Settling In into the British Life

It’s hard to believe that I’ve only been in England (yes, I made it!) for five days now. I’ve also amazed myself how much I can accomplish within those days. I’ve traveled approximately 3500 miles from home, experienced driving on the left hand side of the road (no, I wasn’t driving, don’t worry), and gone grocery shopping in a foreign country. Most of all, I’ve met some great people so far, both British and American.

I arrived in Bath with about an hour of sleep under my belt, so exhaustion definitely came into play. Morgan and I arrived and settled into our new homes for the next few months. I am living in Nunes House, which is located right on the River Avon, and smack in the middle of the city. After growing up in Vermont where everything has to be accessed by a car, walking is a nice change of pace. It’s remarkable what you can see when you take your time to appreciate and observe your surroundings. I live in a flat, which is similar to an apartment, and I live with two other girls. We have a kitchen, dining room, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms (one is a double, the other is a single). The only drawback of the flat? It’s located on the top fifth floor of the old Georgian style building, which means lots of stairs! So far, it’s been a great experience to cook for myself, and have a place to call my own. I love the girls I live with, and we all get along really well. I’m excited to get to know them better, and see what adventures we’ll go on!

Since this is the first week here, orientation is in full swing. The program I’m studying abroad through is academically challenging, therefore we’ve had to take diagnostic tests these past couple days. Our professors wrote prompts and asked questions for us to answer in essay form. We had an essay for each class. The worst part was getting my brain back in gear for academics after not writing all summer. As I mentioned before, I am in the Education program, therefore I’m in an education placement every Tuesday at Bathampton Primary School. I’m taking three other classes here, which are UK Media in a Globalized World, The Ghosts and the Gothic: The Literature of Terror, and Education in England. Besides the education related classes, I’m taking classes totally unlike those I would take at Saint Michael’s. I’m excited for these classes, as they have study trips and will surely broaden my love of English and academics in general.

Generally, this week has been full of adjustment including everything from jet lag to the realization that many of my friends and family are five hours behind me in their day. It’s helped to get out and explore Bath. We toured the Bath Abbey, which was absolutely phenomenal. I’ve also gone on a couple runs, and to my surprise, saw some extraordinary views along the way. During my runs, it dawned on me that I am finally here in England, and what an opportunity I’ve been given. Yes, this transition period isn’t always the easiest, but I know these next 15 weeks are going to fly by, and before I know it, I’ll be heading back home to the 802. One of the biggest pieces of advice the faculty at ASE told us this week during orientation is to not be a tourist, but become a citizen of Bath. Right now, of course it is hard, but there is a complete change in the experience when one gets out and explores everything the city has to offer.

So what’s ahead these next few days? Tonight, we have a reception at the Victoria Art Gallery to meet our professors. Tomorrow, our student helpers (students who attend Bath Spa University or the University of Bath and help acclimate us to the city) are taking us on a tour of the Saturday markets. Sunday will be an exciting day, as we travel to Stonehenge, and the towns of Salisbury and Lacock, where we will have a traditional Sunday dinner, and look at the sites that were used in Harry Potter movies. I’ll let you all know how it is!

Below are some pictures that I took on my phone when I was on my run the other day. I couldn’t resist!