of Welcome doesn't exist. I was literally dropped off at my flat, handed a sheet of paper with a couple events on it, and told "Good luck. Call if you need anything," despite not having an international phone plan at the time. Picking classes (the term used here is modules) has been an absolute nightmare. Everyone in Uni here in Cardiff gets put in to classes for their specific school (or major) and only for that school. A liberal arts education does not exist here. Students take classes that apply to their degree and then they graduate--all in three years. And here I am, trying to squeeze everything I want to do in to four! However, I will say that I feel pretty accomplished now that I've got a working schedule (everyone here says "timetable")! Although it was difficult, it got done. I am taking Cross-Cultural Management, Managing People in Organisations (have to make sure I spell it "correctly" here), Reformation History, Globalisation and Social Change, and Power, Politics, and Policy (In class today, there were four stabs at the United States, thanks to last night's debate...). Not bad, eh? Freshers Week--Orientation week, if you subtract the academic parts and multiply the social parts by 10x--was lots of fun. I met lots of new people and got to know the city a little better. I still have a lot to explore, though! I plan on exploring more of it this week. Tomorrow, hopefully, my flatmates and I will head on over to Cardiff Bay! This past weekend, some of us took a trip to Brecon Beacons National Park and hiked to the peak of Pen y Fan--one of the best hikes I've ever done! I was blown away--literally and figuratively, meaning it was absolutely breathtaking, but the wind was so strong, I found myself almost blowing off the mountain a few times! Check it out under the "Places" tab under the "Connections" tab above! There, you'll also find photos from my trips to London, specifically from the day trip I took to see Sara and Bailey! It was great seeing them. #wheredasquadat #squadabroad I'd love to share more, but my tummy is pretty full from my flat's second Taco Tuesday, which is making me kinda sleepy. I have to write up some notes from my lecture today (Yes, just one! Another fabulous difference between the US and UK! I only have each class once a week and no more than two classes in general a day!) and prepare for my two lectures tomorrow. Wish me luck as I brave the next week! I'm super excited for everyone else I'll get to meet, everywhere else I'll get to go, and everything in between! Cheers mate!
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This post is coming to you from the UK! London, to be exact! Yes, you read that correctly: London. I'm not in Cardiff yet! Let me explain; IFSA-Bulter (the program I am studying abroad through) has an orientation of their own for all 190 students studying on the island of Great Britain (Fun fact: out of the 190 students, I am the only one studying at Cardiff University!). So, here I am, staying in a nice hotel one street away from Oxford Street--one of the places I was told I had to see. Despite the minor jet lag I experienced, I've already had one heck of a trip, starting before I'd even left the country! Having experienced the fastest check-in and security check in an airport ever, I had plenty of time to hang out before boarding my Icelandair plane. While waiting, I noticed a man who kept walking back and forth in front of me, occasionally stealing a glance my way, and then a woman doing the same thing. My red flags were flying higher than ever before when the man and woman, now together, approached me and asked if I knew a "fun woman" named Monica Hoel (Shout-out to Monica for being a fun woman!). Well, of course I know Monica, just like every other Emory & Henry College student and alum! The couple proceeded to explain their stalker-ish behavior--they were trying to read my t-shirt and tag on my bag to make sure they read "Emory & Henry College." They had both graduated from Emory years ago! We chatted about the school, different people we knew, the study abroad programs, and much more! What a small world!! Since arriving in the UK, I've met even more nice people, seen more cool things, and been to more neat places. The guy I sat next to on my second flight told me all about the different places he's been, making me envy his world travels. He recommended lots of different places and things to do, and told me that Wales is one of his all-time favorite countries--Italy and Chile being the only two that top it! The nice man who stamped my passport told me the ins & outs of London--what to and what not to do while here, and to take the train everywhere I go, especially when I head to Cardiff--in the 2 minutes it took him to make sure I was legit. After getting lost, walking around looking for the hostel I had a reservation at, on the hottest day of the year (literally--it said so on the news later last night), the woman at the reception desk greeted me with a smile and kept the smile on her face every time I came back to the desk with a new question. She even called me a cab for this afternoon when I couldn't because of not having a phone plan here! My cab driver today chatted with me about my Religion major while waiting in traffic, advising me to keep up my studies, "even when the world seems to hate people who like studying religion." I've got to say, so far, my trip has been worth every penny, and I'm not even a full 48 hours into it yet! All of the people I've met and advice I've been given has been wonderful, and has helped to erase my nerves. Now for some advice of my own: If you're going to fly to Europe, fly Icelandair!! They're cheap to fly; you get glacier water on the plane, along with a pillow, blanket, complimentary drinks, and awesome movie choices; the overhead lights aren't like normal, boring, yellow airplane lights--they change colors and mimic the Northern Lights; and you have a layover in Iceland, where you get off the plane on cool stairs like Lindsey Lohan does in The Parent Trap when going home to her father in Napa, CA, so you actually step foot in Iceland and can say you've been in Iceland--by far, my favorite perk! That's all for now! Friday morning, I'll get on a train (thanks to the man who stamped my passport) to Cardiff, where I'll officially move in to my flat! Thanks for reading! That's right, folks; this girl is leaving the country in two days. Not for good or anything (although, with the upcoming election, I might stay a little longer than planned...). The fall semester of my junior year in college will be spent abroad. For three months, I will be studying at Cardiff University, which is located in Cardiff, Wales. Before you open a new tab and type "Where is Wales?" into your favorite search engine, let me try to help you out a bit. Wales is a country in the U.K. North of Wales lies Scotland, England can be found to the right, and Ireland and Northern Ireland are just across the pond to the left. People in Wales speak English, but some also speak Welsh. Welsh is full of cool words like Cymraeg. Cymraeg is the word in Welsh for Welsh. Cymru is the word for Wales, the country. Cwn is valley. And my personal favorite: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the name of a small town. It translates to "St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St .Tysilio near the red cave."
While I'm going to be studying abroad in Wales for the next three months, that doesn't mean I'm going to stay in Wales and only Wales. I plan on traveling everywhere I possible can while in Europe. Traveling is slowly becoming a passion of mine. I love getting to experience new cultures, learn about their traditions, each place's history, try their foods, etc. Right now, I have a growing list of places I want to visit, things I want to see, and people I can't wait to meet while abroad. Along with that list, I've been adding to another list of my own every time I talk to someone about my upcoming semester abroad. I've formed a list of advice I've been given and would like to share it with you all. Some of you reading this might even see something familiar! Advice for Casey, provided by many.
As you can see, I've been given all kinds of advice (and too many places to visit to list them all). Will I follow all of it? Probably not. Will I try? Probably. What I am going to promise to do, though, is compile a list of advice based off this list given to me and my experiences while abroad to share with others wanting to spend a semester abroad.
As my friends who are also studying abroad either settle in to their cosy new beds for the semester or settle into their not-so-cosy plane seats for the next 8-12 hours, I will continue to cherish my last couple days in the good 'ole U.S. of A., sipping on a smoothie, snacking on leftover Chinese take-out, and watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. Until then, see you soon, Cymru! P.S. Keep the advice coming! I love all of it, even if it's something I've been told a million a one times! I want to know all our your suggestions, too! Thanks! |
Casey HeinleinI'm Casey [current world traveler, food & drink enthusiast, novice blogger, lover of the ampersand, & the connections that come with it] in Cardiff. Contact me here.
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