ooh oh! Livin' on a prayer! (I couldn't resist, if you know me, you'll understand).
This is it, pretty much the halfway point of my big adventure. I cannot believe how quickly this whole thing has come around, honestly it is utter madness! I'm really proud of how I have coped and managed to do this and so grateful to all those who have helped me and stuck with me. All the bad bits are completely worth it for the amazing parts.
I'm going to split this post into two sections: home and Texas and have a reflective look on both.
Home
I miss it, I do, everyday but I don't want to be there, I want to be in Texas and am so happy that I am. I hate that I am away from friends, family, my cat! All of my comforts, English food, my bed, the ability to walk places and not have the pavement stop halfway through, my church, hugs, cheerleading, nights of dancing and laughing. But I can and am going back to all of that and have no plans to leave it for significant amount of time again! So why dwell on it all? That is all still ticking along just fine across the pond and I can hop right into it as soon as I am back.
So many of my friends and family have been absolutely incredible and making sure I know I'm not forgotten or left out as I mentioned, two blogs ago (http://laurameetsworld13.blogspot.com/2014/10/friends-faith-and-missing-freshers.html). Going to Keele from Liverpool began to show who was really there for me and who wanted to be there with me as we all grow, change and find ourselves while studying for a degree. Now, coming all this way to Texas I feel I have been completely shown. I know who is there and I love them all for being there still. I really admire the maturity of our relationships that each of can go off and do things anywhere, for any amount of time and yet we've still got each other's backs, we're still there. I am really proud of and so incredibly grateful for that.
This is it, pretty much the halfway point of my big adventure. I cannot believe how quickly this whole thing has come around, honestly it is utter madness! I'm really proud of how I have coped and managed to do this and so grateful to all those who have helped me and stuck with me. All the bad bits are completely worth it for the amazing parts.
I'm going to split this post into two sections: home and Texas and have a reflective look on both.
Home
I miss it, I do, everyday but I don't want to be there, I want to be in Texas and am so happy that I am. I hate that I am away from friends, family, my cat! All of my comforts, English food, my bed, the ability to walk places and not have the pavement stop halfway through, my church, hugs, cheerleading, nights of dancing and laughing. But I can and am going back to all of that and have no plans to leave it for significant amount of time again! So why dwell on it all? That is all still ticking along just fine across the pond and I can hop right into it as soon as I am back.
So many of my friends and family have been absolutely incredible and making sure I know I'm not forgotten or left out as I mentioned, two blogs ago (http://laurameetsworld13.blogspot.com/2014/10/friends-faith-and-missing-freshers.html). Going to Keele from Liverpool began to show who was really there for me and who wanted to be there with me as we all grow, change and find ourselves while studying for a degree. Now, coming all this way to Texas I feel I have been completely shown. I know who is there and I love them all for being there still. I really admire the maturity of our relationships that each of can go off and do things anywhere, for any amount of time and yet we've still got each other's backs, we're still there. I am really proud of and so incredibly grateful for that.
(Slightly different context, but I could not deny myself the indulgence of a Harry Potter quote)
Texas
This part is called Texas, but I really could be calling it 'my home away from home' or something equally as corny that still represents my adoration for the UK while acknowledging my comfort in the Lone Star State, USofA.
Everybody here, in one way or another has been so incredibly welcoming and an absolute gem at making me feel at home. I have an amazing church with Chi Alpha, my small group is full of really great girls who don't treat me any differently because I am newcomer. I couldn't have gone there without being taken by my flatmate Gabby, which brings me to how fantastic my flatmates are. We all have our things to get on and do but we still band together to decorate our door for Halloween, organising a cleaning schedule, chill and chat around the kitchen, usually ending in comparing English and Americanisms. I feel really looked after by them.
My teachers have been fantastically understanding when I have struggled to get to grips with certain ways of the American system, they let me write in English English for my essays - yay! And they are never shy to pick on me in class to answer questions from an English perspective - much love to the Scottish referendum for aiding that. That has really helped my classmates talk to me though, as soon as it is made a 'thing' that I am English then want to chat about it and some of them have even heard of Doctor Who!
Yes, it's disappointing that the Ebola scare has not been handled, in my opinion, well enough to make me feel safe going to Dallas and spending the day on public transport but oh well! I'll have to save that trip for next because I will definitely be coming back.
Yes, it's disappointing that the Ebola scare has not been handled, in my opinion, well enough to make me feel safe going to Dallas and spending the day on public transport but oh well! I'll have to save that trip for next because I will definitely be coming back.
It's shocked me how quickly this halfway mark has come around and it kind of scares me that sometime will probably come around just as quickly even though I am looking forward to returning to my home, I will miss it here and I'm still urging to make the most of it. Thankfully, my parents are visiting next week so I will get a little combination of home and Texas to keep me going. I would recommend to anyone who does something like study abroad to do there best to have at least one visit or direct contact with someone from home, I can imagine it will help loads. I will let you know how it goes in my next blog post!
Don't hesitate to ask me anything about my experience and I'll be sure to answer, it may even inspire a post. Till next time!
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