Adventures in Amsterdam

I spent the weekend in Amsterdam. This was my first time traveling to continental Europe. I had a great time! =)

It was really quite a frustrating travel to the city. I booked my trip through the travel agency on campus. Instead of flying to the Netherlands, like most people would do, the travel agency organized a coach bus to take us. We drove about twelve hours to Dover, took the ferry from Dover to Calais (France), and then continued on our journey via bus. All in all, it took 18 hours to get to Amsterdam.

We arrived at 6:00 AM, and thankfully, our rooms were ready. After a few hours of sleep, my friends and I set off to see the city! European architecture is phenomenal. I feel like whenever I travel to another area of Europe, I am in constant awe of the aesthetics. I have never seen anything quite as beautiful in the United States.

One of the most recognizable features of Amsterdam is the canal system. As silly as this may sound, I never realized just how many canals Amsterdam had. I felt like we were constantly walking by them. I didn't mind at all; they are truly a site to see!

For our first day in Amsterdam, my friends and I visited the Anne Frank house. This was the place I was most excited to see. It was quite possibly one of the most wonderful, humbling experiences I have ever had. The house is filled with illustrations, quotes and facts about her situation.

Even though I was standing in the house in which she hid, and I was reading everything that happened to her, it was still so difficult to imagine so much terror. Despite her circumstances, Anne tried to keep a positive outlook. One of her quotes displayed in the house was, "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." It was a very inspirational place to visit, and I feel lucky to have been able to see it.

The next day, my friends and I went to the Medieval Torture Museum. It was rather fascinating! It was amusing to see what acts they deemed "soft punishment". The offenses were also interesting. One of the non violent punishments was to wear a shame mask. This was used as a form of penance. If men were caught drunk in public, they would be forced to wear a swine mask because their behavior was piggish. Crazy!

My time in Amsterdam ended too quickly! I had a really great time. It was a very interesting, eye opening experience to say the least.

On the ride back to Lancaster, we made stops in Belgium and France. We visited a Belgian chocolate factory, where I tried a delicious chocolate roll. I bought one, and I had to go back and get another. Fresh out the oven. So good! My friend ate five of them. Haha.

I loved traveling by ferry! I didn't know what to expect when I heard we were traveling by ferry. I imagined the tiny ferry boats that you can ride in Disney World. I was pleasantly surprised when I entered the ship. Everything was so nice! There were cafes, bars, shopping, etc. The view was lovely!

Although I wished I could have had more time in Amsterdam, I was really happy to be back at Lancaster. The travel back was brutal. We didn't get back until 2:30 AM! I was exhausted. However, I definitely think the long travel was worth it. Amsterdam was great, and I'm glad I went. :)

P.S.: I got two more stamps in my passport. Yay!

Reuniting with Family!

Hello, everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Nothing exciting has really happened. I've been going to class and hanging out with friends. I will probably do another entry on the joys of adjusting to British culture. :)

This weekend I was able to reunite with some family that I haven't seen in a very long time. I had an absolutely incredible time! :) I spent time in Warrington, my Nana's hometown.

On Saturday, I spent the day visiting some areas of the city. I saw the Golden Gates, which were a gift from Queen Victoria. They were beautiful!

Later on, we had a nice family gathering. I met my cousins' daughters, and they were adorable! We had dinner and watched rugby (go, Wolves!). I was confused the entire time. I would just start clapping whenever my family appeared to be pleased with the progress of the game.

The next day, I was shown some parts of town that had a bit more personal significance. I saw the house which my Nana grew up in and the church where she was married. When I was looking at these places, I kept thinking, "She stood here, and now I'm here." It was surreal and humbling.

This was my Nana's childhood home. I kept trying to imagine what it would have looked like at the time she lived there.

After seeing these places, we then headed to a nearby town called Chester. It's an old, Roman city that was used as a fortress. There are still walls from that time that surround the city. These walls were built by the Romans and used as a defense tactic. It was very strange to think that I could be walking in the footsteps of past Romans.

The city has so much history to it. It is full of beautiful architecture and cobblestone streets. Many of the buildings displayed the year they were built. If there were two dates, that meant it had been rebuilt. One of them was from 1274!

One of the stores in Chester really gave me a laugh. It's a store that imports American food and sells it for ridiculous prices. A box of cereal cost £8.95! That's about $14!!! I love cereal, but I would not pay $14 for it. Especially since back home it's about $3 to $4. This store had so many types of food, such as: pop-tarts, fluff, teddy grahams, cereal, and a lot of candy.

All in all, it was a great weekend. I'm so glad I have wonderful family! Everyone was incredibly kind and helpful. A big thank you to my family for their hospitality!

I want to move to the Lake District!

Don't freak out, Mom. ;)

Yesterday, I spent the day in the Lake District. This area of England is full of beautiful mountains and lakes. I had seen pictures of the Lake District before I came to England, and I knew that it was a destination I wanted to see. No amount of pictures could have prepared me for the beauty that awaited me.

My day started early; we left Lancaster at around 8:00 AM. I had not slept a lot that night, so I was extremely tired. I was closing my eyes and trying to sleep during the ride. However, that quickly ended. I opened my eyes for a moment to see what time it was, and I saw something on the horizon. Mountains!

After that, I didn't want to sleep. Everything was just so lovely. There were green hills with adorable stone houses and sheep! The sight made me so happy; I kept thinking, "I want to live in a place like this."

The first stop we made was at Kirkstone Pass. It is the highest mountain pass in the Lake District that is actually open to traffic. We were so high up that there was snow! I am no stranger to snow. However, seeing this snow just made me so excited. I was so enthusiastic that I sped up to take a picture. In the process, I slipped on black ice and fell to the ground. While everyone surrounded me, asking if I was okay, I remained on the ground laughing. Just my luck, right?

I got back up and proceeded to take pictures. I couldn't get over how incredible the view was.

After Kirkstone Pass, we made stops in Glenridding, Keswick, Grasmere & Dove cottage,
and Ambleside. We were supposed to go to Windermere, but by the time we made it to the town, everything was closed. We weren't able to see the lake because it was so dark out. Regardless, I had an incredible day. I saw so many incredible sights. I couldn't get over how quaint everything was. Stone houses, hills, lakes, snow covered mountains, sheep... It has such a picturesque feel to it. I highly recommend visiting the Lake District.

I know I keep babbling about how pretty the area is, so I'll stop. Instead, I'll let the pictures prove my point.

Small Victories

Warning: This is probably an extremely boring post. This entry consists of me rambling about groceries. Continue reading if you would like.

I am really happy. Why? I was able to go to the grocery store all by myself today.

Yes, you just read correctly. Going to the grocery store made me happy. Laugh if you want, but this tiny errand made me proud. Lame as it may be, I felt independent. Before today, I always went into town with a friend. If we got lost, at least I had someone there with me. Not today! I ventured out all by myself. I took the bus into town and wandered around trying to build a mental map. I walked around to see if I could discover new things such as shops or landmarks. I found a few pound stores (equivalent to the dollar store back home), bakeries and restaurants. One such bakery is called the Pound Bakery. I'm not quite sure if this was a good discovery or not. Delicious sweets for only a pound? Yes, please. :)

I treated myself to apple turnovers. Two turnovers were one pound. Compared to other prices I had seen, this was a good deal! In the Pound Bakery, I noticed that they also sold vegetarian sausage rolls. I have yet to try one, but they seem like they are similar to pigs in a blanket. One thing that I really appreciate here in England is how vegetarian friendly the restaurants are. The menu will usually list a "V" for vegetarian friendly. There are usually multiple options, too! I have yet to come across a restaurant that did not have some sort of designation for vegetarian food. Anyways, I digress...

After walking around town for a bit, I walked back to the town center where the charter market was being held. Every Wednesday and Saturday, Lancaster hosts an outdoors market. This market has been going on for over 900 years! All types of things are sold. Some of the items include: jewelry, pillows, blankets, knickknacks, sweets, bread, meat, fruit, and vegetables.

Once I was finished with the market, I walked to the grocery store. I signed up for a rewards card (are you proud mom?), and I began my shopping. I am still not used to the layout of the store, so it took me a bit of time to find everything. I had set a budget for my groceries. I wanted to spend fifteen quid or less. I actually spent sixteen quid. However, I was not too upset. There were about three items that I had not planned to buy, but I saw that they were on sale. They were items that I knew I would use, so I took advantage of the deal.

Once I was finished, I hopped on the bus and headed back to campus. I really love the ride to and from town. There is so much beautiful scenery! My favorite part of the bus ride is seeing all of the sheep grazing in the hills. As I stared out the window, all I could think about was how happy I was.

When I initially signed up for study abroad, I was terrified that I would fail at adapting to a new country. I have gone to the grocery store back home plenty of times. This felt different. Back home, I would sometimes call my mom and ask, "is this a good deal?" Here in England, that's not really an option. I now have a lot more confidence that I am fully capable of doing things by myself.

Small victories, my friends. That is what makes me happy.

Liverpool

I spent this past Saturday in Liverpool. The city is home to a rich musical history, intense football fans, and beautiful cathedrals. Liverpool is also home to the most intense wind I have ever experienced. I am not exaggerating when I say that people were being knocked to the ground and hats were flying all over the place. There were many times I had to duck behind buildings to get away from the wind. It was crazy!

Poor weather aside, I enjoyed my time in Liverpool. England contains so many beautiful cathedrals. Even if you are not religious, there is no denying the beauty of the architecture.

This particular cathedral is actually hollowed out. In the 1940s, it was hit by an incendiary bomb.

I visited the Liverpool World Museum, which was incredibly fun. I wish I could have had more time to explore! Each floor had a different theme. Some of the themes included ancient societies, outer space, and animals. The first floor had an aquarium. I felt like a little kid; I was so excited to see the fish.

One of Liverpool's biggest claims to fame is its musical history. The city is the hometown of the Beatles. Beatles memorabilia can be seen throughout the city. They even have a museum dedicated to the band.

I was able to visit the Cavern Club. The club is famous for hosting the Beatles' first performance. They even have a statue of John Lennon outside!

All in all, I had a lovely time in Liverpool. I look forward to more traveling!

First week of classes is over!

'Tis a very rainy day here in Lancaster. I am sitting in my nice, warm bed expressing my joy at having the day off.

I enjoyed my first week of classes. The academic structure is much different here. Instead of classes, the English call them "modules". Back home, I am used to having a consistent schedule. Classes were almost always on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule. However, in England, my classes do not follow that type of structure. For example, my one class has a lecture on Thursday, and then is followed up by a seminar about 3 hours later. Another one of my classes has a lecture on Mondays, but my seminars are on Thursday.

I can no longer have the mentality of, "Oh, it's Wednesday, I have the same classes that I had Monday." It will just take some getting used to. I actually like my schedule. Mondays are a bit busy, but other than that, I have Tuesday and every other Friday off. On Wednesdays I only have one class. Not bad. :)

I am a bit nervous about the standard of academics. Apparently students very rarely get an A. In fact, As are a 70 or higher. Although 70 would seem to be easy to achieve, in fact it is very difficult. It's very strange to hear some of my British classmates say, "Oh, I did quite well. I got a 58 on my exam!"

Hopefully I will be okay!

Tomorrow, I will be taking my first trip since being in Lancaster. I am heading to Liverpool for the day! I'm not really sure what I'll be doing while I'm in the town. I will probably try and find some Beatles memorabilia for my mother. =) I look forward to my first trip. I hope to do a lot of traveling while I am abroad. My friend Elise and I would like to go to Sweden during our month spring break. I would also love to visit Scotland and Ireland. I have so many places I'd love to see. Hopefully I can see at least some of them!

Heading to Lancaster

Tuesday morning, I said goodbye to London. We hopped on a train and took the three hour ride to Lancaster. We all had so much luggage that it was difficult to maneuver our way in the train. Luckily, it was not crowded so we just put our luggage in the empty seats.

Our train ride was filled with beautiful scenery. We even made a stop in Warrington, which was really awesome. Can't wait to visit sometime soon!

When the train finally arrived in Lancaster, it was a bit rainy and chilly. Despite the poor weather, I still found Lancaster to be beautiful. The town is really quaint, like something out of a storybook. The architecture is fantastic. The whole look of the town is just very different from the United States.

Once I made it to campus, I was finally able to unpack all of the luggage I had been hauling around. I really love my room. If it wasn't so messy at the moment (I'll clean it, I swear!), I would take a picture. Perhaps next post. :) There's a nice bed, desk, coat hangers, bulletin boards, closet, and plenty of storage. I share a kitchen with 11 other people. I share a bathroom with two other people.

My first night on campus, there was a welcome dinner for all study abroad students. I met people from Norway, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Spain. It was really interesting to hear the perspectives of other students. The girl I met from Australia was complaining about how cold she was. On the other hand, the girl from Norway was saying how warm it was. I also noticed that many students were seeking out people from their same countries. I can understand that; it is comforting to know that someone can identify with the differences you are experiencing.

I'm trying to explore the area. I've been into town a few times so far. It's about a 10-15 minute bus ride from campus. My favorite part of taking the bus is seeing all of the scenery. You'll be riding along and see a field of sheep.

You can't really see it, but there are sheep in the back of that field.

There is this beautiful area near my flat that I keep admiring. I kept telling myself I would go look more closely when I had time. Finally, on Saturday, I was walking back from the bus stop and I couldn't wait any longer. The sun was so bright, and it just looked so astonishing. With bags from my shopping trip, I trudged my way to this area behind one of the campus buildings. My camera gives no justice to how amazing it was.

The more I explore, the more differences I discover. I think one of the most interesting things I've noticed is how much drinking is a part of the British culture. There are nine bars on campus. Each bar has its own theme/personality. In the student stores, alcohol is available for purchase. I couldn't help but think of how different it is from back home. Yes, drinking is a part of the culture. But nine bars on a college campus? No way. Back in the day, Stockton had a bar. It no longer exists.

I'm still trying to get used to the money. I'm getting better! I'm also trying to get into the habit of saying "cheers" as opposed to "thanks". Whenever I say "cheers", I get this stupid smile on my face as though I'm proud of myself. They probably think I'm mocking them. :(

I've been having a really nice time. Everyone seems to be really friendly. Don't worry! There are still things I miss about home. :)

Class starts tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous, because I've heard it's such a different system from what I'm used to. Wish me luck?