Where Are The Weeks Going?

That's right, followers... two entries within one week of each other!  Unheard of, right?  I thought I should post a little something before my (hopefully) long and exciting update that will appear by next week this time, accounting our adventures in Dublin.  Thankfully, I got just enough post-worthy happenings in this week and have enough to write a bit about.

Last weekend, I finished my language essay by Sunday evening and turned it in on Monday, although it wasn't due until Friday.  That left just enough time to catch up on my reading for my literature course, of which I finished up on Monday afternoon just before the seminar while sitting outside of the library, in the glorious, glorious sunshine - that is, while I wasn't watching other students on the lawn playing frisbee and listening to the chatter of enthusiastic student election campaigners.

On Tuesday, which marked Pancake Day, Mardi Gras, and, most importantly in my book, International Women's Day, I went on an epic quest for refried beans as, on top of all of that, it was also declared Taco Tuesday by Leigh Anne and her two friends who were visiting for the week from North Carolina.  It's a bit of a nuisance being a vegetarian sometimes, and I failed miserably at finding any beans to replace meat (thankfully they had more successfully beat me to it) and instead decided to bring along a few bags of tortilla chips, which I couldn't help but both laugh and shake my head upon seeing when I got to the section.  Every variety, including cool ranch, cheese, lightly salted, what have you, include an image of this guy on the package. No further comment.

Upon walking into Leigh Anne's place, I was amazed to find her cooking, and cooking very well at that... after six months of her telling me she is incapable of even microwaving things!  Her friends were fun and full of laughs, and I'm so glad she was able to have familiar faces around for awhile!  Aside from lots of dancing and exchanging of British/American slang and popular culture, we spent the evening watching British guys rap quite impressively to DMX, reading excerpts from a romance novel aloud, and watching a few...err... interesting videos online.  After heading home around 3 in the morning, I typed up a one page summary for my film seminar the next day, which ended up being cancelled, and crashed, spending Wednesday reading and dozing.

Thursday, I met with my film instructor for a post-essay tutorial (the first one of the term) and was ecstatic to find out I received a 77 on my essay! (An 80 is a perfect score, and average scores don't tend to go above 70.)  I really enjoy getting to meet with professors about papers because the meeting allows not only feedback on essays, but one-on-one feedback for the class in general and a chance to just chat with your instructor about whatever!

Yesterday morning I hastily jumped out of bed, beat the cleaning lady to the kitchen to get my breakfast, and  took off.  Don't get me wrong, I love that our kitchens are cleaned once a week and our bathrooms biweekly, but I've attempted since week one to have a conversation with our cleaning lady, and have yet to hear her say one word.  She typically just smiles or looks to the ground and the awkwardness of it all makes me nervous.  So, anyway, I decided to see where the footpath behind my flat leads to since I've been saying I'll do so forever now.  After just a few minutes, I ended up at a main road and after a few more, realized that if I keep straight, I'll end up in Whitstable (the seaside town we visited in the Autumn) and if I take a left, I'll end up in a place called Blean.  I'm thinking Blean is a part of Canterbury as it's so close and the buses all head to Canterbury's city centre, but I can't be sure.  I never made it to the actual town, though, because I kept seeing signs for Blean Nature Reserve, and ended up walking about 5 miles worth of trails that kept splitting into different trails, and enjoying the warm, sunny, quiet walk through the on-the-verge-of-Spring forest!  Usually to get away, I'll walk into and through town, but this may be one of my new favorite places as it is totally away from all the hustle and bustle and reminds me of home - especially yesterday since the smell of bonfire popped up every now and then!

Last night, Clem hosted an International Students Dinner, like the one she had at the beginning of first term.  She requested that we bring a dish unique to our own country, so I found myself at the grocery store pondering what on earth would be both very American and very easy (I've yet to actually bake anything here, and would rather not attempt it.)  Walking through the frozen food section, I spotted the word "Mississippi" on a box and decided that "Mississippi Mud Pie" would be perfect.

I also attempted the ever popular and much loved USA cuisine Macaroni and Cheese.  FYI - they do not sell boxed macaroni with instructions on the back here.  But, I thought, how can you possibly mess up cooking pasta shells and stirring in cheese?  Except, what happens when you can't find the kind of cheese you'd use at home?  So, I attempted it anyway, and after a taste test, was a little bothered that, although edible, it really had no taste.  Thankfully, the French and the Brits and the Spaniards and the Americans finished it off rather quickly and I was able to enjoy my first crepe experience complete with Nutella.  It was a good night.

I started off my morning today with a thorough cleaning of my room and a spur of the moment decision that, since the sun was shining yet again, I'd head to Herne Bay, a nearby seaside town that I'm able to get to with my bus pass for free.  Little did I know, I would sit for nearly 40 minutes waiting on a bus to come to Parkwood with a large group of other people, in which time the clouds started to roll in. A mad dash across campus to another bus stop (rumor had it the buses were going to a certain point on campus and no further) allowed me to catch one that pulled into the city bus station just before the next bus to Herne Bay took off.  In the thirty minutes it took to get there, the clouds increased even more, and I was a little disheartened, but thankful that at least it wasn't raining.

I didn't spend long in Herne Bay, maybe a little over two hours.  It's a rather tiny town, but I enjoyed being able to sit and watch the waves for a little while, walk along the coast, and look into a few shops along High Street.  In all of my adventures, I think one of my favorite parts always includes the people I come across.  Today, I witnessed a dad teaching his daughter to ride her bike without training wheels for the first time and joined in the cheering, ran into a group of local pub-goers who likely still believe that I'm not an American student, but rather, a newspaper photographer due to my "right big professional camera," and spent five minutes waiting for the bus back with an elderly woman who was speaking such mumbled English I didn't understand a single word, but who was visibly thrilled at my "interest" in her story, to which I smiled and nodded through while she showed me her hospital ID card, a bottle of wine, gourmet chocolates, a puzzle, and a new tin of cigarettes, one of which she struggled time and again to light due to the wind, and in the end just threw to the ground, still smiling.

Now I sit reflecting this quick week, in total disbelief that in three short days, I'll be in Ireland, and that in less than one week, I'll be writing about it for you.  My experience here has led me to appreciate a great many things more than I did before, but I think none more so than time.  Personally, time has always gone by fast for me, but this year has by far been the speediest - my time in England especially.  It seems that when you actually make a point to take it all in and live for every moment, it goes all the more quickly.  Ah, but what can we do... except for enjoy it all while it lasts?

I hope you're making the most of your seconds as they come.

All for now,
Aly

So Long, February

Dear Readers,

I wish I could lie to you and say that the excitement of my second month back from break is equivalent to that of my second month here during first term.  Alas, I'm much too much the honest type and am here to report that the end-of-winter gloomies continue to exist, even in Canterbury.  Take extremely grey weather, add in major schoolwork overload, stir in a dash of annoyances and you've got a recipe for the Winter Blues.  Don't get me wrong -- I'm still loving the fact that I'm in England, but I'm now convinced that the last weeks of February are anything but kind to us, no matter where we spend them.

I spent several days in the library and at my desk churning out essays for my Film and Literature courses.  I wrote about the significance of rebellious Latin American women and their portrayal in a few films we've watched, and the role of doctors in the Victorian gothic novel.  During and after writing these essays, I still had lectures, seminars, a couple of novels to read, several films to watch, and an oral presentation to present.  Needless to say, I needed some kind of excitement -- other than the kind that comes with finding and checking out the only text on tuberculosis in the 1800s before the next person and jumping for joy upon reaching the word count before then struggling to stay under it.

So, what better distraction than a totally impromptu piercing?

Why my nose?  Well, let's admit it -- it's not the cute, girl-next-door button nose that's kind of essential nowadays and because of that, it's always been something I've been extremely self-conscious about.  (Tormenting from kids back in my younger years wasn't much fun either!)  Anyway, I decided it's time to embrace what I've got, and what better way than to present my nose with a diamond? :)  Don't worry, family and concerned, I did put some thought into it.  It's tiny, and it's removable, and hey, it's much cheaper than getting a new nose altogether!

Truth be told, I love it!

Of course, this only allowed a few hours away from the books... and I was back at it in what seemed like no time.  My hard work paid off though, and I finished both essays a few days earlier than the deadlines. So, I proofread as much as my brain could handle and turned them in, giving myself a few days to relax and finish my reading for this week's seminars.

It also gave me a chance to go into town and complete my mission to find a coin machine.  The amount of coins one accumulates in England is ridiculous and I have had a bag full for some time.  Unfortunately, a stop in every bank and money exchange in town was quite pointless -- with no bank account, they are unable to change coins into bills.  I was told a few times though that Sainsbury's (a large, classier grocery than the ones I typically visit) had a Coinstar machine.  I took an early morning bus last Friday into town, with absolutely no idea where this store was located, and hoped for the best.  Luckily for me, there happened to be construction on the main road that day and the bus took an alternate route, allowing me to see an entirely new side of town.  I figured that must have been the only part of town I hadn't passed through yet, and would only make sense that Sainsbury's would be in that direction, as it's the only main store I hadn't come across yet.  After lots and lots of walking, I spotted shopping carts?!  Those exist in this country?!  And then, there it was.  I was extremely happy to be leaving with a much lighter load to carry and a little disappointed that I forgot my camera for the adventure.

That same day, I thought I would take a bus to Herne Bay, a seaside town, since it was lovely and sunny outside.  I checked the times and decided I'd run back home to get my camera and some lunch before heading out.  Of course, it began raining just as I was about to leave, and has not entirely stopped yet.  For a few days, I took advantage of having finished loads of work and the poor weather by catching up on my sleep.

Leigh Anne and I met up to chat and have a few drinks over the weekend.  We're both beyond excited for Dublin -- the week after next!  We stayed on campus, visiting both Woody's and K-Bar, where I experienced my first ale... definitely something I need food with from now on!  And ordered shots with names too inappropriate to share here, as I'm trying to keep this G-rated.  Let's just say it was awkward to even order them!

Tuesday, a group of us went out for some much needed laugh-time and Mexican food!

We found ourselves at Tacos Locos, a very lively, very colorful, very loud, very Mexican restaurant that I vow to visit again before I leave!

Yes, this picture is right side up.  Sombreros
and signs all over the ceiling.  Jennifer
Lopez and the macarena on repeat in the back. 

We encountered, yet again, ridiculously inappropriate drink names and had a rather hefty bill at the end, but considering there were seven of us and who knows how many beverages, I suppose it wasn't so bad.  Thankfully, we decided to go on a night they offer special prices!

The past few days, you guessed it, I've been researching for another essay.  I plan on knocking it out today as I have a novel and a short story to read (Oscar Wilde, just in time for a visit to his old stomping grounds in Dublin!) and three films to watch for next week.  Trust me, I am just as anxious for Spring Break as any of you in the states.  I know that all of this work in school will be beyond worth the month of freedom I get to travel before exams and returning home, so I've been keeping my chin up and attitude positive the best that I can!

In conclusion, the last half of February made it one of those miss-the-bus-by-ten-seconds-three-days-in-a-row-wait-on-a-dryer-for-two-hours-the-printer-just-stole-half-of-my-printer-credits-can't-wait-to-not-be-living-with-18-year-olds-changing-my-paper's-thesis-last-minute-did-I-really-just-eat-an-entire-box-of-pasta-in-one-sitting-stop-making-plans-they'll-just-get-rained-out kind of months.  Yep, some days it feels just like home.  Fortunately, March is here, and I expect he'll be a bit more kind.

There are many ways in which Canterbury has begun to more positively feel like home though.  Seeing familiar faces on campus and in town, favorite hang-out spots, using British slang and phrases in everyday conversation, being able to point tourists in the right direction, making exact change without thinking about which coin is which, distinguishing what area someone is from based on their accent, and dealing with fifty degree, sunny weather one day and thirty degree, rainy weather the next.  I'm starting to think I've got a pretty decent handle on this English thing!

I will try my best to have more exciting updates next time.  There is a very likely chance I will be visiting London before our trip to Dublin, and there's always something to say about London!  In addition, this coming week is International Women's Week (March 8 is International Women's Day!) and there is lots planned to celebrate it on campus.  See?  March is looking lush  :)

I hope this finds you feeling at home, wherever you may be.

Love,

Aly

Life as of Late

I have absolutely no excuse for not having updated in such a long time.  Aside from the fact that the weather has been, for the most part, extremely gloomy.  And that I've been avoiding it through hundreds of pages of reading and several hours of film throughout the last two weeks.  Fortunately, a few small happenings here and there have built up since my last post, and I will attempt to make this one as entertaining as it can be.

First off, in perhaps the most exciting news I will report today, is that Leigh Anne, Clem and I purchased our tickets to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick's Day!  I am beyond excited -- this is the first major travel aside from Liverpool and London that I will have done so far.  But not to worry, I am planning a route for the month-long break in April and May that includes Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, and Spain!  More on that when I'm more sure of the details.

So, as for outings, there have been few.  Leigh Anne and I have went out a couple of times for dinner and drinks... and rugby!  We finally made our way to The Monument, a pub in town that many people suggest for watching matches.

Not to mention they have a beyond-cute "mascot" dog, Bella Shakespeare:

(Photo courtesy of her very own Facebook page!)

Seeing dogs here always makes me miss my family's back home!  But I digress.  We ordered what came out to be a monstrously large pitcher of cider and black and attempted to keep up with the England vs. Wales match -- which resulted in our deciding that watching rugby matches may quite possibly be as good, if not better than watching American football games in that 1.) The players are doing the same kind of work, without wearing major protection, 2.) There is constant action. When a guy gets hurt, you see the medic working on him in the background while the game continues around him, 3.)  There are no commercials, 4.) The crowd is in constant singing/wave/cheering mode, 5.) Awesome tackles and try landings (touchdowns) are permitted, and 6.) Toby Flood is does the viewer's eyes much good  :)

Bella barked alongside the pub-goers' and match-viewers' cheers when England won after an intense last ten minutes.  Then, we decided to head out with some of the swim team we had run into.  They were going to another bar and then a club.  We made it as far as the line at the club, but deciding we felt too old, too lazy, and too poor to hand over four pounds for a few minutes of dancing to the guy at the door, we turned around and headed for the bus station, making a pit-stop at McDonald's for a cheeseburger fix for Leigh Anne and an ice cream fix for myself (yes, we were those Americans who fit the stereotype well that evening!)

Super Bowl Sunday, I wasn't feeling too well and although a bar on campus was playing the game, it didn't start until 11 p.m. England time -- at which point I was in bed!  I had a few crummy days sleeping off whatever it may have been and getting ahead in my studies.  Which doesn't really count for much now, because I find myself behind again already!

I am working towards a very assignment-filled week at the end of February.  On the 24th, I have an oral presentation for my language course.  On the 25th, I have a 2,500 word essay due for my film course.  On the 28th, I have a 2,500 word essay due for my literature course.  And then I get a break!  Until March 11th, when I have a 2,000 word essay due for the language course.  That's thousands of words to write, millions of words to read, and endless hours sorting it all out.  Fortunately, I get a few days off here and there as "Reading Week" is next week, so I hope to, by that point, only need to tidy up my work and get a little bit of traveling in.

To get away from stressing about my future stress, I took advantage of the beautiful sun and warm weather on Tuesday and made my way into town, where I explored some of the side streets I hadn't been to yet:

The King's English Bookstore - yes, it is really that slanted!

I was so busy admiring the sun and the swans on the River Stour that I almost didn't notice the signs of Spring right under my feet:

I decided to walk back to campus, and take a little detour onto the grounds of Orlando Bloom's old school:

Unfortunately, this was the only gorgeous day out of the week (click here for all of the pictures), as the sun hid away and the drizzle fell, so did my motivation.  I found it so difficult to read the nearly 500 pages of The Moonstone (sorry, Wilkie Collins) that I instead found the audio version online and listened while looking up top European tourist attractions.  I was perked up immediately on Friday, though, in getting to Skype with Demetri, accompanied by his dachshund, Ralph, who I learned can box as well as any human might :)  At the same time, I received an e-mail from mom letting me know that my financial aid for the semester had finally come through!  

Saturday morning, I made an early trip to the library to watch a film for class and to look into some sources (of which I found many) for my essays.  To top it off, I returned to my flat and moments later had a delivery of flowers and truffles come my way.  Thanks to my wonderful mother!  It was a brilliant weekend indeed.

That brings me to today... and although I'm not much for Valentine's Day (thanks to my time at Hallmark), I feel I should give a little shout out to my significant other - who also has a birthday on Friday!

It was almost a year ago that Deme started writing me little notes on folded notebook paper and passing them to me as I clocked out of work and he clocked in.  What started out as a simple "I hope you have a good day" turned into funny drawings, and then silly poems, and then long talks and laughs and love.

  

I don't know many guys who would start dating a girl knowing she's leaving the country in a few months to study abroad because he "thinks she's worth the wait."  I don't know many guys who would convince a girl, last minute, to take a trip to Mexico and drive her to Chicago to get her passport two days before takeoff, or sweet talk an airline representative into giving her a great deal on the flight.  

I don't know many guys who would drive over 50 miles every Friday night after a week of twelve-hour workdays to spend the weekend with his girl, going places and doing things he probably couldn't care less about.

I don't know many guys who would pull off of the interstate immediately after his girlfriend tears up upon seeing a truck full of chickens off to slaughter in order to drive into a Burger King and order two vegetarian burgers, "in honor of the animals" and then suffer his way through the unmanly meatless meal.  Or tell her stories in Spanish when she can't sleep.  Or wake her up after she's fallen asleep just to say "hi."  Or tell her he feels like going out just because she looks beautiful and he wants everyone to see them together.

  

I don't know many guys who can make me laugh, cry, feel inspired, and believe in so much all at once --  even with 4,000 miles and an ocean in between.  But I do know of one.

I love you, Demetri.

I hope this finds you in good weather, in good health, in good spirits, and in good love.

Until next time,

Aly

Back to the Books

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!

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