Students @ Schreyer Honors College, Penn State

Hello again from the UK! Not a lot has changed since the last time I posted. Canterbury is as gorgeous as ever, and even more so now that the crocuses and daffodils are blooming. The leaves on the trees are beginning to come out, and the days are growing longer. When I first arrived to the UK, the sun set around 4pm, which was a little depressing. Now, we have the pleasure of sunlight until 6:30! There are several ducks that live around my house, and almost every day, my roommates and I will throw bits of bread for them. They are very sweet, although a friend of mine has ducks that live literally outside her window. Apparently their noises are not as nice when trying to sleep or do work.

Tonight, I talked on Skype with my best friend of 8 years who also goes to Penn State. (For those who don’t know what Skype is, it is software you can download from the Internet that allows you to talk to another person between computers for free. It is the best way to call people when you are abroad.) So now, I am feeling slightly nostalgic for Penn State. I love to meet new people, have new experiences, and travel. That is why I am an international politics major, and I hope to travel abroad extensively for my future career, whatever that may be. But sometimes, no matter what, a part of you yearns for the familiar. Believe it or not, I miss the comfort in the routine of going to class on a regular basis. Having class for only 7 hours a week feels like not going to class at all– it is almost as if I am on some sort of perpetual vacation, stuck in a foreign land. I miss being able to see my family on the weekends if I wanted to. I miss my dog. Sometimes, I even miss having a reason to go to bed early and get up at a reasonable hour in the morning. My life lacks a certain kind of structure here that it always had back in the States. I enjoy having the free time and the opportunity to travel to Wales or Bath or London or wherever, whenever I want to. But inevitably, I sometimes miss the comforts of what is familiar.

Another one of my best friends came for a week to visit me for her spring break. We had a wonderful time. We toured London for two days, then we hung around Canterbury. She explored the town and took the train to other neighboring towns whenever I had class. We went to Whitstable and Dover together. She had such a great experience, and told me that she absolutely loved England. But at the end of her trip, she told me that although she loved her time here, she could never sustain the lifestyle I lead. There is so much to do and so much going on all the time. And when you’re in England, why not take full advantage of it and go out every night, and visit as many places as possible? We are young and curious, and should want to see the world. And I do. But she is right– there is some value to staying at home for a change rather than being always on the go. It was something that I never realized until I got here.

By no means am I tired of being in England. I love it here. The people and the experiences have changes me beyond measure. And I still have so much time until I return to the States. In April, we have our spring break, which is one month long. (No, not one week. One month.) My classes end 3 weeks from now. After spring break ends at the beginning of May, then it is time for our exams. Since I have 3 classes, I will take 3 exams. And that is all the academic responsibility I will have until I return home in June. So I will have a lot of free time. My family is coming for the first week in April. Then, friends and I are planning a trip to Barcelona, Spain in April. We will stay in Barcelona for a few days, travel down the coast of Spain, see Granada, and then take a ferry to Morocco. I am soooo excited. So yes, I most definitely still have the travel bug.

So I suppose what I am saying is that yes, we are young. Travel! Be spontaneous! There is an entire world out there, with different languages, foods, religions, people, and excitement. But here comes the corny punch line– it never hurts to relax for a bit, and appreciate the value of staying home for one night. Maybe even two. I know, at Penn State, sometimes there is so much schoolwork that it seems like a miracle if you get to go out and do anything at all. But as always, there is a happy medium.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. I hope you are doing well back home in the States! (Enjoy all the cheap prices, by the way. The dollar isn’t doing so hot over here.)