It's official... this semester will be the most challenging of my undergraduate career! At least I am able to say it came while in England, right? Surprisingly though, I'm not very stressed about it -- while it was a shock how much the English expect from their students first term, I am now trying to think about it positively and consider that if I put in the work the professors suggest, I will actually be far more prepared than having taken the same courses while in the states. Again, classes mostly consist of no busy work, but rather loads of independent studying, in-class discussion with little lecturing from the professors, and major mid-term and final essays. I believe out of six classes, I will only have three final exams at the end of the school year, so that's a bonus, but it means I have to put forth all I've got when it comes to the essays!
This term, my schedule is as follows:
Monday: The Literature of Terror
Tuesday: Language, Self, and Society (lecture)
Wednesday: Women in Latin American Narrative and Film
Thursday: Language, Self, and Society (seminar)
I absolutely love all of them so far. The Literature of Terror is something I would be a little extra excited about if it included works past the Victorian era, as texts from that time have always been quite difficult for me to get into. Although, since it also doesn't include works from earlier years, I was beyond happy to learn that I wouldn't have to read Frankenstein for the fourth time in four years! The course covers the rise in Victorians' interest in terror and the supernatural. While the material may prove difficult, the class is very talkative and fun, and the seminar leader enthusiastic, so it's definitely two hours of my week that I look forward to. Last week I quickly worked through the original novel-version of Sweeney Todd since I had to lead the class discussion about it, along with a few other girls. This week, I'm a few chapters into A Tale of Two Cities. Fortunately, I already had a few of the required texts for the course, so I was able to save some money.
The Language, Self, and Society course is quite different from any I've taken while at university. Apparently, there was a course last term that transitioned into this one, and all of the students, aside from me, were in it together, so I felt a little awkward the first day, but I've found that once people notice that you're American, curiosity easily leads to conversation. The class will cover several concepts, including how we, as different cultures, view the world due to the influence of our native language, as well as bilingualism, the dying out and revival of certain languages, and politically correct terms. As I'm the oddball, I've already been asked to pronounce a few words (Professor: "How do you say "G-I-R-L?" Me: "Girl." Class: "Hahaha!") with my "midwestern American accent" so it can be compared to the various British accents. (Most Americans stress the "R" in the word "girl" whereas the Brits don't.)
Lastly is Women in Latin American Narrative and Film. Each week, we are assigned two or three movies to watch that have been directed by women and that typically revolve around stories where women are the main characters. Last week, the focus was on Maria Luisa Bemberg, an Argentine director, whose movies I loved! They included Yo, La Peor de Todas, Camila, and Miss Mary. She worked with true stories (one even used inspiration from her own childhood) about societal issues in a certain time period in Latin American countries, and showed those issues through personalized stories of women at that time. Yes, the movies are done in Spanish (this week, Portuguese) -- so I'm hoping this might help to strengthen my Spanish speaking skills. The young and upbeat professor for the course is, I believe, from Peru and even lectured at Yale. We are to focus on all aspects of the film, which is something new to me, never having taken a film course -- everything from the plot itself to the visual language, costumes, historical context, setting, and characters.
As intriguing as all of these classes are, I am beginning the semester with little motivation. Leigh Anne and I met up for dinner a few nights ago and discussed traveling during the semester, which always tends to brighten things up and cause me to work ahead, knowing I have something to look forward to. We're looking into Ireland for St. Patrick's Day and maybe something equally brilliant before then. Paris? Scotland? Germany? Belgium? Prague? So many options, so little time!
And although I'm struggling to break out the books now, I'm already considering doing one more semester of school when I return, in order to get a double major in Women's Studies. I feel very lost not filling out scholarship applications and planning my next semester this time of year. I am a bit torn on what to do at the moment. I plan to be in the area, for a bit anyway, so taking a few more classes seems sensible, right? But I was planning to start a full-time, grown-up job upon my return. Sigh. I highly doubt I'm going to come across a letter in the mail or receive a phone call anytime soon that gives me all of the answers, so it comes down to some serious thinking and decision-making over the next few weeks...
I hope this finds you well, and on a path that makes you happy. If not, it's never too late to move onto another :)
Love,
Aly
P.S. -- I apologize for the lack of pictures, but there's not been much interesting to take as of late!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Break in the USA & Back in the UK
Happy New Year, everyone!
I sincerely hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and are getting back into the swing of things now that we're twenty days into 2011. Today begins my new start, as I've just arrived back in Canterbury after a quick, but much needed break back in the states.
As America presented me with lots of distractions, which included days full of cuddling up with Deme, catching up with friends, and hanging out with my mom, it was all too easy to ignore updating my blog. I will attempt to keep this post about my last month as short and sweet as it can be.
Perhaps the most "eventful" part of my trip back home occurred not at home, but while at London's Heathrow Airport trying to get there. I woke up around four in the morning on Friday the 17th of December and began a day that would include the use of nearly every form of transportation known to man. I took a taxi to the Canterbury train station, and willed myself to stay awake while the train made its way to central London. Fortunately, I chose the earliest train -- just in case of delays, of which there were two. However, I still made it onto the Underground at a decent time and to my terminal with two hours before boarding. However, checking in baggage took about forty-five minutes, and when I received my boarding pass, I realized there was no indication of a gate number. So, I went from screen to screen looking at hundred of flight numbers and times, but did not see my own and learned that gate numbers do not go up until about twenty minutes before they open. Mind you, I was already at a specific terminal at Heathrow (there are five) but I had to then take a bus to another part of the terminal... the place is huge! Finally, I arrived at my gate and anxiously waited to board -- I was ecstatic that in about eight hours time, I was going to be home!
Psych. We boarded the plane nearly an hour after departure time due to the caterers and cleaners showing up late. Not a huge deal. The plane began to back out for take off and then abruptly pulled back in. The pilot came over the intercom and let us know that there was a technical difficulty but that the engineers would be on board soon. After about twenty minutes, he announced that the engineers had fixed the problem, but that if we would take a moment to look outside, the change in weather would cause us further delay. I looked outside and saw teeny-tiny amounts of what appeared to be snow falling. At this time, I still found the situation comical -- in Chicago, I'm pretty sure the plane would have taken off anyway. But due to my fear of flying, I'd rather the airline play it safe, even in what I considered already safe conditions. So, we got in a line to be de-iced.
Five hours later... yes, five (all of which we had to stay on the plane), when we finally left the ground, all passengers applauded to what I have now added to my list as one of the happiest moments of my life. I tried not to think about how, had we left on time, I'd already be landing in Chicago.
Fortunately, my mom and brother who were coming to pick me up at O'Hare, found this delay a bit advantageous, as they were able to have quite a full day before leaving home to pick me up. Ironically, although I'm able to navigate around a foreign country myself, I struggled to find them once I landed and got my luggage, and wandered about for a good amount of time before my brother ended up spotting me in the midst of my argument with an elevator. I've never been so happy to see him, and once we met up with my mom, the whole mess didn't really matter anymore. I was home.
Coming home to a house decorated for the holidays, complete with snickerdoodles and a new puppy, was exactly what I needed. I crashed and slept like a baby until late the next morning.
Mom had to work loads over break, and Zen was busy, too, so family time was rare over the few weeks I was home. The next day, as mom went down for a nap before going into the night shift, I packed up a bag and decided to surprise Demetri at his apartment. I had a key to his place and a hope that he'd be there, since he'd stayed the night at his parents house. Driving to Fort Wayne, I got butterflies like I'd never had before. Seriously, I don't think they'd been that intense even when we'd first started dating. I saw his Jeep in the parking lot and kept my fingers crossed that he wouldn't see me coming. I unlocked his door as quickly and quietly as possible and there he was. He slowly turned around and smiled in shock and we hugged for a few minutes without saying anything (I couldn't really talk at that point since I was crying tears of joy.)
A lot of people advise those who plan to study abroad to do so unattached, and I can understand why. When you're in a relationship thousands of miles away, there's the issue of trust, of loneliness, of communication, and not to mention "lost" opportunities with foreigners. And yes, it's one of the toughest parts of my own experience. But what I can say is, when you get to see your significant other again after so much time apart, all of that falls by the wayside and the payoff is one of the best feelings a person can experience. Although he wasn't any different, I took in everything about him all over again. Skype and e-mail and international phone calls have allowed me to stay in touch and are a great help, but being in the same room again is almost surreal. One of my biggest hopes is that in June, I can write this bit all over again.
That night, we visited with our friends Casey and Tara. The night was a blast, starting out at their apartment and making our way to a bar downtown, but with a mixture of jet-lag and alcohol, I was exhausted and slept through the second half. The sleeping continued for the next few days.
The night before Christmas Eve, my mom and I went with Deme and his mom to bingo night, which (call me nerdy) was a lot of fun. He usually takes his mom on Thursdays but leaves her for the bar, which I didn't allow him to do this time :) Mom won $100 and we used it to stock up on food for the Christmas Eve get-together at her side of the family's the next night. It was so great to see everyone - especially the new addition to the family, baby Huston!
Typically on Christmas day, my dad's side of the family (which consists of more people than I can count) gets together. This year, my grandparents left for Florida, so the family had Christmas on Thanksgiving, which I heard was a lot of fun, but left me a little disappointed that I wouldn't be seeing everyone. But a few of us got together on Christmas Eve, after my mom's family's party, and just hung out, ate dessert, and talked while watching the "A Christmas Carol" marathon.
Christmas day, I received lots of books, which I wish I could have brought with me, and enjoyed spending the morning with my family and getting to explain their gifts, all of which came from Europe! Later in the day, Deme and I had our Christmas. He was extremely hard to buy for, insisting that he didn't need or want anything, so I got him practical gifts (curtains, a bookshelf, a robe, and a few odds and ends.) I put up the curtains and built the bookshelf myself since I knew they'd still be in their packages next Christmas if I didn't (he claims to be a handyman, but I have yet to see it!) And I'm pretty sure he's worn the robe every single day since, so I did well :) I received a scarf and a chain bracelet with a heart attached, along with a hand-written poem, which was meant to be silly, but turned out to be my favorite.
A few days after Christmas, Zen reunited with The Skunkape Hysteria, his band from high school, and put on a reunion show at the 509 - a little coffee shop/church/thrift store/music venue in our hometown. After a dinner with my mom and Deme, we made our way to the concert. The place was packed, smelled like teen spirit, and made me feel old. It was a success... a huge crowd still sang along with the songs, and it was great to see Zen's face light up on stage again.
Afterwards, me, my uncle Doug, who had come to the show, along with my mom, dad, and Deme went to a little sports bar and spent a few hours talking, laughing, playing pool, and taking turns on a punching bag game that records the strength with which it was punched. The highlight of the night was Doug scoring a "1" and covering up with, "Beat that, just try to get lower than a one!"
A few days later, he invited us to his new house in Marion for dinner, which was great. It also allowed me to see a little bit of my family for a second time, and made for some laughs as Zen attempted to play the Wii.
For New Year's Eve, Deme and I made a six hour journey to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to spend the night with some friends who had moved up there over the summer. First and foremost, it was cold. The town itself is tiny, but full of independent stores and places to eat. I'd like to go back in the summer, as it's right on a lake and hosts lots of little festivals. We spent the couple of hours leading up to the countdown and the first minutes of 2011 in a tiny, crowded bar, and I loved every second - especially being able to ring in the new year with a kiss.
We went back and forth between a few bars until about 3:30 in the morning before calling it a night. The next day, we lazed around and watched a few people in the group get new tattoos before going out again. It was another good night until about the last hour of it, when I consumed a little too much and got unnecessarily emotional for no real reason but to give others laughs. I'd like to thank everyone for playing good friends and putting up with that nonsense!
After New Year's, I made a solo road trip in the opposite direction, down to southern Indiana where my best friend and her family moved to right after I left the states. Spending three hours on the road, with nothing but Ben Folds and Starbucks to keep me company, was much needed. It was a beautiful drive and the further south I got, the sunnier and more mountainous my surroundings became. When I arrived at Beth's place and realized that we were only thirty minutes away from Louisville, we decided to take an impromptu trip to Kentucky's capital the next day. We didn't have any plan, so we parked downtown and walked around for a few hours. Neither of us had been there before and we both fell in love, especially with the little pizzeria we came across. As she's planning her wedding for next September, we both think it would be a brilliant idea to have her bachelorette party there. Her daughter, Savannah, is two now, and talking up a storm. Perhaps the best part of the trip was hearing her finally say my name, and I received several updates from Beth after I left that let me know Savannah was still asking for me.
Indiana was blanketed with snow the day my friend Katey and I decided to meet up for lunch. While I miss driving sometimes, I don't at all when it comes to winter driving. We made it into town, although I won't say without a scratch, as she had a little wreck on the way. I'm extremely glad we decided to brave it though. We spent a couple of hours catching up -- she found out a few weeks before I came home that she's having a baby -- so there was a lot to talk about. With the bad roads and her needing to get to work, we weren't able to do anything afterwards, but simply getting to see her and know that she's doing well made me happy.
The rest of my time at home was spent watching entirely too much television, sleeping off and on, eating ridiculous amounts of carbs, and being totally unproductive. Needless to say, I was kind of itching to come back and get into a routine. I love having lazy days, but too many of them, especially in the grey Indiana winter, can make one feel a little gloomy.
As much as I longed to leave for England again, I broke down when saying goodbye to Deme. Always the optimist, he insisted that I be happy and feel fortunate that I was going, asking that I not limit myself because of our relationship and a guilt of leaving, but instead enjoy my time as it will fly by and know that he wants everything to work as much as I do. While this helped, I couldn't stop sniffling as I drove away and watched him wave goodbye.
I thought the waterworks were over, but as mom saw me off for the second time, I had to ask that she not stick around and watch me like last time, because I could feel the tears coming again. If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm not the best at goodbyes. So, with a quick hug and an "I love you," I made my way to my gate.
After a seven hour flight, an hour on the Underground, an hour on the train (which took me from hazy London into bright and sunny Canterbury), and five minutes in a taxi, I found myself back in my flat, and thankful for it. Although with no food, no familiar faces, and complete silence surrounding me, I fell asleep with some mixed emotions.
This morning, I woke feeling a lot better. It's amazing with a little sun, the idea of a routine, and groceries delivered right to your door can do. I think these first few days back will be a little bumpy, since I'd gotten so comfortable being in the states, but for now, Canterbury is home.
Surprisingly, I am excited to be without a television, without a car, and without a Blackberry again. I had forgotten how much simpler my life is here, and am wondering what changes I may make because of it once I return home in June.
Now, I've got to catch up on the material I missed this week since I decided to return a little late, purchase my books, and get over the jet lag that I realized I clearly have this morning -- it took me a few minutes to realize I was showering in my underwear.
All for now,
Aly
I sincerely hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and are getting back into the swing of things now that we're twenty days into 2011. Today begins my new start, as I've just arrived back in Canterbury after a quick, but much needed break back in the states.
As America presented me with lots of distractions, which included days full of cuddling up with Deme, catching up with friends, and hanging out with my mom, it was all too easy to ignore updating my blog. I will attempt to keep this post about my last month as short and sweet as it can be.
Perhaps the most "eventful" part of my trip back home occurred not at home, but while at London's Heathrow Airport trying to get there. I woke up around four in the morning on Friday the 17th of December and began a day that would include the use of nearly every form of transportation known to man. I took a taxi to the Canterbury train station, and willed myself to stay awake while the train made its way to central London. Fortunately, I chose the earliest train -- just in case of delays, of which there were two. However, I still made it onto the Underground at a decent time and to my terminal with two hours before boarding. However, checking in baggage took about forty-five minutes, and when I received my boarding pass, I realized there was no indication of a gate number. So, I went from screen to screen looking at hundred of flight numbers and times, but did not see my own and learned that gate numbers do not go up until about twenty minutes before they open. Mind you, I was already at a specific terminal at Heathrow (there are five) but I had to then take a bus to another part of the terminal... the place is huge! Finally, I arrived at my gate and anxiously waited to board -- I was ecstatic that in about eight hours time, I was going to be home!
Psych. We boarded the plane nearly an hour after departure time due to the caterers and cleaners showing up late. Not a huge deal. The plane began to back out for take off and then abruptly pulled back in. The pilot came over the intercom and let us know that there was a technical difficulty but that the engineers would be on board soon. After about twenty minutes, he announced that the engineers had fixed the problem, but that if we would take a moment to look outside, the change in weather would cause us further delay. I looked outside and saw teeny-tiny amounts of what appeared to be snow falling. At this time, I still found the situation comical -- in Chicago, I'm pretty sure the plane would have taken off anyway. But due to my fear of flying, I'd rather the airline play it safe, even in what I considered already safe conditions. So, we got in a line to be de-iced.
Five hours later... yes, five (all of which we had to stay on the plane), when we finally left the ground, all passengers applauded to what I have now added to my list as one of the happiest moments of my life. I tried not to think about how, had we left on time, I'd already be landing in Chicago.
Fortunately, my mom and brother who were coming to pick me up at O'Hare, found this delay a bit advantageous, as they were able to have quite a full day before leaving home to pick me up. Ironically, although I'm able to navigate around a foreign country myself, I struggled to find them once I landed and got my luggage, and wandered about for a good amount of time before my brother ended up spotting me in the midst of my argument with an elevator. I've never been so happy to see him, and once we met up with my mom, the whole mess didn't really matter anymore. I was home.
Coming home to a house decorated for the holidays, complete with snickerdoodles and a new puppy, was exactly what I needed. I crashed and slept like a baby until late the next morning.
A lot of people advise those who plan to study abroad to do so unattached, and I can understand why. When you're in a relationship thousands of miles away, there's the issue of trust, of loneliness, of communication, and not to mention "lost" opportunities with foreigners. And yes, it's one of the toughest parts of my own experience. But what I can say is, when you get to see your significant other again after so much time apart, all of that falls by the wayside and the payoff is one of the best feelings a person can experience. Although he wasn't any different, I took in everything about him all over again. Skype and e-mail and international phone calls have allowed me to stay in touch and are a great help, but being in the same room again is almost surreal. One of my biggest hopes is that in June, I can write this bit all over again.
That night, we visited with our friends Casey and Tara. The night was a blast, starting out at their apartment and making our way to a bar downtown, but with a mixture of jet-lag and alcohol, I was exhausted and slept through the second half. The sleeping continued for the next few days.
The night before Christmas Eve, my mom and I went with Deme and his mom to bingo night, which (call me nerdy) was a lot of fun. He usually takes his mom on Thursdays but leaves her for the bar, which I didn't allow him to do this time :) Mom won $100 and we used it to stock up on food for the Christmas Eve get-together at her side of the family's the next night. It was so great to see everyone - especially the new addition to the family, baby Huston!
Typically on Christmas day, my dad's side of the family (which consists of more people than I can count) gets together. This year, my grandparents left for Florida, so the family had Christmas on Thanksgiving, which I heard was a lot of fun, but left me a little disappointed that I wouldn't be seeing everyone. But a few of us got together on Christmas Eve, after my mom's family's party, and just hung out, ate dessert, and talked while watching the "A Christmas Carol" marathon.
Christmas day, I received lots of books, which I wish I could have brought with me, and enjoyed spending the morning with my family and getting to explain their gifts, all of which came from Europe! Later in the day, Deme and I had our Christmas. He was extremely hard to buy for, insisting that he didn't need or want anything, so I got him practical gifts (curtains, a bookshelf, a robe, and a few odds and ends.) I put up the curtains and built the bookshelf myself since I knew they'd still be in their packages next Christmas if I didn't (he claims to be a handyman, but I have yet to see it!) And I'm pretty sure he's worn the robe every single day since, so I did well :) I received a scarf and a chain bracelet with a heart attached, along with a hand-written poem, which was meant to be silly, but turned out to be my favorite.
A few days after Christmas, Zen reunited with The Skunkape Hysteria, his band from high school, and put on a reunion show at the 509 - a little coffee shop/church/thrift store/music venue in our hometown. After a dinner with my mom and Deme, we made our way to the concert. The place was packed, smelled like teen spirit, and made me feel old. It was a success... a huge crowd still sang along with the songs, and it was great to see Zen's face light up on stage again.
Afterwards, me, my uncle Doug, who had come to the show, along with my mom, dad, and Deme went to a little sports bar and spent a few hours talking, laughing, playing pool, and taking turns on a punching bag game that records the strength with which it was punched. The highlight of the night was Doug scoring a "1" and covering up with, "Beat that, just try to get lower than a one!"
A few days later, he invited us to his new house in Marion for dinner, which was great. It also allowed me to see a little bit of my family for a second time, and made for some laughs as Zen attempted to play the Wii.
For New Year's Eve, Deme and I made a six hour journey to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to spend the night with some friends who had moved up there over the summer. First and foremost, it was cold. The town itself is tiny, but full of independent stores and places to eat. I'd like to go back in the summer, as it's right on a lake and hosts lots of little festivals. We spent the couple of hours leading up to the countdown and the first minutes of 2011 in a tiny, crowded bar, and I loved every second - especially being able to ring in the new year with a kiss.
We went back and forth between a few bars until about 3:30 in the morning before calling it a night. The next day, we lazed around and watched a few people in the group get new tattoos before going out again. It was another good night until about the last hour of it, when I consumed a little too much and got unnecessarily emotional for no real reason but to give others laughs. I'd like to thank everyone for playing good friends and putting up with that nonsense!
After New Year's, I made a solo road trip in the opposite direction, down to southern Indiana where my best friend and her family moved to right after I left the states. Spending three hours on the road, with nothing but Ben Folds and Starbucks to keep me company, was much needed. It was a beautiful drive and the further south I got, the sunnier and more mountainous my surroundings became. When I arrived at Beth's place and realized that we were only thirty minutes away from Louisville, we decided to take an impromptu trip to Kentucky's capital the next day. We didn't have any plan, so we parked downtown and walked around for a few hours. Neither of us had been there before and we both fell in love, especially with the little pizzeria we came across. As she's planning her wedding for next September, we both think it would be a brilliant idea to have her bachelorette party there. Her daughter, Savannah, is two now, and talking up a storm. Perhaps the best part of the trip was hearing her finally say my name, and I received several updates from Beth after I left that let me know Savannah was still asking for me.
Indiana was blanketed with snow the day my friend Katey and I decided to meet up for lunch. While I miss driving sometimes, I don't at all when it comes to winter driving. We made it into town, although I won't say without a scratch, as she had a little wreck on the way. I'm extremely glad we decided to brave it though. We spent a couple of hours catching up -- she found out a few weeks before I came home that she's having a baby -- so there was a lot to talk about. With the bad roads and her needing to get to work, we weren't able to do anything afterwards, but simply getting to see her and know that she's doing well made me happy.
The rest of my time at home was spent watching entirely too much television, sleeping off and on, eating ridiculous amounts of carbs, and being totally unproductive. Needless to say, I was kind of itching to come back and get into a routine. I love having lazy days, but too many of them, especially in the grey Indiana winter, can make one feel a little gloomy.
As much as I longed to leave for England again, I broke down when saying goodbye to Deme. Always the optimist, he insisted that I be happy and feel fortunate that I was going, asking that I not limit myself because of our relationship and a guilt of leaving, but instead enjoy my time as it will fly by and know that he wants everything to work as much as I do. While this helped, I couldn't stop sniffling as I drove away and watched him wave goodbye.
I thought the waterworks were over, but as mom saw me off for the second time, I had to ask that she not stick around and watch me like last time, because I could feel the tears coming again. If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm not the best at goodbyes. So, with a quick hug and an "I love you," I made my way to my gate.
After a seven hour flight, an hour on the Underground, an hour on the train (which took me from hazy London into bright and sunny Canterbury), and five minutes in a taxi, I found myself back in my flat, and thankful for it. Although with no food, no familiar faces, and complete silence surrounding me, I fell asleep with some mixed emotions.
This morning, I woke feeling a lot better. It's amazing with a little sun, the idea of a routine, and groceries delivered right to your door can do. I think these first few days back will be a little bumpy, since I'd gotten so comfortable being in the states, but for now, Canterbury is home.
Surprisingly, I am excited to be without a television, without a car, and without a Blackberry again. I had forgotten how much simpler my life is here, and am wondering what changes I may make because of it once I return home in June.
Now, I've got to catch up on the material I missed this week since I decided to return a little late, purchase my books, and get over the jet lag that I realized I clearly have this morning -- it took me a few minutes to realize I was showering in my underwear.
All for now,
Aly
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