I can't even believe I've been here for two and a half weeks! It feels like I've been here for months, and I feel so at home. There is no better feeling than returning from a weekend trip and seeing the manor off on it's hill in the distance. All I can do is stare and feel glad to be "home":) I don't think I will ever cease being amazed by the manor, gorgeous!

I suppose I could mention some little things about life here...maybe about school? Sometimes I forget that's what we are here for! We are all required to take a 6-credit British Studies course. It's interesting, but sometimes it's hard to stay awake. I am also taking 2 art classes. A drawing class and then an intro to studio art class. They are fun, but I wish I would have taken only one, and then signed up for something different. But now is not a time for regret! In total I am taking 12 credit hours, but in reality it's 18 hours because each art class requires 3 additional studio hours. If you're wondering why I am taking art-since I'm a biology major-it's because honestly I did not plan very well. Not much of this semester will count academically-but it's all in the experience!

Over this last weekend we had a day trip to Lincoln, England for our British Studies Class. It was freezing. It was the first legit rainy day we had, and we were outside for tours and such-BRRR! We toured the castle and the famous Cathedral. The cathedral was beautiful! It was also the set of the movie The Da Vinci Code. My favorite part of the cathedral was how many imperfections there were! You would never notice unless you were told, but once they were pointed out, I saw them everywhere! It's very symbolic and also humbling that something that appears so beautiful can have mistakes.


Can you see what's wrong with this picture? --> Here is an example of a mistake made...the last window on the right is drastically smaller than the ones next to it.

After the day trip, we came back and had an eighties dance party in our basement bistro! Not much to complain about here:)



On Saturday morning I left with three other friends for my first British train ride to Nottingham, England. It was about a 45 minute train ride and is the home of Robin Hood-woot! We stayed in our first hostel, and I think it may have been setting the bar high. It was very nice (at least in hostel standards...). It was a perfect location and we had a private room. We did a lot of shopping and went to a pub called the Hog's Head at night. I had a very entertaining time asking the locals about different slang words and gestures. My traveling companions were embarrassed at first when I would skip across the pub to a random table, but they were glad once I made us friends! It was a great trip, except when we were about to board the train and I realized I forgot my Ipod in the hostel...So 2 got on the train, and one came with me to the hostel yet again. Luckily I remembered before we left. I got it back and we just took the next train back.


My favorite thing about England (favourite I should say!) is the language. Considering they speak English, I didn't expect it to be as difficult to understand some of them as it is! There are some very subtle differences and some very large ones. Let's see, some examples are diaper=nappie, eraser=rubber, trash=rubbish, silverware=cutlery, they say cheers for absolutely everything!-for thanking someone, for moving out of someones way, for a complement, it's ridiculous!, a backwards peace sign means up yours (some have learned that the hard way...), when we were at a McDonald's one night (the guys I met apparently thought we would enjoy that ha) I noticed that instead of "next please" they said "yes please". It was quite bizarre.


Things are great, I hope these posts aren't too boring! LOVELOVELOVE to all! I hope the states are great and I miss many:)

Reporting back from London!

Well hello America! Happy Martin Luther King DAY!!! Sadly, here in Britain, we still had school:) Well, now that I finally uploaded some of my photos, it's pretty hard to actually choose ones to post! The one of me jumping (typical I know) is the front of my school! Can you believe that! About the third day of school a few of us took our walk to take some photos of the front of the manor, and also walked into the village. The plan was to get photos all the way around the house, but we never made it to the back, so photos of the gardens and such will have to come at a later date (we were going to go out today but we weren't allowed in the woods because shooters were out and about - pheasant hunters that is). It's absolutely wonderful here! I had a tough first few nights - partially exhaustion, jet lag, and nerves - but I already feel so comfortable here!

I wish I could say that I already have a English accent, but sadly I will probably have a southern American accent more as the students here are mostly from Kentucky and Indiana and such. It's just as entertaining to compare our language differences as the ones of the British! The castle is even better than I could imagine, it's so beautiful! We were at Hampton Court Palace on Sunday, and all that was going through my mind is "Harlaxton is cooler!". Which is VERY lame since Hampton is a BIG deal!

SO, on Friday we went on our first trip. We left on a coach for London at 8am. Most of the students went with the school, just so we get used to the city etc. London was great - but very exhausting! I don't remember the last time I have walked that much! I also had a nasty cold, which my bus mates deeply appreciated. Everything was great, especially when I almost ran into one of the 'bobbies' on a horse while crossing the street. OR when we were advised to stay away from Trafalgar square because there was an 'anti-america' (or so it was called...) demonstration! THAT was fun. Actually I was tempted to go (as long as I throw in a few "I can't wait to go back to CANADA"s in there, I'd survive:)). But it was very fun, and we hit all the big spots, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace etc. It was great. The picture above is of two friends and I in front of Westminster.

And the one to the right is in front of Big Ben of course (for those of you old farts that can't tell - I am spelling out WOW).

Hopefully there will be much more to come! I wish I could fit more pictures on here, or that I had the motivation to upload them all. But for now, I need to do some reading on the Magna Carta, and then go down to the pub for a bit (what a hard life!). I still love America, and I hope all are well! God Bless!

HERE!

I finally made it! I'm here in England and am extremely overwhelmed! The castle is more than words can describe, pictures do absolutely no justice to the detail and size of the manor. The secret passage ways are GREAT and we are enjoying the views immensely:) Sometime soon hopefully I will have time to upload some pictures, but for now we are going going going and anytime I have I'm trying to falling asleep to get on schedule...this is also the time that I get most homesick. Not because I'm not enjoying myself, but it is the only time really I am alone and that's when it sets in....I am living in ENGLAND for FOUR months! I, kinda scary:) It didn't hit me either until last night! So all is very well and I hope life is great in the STATES! I have lots of stories and such, but like I said, they will come at another time:) LOVELOVELOVE to all:)