American Accents are Gross

Hello from Chicago land!  I’m back in my cosy (I mean cozy?  Ahh, my British is showing) bedroom and I’m finally finished unpacking.  Our flight landed on Monday at around 4:30pm, but I didn’t get out of customs and baggage claim until almost 6pm.  Thankfully, the snowy weather did not delay our landing.  It was definitely a crazy day.  I had planned on writing a post on the 9 hour plane ride, but I couldn’t find my focus and what I did write seemed really insignificant. 

Home sweet Chicago! 

Anyway, I went back to work on Wednesday with a nice, long 8 hour shift.  Thankfully, it went a lot better than I expected.  I didn’t forget anything too important. If you think working at a coffee shop in a busy shopping mall at Christmas time is stressful, try working at a coffee shop in a busy shopping mall at Christmas time after three months in England.  Honestly, I am already missing the chill, easy pace of English life.  I still remember chuckling at a sign I saw in Canterbury’s Starbucks: “We will make your drink just the way you like it!  Don’t be shy, just tell us!”  THIS IS HILARIOUS.  Maybe you have to be a barista to understand just how amazingly funny this sign is, I don’t know.  But it really speaks to the difference between English and American lifestyles.  On my second day back to work, I dealt with an extremely arrogant customer who insisted that I make her drink exactly the way she wanted it (which was nothing even remotely similar to what we have on the menu).  This woman made such a scene, it was ridiculous.  People, this does not happen in England.  It just doesn’t. 

At any rate, I feel like I’ve been dropped back into the middle of my busy life without even one second to breathe.  Sure, I’m glad to be home.  Seeing family and friends again has been and continues to be the best part of coming home.  It’s hard to face the fact that I won’t see my English friends for… well, a long time.  But, for the most part, I think I’m getting along pretty well.  I think the biggest adjustment will come when I go back to NCC next year.   I have a massive work load next term.  A full course load, lessons, work, and other commitments are going to fill up my schedule.  It will be very different from the relaxed schedule I had at CCCU. 

Showing off our CCCU jumpers at the pedestrian entrance to campus

Today marks my first full week back in the States and today is also the first day I’ve really had since my arrival to just relax and be at home.  As I mentioned earlier, I went back to work almost immediately after my arrival.  And this past weekend I drove 6 hours south to the southern tip of Illinois to be in a friend’s wedding. 

Now I’m finally sitting here relaxing in my room on this sunny and chilly Monday, still trying to process how I feel about being back in the States.  I haven’t had the luxury of time to allow me to sort out my reactions to everything.  So, let’s get right to it…

The most obvious and annoying adjustment I’ve had to make has to do with walking, or rather, a lack of walking.  For example, I work at the mall.  I live three minutes away from the mall.  So why do I need to drive there?  Why can’t I just walk there?  It would only take about fifteen to twenty minutes to get there on foot.  In England we walked everywhere.  And if there was need to travel very far, we took the train.  But for the most part, we walked around to get where we needed to go.  And now I’m suddenly back in my hometown, where most stores are five to ten minutes away, and I’m driving to get to these places.  It’s just weird.  And while we’re on the topic of driving, I need to highlight the absolutely terrifying moment when I first drove my car after three months of being on the left side of the road.  Honestly, I didn’t think that I would have any problems because I never actually drove a car in England, I was always a passenger.  WRONG.  It still feels kinda strange being on the right side of the road.  Also, I was nearly hit by a car on my way into work last week because I looked to the right first instead of left when I crossed the road.  Oopps.

Another frustration that I’m having is the inability to adequately share my experiences with other people.  It’s difficult to explain three months of experiences to someone in a few sentences.  And I often feel like no one is really listening to my answer when I’m asked “How was London?”  It’s not anyone’s fault.  It’s just how I’ve been feeling.  I hate to simplify something that is such a big part of my life; yet how else can I explain this to people without taking them out for a coffee and having an hour long conversation about my experience?  It’s all quite frustrating. 

And finally, I am realizing that many people in my life are extremely biased and closed-minded.  The global perspective that Britain has is so important.  I see in some of my family members and friends a very America-centered mindset and it is so disheartening.  It’s hard to relate to these people because they seem to think that America is the center of the universe.  Now, I’m not saying I’m better than these people.  I’m not saying I am the most globally-aware of everyone in my family.  But I am saying that those brief three months in England helped me to broaden my perspective of the world. 

So far, I have been keeping in touch with friends from the trip everyday via Facebook and Viber.  I hope this continues so we don’t lose touch!  I miss being with them on a daily basis. :’(

To end my study abroad blog, here’s a fun BuzzFeed about the differences between American English and U.K. English.

Georgia and I at Thanksgiving

Teaching our English and Irish friends how to make s'mores!

Thanks for reading my blog, everyone!  This has been such an awesome way for me to record my experiences.  I don't think I would have made it through the past three months without this blog.  I'm a writer at heart, and I absolutely needed to write down my thoughts and feelings in order to function in a new environment.  For those who've faithfully read week after week, thank you for doing so!  I consider myself extremely blessed to have experienced life in several different countries and to have studied abroad.  This was easily the best life decision I've ever made!  I will never forget the memories and dear friends I've made over the past three  months.  

Cheers!

Reflection

Not knowing when you’ll see a friend again is probably the worst feeling in the world.  Goodbyes are seriously the worst.  But I’m trying not to dwell on all of the goodbyes because I have to concentrate on mentally preparing myself to 
a) see my family again 
b) eat actual food again instead of the absolute rubbish I've been eating the past week and 
c) work like crazy before I move back to NCC.  

I’m supposed to write a reflection on my study abroad experience as part of my GLS class requirements. Actually, I was planning on writing a reflection anyway.  Believe it or not, this English major loves to write.  I have grown quite fond of this blog.  And I suppose the whole point of this blog is to track my progress and write down my experiences.  So in a way, this entire blog part of my reflection.  

Anyway, I've said goodbye to a number of people, starting with Tessa and Josephine on Friday and ending with Sarah this morning.  And there are still a few that I need to see before I leave on Monday.  For the most part, I feel really sad right now and I just want to hightail it out of here.  I really do feel at home in Canterbury, but without all of my friends, it’s just another medieval English city with souvenir shops and upscale tea rooms.  Because my friends are leaving to go home for Christmas holiday, I’m ready to leave, too.

Yet somehow home seems further away than ever right now.  It’s not that I don’t want to go back.  I miss my family SO MUCH.  But there’s no denying the fact that Canterbury is my second home and it will still feel like part of my home for some time.  Who knows how long that feeling will last..?

  

I’m about to get real deep, here.  So you can’t say I didn’t warn you. 

Me, Kaitlyn, and Sarah <3

As cliché as I know this is, it has to be stated:  I have learned a lot about myself over the past 3 months.  I started this term with an attitude of “I can do this and I don’t need anyone’s help.”  It turned out that being Miss Independent not only takes time and practice, it also takes a certain kind of maturity.  I thought I possessed this maturity, but I definitely didn't.  To be honest, I don’t think this kind of maturity can be acquired in just 3 months.  So while I would like to say, “I’m completely 100% independent after my term in Canterbury” I realise that this statement would be false.  Sorry if that’s not what you were expecting, guys.  But it’s true. 

Know what else is true?  Friendship.  Without friends, I would have melted into a puddle of sadness and dripped down the cobblestone streets of Canterbury with the rainwater.  Seriously, though.  Nobody goes abroad and survives without friends – old and new.  You just can’t do it alone.  The people who have befriended me were purposefully put into my life to make me laugh, to challenge me, and to listen to me.  Friendship is invaluable.  The friends I have here are invaluable.  And I mean that.

Saying goodbye to Georgia at Waitrose (our favourite spot)

Georgia's coming to NCC next fall! Woo!!

Perhaps most importantly, I have learned a lot about the world over the past 3 months.  There is so much more to this world than just me.  The problems I deal with on a daily basis are so small and insignificant compared to the issues that each country faces and that mankind faces (yeah, I told you I was gonna get deep).  England truly has a global perspective that is not found in the States.  *Spoiler alert* America is NOT the centre of the universe.  Extremely biased media, Hollywood, the U.S. government shutdown… it’s all such a pain in the butt.  And it’s embarrassing.  Never in my life have I felt embarrassed to be American, until this term abroad. 

Now before you call me crazy and accuse me of disloyalty, stop and think about the issues the U.S. deals with and how the rest of the world views Americans.  It’s not pretty, friends.  It’s just not.  We should fix that.

I still love my country and I’m still proud to be an American despite all of this.  However, being abroad has rightly given me a more global perspective.

Tonight we are headed to Spoons to have a chill night out.  Tomorrow I plan on going to a Sunday church service at the cathedral and then possibly heading out to Dover for the afternoon.  Oh.  And packing.  And eating my feelings. 

You can expect another sappy post on Sunday night, when I'm even more of an emotional wreck.  

Have a good night, folks! 

Only 5 Days Left...

Guess what, world? In 5 days , this girl is going back to the US of A - the land of french fries and home of the pedestrians who get the right-of-way.  All I can think of right now is my family and how much I want to be with them and... and real peanut butter. And deep dish pizza.  And my bed.  And my dog.  And my clarinet.  And my piano.  And Kashi.  And bread that doesn't expire in three days.  Okay.  I'm sounding pretty pathetic now.  But I really do miss my family.  

On the other hand, I am saying my final goodbyes today and tomorrow, and that is going to be really awful.  Honestly, I'm not trying to sound cliche, but I've met some pretty awesome people this term and I can't imagine not seeing these people on a regular basis. So far I've been good about pushing the sadness to the back of my mind.  But I have a feeling that it's all going to hit me very hard when I'm finally settled at home. I hate goodbyes! Ahhh! :'(

How I feel about leaving England: 

Part of me is like

But most of me is like

(Yes, both halves of me are equally insane... and black, as Kaitlyn pointed out)

What am I going to do when I leave all of this behind? So many mixed feelings right now.  This morning I was making a mental list of all the things I am thankful for.  So many of the items on this list are related to this trip and the lessons I've learned, people I've met, and places I've visited in my time here.  This is going to be so bittersweet. Wow.  

Without getting too mushy, here is my list of the top 10 things I will miss the most about England:

1.  Easy travel to the rest of the UK and Europe

2.  Castles!!

 Windsor Castle

 Caernafron Castle in Wales

 Conwy Castle in Wales

3.  Cathedrals

 Canterbury Cathedral

Rochester Cathedral

Notre Dame

4.  Lectures only happen once a week

5.  Pubs 

 My first time at a pub!

 We're poor so we buy appetizers and split them amongst ourselves...

This is the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien met every Tuesday to discuss each other's work.  The conversations that took place in this pub profoundly impacted the course of 20th century literature.

6.  London

7.  Walking everywhere

8.  Not buying textbooks

9.  Some English foods and TEA

YORKSHIRE PUDDING, PEOPLE.

Biscuits... so many biscuits.

Tea and scones.  Scones with clotted cream... sigh.

Takes two years off of your life, but oh so worth it.

Tea at the sea side!

Tea time makes you feel like a proper Jane Austen character.

10.  The PEOPLE

 Georgia, Sarah, and I walking to Whitstable!

Josephine, Crystal, Amanda, Dora, Kaitlyn, Tessa, and myself having a proper girls' night in :)

Georgia and I - Essentially the coolest people you'll ever meet.

 Getting weird at Thanksgiving dinner

Aw, I love them. :)