The First Week

Perhaps it's due to the fact that I've never had a blog before that I am so bad at keeping up with entries, or maybe it's because I've been so insanely busy ever since I arrived here! I'm going to recount the first month that I've been here through a series of posts and will hopefully catch up with myself. 

**I apologize for how scatterbrained I sound in this entry, I'm just trying to remember as much as I can!

Day One: Arrive in Britain (Sunday, 15 Sept.)

After very little sleep and a breakfast croissant, I arrived at Heathrow Airport at 8:35 am London Time (2:35 am Central Time). My excitement of finally being in the UK overpowered my exhaustion, for the time being. I met up with the three other girls from ICISP (Illinois Consortium for International Students and Programs) in the passport line. I was in awe of the people around me speaking with British accents, as I've met fewer than five people with British accents in my life. It didn't seem real. 

After getting our passports stamped, we made our way out of the international arrival gates (just like Love Actually!) and met up with the other two girls from ICISP. Shortly after, the six of us (Kat, Mariel, Ashley, Melissa, and Catherine), along with our mentor Pat, got onto the shuttle that would take us to our home stays. 

On the way to Canterbury, while exhaustion was kicking in, I realized it still hadn't hit me that I was going to be staying in this country for three months. Riding in the shuttle, it felt like my week long class trip to Washington, D.C., back in eighth grade. 

The group made plans to meet up later in the afternoon and head down to High St., in the city centre where the majority of shops and restaurants are located. 

I was dropped off at my home stay around 11:40 am, where I was greeted by another exchange student, Seiya, only he was from Japan. He helped me bring my heavy suitcases upstairs (he insisted), and I began to unpack my things into my fantastic room. Shortly after, my home stay mother, Muriel, arrived. I went downstairs to greet her and she apologized profusely for not being home on time while giving me a warm hug. She is such a lovely woman. So kind and friendly. She gave me a tour of the house, and afterwards I gave her gifts; a Wisconsin mug, Wisconsin slipper socks, Wisconsin syrup, and Wisconsin honey. Notice a theme? She enjoyed each of them, which was great.

After we realized that we only lived two blocks away from one another, Mariel and I met up to meet the others at our mentor, Pat's place. On our walk, Mariel and I mused about the surreality of it all. We kept saying how it felt like we were just visiting this new place, this place that couldn't be across the ocean, thousands of miles away from home. It's crazy! We walked along the "pavement" (sidewalk) for quite a while until we realized that we were lost. Of course. Luckily we eventually ran into Kat, Catherine, and Ashley, just as we were about to turn onto High St.

High St.

High St. is absolutely amazing. It reminds me of State St. back in downtown Madison, but so much more historical and well, British! There are so many new shops in such old buildings. Centuries old. 

Mariel and I got dinner at Nando's, a delicious Portuguese chicken restaurant. I got lemon and herb wings, and I don't think I've had better chicken. So good.

Back home, I Skyped my Mom, Dad and my boyfriend, Cade. I had a hard time sleeping my first night as I was a little homesick (which came as a surprise to me). 

Day Two: Orientation (Monday, 16 Sept.)

As I had a hard time falling asleep, I had a harder time waking up in the morning. After speedily getting ready for the day, Mariel and I ran to Augustine House (Canterbury Christ Church University, CCCU's, new four story library). At orientation, I talked a lot to Kat, who I found I have a lot in common with. 

Augustine House

For our lunch break, Kat and I got delicious crepes from a crepe stand on High Street. Afterwards, Kat and I partnered up for the audio tour. However, our audio player didn't work, so we decided to just wander around Canterbury. Of course, we proceeded to get lost, but had fun along the way. 

Canterbury Castle

Day Three: Orientation Day Two (Tuesday, 17 Sept.)

Typical University orientation, part two. Afterwards went to Nando's again (seriously, their chicken is phenomenal) and went shopping for make up and face wash on High Street. While some of the Americans went to Karaoke night at the Student Union, I went home to celebrate my host mother, Muriel's, birthday, along with my roommate Seiya. She made a delicious roast dinner of chicken, vegetables and yorkshire pudding. For dessert, we all had ice cream and strawberries which was excellent. 

Day Four: First Day of British Studies Classes (Wednesday, 18 Sept.)

American Study Abroad students are required to take two British studies courses as part of our program. We have to take "Divided by a Common Language, Modern Britain" and then we have the choice to take either British History or British Literature. I chose British Literature, or rather, "Wayward Wives and Mad Men, A Survey of British Literature". Mariel and I found our way to the classroom with less difficulty than expected. In Britain, the first floor is called the ground floor, and to this day it still throws me off. 

My British Literature teacher, Steve, looks like a British version of Shaggy from Scooby Doo! He's even got this chill attitude that just adds to it. I mentioned it to Kat and Mariel and now they can't not see it. I think it's great; makes him more entertaining. He's really passionate about British Literature which is really cool, as it makes class more fun. 

After class, Mariel, Kat, Ashley and I got lunch in the Touchdown, a small cafeteria on campus. The food was reasonably priced and fresh, something that isn't always so common back home. Sorry, but it's true. 

We then went to Union House, the Student Union coffee shop, which is the nicest place to hang out. They serve Starbucks coffee at a cheaper price! Their Chai Lattes are fantastic. I'd like to see Madison College get a coffee shop like that. Although I have to remember Madison College is a community college and not a full fledged University like Christ Church. 

Union House

At 3:00, all of the American students piled into NG07, Newton Building, Ground Floor, Room 7, home of our Modern Britain class. Our teacher, Martin, seems really knowledgeable and up to date on world news. He's also quite funny in that dry, stereotypical British way. Upon asking us about what news source we got our current events from, he asked for a show of hands as to who watches Fox News. When no one raised their hand, he said "Fox News is the greatest comedy show ever invented." Good man.

Canterbury is beautiful at night

Finally, we did the Canterbury Ghost Tour at night, which was more of a historical account of the buildings around HIgh St. Not very scary at all. But High St is beautiful at night, and I got to finally see the Canterbury Cathedral up close and all lit up. It truly is a magnificent work of architecture. It's the oldest Cathedral in England, dating back to the 1100's. (However, there was a wooden structure in its place dating as early as the 500's but it was destroyed and reconstructed many times.)

The magnificent Canterbury Cathedral

Day Five: Nothing Planned (Thursday, 19 Sept.)

After having three days in a row of planned activity, it was a weird feeling not having anything going on, especially in a new country that you know little about. Kat and I hung out around Augustine House and then at the Student Union. The Canterbury Christ Church Student Union is a great place to chill. They have TVs on each wall with a projector screen behind a stage on one wall. They also have a stocked bar. It's still so weird for me to see that, as students here will have a beer any time during the day in CCSU (Christ Church Student Union). 

Kat is really interested in Tarot, so she gave me a reading. I had to think of a question, so I wondered what I would get out of this study abroad experience. According to the cards, I'm going to have a fantastic time and will really grow as a person. I will meet many new friends and will make a really strong bond with one person in particular. Needless to say, I really liked what I heard. Here's hoping the cards tell the truth!

While we waited for Quiz Night to begin, Kat and I ordered chips (my first experience eating chips!) They're very different from the French Fries back home. Probably because they're not nearly as fatty and salted. They were really good and a great price (£1.50).

Mariel and Ashley met up with us for Quiz Night, bringing their new friend Natalie, from Cypress, along. I didn't imagine Quiz Night would go on for three and a half hours, but there were so many breaks to go smoke and get more drinks which was really foreign to me. Also, the Freshers Crew (Second and Third Year students who are here to help all the First Years, or Freshers, get acclimated to Uni life), kept punishing members who cheated by making them drink putrid shots of terribly mixed drinks. I do not envy them. All in all it was a fun experience, even if we didn't win (sixth place out of 25 is still impressive, I say). 

Day Six (Friday, 20 Sept.)

More of a relaxed day, Mariel, Kat, Natalie, and I spent some time on High St. We took a lovely canal tour on the River Stour. Afterwards, we perused the shops along High St and called it an early night due to our field trip the following morning. 

A beautiful day to be on the canal

Day Seven: First Field Trip - Richborough Roman Fort and Broadstairs

In all honesty, I couldn't get into the Richborough Roman Fort. Sure, it's neat that it's evidence that the Romans built a fort nearly 2000 years ago and that some of it is still here. But it's all rocks shoved together. And the occasional set of stairs. 

The remains of Richborough Roman Fort

The whole time I could not stop myself from thinking about Eddie Izzard's joke about archaeologists. 

"And they always find in Archaeology, a series of small walls. 

Everytime, a series of small walls."

Eddie Izzard - "Archaeology"

A series of small walls

On the plus side, Kat and I found a bridge over no troubled water. And I took a photo. It reminds me a bit of Ed Sheeran's cover for his EP, "The A Team". (Great EP...but I mean I do adore Ed Sheeran.) 

Leaving Richborough, we headed towards Broadstairs, to see a "real" Kentish beach. Real meaning sandy, in this situation.

Ashley, Mariel, me, and Kat in Broadstairs

Broadstairs was enjoyable enough, but we did A LOT of walking and I had already developed shin splints with all the walking we'd done over the course of a week. We walked two miles out and back to see the last working lighthouse in England.

But, we did get to check out an arcade – "Leisure Center" where they had a crane game with DALEKS AND TARDISES!!! I tried to win a TARDIS and was so close at least three times but gave up when I ran out of spare change. Sad.

So close...sigh...

And all of the Whovians on this trip went nuts when we saw this graffiti on our walk to the lighthouse:

The Daleks take Broadstairs

All in all, it was an interesting, busy first week abroad! Thanks for reading, and I'll try to finish catching up on the weeks I've missed! Hopefully I'll catch up with myself before I leave...