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A Year On…
It’s been a while since I last posted and a while since I returned from the US. I left this time for a reason, to give me time to reflect. Coming back from the US at first was quite a strange experience, I felt in the first few weeks quite lost and not sure what to do with myself or where I fit in (I was away for 10 months without coming home). But gradually as the summer passed I found my place again and settled in. Starting university again in September was definitely scary, it felt like starting first year all over again, not knowing teachers or students very…
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Desert Times
I had the Friday off and a friend staying, so we decided to take a trip. I left for lectures on Thursday and gave him the instructions: ‘You organise it, I don’t mind where we go’. I arrived home later that day to a twinkle in the eye and a whisper of future riches…..’Vegas’. We hot-tailed it across the desert, passing from oasis to oasis, confused by rich, middle-aged white America’s idea of retirement bliss (desert restaurants and golf courses). Gradually the highway filled out and road signs started to advertise casinos and cheap motels — universal signifiers of good times and general happiness.
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San Diego – where to go
San Diego is a very strange city. Like most American cities it’s so big that it is divided in to various areas, however what’s unique about San Diego is that they are all (so conveniently for a non-driver) separated by freeways (rejoice! American’s love cars! more roads – why not?!). That said, some of the areas are really cool, with each having their own ~vibe~…so here’s a breakdown: North Park – probably one of my favourite parts of San Diego, sadly its not near the beach, but it resembles areas like the Northern Quarter the most. Full of nice cafes/bars, breweries, book and vintage shops its a good place to hang…
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Off-Campus v. On-Campus
There are certainly some things worth considering when deciding where to live when studying abroad, and these are definitely some things I didn’t consider when I made my decision. Coming from Manchester we are lucky enough to be at a university that is so amazingly integrated right in to the city centre that at time we often take for granted how easy it is for us to get around and see the city itself. When coming to America, and having chosen to attend a campus university I completely forgot about this as a factor when deciding where to live. I applied, and was lucky enough to be accepted to…
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Cool Stuff
I’m hopelessly behind on ‘blogging’ my year abroad mostly because you want to wait for the perfect moment when you’ve done enough stuff you feel like you have something to write about, then suddenly you’ve done loads and have lots to write about but don’t know what to say…
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Post-election California
I was reluctant to write a blog so soon after the election results as most of what I would have written would have been centred on anger, confusion and disbelief. This post has a slightly less cheery notion to it, however I think its one of the most important things that will happen to America whilst I’m here so it would selfish of me not to write about it. The dust has now settled and as America slowly prepares itself for a major shift in its political outlook I can see some of the effects its already having. Being at UCSD I’ve been in a sort of liberal bubble protecting…
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Welcome to San Diego
I’ve been in San Diego for two weeks and the first thing one notices on the West Coast of America is how tanned everyone is. It’s not your accent that stands out; it’s sitting on the beach looking like a ghost (humble brag, humble brag, I’ve already lost count of how many times I’ve been to the beach). The weather here is amazing; holding back the urge to Snapchat every sunset has become a daily struggle. And in true English spirit I have also managed to complain about being too hot on almost every occasion.
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
