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Teaser

I finally got my "free" Milwaukee bus pass which means classes must be starting soon. Somehow this was the impetus for getting back to blogging. I'll admit I drastically "checked out" this summer after I set down on US soil June 30th. Weeks of mixed emotions to follow. And I can pretty much sum up the plan to transcribe my backpacking extravaganza in one word. Fail.

Oddly, this summer "up north" has been hot as [fill in blank; options: hell, balls, the inside of a furnace, Brad Pitt, or all of the above] with Singapore-like humidity. All I want to do is pass out in my swimming suit on top of the air conditioner and avoid my equally hot laptop at all costs. As much as I hate our sub zero winters, this heat is just ridiculous. I am too young for hot flashes.

I have to give a "speech" on studying abroad tomorrow to a room full of bored freshman and even more antsy faculty. Hopefully I can muster some pep and keep the nervous palm sweating to a minimum.

I promise my travels will be accounted for soon. My time in Ireland, Portugal and Germany seem like a dream so hopefully when its verified by social media the trip will seem more real. Until then...stay golden.

The beginning, the end, and some thoughts

As usual, the problem is where to start! I'm taking a much needed break from packing to finally try and catch up on my blog which was temporarily abandoned for my painfully short 2 week backpacking adventure. With so much to say, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. This could take a while so please bear with me and keep checking back for more stories.

For once, I can legitimately say I was a real backpacker. Somehow, with muscle and will power, I crammed everything into my 1 piece of hand luggage--my loyal North Face backpack. Lilly's last minute "did you pack this" interrogation was also helpful. I don't think I'd ever traveled so light. Almost busting at the seams, I headed to the airport Friday afternoon (June 11th). I met Sydney at the train station and we said our sad, final goodbyes. Luckily she lives in Montreal so I will hopefully find time to visit her. After waving farewell to Sheffield, I trained to Manchester airport and caught my Ryan Air flight to Dublin. Discount airlines are great but don't have the best departure times, so I got into Dublin pretty late but was able to catch a shuttle to the city centre. I walked the rest of the way to Abbey Court, the hostel I stayed in for 3 nights. It was a pretty nice hostel on the Liffey and I shared my room with about 9 other people. Little did I know, however, that one of my roommates would be an insane, self-medicating, alcoholic Irish hairdresser insomniac. Let's just say she made my first night very interesting...

Side note: My blogging stamina is not what it used to be so I'm thinking short spurts might be how things get caught up. Or, if I'm ambitious, I could spend my airport time on Wednesday working. Meh. Oh, did I mention, I'm flying to Chicago on Wednesday!! Craziness

It's so hard to think about my trip when I looking at my final days here and at my half-packed room with an exhausting mixture of sadness and excitement. England and Sheffield especially have definitely come to feel like home even though I've only been here 5 months. On the other hand, that's no chump change and I've spent almost a half a year away from all my wonderful family and friends back home. I've definitely missed people, anniversaries, weddings, and other important things but I wouldn't give up my time in Sheffield for anything. I have had new experiences, good and bad, and made life-long friends that have changed me forever. Although difficult and frustrating at times, I did enjoy my university work as well, and took some modules that have really expanded my education. As with most things though, I will definitely remember the people I met, the people I lived, danced, laughed, cried and traveled with. I will miss 27, although may be not its perpetual dirtiness. Besides people, I am sorry to say goodbye to savory pies and pasties, professors that sound like Harry Potter characters, the controversial fashion choices, dance clubs in the student union, cheap pints and pubs with character, really cheap taxis, TEA!!, people calling me 'love' and saying 'cheers'

Things I'm happy to leave behind: hills, jeggings, mini skirts, English milkshakes, the weather, the pound (and pound coins), plug adapters, food packaging sizes (I go through those tiny peanut butter jars way too fast), risking my life every time I cross the street, house inspections, 24/7 world cup obsession (can only be taken in small doses)

Things I'm excited for (besides people of course): My wardrobe!! No more living out of a suitcase. An actual TV, buses I understand, using my new cooking skills, fresh-water beaches, my bike, Wisconsin dairy products, Netflix, seeing where life takes me...

I can, at the end of it all without hesitation, say I've changed, although only time and reflection can really say how.

So long junior year!

I can't believe I'm done! My final exam is in the bag and I'm flying free...literally. Well flying at least but not free. I wish. It is somewhat surreal completing my third year of college. I have to seriously start thinking about what to do after next year. Scary. At least I have the summer to ponder my life before the craziness begins again. Anyway, since my last blog things have been pretty chill aside from the all day mega study sessions in the library and my room. I think my desk chair is happy to have a break. My mind has been living in the fragmented and unconscious ramblings of modern writers for almost a week, so I am glad to be back in the real world. I did spend some time with friends trying to get some quality time in before we all head our separate ways.

Orange Wednesday--the mobile company Orange offers 2 for 1 tickets on Wednesdays so I talked the b-boys into going to Four Lions. It's a comedy, shot in Sheffield actually, about four men who want to be terrorists. A bit controversial but hilarious. I didn't understand some of it due to accent and British type humor but it was still great. My seminar instructor also happened to be working the till and let me and a friend in for free. Definitely pays to get to know your profs! We went to the Common Room after for some pints and Luke and I planned his hopeful visit to the US which includes us road tripping across the country. Time to start putting together the ultimate American road trip playlist!

Friday we went to The Place for cocktails in celebration of Steph's birthday. It was also perfect preparation for seeing Sex & the City 2 later that night. It was reeeally long but okay. Not much happened. Most of the party went to the club right next door after it was over but I needed to be fresh for study group the next morning so left with another girl. It was a nice night so we decided to walk home. I don't think I've ever walked through city centre that late before...crazy! They even have police and ambulances on hand to deal with the massive bar crowds. Since there's no smoking inside, you also see more people because everyone needs to go outside to smoke. As a side note, Milwaukee is going smoke free this month! I am so excited that I won't have to smell like an ashtray all day when I want my cheap diner pancakes. As we were approaching campus it started to pour so we caught a city bus which thankfully was still running. I'll have to remember the 52 runs late.

Studying studying and more studying. One bright side is that our window seats in the library had a great view of the city.

Ahh I detest in-class essays. Especially this one. What really got on my nerves was that we were expected to research at least 3 works/authors not knowing what was to be asked and to be able to cite secondary criticism without notes. That's not even testing our critical thinking, just how well we can memorize research, research which is guaranteed to be less than optimal since we can't know the themes or what to focus on. Despite my bitterness, I think I did okay. I know I don't have enough research but I think my second essay was good. The first part, close analysis, not so much. I just couldn't think of anything else to say so it was really short. I found the whole testing process to be a little strange. We were put in this huge exhibition center where they had set up temporary desks and asked us to check our bags in the cloakroom. There were about 5 different subjects/classes all testing in the same room at the same time. Everything is very official and you have staff walking around and checking your ID and making there's no cheat sheets. Where's the trust? Well, they were certainly very efficient. After, I walked home, relaxed, booked the final legs of my Europe trip, and got some boxes ready to mail home. I'm dreading packing for Ireland, Portugal and Germany since I've committed to not checking a bag and just using my backpack. I am going to have to really condense.

I hope the rain lets up soon. I have a million errands to run before Friday and I'd rather not slog around in the puddles. Although, I must say the rain is much more pleasant when it's warmer out. Well I suspect tonight will be an early night since I am exhausted and need to get pumped up for our final Corp night tomorrow! I better find my shirt and tie.

Cheers!

Little Italy

It's officially June 1st! Countdown 7 days until what I anticipate will be a somewhat disastrous final on Modern Literature. But let me not dwell on the negative...

This past weekend proved cold and wet...perfect weather to suit my lazy mood. The plus side of not doing much, however, is that the small moments become very memorable. Here are some highlights:

Thursday, after my last post, my housemates, some various internationals, and I hit the dance floor at Plug, sadly for the last time (probably). I finally got to witness chat roulette night which was somewhat scarring. Chat roulette is a website where people go on their webcams and are randomly paired with someone else on a webcam anywhere in the world. Either person can move on to another person whenever. I've never done it but Plug had a webcam facing the dance floor and the person we were 'chatting' with on tv screens around the room. I mostly ignored it since at least 50% of the site is used by creepy naked men. Yes, I know, too much information. But at least now you've been warned.

Sunday, Lilly and I had tea time at Cocoa, a delicious chocolate shop and cafe that looks like a doll house. We each had a cupcake which was sooo good but extremely sweet. And if the equal parts cake and frosting weren't enough, they also baked in a strawberry jam center to, I don't know, make it 'healthy'.As you see though, still delicious. We walked back through the botanical gardens where I saw these lovely flowers:
Lilly and I also decided, rather spontaneously, to meet up the next day for hiking in the Peak District. So, Monday we meet around 8am and took the bus to the train station. Our train got into Hathersage at around 9:30. Since it was so last minute we didn't really have a plan and were further handicapped by our lack of a map. Lilly wanted to see Stanage Edge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanage_Edge) where Kiera Knightly stood in Pride&Prejudice which is just outside of the town. We got a general idea from the map on the wall of the train station and headed off. The walk to the walk was quite a trek in itself but did give us a nice scenic tour of the area. I was a little camera crazy since I haven't taken many photos lately. We finally made it to the rocky cliffs which are popular with rock climbers. We walked along the ridge, ate lunch and soaked in the vast rolling hills and plains while trying to catch the patchy sunshine. After, we walked back into town and had tea outside a cute cafe. The plan was to then follow the river to Grindleford, another village. There is supposed to be a walking path according to a map in the North Face store. We tried taking a road to get there but ended up on a highway getting beeped at by oncoming traffic. Fearing for our lives, we decided to turn around and find another path. We never did find the footpath to Grindleford but did end up taking a nice hike along a river through Goose Nest Wood and some lovely farmland. Eventually we got back to Hathersage and took the next train out. Back in Sheffield, I stopped at Staples for boxes and bubble wrap. Time to send things home!

Today I'm desperately trying to study with little success. I ended up going to an Italian cafe up the road called Remo's for a latte and lunch. I'm in love with that place! The man who I assume owns it is extremely friendly and seems to know everyone. It's one of those rare places that creates a family of regulars but still feels welcoming to newbies. I got to talking with the owner who introduced me to some Americans who happen to frequent the place. One has been in Sheffield for 6 years and the other 12! A lady I talked to said Remo's is like home for stranded Americans in Sheffield, especially for the New Yorkers I met. The woman also had a ton of suggestions for places to see before I left and even gave me her contact info if I needed a travel companion or advice. So sweet! Being an Italian cafe, there was, of course, a grizzled, old Italian man who apparently makes and brings in lunch specials on certain days. He spoke mostly Italian but was able to educate me on the flourishing mafia in southern Italy, to which he apparently has connections. He said I'd be safe there as long as I don't own a lucrative business, but he could give me his name to drop in case I ran into problems. The owner kept winking at me but from the looks of this guy I am tempted to believe him. Either way, he's hopefully as close as I will ever be to the Italian mafia. Everyone was so friendly and insisted I come back often. I'll definitely be back Saturday afternoon to try the 'special' and meet some more colorful characters. Best lunch ever despite getting no reading done.

Now I'm trying to study and NOT think about travel plans. Planning and studying at the same time is stressing me out so I'm going to focus on one thing at a time. Besides, I'm trying to plan a relaxing vacation and stressing while planning sort of defeats the purpose. I wish someone would just whisk me away somewhere wonderful and warm...and perhaps pay for some flights as well. I'm trying to fly into Frankfurt my last week to visit friends but budget airlines don't fly directly there. That may be my big splurge, getting to Frankfurt. I still have to decide when I'm leaving Ireland and where I'm going. I may end up just touring the UK since there are tons of places I haven't been. And there are some nice beaches down south!

Well, tootles until next week most likely. Enjoy your summers!

Let the sun shine in

To mark the day I handed in my last out-of-class essay for the semester, I decided it was time for another blog. Two weeks since I last wrote! I have no idea what I have been doing that whole time. Seriously. I did spend most of it locked in my room or some other study space, fingers to keyboard, staring blankly at my screen in an attempt to will my papers to life. I handed in my Working Class paper last Friday after a somewhat torturous week. The worst part was that the weather was AMAZING! So hot and sunny and perfect for breaking out the sun dresses. It was definitely not easy writing when the sun was waiting to be soaked up and I knew everyone back home was practically done. I did take some nice scenic walks around Sheffield though and tried to take advantage of what was apparently a short-lived heat wave. The other problem was that our house was sooo hot. Besides the humidity and solar heat, our radiators were still running and no one could figure out how to turn them off. So yeah, major heat strokeage.
Lauren and I did finally have tapas night at the neighborhood Spanish cafe/bar. They have some great traditional yummies like Spanish Omelets and some different dishes as well. They also sell cupcakes so it's pretty much one of my favourite spots. (I'm going to try using British spelling from now on so I can practice for my in-class essay exam in about 2 weeks).
Like I said earlier, I finally handed in my Crossover paper today after an epic night of ferocious typing. I think I actually have a blister on my finger. After days of complete writer's block, I finally just spewed something out for my creative essay on Tuesday. I went with the first one I had already somewhat started: a day in the life and mind of a twelve-year-old with a life-changing secret. Then at about 6am on Wednesday (did I mention I haven't slept yet?), I wrote a 500 word piece of garbage explaining why I wrote the short story I did and how it fits into the class. Two hours of sleep. 10am: I marched myself over to campus, printed the sucker and dropped it off in the department office. I was feeling pretty anxious about my creative writing abilities and hadn't shown it to anyone before submission. But Mom read it this morning and only had good things to say so that's somewhat a relief. Of course she is my mother and I did specifically tell her not to be too critical since there was nothing I could do at this point. So who knows. I'll be really curious to see how it goes. Either way, I'm not sure I will be taking up creative writing any time soon.
After handing it in, I got some caffeine so I could stay awake and on a regular sleeping pattern. Sydney and I have spent most of the day in city centre, walking around and seeing some new sites. We went to the winter garden first which is a small but nice eco-dome-like indoor garden attached to an art museum. We wandered into one interactive exhibit that had drawing supplies and ended up sketching caricatures of each other.
The rest of the afternoon was spent popping in and out of shops, running errands, etc. It has gotten quite a lot colder and much, much rainier lately. Pretty much squashes our Peak District hiking plan for tomorrow. Anyway, I got a great deal on a new pair of Fat Face jeans. The only down side is that the button is opposite of what I'm used to which means I'll have to use the other half of brain when I put them on. I also bought the cutest throw pillow to add to my collection back home. I guess I have been unconciously collecting them for a while but now it's official. I love a well-designed and stitched pillow! It's like art you can throw at people.
Tomorrow, cleaning day. My room looks like I've been writing and procrastinating for two weeks. I also want to start planning Ireland and beyond! I need a warm getaway before I head home. Probably Spain or Italy. Or both.
I can't believe I'm leaving in a little over a month. I've slowing been allowing reality to creep back into my life by taking care of some things for my job back home. I have a big event to plan for September and have to start reaching out to my contacts now. It's amazing what all goes into event planning. Going back to my job will be very strange since I have a new boss I only met when I helped interview him and a handful of new, fellow peers as well. Should be interesting.
As for now, I hope to do some little day trips these next couple of weeks since I doubt I'll be studying every day like I should. Hopefully they won't be a horrible as these last two. At least I'll be done done with all my work in two weeks and can go on some adventures.
Plug tomorrow night and finally a chance to let off some steam!
See you on the dance floor.

The end is near

A week since my last post, although nothing too exciting has happened. I'm trying to get motivated to work on my final papers which hasn't been going well. Otherwise, I've just been enjoying my final weeks in Sheffield...and England for that matter. The temperatures have taken a turn for the worse but thankfully the vegetation still knows that spring is here. Buds are opening up and trees are blooming with life. On windy days, I feel like I'm walking in a wedding as petals from these beautiful flowering trees shower down like rain. Of course then there is also the actual rain which has come in droves this past week. Nothing quite like London though.

Last Wednesday, I believe, we met up with people at this place called The Place (really creative). It's actually really nice and has cheap food--which we may be taking advantage of soon. Oh, now I remember: before The Place I went to see Bright Star at the Union cinema with a couple of friends. It was a beautiful story but very depressing. Thursday everyone went to Plug to get our dance on; I hadn't been there since Matt's birthday in Feb. so I was glad I got to go again--so much fun! Even the Broomhall boys graced us with their presence. Friday I tried to get work done while some people went to Propaganda. I think I fell asleep however so highly unsuccessful. I swear I've been horribly fatigued this weekend and slept way too much. I'm thinking part of it might be an unconscious avoidance mechanism. Saturday I watched time fly as I read my final books for school and tried to figure out what to write about for Working Class. I stopped by a neighborhood 'double denim' theme party later and chatted with some friends for a little while. Some people broke out the 'American' style flippy cup which was a hit...especially with a certain very competitive German who shall not be named. Sunday was again a work day. You'd think with all these work days I'd have gotten something accomplished. No dice. Anyway, later that night I went to Darius' birthday get-together at a student village lounge and had some good laughs. He also shared his awesome Vienna Sacher torte with us that his girlfriend had sent from Germany. Amazing!

Monday and Tuesday I went to my final lectures and seminars. It's actually really depressing! I feel like I was hardly ever in class, which compared to how many hours I'm usually on campus is true. It's going to be strange going back to a full work load and longer hours. I think I finally see the difference between U.S. students and British students. In the U.S., students are in class all day and then study and do work all night--that is when they're not at some part-time job. Here, students study during the day and party at night. I came to this realization when I met with some Sheffield students going abroad to the U.S. next year to give some insight and advice. I hope it won't be too much of a shock but they were warned. There are definite pros and cons to each style I suppose. I'm also not saying that British students don't work hard, because they do. I think they are actually more self-motivated and better at studying on their own, well some people anyway. It's certainly hard to generalize which was a problem for me as well when trying to prepare students here for their Uni in the U.S. Every university has their own culture and way of doing things. Illinois and Texas are going to be completely different experiences. Anyway, it was fun seeing how excited they all are and I couldn't help wishing I were starting another study abroad experience. I guess there's always grad school!

I had my final seminar today which ended with a film screening. The instructor brought wine for us to enjoy during class which pretty much sums up my entire English experience. Love it! Of course that has not really encouraged me to start on my assessments. I did meet with one prof today and finally have a topic. He was excited because it's very original. All that means to me is that I'm going to have trouble finding research. Yippie. I'm also still on the fence about doing a creative piece for my other class. I'm thinking of doing a young-adult Noir--inspired of course from one of my favorite movies Brick. If you haven't seen it please put it on your list. Okay, today's goal: 500 words. I better get crackin!

Hugs to all.