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.....