So it is time to finally say goodbye. I've been back in the states for 18 days now. I feel like I've just been hiding in my parent's house trying to trick myself into feeling like I am still abroad and not dealing with the fact that I am back in St. Louis. Maybe writing this will help.
As I was driving around my neighborhood (major down side of being in the U.S. is that I have to drive. I HATE driving), and I started noticing that all the streets and neighborhoods are named after places in the UK. There is a group of streets near my house called Westminster and an apartment building called Chichester. It's laughable. But then I saw a street sign that said "Brighton Way" and I almost drove into oncoming traffic because I was so distracted. It really warmed my heart that there was something in St. Louis named after my favourite (yes I spelled it the Brit way) place in the world right in my own home town.
Even though it is sentimental and a bit silly, that sign represents to me the intersection of my time abroad and being home. That even though I have left Brighton physically, living in the UK has changed me in a lot of ways, including:
1) I enjoy meeting and hanging out with new people a lot more. I used to just hang out with people I already know, but I've realized I miss out on so much if I ignore other people just because I don't know them yet.
2) I'm much better at finding the good parts of any place. I used to think St. Louis was boring, but now I've discovered there is a lot of great art exhibitions, restaurants, bakeries, custard places (ok, most of it has to do with food) here and I'm better able to seek out and enjoy the good in a place.
3) I'm better able to deal with change. Hopefully this will help me as the big "G" (the-event which-must-not-be-named, Graduation for all you thick people) approaches.
Alright, enough gooshy emotions. Time to say goodbye. For all the people I met at Sussex, there is an open invitation for you to come visit me in St. Louis or wherever I happen to be, and hopefully our paths will cross again because I loved getting to know you. And thanks to everyone who took time to read my blog.
Last comment/expression of my feelings: I'm just so excited to see what happens next.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Progession towards the END
My last week in Brighton is so fun to look back on. I hit up all my favorite Brighton places with all my favorite Brighton people. I finally had fish and chips (well, chicken and chips) on the beach, complete with vinegar on my chips, and I praised the ingeniousness of such a tasty meal in such a perfect setting. Although, the highlight of that week was going to the bars on campus drinking with Olivia and her flatmates Aoife and Amy. It was so nice to spend my last night in Brighton with my adopted flat and just feeling a part of campus, since all the third years (seniors) has just received their results and were celebrating, or drinking away the sorrow, depending.
And then of course there were the goodbyes. I got to say goodbye to most people, though of course there are people that I missed saying goodbye to, which is incredibly sad but also spared me the heartache of actually saying goodbye.
After I left Brighton, I lugged all my luggage up to London and enjoyed my last bit of London with Cecily. We went to the Tate Modern, which I enjoyed. And being a hard person to please (I generally hate modern art), showed that once again, London museums are superior. There was one room that had a giant table and chairs which made me feel like I was in Alice in Wonderland.
Then after London I went to Dublin to meet up with family friends from when we lived in Bangkok, Thailand. They were so hospitable and I really love Dublin as a result. The city also reminded me a lot of Edinburgh, in that it has really Incorporated nature into the city. In fact, it feels like the city is second fiddle to the surrounding hills and scenery. And we went to a pub in Dublin and the bartenders were as friendly as Irish people are rumored to be.
We also went to Belfast, or near Belfast. On the drive there, as we pulled into their neighbourhood, there were Union Jacks and the flag of Ulster everywhere. In fact, there were more union jacks flying in that one small neighbourhood than I've seen in the rest of the UK. The reason for all the flags is that July 12th is coming up, which is when the Protestants (I was in a protestant neighbourhood) celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in which a protestant king defeated some catholics (my knowledge of history is astounding). So they celebrate this event my holding a parade, which goes through catholic neighbourhoods and obviously trouble ensues. I hadn't expected to actually see evidence of "The Troubles" during my very short stay (less than 12 hours) in the Northern Ireland, but I did.
Then I came back to London to collect my things, and get on the coach to Paris. I thought it would be a nicer and greener was to travel given that I've been taking so many (too many) flights. What a horrible, horrible mistake. I felt like such a snob, but honestly the people who were on the coach were the weirdest bunch of people with whom I've been forced to share an enclosed space. Just to give you an example, one guy laughed in his sleep, loudly. I felt like I was in a moving insane asylum. And the bus smelled.
I cried as we left Dover. I think my sadness was increased by how awful the coach was, but I was really sad to leave. I told people that I will be back soon. And hopefully I will. If I could control the future, I would move to Brighton after graduation. But given that my bank account is hurting, and that I learnt that we have very little control over where life takes us, I honestly don't know when I will next be in the UK. And I met so many awesome people and really got used to living there.
Enough whining. So, Paris. I had a great day in Paris consisting mostly of eating and looking at art. I don't know how the french do it, but they manage to make something as simple as flour, eggs, milk, butter and sugar (ingredients for a butter, sugar crepe) taste so mind-blowingly great. I also made a stop at the Louvre, and while running away from the annoying crowds (I actually had someone ask me to move out of their picture while I was trying to enjoy the art!!! I accidentally gave them such a glare) I found a couple of cool rooms of Northern European religious art.
As I left the Louvre I walked back to the apartment I was staying in near La Fontaine St. Michel and watched the sun set on the Seine with all of the people picnicing. Taking my inspiration from them, I decided to get a baguette, some brie, olives and a bottle of Cote Du Rhone wine and that was dinner. A prefectly tasty ending.
And then of course there were the goodbyes. I got to say goodbye to most people, though of course there are people that I missed saying goodbye to, which is incredibly sad but also spared me the heartache of actually saying goodbye.
After I left Brighton, I lugged all my luggage up to London and enjoyed my last bit of London with Cecily. We went to the Tate Modern, which I enjoyed. And being a hard person to please (I generally hate modern art), showed that once again, London museums are superior. There was one room that had a giant table and chairs which made me feel like I was in Alice in Wonderland.
Then after London I went to Dublin to meet up with family friends from when we lived in Bangkok, Thailand. They were so hospitable and I really love Dublin as a result. The city also reminded me a lot of Edinburgh, in that it has really Incorporated nature into the city. In fact, it feels like the city is second fiddle to the surrounding hills and scenery. And we went to a pub in Dublin and the bartenders were as friendly as Irish people are rumored to be.
We also went to Belfast, or near Belfast. On the drive there, as we pulled into their neighbourhood, there were Union Jacks and the flag of Ulster everywhere. In fact, there were more union jacks flying in that one small neighbourhood than I've seen in the rest of the UK. The reason for all the flags is that July 12th is coming up, which is when the Protestants (I was in a protestant neighbourhood) celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in which a protestant king defeated some catholics (my knowledge of history is astounding). So they celebrate this event my holding a parade, which goes through catholic neighbourhoods and obviously trouble ensues. I hadn't expected to actually see evidence of "The Troubles" during my very short stay (less than 12 hours) in the Northern Ireland, but I did.
Then I came back to London to collect my things, and get on the coach to Paris. I thought it would be a nicer and greener was to travel given that I've been taking so many (too many) flights. What a horrible, horrible mistake. I felt like such a snob, but honestly the people who were on the coach were the weirdest bunch of people with whom I've been forced to share an enclosed space. Just to give you an example, one guy laughed in his sleep, loudly. I felt like I was in a moving insane asylum. And the bus smelled.
I cried as we left Dover. I think my sadness was increased by how awful the coach was, but I was really sad to leave. I told people that I will be back soon. And hopefully I will. If I could control the future, I would move to Brighton after graduation. But given that my bank account is hurting, and that I learnt that we have very little control over where life takes us, I honestly don't know when I will next be in the UK. And I met so many awesome people and really got used to living there.
Enough whining. So, Paris. I had a great day in Paris consisting mostly of eating and looking at art. I don't know how the french do it, but they manage to make something as simple as flour, eggs, milk, butter and sugar (ingredients for a butter, sugar crepe) taste so mind-blowingly great. I also made a stop at the Louvre, and while running away from the annoying crowds (I actually had someone ask me to move out of their picture while I was trying to enjoy the art!!! I accidentally gave them such a glare) I found a couple of cool rooms of Northern European religious art.
As I left the Louvre I walked back to the apartment I was staying in near La Fontaine St. Michel and watched the sun set on the Seine with all of the people picnicing. Taking my inspiration from them, I decided to get a baguette, some brie, olives and a bottle of Cote Du Rhone wine and that was dinner. A prefectly tasty ending.
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