Hello!

So I am officially getting ready to leave Europe. I have been here 3 months and 8 days…It has been quite the journey.

During this vacation I have seen some of the most beautiful parts of Europe. Munich was great, very laid back, and there is a Texan there that makes the best burrito’s at and good conversation haha (so go to Pure Burrito you wont regret it)! Paris was well…Paris. Paris and I have a love hate relationship. It is a little dirty and smells kind of funny, but it does have some beautiful parts to it as well though I’ve seen it 3 times now. Christmas just did not feel like Christmas there. And out of all the places and trips I have taken never have I walked so much in my life as I did in those 2 weeks.

Back to England!! Liverpool was so cool. It reminded me of Manchester which is another English city to add to my love list. Albert Dock is really pretty and the nightlife was some of the best I been in. Only downfall was my hotel mix up…that cost me $200…not a fan of Hampton by Hilton…just so expensive!!

I am currently in London. I spent New Years at the London Eye! The fireworks were epic and I will never forget that moment as the clock struck 12 in London…I never though I would get to be there and if I knew the aftermath I probably never would have went out. Too many crazy people!!

I do have a good feeling about this year though. No resolutions because I do not think those ever come true but I feel like this is going to be my year just because of how these last couple of days have played out. I met Daley today!! For those of you who do not know who that is hers a British R&B singer and I was devastated that I could not see his show in London in November. This morning I was having breakfast in SoHo with my friends and he walked in and I swear my heart stopped. My friend got his autograph for me because I was star struck but I eventually got a picture…talk about the start to a good year! Well I hope everyone’s holiday season was as good as mine! I will let you know how it feels to be back in the states in a couple of days!!

See you soon America!!

Dominique

 Life Down Under! ~ Australia is PARADISE!!

So- after the 20+ hours of flying. ridiculously long airport lines, and hauling my suitcases around the Sydney airport, I have found myself in PARADISE! And I completely love every second of it! Australia has lived up to and also exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I am really looking forward to the next four months and all of the adventures and enjoyment to come. I can’t believe that I am finally here…

But the journey didn’t begin this well. Saying my goodbyes to my family at the airport was rougher than I expected. I left Harrisburg on this little rickety plane and was just trying to mentally brace myself for the additional two plane rides I was going to have to make. However, on my second flight from Chicago to LA, I sat next to an Australian racecar driver. The guy was awesome! He was so excited that I was going to Australia and he told me that I was going to love it (in addition to telling me his obsession with kettle corn from the US haha). He also led me to the international section of the LA airport (which was a LIFESAVER considering that I got kind of lost in the Chicago airport hahaha). Once in LA, I met up with the other members from the group flight and we were off to Sydney! The flight wasn’t too too bad. The food was decent and I slept most of the time.

Orientation in Sydney was INCREDIBLE!!! IFSA did such an amazing job arranging everything from airport pick-up and accommodation to amazing food and great sight seeing. I completely felt at home and comfortable right away (which I really wasn’t expecting). I was so nervous about leaving my friends and family, but I found that with the busy and fun filled schedules that I was completely distracted from any feelings of homesickness I may have felt. Plus, I was really fortunate to make a lot of awesome friends instantly. Here are some of the highlights from orientation:

Pictures taken on the awesome walking tour of Sydney! The tour was three hours in length but we literally saw EVERYTHING. Sydney is the nicest city I have ever seen! It is clean, quiet, and laid back. I’d go back in a heartbeat! It was a little chilly however (thank god I packed the North Face haha). Australian winter can actually get a bit cold.

Featherdale Wildlife Park- oh my god. It was literally heaven for me- I FINALLY got to meet a koala (and yes they are SO FREAKING ADORABLE!). The zoo is so nice and well kept, plus you can interact with a number of the animals. I was thrilled!

Pictures taken on a hike in the Blue Mountains in Katoomba. The views were BREATHTAKING (seriously the picture doesn’t do it justice). Literally everything from the waterfalls to the palm trees and the rocks to the vast mountains was simply spectacular. Nature at its best!

After our Blue Mountain hike, we went to an aboriginal center where we learned about the aborigines and saw traditional dances, artwork, and even painted our own boomerang. The music was awesome and the people were so friendly and informative.

Later that night we had dinner in Sydney at Pancakes on the Rocks. BEST. PANCAKES. I. HAVE. EVERRRRRR. HAD. (And it’s not just because I am in Australia- they were THAT good!).

The next day we had a free afternoon and me and a bunch of my friends went to Cockatoo Island. Our advisor told us a free art exhibit was going on over there so we checked it out. All I can say is….WOW. I am a HUGE art buff and the island was covered in warehouses FILLED with modern art (the warehouses used to be prison cells/work areas). Literally one of the best displays I have every seen. It was gorgeous!!

That night was our “farewell to Sydney” night. We had a gorgeous dinner cruise on the harbor. The night was bittersweet. Half my closest friends were going to JCU in Townsville and the other half of my closest friends were going to JCU in Cairns. But, the towns are only four hours apart, so some visits will definitely be in order.

Then, the next morning, I packed all my things up in the hostel we were staying in and I boarded another flight- to Cairns! There, many more adventures await me. I was lucky enough to get an apartment with my two closest friends from the trip (thanks to our IFSA advisor for making a last minute phone call haha). I literally can’t wait for all the fun times to come!

But, so far, here is what I’ve learned:

1)   Vegemite is disgusting (but you have to try it anyways because I mean c’mon you’re in Australia).

2)   Kangaroo is actually pretty good. Kind of like steak haha. It’s especially great on pizza!

3)   Tim Tams are AWESOME and would probably make me gain an extensive amount of weight if I ate them as much as I wanted to.

4)   Yes, Australia is different. Ketchup is scarce. Sometimes people have difficulty understanding my American accent. And the whole driving on the opposite side of the road thing still scares the crap out of me. But, you just have to embrace it.

5)   Koalas and wallabies are the cutest animals I have ever met. Like really. They are so friendly and fluffy. Coolest marsupials ever.

6)   Don’t have expectations when you go abroad. Live it up. Be yourself. And, in the end, you’ll find that’s enough to keep you incredibly happy.

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” –Fitzhugh Mullan

I still cannot believe that I’m back in Fargo, ND. Or, to be honest, that I was just in England for six months.

The whole trip back was surreal, and I think being so exhausted from all of the travel and staying awake (25 hours at the end of it all!) made it even harder to grasp. From the cab to multiple trains to a long day of airports, it was quite the journey. It was pretty cool though, seeing the sun rise in England and set over the US. Here’s a shot I got of the sunset from my final plane ride from Chicago to Fargo:

I’ve been back for about a week now, and the adjustment back into American/home-life is going much more smoothly than I would have thought. It’s been great to see friends and family that I have only been able to contact via Skype and Facebook while I was abroad. I also really missed my car and my bike …and sunshine, so I’m taking full advantage of all of those things while I have a bit of time to relax before getting into work.

I’m struggling a bit to keep in touch with everyone from Bristol, even those who live in the US, but I’m definitely working on it. I’ve completely unpacked my big suitcase and am currently in the process of re-packing my life so that I can move down to Des Moines (where I’ll continue uni in the fall) in about a week and a half. I’m sure the fact that I’m not going back to Bristol in the fall with everyone else won’t really hit me until I settle in down there, or maybe not even until I start up classes again at Drake University. I’ve downloaded an app on my phone that allows me to listen to BBC Radio 1 all day everyday, so at least I’ll be able to keep up with the music and everything going on in England while I’m back in the States. I definitely miss real commercial-free radio…

I’m determined to make it back to Bristol at some point, maybe for post-grad, or maybe just to visit all the great people I met over these past six months. I miss them all so much already! Even though getting back into the swing of things here will be a challenge, I am so glad I got the opportunity to spend the last six months in Bristol, England. It will always have a special place in my heart, and I absolutely cannot wait to go back someday!

Hi, I’m Mike and I’m going to be a junior at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. I’m a biology major and business minor and in one week I will be leaving for New Zealand.

It’s crazy to think that the day is almost here. I have been preparing for this moment ever since last October when I had a meeting with the study abroad advisor at my school. I walked into her office not knowing much. In fact, the meeting was a little overwhelming. The first question she asked was, where do you want to go? I kind of thought that was what we were going to figure out at the meeting but I guess I was a little behind. I knew that I did not want to go to Europe. I figure that would involve lots of museums and old building which I don’t have any appreciation for. I would much rather be in the middle of nowhere with an awesome view. Luckily I had been thinking of this question a little bit before the meeting and was able to come up with two places: Africa or New Zealand. I think Africa would be an incredible experience seeing as I love the savannah. We were quickly able to decide that if I were to go to Africa, I would do a program in Tanzania that focuses on Ecology since that is what I’m interested in. The program seemed a little strict for my liking though and didn’t seem to offer students the opportunity to explore the country on their own which is something that I want to be able to do.

This led me to focus on New Zealand and after much thought and some advice from friends who have been there I decided to study with IFSA-Butler at Massey University. The orientation and excursion activities look amazing and I can’t wait to experience them. The school is only a 20 minute drive away from Auckland which is the biggest city in New Zealand but it’s even closer to beaches, great hiking and hot springs. The biggest ski area in the country is also only a few hours away. Then during our breaks I plan on going down to the South Island to get in some more hiking and an adrenaline rush from Queenstown. This promises to be a crazy semester and I promise to keep you up to date on everything that is going on!

As of now not much exciting is happening. I’m working at a grocery store so I can save up for my trip and am starting to say my goodbyes to friends and family. I’m currently working on starting the packing process just to make sure everything will fit and that I don’t go over the 5olb limit. Each day I watch a video or read something about New Zealand in order to learn about the country and start figuring out all the things I want to do while I’m there. I’ve found that it is best not to do this right before bed seeing as last week I was reading a blog from last year and got so excited that I couldn’t sleep for hours. I’m really hoping that I will be able to sleep next Tuesday night so that I’m not tired for the trip but knowing me I will once again be too excited. I hope everyone is having a great summer and I can’t wait to share all of my experiences with you!

P.S. This map below isn’t exciting now but I will be using it to track where I go throughout the semester so it’s sure to get a lot more interesting!

It’s getting quite quiet around Durdham Hall as friends and flatmates trickle home. Two of my flatmates have gone so far – Mat to Portsmouth and Hannah to Los Angeles, CA. It’s slowly setting in that I will eventually have to leave, and I feel a bit sick whenever I do have to think about it. I will miss this place SO MUCH!!! I know I will be back at some point, but it certainly feels far away in the future as I am completely broke from studying abroad twice over the course of my uni career so far… Anyway, I have every intention to make my last few days here count.

After my exam last Thursday, (So glad that’s done!) the flat got together one last time to celebrate Hannah and Steffan’s birthdays and also to wish Hannah a safe journey home as she left Durdham at 4am the next morning. Lots of tears, but overall a good last night here for her.

On Friday we celebrated another set of birthdays, and then on Saturday my hall hosted ‘Durdhambury’, a day-long music festival with food, facepainting, and plenty of other fun things to do. I didn’t spend that much time down in the quad as it was raining for quite a bit of the day, but I heard most of the bands from our kitchen anyway as it overlooks the quad. It was a great chance for everybody to see each other one more time before most people headed out on Monday and Tuesday.

Yesterday I finally walked along my running route on the Downs to take some photos – something I’ve been meaning to do for ages! It was a bit cloudy, but no rain!

(The best bit of my running route – when I get to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge in all its glory)

Today my plan is to go back down to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to explore a bit more. (Last time I was there, it was mobbed with little kids…) Then I’ll probably grab my last ever Felafel King felafel on laffa (SO GOOD) before I come back up to Durdham to pack and finish a book. Friday will probably be all about packing and saying goodbyes, although I hope to be able to squeeze in a visit to my favorite coffee shop Café du Jour at some point.

My next post will probably be coming from the other side of the Atlantic, which I can hardly come to terms with. It just sounds so ridiculous that I will have to leave Bristol and all of the great people I’ve met here. Wish me a good flight and a good ‘re-entry’ into American culture, and I will be back with an update from the US of A in a few days!

It’s been a busy week for me – I’m definitely trying to make the most of what little time I have left in England! It still astounds me that I have less than two weeks left here. Where did six months go?!

Anyway, this week (despite wind and rain) I got to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to see a cool Da Vinci exhibit in honor of the Jubilee. It was really cool, but the museum itself is huge (and at the time it was packed with small children on their half-term) so I’ll have to go back sometime next week. I also finally made it out on my daytrip to Glastonbury! Again, it was super windy and rainy, so that was a bit of a bummer, but I still managed to climb to the top of Glastonbury Tor. The views were STUNNING, and it was definitely the highlight of the trip. Here are a few pictures:

Yesterday, the one sunny day this week, I trekked down to the Harbour to take in Bristol’s Big Market, which overtook a good portion of the Harbour and the older part of the city. I had a great day out – picked up a Nutella crêpe as a late breakfast snack and a copy of Bill Bryson’s ‘Notes from a Small Island’ (highly recommended by Lynne – going to save it for the flight home).

Overall it’s been quite a good week for me – now I’ve just got to really hit the books for my Politics exam on Thursday! Wish me luck!

This week was an exciting week for all Bristolians! On Tuesday evening the Olympic Torch made its way into the via the harbour. I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the festivities going on that night in Millennium Square, and of course to show my Team Great Britain spirit! Here are some photos from the evening:

Then the next morning, the Olympic Torch Relay continued – from College Green, across the Clifton Suspension Bridge, finally making its way up to where I live. One of my flatmates joined me early (relatively speaking) that morning to see the action in person. It was a blast to see everyone out there lining the streets and waving their Union Jacks! We scouted out a great spot to see the runner go by:

In other news, as you can probably tell from these photos, summer has FINALLY arrived in the UK! It has been sunny and gorgeous all week! Later today I’ll be heading out to the Downs for a BBQ and some frisbee with friends as a break from revision. Hopefully the sunshine sticks around for my last few weeks in Bristol!

 Sunday, May 13 – Back in the saddle

Happy Mother’s Day to my mommy at home in Arkinsaw!  I’m going to do the dishes tonight after dinner for my host-mom as my little gift to her, even though it’s not an Argentine holiday.  But apparently today is Mother’s Day in Uruguay, too.  haha just not here

I am beyond excited to say I have been feeling a zillion times better since my gran quilombo with the pneumonia.  I’m not getting tired nearly as much after walking around more and more every day.  I still take naps every other day, but I think that’s probably just my normal tiredness.  haha  I’ve been doing Pilates and feel really good, but I’m still a little iffy about trying to run again.  I don’t want to run in the chilly air outside (not sure my lungs would like that too much), so maybe I’ll re-join my gym.  Or maybe not.  haha We’ll see.

But today I went with one of my friends to the Feria de Mataderos, which was a big fair of artisan stuff in Mataderos, a barrio basically on the opposite side of the city from where I live.  We were really proud of ourselves for getting there without trouble after a little over an hour on the bus.  It was sooo cool, as you can see in the pictures.  There was live music, dancing, booths set up in every direction that had every kind of mate gourd ever, jewelry, clothes, A LLAMA and his mini-horse friend, leather out the wazoo, tons of amazing-looking food, and I don’t know what else.  I got some of my gifts to bring home checked off my list and for super cheap!

the llama!! and his mini-horse friend

live music at the Feria de Mataderos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, BsAs, Argentina

a metal wine-holding gaucho!

Along with today’s adventures, I’ve been getting back in the swing of things as I’m feeling better.  It’s so nice to be able to enjoy the city again!  I conquered one of my biggest study-abroad fears and got my hair done!  And the guy was hilarious and actually did an awesome job!  But I almost got my tips dyed…  After he looked at me kind of funny and pulled out the color book, I was super confused and asked him to confirm that “desgaste” meant cortar–to cut.  Apparently it doesn’t.  It was ridiculous and we both got a good laugh out of it.  I told him at least now he had the best story of the day about the silly American girl.  But after that was cleared up and he offered to shave my head (another word I didn’t know before), he ended up doing exactly what I wanted and I taught him a couple of funny words in English too.

We found real HOT WINGS in BsAs!! and they were actually spicy!

Last weekend I went with the human rights concentration kids to an estancia (basically the country) in the province of Buenos Aires (not the city).  It was another IFSA-sponsored event, so we obviously ate some ahhmazing food and the accommodations were awesome.  We left early Saturday morning for the two hour trip and came back Sunday night.  Even though it was just two days, it was the perfect amount of time to get all the fun/relaxing stuff in.  But we still all wanted to stay and study abroad on the estancia drinking wine all day and eating like kings.  hahaha It was a pretty chill trip and we didn’t really have much organized activity as much as just options to do cool stuff or to just relax.  Because I was still feeling a little ill-ish from the pneumonia, I opted for mostly chill time to catch up on reading.  But I did go canoeing in the lagoon on the estancia!  I’m not really sure of the definition of a lagoon, but this body of water was barely more than a super stretched out/glorified puddle.  So it was really wide and could have passed as a mini-lake from just looking at it, but once we hopped in the canoe and started “paddling” it was basically like pushing off land the whole time.  I think the deepest it got was a solid three feet.  Even so, it was hilarious how much effort we were putting into it because somehow there was still a current/wind that we had to fight once we got off shore.  But it was really fun to get out of the city for a hot second and have a relaxing couple of days.  This coming Saturday I’m going to Pilar, a city outside of BsAs, with the exchange program group from the Universidad del Salvador.  They have another campus there and it’s supposed to be really pretty and relaxing too, so I’m really excited for that.  And we’re going to have an asado–aka a BBQ with tons of meat! yaummm 

learning a dance at the Estancia

feasting at the Estancia

learning the proper mate form at the Estancia, Chascomús, BsAs, Argentina

the Estancia, Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina

canoeing in the laguna at the Estancia, Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina

our little cottage at the Estancia, Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina

This past Wed. in my human rights research class we went to the  Instituto Espacio para la Memoria, which is where people were brought and tortured during the dictatorship from 1976-1983.  It’s this gated area with a lot of different buildings that don’t seem that incriminating.  A lot of them were disguised as office buildings during the dictatorship so as not to draw suspicion.  It’s located right off of a main avenue on the edge of the city, which was eerie to think about how that must have functioned when people were being brought there to be imprisoned and tortured.  It was hard to imagine that we were in the exact same place where so many people ‘disappeared.’  There were bits and pieces of testimonies on display in the main building that we toured, and they really gave light to the horror that only handfuls of people survived.  They spoke about their complete lack of freedoms.  They were unable to go to the bathroom at their own will.  They were hooded and shackled/handcuffed and not allowed to talk to the others around them.  They were packed into rooms where they sat for days, weeks, or months (sometimes even years).  Some testimonies spoke of the radio that was constantly playing on full volume at all hours and the lights that were always on.  Their sense of their surroundings was completely controlled by guards.  It’s scary to think that almost nobody knows how many people were packed into the rooms at a time because they weren’t able to see the others.  We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside of the building where the ‘disappeared’ were kept, but I do have some pictures of the artwork and quotes from some of those who were released/friends and family.  I could go on for days about the dictatorship, or what is called the Dirty War in the States, but I’ll hold back for now.  I’ll let the pictures/quotes speak for themselves.

Artwork about the memory of the dictatorship

one of the buildings where the disappeared were illegally held and tortured"Lo único que les pido, si les queda algo da valor, es que digan dónde están los cuerpos" The only thing I ask of them, if they leave anything of worth, is to say where the bodies are. --Charly Pisoni from H.I.J.O.S.

"Es fuerte verlos entrar esposados, cuando hace más de treinta años la situación fue al revés y ellos llevaban a nuestra gente esposadas." It's powerful to see them handcuffed, when more than 30 years ago the situation was the opposite and they brought our people in handcuffs. --Cristina Muro, from a group for Families of the Disappeared and Detained for Political Reasons

Internet access, I have come to find out, is not always the most reliable when you are European-country-hopping for six weeks and staying in budget hostels.

Nevertheless, I have returned from the excursion of a lifetime back into the eagerly awaiting and open arms of my dear Oxford. Yet another reason why I urge anyone studying abroad to spend at least a whole semester (two terms at Oxford) abroad: It will take at least the first several weeks just to get acclimated to your surroundings. Come Spring Break time, you’re eager to get out and explore, which is amazing and mandatory in every sense of the word. Yet it is an equally wonderful feeling to know that, while you are looking forward to going back to your home home, you have a new home-ish city to return to. Coming back to Oxford really did feel like coming to a home away from home. It’d be such a shame to miss out on that feeling– I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye yet.

I decided the next few posts will be more photo bloggish on account of me feeling like I’m swimming in photos. I’ll pick a few pictures of from each city I traveled to (in order, for the most part): Wales with the Butler group, Dublin, London, Matlock, Paris, Florence, Rome, Venice, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, and Amsterdam. I’ll spread them out over the next few posts, however, so as to not entirely crash the internet.

(I’m hoping to create some sort of video slideshow with music and all of that nice stuff, but I can’t make any promises as to when that will be accomplished. If I put it in parentheses I don’t feel quite as guilty if it takes longer than planned.)

It was a beautifully, delightfully long six weeks of travel. I feel like I soaked up a big part of the world I’d never experienced before. And, let me tell you, it feels good.

So now, let us begin in Wales, London, Matlock, and Dublin.

The Butler excursion to Wales was unbelieeevably fun. A couple weeks before you go, they let you list some top picks for activities you’d like to do. Some choices are half- and full-day hikes, a castle tour, a trip to a beach town that I currently forget the name of (Welsh is not a pronounceable language, mind you), kayaking, canoeing, a high ropes course, mountain biking, etc. I elected to do the castle tour to get a bit of history, a trip to the beach town, and a half-day hike (a word of warning. By half-day hike, they do not mean ‘leisurely walk through a nice park.’ It is very, very much a hike. But a breathtaking one, at that). It was a wonderful three days conveniently placed right at the end of my term. Lovely to see all of the Butler friends we met at the London orientation, and the perfect way to start of what was to become an insane six weeks straight of travel.

I then headed off to Dublin for about a week to visit a friend of mine who’s living there. I elected to take the ferry, per one of my tutor’s suggestions. Cheaper than flying? Probably. It depends. I for one went during the week of St. Patty’s Day, so all of the flight prices were painful to even look at. The ferry will cost you about £40 each way. It’s kind of a fun, new way to travel. Depending on the ferry you take, it can take either 3.5 hours or 1.5. The 3.5-hour is essentially a floating hotel. It is massive and comfortable, though pretty slow. The appropriately named “Jonathan Swift” ferry is what it promises. Swift. But in ferry-speak that also means 1.5 hours of so much sloshing around that it takes all the concentration you have in you just to make walk 20 feet to the bathroom. I’ll leave the pro and con weighing up to you. Overall, I’d recommend it as a method of travel.

ANYWAY. Dublin is just wonderful. It has all the old-world-y charm of London, but at about a quarter of the insanity levels. It’s a much easier city to be in, overall. Don’t get me wrong- I absolutely love London. Dublin is a bit more relaxing, however. Some must-sees: Trinity College, the Book of Kells (staggeringly awesome), the Guinness and/or Jameson factory tours should you so desire. Also! I HIGHLY recommend catching a train to Howth. A lot of tourists seem to be under the impression that you can’t see the impressive, obligatory Irish cliffs/ocean views unless you’re on the west coast. THIS IS SILLY. The train takes all of 45 minutes, and plops you down in a charming seaside village. If you walk away from the station east toward the ocean, you can walk up into some of the neighborhood streets, which will then lead you up to some mind-blowing hiking paths. Do it. For the sake of your Dublin experience, please do it.

My Dad then flew into London, where we stayed for a couple days. The must-sees here are all pretty obvious and easy to find. Unfortunately, I haven’t spend enough time there to really have insight into the cool, lesser-known things. But I’m sure all of the London study abroad folk have and would be happy to recommend some. All I can say is, prepare to be impressed. London is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. It’s stressful, busy, sometimes difficult to navigate, and if you don’t go in with an open mind and a patient attitude I can see it being easy to be overwhelmed by (especially if you’re like me and until now have been inept in the ways of travel). So the solution is simple: be open-minded and patient. You will get SO much out of the city when you are. Trust me. So much.

And lastly (for now) is Matlock. Matlock is an area of the Peak District, Derbyshire in England. It’s a couple hours outside of London, I believe (after taking at least a dozen trains, I can’t even remember the timing of it all). Let me attempt to convey the beauty of this place. Have you seen the 2005 Pride and Prejudice? Do you remember Mr. Darcy’s house? Firstly, if you haven’t, I recommend that film. Secondly, and more importantly, I recommend this place more than just about anything. The kindest people I’ve encountered in Europe to this day (we got hopelessly lost, found out we were a whole town away from our hotel, and a realtor offered to drive us in her miniature car to the hotel, if that helps describe it). It’s like wandering around some kind of dreamland. Full of the tiniest, most charming towns you can imagine. Hills everywhere. And just. So. Much. Green. London and Oxford are relatively flat, so this place was very unexpected. Chatsworth House (Mr. Darcy’s House) is, in my opinion, THE must-see here. It’s a massive palace full of some incredible art (the sculpture room, also in the movie, is stunning). And the grounds are enormous. Gardens everywhere, one of the most beautiful views you’ll ever see, and I just can’t even think of anything else to say except ‘go there.’

I think you’re probably with me when I say that’s enough for this time around. I’ll return with some, hopefully slightly more brief, words and photos of the other cities. And then I’ll return to blogging about life in Oxford, when I can focus on some more interesting writing rather than feeling completely overwhelmed by how much I have left to post. Stay tuned for Italy!

Travel-high-ly, sincerely, and until next time,
Kelsey

Already one week into the Easter Holiday and I am thoroughly enjoying both the unseasonable sunshine and no classes. My goals over this month are a bit different than those of most of my fellow study abroad students: 1) Run as much as possible (as I have a 10k to run in Bristol in mid-May), 2) See as much of Bristol as I can, 3) Spend as little money as I have to. I suppose that last one isn’t that shocking to other study abroad students. What is is the fact that I don’t intend to leave this little island over break. I intend on getting to know this lovely city I’m living in and go on a few daytrips here and there around England, Wales and Scotland. A week ago I visited The Smallest City in England, Wells. Had a lovely day exploring the city, especially the GORGEOUS cathedral! Possibly the coolest I’ve seen, and I’ve seen quite a few cathedrals… This past weekend was spent not-so-cheaply (unfortunately for my bank account) in London with a friend from my home university. We had a lovely time despite the return of chillier weather. I hope it warms up again, but looking at the weather that may be a bit far off. More photos and stories to come as I head to the White Cliffs of Dover on Wednesday and Thursday. Then I’ll be in and very close to Bristol over the Easter Weekend.

Cheers!

P.S. In regard to the post title, my flatmate Mat decided that whenever I use ‘Spring Break’ instead of the English term  ’Easter Holiday’ he would yell ‘Wooooo!’ in either celebration or protest of the term’s ‘Americanness.