Spring break plans!

Sleeping in was a great idea today, but would have worked better if I had been able to do it. I've been having trouble sleeping this past week, and it's making me crabby. I had hoped that after our 6 mile walk yesterday, I'd fall asleep real easy. No such luck, though. Normally it's people that wake me up, screaming and laughing and fighting, but this time it was the weather. We haven't had rain or snow so much as sleet. I would've called it hail...tiny balls of ice, but Dad says it's probably sleet. Anyway, that woke me up after I was FINALLY able to fall asleep. And then my body decided it wanted to wake up at about 8. Not fair.

Anyway, today was an easy day. I like to think of Sundays as "me" days, where I just get to sit around and do nothing. You'd think that's how every day is, considering how much free time I have, but I've been working hard to stay busy. I had lunch by myself today, first time in a long time! Nothing super exciting. Melisa came over and we studied for the GRE again. For anyone who might not know, the GRE is the graduate record examination, and I need to take it to get into graduate school. I'll need to take it this summer, so I can take the psychology subject matter test in November. I'm brushing up on my math skills, as well as analogies, etc. I'm sorry to say that everything needs work! I do, however, have nothing but time (and free GRE prep websites).

We also went over plans for our spring break. It's very exciting--Melisa and I booked tickets today. We are spending a few days in London, 4 days in Paris, 4 days in Rome, about a day in Milan, and then 9 days in Spain (around Madrid, Barcelona, etc). It's a lot cheaper than you would think, flying around Europe. I can't wait :) I think this is the part of studying abroad that I have been looking forward to the most, considering that I don't know if/when I'll ever be back here!

Melisa and I cooked fajitas for dinner. They turned out really well, all things considered. I'm relatively sure they don't have sour cream in the UK...we couldn't find it anywhere, so we just did without. Dad did find me a substitute, though, and I'll look for it tomorrow when Melisa and I go grocery shopping. We live such exciting lives. I'm going to check my mail tomorrow after lunch, which should be exciting (provided anyone sent me mail). And I'm going to visit the gym and see about getting a membership. I am getting lots of exercise just by walking, but the gym would definitely give me something to do!

Trek to Beaumaris Castle

I think this blog is aptly titled. Beaumaris Castle is about 6 miles away from Bangor. Penrhyn Castle is closer, but that doesn't open until March or April. So, we decided that we wanted to go to Beaumaris Castle today. Considering the amount of walking we have been doing, 6 miles didn't seem too bad. And we had a pretty good idea of where we were going, but I did bring my handy GPS with European maps (thanks family).

We started out this morning at 9:00 (we being myself, Melisa, Kat, and Lauren). The first few miles took us to Menai Bridge, which is just gorgeous!

We crossed Menai Bridge, then wandered up the road toward Beaumaris. It was just gorgeous, the entire way. And it was pretty simple to find our way. We did rely on my GPS to check that we were on the right road. And then we just walked, stopping to take pictures and things like that. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to make it to Beaumaris, but I think that's pretty good considering our frequent stops.

Once in Beaumaris, we stopped to eat some food that we had packed, and rested a little. Then we continued on to the castle. It was quite easy to find--it's not like you can hide a castle. And I definitely enjoyed touring the castle. I can't even explain. I've always wanted to explore a castle. It was old, and beautiful, and just incredible. According to a post card that I bought, Beaumaris Castle is "King Edward I's (1272-1307) most ambitious castle" and I'm just loved it.

We wandered around the town of Beaumaris for a little while, checking out the cute shops, before finally hopping on a bus back to Bangor. We opted for the bus back, which was a good idea. It was such a nice walk, but I'm sore just from the first 6 miles. Another 6 miles probably would have killed me. Plus, there was a section of road about a mile long that didn't have any sidewalks. We had to walk in the road, and that was thoroughly unpleasant. We did make it out without any casualities, but I think I'm going to stick to roads that have sidewalks now!

After coming back to Bangor, Melisa and I hung out for a little while, then just rested. I spent quite a while trying to upload pictures to Facebook. It was really frustrating, but they are all up now! Lexie 1 Facebook 0

I spent the rest of my day/night just sitting around, trying to relax. My poor body is a little sore from today's hike to Beaumaris, but in a good way. And tomorrow, we're finalizing plans for break, and just relaxing! Sounds like a good day :)

Just tell me if you want me to speak German to you

Every day here feels really long, but not in a bad way. It's more that each day is a continuation of the next, and it's hard to differentiate between everything. My days are all pretty similar, so remembering what happened which day is starting to be a challenge. I have to start my blog early in the day, and finish it later, or I won't be able to remember what we did that particular day. I didn't do that today, but today had some special differences, so I think I'll be able to figure it out :)

Today, there was a student activities fair at the student union. There were a lot of people around, and I was a little bit scared. They were all offering flyers and information (and free stuff, which was a bonus). But to be in any of the clubs or societies, you have to buy a student union card (that's about 17 pounds) and THEN pay membership fees (which are usually 2-3 pounds). They seem like a really good way to meet people, but 20 pounds pays for a flight from London to Paris. Or a flight to Dublin AND BACK. 20 pounds converts to $32 (today--the conversions change all the time). So Melisa and I have decided to save our money for traveling instead. It seems like more fun, and really, it's one of the main reasons I am here. When will I get to experience this again? I don't know when I'll be back, if ever. I'd like to meet more people, that's for sure, but I think that will get easier as the semester goes on.

After the student activities fair, Melissa and I stopped at Aldi's (they have the BEST nutella/chocolate spread), and then went to Bar Uno. Bar Uno is the bar/cafe/restaurant on campus. It's right next door to my dorm, and they have free wi-fi. That way, Melisa and I can hang out and both be on the internet at the same time! We were there for a few hours. We've decided to dedicate a lot of our free time toward studying for the GRE. Sounds practical, but we get pretty easily distracted. At this point, I haven't really narrowed down what I need to study most. My math needs a lot of work, considering that I haven't had to do any math other than statistics for the last four years. And we really appear to be struggling with the analogies. I think my problem there is vocabulary, really. I need to study a dictionary. Although Melisa's guidebook to the GRE suggests studying a thesaurus instead because I just need to have a general idea of meaning rather than exact definitions.

Then, we went out to Varsity for dinner. Melisa and I met Lauren and Kat there. Lauren invited some friends that she's made, including a few German girls, an Italian girl, and a few other assorted students. It was the most socializing I've done since I've been here, honestly, and it was really nice. Melisa and I did notice a few cultural differences though. Those girls did not eat a single thing with their fingers. Nope. They used forks and knives for everything: burgers, sandwiches, chips (french fries). Melisa and I weren't quite sure what to make of it. I can see doing that at a formal dinner, but I don't think they'd offer french fries at a formal dinner? It was interesting, though, and everyone was really nice. One of the German girls (I know her name, but have no idea how to spell it) offered to speak German whenever we liked. She reminds me a lot of Anne, who I am hoping to see while I am here!

After dinner, Melisa and I stopped by Morrison's (the closest grocery store) to pick up some supplies. We have been trying to plan out our dinners in advance, and we slowly acquire the ingredients. We'll be making fajitas, probably on Sunday, but most places close a little early on Saturdays, and even more early on Sundays. We want to make sure that we have everything we need, so we bought some chicken and peppers to go with our shells and fajita seasonings.

We decided to make tonight an early night. We will be exploring tomorrow...we are going to make an attempt to find Beaumaris Castle. We were originally going to search for Penrhyn Castle (it's a little closer) but we don't think it's open. It's really confusing and hard to find information, but it appears that many of the castles and museums aren't open until March or April. So that might put a bit of a damper on our exploring for the next month or so. But we figure that the worst case scenario involves us going on a long walk & adventure, and finding that it's closed. Wish us luck!

Quiz Night!

Today was another pretty good day. I met Lauren, Kat, and Melisa to walk around Bangor a little bit. We wandered down High Street, as usual. Melisa and I showed Kat and Lauren where Varsity is. Noelia's flat-mates are throwing her a birthday party (which is super sweet of them!) but that means we won't be celebrating her birthday then. The rest of us might still go to Varsity. We've been really good about making our own food and not going out to eat at all, but it's nice to just sit down somewhere and relax.

Really, though, today was pretty uneventful. Melisa and I had leftovers for lunch and dinner. We didn't look up hostels or finish making travel plans, though we did discuss them with the others. After Melisa and I ate dinner, we took a practice test for the GRE. We didn't do that bad...but I do think I need to study quite a bit more! I do have plenty of time, though :) After doing that, and talking to some people, we met the others at Bar Uno for quiz night. This week, the trivia was a LOT harder than last week. There was an extra section about English sports stadiums. We didn't know a SINGLE answer on that one! But it was still fun, and I think we are going to continue the tradition. While there, we discussed plans for spring break, and we plan on meet on Saturday (I think) to finalize everything.

We were going to walk to the late night convenience store (much like a Kwik Trip run!) but it was raining, and so we vetoed that idea. But then Lauren and I decided we still wanted to go! So I met her at her dorm, in time to find out that she had gotten locked out. We walked over to security so that they could let Lauren in. There is a cat in the security office, which made me very happy :) As it turns out, people get locked out ALL the time. We were told it was like the 20th time that night! Now I won't feel bad if I get locked out, haha. It is nice to have someone with you when it happens though.

After getting back into Lauren's room, we walked to the late night store, and I got a candy bar! It was exactly what I wanted, haha, though not very exciting. Afterward, I stopped by Melisa's room for another good chat. We got distracted looking at things to do, and then I realized it was already 12:30 am! So, now it's time for bed :)

We are a band of gorillas...

Today was a good day. Melisa and I went to Varsity, a local bar/club. My flat-mate Nikki keeps telling me that I need to go there, so we went today to check out prices and get our discount cards. You can get discount cards everywhere, though at the bars, you have to pay about a pound. Still, if we go there every so often, it'll be worth it. Anyway, not that I've been in many bars, but this place is AMAZING. It's very plush, with nice furniture and free wi-fi. And the prices aren't bad. We're going to go there on Friday for Noelia's birthday, and I'm very excited!


We had planned on wandering down a different road today, to see where we would end up. Unfortunately, it was rainy, windy, and chilly. Dad says I should toughen up, but wandering around in the rain is not fun. Especially if I'm going to have plenty of other days to explore. My whole body was wet, which was not exciting. And it turns out, I read that we are supposed to have heavy rain tomorrow, so I don't think Melisa and I are going to the botanical gardens. But we are going to meet Kat and Lauren in the morning, to show them where Varsity is, etc. I don't think the rain is supposed to start until later in the day, so I might try to convince Melisa to go somewhere with me after lunch. Maybe we won't go all the way to the gardens, but we could try a different street if it's not raining :)


Melisa and I, on our trek to Varsity, chose to go the long way (it's less steep). We had to cross more roads, and I'll admit that the signs are a little bit confusing. Fortunately, there are crosswalks (usually).

We stopped at the grocery store and bought the rest of the ingredients for lasagna. Then we just chilled for a while, until I had to go to my class. Half of my classtime (for each class) is lectures, and the other half is seminars/workshops. Today was the workshop for my psych class. I enjoyed it, although the people STILL weren't very social. I did talk to a few people when we split into smaller groups, and they seemed very nice :) As it turns out, every week in my workshop, we'll be talking about THE assignment for our class, and how the lecture relates. I guess we don't have to do any sort of literature review for this paper, because that is what our professor lectures about every week. We have to pick and choose from his lectures? I find it weird that we only have one assignment, and we get to work on it every week. But maybe it'll be good, and I think I'll like getting input from the other students. Also, they split the class in two, so I only need to come for one hour of it. Now I'm at 6 hours of class a week. But I've officially decided not to add another class. Kat has 4 classes, and she still only has class for 9 hours each week. They just don't like class time! And I guess they struggle with getting the rooms they want. My professor for my psych workshop told us that we are a band of gorillas, and we will wander and just take whatever room we want, unless someone tells us otherwise. It was...interesting. I find it funny that people choose to just bypass the correct way of doing things if you can't get what you want!



Melisa made the lasagna while I was in class, and it turned out to be wonderful. I think that's my current favorite meal. We watched another episode of Jersey Shore during dinner, and then Kat and Lauren stopped by to talk about our spring break. We seem to have a lot of different ideas, so I think we are splitting into groups of 2-3. We won't let anyone go off by themselves, let's be real. But figuring out where two people want to go is much easier than finding a compromise between five people! Melisa and I spent some time looking at where we want to go, and how much it will cost. It was a challenge, trying to compare prices for trains vs. buses vs. airplanes. Wow. But it was funny, and I had a good time despite our struggles. We conceded defeat for the night, but will work again tomorrow!

We have too much class time?

I had my other class today, Sociological Theory. I was a little nervous because my class is in the Main Arts Building, but my lecture room was really easy to find. I've noticed people tend to move in clusters, much like the U.S. I sat by myself, across the room from the two big clusters of people. People sat down near me...I think those people don't know that many people either. No one spoke to me during or before class. It was kind of awkward. But near the end of class, our Professor wanted to know what we are all studying, and I was in the category of "just taking the class," and then of course he had to ask for details. I don't actually mind, because after everyone found out that I was American, they were a lot more friendly.

Our professor thinks that we have too much class time, so he cut out our Tuesday afternoon class, and two hours from Friday. Now I only have class for 7 hours every week. I'm trying to look at it in a positive way. That gives me larger chunks of uninterupted time, so I can explore places that are farther away? I met a girl named Donna--she is in my group for presenting, and seems really nice. I also met two other girls, whose names I never learned. They showed me where they are living, and told me that I could come hang out or talk whenever. It was nice...I think one of the worst parts of being here is feeling isolated. People are nice, but not that outgoing, so it's really hard to meet people. At Ripon, there are people everywhere and I'm never alone. So to go from having endless amounts of friends that are always available to having very few friends in a foreign country has been a really tough adjustment. But now that I know more than 2 people, I'm hoping it will get better.

I was supposed to meet Melisa after class, but my class got out really early, so she just came to my room. We decided that we really needed to get out and do something, because it's really not fun otherwise. We walked to the campus store again, and I'm still not sure what I feel like getting. I have a lot of sweatshirts at home, so it's not like I need another. Then we wandered up to this Welsh store. We really want to go in, because it has Welsh flags, and lots of Welsh memorabilia, but it's close due to family bereavement :( We'll have to go back another day. Along the way, we stopped at a store called LIDL (which is like Aldi, but cheaper) and saw an arcade! I think I want to go in sometime and see what kind of games they have.

Then we went back to our own rooms to chill before dinner. Melisa and I have been trying to plan things to do for our empty days. On Thursday, since neither of us have class, we are going to walk to the Botanical Gardens, near Menai Bridge. Saturday, we are going to Perhyn Castle...it's only about 1.5 miles. There is also Beaumaris Castle, but that one is a little farther. Maybe we'll try that one next weekend. It's not like we don't have time to explore.

I'm thinking about adding another class, but there aren't many options that I haven't already taken, or that sound interesting. And I really don't want another final. I know once classes get going, I'll stress about my three papers and that one presentation. I don't know if adding another class will be worth it. If I take 12 credits this semester, I still only need to take 12 credits each semester of my senior year to have enough. So it's not like I need more credits. I only need the two semesters of sem for my psych major. If I declare a soc minor, I'll have it at the end of this semester. I just need to get enough credits to graduate (124, I believe). I'm already at 97, not counting this semester. I think I'm just going to attempt to relax and enjoy not being overloaded with homework :)

My first class!

I woke up today feeling pretty great. Yesterday ended up being a pretty good day, which of course put me in this really fantastic mood. I rolled out of bed at 10, got ready, had some cereal, etc. I'm pretty sure the cereal is still the most nutritious thing I've eaten while abroad. Seriously, I thought people were crazy when they talked about eating nutella by the spoonful, but I could do it. I could probably have it for every meal, except I know that's not healthy. I did buy pears, but they don't seem that healthy either. I guess I could buy salad ingredients, but that doesn't seem very filling. Plus it will go bad quickly, and I'm afraid I won't eat enough of it to make it worthwhile. I'll have to check it out, I suppose.

Melisa and I went to the grocery store today. We needed more nutella (haha) and bread. On the bright side, we bought lunch meat so use with the bread, so it's not always nutella :) We also bought tomato soup for dinner tonight...we have all the ingredients for grilled cheese, so we'll give that a try as well. We're trying to think of a variety of easy meals that we can make...and I think tacos will be next on the list. We saw someone buy taco mix today, and thought it sounded perfect.

After the grocery store, I just had a small lunch in my room with Melisa, and then prepared for class. I met Noelia and walked to class with her, since we are both in "Psychology of Prevention and Health." We weren't totally sure where our classroom was, but it was really easy to find. And the students there looked as unsure about being there as I felt, which was actually reassuring. It was a bigger class than most of my classes at Ripon, but not that big, really. It reminded me of Intro Psych with Hatcher...it's a popular class, so there are usually quite a few students. Anyway, the Professor (whose name I definitely don't know) printed out the slides for us, and gave us our module outlines (basically our syllabus). There are roughly three "suggested" readings for each week, and we were told that if we only read one, we'd do well enough on the final. I'm not quite sure how to take that, but I probably have time to read all of them. Other than that, I have ONE assignment. It's due April 26th, a 3000 word essay about one of three topics. So it's similar to many classes I've had, with a big final project. I just don't have any of the little homework. I'm not sure how to feel about that...I kind of need something to do every day when I'm not in class. And even if I study for a few hours a day, and devote an hour daily to working on my big assignment, that's not very much time. I do think, however, that it is getting easier to find ways to occupy my time. I'm trying to do productive things, like study for the GRE. It's easy to get distracted, though, by things that are much for fun. Blogging, for example!

After class, we stopped by the campus store which FINALLY posted its hours. It closed just as we got there, which was very counter-productive. I kind of want something with the Bangor University insignia on it, but I don't know that I want to buy a sweatshirt or mug. The sweatshirt probably wouldn't fit in my luggage (ha) and I'm worried the mug would break. I do have plenty of time to find something, though.

I came back to my room for a little while before dinner. I've been struggling with my internet...it keeps not working. Like 5 or 6 times a day, it just stops working for 5-10 minutes. It's not convenient. I emailed the helpdesk here at Bangor and asked them about out. Hopefully they reply tomorrow, and maybe fix it.

I am also stuck listening to the sound of the french horn. All week, I have been trying to figure out what instrument someone has been playing. It's incredibly loud...these walls are really thin, and it's someone who lives only a few doors away. As it turns out, it's Fran-from-down-the-hall, and she plays the french horn. Every day. MORE than every day. Yesterday, she played it THREE separate times. I've only heard it once today, but there's still time left. I feel bad for being annoyed...it's not Fran's fault that it's so loud, and I'm sure she has to practice. But my headphones are broken, so unless I crank up the volume on my computer, I will always hear that freaking horn. Lovely.

After listening to Fran practice and playing on the internet for a while, I went over to Melisa's dorm for dinner. I am not a huge fan of tomato soup, but decided to try it. All the soups are different here. And the tomato soup was also different. In fact, I think it kind of tastes like spaghettios. I think that's a good thing? It made it more appealing to me, at least. Melisa and I watched an episode of Jersey Shore online. We're getting into the habit of watching an episode of that show every few days. It's terrible, much like "The Real World," etc. But it makes us feel a little bit better about life. I mean, we don't suck at life like those people do. If you don't believe me, watch the show. You'll probably feel better about your life too.

Then I came back here to look over my stuff for class tomorrow. I don't actually have anything to look over, though. My class tomorrow is in the Main Arts building (the castle!) but that's a really big building, and I have no idea how I am going to find my class. Last time I was lost in that building, people weren't overly helpful. But I'll give myself extra time to find it, and everything. I don't know anyone in this class, so maybe I'll make a friend :) It would be really nice...the people here are nice, but not very approachable. And they certainly don't approach me. I hope that doesn't mean I'm not approachable. I'm always smiling, how can I not be approachable?

Anyway, I had better go to bed. I have class at 11 tomorrow. That's the earliest class I have any day, which is nice. I can stay up late (talking to my favorite people) and then sleep in! I think it'll work out very nicely...

Sunday is a football day :)

Well, after having a not-so-great day yesterday, I can safely say that today has been much better. I didn't go anywhere really, so still have no new pictures to post. But it was, in all, a fairly good day.
I slept in until 10 today. It's really hard to get up when you know you don't have anything to do. But I did get out of bed, and have some breakfast, etc. Nothing super exciting (but cornflakes are "full of nutrients" so that's good, I guess). I still haven't tried the milk. It's "sterilised milk," with a long shelf life. I guess you don't have to refrigerate it, which kind of scares me. I'll use it to cook...or something.
I had a small lunch in my room (mmmm nutella, haha) and just chilled. John gave me a game website, so I spent a while trying to beat this one game. I will, no worries. Melisa came over, and we watched tv online. Such an exciting day, I know, but we were very happy to find a website that works in the UK!!
I got to talk to Lissa for a little while, and Marie. I was pretty excited, let's be real. Marie told me all about her homework (I needed normal conversation) and this wonderful book she is reading, ha. It was nice to just talk about regular things, rather than talk about how far away I am and how things are going. I'm getting a little tired of those conversations, because they make me miss home. Let's not emphasize how far away I am anymore, mmk?
Dad skyped with Melisa and I, and set the camera on the tv so we could watch the football game. It was just what I needed...like a normal Sunday at home. I was able to chat with my parents, and watch the game with them. I really just needed that familiar routine. I can't even explain how much better it made me feel.
Tomorrow is my first day of classes. I'd say I'm nervous, but mostly I'm just ready to have something to do, and to be able to make a new routine. I need a schedule. I like to plan, and know what I'm doing. Without anything to do, or anything to plan, I'm more than a little bit lost. As it is, I'm going to need to make a schedule. I have class from 2-4 tomorrow. And that's it. That's not enough to occupy my day! AHH! But I am going to go to the grocery store. And I'll eat lunch. So that will take up a little bit of time, right? Ugh. Hardly. I could, however, study for the GRE and do responsible things like that. It doesn't sound like more fun than doing nothing, however. We'll see...

Tour of Bangor (Take 12...or something)

Today was not the best day. It was a big day back at Ripon (bid day for Greeks!!) and it was so hard to know that I was missing it. Anyway, from the beginning...
I woke up at 10ish, took a shower, chilled. I had a nutella sandwich (it IS actually good, although it sounds odd). Then I mostly sat for a while until Melisa came over, and then Nikki gave us a tour of Bangor. It's like the 12th time we've toured Bangor, but this time we actually had a guide, so we weren't wandering aimlessly. She pointed out all the night clubs--I think she did that so I don't have an excuse not to go, really. There were some more stores, and we checked out the department store (not any different from the U.S.).
I got back to my room around 3, and didn't do anything from there on out, really. I tried to call my Dad (it's his BIRTHDAY!) but he didn't answer the first time. I felt pretty unloved, but it turns out he was just talking to someone. I talked to Melissa for a little while, and was able to talk to Justine too, and some other girls briefly. I was really anxious for news; picking up new girls is SO exciting! But it turns out there were complications, with quota changing, etc., and so not very many people actually knew what was going on. It was terrible...I didn't know that other people were clueless too. Melisa Del Ponte and I just felt really left out, and it made us miss home even more. If we had been home, we would have known that everyone was lost. Instead, we felt like it was just us. Worst day abroad, so far. It was just horrible, not knowing anything and feeling alone. But ON THE BRIGHT SIDE (that one's for you, Johnathon Suchy), ADPi got 16 girls at last count and KD (Melisa's sorority) got at least 8 too! I heard that AXO got around 13 (none of them are here) but that's still very exciting too. Greek life in general did really well, which is awesome!!
After talking to the girls, I went and had dinner with Melisa. We (and by we, I mean Melisa) made tuna casserole. Finding recipes is harder than you think, because I kept googling it, but the UK google is actually a little different from the US google. I don't want recipes involving goat cheese, thank you. I did (much later) find out how to change my UK google BACK to US google (BEST.THING.EVER. [thanks Dad]).
I came back to my room, and got to speak to John (highlight of my week, honestly). We even played some games together. I think he cheated, and rigged it so that I would lose. He would do that. But it made me happier than anything, just to be able to play games and talk. It was almost like I was with him, which I really needed today. And THEN I got to talk to my Dad finally, and it really was like being home. I even talked to Mom briefly, when Dad put her cell phone near the webcam. Saw the fat cat and everything :)
I know that some days will be harder than others, and while I knew today would be hard, I didn't expect it to be SO hard. People have been busy all week, so I've hardly been able to talk to anyone. And then today it just all came together that I'm gone, and will be, for like four more months. It's great, but it also sucks. This is going to be a great experience, and I plan on enjoying it as much as possible. But I know that I will be really happy to go home. I miss everyone and everything. I mean, I'm glad I have so many great people to miss. Life wouldn't be the same without them. But at the same time, it makes me mad. Thanks guys, for making me miss you. It made today horrible, seriously. But it will make going back a billion times better. I know I have so much to look forward to, and I'm grateful for all of that. So I'm hoping all those things will make tomorrow a much better day. Sundays are easy days too, and hopefully more people will be available to talk to me. I have a convo planned with Dad, and Melisa and I might watch the football game via Skype! I'm also sure that Liss will have time to chat, and that might really be what I need. I really think tomorrow will be easier. I'm feeling better already. It helps that Melisa has spent all day/night keeping me company. We keep each other sane...it's nice to have someone in the same time zone, who is experiencing the same stuff.

Where are they running?

Today was exhausting but a lot of fun. I slept in until 10 (good thing I didn't want to sleep any later; my UK cell phone company has a habit of texting me every freaking morning, which always wakes me up). Then I went with Melisa, Lauren, and Kat to explore Bangor some more. We knew that there was a museum here, and some other stuff that we could go to, like a LIBRARY.
So we hiked down the wonderful hill:

We stopped by the library, which made me very happy. Since we didn't have any paperwork with our addresses, we had to make another trip later in the day with paperwork, and we got library cards! It was quite exciting, and now I have a few books to read :)
Since the museum wasn't open quite yet, we wandered up and down"High Street," checking out thrift stores, etc. They have a KFC there, and a pharmacy called Boots (similar to Walgreens). There is even a shopping center full of stores (I resisted the urge to wander through the shopping center). We got lunch from Boots, and ate it at KFC (since KFC has tables, and Kat thought KFC sounded good).
Then we meandered through the museum. It was full of interesting facts about Welsh history, and I really think Liss would like it. Definitely her style. Attached to the cute little museum was a small art gallery. It was interesting to look at, especially the anti-America/George Bush artwork...I thought it was funny, but still kind of insulting:
After the museum, we stopped by the Catheral on Deniol Street. Nothing super exciting, but still interesting to wander through. It's been really fun to wander through Bangor looking at everything, but we're very intrigued by the people here as well. They run EVERYWHERE.
We're not sure if they are just always late, or what. I asked Alex-from-two-doors-down, and he doesn't think people run everywhere. He says "Well, we have joggers too, you know," to which I had to reply "Yeah dude, I KNOW what a jogger looks like." I mean, that's not exactly what I said, but you get the gist. Anyway, if those people are joggers, they are wearing the wrong clothes and shoes, and have terrible form. And sometimes, they are just walking along in front of you, and then they randomly take off running. I really wish I knew what was going on; Is there something I should know? Where are they running?
We came back to our dorms for a short time to get Noelia and paperwork for our library cards. After our final trip to the library, we all returned to our rooms for a short break. We met at Bar Uno (the cafe/bar that is next door to my dorm) for a social event with all the international students. Basically, it was free food and a chance to chat with people, so of course we went. But there wasn't actually much socialization with people outside your own group, so Melisa and I left early.
Our plan was to stake out Melisa's flat until more of her flat-mates showed up. She hasn't actually met very many of them, and is kind of disappointed. So we made up a plan to knock and doors and ask to borrow a DVD. But it's harder than you think, and I'm starting to think most of her flat-mates are Asian. Not that that's bad, but I don't think English is their native language, and so we didn't want to approach the two guys cooking in the kitchen. They just spoke in a different language when we were in there, which wasn't very welcoming. After that, we lost our courage and spent a few hours talking instead. But those nights where you just sit and talk (and maybe tear up a bit, as well as laugh a lot) often turn out to be the best nights. They may not be the most memorable in the long run, but it's still a good way to forge lasting friendships. Melisa and I may not be able to pin-point when exactly we became friends (even at Ripon, it just sort of happened) and I know we probably won't be able to say exactly when we started confiding in each other, but nights like this one are important, and meaningful. It's nice to have people that you can talk to for hours without getting bored.
Anyway, now I might read for a while (yay LIBRARY BOOKS!) and then head to bed. It's preference party back at ripon for ADPi, and I'm really sad to be missing it. They'll be giving out bids tomorrow and picking up new girls, and it really sucks that I won't be able to be a part of it. But I wouldn't pass up my time in Wales for anything (mostly)...and everyone will still be there when I get back. It's just hard sometimes. It's been a long week (formal recruitment week always is) and so I haven't been able to talk to many people. Good thing my family likes to talk to me :)

Day 4

I realize the title is kind of boring, but that's the kind of day it basically was. It was a very mellow day, without much action. Melisa and I made it our goal to go out and take a bunch of pictures, so everyone can see what we see.

So this morning, we went with Noelia to turn in her registration sheet. We ran into Kat and Lauren there, as well as this girl from Iowa that looks like Molly Gruettner (a student at Ripon). We took pictures by the Bangor crest thing-->



Then, Noelia, Melisa, and I walked down to the pier. We forgot our map (whoops...) but weren't worried because it sounded really simple. You just follow the road, and since we had a pretty good idea of where the water was, we just wandered toward it. As it turns out, we just followed the road downhill, and ran into the pier. We didn't feel like paying to walk out onto it, but instead explored the area around it. We took lots of pictures; the view is just gorgeous. I hope you can all see what I'm talking about. I'm not exactly a master photographer, but I think you get the idea. Ocean and mountains are an excellent combination. Wisconsin needs some of those. Anyway, check out the pictures:

It's just so pretty here, I can't quite get over it. And this weather is perfect for walking around--it's just a bit brisk, so you can wear a light jacket and feel warm. Even the houses are pretty, although very...symmetrical. I guess Noelia found out that you have to petition "the council" in order to make any changes to your house. I can't imagine why, but then again, I know very little about laws in the UK.

After our walk to the pier, I had some lunch in my room. I think I like Nutella. Having never tried it, I was a little unsure. And I still haven't tried it on bread, because chocolate and bread just seems really strange. But I put it on ritz crackers...it's just like chocolate frosting! Best idea ever. I might live off of nutella sandwiches, if I end up liking them. Plus, if Mom sends me peanut butter, I could have peanut butter AND nutella sandwiches, which sounds pretty good in theory.

After lunch, I napped. Sweet life, I know. I was woken up by the fire alarm (which was slightly terrifying because it beeps a few times and then yells at you in English AND Welsh). I have never gotten up so fast in my life. I threw on a jacket, and put on boots, and opened the door, to find Nikki just chilling in the hallway, talking to someone. Apparently the fire alarm goes off every Thursday; oh, and you don't actually have to go outside like it says. I look forward to every Thursday, I guess, and getting to hear that delightful noise.

Then I just talked to people online and wasted time. It gets dark super early, which makes it hard to go out and explore. It's really inconvenient, because once it's dark, I run out of things to do. So...at like 5, I am just sitting in my room, waiting for people to come online. I cannot afford to go out every night, or even most nights, let's be real. But I also don't have anything to do. We might go find the library tomorrow, after we search for our classrooms. That will be quite the adventure.

I am going to go to Bar Uno now with Melisa and Lauren. It has free wi-fi, so we can just chill and drink casually. Plus, although the menu says nothing about pop/soda, Alex-from-two-doors-down tells me that they DO have soft drinks I can ask for! I'm so excited, but kind of afraid they won't taste the same. We'll see...

So rather than make a new post today, I'll continue this one. It just so happened to be quiz night at Bar Uno, which is TRIVIA. There is a cash prize, and surprisingly enough, we American girls turned out to be fairly good at trivia. We're stumped by any questions related to the UK, but ROCK the trivia about the US (surprise, surprise!) and Kat knows so much about random things that we are pretty good there too. We're going to make it a tradition...every thursday night, we will go to quiz night and play. You get points for creative team names, and we've decided to always make our name something that relates to the US (like Captain America, etc.) and it's going to be so much fun. Also, the Pepsi here tastes JUST like Pepsi in the US, which was crazy exciting. Also, Alex-from-two-doors-down has a membership card that he never uses, so he gave it to me to use. I think he feels bad for me...he can tell that it's more quiet here than I am used to, and with hardly any people around, it gets kind of lonely. Even if I go to Melisa's room, all we can do is sit and talk...it's kind of funny, but I think things will get easier when we have classes to occupy some of our time.

Anyway, now I'm going to have some nutella + ritz crackers because it is a delicious combination. And then I guess I'm going to bed soon. The plan for tomorrow is to find our specific classrooms, and possibly a LIBRARY? Ha. I hope we are successful at that, because with only 11 hours in the classroom each week, I can't possibly imagine what I would do ALL the time...

Registration & Exploration

Today has been very interesting so far. I got up at 8:30 to meet Noelia and Melisa at 9, so we could talk about the classes we wanted to register for. Then we had to go find people to sign our registration sheets. I suppose they could have been more clear about WHO had to sign our sheets and where to find them. As it was, we walked around Bangor for about an hour and a half, looking first for buildings, and then for the right people in them.

<---These are the mountains we can see from campus!!

It turns out, there are really only a few people here, and in each department (or as they call it, each "school"), that know how to help international students. The buildings we had to go to are about 1/2 mile away, which wasn't too bad. And the first person was easy to find. The others...not so much. We went back and forth between buildings, asking for directions, etc. I walked up and down one hill twice before finding the correct person. And we took a break for lunch before going BACK to find more people.









As it turns out, I am taking the Bangor equivalent of 12 credits at Ripon. In Bangor, it's actually considered 40 credits. I am only in two classes: Sociological Theory; and Psychology of Health and Prevention. They look interesting, but I'll only be in class for around 11 hours each week.

Other than struggling to find people and buildings (which are scattered around Bangor), today was really good. We found this castle(see above right). We had seen it from a slight distance and wanted to explore it. Turns out that it is the Main Arts building. It really is a castle, but it is used for offices and classrooms. I'll have most of my classes in it! And, the guy who lives down the hall told me that it was suppose to be used for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies, but there was an addition to it that deterred them from using it. Al called it "architectural cancer." --->










After turning in my registration form, I just came back to my room. I'll do dinner with the girls in a few hours, but other than that, plan on just chilling tonight. It rained all day, which was a little depressing, and it makes me want to stay in my room. But we'll see--one of my flat-mates really wants me to come meet a whole bunch of people at the bar tonight. I'm a little hesitant...they're all really nice, but it seems like they do an awful lot of drinking. Nikki (who lives across the hall) tells me that they are out every night. The other girls have heard similar things from the people who live near them. It's a little weird, honestly. I want to be social and meet people, but right now, everything is really new and a tiny bit scary. We'll see, I guess. Anyway, I'll add a few pictures with this so everyone can see what I am talking about!

I made it!

I am officially in Wales! Well, I was yesterday but had no way to contact anyone. I do now have internet, and a pay-as-you-go cell phone. Naturally it costs more to call the US but I can if I need to :)

The trip was really easy. The plane ride went well; mild turbulence made sleep impossible, and when we landed, it was morning. We were all a little tired throughout Monday, but will adjust soon I'm sure. The trains were...interesting. Things could be labeled better, but there were a lot of helpful people along the way.

I'm settled into my room. It's small, but really nice. I enjoy having my own little bathroom, and I have the coolest lamp (think PIXAR). I just met some of the people who live by me (they don't seem to be around during the day, but are in and out ALL night long). They do seem really nice, which is exciting.

The weather is not too bad; between 35 and 40 degrees most of the time. Or somewhere above 0 if you are measuring in Celsius. It's absolutely gorgeous; I can't decide if I love the mountains or the ocean more. I'll take pictures soon, I promise. We've just been busy buying supplies and figuring out where everything is.

The only slight difficulty I have currently is when I try to cross the road. First of all, Bangor is all on a hill (and my dorm is near the top, but everything else is way down by the bottom--within a mile, I'd say). I have to cross a lot of roads, and here in the UK (but nowhere else in the world, according to a German girl I met) they drive on the wrong side of the road. So I look both ways about a billion times until I can remember which way the cars are coming. It's interesting, but I think I'll catch on soon (I hope).

Anyway, I should probably go do something productive (like nap, since I'm definitely tired). I'm sure I'll have more to post soon!

Contact Info

I leave in just a few days, which is exciting (and would be more exciting if I had more information). I do know, however, my postal address in case anyone is interested in sending me some mail:

Alexandria Fladhammer
014A
Crafnant
Ffriddoedd Site
Ffriddoedd Road
Bangor
Gwynedd, LL57 2GX

It's an interesting address, that's for sure. Also, I have AIM (snwbnny210) and skype (afladhammer) for anyone who wants to contact me that way. I will have a Bangor email address, but I don't get that until I'm actually in Bangor.

I can't wait until I have fun pictures to post too :) And I'm pretty sure my blog will be a lot more interesting when I actually have something to write about. Just a few days! I'm already packed--now I'm just waiting...