There's No Place Like Home

I'm sorry for the late post but these last two weeks have flown by. Everything picked up speed but I was reminded by a few people about my blog and that I should have a "return to America" blog. Sorry no pictures!

Leaving

Sad. Sad. Sad. I never really got emotional leaving the states nor did I really feel sad about being away from Wichita. I think it's because I had the reassurance of knowing I would be back to those places and people again. Which is why leaving Chester was more difficult. My friends walked me to the train station and said goodbyes - possibly being the last time I see some of them, or at least the last time I ever see all of them together. As much as I would love to see them again, I'm realistic in knowing that life picks up and goes and an opportunity like this may never pass my way again. 

I boarded the train from Chester to Manchester, slept in the airport for a few hours overnight, then left England on June 15 at 6:30am. The countless memories flowed through my head my entire 17 hour trip home (except when I was sleeping). I was graciously received by my family in the airport and Lilli dressed up as Dorthy with a sign that read, "There's No Place Like Home." So what feast do I, the prodigal son, eat on my return? Texas Roadhouse of course. 

A Few Differences

Like I said at the beginning of this post, things really picked up after I returned. In England I was use to a much slower pace and a lot less responsibilities but that all changed immediately after I landed in America. My first sign was Americans jogging off of the plane to get around the airport. I've noticed a few subtle differences that I could classify as "reverse culture shock". While in the airport in Chicago I decided to get a Starbucks cappuccino which was $4.50 (don't judge me, I had a gift card). I almost questioned the girl at the counter when she told me my total was $4.98. I forgot that tax isn't included over here like it is in Europe. Another difference I've noticed is my use of cell phone. Even though upon my return I got an iPhone because my contract was up, I don't use my phone like I did before I left. I had a dumb phone in England that might have sent out 100 texts so I've been far less attentive to my phone and texting. Although I must say, having internet on a phone is quite a convenience. Driving wasn't a big deal after not doing it for so long. I have yet to drive on the left side of the road like they do in England so we're all clear there. I miss trains though! Lastly, when I would meet up with people in groups, they might talk about things that happened in the last five months and I would just listen because I wasn't really a part of it. In some respects I felt a little secluded because in five months these friends had stories that I had no impact or part in - and at the same time, my stories had no major part that they were in. 

Back in the Swing

Of all the people I was excited to see, meeting one was what I looked forward to most. My new niece and God-daughter Ava brought a smile to my face as I walked to her in the airport upon my arrival. I was able to hold her for the first time at Texas Roadhouse. Children are too cool. I was blessed to see both sets of grandparents within four days of my return as well as dozens of friends since. I started working at the Newman Center at Wichita State as the Student Life Coordinator. Basically I'll be helping plan different events and try to introduce people to the Newman Center and the events that are going on. I started reading Les Miserables before I left England and I'm still trying to work through that beast of a book. 

My Next 8 Days

For the next four days I'll be in Los Angeles with a friend from the Newman Center. Three days will be spent at a youth Eucharistic conference and the other day we plan to look around a bit. I will fly out this afternoon! Then 8 days from now I plan to cross off "skydiving" from my bucket list. My brother and I will make the jump on Saturday, July 7 - I'm looking forward to the biggest adrenaline rush of my life!

Looking Back 

In my time abroad, I've been challenged and inspired unlike any other time in my life. I attribute a lot of my growth and maturity to that wonderful experience. I'm sure I will continue to find things that will have been impacted by my time abroad and I know that a lot of those finding have a special story to go with them. I'm not really certain what I want to do with my life yet. When I left, I thought I had an idea of what I would do, when I would graduate, and where I would be. But now, I really couldn't tell you. And I'm okay with that. In England I would find myself having great clarity on certain subjects - potentially leading to confusion on others. But I have found peace in knowing that I am beyond blessed in what I have been able to do and accomplish and I look forward to whatever adventures await me in the future. To anyone wondering if they should do study abroad... If you have the means to do it, don't wonder. Do it! Studying abroad has been the must enriching experience in my life thus far and I cannot begin to count the numerous blessings I've received from it. 

I would like to conclude with two things: a thank you and a list. Thank you to everyone who helped, encouraged, and supported me along the way. It's because of you that I can make these lists...

Top 5 Things I Learned

1. Don't be afraid to take chances. Even if it goes wrong, you end up with a fun story. 

2. Take advantage of opportunities before they pass you up.

3. We are so blessed. Never forget that there are hundreds of millions of people in the world with less than you.

4. Planning is important. Otherwise you won't have a place to sleep on St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland. 

5. Give people a chance. They might surprise you once you really talk to them.

Top 5 Materials I Missed in America

1. My bed. Although now I sleep way too long in it. 

2. TV. I've come to live without it but I missed watching the news or my fix of Colbert.

3. My wardrobe. Living off of two bags of clothing gets repetitive (but don't forget #3 from the list above). 

4. Lawn Mower. England has such green grass and it was taunting me. I missed mowing. 

5. Free utilities. Washing and drying were expected expenses that got tiring but paying for restrooms?!

5 Things I've Picked Up (no order because they're so different and hard to categorize)

1. Bob Dylan is now my #1 artist. I didn't see that coming. Sorry MJ.

2. I read now. Or at least I try to find more time for it. 

3. I look up world news more. America isn't the only country out there.

4. Appreciation of different professions. Archaeology class isn't as Indiana Jones as I wanted it to be. 

5. Changed perspectives. You only know what you surround yourself with - get out a little!

Top 5 Places I Visited

1. Rome, Italy. Churches, Churches, Churches. 

2. Highlands, Scotland. So many inside jokes with our group of 8 that went to go with such beautiful scenery. 

3. London, England. I spent nearly two weeks in London. A ton to do there and now I'm excited for the Olympics!

4. Paris, France. Paris was made even more amazing with Good Friday and Holy Saturday masses in Notre Dame.

5. Zermatt, Switzerland. Switzerland is expensive but seeing the Matterhorn Mountain and hiking were favorites.

Top 5 Things I Liked About Chester

1. The people are pretty incredible.

2. History. The city was enclosed by Roman walls, has the largest British amphitheater, and a 1000 year old cathedral. 

3. Perfect size. Big enough for amenities but small enough that there's not a lot of tourism.

4. St. Werburgh's Church. I just love Fr. Paul. 

5. The University (the reason I went on study abroad) wasn't too bad either.

Top 5 Pieces of Advice to Future Study Abroad Students

1. Apply early and push to get through the process.

2. Be open to new things!

3. Know that things will be different wherever you go. Try to realize that they're not weird, they're different.

4. Go with the flow. Watch other people and try not to stick out too much. Although Americans can be easy to spot.

5. Don't wait. This applies to anything. I know I wouldn't have been able to do half the travelling I did if I waited.

I don't guarantee that these are all in the best ranking order. I'm sure over time I will see a couple that exchange places but nonetheless, they made the list!

Thanks for following my blog!

Closing Time

This will be by far the smallest blog post I've written but I figured that two weeks without one and my return on Friday merits a post. 

To sum up my last two weeks.. my parents came to London on June 2 and I spent the week with them before they returned home on June 9. We toured a half dozen museums, rode the London Eye, walked in the historic Westminster Abbey and Tower of London, and watched two Broadway shows (Jersey Boys and Les Miserables). A fun bonus to London at the time was the celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. We lined the Thames River with 1.2 million others to see the royal family float down the river in the river pageant. We also got to make a day trip to Bath and then the parents came up to see me in Chester for a day.

Mom and me on the London Eye with Westminster behind us

The river Avon in Bath

Dad and me in Chester

I stayed in London a few days after my parents left and saw three more shows, Billy Elliot, Thriller Live, and Rock of Ages. Needless to say, these three shows were nothing in comparison to the other two I saw the week prior. My last English travels were from London down to Brighton in the South of England. A rocky beach and a rainy day awaited me there!

Trafalgar Square, London

Brighton's beach

Now it’s time for packing, enjoying the company of my friends, and savoring my last days in England. I’m ready to be home, but at the same time, I don’t want to leave this place. The people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve been blessed with are some of the fondest memories I've had in my life. Not ready for the goodbyes!

Southern England and the Olympic Torch

Last Wednesday Brian and I went to the southeast corner of England, spending two nights in Dover. The town of Dover didn't have a lot going for it but the natural beauty of the white cliffs was its redeeming grace. I spent probably 8 hours walking along the top of the cliffs and also had a chance to walk to the ocean shore below. On Thursday, we went to Canterbury in the morning to see the cathedral made famous by St. Augustine, the murder of Thomas Beckett, and consequently Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Canterbury Cathedral

The white cliffs of Dover

The next three nights we stayed in a hostel on the south bank of the River Thames in London. We didn't stay exclusively in London though; one day was spent on a bus tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford. Windsor Castle was a little too perfect of a castle - but I guess it has to be if it's a residence to the Queen. The feat of moving the stones at Stonehenge still puzzles me and putting them in line with the Summer solstice sun just makes whoever put them there look like show-offs. As for the town of Oxford, it gave a new meaning to "college town". On campus, I walked around areas that were filmed in Harry Potter and at the end of our short time there, Brian and I relaxed at The Eagle and Child pub where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would discuss their work.

Windsor Castle

Stonehenge

Look familiar? This statue was the model for Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter!

London's size provides months of possibilities but we hit a good selection in our few days there. We saw all the major buildings like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Tower Bridge as well museums... Tate Modern, British Museum, British Library, National Gallery, and National Portrait Gallery. On our last day we even took the walking trek up to Abbey Road and walked across the road just as The Beatles did (only they did it with more grace, better fashion sense, and a talented photographer).

Big Ben 

Tower Bridge

National Gallery

Me trying to be the fifth Beatle

We returned to Chester late Monday night and on Tuesday night, the Olympic torch came through Chester. I've read reports that approximately 60,000 people turned out to see the torch relay, making it one of the biggest events the city has ever seen. Not too bad for a Tuesday.

The torch bearer (in white) running through Chester

The crowd that watched the flame be put in a cauldron for the end of its journey

I'm looking forward to my parents coming to England this Saturday!

The Queen comes to town

To celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (her 60th year on the throne), her majesty the Queen along with family members are traveling around the United Kingdom and across the world. That celebration came to Chester last Thursday! The Queen, accompanied by her husband, Prince Phillip, opened a new entrance to the zoo. I waited along her route to see her be driven up to the zoo, then ran over by the entrance to see her walk in, and was along her route again when she left the zoo. In all I probably saw her for a grand total of four minutes. But nonetheless, to have seen the Queen that has reigned through 12 U.S. presidents is an awesome experience!

The Queen about to enter the zoo (you can see her coral-colored dress through the car window)

She's waving at me!

Last Saturday I went to Birmingham with Annika for the day. The English city was definitely a city, or at least a modern American-looking city. We didn't do anything special in Birmingham besides walking around the city centre which consists of lots of shopping malls and stores, seeing a small art gallery, and hanging out in Victoria Square. In the square was a giant TV screen playing Day 1 of the Olympic torch run which got me excited for the torch coming to Chester later this month!

Chaos in the malls

Victoria Square 

The torch run for everyone to enjoy

Everything Shakespeare

I am now completely done with lectures at the University of Chester and have a few assessments remaining! To be honest, I've been somewhat lazy on them and decided to take a reading break. Last week I read The Hobbit, Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Brave New World. This week I've taken to the Bible and thought I'd read a few books before getting to work on my paper tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, the Queen will be coming to Chester! I am going to try my hardest to get to see her but from what I understand it'll will be a very busy place when she rolls in.

Brian and I went to Stratford-upon-Avon last weekend to experience the birthplace of The William Shakespeare. Now I don't claim to know much about the man and I've only read a few of his plays (sometimes just stumbling through them) but I felt much more interested in him by the end of the weekend. Stratford-upon-Avon boasts not only an awesome town-name but the home to the Royal Shakespeare Company. On Saturday, I had the pleasure of seeing two plays at the RSC, Twelfth Night and The Tempest. I've been to a few Broadway shows but this surpassed any of my theatrical experiences. The theatre was fairly large and rose up two balconies that extended in a U shape around the stage. I was very impressed with the acting during the plays and they somehow made Shakespeare easier. On Sunday we walked along the river and went inside the church that Shakespeare was baptized, married, and is now buried in. Unfortunately our way back home to Chester wasn't a pleasant as our weekend in Stratford. We were delayed over three hours at one train station and the station didn't have toilets... painful.

Stratford-upon-Avon in front of the RSC

The Royal Shakespeare Company

Me in front of Shakespeare's home

Not much else is going on this week other than hoping to get over a sinus infection that I've had for a week now. Have a good week!

School winding down

I have one last class remaining before I never go to a University of Chester class again. It's alarming to think how quickly my time in this school has gone and that in a day I will be left only to my finals. Finals over here are very different than back home. It is not one week of tests in every class, rather a span of four weeks that you may have an exam or an essay due. So my schedule consists of two, 2,000 word essays due on May 16, another 2,000 word essay due May 21 then an exam all the way at June 7. The exam will be a bit of a drag to have to wait for and I wasn't happy to find out that it's during the time my parents will be in London to visit me. I plan to make a day trip back up to Chester for the exam then catch a quick train back down to London when that time comes. As far as the subject matter in my classes, I'm doing a lot of things that I never thought I'd do. For example, I wrote a psychology lab report earlier in the semester and I'm currently working on a paper for my archaeology class - which is something I am somewhat clueless on writing and researching.

Other than school work, my time in Chester has been spent reading, watching movies, and listening to music. I felt bad that I haven't read much for leisure this year so I read The Hobbit earlier this week and now I'm working on Shakespeare's The Tempest. No contrary to what you may be thinking, I did not just willingly want to read Shakespeare out of the blue. I am going to Stratford-upon-Avon later this week to see The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Company so I thought it would be wise to read it and have a grasp before I saw it.

I made a trip to the Chester Zoo on April 28. I don't really have much to say about the zoo since it wasn't revolutionary by any means, but as the largest zoo in the United Kingdom, it had plenty to offer.

Marvin and me exhibiting how we haven't outgrown tunnels at the zoo

Last Friday, I decided that I needed to take a day trip somewhere because I know my availability to travel is getting more and more limited as each day passes. So I booked train tickets to go to Windermere, in the Lake District, for some really strange/long departure times (to make my tickets cheaper). That Saturday, the 5th, I set out alone and spent the day around Windermere lake. I got there before much was happening in the day and stumbled across a ferry which I took across the lake. On the other side I went for a hike which was easily the best decision of the day. The walk got me outside of the towns around the lake and into the countryside which is what the Lake District is known for. Grassy hills were specked with sheep and stone fence patterns spread across the green farther than the eye could see. I ran across the small town of Sawrey, where Beatrix Potter's cottage was situated. In this area was the inspiration for many of her books including The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I have a picture below to illustrate how the influence the cottage played in her books and art. The rest of the afternoon I spent wondering around with no plans except to take in the beautiful landscape and fresh air. On my way out of the Lake District, the train was delayed ten minutes... by sheep on the tracks.

Here is the comparison of Beatrix Potter's depiction of Tom Kitten outside of her cottage to the cottage itself...

There may be horse races going on in Chester this afternoon so I may sneak over there and see what that's all about!

Time is flying!

Two weeks flies by. I didn’t even think about making a blog post until it hit me earlier this week that I hadn’t done it since my Easter Europe trip.

My first five days back from my Europe trip I was still on Easter vacation but I spent most of my time in the library working on a few assignments and papers that had upcoming due dates. Brian went to Stratford-upon-Avon for half of a week so I had the room by myself which was nice. Other internationals were busy doing their own thing so I was pretty productive.

Classes and campus dining resumed on April 16 which was a joyous day – good food! Two of my classes finished at the end of March so I don’t have class on Fridays anymore. The rest of my classes will finish up next week, with assessments in later May and one on June 7. Academically, I’ve been working on essays piece by piece, making sure I don’t procrastinate like my high school writing days. Culturally I’ve set out with a few new life goals: watch the American Film Institute’s top 100 films of all time and listen to the top 100 albums on the Rolling Stones list. I’m on my way in the album collecting and have been harvesting as many free ones out of the Chester Uni library as possible to save for when I get back to the states.

Last weekend I did a little travelling here in the UK. On Friday the 20^th I went to Cardiff, Wales with another international student. We spent about 10 hours in the city, which is the capital of Wales. The highlight was Cardiff castle which has been remodeled multiple times giving it a keep that looks 750 years old and a residence in the fortress that looks 300 years old. After the castle we walked around Cardiff all day, making our way to the Cardiff bay, seeing Millennium stadium which is home to 2012 Olympic football (soccer), and I bought some shoes because mine are giving out from all the walking and basketball. The next day I went to Liverpool with seven others to see the "Giants" Titanic memorial event and The Beatles Story. In the evening we went to our pub for English breakfasts. Yes, I can say “our pub” in Liverpool because we’ve been there four times.

Cardiff Castle

Lord's former residence in Cardiff Castle

National Museum of Wales

"Giants" Titanic memorial event in Liverpool

Crowds for the Liverpool event

The Beatles Story

John Lennon's piano and guitar

I don’t have any travels planned for the next two weeks but you never know, something might come up! 

Swiss Cheese and French Fries

Zermatt

After our time in Italy we travelled north to Switzerland. Our first destination in Switzerland was Zermatt, a ski resort city overlooking the monstrous Matterhorn mountain. Being big on skiing, Zermatt didn’t have much to offer in terms of museums or indoor activities. But our purpose in going to Switzerland was the Swiss Alps and we spent most of our time hiking. The first day we were out hiking for about 3.5 hours and the second day around 6 hours. The legs were really feeling it when we got done! In this first Swiss stop, we discovered the expensiveness of Switzerland. Food was twice as expensive as in the states and even the trains were more expensive. The Swiss are surrounded by different languages (Italian, French, German, etc.) so signs and labels usually had at least three languages on them. One other note of Zermatt was its use of electric cars. To reduce carbon emissions and increase visibility of the mountains, you cannot drive gas powered cars in the city.

Stream that runs through Zermatt

Hiking!

Matterhorn Mountain

Vevey

In planning our trip, it made more sense to stay in southern Switzerland that to head north to cities like Basel, Bern, or Zurich. So from Zermatt we went to Vevey, a middle-sized city along Lake Geneva. Planning Vevey for one day was with the intention that it would be a city we could stop through on our way to Geneva but we found that the area has enough to spend a solid week there. The cities on the northeast side of Lake Geneva work together to give free transportation between them so Brian and I started in Vevey by leaving Vevey with a train up into wine country were we saw thousands of potential grape veins. We walked back down the mountain to Vevey and ran across the headquarters of Nestle before going east to the city of Montreux by train. From Montreux we checked out the Castle “Chillon” which is the best castle I’ve been to in Europe. We also saw statues of Freddy Mercury and Charlie Chaplain who both finished their careers along Lake Geneva in Montreux and Vevey. Vevey turned out to be my favorite city in Switzerland for it’s small size but great view of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Vevey, Switzerland

Chillon Castle

Lake Geneva with the castle over my right shoulder

Geneva

The next morning we went to Geneva which is one of the biggest cities in Switzerland. We only had a half of a day in Geneva because our train to Paris would be leaving at 4pm. I really only wanted to see some monuments and pieces to the Reformation in Geneva and  I got to all of the things I had hoped for. We saw the cathedral of St. Peter where John Calvin gave sermons and walked around the campus of the college Calvin founded. There is a massive monument with the nickname “Reformation Wall” that depicts major role players in the Reformation. We didn’t do much else in Geneva except lounge around and play giant chess in the park. We caught our 3.5 hour train ride to Paris and spent the evening of the April 5 finding our hostel from the train station and getting some sleep.

Reformer John Calvin's chair

Lunch in a park while playing giant checkers

Jet d'eau fountain in Geneva

Paris, France

The big city of Paris was a big finish to our long European vacation. Brian and I spent three full days in the city, which allowed for us to settle a little bit and buy food ahead instead of buy food day to day. On Friday the 6^th we spent the day in Europe’s most popular museum, the Louvre. When I saw “the day”, I mean it. I could’ve easily spent weeks in the maze of that museum but was limited to just over five hours. In the evening I went to the cathedral of Notre Dame for Good Friday service. The next day we followed the river east through Paris, passing by the Arc de Triomphe, the Army Museum, the Grand Palace, and the Palace de Chaillot. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and ate our packed-lunch in the Eiffel, overlooking all of Paris. To finish the day, we waiting for almost two hours to make sure we made it into Notre Dame for the Easter vigil mass. At almost three hours long, Easter vigil in French celebrated by a Cardinal (Andre Vingt-Trois) in a packed Notre Dame was unreal. Our last day, Easter Sunday, we went to the Pere Lachaise cemetery to see the graves of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin, and others. An hour walk north led us to a basilica on a hill nicknamed the Paris Taj Mahal that gave us a glimpse of the city from a different perspective. To finish our last night in Paris, we laid on the grassy park gazing at the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. To fulfill the Pulp Fiction line, I ate at McDonald’s and ordered a “Royal with cheese” – a quarter pounder with cheese. Oh and French don't claim fries to be theirs. On the last day I had a crepe, the first in my life. I feel like I’ll be impartial to French crepes for the rest of my life.

Notre Dame cathedral

Does this need a caption?

I guess this one doesn't either

Outside the Lourve

To conclude the post, I thought I would share with you five things I’ve missed a lot during my Easter break travels. 

1. Family - Easter without family just feels weird and sad.

2. White's Dining - Scrounging for food everyday got tiring so campus food sounds really good. 

3. Clothes - We didn't have much room for a wardrobe so Brian and I lived off of one pair of jeans and 6 shirts each. 

4. Showers - Having clean and large showers weren't an option in hostels, and in Paris our hostel ran out of towels so Brian and I decided to go completely natural for the last four days of the trip. Don't judge me. 

5. My bed - My bed back in Goddard is amazing but sleeping on a two inch thick mattress with a pillow the size of a baby made me miss my bed back in Chester. 

But with the limitation of all of these things has come a greater appreciation for them. Showering, changing clothes, food at all, a nice bed to sleep in, and a loving family aren't common commodities to everyone in the world. This trip has shown me how blessed I am and that the little things, like a nice pillow, are never to be looked past.