Packing up, yet again!

So, I got the fellowship!! yah!!! I cannot wait to go to Greece. I have been researching the places that I am going and finding places to stay this past week, inbetween writing both of my papers. I wrote my music essay yesterday in 8 hours. Yes, that is right. 3,500 words in 8 hours. I turned it in and am now done until June 3rd. My exam is just a 90 minute writing session. It should be easy enough. I wrote the essay for that class, too. It was actually really interesting once I started doing the research. I'm glad to be done with my essays!!

Here is my itinerary for Greece:

FLY OUT OF LONDON- 13th May

May 13th - 15th: Athens
Dimitri (CRAMP)
Phone #: 00306992390154
He is working till 6pm, but he said to call and we will work it out.
Address: Find Platia Amerikas & he will pick me up
Lelas Karagianni 15
Athens, Attiki, 11473

May 16th – 19th: Iraklion, Crete
Stelios Papardelas
MSN: stepup88@hotmail.com
*Waiting on phone number
Taking ferry from mainland to Crete, he will pick me up at 6am.


May 19th – 22nd: Sparti
Lefteris Xanthakis
Phone#: 6973989777
Possibly picking me up at the port in Athens and driving down to Sparti.

May 22nd – 25th: Patra
Petros Kolotours
*Waiting on phone number
He is a university student and has a friend, Giorgos Kakavas
(Phone#: 00306937185677)that I might split the days with.

May 25th – 28th Rafina
Spiros Misokilis
Phone #: 00306978998963
He is a photographer, but may not have loads of free time. Hopefully, I will take a
day trip out to Mykonos island. I’ve heard it is very interesting!

FLY OUT OF ATHENS- 28TH May
-------------------------------------------

I really hope that I have not spread my time too thin. I wasn't sure what all there would be to see in each place and don't want to stay in one place the entire time. Plus, no CSer would let me stay for two weeks..I don't think. I have talked to all of my hosts online and they all seem pretty relaxed, so it should be a good time. One is a student in Patra. I will be sleeping on his floor..Should be interesting. :) Another is in the olive business, which should be really cool to learn about and see from a local perspective. At least two do some work as photographers, which will be helpful. Stelios, in Crete, said that he should be able to show me around quite a bit, so I am excited for that as well! Overall, it should be a great trip!

I am trying not to idealize any of the places, as I really do not know what to expect. Of course, each stay, each host, each town will be different, but building up expectations is not what I want to do. Just because Petros is a student does not mean that his life will be completely different or even similar to mine. I have no idea what it will be like and I love that fact! I leave on Monday night to catch a bus from Swansea to London Gatwick. It's an overnight coach, 10:30 to 4:00 in the a.m. My plane leaves at 6:20 a.m. and gets in around noon in Athens. I have to get ahold of my first host, so that should be interesting. I really hope my phone works there. I checked online and the Orange website says that it will.

I still have some things to get done before I leave. I need to top-up my phone at the store, so that I will have a receipt. I also have to get some traveling items, like soap and ssunscreen. I also want to get a book on Greek language/culture/places to see. It will be helpful and give me something to read on the bus and plane. I have yet to decide if I want to take my iPod. I feel like if I have it, I am so disconnected from the world. Sometimes that is a good thing, but I think the point of this whole trip is to be very connected to the modern and traditional world. If I am constantly plugged in, then what's the point? Well, I guess I just answered my own question. I am not taking it. ;) All that is left is packing on Sunday/Monday during the day. Saturday will be spent getting things that I need and just relaxing. Sunday is Carnage here in Swansea and it's Tricia's last day, so it will be a crazy day alltogether!! Monday morning will probably not find me in any mood to pack, but I know that will need to do one last load of laundry and finish packing in the afternoon.

I cannot wait for Greece! it is just another great opportunity that the universe has put at my footsteps. I will take advantage of every moment, learning as much as I can and documenting it all with my camera! I will try and write as much as I can over the two weeks, but I cannot guarantee anything. I will be keeping a written account, too, so it will get in here eventually!! See you in two weeks!!

Wish me luck!

always changing...

So, I never realized, until just now, how much I have changed since I left home. It's amazing how leaving everything you know for something completely new and different makes you question everything you thought you knew about life and yourself. I don't think I've ever changed so much in such a short period of time...and the funny thing is that I am not quite sure if it's been a good change or a bad one. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that at home, I am that person who does what they are supposed to do all the time. Here, without all of the responsibilities, it has been nice to not do the right thing all the time. That is not to say that I am doing all the wrong things, but when you've known one sort of lifestyle..pretty straight arrow most of your life it's nice to be able to let loose once in a while. I think that I just took way too much advantage of this fact and now I am really going to have to buckle down and get things done. I need to learn how to find a happy medium between being the "good kid" and the "fun kid," if that makes any sense. Even though I am at the point where I am questioning some of the things that I have done over here in Wales, I would not say that I regret any of it...not one thing. I have had the most fun I have ever had in my life in Wales. I have met some of the best people, lifelong friends, here in Swansea. I have tried new things, seen new places and experienced so much.

Now, I have one week to write a paper on Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and a little over a week to write a paper on popular music and the mass media. I have yet to choose my topic for that paper. I know that I should have started on these papers the week I got back from Spring Break, but like I said before I have been having a lot of fun, not really worrying about the little things. It's also hard to get motivated to write these papers because classes are pretty boring. They have interesting subjects, but the teaching style over here is so different and impersonal that it is hard to find the motivation to go to class, much less write two 4,000 word papers. It won't be so bad, though. I have one class tomorrow, then I am spending the rest of the day at the library. On Tuesday, I have two classes, then again to the library. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be research and writing days as well. Apparently the campus is closed on Sunday, so Saturday will be my last chance to do any research for the one paper. It is not going to be a hard paper to write, I just need to make myself sit down and type it out. I have seven days to write 4,000 words. That averages out to less than 600 words per day. I am thinking that I will break up my paper by going through the different stories in the book and breaking them down individually, showing how O'Brien fictionalizes the war in each story with the different characters. I think that I should really try to have my paper done by Thursday or Friday, so that I can start on my other paper. It is a bit shorter in length, topping out at 3,500 words. It's also about music and media, so I will be able to research that easily and write it up pretty quickly. Once I am done with these two papers I only have one exam on the 3rd of June, then I am done. I will have basically three weeks after my exam to do whatever I want. I also have three free weeks before my exam after I turn in my music paper on the 12th. I am not sure what I am going to do with my time. Until I find out about the fellowship, I cannot really plan the last three weeks. I believe I will spend about a week and a half before my exam studying, but I would also love to travel to Spain and see some of northern Wales. I have heard that it is really pretty up there.

All that said, this last week was pretty insane. I know that I should've spent time working on my papers, but I really do feel like I needed to just do what I wanted and not worry, for once, about anything. It was a lot of fun and I would do it over again if I had the chance. There's nothing better that having fun with friends, laughing, listening to awesome music, meeting new people from different countries, hanging around a bonfire and playing cards all in one week! I loved every minute of it!

Will they really bring Wisdom?

Wisdowm Teeth are overrated, I think. The hurt like crazy and cause all sorts of problems, not wisdom...lol... Seriousloy, though, they do hurt so much. My bottom ones are coming in now and it is not a pleasant experience. On the other hand because of this and what I think is an allergic reaction to the wonderful mold that is in our building I got to experience the NHS, National Healthcare System. I was able to go to a doctor on campus, for free. I was also able to get a prescription for an antibiotic, for free. I guess if you are a citizen it isn't really free because you pay higher taxes, but to me it is free. I think a lot of people take advantage of that while they are here. That can be a bad thing, especially if they don't realize what goes into a nationalized service like that. I do like the idea, though. I am not sure how easy it would be to implement in the US, but I definitely think once it was enacted, it would be well worth the hassle. People who are sick should be taken care of. They already have enough burden being sick, then having to mess with paying tons and tons of money for doctor's fees and medication. It is just outrageous!!

Aside from the politics of the situation, I am finally feeling better after two nights of no/little sleep and much throwing up. The medication had a bad effect on me because I had not eaten much the days before due to my teeth being sore. I was taking the medicine on an empty stomach and it was causing my stomach to cramp up. It was probably the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. There was nothing that would ease it and I couldn't sleep because of it. I would start to fall asleep and wake up with a pain and then try and thrown up. It was plain misery! Thank goodness that has passed! I will say one more thing, the convenience of being in the US is definitely something that we all, myself included, take advantage of every day! I never realized how easy it was to get things done or get ahold of people in the States. I was sick and didn't know what to do. It was a little nerving. I got it figured out, though, and now I know what to do in the future. That is what this trip is all about, I guess, figuring things out in a new environment!

Florence!!- 28-31 (SB6)

I will never forget the days in Florence with Cris, Marcello, Fabio, Fernando, Adriana, Fernando, Cris's brother, Yuri (Mr.U) and all of the other friends that came and went through the apartment. It was the most amazing time of my life! We had some drinks and laughed a lot, listened to good music, took lots of photos, made new friends, walked a lot, chilled on the bridge, met creepy Italians, listened to an array of languages in the house and had loads of fun doing all of this!! We saw the Duomo and Plazza del Michaelangelo, which were both amazing! Seeing the sun set over Florence from atop the Plazza will forever be engrained in my memory. I have a feeling Cris and I will stay in touch, too. I hope to go back and visit him someday and I know that he wants to come to Wales, so we will meet again! Overall, the best 2 1/2 days of my life!!! I cannot even really write down all that I want to, to explain how great my time in Florence was. It is one of those experiences that really is just better kept inside and treasured. I learned so much about different cultures. I mean, I don't know much Spanish and definitely don't know Portugese. The guys and their friends are Brazillian, so Portugese is their first language. Cris spoke very good English, but I liked sitting back listening to them all talk to each other. I think that was the first time in my life when I realized how hard it must be for people in America that don't speak english as their first language. You really feel lost and kind of left out. You have no idea what is being said or if someone is talking about you. It is very confusing and frustrating! I loved it though!

We had to leave early in the morning on the 31st and it was sad to say goodbye to Marcello and Cris. We had really just began to bond with everyone and I did not want to leave, but Venice was calling us! We got Cris a mini soccer ball and we all signed it, along with the recipe cards that Mel and I made up. they had traditional American recipes on them. When Cris saw his gift, he almost started crying and I was so excited that he liked it. Someone else had wanted to get him wine, but I knew from talking to him that a soccer ball would be much better! Again, I will never forget those days, the people or the lessons learned!

Rome- March 26-28 (SB5)

Couchsurfing is not for everyone, pointe blank!!!!!!!!!! People who want dates or hookups or those who flirt constantly don't couchsurf! It is not a good idea for you or your host/hostees. That said, we had a horrible experience with Nik in Rome. He seemed nice, but turned out creepy. His friends seemed nice, too, but now who knows!? Other than our host problems, we did really have a good time in Rome. We saw the Pantheon, Colloseum, Roman Forum, Campo del Fiori, the Spanish Steps and the Vatican! Everything was amazing! I had seen some of these places before, but was glad to go back and excited for the new palces. I got my hair cut near Vatican City and we ate lots of Gelato!! Even though we all had fun in Rome during out day excursions, we were all ready to get the heck out of Rome due to Nik. It was just not a good situation. We were all looking very forward to Florence! We caught an early evening train to Florence and were very excited to meet Cris and his roommates.

London- March 22-25 (SB4)

I though London would be larger than it was, but it was still fun. I saw Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery and The Portrait Gallery. We were in London with Janny's dad, which was cool, aside from the 14 immature high school girls. I can understand it though, as I was also once 17. There were also a few parents along on the trip, plus 3 tour guides. It was a fun time, getting lost in a larger group. Some of the stuff the girls did was eye opening to how I might've acted as an ignorant high school kid when I was overseas before. They would laugh at things that were clearly just different than American culture, not weird. The time with the group and J got old fairly quickly. I got sick of listening to J be fake to the parents of the kids. She acted so different, like she had to act older because her dad is the coach or something. I cannot stand it when people do that. The parents were very cool. I talked to them and I know that had J just been herself they would have liked her just the same. Oh well, you can't change how people are I guess. You can only make sure you act like you want others to see you..and for me that is just me being me.

During the trip I took pictures of the girls playing soccer, which was fun for me. That may have been my favorite part. We did geet a chance to go out one night in London. We went with Graeme and Nick, two of the tour guides. They took us to the Cheers! bar in Picadilly. It was fun minus the drama. J lost her phone in the taxi on the way there and then she was freaking out about it even though there was nothing she could do. The night was fun aside from that and all the creepy guys at the bar. That happens everywhere, so it wasn't a big deal. The next day we headed up North to Manchester, where the girls did some training. One of their games got cancelled due to field conditions, so we all went to Warwick Castle instead. That was pretty fun. It was definitely more of a kid-oriented place, but still fun. I took some photos and got to have some alone time just walking around the grounds. That was just what I needed! That night, the girls did have a game. We went to the game, but had to leave from the fields to catch our bus. We had called a taxi, but as we were heading up to the parking lot the owner of the travel company offered us a ride to the bus station. Even though we felt bad for leaving the taxi waiting, we could not turn down a free ride. We both knew it would save us money and with most of the trip still ahead every little bit would help! We got to the bus station to catch out 6 1/2 hour bus to Stansted. It was a decent trip and we got our plane just fine after meeting up with Melaney and Kelly in the airport. We were all so ready to leave the UK and embrace Italy for the next week!!

Germany- 19-22 (SB3)

Janny and I caught our flight from Stansted to Munich early in the morning on the 19th. We spent some time in the airport talking to a guy from the States. He had been in the airport since 6 pm the night before and was still waiting for his friends to get there, so they could catch a flight together to Italy. We decided to call him Ryan. Being the silly, forgetful people that we are we never asked him his name. Oh well. I think I like making up names better anyways! We got into Munich and caught a bus to the main train station. It is really close to a lot of the major tourist attractions and the shops. We walked around the area for a while. I had seen all of it before, but it was still nice. I got to be a tour guide for Janny, which was interesting and funny! It started snowing, so of course, we took pictures of us in the snow in Germany. We also bought scarves, mine blue and Janny's pink. Getting those scarves was quite an adventure. We had our packs on and decided it would be a good idea to venture into the tiniest shop in the world. I am pretty sure that I hit every single person in there with my bag. That is when we decided to start calling our bags the "overly large baby attached to our backs!!" It started to get cold with the snow, so we decided to go back to the train station and get to Kyle's house.

Kyle picked us up at the train station in Parsberg. I was really excited to see him again! J and I were both so tired and ready for a shower...but first dinner. Kyle took us out to eat at the same place where he took Mel and I before. After dinner, we drove home then played with Jolie. We took showers and basically passed out upstairs.

Overall Germany was really fun. I got to spend time with Kyle, which is always a plus anytime! I even got to spend some alone time with him, playing FIFA and MLS on Playstation. It was a lot of fun even though he kicked my butt everytime!lol... Sonja came down again for the weekend as did her parents. Aside from Sonja's smoking, I love spending time with her, Kyle and her parents. They are always so much fun. It is so interesting to spend time with people that are not American, because it really is a challenge to listen and talk to people that don't speak English well or at all. After a fun-filled three days, it was time to go to the airport. Kyle and Sonja dropped us off at the airport. They were heading to Tiffany's to get an engagement ring. I was so excited for him!! He texted me right when I got into London to tell me that they were officially engaged!! I am really excited for their wedding in June and for the little ones to come, hopefully soon!!!

Germany is always a fun experience and I always learn something new while I am there. This time I learned what the story is behind the mushroom coffee shop in Regensburg. I decided to ask this time and the man was very eager to tell the story. He said during the 50s/60s the government commissioned the building of five or six of these mushrooms. The reason behind it..I am not sure. The man wasn't sure how to explain it in English. However, the one in Regensburg is only one of a few left in Europe. Now, it is a historic site, preserved by the government. I really though this was interesting!

Dublin- a day in the city (SB2)

We had breakfast waiting for us at 9 in the morning. This is where we met our other housemates. There were two other guys staying at the B&B. They definitely had a rough night by their gestures. They looked extremely tired and hungover.lol.... After breakfast, we headed out to catch the bus. We spent the day walking around Dublin's main city centre and Grafton Street. We visited the Dublin Castle, which was cool... only 4 Euros for a person-guided tour! We walked out to the Guiness factory, but the line was outrageous. Other than that, we didn't really see too much in Dublin. We headed to the airport and caught our flight back to Bristol. Once we got into Bristol, Janny and I had to leave Tricia at the airport. We had to catch a bus to London for our flight to Germany. We left, but not without first having an amazing conversation about the homeless issues in our society. It was probably one of the best serious conversations I've ever had. I think we all got closer with that conversation. It may seem silly, but I really do believe that helped us bond. We gave Tricia hugs and kisses and headed outside for our bus!

Dublin- St. Paddy's Day (SB1)

After staying up all Sunday night, we caught our bus at 12:30(midnight).. Tricia, Janny and I only had to wait for about 30 minutes in Swansea. We had a layover in Bristol and then on to the airport. Even though we got to the airport at 4:30 for an 8:00 flight it was good. There was a massive security line, so we got lucky being there early. After what seemed like two days we finally boarded out plane, along with a group of very excited Italian boys. They were absolutely insane! At one point, one of them stood up and yelled "Peanuts!" for no apparent reason. Keep in mind, they had already popped open the Heinekens in preparation for St. Paddy's Day. It was a good flight overall, though. Once we got to Dublin, we caught a bus into the downtown area. It was relatively easy to figure out. Getting to our bed and breakfast was a different story. Before we started looking for our B&B, we decided to catch breakfast at a local spot. It was delicious and a great way to recharge our batteries after a night full of traveling. We stepped out onto the sidewalk only to be greeted by mass crowds of people heading to the parade. They were all decked out in green clothing, beads, crazy hats, face paint and everything else typically St. Paddy's Day attire. There were a lot of children, which surprised me a bit. I didn't picture St. Paddy's Day as a family event in Dublin. As all of these people marched off to the parade, we decided to head to out B&B to get some rest for the night ahead. I wasn't feel the best, but was definitely disappointed about missing the parade! All we had was the name of the B&B, plus a street name. HostelWorld had overbooked, so we got put somewhere else and they failed to give us a phone number or street number. Two buses, a lot of walking, and one drunk guy later we found our B&B. It was quite the adventure. We took naps and then headed back to town. We wandered around the downtown area for a little while, then decided to head into a pub for a pint. I opted out of the first round as I was still not feeling the best with a sore throat. At this place we met a guy from Holland. He was nice and quite entertaining. Tricia just started talking to him randomly. That is one of my favorite things about her. She will start a conversation with anyone! I am working on being more like that, more open, more out there. It's not easy, but I know I can do it. We moved onto another place after they finished their drinks. We wound up meeting up with a couple of Tricia's friends that were also in Dublin for the day. We all had a drink together, then headed to get some food at a nice Italian place. After dinner, we headed back out to another pub. On the way to the pub, we all got basically enveloped in a group of Italian guys. They started singing and dancing, so we joined in. It was probably the funniest thing of the whole night. It was so random! Once we left our new friends ;) we headed down the street and found a place that was playing good music. Good music is a must when out on the town for me. If I can sing along or hear something new that I like, it's a good night. I actually got up the courage to talk to a guy from Florence, Italy. He was studying in Ireland and it was interesting to get his take on Ireland. Having a conversation was a bit difficult, as he wasn't the most fluent in English and I clearly speak no Italian. It was cool, though! That pub was a lot of fun and we sang and took loads of photos! We were all getting pretty tired at this point. We decided to help Tricia's friends find their hotel downtown, then get them on a bus to the airport. They had an early flight the next day, while ours wasn't until late in the day. We called it an early night, at 9:30. I still cannot even believe we went to bed before midnight on St. Paddy's Day in Ireland. It was still a blast with many good memories and an overall great experience!

4 weeks..6 countries--Europe here I come!!

So, tomorrow starts the beginning of my month long adventure, backpacking across Europe. I got a nice hiking bag yesterday and tomorrow I will pack it full of the neccessities for a month of traveling. We are staying with random people through Couch Surfing and I am really excited. I am taking a journal and will write, then when I get back I will type most of it up into here. Wish me luck!!!

post-Germany...

So, Germany was amazing!!! Traveling all day was tiring, but it was well worth the time on planes, buses and trains. I am pretty sure that last weekend was one of the best weekends of my life! We took a train to Bristol then caught another train, then a bus then got on the plane to head for Amsterdam. When we got to Amsterdam, it was so shocking at how little English there was around us in the airport. Even though I have traveled to other coutries in Europe before, it was different because I was with 40 other Americans. This time it was just me and Mel. We had to figure out where we were going by ourselves. I loved that though. From Amsterdam, we went to Munich via plane. Then, we caught a train to Parsberg where my brother picked us up. It was so great to see my brother. I hadn't seen him in a year and half. I dropped my suitcase and gave him a hug!! He had his dog with him, too...so cute! I was so ready to sleep when we got to his house, which was only ten minutes from the train station. He took us out to dinner before we headed to his house. I got to try a new drink: apple juice with sparkling mineral water. It is such a great combination! I actually went to the store today and bought both so that I can make it here in Swansea. When we got to his house, all I could think of was sleeping in a comfortable bed. That was probably the best night of sleep I have had since I left home. On Thursday, we went to Nurmberg's old city. The old city was so neat! There were city walls and several old churches. The fact that those churches are older than anything in the US, is amazing. I loved being able to go around a foreign city and navigate without knowing where I was at or knowing anyone. Most of the signs and directions were in German. I think I finally got to feel what it's like to be the outsider. So many people come to the States, not knowing how to get around or maybe not even speaking english. I kind of know how they feel now. The next day we went to Regensburg and the following day we hit Munich. Both cities were really cool, very old, but very cool. We saw so many churches and took so many pictures. I think I took over 400 photos!

I loved spending time traveling, but I also really really enjoyed relaxing in a different environment. I was able to talk to my brother and Sonja. I also met Sonja's parents. They don't speak English very well. Her dad knows a little, but Sonja had to translate most of what we were saying. Her mother also cooked us an authentic German dinner on Friday. It was so good!! I officially love kanoodles! I also got to play with Jolie. She is so cute and very well behaved. I also met one of Kyle's colleagues and his wife, plus their dog Molly. We had so much fun the entire time. I wouldn't have traded that weekend for anything!!!

busy week ahead...

So, I talked to my brother and he is okay with Mel and I coming to visit. I am beyond excited right now!! We leave on Wednesday and will be there through Sunday. He has already planned most of our time, which is fine with me. Wednesday night we are supposed to go to dinner with he and Sonja. On Thursday he is going to take us to the train station and we are going to spend the day in Nuremburg. I researched the town a little bit, so that I would have some sort of an idea as to what we would be seeing during the day. It is a very historic town and should be an interesting day! Friday, Sonja and her parents are coming down to stay for the weekend. Sonja's mother is planning on making an authentic German dinner for everyone. On Saturday, the plan is to spend the day in Munich and then Sunday we fly back. I am really looking forward to this trip. I can't wait to see Kyle; I haven't seen him in a year and a half!! Plus, I get to meet Sonja and her parents, not to mention Jolie. Jolie is Kyle's baby: his dog. There are so many things I am looking forward to on this trip.

On top of getting excited for Germany, in two and a half hours I will be on my way to Stonehenge! I've been looking up information about the site and the town nearby that we will be visiting, Avebury. Both of them have so much historical value. It's so cool to be able to see things here that are so old and so important in the history of the world. Even though I am not from the UK, my ancestors were here at some point. That makes seeing all of this places that much more fascinating. Speaking of family, I am really hoping to find out where my mother's family was from in Ireland. I really want to go there and see where they lived. That would have to be the coolest thing that I could do while I am overseas.

Another positice thing, I figured out how to charge my point and shoot digital camera. It does require me to sit on the floor, lean against my chair and hold the plug-ins together with my foot, though. It's worth it, so I don't mind so much...lol

yellow submarine...

So, I never had really listened to the words of The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" before yesterday. I think I have listened to the song at least 3 times tonight, too. It is actually really good. I have The Beatles' cd 1 and it's pretty good, too. I started listening to it on Sunday night when I was working on my essay on the 1960s. I also downloaded some The Kinks. I really dig them and want to download more of their stuff, but have been told not to download on this wireless network. Supposedly, the school will kick you off the network. I don't believe it. In fact, I am going to try downloading now.......Well, I've already downloaded three songs and counting. We'll see if anything happens. I bet they don't want people downloading because it takes up too much bandwidth. It's late, though, and hardly anyone is on, so I bet it will not be a big deal. If it is, then I'll stop. If I can download music, I will be so happy. I need some new music to listen to. Plus, I want to keep up with the American new releases. Jack Johnson is coming out with a new cd. The Audition just releases a new cd, Champion, at the end of January. I can't think of anything else I want to get right now, but I'm sure there will be tons, especially new British music. I've already heard some pretty good stuff out in the clubs.

Before I continue with music chat, I want to do a little list of things for people not to forget when they come to Swansea next year and the years to come after. First, bring a bath towell and shower shoes. You can buy them here, but probably not on the first day and after you've travelled for 10+ hours, you're going to want to take a nice hot shower! You don't need to bring a converter/adapter. You can if you want, but you can buy one at the market inside the Quadrant Center. I tell you this, because I went three weeks without my laptop or anything else electronic. It took us forever to find the right kind of plug. Remember, the market's little electronic shop will have what you need. Waterproof shoes would be helpful, but not necessary. Don't use the bedding they give you. You are better off not paying them 25 pounds for an uncomfortable duvet. You might as well go to town, to either Wilkinsons or Woolworths and buy a bedding set. It will look better in your bare room and will most definitely be more comfortable. It probably won't cost you as much either. Girls ad guys: bring clothes to go out. Even if you are not a major partier, you will go out. It's inevitable here because it is just part of the culture. You need to experience it and in order to that you will need clothes and shoes. When you pick out your classes ahead of time at home, don't expect them to offer those classes. I didn't get a single one of the classes I wanted here. I am taking interesting courses, but not what I had anticipated. Be ready to adjust. Oh yeah, try not to lose your keys and student id card in the same week. It cost me 25 pounds. :( I'm sure I will think of more helpful hints, but for now, that's all I have.

Back to the music... I downloaded some Kinks and it's pretty good. I needed something new. it's 60s British rock music and I like it. Now, I am looking for The Audition.

Other than music thoughts, I have some thoughts about my flatmates. (Sidenote: I know that I am supposed to be using this for class credit, but I figure if I can't be honest then what's the point in reflecting on my experience here?!) That said, I like them most of the time. However, there are times when I seriously won't go out of my room almost all day just to avoid them. They are loud all the time. I know that I can be loud, too, but not all the time. I am very much a person that needs quiet time during the day. It's weird, too, because sometimes they get on my nerves with their childish antics. I say that is weird, because they are all older than me, I think. Either way, they are all either older or just about the same age. I could more understand and deal with it if they were 18 year old Welsch students spending just their second semester away from Mummy and Daddy. That's not the case. They are all American and old enough to know better. I mean, they buy toys and ohh and ahhh over them for hours. Maybe I am overexaggerating a little bit, but not very much. They are loud and they do buy toys. They leave other flatmates out of trips and dinners. It's like they just didn't get the memo about manners. I was raised to always ask people to join in on community things, like dinners and whatnot. To me, it is just second nature. I guess it will just take some getting used to, but I am not sure how the next four months are going to go. It will be interesting to say the least.

It will be especially interesting if I cannot sleep at night. I am writing this at 20 minutes until 3 in the morning. I slept most of the day because last night our call buzzer kept going off. It is broken and sounds like an animal being beaten. I was woken up by it at 1:00 in the morning yesterday and couldn't get back to sleep. The night before I worked on my essay for four straight hours, then watch forty minutes of the Superbowl, left the bar and cam back to the flat. That was Sunday night, which turned into Monday morning when I didn't get to sleep until 5 in the morning. For the last three nights I have not gone out, yet I cannot sleep. Tonight, I have plans to go out, but will probably be so tired that I either won't go or will have to call it an early night. I don't have class Wednesday or Thursday, so we'll see.

Planning trips

So, my flatmates are in the kitchen nailing down their plans for Spring Break. I cannot wait, but have yet to finalize anything. There are so many places that I want to go, but other people want to go other places. I have already been to a lot of the places they want to visit. I want to go to more of Eastern Europe, while their main goals are the main attractions, like Rome and Paris. I've been and don't really want to go back to Paris. I would like to go back to Rome, though. I'm pretty sure that I would rather skip Paris and spend more time in Ireland. Then, after school is out I plan to go where I want. Next week, me and two other girls are planning to go to Germany to stay with my brother. That should be fun. He is only about two hours from the Swiss Alps and about four from Prague. I hope we get to hit both of those places. That would be amazing! My ideas for after school are to go to Istanbul, Belgium, The Netherlands, and maybe Spain. I would also really like to go to Ukraine, but am not sure if that will work out. I just love traveling and would really love to go everywhere! I know that is unrealistic, but a girl can dream, right!? I also need to get down to business on putting together my proposal for the Mueller Fellowship. I came up with a couple ideas last night. Here is the first. Basically, I would stay with my brother photographing his life in Germany. I think it would be cool to show the people back home and in Carlinville that someone from a small town in rural Illinois can make a life for himself in another country halfway across the world. Another idea, somewhat along the same lines is to photograph Alison and Stacey, my sisters, in their daily lives. Again, I would be showing people back home how two young women made lives for themselves outside the cornfields of Illinois. They are successful women and I think it would be really interesting for a lot of people to see what they have made of themselves. My other idea is to take a course at the International Center for Photography, advancing my photographic knowledge and skills. I also considered just travleing and taking photos of people in their natural habitats, specifically in Ukraine or Istanbul. If you are reading this, please take a few moments to give me some feedback on these ideas or suggestions. Thanks!

Essays and Sleeping

So, I am pretty sure that I am sick. Yesterday I slept most of the day. I think I got up at three in the afternoon and today I slept for 13 hours, more or less all the way through, getting up just twenty minutes ago at five o'clock. It may not even be that I am sick, just run down. My body is just tired and I have not been listening to it when it wants to go to sleep. Instead, I have been staying up late with friends. I have an essay due tomorrow at noon. I have yet to start writing it, but have the books that I need. Hopefully, it won't take me too terribly long. The requirement is 3,500 words with 1.5 spacing. I'm not quite sure how many pages 3,500 words is, but my paper is on politics and music during the 1960s. That means going through the chronology of what happened politically, then adding in what the musicians had to ssay in regards to politicians and policies. I have decided to look at The Kinks and maybe the Beatles. It is hard to pick out the Beatles' political statements within their music. The Kinks are much easier to read, plus their music is really good. I like the Beatles, but the Kinks are new to me, so it is fun to listen to them. Well, I should probably get going on my paper.

library adventures...eek!

First of all, I woke up today with almost no voice. Last night I went to Woody's for a couple hours with my friends. We just hung out and talked. It was a good time, even though we did decide not to go out to town. We decided tonight would be a better choice. So, I got back to my flat and hung out with Dan for a while. We stayed up just talking and it was nice. I haven't really gotten to just sit and talk with a guy for a while. He seems to be a pretty honest, trustworthy friend. I miss my guy friends from back home because it is just different to be able to talk to a guy versus a girl. I'm not trying to be mean, but talking to other girls can just get annoying after a while. Too much estrogen and talk about boys can get on a person's nerves. That said, we had a good conversation about life, music and past crazy experiences. I was surprised that I told him some of the stuff I did, because one thing that I told him I have only told one other person. Sometimes I have trouble trusting people and it just seemes so easy to trust him. I really hope I didn't make a mistake by talking to him about certain things. I would write what those things are, but like I said, I have only told one other person. It's kind of personal.

Getting back to today... I woke up with barely any voice and no sore throat. I didn't yell or talk a lot last night, so I am not real sure as to why my voice has gone and disappeared on me. Either way, it is getting better as the day goes on. I made some soup and then headed to the campus library. I still am lacking a powwer cord for my computer, but will hopefully have one ordered by Friday when I go to London. Using the library's computers is not bad, just inconvenient. This is something that I have noticed about myself; things are very convenient back home. Here, I am running on a different system, one that is not tailored to my wants. It is definitely taking some adjusting. I had to come to the library to do some research for essay, too. I have four books as of right now and I almost got lost trying to find one of them. The library is much bigger than little Lumpkin. It has multiple floors with multiple wings and is just bigger. I do have my books, though, so I am in good shape. My essay is due on Monday and needs to be 3,500 words long. The topic is the change in politics and the change in music and how the two are related throughout the 1960s. I think it should be an interesting paper to write, figuring that I love music and am learning more each day about politics.

I need to work on my essay this afternoon, all day tomorrow and then finish it up on Saturday and Sunday. I won't be able to work on it Friday due to my trip to London. It is kind of bad timing, but that is okay. We will have fun in London and I will just work extra hard to get my paper done on time.

One last thing...I just got an email today from Rusty saying that he has resigned from BC. I am pretty sure that I almost cried. I really owe credit to him for a lot of the knowledge I have gained over the past three years. He has pushed me to get better at what I do and manage my time better. I will never forget the day I told him my mom had passed away the night before. He didn't even hesitate to get up and give me a hug, which I needed desperately. Also, I know that he was always there for me no matter what. I really will miss him and am sad to see him leave before I get back.

He talks so fast!!

So, one class down, one to go. My Popular Music and the Mass Media class went well today, despite the fact that the professor speaks fast. Not only does he speak fast, he is British. To say the least, he is not extremely easy to understand. I got through it alright, though. The information is really interesting and I'm really glad that I didn't miss class this morning. I almost missed the bus, getting up just in time at 9:30. My class is at 10:00. I guess that's what happens when you hit the snooze button the morning after going out. I did have fun last night, though, so it was worth the rush this morning. Last night kicked off what they call 'Refreshers Week.' It is basically the first week back with events planned each night. You might think that these events would be wholesome and helpful to new students adjusting. No. it is seven crazy nights of dressing up and going out to the bars and clubs. Last night was Superheo night at Jak's. Even though it was a great time with my flatmates and friends, it is still hard grasping the idea that the school promotes drinking. They do promote responsible drinking, so that is good. It is still so different! Different is good. I am really liking life here at Swansea Uni. I do know that at this point I need to get more organized and manage my time well. With only two classes on Monday and Tuesday, I am going to have a lot of free time. I've already decided to sign up for the student-run volunteer organization, Discovery. This shouls be a good way for me to spend more of my free time constructively. That is the goal constructive projects and lots of traveling and meeting new people. This semester should be fun!

Looking back..the past 2 weeks

So, I've been here for a little over two weeks and it seems like I've been here for a month, at least. Overall, I would have to say that the experience has been pretty good thus far. There have, of course, been some bumps in the road and definately some culture shocks, too! First off, the good: great friends, good pre-sessional course, amazing scenery, different from home, cute British accents, baguettes, flatmates, Bath, the Gower, a kitchen, and probably a lot of other stuff. The not-so-good: no regular computer use, waiting for the bus, pre-sessional essay due next week, feeling like an idiot when calling items by American names and British people having no idea what you are saying, prawn crisps(yuck!), too much money spent on Wind Street, lost my keys, lost my student ID card, and plenty of other things, but they really don't matter. Even though the list of bad things is longer than the good, the good most definately outweigh the bad. I would choose a difference is lifestyle and new friends combined with amazing photo opportunities over regular internet access and comfortability any day! Some people would think this is weird, but becauseyou know me you know that is just me. I've decided that I might as well make the most out of this opportunity...even if that means feeling like "a dumb American" sometimes. I think one of the biggest culture shocks has been the fact that I don't fit in here..not that I stand out in a bad way, but this is not my home..this is not a small town where I know everyone. I have met a lot of people, though. One night I walked into the bar in the village, and at least 4 people said my name almost the minute I walked in. The two people I went with didn't know anyone is there except myself and each other. I kind of felt bad for them, but then I realized that I was getting out there more than most American students and meeting people- American, English, British, Welsch, German, French, Italian. You name the country, I've met someone who lives there. Well, not everywhere, but you get the point.

Meeting a lot of new people also comes with its problems. Some people might not like other people or I may want to hang out with one group, but they completely clash with another group. I figure those people can sort that out themselves. I love having friends from all walks of life. I mean, here I have a guy friend who dyed half his hair pink and listens to rock and punk music, like me. The guy who lives across the hall from him, I know him, too. He listens to Rap and Hip-Hop and is from South Africa. I am friends with him, too. One of Janny's flatmates is a big John Mayer friend and is going to medical school next year. We get along, too. One of my flatmates, Dan, listens to all kinds of music and loves movies. We will always have things to talk about. There are so many more people that I have met, but can't think of right now. I'm pretty sure that my brain is on overload at this point, with names and faces and places to go. I love it, though. There are always people around and with classes starting, I think it is only going to get more hectic. I'm alright with that, though, because I know that if I need a quiet moment I can just lock myself in my room or take a walk through Singleton Park near campus. I did that on Sunday and it helped a lot. I left my flat with only my keys, mobile, hat, and my camera. It was probably one of the best days here so far. I was by myself and had time to think and relax without someone talking to me or asking me to go out to town. It was great!

Aside from the overwhelmingness (not a word?) of the whole situation here in Swansea, things are going good. I've traveled to the Gower Peninsula, Bath, and this weekend Janny and I are headed to London. I bought tickets for a Paramore concert and booked our hostel yesterday. I am excited to see the city sites and just be in London. I've wanted to go for quite some time, so it should be fun. We also have a trip planned to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day and then we are heading to Galway to stay with Anna for a few days. Our spring break will continue from there, to London, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and then back to Swansea.

I should probably get to work on my essay. Classes start tomorrow for me with a course on Popular Music and the Mass Media. I had a class today, but missed it due to the craziness of registration. My Monday class will be a course on the Vietnam War: Literature, Reportage, and Film. I didn't get the classes I wanted, but these two should be interesting. Alright, I really do have to go work on my essay.....

Finding Miner's Library

Right now I am at the library in the Student Village... and believe you me, it was quite a hike to get here... It is around the corner, up a hill on a sidewalk, around another corner the other way..then up a huge hill where a large building sits- that building is on my s-list because I thought it was the library only to have someone outside crush that hope, by telling me that the library was actually around another turn and up yet another hill, this one steeper...ugh! I finally made it here..checked my email..then had to go back down the hills to get my laundry out of the dryer which is not in my building...no, that would be too easy..it is down a muddy path, across a stream, through a small alleyway..past the bus stop..and then to the laundrette, which is coincidentally underneath the student bar...yes, there is a bar within the student village.. SO...Basically this place is crazy, completely different from anything I've ever known, yet absolutely amazing at the same time!! LOL... I really do love it here.. the people are great, the landscape is beautiful, minus the rain.. but even the rain is nice.. I know, I know, you're saying 'but Reagan, you don't like rain!' This is tru, but there is something different about the rain here.. It just is. It is not as much of an inconvenience here as it is at home..it's a funny thing..ya know, how something you don't even like turns out to be quite nice in another setting.

finding my flat

I was told that I lived in flat 143. Easy enough, right? I had no idea where I was going, but I figured that I would find it eventually. I walked out of the office with a key and without a clue. I decided to take shortcut, in between two buildings and down a dirt path. Did I mention that it was raining already? Apparently, I got here in the middle of one of the worst rainy seasons in Welsch history. I trekked down the path, across a quick paced stream, with a bridge, of course. I look ahead, to the right, then to the left seeing building that all looked the same. I started to get a little worried that maybe it was not going to be as easy as I thought. Tricia H. had decided to join me down the shortcut. I looked at her and she asked, " What flat did you say you were in?" I said "143." As though it was as easy 2+2, she looked at me with a silly face and pointed to the left, "There you are." I felt kind of dumb, but I knew that would probably happen a lot here, being uninformed and out of my comfort zone. She was up the road a bit, so we said goodbye and decided to meet up later. I pulled both of suitcases into the building, leaving one downstairs and carrying the other up three flights of stairs. As I came up the last bit of stairs, there were two people talking in an open doorway. They introduced themselves as Carrie and Cliff. Carrie is my flatmate and from New Mexico. Cliff is from Mississippi and lives downstairs, I think. He may live on our floor, but I don't know. I keyed into my room, only to be met by the contents of a dorm room. I was a little surprised by the nakedness of the room, but not sure why. I guess I had imagined the rooms to be nicer, bigger, different. The room is fine..a bed, wardrobe, desk, bookcase, night stand, and two chairs. I brought my other suitcase upstairs, rearranged my room, then unpacked. I had wanted to take a nap, but instead I showered and went downtown with Carrie, Janette(from California), Doug(lives downstairs, from America), Tricia H., Cliff, Ann(lives downstairs, from France), Sonja(lives downstairs, from Germany) and Farydeh(lives downstairs, from Wales/Ireland). We went to a local pub, where the range of people was amazing. There were old men, women in their thirties and guys that looked 16. I hope they weren't, because you have to be 18. ;) That in itself has been a big shock, the ability to go to a bar, pub, or night club. I am 2 1/2 months away from being 21, but here it makes no difference. I did not realize how much it would surprise me to be able to walk up to the bar and order a Foster's, without being told no or even carded. Yes, I ordered my first beer in Wales the first night I arrived, at a pub called The Potter's Wheel. It felt good to be able to sit back, relax and just hang out with my new friends. The night went well, with a somewhat inexpensive cab ride back around 1 in the morning. I knew I would be tired the next morning for the American Studies field trip to the coast. Oh well, I guess that's the price I will pay for a little fun and flatmate bonding!

getting to Swansea

Leaving Blackburn's campus on Thursday morning was not as hard as I thought it would be. For the previous three weeks or so I had been trying to prepare myself for the moment when I had to say goodbye to my dad in Ludlum's parking lot. As much as I want to say that it was heart-wrenching to leave my family, friends, co-workers and the whole lot of Blackburn's campus community, it wasn't. Even writing that seems weird and slightly wrong, but I know that I was ready for a change in scenery and lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I love Blackburn. The school and the people are probably two of the best things that have ever happenned to me, but when I got the chance to leave the small towns of Girard and Carlinville, I jumped, with almost zero hesitations, at the opportunity! I say almost zero hesitations, because going to a foreign place requires some hesitation. I would've been worried had I not been a little scared to come to Wales. I spent the night before packing and that is when it really hit me that I was leaving..for six months! That same day I also found out that I would be going by myself. My best friend was supposed to come, but could not due to medical reasons at the last minute. We had been planning this trip since freshman year, when we met in an art class. To say the least, I was bummed that she was not coming. However, we had already talked about that possibilty. She told me to go, no matter what. I thank her for that, because if she had been angry with me for going without her, I may not have left. I know now that I would have regretted that my whole life....These are the thoughts that came and went as I traveled through rural southern Illinois on my way to Lambert Airport. By the time I reached St. Louis, just about every negative and positive thought had come and gone through my mind. Now, it was time to board the plane that would take me to New York's JFK Airport. I was so anxious to get to New York, one step closer to the UK, but once I got there I knew that it would be another four hours before my plane left. I spent that time getting lunch, watching people rush about in the terminal and trying to get my laptop connected to the free WiFi. I had no luck, only frustration. Finally the flight attendant spoke the words I had been waiting for, "We are now boarding passengers in section H for flight 1 to London." I slung my camera bag over my shoulder and quickly picked up my backpack. I couldn't wait to get to London!...Hours and hours and hours later, after several not-so-good naps, a typical airline dinner and a crabby seatmate, the plane landed in London. Just as I was getting off the plane, I heard two girls behind me talking about their housing assignments at Swansea. I turned and said, "Hey. Are you both going to Swansea?" Their eyes lit up and they said they were and asked me if I was. We exchanged names, shook hands and decided to travel by train together from London to Swansea. I was thrilled, because I was really nervous about trying to figure out the trains to Swansea. Now, I wasn't alone. After going through customs and baggage claim, we bought our train tickets and headed to the platform. Our wait was only about 30 minutes. Once we boarded the train, we all let out a little sigh of relief.. We were actually on our way to Swansea! We switched trains in Reading(pronounced like Redding) and then settled in for another couple hours of train travel. While waiting in Reading, I met two more students coming to Swansea. Now, I was traveling with four girls, all from the same college- UNC Wilmington. Coincidentally, two of them are named Tricia, the other two being called Lucy and Janny. Each pair contained one Tricia and neither group knew each other. I guess, that's what happenns when you go to a school with more than 600 hundred students. Several people came and went throughout our journey. One women was constantly talking on her mobile (cell phone) making it difficult to nap. I was able to watch the countryside fly by as our train bustled towards Swansea. The train got into Swansea's station a little after 7 in the morning on Friday, but we still weren't there yet. We all grabbed up our luggage and headed outside to catch a taxi. With so much luggage and five people, we had to split up. Since they were already in pairs I decided to link up with another student who was also headed to Swansea, Jesseb from Colorado. We rode through the town, halfway admiring the local people walking beside their squished houses, or flats. We were both so tired to even really care what was going on. All I knew was that I was almost to home, at least for the next six months. The taxi pulled up next to the Superintendant's office. We pulled our luggage along with us, went inside to get our keys, then parted ways, each of us anxious to see where we would be living.