A Whole New World

Hello out there! So much has happened since we last spoke. (Or since you read my last blog I guess.) The end of fall semester wrapped up, Christmas and New Year's were spent with family and friends, and....hmm, I know there was something else? What was it? Finals, Christmas, New Year's and...??? Oh yeah! I move to another country!!! That's right. As of January 9th, I left the states for the United Kingdom to spend a semester at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth.

I arrived in London on the morning of January 10th. I stayed with a friend in Kingston and spent the day sleeping. Then I met up with a few friends from Montana in London the following day and we spent our time sight seeing and exploring the beautiful city. Our tour guide, Rich, was a friend we knew who studied at U of M last year. He is from Brighton and actually attends Aberystwyth. He is one of the people who convinced me to do an exchange and was very influential in choosing Aberystwyth. The four of us had a wonderful day going through the British Museum and Tate Modern, seeing Shakespeare's Globe Theater, taking pictures of Big Ben, the members of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Eye of London, and many other must see places. We said our goodbye's as we rode the train out of London. The following day it was time for another adventure. I caught an afternoon train back into London then after a few changes on the London Underground, I boarded a train heading for Amersham.

Once in Amersham, my old friend Helen met me at the station. Helen and I met my freshman year of college. We lived on the same floor in Aber Hall and she was on a year long exchange from, where else, Aberystwyth. We've kept in touch over the past few years and when she heard I was doing an exchange she offered me a place to stay while visiting. Helen and I caught up on each other's lives and had a wonderful weekend. She took me to a stately home, we visited Henley, a lovely town on the Thames River, and we toured the Roald Dahl museum and decorated our own chocalate bars there. It was so great to see her.

After a few days with Helen, it was time to make my journey up to Aberystwyth. After navigating through the London Underground once again, this time with two massive suitcases in tow, I found my platform at Victoria Station and waited for my train to Birmingham. Once I arrived in Birmingham, I was shocked to see a familiar face. Phil, an Aberystwyth student who lived in Missoula last year, was waiting for the same train as me. It really is a small world. We sat together on the train and reminisced about Missoula and Montana. We were both in udder disbelief that we ran into each other in Birmingham, England of all places.

Once in Aberystwyth, I searched for my friend Rich who was meeting me at the station. I saw him and we took my luggage back to his flat. I met all of his flatmates and his lovely girlfriend who we heard so much about while Rich was in the states. Then, Rich gave me a tour of Aberystwyth, which only took about 20 minutes to walk through. I then got settled in at Rich's house and stayed with him for a few days before moving into my Seafront Residence.

My first 2 1/2 weeks abroad have been absolutely amazing. The connections I have made through the International Exchange program have created lifelong friendships. Classes start on Monday so I'm sure I will have plenty of stories to tell once my student life here gets started. Until next time...