• Poundland is the greatest thing ever. It’s the dollar store basically but I feel like Poundland has better stuff. That’s just me.
• Except for perfume. I wanted a new perfume and there were some for like 50p at Poundland so I thought oooo I can buy like 5! Except they all smelled oddly like either baby powder or rubbing alcohol. Not particularly alluring but I don’t know what else I was expecting. It is still Poundland.
• The clothes I ordered from Dorothy Perkins online came and I did quite well in my internet shopping haul. I might only return one thing; still unsure; but I got two long sleeve t’s, two sheer going out tops, two pairs of long socks, a scarf and a skirt. And all for £31! (or about $42. They were having a clearance sale)
• I’m making some big plans for spring break with my friends. I bought a ticket to Bologna, Italy over the weekend so if nothing else I’m going to Italy! But right now our plan is to go to Italy, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, and Spain. We have a 5 week spring break so we’re going to fit it all in! It still seems surreal that I even have the luxury and ability to do something like all of this.
• I caught a bit of a cold but I think it’s on it’s way out. At least I didn’t lose my appetite otherwise I probably would have wasted away.
• My clothes layering skills are exceptional at this point.
• Budgeting is still stressful, but it’s getting easier. All part of being a grown up I suppose. At least now all of the money I have is actually my own to spend since I made my full accommodation payment.
• I’m trying to figure out with my parents if there’s any way they could come visit. It would be the coolest thing if they could.
• Getting sleepy so it’s time for a shower, then some tea and reading, then bed. Headed back into town tomorrow so hopefully there will be new pictures for the weekend!
• Playlist for this post: Foster the People

Mini Update

This whole post is going to be in bullet form, just so everyone is aware before they embark on the task of reading.

• I (finally) got to Skype with my two best friends and roommates at home last night (well really incredibly early this morning). It was so good to see their faces and hear their voices and laugh hysterically with them even being so far apart. It made me very happy 🙂
• A few of my hallmates and I went to the college bar (yes each college has their own bar) last night. It was really chill, just people sitting around with a few drinks and talking. They taught me how to play pool too, and the great highlight for me was getting one ball to go into a pocket. It was quite exciting. I expect only exponential improvement from now on.
• I made a Disney collage to decorate the front of my dull notebook for school.
•  See?
• I bought groceries yesterday. Having food to eat that isn’t from the dining hall or from eating out is already incredibly helpful. Yay for food!
• Me and the girls went to a really cool pub called the Evil Eye Lounge tonight for a few hours. It was thoroughly enjoyable; with a really fun vibe to the whole place (candles, fun wall decor, highback chairs, cool bartenders), delicious drinks, and good conversation. We might make it a weekly tradition actually!
• The extra cushion and pillow for my bed should be soon. I can’t wait to have a more comfortable bed.
• Now I shall sleep because I either feel a cold coming on or I’m being paranoid because my friend here is sick. Either way I need to sleep.
• Playlist for this post: Ed Sheeran… again…

A bit of a smorgasbord today

So since it’s really cold and might actually rain I thought I would do a little homey, everyday life post. You know, what my room looks like and such. But first an update on everything else I suppose. I had my first seminar for my Milton class today, and I think I’m going to really like it. The class feels like one of my honors discussion sections (except without the horrible soul crushing that came with anything to do with honors) because of it’s small class size. I think there are only 12 people in the seminar which can either be incredibly awkward or a lovely sort of intimacy. Today it was pleasant but we’ll see. There was only one guy in the class, actually there was only one in my other seminar too. Good to see the English program is female dominated. Well maybe not so if I want to go on a date but ehh. My professor was really animated which is always a good way for me to become engaged in a class. Overall so far so good. Dinner wasn’t bad tonight either; school cafeterias probably shouldn’t make risotto but at least it had flavor.

Now to my house. I live in one of the older buildings on campus, but like we would always say on housing tours, it has history.

But my room itself is cute. It felt cozy as soon as I started unpacking and now it really feels like home.  Here’s some of the things in there that make me happy

 

My collages on the giant bulletin board on the wall. It’s seriously like 6 ft wide. It’s one of the coolest things about my room. And it’s nice to have room to add on to it with things I collect while I’m here.

Also hanging on the bulletin board is all of my jewelry. I hung my necklaces from tacks, while the travel toiletry case hangs holding my earrings, bracelets, and rings. I was quite proud of my creativity here.

Now on to the clothes! I tweeted the other day about my closet looking like the inside of Hollister, and now you all may judge for yourselves. There’s something about those wooden shelves…  And next to that we have pretty much my new favorite things, the faux leather boots I bought at  Primark in Edinburgh for £10! They’re pretty fantastic.

 

   

And just a few more random shots. My school stuff (Kindle, planner and notebook), sweater shelf again, and my little sink area in my room which is super convenient.

Oh! And the view out my window

Now for some closing remarks:

• We still haven’t gotten any real rain. So strange
• Everyone here must either be independently wealthy or heiresses or oil barons’ kids or something because they all have so much disposable income for food out in restaurants and groceries and alcohol and clubbing. It’s insane.
• I think I want some sort of border paper for my bulletin board.
• Every time I come home and want to socialize with my hall mates, no one’s home, and then the second I get cozy in my room or get sleepy or a headache crops up, everybody pours out of their rooms to party it up. Terrible timing people
• I’m irritated and a little ashamed that I’m not at Riverside today, yesterday too. There are incredible protests and changes happening that I saw the beginnings of last year but to not be there for the Regents’ meeting and the awesome power of the frustrated student body is disappointing. I’ll stay glued to the computer then
• Being able to drink tap water is quite literally refreshing
• Playlist for this post: Ed Sheeran, courtesy of Jake

An update and some musings

* Quick note: This post doesn’t have as many pictures, but I may come back and add some in… But here’s me in one of my hats today!

So I’ve been abroad for 2 weeks now, which simultaneously feels like forever and nothing at all. I suppose that’s good though, it means I’m getting the most out of my time. Or something. I started classes on Monday, which at first I was super intimidated by suddenly. We kept receiving all of this conflicting, random info from different advisers and faculty about the difficulty of our classes; with some lady telling us that we would practically have to learn a new language to write proper academic English. And then another one said that was for people whose first language wasn’t English. So unclear. And ridiculous since I already know how to do that. Then there was the usual unknown of what professors expect of their students, would I have to talk, will I sound stupid blah blah blah. But the first day was fairly anti-climactic. The lecture for The Romantic Period was sort of dull and random but I’m hoping it will pick up. I just have to keep up with all of my reading. My Kindle has already proved quite handy for keeping all of my reading on it though so that’s a plus.

On the social spectrum, my hallmates (flatmates? roommates? apartment mates? I never know what to call them) and I are getting along really well. They’re all so welcoming and friendly, from knocking on my door to ask if I want to do stuff with them or feeding me when they make dinner. They gave me a cupboard in the kitchen too which just felt kind. I have a pretty cool group of international student girls to hang out with too, and it’s been so fun to go into to town and explore and go out dancing with them at night and just experience being here with other ‘outsiders’ as it were.

Other things:

• Someone who had this room before me left glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on the ceiling. I like them.
• I have a sweater shelf and it makes me really happy.
• 
• It was supposed to rain today for the first time since I’ve been here, but it still hasn’t. Weird.
• Going out here to clubs or pubs or bars or even just for food is expensive. It doesn’t seem that bad until suddenly it’s adding up. Gotta cut down even though it’s part of the experience.
• This is what I wore to the first day of classes:
• 
• I think I’m going to do some more specialized posts on specific things instead of clumping them together.
• I’ve heard Mexican food is atrocious here, if you can even find it, which I am severely disappointed by. I’m not sure how long I’ll last without it. At least I know how to make a lot of it so there’s that option.
• If you want to take a tour of York Minster like I did, go here http://www.yorkminster.org/virtualtour/index.html and explore. It’s almost like being there.
• The size of lined notebook paper is different here. Awkward.
• I have a newfound appreciation for socks and boots. At home they were rarely necessary and so not much attention was paid to them. Now I love socks and want to buy more and boots are my shoe of choice.
• I think I have lost weight again. Not sure if I like it.
• Guys here are strange. They’ll smile at you and whisper to their friends and stare at you but won’t make a move at all. They rarely just walk up and talk to you and they definitely don’t just start dancing with someone. Pretty different from home where guys don’t really give a crap and do whatever they want for the most part. I think a balance of the two would be nice.
• I have now successfully eaten two meals solo in the dining hall and it was quite liberating.
• My bed needs some sort of extra padding on it but mattress toppers are expensive.
• There are 4 ducks quacking outside my window right now. They’re just some of the many birds we have on campus. They’re funny.

A little taste

Just thought I would do a little master post of some of the meals I’ve been having. Food abroad overall has been not bad, some bland and not great but others pretty good.  So here’s the one’s I remembered to take a picture of.

My first real meal abroad, homemade vegetable soup and roll from a cafe just off of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Simple and delicious.

 

A mushroom Wellington with chips at Mum’s which serves traditional British food. I wish I had a picture of the inside, because it was full of cheese, mushrooms, and spinach. Yum

 

Really delicious macaroni and cheese from a pub off of Prince’s Street. I wish I had been able to take the leftovers home, but many British restaurants don’t have ‘takeaway’ options for their food. Ahh well it was wonderfully creamy.

 

 

My lovely brunch from the Elephant House in Edinburgh. This is the cafe where J.K. Rowling famously started writing Harry Potter so it was incredible to actually sit in the restaurant.  The food was quite yummy too (I had a shortbread cookie, a mocha, and scrambled eggs on whole wheat bread) so not only was it a super cool experience but good food as well.

 

Marshmallow hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant from Pret a Manger in York. So warm and chocolately, especially nice for a crisp day in York.

 

Me at Piccolino, this lovely Italian restaurant in town. I only had the salad pictured (the Tricolore with mozzarella, tomato, and avocado) that night since I wasn’t very hungry, but they make homemade pasta that I’ll have to go back and try.

Hope this little taste (haha puns) of my travels is fun! After all, everyone loves food.

 

Well here I go.

So there’s me cuddling my recent thrift store purchases (cashmere sweater and warm wool sweater, both £7)  from Edinburgh while unpacking to move into my new room at York! I’m here, I made it, after much traveling and lifting of far too heavy baggage. (Word of advice: don’t attempt to move nearly one hundred pounds of crap through cobble stoned streets and then pick it up.) I’ve unpacked and am now about to turn in for the night. More pictures to come tomorrow though! I still can’t upload the ones from my camera so decent cell phone shots will have to do!

Edinburgh!

Now that I’ve been in Edinburgh more than two days, it’s starting to surprisingly become familiar. The sloped cobblestone streets are ones that I have walked down before on my way to one destination or another. The cold is already normal too, who knew I’d adjust so fast. Even though I’m wearing three pairs of tights today, at least it wasn’t raining so I could wear my Highlander kilt from school back home. I must admit it felt pretty awesome to wander the streets of Edinburgh wearing a traditional kilt and even getting compliments on it! The weather the last two days has been beautiful too, sun with times of clear blue sky and a crispness in the air that only becomes bitingly cold with the wind. We visited Edinburgh Castle yesterday after meetings about classes, schoolwork and the academic culture at York.

My study abroad group at the castle!

 

Our advisers are so nice; with helpful advice about where to go while we’re here, what to see and do, food, and various things when we get to York. The castle was spectacular, and it isn’t even a particularly large castle! Our tour around the grounds gave us a brief history of some of what has happened in the castle’s history. Mary Queen of Scots lived here at one point which was another nerdy fact. The different buildings within the castle walls were just so old and interesting and what has been housed inside them has changed over the years. The views from the bluff of the castle were spectacular too; going on for miles since the wind had cleared everything out.

Crazy right?

Already an adventure

It took 26 hours from LAX to arrive here in Edinburgh. Not the original plan, but hey Mother Nature had other ideas. To start with, the flight to Heathrow was quite lovely, with good food and an awesome in-flight touch screen entertainment system.

Dinner on my Air New Zealand Flight to Heathrow

My breakfast the following morning

I watched “Cowboys & Aliens” and “The Debt” and listened to soothing classical music to try and sleep (which didn’t help much but ehh I tried). Because of crazy winds my flight and many others were cancelled out of Heathrow yesterday creating an insane amount of mis-communication throughout my terminal. After waiting in lines that wouldn’t move and being told that there was little chance of making it to Edinburgh later that night, word came that coaches were being arranged to take people to the Edinburgh airport. This turned into a completely unexpected road trip through the English countryside in a charter bus (with a bathroom!) of people all just wanting to get to Edinburgh. We stopped at British truck stops, took a toll road, drove through pouring rain, saw part of the Lake District which was a nerdy thrill, and went past the River Ribble which I just liked the name of. It took us 8 1/2 hours to reach the Edinburgh airport, leaving me exhausted and with that queer feeling of still moving. Driving through the city last night feels like a dream, probably because I was so drained from the frustration and chaos. But the hotel is lovely, small room with not a bad view. Dad would hate it though because there are an awful lot of cars going by.

   

The rain hasn’t started yet today but I know it will so for exploring later I’ll be bundled up!