Have you ever gone to school on Thanksgiving? Up until today, I hadn't. The UK doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, remember? So last Thursday was a normal school day, filled with professors, reading assignments, lectures, and a full on American Thanksgiving feast. Yes, that's right--my flat celebrated Thanksgiving! We had turkey, stuffing (oh my gosh, so much stuffing), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans, rolls, corn--we went all out. For dessert, we even had apple crisp and pecan pie! We made hand-turkeys, listened to Christmas music, and shared lots of laughs. In case you missed the stellar video we all made, please watch it here: After my Thanksgiving in the UK, I got on a plane to Amsterdam for my US squad weekend with Emily, Bailey, Sara, and Jessica. We went all over the city on a canal tour, saw the Anne Frank Museum and House, pet lots of rescued cats on a cat boat, went ice skating in front of the Rijksmuseum, and took tons of photos in front of the famous "I amsterdam" letters and, of course, the big yellow clog. We ate giant Dutch pancakes, blue-colored cheese that tasted like lavender, and stroopwafels--all delicious! The weekend with them made me realize just how much I've missed seeing each of their faces every day like I have for the past two years at school. Lately, I've been missing a lot of things, actually. Mostly, it's just been little everyday things that I took for granted before moving to a different country--97 cent Suave shampoo and conditioner, Wendy's junior cheesburgers, dryer sheets, etc. It would seem silly to me if I were the one reading this, but, as I write it, it makes perfect sense. These things used to be constants in my life, and I never thought a time would come when I wouldn't have the option to have them. It's made life a bit more interesting. Trying to find a deoderant that wasn't spray-on, or a box of Kraft mac and cheese to make for dinner, while trying to keep the "trolley" (shopping cart) under control--all of the wheels move, not just the ones in the front, so they can be kind of hard to steer--has been quite an experience, I'll admit.
It's not that I don't enjoy trying new things and being in a new place--I absolutely love it! All I mean to say is it has made me a bit more thankful for the things I used to take for granted. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on some of these "delacacies," but also know that when the time comes for me to leave in just a few short weeks, I will be missing the things I've come to see as normal here. I'm already dreading the goodbyes I'll have to say in 12 days... In other news, CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!
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If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the past two weeks, it’s this: if you ever want to see a part of the world—and really see it, like the locals and tourists see it—open up your geocaching app and start walking. Cork in Ireland, Fort William, Glencoe, and Glasgow in Scotland, and soon to be Cardiff in Wales, would not have been as interesting if it weren’t for the geocaches along the way. The different caches hidden around these cities and villages tend to have a little description about the place they are hidden in, and that little description is usually pretty interesting to the wannabe queen of quirky fun facts (hey, that’s me!). For example, did you know there’s a clock tower in Cork that is called the Four Faced Liar because each of the four faces on their respective sides tell a slightly different time until the hour hits and they all read the hour correctly?? Or that the “fort” in Fort William wasn’t completely destroyed during a war or battle like most castles and forts were, but by a train company in 1894, temporarily turning the fort into a rail yard?? I didn’t think so. As you can see, some of the tidbits of information are a little more historical than others. Sometimes the information about the location of the cache is a memory of the person who hid the cache. Other times the descriptions are blank or don’t have any fun facts, just hints. It’s still fun looking around the area each one is hidden in. Some caches are teeny tiny, only big enough to fit a log for you to sign, while others are huge and hold neat little treasures to trade in and out.
If you haven’t been geocaching, or don’t know what it is, you totally should, especially if you want to know more about the town you’re living in! Even if you just want to pretend your Nicholas Cage, hunting for your own little National Treasure (like me), that’s cool, too! For all my E&H friends back home, there are a couple by Emory that are fun, quick finds—I’d totally recommend it. I’m looking forward to finding more geocaches in more of the places I plan on traveling to. It really has been the best way to find all of the best spots in town. Give it a try—you might just find a new hobby, too! I’m off to find my next cache! Wish me luck! Dear [insert name of professor here], I realize I have missed a few classes and seminars (and blog posts!) the past few weeks, but I have some pretty great excuses—would you like to hear them? I thought so. A couple weekends ago, I woke up later than usual and missed a very important bus of mine to Stonehenge. I know what you must be thinking—Casey, how does missing a bus to Stonehenge on the weekend have anything to do with you not coming to my class? Well, professor, when I missed that bus, something snapped inside of me, something dangerous. It was a side of me I have always known was there, but have failed to see in its full form until now. It was my fernweh (a cooler word for wanderlust, or a desire to travel). When I realized I had missed that bus, I opened up my computer and, without thinking twice, booked a train and a bus ticket to Salisbury where, upon arrival, I ran to a taxi, begging him to speed (safely, of course) to Stonehenge, which closed 4 minutes after my taxi driver dropped me off. (Stonehenge, by the way, is magnificent. Please go someday if you haven’t already.) After seeing the stones, I got a lift back to Salisbury by a tour bus driver, where I saw the outside and courtyard of the Salisbury Cathedral, where one of four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta is located! When I finally returned to Cardiff, I was exhausted after a long day of absorbing information, I didn’t read for class, so felt I wouldn’t be able to fully understand or grasp the concepts presented in the lecture, which is why I felt it was alright for me to miss it and go to the Lake District (where I hiked up the highest peak in England!) with IFSA-Butler—the program giving me this wonderful opportunity to study abroad and learn about myself via experiencing a new culture, which is exactly what I’m doing! Don’t you want to me learn and engage with my studies? Ta-da! I am, all the way from Ireland (Dublin, Howth, Cork, and Blarney—yes, I kissed the stone—to be exact)! This past week, half of my lectures were cancelled, giving me a reading week to prepare for big, important papers I will have to write very soon. You know how much effort you want me to put in to writing your papers, right? So isn’t it fair for me to miss one of your lectures to spend time reading and writing for my other class’ essay [on a plane to Dublin] as long as I take just as much time learning and understand the material and write up an awesome essay for yours? I think so…I hope you do, too… Just know that I am having a blast in this country and others. I am learning a lot about myself, different cultures, people in general, etc., which is exactly why I came to Cardiff University in the first place. Did I mention I also had a legitimate excuse and (finally) went to the doctor? Yep, still sick. *cough cough* Although I’ve enjoyed traveling a ton and don’t regret any of it—even if my slowly diminishing bank account says otherwise—here I am, asking for forgiveness from you, professor, because I really do love the classes I’m taking here at Cardiff and feel bad for missing class, since it’s something I’d ever do back home. Emory professors always know… #smallschoolprobs Sincerely, Casey [in Cardiff] **For those of you reading this who are thinking Oh my goodness, Casey, what do you think you're doing sending that to your professors, please know I am NOT actually sending this out to anyone! The good little E&H student that I am actually emailed each of my lecturers and seminar tutors and told them I wasn’t able to make it in to class. Apparently that’s not normal here, or at any other university larger than 1,200 students. They all just laugh it off via email, which is really awkward to read, in case you didn't know. So the joke is really on me! Whoops! |
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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