Tag Archives: leeds

LONDON

This weekend I went to London.

London has always been a place I wanted to go. Growing up around Philadelphia and New York, I was always interested in the other side of things. London seemed to be culturally more historic and when I was deciding where to study abroad, proximity to London was certainly a factor.

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We arrived at the hostel late Friday night, where we ran into a bit of a mishap with the receptionist. One of the girls with me had booked one bed, but the hostel was charging her for two. After arguing for a bit — and returning to see the manager in the morning — she eventually got it worked out. But after we finally settled into the hostel, it was around midnight. The hostel itself was really nice. It was clean and provided us with bedding, as well as showers. Not to mention the other people in the room where our friends and a random, really nice woman traveling alone. Location-wise it was in the Elephant and Castle part of London. Seeking a pub to go to, we went to the nearest one, suggested by a hostel employee. It was a bit sketchy, however, and seeing how we were being stared at upon walking in, we decided to leave and explore a little more until finally going back to the hostel and meeting up with the others from Leeds.

The next day was far more exciting. We woke up early and did a walking tour around Westminster. We saw all the major tourist attractions, including Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament and Big Ben. The tour guide we had also took us to smaller, historic places and told us really interesting stories I would have never known on my own just walking around. We also got lucky and arrived at Buckingham Palace just as the changing of the guards was occurring — which we learned happens every other day at 11:30 a.m. during the winter.

After that, we ate lunch — and got warm — at a local pub. It was raining on and off all morning, which actually was a blessing in disguise, as we got to experience two beautiful rainbows over Big Ben.

We spent the afternoon walking around and going to the South Bank area of London, where I got to see the Globe Theatre. As an English major, with a special interest in Shakespeare, it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We also went to the Borough Market where we sampled the most delicious locally grown foods, like cheeses, breads, mulled wine, truffle oils, and brownies. After that we walked back to our hostel.

By then our feet were killing us, so we all relaxed in the hostel for a bit. We took the tube a lot, but we still seemingly walked miles throughout the morning. (Side note: the tube system in London is far better than the subway system in New York. Not only was it cleaner and easier to navigate, but it was more comfortable.)

Earlier in the day we purchased tickets to a pub crawl in London, so we returned to the area for that later at night. The pub crawl consisted of four very different pubs and it ended at a nightclub. Each pub gave you a free shot and had special drink deals for those in the pub crawl. It was really fun, but extremely tiring. We started drinking at 7:30 p.m. and by 1:30 a.m. we were extremely exhausted. So, naturally, in typical American fashion, we went to McDonald’s before returning to the bus (the tube shut downs really early, we learned) back to the hostel. Fun fact: I learned that if you order a meal at McDonald’s and show your student ID card you can get free fries or a cheeseburger. Hopefully, that reigns true in the states as well (looking at you, East College Ave McDonald’s).

The next day, we woke up, checked out of the hostel and went to the Camden Markets. It was really cool — probably the coolest part of the trip. We started the journey with crepes from this amazing stand, and went to go shopping in the markets. We ended up in the arts and crafts area where I was enamored with everything I saw. There were so many cool and interesting pieces, ranging from paintings to jewelry, and I wanted to buy it all. (Hi mom, don’t worry, I restrained myself.) After that, we split up and some of the group went to an American-style diner, while another girl and I went to the Camden Village Food market. Basically, it was booths upon booths of various cultural foods…and it was all so cheap. After walking around, we paid 4 pounds (!!!) for a buffet-style plate of thai food and sat on the water to eat it.

After that, we went back to the Westminster area and explored London further and hung out in the Victoria Station for a while, before catching our bus home. (All in all, I loved London. I felt so comfortable there. For me, it is cleaner and more spread out than New York. I liked the old style of the buildings and the variety of things that I saw. I can definitely see myself returning in the future.)

As we were walking to the coach station to board our bus back to Leeds, one of my friends posed an interesting question. He asked us if we have started to think of Leeds as home yet. He is currently studying at Leeds for a year, and is in his second semester now, so for him Leeds is home.

For me, I’m not so sure yet.

At the question, I instantly thought, “‘Home’ is covered in a few feet of snow right now.” But then again, as we were rushing to the bus station my mind wasn’t on America, it was on Leeds and my flat, my room, and my bed.

So, I think maybe after about three weeks being here, I’m finally starting to call this place my own, (even if I’m still hanging onto the food and people from home).

– Kelsey

Location: University of Leeds

Two week mark

Yesterday marked two weeks since landing in Leeds and beginning my study abroad adventure. My initial reaction remains that Leeds is similar to America in some ways, but also extremely different. Fashion-wise, I have yet to see a student not look completely put-together in class or on weekends. I’m not entirely sure you can even purchase sweatpants here. But then there are also trends present here that are not present at home, and it should stay that way. For example, the “scrunchie” is ever-present here and with every one I see I am reminded of my wardrobe circa second grade.

But besides that, the culture here is very fun. And, of course, being legally allowed to drink helps that. However, I have yet to discover how to do laundry here or how to print (I’ll keep you posted on that progress). Eating here is growing annoying. I am lucky enough to have a meal plan, but it has a monetary limit that runs out daily, so if you don’t spend the full amount every day, it doesn’t roll over to the next day, which I feel like is a waste. And, the hours are odd, i.e. if I want food from the Refectory (dining commons) between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., I have to pay with cash, my plan doesn’t work. But, I’m adjusting.

Last weekend, I went to Liverpool with the “global” program here. It was only a day trip, but it was really cool to see a different city, especially one that is home to the Beatles. We went to the Liverpool Cathedral, where the nicest man, seeing that we were American, gave us a tour of the lesser-known areas of the building. Not only did the cathedral have great architectural beauty, but we learned that Paul McCartney got denied from singing in the choir there and that they had a statue honoring Frederick Stanley, who not only was involved with the cathedral, but also originated the Stanley Cup.

While in Liverpool we also explored the museums and went to the Beatles Story, a museum documenting the rise of the Beatles. It was all very interesting, but my favorite part was when we went to The Cavern, a Liverpool pub where the Beatles first started out. Having grown up to the sounds of the group, it was enlightening and humbling for me. The Cavern was a really cool place, where a performer was playing cover songs to a packed house when we walked in and all I could think about was being there 50 or so years ago, seeing the Beatles and feeling like they were going to be something big – imagine, literal history in the making.

As for my time at Leeds, I’m finally beginning to feel settled in – though I did get lost for the first time on Monday when I went to set up a UK cellphone. Having walked through Leeds City Centre multiple times at that point, I thought I was fine to find the shop by memory. Nope. I got lost and I ended up going shopping for clothing instead. I’ve since ventured out again and found the store, which was an adventure in itself. The man at the store tried to tell me that I needed to buy a whole new phone and pay a fairly high price to maintain a pay-as-you-go plan. I ended up leaving and going to another store, where I got a way better deal. Sometimes I feel like employees at stores can tell as soon as I speak that I am American, and thus they try to sell me things at higher costs, because they think I don’t know the difference.

This week, I took the bus again and only got slightly less lost than the lost time I did. (yay, progress!) I really don’t get how fellow riders know when it’s their stop. There is no voice telling you the next stop, or flashing marquee like on the White Loop. This week, we also went to a nightclub that used to be a church, which was interesting. It was extremely crowded and played awful music, but being able to say that I was there is a story in itself. A bunch of us here also discovered that we love The Library, which is a pub off campus. We watched the Super Bowl there on Sunday, though it was definitely not the American experience I was used to. Not only did I know more about football than the people around me (as most were not American), but also the commercials shown here are not the same as the ones shown in America, and they are always the best part of the Super Bowl. Also, the announcers were British for the broadcast, which was weird, too.

Besides that, classes this week were really interesting. I finally started my seminars, which are basically when your lecture module is broken into smaller groups and you meet at another point during the week to discuss topics more informally. In my Reporting of Politics it was a bit scary as my professor went around asking us questions about passing policy in Parliament – something I know little to nothing about. It is a bit nerve-wracking being expected to know about another political culture than my own, but I was surprised by how much the other British students did not know as well. The English girl next to me even said that she studied American politics more and knew a lot more about it than British politics. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting system, and next week our class is devoted to the Royal Family, so that should be interesting.

For my museum studies class we went to the Leeds City Museum instead of going to class, which was cool. The museum is small, but the exhibits featured, not only the history of Leeds (including recent things like the Leeds Festival), but also nature-oriented exhibits.

Today, I went to my Eighteenth Century Literature lecture and then seminar. The seminar has six other students beside myself, and we met for discussion in my professor’s office. It was a different environment than I’m used to, though Penn State does have relatively small English class sizes, but I liked it. It forced me to talk and I can tell it’s going to be a really active seminar for the rest of the semester.

Tonight, I’m going to London with some friends for the weekend. It should be fun, but I really should pack, since we are leaving in about an hour (!!!).

Cheers (as they say here),

Kelsey

Location: University of Leeds

Life in Leeds

Well, it’s been about a week since I arrived in Leeds and it already feels like I’ve been here for longer.

Getting here was a bit hectic, as my original flight was cancelled due to snow. I ended up flying out the following day, but because that flight was delayed, as well, I arrived at Heathrow later than anticipated and ended up missing my connecting flight. Picture this: I literally ran through the airport, with someone who works their guiding me, just to miss my flight. Naturally, the next flight to Leeds from Heathrow wasn’t for another five hours after that, so I began my abroad adventure sitting in the terminal for hours, unable to sleep, for fear someone would rob me. Side note: Heathrow Airport is huge. It’s its own city, equipped with shops, restaurants, trains, etc.

When I finally arrived in Leeds, almost the entire flight were other study abroad students. Together, we figured out how to get a taxi to the university and discovered how to find our residences. Driving in England is terrifying, by the way. Not only is everything opposite, but everyone is extremely aggressive – the taxi driver, however, told me, this is mostly because the area is mostly student drivers. The area of Leeds where I am is home to multiple universities. Through the drive to campus, the taxi driver filled me in on the area and asked me plenty of questions about America. We bonded throughout the drive, him laughing at my confused face…me laughing to mask the fear of being alone in a new country for five months. You could say, he was the first friend I made.

Upon arriving, I was placed in temporary housing for the the first few days of my experience, which was a beautiful, hotel-like room, but it lacked other people around. I’ve since moved into my permanent residence (on Monday morning), have unpacked, and finally feel like I’m settling in. We have our own rooms, but I share a bathroom – if you can call it that – with one other girl, who is really nice and from Kenya. She told me she would have loved to study law at Penn State, but her country has different laws about where she can go. The bathroom is barely a bathroom because it’s ultimately a toilet and then a shower head. There is nothing to divide the two, and both me and my flatmate have access to the room from our own rooms. We have our own sinks, however, in our rooms. There are about 10 people who live, in total, on my floor and we all share a kitchen and living room. I haven’t met them all yet, but the ones I have seem friendly. There is also a dining hall called the “Refectory,” which I can eat in. Gathering from there, and the various restaurants I’ve eaten at outside of campus, the food here isn’t bad. It’s not great either. It’s different and I can certainly tell I will greatly miss Italian food from home already. The British also seem to eat less meals, breakfast and dinner. Though dinner seems to be earlier. This makes sense though, because the food is really filling.

Anyway, we also had orientation for the study abroad program. There are tons of students from all different areas of the world. Oddly enough, most of the people I’ve met are either from Canada or Australia…not America. But everyone is extremely nice. I also went to a meeting for my school of study: communications, where I learned about the system here and met my tutor, or adviser. Basically, learning in Leeds is extremely different from home. Each week, for my three classes, I have a lecture period, and a seminar period, though those two times aren’t necessarily right after another. The lecture is when the professor goes over the material and the seminar is used for discussion. We also don’t have exams, per say. All of my classes boast a lengthy essay as an assignment and then a final exam at the end of the semester. Classes, also, only run for eleven weeks, with a large, month-long Easter break in April. Classes end in early May, but the semester itself doesn’t until June.

Besides that, I’ve spent my time in Leeds meeting people, exploring the city, and going to class. I’ve learned that being American is enough to spark a conversation with literally anyone. I’ve also learned that the British say “literally” literally all of the time. The Union building here is like the HUB at Penn State, but ten thousand times better. Not only does it have clubs, pubs, and dining, but there is a theatre, offices, a cafe, stores, a market, and events occurring every day. The clubs and societies here are really big, and I’m currently looking into joining the English society and the hiking club, among other possibilities.

Nightlife here is really interesting, too. For one, I can legally drink here, by two years, (yet, still I look young enough that I’ve gotten carded twice already). Everyone seems to go out most nights of the week, and though I’m used to a flourishing drinking culture at home, is a bit intense, even for me. Music, being something I’m really into, is also fascinating. The other night, at a “pre-drink,” as Notorious B.I.G played through the speakers, one of the British boys discussed rappers, like Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, which I find really cool. Music is definitely one of those things that crosses cultural lines always. At the clubs, I’ve noticed they love to play old American pop hits. At one point, the Jonas Brothers played, and everyone seemingly knew all of the words.

The city, itself, is gorgeous. The buildings are a mix of modern and antique — and they all are beautiful. It’s amazing to think that there are homes around here that are older than all of America. The shopping here is also a dream. There are tons of stores and a great deal of variety. No matter what you are in need of, I think it’s impossible that you wouldn’t find it downtown.

I also started my classes on Tuesday (I somehow managed to not have classes on Monday). I’m taking an English class called Eighteenth Century Literature, a communications/journalism called Reporting on Politics, and an art class about museum studies, which allows for multiple trips to local museums. So far, I’ve only attended the first two. English taught here is really enlightening and has already changed my perspective. The major authors at home, aren’t necessarily major here. My professor teaches in almost the same way as my professors at Penn State, but the base knowledge you are expected to have is very different. He makes references to famous and well-known authors and poems, but they are all, obviously, British. There are no Hemingway mentions or anything of the like. So, it’s going to take a bit of research on my part, especially to write a well-crafted 1,700 word essay for the class. My reporting class is also very different. I know enough about British monarchy and politics to get by in American conversation, but now, I’m learning the intricacies, from a new perspective, and learning about how the British see American politics.

All in all, there are plenty of other things I could probably write, but this is already quite long. Following this, I’m going to try to write more often, as I don’t want to overlook things in trying to encompass one week in one post, like I’m doing now. But, if the first week has taught me anything, the next 4 months and 3 weeks will be extremely interesting!

– Kelsey

Location: University of Leeds

The final countdown

Six days stand between England and me. Although, it’s been years since I first decided that I wanted to study abroad, it’s all come down to less than a week.

Oddly enough, it all came full-circle for me today at the dentist. I was getting a cleaning in preparation for my 5-month hiatus from America, and I was telling my dental hygienist about my trip: how I was studying abroad at the University of Leeds in England for the spring.

It was in that same office that in my junior year of high school my same hygienist talked to me about applying to college and what I was looking for in a university. Among academics and a beautiful campus, I was quite sure even back then that it needed to be somewhere with a great study abroad program. As a liberal arts student, studying abroad is almost necessary. Most of my friends within my college have studied abroad, are currently studying abroad, or plan to study abroad.

So, on some level, I’ve been preparing to leave for a while. Yet, it’s now six days away from my flight and I’m not entirely ready.

Mentally, I think I am. I’m over the nervousness – for now – and I’ve moved on to the excited phase (though, I do think the day of my flight I will mentally be a mess). Physically, however, I have not packed. Since I was accepted into the abroad program I knew it was going to be an issue, but packing really is an extremely taxing task. First of all, I will be in Leeds for five months, which means I will be there when the seasons change. I don’t know what I want to wear to sleep tonight, let alone what shoes I want to wear in the spring, four months from now. Not to mention, suitcases are very limiting. My parents and I have already agreed to pay for a second suitcase, because there is just no way I can fit everything in one, especially if I plan to bring things back with me when I come home.

Besides packing, I believe, I finally have completed everything I need to do. Luckily, for Leeds I don’t need to apply for a visa ahead of time, I just need certain paperwork when I land, and I have compiled all of that. My housing is taken care of and my classes are finally scheduled. I say finally, because that was a bit of an ordeal.

Leeds full-time students are required to have at least 60 credits of class, and for a while I had 30. Mainly this was because I was trying to figure out what classes would be helpful to my two majors and what would work in my schedule. After talking to many, many different advisors it has finally been solved.

So right now, I’m in the waiting period. All of my friends have returned to school, and I’m spending my last days in America with my pets, my parents, and my own anticipation.

Location: Pennsylvania

T-minus One Day…

Want to read a rousing account of adventure and hijinks of a college student studying abroad? Well then, you have probably come to the wrong blog. However, if rambling accounts of misadventure are more your style, then read on!

Hi, my name is Kelsi and I am a junior at Penn State studying chemical engineering (and minoring in English). This lovely spring semester I will be leaving behind the sunshine of State College and instead study in sun-starved northern England at University of Leeds. Although Penn State doesn’t really get too much sunshine, Leeds is in another league. In January, Leeds averages 54 hours of sunlight A MONTH. Which is actually wonderful because I am slightly allergic to the sun (ie I break out in hives the first couple sunny spring days) and burn very easily. But I digress, if you’re reading my blog, you probably want to learn other details about me that are more interesting than my propensity to burn.

What do I live to do when I’m not slathering on large amounts of SPF 100 to avoid the sun’s rays? Well, I absolutely love reading and often will stay up into the wee hours trying to finish a book. In fact, to “research” for England, I attempted to read every British book (from this century) I could find in the public library.

When not cozying up with a great book, you can probably find me outside. I love running but view treadmills as evil machines that must be treated with great caution so I’m constantly trying to find new running routes. I’m excited to be in a new place so that I can inject some new life into my running routines and not have to worry about getting sunburned on my run.

I also like to hike and backpack and hope to go on some backpacking adventures while I’m in England. Below, you can see me in all of my hiking glory. This picture was taken by my lovely sister when we climbed Longs Peak, a 14,259 ft mountain in Colorado. Although I won’t encounter any mountains of this size in England, I hope to have some equally epic adventures 🙂

Hopefully, in the coming months, I will be able to write about amazing places, people and adventures. However, you might have to settle for accounts of me getting horribly confused by the differences in American and British culture and my complete mis-adventures. Stay turned for my next segment: Kelsi thought she was finished packing two days ago but now realizes that she forgot several key items and is panicking.

Location: Mechanicsburg, PA

Intro Post: 6 Weeks!

Hello! My name is Natalie, and I’ll be studying at the University of Leeds this coming year. I’m a rising junior majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and I have plans to attend medical school.

I’m going to talk a bit on the background of my study abroad and what’s happened so far, and then I’ll address my goals for my GeoBlog.

I’ve known that I wanted to study abroad since I started at Penn State, and the reason I decided to go to England, specifically Leeds, is because of some pretty awesome friends. Nearly my entire group of friends this past year was study abroad students, and the majority of them were British.

The Eberly College of Science has a few different universities with which it has “science partnerships.” By my understanding, that pretty much means that PSU has evaluated these universities’ science courses and have deemed them of acceptable quality. Within this list, I had options to go to France, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, and England (and maybe a few more? Can’t remember…). I favoured England over all the others (and I also have family there–my granny grew up in England), and within had choices of Leeds, Bath, or Sussex. I had friends from both Bath and Leeds, and it was mutually agreed upon by them that the cost of living in Bath was much higher than in Leeds. Thus, by my rationale, it seemed most practical to live somewhere a bit less expensive so I had more money to travel and do other things.

A lot of people have asked me why I’m going for the whole year, as not many people do so. In fact, I’m the only person from Penn State going to Leeds for the whole year. The answer to that that question is kind of vague, but mostly revolves around my experiences with the study abroad students at PSU. In addition to my friends this past year, I had a whole other group of foreign friends in the spring of my freshman year. Everyone I have met who was abroad for only one semester was really not ready to go home, but those here for the whole year were about ready to do so. I think I’d rather be ready to come home, than be left hanging with all the things I wanted to do still. So we’ll see if my feelings on that subject change, but I really think I’ll enjoy England and be happy for the whole year. I hope!

So I spent most of last winter and spring sorting out what courses I planned to take. Unfortunately, I was not able to get as many Leeds courses to specifically replace PSU courses required for my major as I would have liked. However, I did get enough to result in my schedule comprising of a few courses in my major, all 400-level electives required for my major, and nearly the rest of my PSU gen ed requirements. I’m going to have a lot of catch-up to do senior year (I’m expecting 6, 400-level BMB courses senior fall!). But it will be worth it, and so all will be well. Somehow.

I got my official acceptance from Leeds in April, and everything was sort of left for a while. I started looking into UK Visa stuff in June, and it was a bit of a pain. Leeds was late sending me my Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) number which allowed me to get my visa. Some UK visa bureaucracy stuff that was out of their control. So once I got that, there was an online application, I had to go down to Pittsburgh to get my photo and fingerprints taken (Yikes! I’m in the system now), and then had 2 weeks to send a ton of stuff in. MAJORLY stressful. So much that had to be “just so.” And I was paranoid. Not really for any good reason, but more because transposing a number or not being clear enough about something could equal not getting my visa. And thus I would have to reapply, pay more money, and it might even screw up my entire next year. So that was a stressful time. But all is well now. I have a pretty sticker stuck in my passport that says “UK Visa” and has a pretty picture on it (much better than my passport photo)

Getting a plane ticket was also kind of fun. I scoped out Travelocity looking for cheap flights, and found one for $480! The reason it was so cheap is for 2 reasons: I have a layover in Boston and another in Reykjavik, and the airlines are Jet Blue and Icelandic Airways. I figured for the price it was really good considering that I don’t really mind the layovers, and I really don’t have anywhere to be. That is to say that I fly 8th Sept, get to England the 9th, and don’t really have any obligations till the 12th or so. I’m flying into Manchester, and will take a train to Leeds.

So, moral of the visa/flight is that I can at least at this point GET to England 🙂 Now that I have those, it’s kind of starting to become “real” in my head!

I’ve also just gotten my housing sorted out. I’m living in halls (dorms) about a 25 minute walk from campus. There’s due to be 5 in a flat, sharing a kitchen. I’m doing self-catered which means that I don’t have a meal plan, and will be cooking! I’ve decided to do self-catered mostly because I’m kind of sick of eating dining hall food, and it will give me a chance to get out into the town to go shopping and such. It’ll be interesting, considering that I’m not used to having to cook meals, but I’m looking forward to the change/challenge.

Hmmm….what else to talk about…

I guess a big thing about getting ready to go is all the logistics. I’ve a ton of things to sort out still, like banking over there, telling the phone and insurance companies over here that I’ll be away for the year, figure out a budget (It’s going to be SOOOOOOO expensive! Yikes!), and the list goes on and on!

I think the biggest thing now is PACKING! I’m just bewildered at how I’m going to pack for a year in a suitcase and a backpack! I’m not really planning on sending anything over. Just too expensive, and that also means I’ll have to get it back home. I guess I’m just telling myself that my goal this year is to learn to live as lightly as possible. I want to do as much as I can while I’m over there, but don’t have all that much money to spend. So we’ll see how it all works out! But back to the packing…My friends’ preliminary advice with regards to packing was to pack your favourite clothes, and not to bring any basic things (like T-shirts) which can easily be bought in England. So beyond that…I think I’m going to have to keep in mind the weather, as I seem to be pulling out mostly summer things, with it being as hot here as it is now. However, there is an 18 degree difference Fahrenheit between the high here and in Leeds for tomorrow. Yikes! And I need to start converting degrees again…I was doing really well during the school year with Celsius, but the summer has been Fahrenheit-theamed. Sounds loads hotter to say 100 degrees rather than 38!

So that’s kind of my story of how I got where I am now. Kind of long.

So, one of the most important parts of this intro post: my goals for this GeoBlog.

First and foremost, I expect this will be one of the most important experiences of my life, and thus I would love to have documentation of my thoughts, feelings, and observations to look back on at the end of the year as well as later in life. And I’m sure there is sooooo much I’d forget if I didn’t record it! And of course, one of the requirements of having a GeoBlog is actually writing in it, and thus that will be an incentive to keep up with it.
Second, I expect to keep my family and friends updated on my time at Leeds through the blog, and of course anyone looking to study abroad, whether it be Leeds, England, or anywhere.
In terms of content (my thoughts at this time, which of course may change), I expect the beginning will chiefly address getting set up in England, culture shock, and my feelings about studying abroad. Over the past two years, my time spent with international students has really peaked my interest in differences in culture and language. Thus I anticipate writing quite a bit about the differences between British and American culture, as well as the destinations of my other travels. Of course, interesting tidbits will be thrown in whenever they arise. I’m thinking that maybe by about December, I’d like to make a note to myself to spend some time thinking about and blogging about the personal growth I’ve noticed and experienced. And as a side note, I have a camera which I love, so once I have pictures to post, they’ll be in here 🙂

Well, that’s all I can think of for the moment. A very long post, but it gives what I think is necessary background, as well as kind of showing where my head is on the subject right now, about 6 WEEKS from departure.

I expect to write again near the end of August, and we’ll see what’s happening then! (Hopefully I’ll be mostly packed, or at least know what I’m taking!)

Natalie

Location: Allison Park, PA

No subject

First, the situation in Japan is absolutely horrific. During my senior year of high school I spent a little over a week living with a host family in Nakagawa-machi Bato in the Tochigi prefecture. It’s just south of Tokyo. So far I haven’t heard any news from my host family or my friends. Some of the friends I made over there have just started uni in places north east of Tokyo and they’ve been silent on email/facebook since the disaster. I’m hoping that it’s just because of the power crisis in Japan. Anyway, if you’re reading this please don’t do this “i’m thinking of you, japan!” or “i’m praying for japan!”, but actually give some help. They need aid, not thoughts. Go to places like the Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/en/ – for the USA site) to donate.

In regards to studying abroad here in Leeds, it has been awesome still. A week ago I awarded myself a long weekend in London. I did some more touristy things like the Natural History Museum and the London Dungeon. I also had a great time in Camden town where I pocket a ladybug pocket watch and a coin belt for my belly dancing recital in a a few weeks. It was windy and cold, though.

In Leeds, life has been good. I wrote 3 essays this past weekend (I was incredibly productive) and that was the bulk of my midterm assignments. We break up for a month long spring break for April…so only 3 more weeks left until that! I have plans to go to Spain and Italy then and also to visit a friend in Cheddar, England. Apparently it’s where cheddar cheese came from.

Studying abroad has been the best year of my life so far. I’ve met the most wonderful people and have seen/done amazing things. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was where I needed to be. For the first time I’ve been having a worthwhile uni experience. I can’t wait to move over here next January after I graduate in December!

Location: Leeds, UK

Just checking in

+ Life is still grand here in Leeds. I haven’t done much recently that warrants blogging here. I keep my own blog daily, but it’s much more friends-only.

+ Classes are classes. Considering what little effort I’ve put into my modules this year, I’m happy to report that my lowest grade for last term will transfer as a B+ to Penn State. I also have confirmed that I only have to do the fall semester when I get back. That means I will have graduated with a Penn State degree with only spending 5 semester, or 2.5 years on campus. I am extremely grateful for that.

+ I do miss THON. It’s the only thing I thought I was going to miss this year and I do miss it. I hope it’s going awesome for everyone there!

+ I don’t understand immigration laws. I speak English, I will have a university degree and I will have lived in the UK for a full year, but do I qualify for a visa? No. Nope. Nada. Stupid EU agreements are making immigration laws in the UK even more strict. I may have to do a grad program after all just to come back and be able to live and work here for a few years.

+ I’m going to see Swan Lake at the ballet in London next month. Bertie’s mom is taking me. I’m quite excited because I’ve never been to a ballet even though I danced ballet for 8 years when I was growing up and after seeing “Black Swan” (and loving it) I’m really curious about the actual ballet.

+ Filmmaking is going well! I had an unpaid job last week as a runner for a casting session. The director ended up liking me so took my details to help out with the actual production. I’ve also helped with a new short that I co-wrote, produced and starred in for a competition. Bertie and I are in the writing stage for another short and (hopefully) a feature film for the distant future. I do love being able to do this sort of thing! I never would’ve done this back at PSU.

+ A year is a long time to be abroad without a job. Although I did a careful budget, I’ve managed to spend way more than I should’ve by this point. Am going to the part time job fair at the uni on Monday to see if I can get anything for a couple months. We shall see.

+ Been ill with a stomach bug all day and have had no sleep so I’m going to see if I can fix that.

Location: leeds, UK

a brief update and a plant

+ I am cooking more now! It only took 6 months, but I have progressed from frozen fish and pasta to more complicated endeavors. I’m only progressing because I’m making Bertie dinner for his birthday tomorrow night. I tested my recipe/meal on my best friend here, Joe, last night and it was fabulous. For the main course I’m making chicken stuffed with mozzarella and wrapped in bacon with home made oven chips. So yummy! I was so pleased with myself when it turned out edible and delicious. For desert, I’ve attempted a panna cotta. It’s still setting so we’ll see if that actually worked in the morning.

+ I bought a basil plant to make my pastas more flavorful. And to make some awesome pesto. His name is Fred.

+ I spent last weekend in London filming a short. I am producer/co-writer/actor. Editing is going on now, but that’s Bertie’s department. I’m set to act in another short for someone this Sunday and that could be interesting. I’m also starting writing on another short for this semester and Bertie and I are brainstorming a feature film idea, too. Lots of filming stuff! I love it.

+ I tried to go to bed about an hour or so ago (it’s only 10pm, but I have a cold and a busy day here), but I was overcome with sadness about it being February. Currently, I’m thinking of going back to America the first of July, but I just don’t want to. The thought that I have to return to America at all makes me sick and sad. My life here is a million times happier than back at Penn State and my friends are better than most of people I’ve met at PSU. That sounds harsh, but oh well. It’s my blog. And I fit in better here. People are more genuine. My friend Joe is already looking at/buying plane tickets to come visit me in September while a couple of my other friends are asking parents for money to do the same. That’s incredible friendship.

And I know I’m coming back here, well, to London. I have a place to stay in London all lined up. I have friends. I have plans. I have dreams. I just don’t have a visa. I will have to jump through hoops on that. But I will come back. I will not just hang about in the States. I just don’t like getting all sad about the inevitable last semester at PSU. At least I only have one left!

Location: Leeds, UK

5 months in the UK and term 2 is just about to start!

It seems like just yesterday I was arriving in London, but that was 5 months ago. I’ve completed one full term already! It’s amazing how quickly time is going by. I just want it to stop! I never want to leave. I never want to go back to State College. I still have 6 months here, though. Yay. Term 2 starts tomorrow. I’m in some horrific classes, but oh well. I have fridays off and only one class on monday, tuesday and wednesday. I shall survive.

Finishing finals this week was exciting mainly because it meant lots of fun could commence. I met loads of new people, including new study abroad-ers and spent most of the week going to sleep at 6am and waking up at 3pm. I also started a new exercise routine to replace my old routine (I was getting bored) and increased my daily cups of tea to about 3 or 4 cups.

After spending so much time with people and going out, I spent last night in self-issued solitude. I stayed in my bathrobe and watched Disney movies with popcorn and Coke. I’ve been trying to watch Hercules, but I can’t find a reasonable copy anywhere that costs less than $15 or �10. I did watch Aladdin, Fantasia and some other film, though. I then spent the night drawing characters on A4 paper.

And today I’ve been alone, too. I cleaned my room and my flat’s kitchen. I never use my flat’s kitchen because I tend to cook across the hall with my friends, but I can’t stand how messy it gets. I wish my flatmates were semi-clean and responsible sometimes. Speaking of flatmates! I got a new one today! I know her briefly from belly dancing so we’ll see how that goes.

Tomorrow I’m being filmed belly dancing for some charity thing. I am insanely nervous and awkward about it. It’s something I would never do back in the States, but I’ve been trying and doing loads of new things here, so I thought, “eh, why not?”.

I’m going to London next weekend. Bertie’s birthday is the following weekend and he’s celebrating it with his friends in London a week earlier. So I’ll be down there for that and the following weekend we’ll be here and probably just go to the movies and bowling and all of our favorite outings. I like birthdays.

Am starting to look at visa stuff and film programs in London so I can come back here. I will not be content living in the States. I knew I never would be, but coming here has made it impossible. At least initially. I know the greatest people here, I love the culture and it’s just for me.

And now I’m going to run to the corner store, buy some more popcorn (hopefully…I may have bought all 3 boxes they had last time), and watch A Very Potter Sequel.

Location: leeds, UK

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Just checking in

a brief update and a plant

5 months in the UK and term 2 is just about to start!