England – Journals from Abroad

December 5, 2023December 5, 2023

Midpoint Check In

If you came here for a post full of pictures of the amazing places I’ve travelled to, you’ll be disappointed (not entirely, I’ve still been to one or two other places). But, for the most part, this post will be a more reflective style blog that focuses on my feelings toward this time and what I have learned so far seeing as I’m about halfway done with my time here.

But first, for those of you that enjoy hearing about the places I’ve been and the things I’ve been doing, let me fill you in on all of that.

On Sunday, 26th of November, I had the opportunity to go up to Leeds to help with an event at a gymnastics club. It was a fantastic experience and it was so fun to watch the pure joy as young kids tried gymnastics for the first time. It was an early wake up time for me at 3:15AM but it was very much worth it.

Entrance to Nile Wilson Gymnastics Leeds

I also was able to do another online speech and debate tournament with linfield. It was another couple of late nights holed up in an academic building until 4:00AM but I had a great time debating with Ally, my debate partner, and competing in prose interpretation and program oral interpretation. Ally and I placed 2nd twice, 3rd once, and 4th once. We didn’t make it to finals but considering it was only our second time debating together, we performed very well and our speeches were solid. The speech side was also very fun and I ended up placing 2nd in prose interpretation! This tournament was a bit harder to wake up from and really messed up my sleep schedule but hopefully I can get it back on track soon.

Clara, fully smiling with hair down, red lipstick, and a white turtleneck top is holding a small black binder in front of her. Behind her, you can see the same lecture theater seats — Speech night

Now for some reflection.

As I said before, I’m halfway through this journey and have come to realize a few things about what this study abroad is for me. The first is that this is almost an alternate universe in a way. I get to see what my university life would have been like if I had chosen to go to a big university instead of Linfield, or if I had chosen to go to a university outside of the country instead of Linfield, and I get to see all of that for 4 months and then I get to go back to the life I chose. I can’t imagine my life without all the people I’ve met at Linfield, but this time abroad really makes me think about the fact that if I had chosen a different path than what I did, I wouldn’t have met all of the people I met when I chose to go to Linfield.

I also have reflected on the idea of homesickness while abroad and if I’ve felt it at all. And I can honestly say I haven’t felt nearly as homesick as I expected to feel at all. The first couple of weeks here I definitely felt out of my element and missed the security of the cities in Oregon that I’ve come to feel comfortable in, and every now and again when I think about someone that I miss from home or I text someone that I miss from home it will make me wish that I was back there to talk to them in person. But overall, I’ve embraced this time as a time to really understand the culture of the people I am living with and appreciate the differences I’ve noticed.

A lot of those differences have to do with a focus on community. People here place a much higher value on connection and spending time with each other: whether it’s going out to bars, grabbing a coffee, going home to spend time with family, or even just asking to hang out in each other’s rooms/houses. That’s in fairly stark contrast to the US where we place a higher value on things like work and productivity. There is still a focus on that here, but taking time to relax and spend time with people you care about, is of equal importance here and that is something I’ve really enjoyed.

Another difference that’s definitely been at the forefront of my mind is the academic schedule. The US has a very participatory approach to education where your attendance is marked and you have assignments/tests throughout the semester to monitor your retention and understanding of the material you are learning. Here, your attendance is checked, but it doesn’t count towards your overall grade, and your grade is based on (at least for all my classes) one essay that is turned in at the end of the semester. Needless to say the next couple of weeks for me will be filled with a lot of research and writing.

Overall, as I reach and pass the halfway point, I’m in a kind of weird state where I feel like I simultaneously have a lot of time left, and also feel like I should be almost done and ready to head home. I do miss seeing all of my friends and family and I miss some of the US culture that I love, but I’ve also really enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone and exploring more of the world than I ever thought I would in a span of 4 months.

Over the next two months I hope to finish out the semester well with my essays being good quality work that I can feel proud of. I also want to get as much time in with the new friends I’ve made as possible because I don’t know when I’ll be able to see them again. Through things like societies and classes, plus just sheer coincidence, I’ve come to form bonds with quite a few people here and it’s weird to think that in two months, I’ll be on the other side of the world from them.

I’ll never take for granted how much I’ve been able to do and see throughout this trip, and I will make sure I get as much out of the next two months as I possibly can.

Well, that’s it for my philosophical ramblings and sentimental reflections. See you back here in a couple weeks for my end of school semester thoughts and maybe some more travel stories.

Cheers!
-Clara

November 7, 2023

Trips On Trips

Welcome back to your virtual tour of England and beyond! (You’re in for a bit of a longer read this time, sorry not sorry!)

I’m sitting here writing this on the Italo train from Rome to Florence, but before I tell you about that, let’s backtrack to some things that have happened over the last couple of weeks.

My life is in shambles…

Ok, not really, but I did visit the shambles while on a trip to York!

York was another day trip, similar to Cambridge, with transportation organized by the UoN travel society. So as per usual, I pre-ordered my ticket and hopped on a bus with my travel buddy, Elizabeth, at 8:00AM and we headed off to York. After a bit of a delay, and a fear that we wouldn’t make our tour we had scheduled for 11:00AM, we made it to the York Chocolate Story (yeaaaa we were around 15 minutes late but let’s just choose to ignore that cause we still were allowed on the tour by some very wonderful chocolatiers). The tour of the history was fascinating and we even got to experiment with making a chocolate lollipop as a part of the tour!

The edge of a chocolate swirl sculpture in the top left corner, with the main focus of the photo being a round table with a few bowls and cups in the middle where people will soon be making chocolate lollipops — Chocolate lollipop workstation

A round flat plate with two flattened bags on top. Atop those bags are two chocolate lollipops decorated with chocolate shavings — Clara and Elizabeth’s chocolate lollipops

After that, we went on to York Minster. We didn’t go inside because we didn’t have tickets for that, but even the outside was gorgeous, and the church bells chiming was very interesting. I’ve never heard a church bell that chimed consistently or with as many different tones as this one.

A large church facade with a bell tower perturbing up from the front most corner — York Minster

Then we refueled at a very bougie Starbucks

People sat at many tables with 3 large arched windows in a high ceiling Ed room — The most classic British Starbucks there ever was.

And then we headed out to the shambles. It’s said that the setting for Harry Potter was inspired by the shambles, and as such, there are a lot of Harry Potter themed shops in the narrow walkways within the shambles. Though it was very cool to pass through, the streets are very crowded and Elizabeth and I opted for the shambles market instead.

Many people walking towards the camera in a narrow pedestrian only road with many small shops on either side — The small roads of the Shambles

Something that I’ve decided to do on this study abroad is, for every city I visit, I’m going to try to find a ring at a vintage store or a vendors market. (No I promise I’m not gollum), but as rings are my favorite kind of jewelry, and I want things that I collect on this trip to be able to be used for a long time and not just be postcards that I keep in a box and take out once in awhile, I figured this would be a good way to remember my trip while getting some use out of the product, and trying my best to support local shops/artisans. All that being said, at the shambles market, we found a jewelry vendor and I picked up 2 rings!

Clara’s hand, outstretched, showcasing 3 rings. A silver band with two engraved lines on the pointer finger, a silver and gold indented diamond pattern and edging on the ring finger, and a silver indented diamond patterned ring on the pinky finger — Ring from Cambridge, (on pointer finger), and two rings from York (on ring and pinky fingers)

Our last stop on the York trip was the oldest pub in England, the Golden Fleece. There is a lot of history in that pub, but we didn’t really have time to stop and fully experience it because we were on a time crunch to return to the coach to take us back to Nottingham.

Small hole in the wall entrance to the Golden Fleece with a barn looking decor style — Exterior of The Golden Fleece

The next week of classes was a lot of prep work for our end of term essays coming up in December, and I did a lot of brainstorming on the topics I want to write about. Some of the highlights include the intersecting identities between class and gender associated with a song, as well as the contributions costume design has for film. I also had a debate tournament which was an internal debate competition between members of the debaters union at UoN and my partner and I took 2nd in the whole tournament! The trophy was so tiny and cute.

Clara, hair down and slight smile, looking at the camera for a selfie holding up a tiny trophy smaller than her hand — Debate tournament trophy

Now, we arrive at this weekend.

Elizabeth and I woke ourselves up at 4:45AM on Saturday the 4th of November to get to the East Midlands airport and fly to Rome.

Clara and Elizabeth seated side by side on an airplane from Nottingham to Rome before takeoff — Clara (left) and Elizabeth (right), before takeoff to Rome

We arrived at the hotel at around 3pm and immediately turned around and went into the city for dinner and dessert. And what else are you gonna get in Rome but pasta and gelatos? Elizabeth had found this place in the heart of Rome called Nannarella which was famous for its fresh pasta, and I can confirm, it was absolutely delicious. The gelato we got was just down the street and was such a cute little shop. We then found a small vintage store where I added another ring to my collection.

Two Wok style bowls, a tin of bread between them, and a glass of Rose wine to the right, sat atop a small dining table — 2 spaghetti Carbonaras for dinner in Rome night 1

Fist showing a gold ring with a blue heart stone on the middle finger — Rome ring

Then yesterday, we did a 2-hour walking tour of some of the Piazzas in Rome which was a great way to knock out a lot of the tourist spots quickly and with someone who has the historical knowledge that our tour guide has.

A very old, historic looking church about 3 stories tall — Piazza Altieri

Large open space in the foreground with a few stairs, and a large white building in the background with a bright sun coming through the two towers — Large meeting square in Rome

Clara in the foreground standing in front of the Trevi Fountain with a large smile on her face — Looking for my soulmate at the Trevi Fountain

We also made a quick trip to the Vatican as well as the gardens at the villa Borghese, which have some beautiful walking/running trails and a gorgeous lake. We then circled back for dinner near the colosseum, and lastly, went back for the Spanish steps and some more gelato.

Clara standing in the open square outside the Vatican — The Vatican

A beautiful lake reflecting a floating gazebo with a couple of pillars — The gardens at the villa Borghese

Photo of the back side of the colosseum with the very beginning of a sunset on the right side — The colosseum

Large rectangular pizza with six large slices of salami on top in the foreground, a large plate of Gnocci with red sauce in the background — Pizza Diavola and Gnocci with pesto and Raghu for Rome dinner night 2

This all brings us to right now; me, having woken up at 4:15AM, sitting on a train to Florence, where Elizabeth and I will be for around 13-14 hours before we hop on another train to Milan, stay about 5 hours at a hotel, and get up at around the same time tomorrow where she will fly to London and head back to Nottingham, and I will fly to meet up with some family in Paris for a couple of days before going back to Nottingham. But that’s for next time. Until then, I’ll just be here balancing work with some of the most amazing travel experiences of a lifetime.

Small train window showing a glaring sunrise over the countryside outside Florence — Sunrise on trails from Rome to Florence

Cheers!

-Clara

October 23, 2023

Exploring and Adjusting

Hi and welcome to the first blog about me actually living in Nottingham! We have lots to discuss…

This blog post will cover two larger experiences I have had and a couple of smaller updates

The day after writing the last post, I ended up going to something called the Goose Fair with a few friends, Aki, Chloe, and Abhita. The Goose Fair is a big traveling fair that comes to Nottingham every fall and it’s the biggest fair in the UK. Needless to say, there were a lot of rides and a lot of people. I (along with a mix of the friends that joined me depending on the ride), went on 3 rides: a Ferris wheel, a giant rotating swing, and something called the Xtreme which is very hard to explain but made me very dizzy and feel like i was flying sideways in an airplane. This was a very fun event and it allowed for a few of my friends that didn’t know each other to meet as well.

Clara, Aki, Chloe, and Abhita sitting in a circular Ferris Wheel car high above the lights of the Goose Fair shining at night below — From left to right, Clara, Aki, Chloe, and Abhita, all sitting in a Ferris Wheel car at the top of the wheel.

Ferris wheel on the left and in the background, Swing (looks like a tower with pointed petals sticking straight out from the top of it), lighted, on the right and in the foreground — Ferris wheel and swing rides

The other big event was my day trip to Cambridge! I joined a travel society here and they arrange day trips for us to cities around England. And by arrange, I mean they get us all together on a couple coaches and take us to and from, but once we are there, what we do is almost completely up to us. I went with two friends, Elizabeth and Angela, pictured below,, and we went to everything we possibly could despite the complete downpour of rain while we were there. We started the day with a trip to a cafe that Elizabeth found and got brunch, then we went to the Great St. Mary’s church and climbed the tower. We then tried to get on a boat tour on the river Cam, but unfortunately, because of the rain, they weren’t running the tours. Angela wanted to go see a poem inscribed on a stone in King’s College, so we walked around and started by going into the chapel there. It was beautiful and everyone there was so kind (we were all seeking shelter from the rain so we all felt a sense of kinship).

After that, we went to see this poem. Angela, having studied the poem extensively in her home country of Taiwan, translated the poem, written in traditional Chinese, for Elizabeth and I, and told us what the poem was about. The poet had studied in Cambridge and the poem was essentially his goodbye letter to the city.

After we had seen everything there was to see at King’s College, we walked around some shopping centers and vintage stores before going to get dinner at a traditional Neapolitan pizza restaurant. Once we were done with dinner we hopped back on the coach and came back to the university. I had an amazing trip with Elizabeth and Angela and I look forward to more trips with them in the future.

Two sandwiches sitting on two plates in the foreground, one iced latte with a spiral colored paper straw and two hot chocolates sitting on a tray in the background on a polka dotted table — Breakfast sandwiches and morning coffee/cocoa to start the day

A short but majestic looking apple tree growing in a grassy patch in front of an old English style building at King’s college — Isaac Newton’s gravity tree

Angela, Clara and Elizabeth standing in an archway that look out onto an old historical building — From left to right, Angela, Clara, and Elizabeth standing in an archway near King’s College in Cambridge

King’s College chapel with beautiful intersecting arches carved into the ceiling that make intricate patterns. Stained glass windows cover the walls and shine a little bit of light through — King’s College Chapel

In the left bottom corner you can see a bit of the river that runs through king’s college. Then there is a big open field and behind that you can see some of the historic buildings like the chapel and tower on the king’s college campus — View from the bridge inside King’s College

A poem written in traditional chinese characters inscribed on a light colored stone sitting in an alcove next to a patch of grass — Traditional Chinese poem

3 Neapolitan pizzas sitting on top of a red and white checkered table — Our dinner of traditional Neapolitan pizza

Some other updates on my life so far:

Classes have still been going great. I feel like I am adjusting to the structure of English university well and even though the lectures are rather big, we get to engage a lot with the course material in seminars.

I also haven’t completely lost touch with Linfield or my friends/family. I still talk to people from home quite a bit and I have started planning the courses I want to take in the spring semester. It’s definitely a weird feeling doing that from halfway across the world, but I am excited about what lies ahead for me at Linfield after I return.

Some of my Swift-ness friends will be happy to know that I can now say I have seen the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie! One of my friends here, Keesha, is a big Taylor Swift fan, and I went to see it with her. It was a great movie and a wonderful performance, and it was so fun to be surrounded by a group of people who you could just tell were having the time of their lives watching a concert performed by someone they all love.

Keesha and Clara sitting in a movie theater waiting for the Taylor Swift movie to start — Keesha and Clara at the Eras Tour movie

That’s my update for now! Next weekend I’ll be going to York, and in 2 weeks I’ll be splitting my time between Italy and Paris for a week, so look out for the blog post that breaks those down coming soon. Until then, I have some lectures to attend and some more memories to make.

Cheers!

-Clara

October 9, 2023

Planes, Coaches, and Automobiles

Hello from Nottingham, everyone! While I have already been here for a few weeks, I thought it would be fun to reflect a little bit about my journey getting over here and share a some of my thoughts on the initial cultural differences I have found, as well as friends who I have made.

My journey started at 6:00AM on Friday, September 22nd, when I packed all of my suitcases into my family’s car and headed to the Portland International Airport. I checked all of my bags and was able to get to my gate with the help of a great gate assistant.

Selfie of Clara, curly blonde hair, on a plane with a bright airplane window to the right of her face — Portland>San Francisco

I had successfully made it to the San Francisco airport and to my next gate with plenty of time to get a good lunch in, as well as call and catch up with some friends and family while waiting to board my next plane.

Clara, slightly less zoomed in, on her second plane. Behind her, 3 empty plane seats and a closed airplane window before others boarded the flight — San Francisco>Heathrow

Once on my second plane, I was strapped in for a 10.5 hour flight to London Heathrow. I had my headphones on and was ready to attempt to sleep on the plane, however the cramped environment and a crying baby, coupled with the fact that I don’t sleep very well on planes, meant that I collectively got about 1-2 hours of sleep. But I was running on adrenaline and ready for the next stage of my journey. After a very quick stop through customs and baggage claim, I was assisted to the area where people board coaches. It took some trial and error (yes, I may have almost gotten on the wrong coach to start with, pictured here), but eventually I made it onto the right coach and sat for about a 4-hour long ride.

One big black roller suitcase, a smaller duffel bag, and a backpack style bag in the foreground. Behind it are barricades, and beyond the barricades is a large coach style bus — The incorrect coach I almost boarded, as well as all my luggage

The coach pulled into Broad Marsh Bus Station, and I only had about 3 miles left of my journey! A student ambassador from University of Nottingham was there to greet me and kind enough to help me with ordering an Uber to the University. My Uber ride was quiet and peaceful as we drove past some very cool architecture in a part of town called Old Lenton.

Looking out the window from an Uber to an old brick building with a set of old wood double doors, the right one of which has the number 4 in the upper middle. A sign to the right of the doors reads 10 pound entry — Night Club entrance near the Nottingham City Centre

The driver let me off a block or two away from my hall, and you know how everyone says the last bit of the journey is the hardest? Well, that was proven true as I had to get 3 bags down some stairs and across a lawn. Luckily, some very kind students saw me trying to hold everything and offered to help/direct me to the right hall.

At 6:45PM on September 23rd, after 24 hours of nonstop travel and only 1-2 hours of bad airplane sleep… I made it! Granted, I was about 10 minutes late to the dining hall and it had closed, so I had to get some instant noodles from an RA and realized too late that I had no silverware to eat them with, but I was at least in the right place and had all of my belongings with me

There were definitely some cultural differences that hit me right away. For instance, every announcement at the Heathrow airport was made by someone with a British accent, and I didn’t think that the driving on the wrong side of the road would be as weird to me as it was. But, since my seat on the coach was directly behind the driver, I had an uninhibited view of the road and noticed that almost instantly. As well, the next morning after I had arrived, while waiting in line for a dining hall brunch, I was asked by a student in front of me “is it weird for you to be the one with the accent now?”

I was able to make some friends right off the bat, which I am extremely grateful for. One of them had reached out to me after seeing my name in an international student group chat for UoN and we ended up going shopping for some room necessities. I also found a friend through my hall, Keesha, who is a full time UoN student, and we have gone to club meetings, out shopping, and are planning on going to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie next weekend.

Clara, on the left, hear up and a rain jacket on. Keesha, on the right, hair down. Both smiling with the doors to a tram behind them on their way to Beeston, shopping centre — Clara & Keesha on a tram on their way to Beeston to go shopping

I’ve also finished my first week of classes. The format is very different to the Linfield classes that I am used to, but they all seem very interesting and I am very interested in learning about the material they cover: from how the media shapes our self identity, to the role of people such as cinematographers and costume designers in film and television.

It has been an adjustment, but I have been very open to all of the cultural differences I have experienced and feel very blessed that I am able to have this opportunity to live in a country different from my own for 4 months. I will no doubt be learning new things every day, not just in my modules, but through other everyday experiences and larger travel excursions that I plan on doing. I am very much looking forward to these next few months, and I know that they will teach me a lot.

Cheers,
Clara

September 19, 2023

Starting The Journey

Hi everyone!

My name is Clara Johansen and I am a junior studying communication arts at Linfield. In one week, I will be departing from the Portland International airport to San Francisco California, then headed to my final destination of Nottingham England for a semester abroad.

I applied for this study abroad on a bit of a whim, but I couldn’t be happier that this came to fruition. As a communication arts major, I really value getting to experience and learn about other cultures and gaining a better understanding of how to interact with people from those differing cultures. Linfield providing opportunities like this is such a great way for a lot of students to gain new experiences while still advancing in their academic pursuits, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

While I am very excited to start this new chapter of my life, there are some things that make me a bit nervous. I am the only person from Linfield participating in the England study abroad program, so I won’t know anyone when I get there. As well, being a legally blind individual, navigating airports like London Heathrow, even with gate assistance, seems a bit daunting. But, I am not one to shy away from a challenge and I’m hoping that my skills of adaptability that I have honed over the years will allow me to arrive and settle in safely without much trouble.

While those are the things I am nervous for, the things I am excited for far outweigh the nerves I am feeling. As I already mentioned, I get to experience a culture that is very different from my own and learn how to navigate and settle into being a part of that culture. Getting to take classes like film and television production and how media shapes our identities is also very high on that list as I wouldn’t be able to take those classes at Linfield. I’m also very eager to travel around the greater EU as ease of travel is so good from country to country. Lastly, I’m looking forward to creating some new friendships that will stay with me even when I come back from this journey. I have the opportunity to meet people whom I never would’ve met if not for this study abroad program I signed up for, so, even though I am the only person from my home school going, I’m still blessed for the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and create lasting relationships with others.

I hope you’ll be excited to follow along my journey, as I’m sure there will be a lot to update you on as experiences keep rolling in.

Cheers,
-Clara

January 25, 2023

Homesick

It’s been a couple months here and the homesick is really starting to kick in, especially since the holidays here and I am not around to spend it with my family. Luckily, my grandparents are flying into London and I will get to spend Christmas with them.

Cierra

November 29, 2022

A and E Visit

While I work in a emergency room, I have never been a patient in a emergency room but, sure enough, a couple weeks into my time here in England, I had to make a visit to the emergency room, or as they call it here, A and E, which stands for accident and emergency.

I was walking to get on my bike for a indoor cycling class when I slipped on water and fell to the ground. I am not even sure the logistics of how I fell or what I got caught on, because when I stood up I felt fine. However, everyone was screaming there was blood on the ground and when I looked down there was actually quite a lot of blood. Unsure where it came from, I began looking everywhere when I saw my right pinky finger and became faint. My whole nail was ripped off and hanging on by a thread. I think I was in shock because it didn’t start hurting till the class instructor and sports trainer started cleaning and wrapping it. Without getting into too much gorey detail, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty and there was someone screaming – me. Once the trainer wrapped it up, he told me to go to the A and E. So, I called up one of the other girls who came here with me from Linfield and we walked there. Luckily, the hospital is right next to campus.

When I got there it wasn’t too busy, at least not what I am use to seeing at my job in the American ER, but it was a whole lot more complicated to find where the ER was. It felt like I walked the whole hospital to fine it. I went up to the counter to check in and she asked for my surname (last name), I told her I am not from England but she said I should be in the system. Apparently, everyone in England when you first arrive, or born, is registered with the National Health Service (NHS). I didn’t know this. So, therefore, I was not in the system and it took some 5 registers to figure out how to check me in without being registered with NHS. Let just say I learned my lesson and went to register with NHS after. Anyways, I got checked in and waited about 45 minutes. The nurse practitioner checked out my finger and, after realizing I need it to be numb because I was screaming every time she touched it, put my nail back into the nail bed and wrapped it up. I went home all better, at least I thought.

The next day I was curious what it looked like, I mean I am a nursing student after all, so I unwrapped it….. and it was very very purple. I didn’t think that was normal so I asked a friend who is a EMT and they suggested going back. So, I did and sure enough the X ray showed it was broken.

The crazy part of this whole experience is that I went to the emergency room twice and never once was asked for insurance, money or anything. WHATTTTTT? That is something you don’t experience in America for sure.

Moral of the story, watch where you walking because having a broken finger hurts and showering with a finger cast isn’t fun.

Queens Medical Centre, the local hospital. — The local hospital.

Cierra

November 7, 2022

The University of Nottingham

I have never experienced anything so mind blowing as the University of Nottingham, since I am not use to such a big school. The University of Nottingham is probably over 20 times the size of both the population and area of Linfield. There are so many students that security guards had to be at the orientation-week fairs for crowd-control and the orientation fairs included so many free gifts that students were walking around with tote bags full of free goodies.

What is even crazier, is the number of buses available to take you around campus and to the different campuses. At Linfield, it takes less than 10 minutes to walk from one side to the other. However, I am glad there is a bus because I live on one of the campuses and all my classes are on another.

Below are some pictures of The University of Nottingham. Both older and more modern buildings can be seen.

A long, 3 story, dirty white building on campus that is situated slightly above the road level so there is a brown brick pathway with stairs to get to the entrance of the building. The entrance has a “Welcome to your Student Union” poster with “Hello” in different languages above it. — Portland Building

Displayed is a brown wood and lots of glass -windowed bowl shape building with thin, steel, vertical beams. The building is surrounded by a small river of water with a small bridge to get to the building.

Beyond orientation week, the first first week of school provided some new learning experiences. After the introductions to all my classes (here they are called modules), I realized 2 main things: the majority of classes are graded on one end of the module exam or essay and while they do speak English, some words are spelled differently then in America. For example, in the UK, they spell behaviour and colour. In contrast, we spell it behavior and color and Linfield’s classes are based on exams and coursework throughout the module, instead of one big essay or test.

My History of Science professor showed us a cut-out of Einstein’s blackboard he wrote on when he taught a lecture at the University of Nottingham, probably nearly 100 years ago. However, it is in German so I cannot read it, but I will be writing a research paper on Einstein, so maybe I will look into what that blackboard says.

A cut out and framed piece of blackboard that Einstein wrote on. The frame is white and says “Einstein’s Blackboard” in black on a gold little plaque on the top. The blackboard is written on with white chalk. There is some equations written on the top of the Blackboard and the rest of the blackboard is words written in German. — Einstein’s Blackboard

It’s taken me a while to adjust to all the differences. I definitely have been feeling like a outsider here, but I have met some amazing people from all different backgrounds as the University of Nottingham has a high international population. I have really enjoyed meeting so many new people. I even have become friends with a girl studying here from Texas, which is a crazy coincidence since I grew up in Texas. I guess even in a big school, it’s still a small world.

Cierra

October 17, 2022

Arriving In England

After a long awaited 324 days since I found out I was selected to study in England , I am glad to say I finally made it to the University of Nottingham. Overall, I have to say it was a very smooth sailing trip. Not even a single delay, which came as a surprise, because I have terrible luck flying internationally.

I definitely was jet legged at first as it is a 8 hour difference from Oregon, so that took some getting use to both in adjusting my sleeping schedule and in figuring out times to talk to family and friends back home. I been here a few weeks now though, so I think I finally got the hang of it.

A selfie of me and two other girls siting at the airport waiting for our flight to take off. — Waiting for our Plane.

I arrived in England to the typically English weather of clouds, rain and cold weather, but after the heat we endured this summer in Oregon, I am not complaining about a little cold. I am very happy about it.

It truly is gorgeous here especially the country sides we drove through on the bus ride to the University of Nottingham from the airport. Since arriving however, I have realized it’s only rained a couple times and, typically, it’s been sunny and in the 50s, if we are taking Fahrenheit or in the 10s, if we are talking Celsius. Therefore, I have been able to walk around the town of Nottingham quite a bit to soak up beauty of temporary home for the next few months. England really is gorgeous and full of history.

The outside of a gorgeous 16th century country house. The house is tan in color, about 4 stories high and has lot of windows. The house is now a museum. — Wollaton Hall

A photo of 1 deer standing and 3 laying in the lush grass with a couple of trees behind them and a party cloudy sky above. — Deer Park

When people ask why I choose England out of all the study abroad opportunities that Linfield provides, I tend to always say because of the history, and because they speak English, so I didn’t have to learn a new language. However, England English can be a lot different than American English, and even if you try to pretend you are English, people can easily tell you are American by the accent.

Yet, people love complementing American accents and love to ask you a bunch of questions on what America is like because what they know about America comes from movies. I have had to reassure people that college in America isn’t just one huge frat party like television portrays.

There is so much more I have learned and experience since being here and I had quite a eventful first week of school. Let’s just say culture shook is a real thing, so watch out for new entries and I will update soon!

PS: Dorms are a lot smaller than what I am use to at Linfield but you do get your own bathroom and mini fridge so that’s a big win in my book.

Cierra

A classic red English telephone box against a brick wall on the side of the street. — Red Telephone Box

September 19, 2022

Preparing for England

For the past month, I have been preparing for September 21st, 2022. The day I, and 3 other girls, fly 3 hours 43 minutes to Dallas, Texas then 8 hours 56 minutes to London, England. I am grateful to have traveled internationally a few times before and know what to expect but never have I had to pack and prepare for 4 months away in a different country.

So far, I have to say that picking out classes was the peak stress mark. So many options and things to consider from how the classes are graded to if there are prerequisites or certain requirements. Although, I think I was finally able to pick a great selection and I am excited to see what university is like there, especially the teaching styles.

In terms of everything else, I am grateful for the support and the preparation IPO and previous England participating students have given us. Without them, I would have been lost and forgotten a lot of things, especially little things such as getting voltage converters, a medical check-up, and an international phone plan before I go. In addition, the other girls and I have been chatting with each other about what to pack. I have to say jackets and rain boots have been at the top of the list.

I want to say, what a crazy time to be heading to England as the Queen, Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned 70 years (longest in England history) has recently passed away. However, to be able to witness some of the impacts her death has had, to be able to get money with her face still on it before they start changing it, and to see the impacts of her son, King Charles III, becoming king will be fascinating to me. I love history and England is definitely the place for such exploration.

I have never been so stressed and excited at the same time as I now count down the days, hours, and minutes till I arrive at the airport for my flights. Thank you, IPO for this adventure opportunity. England here we come 🙂

Cierra