6 days....

This last week has been....hard....Saying goodbye to everyone was and is sad. Who knew how important all of these people had become to me. I think I'll be able to stay in touch with them but its sad. I feel like I'm getting ready to leave my life and move to a completely new one. Nothing in the US feels familiar anymore, and though I talk about things like root beer and taco bell, I don't really remember or want them. I miss my family and my friends, and yet I feel like I don't know any of them anymore. Its only been 9 months, and its only felt like 1 but thinking about going back is just strange. Part of me is excited, part of me is scared, and part of me is sad. I've met some amazing people that I may or may not ever see again. I've learned the culture and the money, and the speech. I'm used to the foods the flavours and the spellings. I don't notice the accent on the British only on Americans.

I can't believe I only have 6 days left. Its very surreal and very scary. It hit me the other day that when I get back there won't be sheep everywhere and I won't be a 3 hour train ride from Scotland and London. I didn't think I had changed much, but now I am starting to feel it. i can't describe how I feel, just that its strange.

Tonight I went to dinner with Jenna, Dave, Joe and Caitlin, we went to weatherspoons. of course. and then walked around the castle for awhile. It was a nice night. We've all hung out a lot this last week. which just makes everything harder.

Last week Carolin left. We got to spend some time on the field before she left and had dinner. And then I went to the train station with her.

Magda and I got Chinese and went shopping on Saturday. We bought out Boots on little green lunch bags. The cashier thought we were crazy, and well, we are.

My last exam is on Saturday. Its going to be 35 min long. Then I pack and head to the airport in the afternoon on Sunday. Its not long now. If I blink I may miss it.

I'm next to leave.

Busy couple of days;

Wednesday I went into town to return some things and on the way back I ran into Silvana. We took the bus back to uni together, on the way onto the bus a drunk guy was getting written up by the police. And then he got on the bus with us. He was mumbling to whoever would listen for the entire bus ride. At one point he was singing. He got off at Lancaster with us. It was ridiculous.

"Its hard being English, you don't know how hard it is, I wish it were easy but its hard, I am superior. There's so many foreigners. America is not the place to go. Just shoot me, shoot me then, like john lennon. I'm more English then the fucking queen. The queen is german. Fuck. I'm in so much pain, you don't even know how much pain I'm in. Here. Here. Here." (must be read in the poshest most stereotypical english accent possible)

Then I took a package to the post office, and the lady decided that it would be cheaper in the long run if I added to the box. The box was already barely closing, but I left it there and got some more things to send home, and re-packed it in the post office. With the help of the nice post office lady, we got a bunch of books and stuff into the already full box, and couldn’t get it very close to closing so we added a piece of cardboard, and I spent the next 10 min taping the box. The post office, of course went silent, as I was taping my box, and everyone was staring, I’m pretty sure my box and I became the laughing stock of the Post office. The people there were really nice and really helpful, but I think the US post office is going to laugh when they see this not quite closed very well taped box come through……

Later Chad, Jenna, Dave, and I spent some time just hanging out down the hall, there was a tootsie roll throw and other random activities that should not have been fun, but we were all over sugared and over tired so they were.

Thursday I went to Carlisle with Carolin and her friend Magda. We went to Carlisle Castle, walked around downtown Carlisle, and then took a bus ride up to see Hadrian's wall. It was a good day, and the view from the wall was really georgeous. Of course, I managed to fall off the wall. And on the way back our bus never came, but we eventually found one that would take us back to Carlisle.

And finally today I hung out outside with the flat, we had a pizza picnic, and just talked. When it started to get dark and cold we went inside and cut Shad's hair. Then resumed our tootsie roll toss.

Tomorrow is flat movie day.

So,

Sunblock in this country is sooooooooooo expensive.

That is all. 

The Lake District

Silvana, Carolin and I went to the Lake District today.  We arrived into Windemere, and walked down to the lake, saw some very large swans.  Hung out and planned by the water for a little while. Then we took a boat ride over to Amblesway walked into town there, passed a car boot sale.  Which took me ages to understand.  Its like a garage sale but out of peoples car trunks.  I learn new British customs and words every day.  We had lunch out side at a cute little restaurant, just enjoying the first sunny day we've had in a while.  (I had a duck wrap, I'm not sure when this whole duck thing started, but I kind of like it)  Then we walked toward the bus stop but came across a sign pointing to waterfalls, so we followed that for a little while instead.  It took us up a nice little hill in the woods and past a few little waterfalls it was a really pretty walk.  Then we took an open top double decker bus to Grassmere.  The ride was really lovely, lots of mountains and views of the town from up high, and because it was open top we could see everything.  (though I'm sure that 40 min in the sun only made the sun burn worse).  When we got to Grassmere we walked through a garden and just wandered down a street for a little while before heading back to Windemere to take a train back to Lancaster.  

After we were all completely sun burned (and decided that tomorrow was the designated Sun Block buying day) we headed back to Lancaster and Carolin and I went to pizza hut for one final time before she leaves Lancaster.  I’ll see her a few more times, but that was our last pizza outing.  

I really would like to go back into the lake district and do one of the planned walks they have up through the mountains, they are supposed to have gorgeous views.  I just might do that next week.

It was really nice to get out of Lancaster with really amazing people.  I've been going stir crazy, but I have a couple weeks before I have to start really revising again, and I plan to see things in that time.  

Blackpool!! And other adventures of Erika and Carolin

Carolin and I went to Blackpool today. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Absolutely perfect. We walked barefoot on the beach and went in the Irish Sea, walked on the piers, and went into sea life. All of it was great. I came back slightly sun burned which I'm perfectly fine with because it means I actually saw the sun. Its supposed to rain again tomorrow but at least we got one nice day. It was really nice to get out of Lancaster for the day.

After we'd exhausted all that Blackpool had to offer, we headed back to Lancaster and went up to the Ashton memorial, which by the way is located in a really nice park in Lancaster. (I've been trying to figure out if there was a park here for a while, so needless to say I'm pretty excited about it.) It was full of people, and dogs, and just really nice to be outside and around non-uni people.

We're planning another trip to the Lake District this weekend, and probably going to Carlisle sometime next week. Tomorrow we're getting cheesecake and going to the cinema. I'm really looking forward to that too. Ah, so much to do and only 25 days to do it all. Wow, 25 days, have I mentioned that I'm freaking out about this? No? Well I am.

I'm in an incredibly good mood tonight.

Belfast

This is kind of long, but it was a big trip so read if you want…

Belfast was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better large trip of the year.

I left on April 5 to stay at Gatwick airport for a night. I had booked a Yotel, which is supposed to be based off of Asian style hotels; they’re small and cheap for airports. I got to Gatwick early and had a coffee before checking in. After I checked in I went into the airport to find dinner, on my way back I was almost run over by some police officers with really big guns, they said something about waiting by the toilets for someone to come out, and I ran back to the Yotel. It was fun to stay there; I had a TV for the first time in a while.

I got up early the next morning to get my flight to Belfast, it took a little under two hours I think, and I was there by 9:45. I found Steve in the coffee shop (which I was afraid was going to be more complicated then it actually was). Everything that day went smoothly. We spend that day just walking around the city, trying to keep him awake, and familiarising ourselves with Belfast. We walked down by the river, along a path and then went through the botanical gardens.

The next day we went on a black cab tour of the murals in N. Ireland, it was a really cool tour, I really didn’t know that much about the conflict in N. Ireland so I learned a lot about it and it was fascinating, the tour guide was also very helpful and interesting. After the tour we got on a bus to find Belfast castle. We missed our stop and ended up a stop further near the zoo. We figured we could get to the castle from there so we started climbing. At one point I found a half path off of the normal one and we just climbed up it. I met Gorse for the first time, and didn’t like it. We climbed all the way to the top of cave hill it was beautiful up there. Then headed down to find a cave that we saw from the top. We kept going down till we hit cement road (and an Indian wedding being filmed). And realised we had gone past the castle so we headed back up and found it. Walked through, (it had been turned into a conference centre) and headed back to the city centre.

Then it was time for our drive up the N shore. It was a beautiful drive. That part of the country is gorgeous. We went first to A castle then onto Carrick-Fergus and crossed the “scary” rope bridge, I didn’t think it was that scary, but again it was a beautiful area. Then it was on to the Giants Causeway, which was amazing. Then on to Dunluce castle, which we barely made before closing. Then headed back, we were going to cut through cities but ended up kind of lost and got yelled at by a crazy N. Irish man who didn’t like his driving. That was, um, interesting.

The next day we went to the Folk museum which we both agreed was better then we thought it would be. And we managed to avoid almost all of the Titanic exhibition we decided not to “sink into history with the titanic” (actual slogan) That took most of the day, and we both were pretty tired so we took the night off and went to a movie (yes in Belfast, no shows were available or cheap)

Then for the final day we explored North of the city and saw some of the old pubs and churches and things. Some drunk guy told us we could take a picture of him for £1, we did. It was a nice relaxing walking day. Then we went to a nice restaurant for dinner. A relaxing end to a busy week.

The next day I ventured back to Lancaster, I took a 30 min flight to Edinburgh and then travelled for six and a half hours back to Lancaster. It was much smoother then I expected it to be, a flight, a bus, another bus, a train, another bus, and a walk. But I guess I am that used to this country.

It was an amazing trip I’m really glad it happened.

Tomorrow is Easter and my Birthday....

Absolutly Nothing Exciting, but It's the End of the Term

The last three weeks, I just wanted to be home, not because anything was bad or because I stopped loving England, I guess it was just because so many things were changing at home, and not better changes, that I felt like I had to be there. but things settled down, and some of the drastic changes that I thought were going to occur did not.


I'm back to enjoying England. And I have lots of really exciting things coming up in the next month. Reuniting with the Secret Seven in York, Going to Belfast with Steve, meeting my best friend from elementary school in London. And a few other invites that I'm still debating.


I've had a pretty unproductive term, but I got everything done before the night before it was due, so it was also pretty un-stressful which is nice. Next week I have 2 end of module tests, 1 lectures, and 1 seminar, and one coursework that I should get done even though its not due till April 20. After that its just studying for finals. I have a final April 20, 22, 23 May 1, 18 and June 13. (Crazy Lancaster) I think I'll be coming home on June 23. Which is mostly sad, but a little exciting to think about. So, I'm not thinking about it yet. by then I should be excited to get home. We'll see.