So I am ending my first month here at UEA and I have many mixed emotions. While I am still glad I am abroad, I have found both pros and cons to my life here. The campus itself is full of ugly concrete buildings that, despite being only 50 years old, are already shabby and disintegrating. There are two mysterious smoke stacks that resemble a miniature three mile island and I have to assume the entire college was originally built as a internally complicated and maze-like structure to act as a prison for children, based on appearance and function alone. On the other hand the lake and the Broads lie behind the college as well as Earlham park lining its left side, and a seemingly unacknowledged pasture of cows, sheep, and ponies that appear to fend for themselves on the either side of the marsh. The town of Norwich is very pretty and a short bus ride away. There is a castle, cathedral, and forum juxtaposing the many shops and the marketplace. In the Village we are all very close together. We must use a microwave for an oven and the fridge space is limited. My room is cozy but I have decorated it with pictures and your faces and lined the shelves with books and food. I am finding cooking and shopping for myself, although I apparently do so in away that mistakes me for a mom. Their is a maid who is nice but all things considered I'd rather she didn't enter my room room ever, weekends being a respite from her early morning pop ins to empty my trash and ensure I am still alive. All of my flatmates are nice enough but I am having a deja vu of freshman year since they never invite me to hang out and interactions are always tinged with awkwardness. Individually we are usually fine, however, and I do hang out with my one flat mate Deji. Since coming here I feel as though I am growing away from the Dickinson group, finding only conflict and unnecessary drama when I spend too long with them. Even just being near them now has begun to annoy me, which is a shame because they are nice people and we could've been fine. I mostly hang out with Aaron since I never have issues with him. I wish I could see Mika, Brittany, Celeste, and Sarah more (Brandon too) but I think are schedules conflict a lot, I'm glad the 7 of us are going to Paris together in a few weeks. Traveling is what is exciting me the most, but is also extremely stressful. Between my bank thinking I am an identity thief every other transaction and my limited budget and time, I am stressing over tickets and hostels and timing. It'll be worth it though to visit everywhere I hope to. I am already officially going to Scotland, France, and Spain this semester and if it all works out I will add Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Whales and more before the spring (when traveling will be much more limited due to money and classes). I like my classes subjects however the teaching style here, of lecturing, is very grating and I know one day I'll disagree so much that I'll yell out and they'll never be able to stop me there after. My one class Indigenous Culture Indigenous Art is interesting, although a little too art heavy, but the teacher is a bit too intense, but nice. The students are nice for the most part, 2 of my new good friends are in it. My other class Gender and Development is interesting but I have three teachers: one too aggressive, one I think is offensive, and one who may be a unicorn for all I know or have seen of him. We talk about feminism and women but never in a way as progressive or radical as I would like. I miss the days of Stephanie Gilmore. I am excited for my classes next semester though and I think they will be good. Sometimes I miss you all terribly, but I am making new friends and new experiences here. I am in a lot of clubs, at least I suspect so everything to do with UEA is terribly big and unorganized. I am growing to like the Feminist society here, although they are not what I am used too, and am also involved in Stop the Traffik(charity to stop human trafficking), Conservation and Wildlife Society(ecology is super cool guys), Pride (LGBTQ group on campus), Student Minds(counsel peers with eating disorders), Headucate (teach kids about mental illness), and a few others. Everything costs money here: food, parties, alcohol, campus activities, and everything else we take for granted at Dickinson. I didn't really like Dickinson until last year but now I miss the campus, the people, and even unbelievably the food and parties. Don't get me wrong, it's great that there are so many socials and dances here, the drinking age is ideal, and the food tastes better as well, but I miss the triumph of just walking into places for free. One thing that has been great is that I am finally finding time to read for fun again (although maybe I should start actually doing my readings for class soon). I have gone through books in a way I have truly missed during the business of my life in America. If any of you are looking for a book I thoroughly enjoyed rereading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Shakespeare's plays, and reading The Fault In Our Stars and The Art of Racing in the Rain, I look forward to more as I already have another 3 lined up. Movies and TV are also a regular, although this is no surprise, although I can't seem to get anyone to go with me (which is what I miss about you guys, you always watched them a drop of a hat and enjoyed them with me, that's true friendship right there). As I travel to visit some of you, and know the rest I won't see for a while, I just wanted to write this to say I miss you and want to here all about your adventures as well. So please write your own posts here on our blog soon! Love you guys!
