The first time I went abroad...

Minutes before take-off on my first transatlantic flight

 I had been looking forward to this trip since I was in high school.  My entire college experience was set up so I could go on this trip.  I spent months planning it and years saving for it.  I applied to the program in the middle of trying to recover from a serious concussion that left me with the memory of a goldfish with three different medications for months.  I was extremely put out when I had to wait to were months before departure to send out for my visa.  I had books and language guides, researched itineraries, skype account, and a year's range of clothing covering my bed way before I needed to pack.

Packing for the 2008-2009 school year

The minute my last suitcase was zipped, a switch flipped.  I began doubting if I was making the right decision.  I tried to hide my tears from my mom has we drove to the airport. Surprisingly, the flight was fine (KungFu Panda will forever be one of my pick-me-up movies).  I navigated through the trains with my giant luggage in tow. I made it all the way to my dorm before I completely lost it.  I started sobbing uncontrollably.  For the next four months, if things were going smoothly and I wasn't in my room, I was perfectly happy.  But as soon as I got back to my room, or felt tired or stressed.  I would start to bawl.

During this time I began to travel and even took my first solo trips to Liverpool and Dublin and feel in love with the independence. I went on field trips, pub nights, joined the chemistry society, learned more about English folklore than most people in England.  I explored London, and Brighton.  I found a favorite cafe.  Everything a study abroad student is supposed to do.  Ironically, traveling away from the school made things easier and less emotional.  Every field trip, day trip, week away from school was I like to think that only a few select people knew how much I was struggling during the first few months but I'm sure more people were on to me.

Easier days of Spring 2009

 I went home for a little over a week following New Years and seriously considered not returning to England to finish the year.  But I couldn't stand the idea of quitting something that I had fought so hard to be able to do. It's a good thing I went back for a second round.  The New Year brought new light to my study abroad experience.  Things got a little bit easier.  I still had my complaints but I was no longer in hysterical tears every day.  I started seeing friends more often.  I tried to relax more when it came to my classes.  My journaling and gym time exploded. And while I was happy to head home in late June, it was no longer a desperate waiting game. The day-to-day from January to June was like a different world compared to the first four months.

To this day I can't pinpoint a cause(s) for my misery.  There were so many things going on in my life then that I will probably never know for sure but here are something that I know didn't help.

• Withdrawl: I went off all of my concussion meds days before I left for England. I had been on medications for months to deal with the symptoms for my concussion.  Some of these meds had mood altering side effects.  I tried to wean myself off the drugs gradually, with plenty of time before I left.  I ended up with only a couple drug free days before I left. I'm sure that the change in body chemistry combined with the stress of moving across an ocean didn't help.

•  Living Situation: I lived in a six-person flat for most of the year.  The housing office didn't hand out any surveys to try to match personality types.  We have a theory that they simply went through the flats and placed people in a roughly alphabetical fashion.  Needless to say the personalities didn't match up.  We were five girls and one boy in a two bathroom flat.  One girl and I didn't get along from day one.  One of the girls had the most horrible case of homesickness I'd ever seen and definitely contributed to mine more than once.  No surprise, the one guy and I probably got along best as the two international misfits (he's from Australia/Singapore).  I was also staying in freshers housing which meant that it was everyone else's first year of uni and I wasn't willing to repeat that experience.  Upperclassmen, ie my classmates, all in off-campus and several miles away. I definitely think that the lack of connection to my flatmates, and the physical distance between me and my classmates made creating a social circle much more difficult.

•  Don't underestimate the Dreary: I arrived in England at the end of one of the coldest, rainiest summers in recent years.  It was very cold and the heat in the dorm was not going to be turned on until October 1st.   Once the days started getting shorter and the mist set in, I understood why the English drink so much beer.  It was dark before 3:30pm for months.  It doesn't sound so bad but the lack of light and dry warmth gets to you after a while.

• Good old fashion homesickness and culture shock: The biggest culture shocks I remember where the grocery store and the difference in cheeseburgers.  However there were definitely times when I was quickly snapped back to the to the fact that I was in England and not at RPI.  I wasn't homesick for the US specifically but given my initial lack of social life, I'm sure that missing my friends from RPI added to my strife more than I was expecting.

 No matter what the reasons, I am more determined than ever to get out and see the world.  As my list keeps growing, I'm glad I already had some rough times so I have some tools to use if  I ever get hit with melancholy again.  Have you ever ended up sad or homesick while traveling? How did you deal with it?

Study Abroad by the numbers

1 Summer Session
3 terms
2 Rooms
295 Days
3500 Miles
5 Time zones
13 Countries
3 friends from high school
37 Cities
8 languages to say "cheers"
23 English Pubs
9 entry stamps to the UK
22 Castles and Palaces
4500 Pictures
4 Suitcases
6 Transatlantic flights

Hogwarts Exams

When I read the Harry Potter books I didn't understand why the characters were lamenting so much about exams (granted there was usually some dark wizard running around and disturbing revising but that's besides the point). Even when I arrived in England I didn't understand the look of serious concern which flitted across people's faces when exams were mentioned. Now I think I get it. In many cases the end of year exam is the ONLY exam for the course. Some classes have an end-of-term exam but not all. There are also only an average of 4 multi-part questions on an exam of which you answer three. You have to sit in the exam and weigh out which questions you think you can get the most marks out of in the time allotted. In the US my finals often had 200 possible points. These exams have 40-60 marks.

Luckily I'm such an overachiever that I've been pretty prepared for all of my exams but if I miss a section that shows out on the exam there could be serious trouble. Finals are weighted much heavier here than at RPI and while I haven't had any that are 100% of my grade, they do exist. I cannot wait for these last three exams to be over. I am lucky enough to have about two weeks off in between the two halves of my exams (that's right I have 7 exams) and will be escaping to Paris for a while and then doing some exploring in London. I am so sick of revising but I'll plug through the last three so I don't have to deal with Lord Voldemort at the registrar's office when I get back.

One Full term and 100 days

Brighton Pier at the Seafront

Approximately 3 months ago I wrote another post titled "One full term and 100 days" in that post I reflected on the Autumn term and my first 100 days at Uni Sussex. At that point in time I was homesick and jealous of my friends who were going home for the holidays even though I had an epic adventure planned with my friend Leanna. I survived my epic adventure and went back to Michigan for a week before coming back to Uni. Sussex for the spring term and I'm so glad that I came back. I really feel like I came into my own this term. I didn't go very many places but I was able to find a comfortable spot for myself here in Brighton. Now I have one full term and 100 days remaining in my study abroad adventure and, while I am looking forward to seeing familiar faces again, I don't want to leave Brighton behind. I finished all of my work for the spring term today and went into Brighton to walk along the seafront and actually enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having this week. I think that was the first time I had been to the seafront in the daylight while it was nice outside. As a pebble beach it lacks some of the characteristics of sand vacation beaches but it still felt wonderful to be outside, in the sun, by the sea (or the English Channel in this case). Tomorrow I am leaving for a whirlwind tour of Italy. I wish I could take all of my 4-week break to explore the country but I'd also like to see my family again. Therefore I'll be visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice before jetting across the Atlantic (again) to accompany my family for my brothers' spring break. I'm also taking some of my winter clothes back to the USA signifying the official beginning of the end of my time at Uni. Sussex and my return to RPI and the United States.

Halfway

Today is the halfway point between the day I left for Sussex in September and the day I'll fly back to the States at the end of the year. When I originally calculated out the middle mark of my year abroad it seemed like an eternity away. Now it's here and I'm amazed by how much I did in the first half. I visited eight countries outside of England and probably a dozen places in England. I've tried foods that I never would have considered even tasting while I was in the States (and really liked a few of them!). I've met scores of people and made many new friends and reconnected with some old friends. Some of those friends have already returned to the States.

I've also figured out that it's okay for me to enjoy myself on this grand adventure and miss people who are back in the States at the same time. My friends and family are still important to me even if I'm some 3500 miles away from them and missing them means that I care. Some of the other things I miss are far less poetic, such as Super Bowl Sunday, Tom Wahl's, and Aunt Cookie's subs. As much as I miss things that are familiar to me, I've learned so much about so many other things by traveling that it's definitely been worth it.
Now I'm a few weeks into my second term, rebuilding my social circle, and trying to figure out all the things I really really want to do before I go back to the States because (surprise, surprise) I don't have time to do EVERYTHING that I wanted to do when I originally set out across the pond. I technically have twenty-one weeks left before the end of the year but between classes, exams, and weekends I knew that they will pass much quicker than I think they're going to.

Happy Holidays!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I am leaving for my 15 day Eurotrip with Leanna in less than 24 hours and the fact that I will not be spending the holidays with my family is starting to sink in. It is such an odd concept for me. I am really excited about going on this trip and I know my family wants me to have an amazing time so I'm trying not to feel too guilty about not being with them for "the most wonderful time of the year." There is no way that I could be going on the trip or spend a year in a foreign country without their love and support. I'm going to miss all the family traditions associated with the next few weeks, but I know I will appreciate them that much more next year. And with a little luck I'll make some awesome memories this year to treasure for the rest of my life. So everyone enjoy your holidays, I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the very best!

Love,
Julie

Celebrating the end of the Autumn term

Me and Peggy in Rottingdean

To celebrate the end of the term, Peggy came down to visit Brighton on Friday. She wanted to see some of the southern country before returning to Livingston County on Tuesday. We took the bus out to Rottingdean to see the chalk cliffs and the Rottingdean Imp. The chalk cliffs in Rottingdean are roughly the same as the White Cliffs of Dover, just less famous and much closer to Brighton. It was SOOOO windy on the shore. We walked down to the seafront and the wind was even strong than it was when we were on top of the cliffs. I had already been to Rottingdean with my folklore class so I showed Peggy so of the landmarks in town that we had stopped by including the Rottingdean Imp. We both made wishes but I'm not sure he heard them because of all the wind.

We went back into Brighton and walked around the Lanes and the North lanes for a while. We both got hot milkshakes at Shake-away. Peggy had never been there before so we had to stop by. I had never heard of a hot milkshake before but they were surprisingly good. I had hot apple pie, custard, and cinnamon, and Peggy had toffee cheesecake, oreo cookies, and marshmellows. So delicious. We wandered in and out of shops discussing things we would buy if we had the money and/or room in our suitcases. We did buy a couple of treats though. Peggy bought sour gummy worms and I bought some roasted chestnuts. As dusk settled in we went down towards the Brighton Pier. Once again the wind was brutal as we got close to the seafront. We spent a little time in the games room and spent a few pence on a couple different games. We started to walk out to where the rides are but thought better of it after about 20 seconds of being out in the wind again.

We went to Casa Della Pizza for dinner which is essentially a knock-off version of the Pizza Hut Buffet. The pizza was really very similar to Pizza Hut's buffet pizza. Now I know where to go if I ever get a craving for (not great) American-esque pizza. After dinner we took a bus back to Sussex Uni for some hot chocolate. I also showed Peggy some of my photos from my travels. I already knew that I had a ton of photos and scrolling through the folders made me slightly more aware of how much traveling I have really done since I arrived here. And believe it or not, I have even more planned!

Right now I am preparing to send two weeks with my friend Leanna traveling around the European continent. Two weeks of hostels, rucksacks, and train rides... I'm so glad that I already spent one full week traveling at the end of September so I have a rough idea of how to pace myself for this. It's still going to be a long and intense trip though. This trip will also take place over Christmas and New Years. Adding the holidays, and holiday travelers, into the mix will make this trip especially crazy. However if it's anything like my Prague and Madrid trip, it will be extremely tiring but also extremely rewarding and be over all too soon.

One full term and 100 days

Last Group Photo of SIS 08

I am finally done with my autumn term here at Sussex Uni. For those of you keeping score at home, I have also completed 100 days of my school year abroad which puts me just past the one-third mark. I'm not sure how I got to this point. I know that I got up and went to all of my classes. I stayed up and finished all of my work. And now that's it's over I'm looking back and vaguely wondering where all the time went. Everyone from the September program has returned to the their home countries now and only two out of the seventy will be returning. The last couple weeks, from Thanksgiving to when everyone left, were probably the hardest for me. Everyone around me was looking forward to going home to their families and a common mantra was "I've had a lot of fun but it's time to go home." At that point I was looking at a stack of assignments that meant the end of the term but not the end of the class and a calendar that told me I would be spending my first Christmas without my family. Needless to say I found it very hard to be positive about staying when so many people around me were finishing their classes and preparing to go home. Through the ups and downs and wishing I was going to be home for Christmas, I knew that my time wasn't finished in England and if I stopped now I'd regret it for the rest of my life.

In a way, that stubborn voice inside of me has already been proved right. In the last week before everyone had to go, several people started telling me that I was lucky that I was staying and that they wished they could too. I have no idea what's going to happen next term but I know I'll make the most of it.

Thanksgiving

SIS people at Thanksgiving dinner

My dinner table/Pub trivia team

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

So yesterday was Turkey Day, and the first major holiday I've ever spent away from my family. I was slightly apprehensive of the idea to say the least but the transatlantic plane ride and no time off left me little choice in the matter. I decided to go to the International office's catered Thanksgiving dinner rather than try to cook my own after getting out of lab at 5 pm. I was pleasantly surprised to see about a dozen kids from the Sussex in September program when I arrived. I was so happy that I would at least be sitting and eating with people I knew before sitting down at the table.

The food couldn't compare with the feast I usually cook with my grandma but it was still pretty good. I was disappointed that we didn't have pumpkin pie. They served Pecan pie instead. One of the girls was telling me the only place they could find canned pumpkin to make a pie was in the exotic foods section of Whole Foods in London. I never would have thought of pumpkin as an exotic food before.

After dinner, they had a trivia contest. Lucky for us most of the trivia was about American movies, music, and history, otherwise we would have done horribly. As it was we did really poorly on the music section. We did manage to identify 20 presidents from pictures. I was really impressed by how well we did on that one. In the end, my team had the highest score so we each got a box of Lindt truffles. It was a lot of fun. I'm so glad I was able to spend time sitting around the table with friends. Coming from a family that lives 'round the kitchen table, I was really starting to miss that part of my life and was dreading spending most of Thanksgiving night in my room trying to do homework. Luckily that wasn't the scenario that played out and I had a very different but still enjoyable Thanksgiving.

Day 74

Today is the 74th day of of my time abroad which means that one quarter of it has passed already. With the holidays coming and the end of the semester near, I find myself wishing these next few weeks would hurry up already! It feels like I've been here forever and for no time at all. I tried dozens of new things, gone places on a whim that I had only ever dreamed of going previously, and met scores of interesting people. I've taken enough pictures to develop a serious scrapbooking addiction and probably will. It's really impossible to truly explain what this experience has been like for me. It has it's ups and downs but ups have definitely outweighed the downs. These adventures will stay with me for the rest of my life and I'm very lucky to be here.

New Term and a New Room

Sussex in September in over! I handed in my final paper yesterday and I'm leaving tomorrow for a week of traveling. Before I could take off on my fabulous adventures I had to move all of my stuff from York House to East Slope. I was lucky enough to get my keys Thursday so I could take me time moving instead of rushing through it all today. The worst part about moving was that East Slope in at the top of a big slope. Moving is heavy business to start with and then uphill on top of it was even more straining. The upside is that when it's time for me to move out in June it's going to be all downhill. Which is really good because I'm probably going to accumulate even more stuff between now and then.

My new place is nice. I'm in a six-person suite but I'm the only one here right now. I don't know the names of any of my roommates but there's plenty of time to learn those. My room is narrower than my room in York House so it seems smaller than my other one did. I have full kitchen, dining, and two tiny bathrooms also. The shower barely has enough room to turn around or pick the shampoo up. The shower does have awesome water pressure which is generated by a very noisy small box on the wall. I've decided that it must be part of England's conversation tactics-make the showers really uncomfortable so people don't stay in them very long and use less water.

I didn't realize how many animals lived around the campus. We met the seagulls on the very first day. Seagulls are really very ugly and dirty birds, and ours are vicious. I saw a seagull literally flew into a girl trying to eat a sandwich the other day. During the evening, it's like a reunion for the cast of 'The Fox and the Hound.' I've seen foxes and rabbits, and yesterday we saw a BADGER. I've never seen a badger before. It looked like it was as big as our pointers but it could have been bigger. It was much more solid than the dogs and moved almost like a bear. It was fine to watch it run away from us but if one ever started running towards me, I would be very scared.

First Day Across the Pond

Outside Detroit Airport

After ten hours of straight traveling I have finally arrived at the University of Sussex. I discovered that it is much harder to sleep on an airplane than on a train. Even though it wasn't very comfortable and I didn't get much sleep the flight was still okay. I got a window seat and the food was really good for airplane food....much better than the half-raw "Chicago" pizza I had at the airport before we left, and Kung Fu Panada was the in-flight movie. I took a train from Gatwick airport to the campus and, despite the rain, the country side was beautiful and really really green!

A lot of people are staying here for the Autumn term, but so far I haven't met anyone else who is staying for the year. I actually haven't met anyone in my class yet. There's only about six classes for the September term so someone around here must be in it. No one has heard much about their classes yet which is probably a good thing because things are crazy enough as it is. A herd of us were escorted to the grocery store "Sainsbury" with two orientation staff this afternoon. It was by far the most inferior grocery store I've been in yet. We were all struggling to find brand replacements for our former staples. Items like peanut butter and Ramen noodles are in short supply and I have serious concerns about how I'm going to find/make coffee to survive the year. It's a good thing we had people who knew what was going on because the town seems to have been built well before city planning and has only gotten crazier.

We have an orientation dinner tonight and then orientation begins in all its glory tomorrow. Wish me luck!