Let's Talk Trips

In case some of you are just joining us, I'm in England which is about a stone's throw away from anywhere I could possibly want to go in the world (except New Zealand).  This being said I am planning on traveling as much as I can while I'm here.  That being said I plan on making sure I enjoy my travels as much as I possibly can so I have done some planning and some calculating.  

Upon arrival to the UK we were given a pamphlet of tours we could purchase that leave from Canterbury.  Tours included places like Scotland, Amsterdam/Bruges, Paris, Wales, etc.  Now, I'm not made of money so I had to choose a few:

1. Scotland - Edinburgh and the Highlands (Inverness/Loch Ness), 3 Days
2. Wales - Northern tour, Snowdonia Mountains, 2 Days
3. Paris - All the sights, 3 Days

I am also planning on traveling to Ireland at least once, most likely twice, and hoping to do a horse trek while I'm there.  Not this coming weekend, but the following weekend, I will be going on a trip across northern Wales, and the week after that I'm off to Brussels, Belgium to visit family.  I am so incredibly EXCITED to start my travels :)

Richborough Roman Fort and Broadstairs (Beaches of Kent)

Oh my goodness!  There is so much to talk about.  For this post I will only talk about the fieldtrip I had yesterday.  Yesterday the whole lot of Americans (North America includes Canada) traveled by coach (luxury charter bus) to the ruins of a Roman fort in Richborough near the coast.  It was amazing to see something so historical, something that has withstood thousands of years of attack (from the elements or otherwise) in person.  Walking where Roman soldiers once walked was a pretty cool feeling.

The fort had many layers of deep trenches (probably 6-7 feet down and quite steep) surrounding and within the walls.  Of course when we were let loose on the property after a brief history lesson we all attempted to cross the trenches (we could have walked to the crossways, but we didn't know they existed at the time) on foot - fun times were had by all.  We then meandered around the fort for an hour taking pictures (that's where my current profile pic came from) and visiting about travel plans (a group of girls left for Scotland from Broadstairs - I hope they had the most fabulous time!!).

After the fort we were bused to Broadstairs which is a lovely coastal town eerily reminiscent of Walker, MN.  In Broadstairs we had a quick break for lunch - everyone had Fish and Chips, I had chips I nicked from Sarah, water, and bread and butter.  After lunch we met on the cliffs (there's a boardwalk type walkway with shops and stuff) and set off on our 2 mile hike (and I do mean hike) to a lighthouse and beach.  Upon arriving at the lighthouse we took pictures then cut through farmland (saw PONIES!!!) and walked to the beach where there were many photo ops (see Facebook).

After that hike we all split up again to go on our own adventures.  We were given train tickets for groups of four and told that there were trains departing every 30 minutes up til about 10pm.  I then explored town with a small group of students and found a GLUTEN FREE/DAIRY FREE Sandwich and Bake Shoppe!!!!  Twas wonderful and the owner was very nice, the "tolerant husband of an intolerant wife" (the shoppe was called The Intolerant Wife).  He said he understands the struggles of those of us who can't eat like normal people and puts on a Christmas dinner with all the baked goods every year.  I wish I could stay for that, but I know my mom and I are excellent bakers and do a pretty good job ourselves.  Anywho, getting side-tracked.  I bought a sandwich and "piece" of GF/DF Victoria's Spongecake (AKA the most delicious cake you might ever eat - excluding almond cake).  Everyone else then went to a bakery and bought treats of their own and we all ate together standing outside of the bakery looking truly touristy.

After the bakery we split ways and my group of three other awesome ladies went for a long walk around the quaint town of Broadstairs (trying to shop, but by then it was 4pm and shops were closing).  We ended up by the beach where we played an awesome game of truth or dare and got to know each other a lot better.  Once again a great time was had by all.  Our fun ended when a group of teenage girls asked us if we wanted to buy a bag and we quickly departed the shelter where we were sitting.

We then went to a giftshoppe where we met the nicest ladies who gave us advice on traveling not only around England, but the rest of Europe as well.  They encouraged us to see as much as possible and not to be scared because England is much, much safer than America.  Before we went on our way they gave us free magnets!  I love people :)

After that we went in search of food and found other people from our main group who had stayed in Broadstairs for the day.  We tried to find a restaurant together but all the good places were booked up because of a concert (school children) and fireworks show that was happening on the beach that evening.  We ended up re-splitting up and eating at a shady Indian joint which actually had pretty tasty food.

After the Indian food we went down to the beach where we watched some weird school dance production thing about Britain and then some fantastic fireworks.  Afterwords we walked to the train station and caught a train back to Canterbury which was crazy with night life because all the students moved back yesterday.  Unfortunately I was feeling old and tired so I stayed in and didn't really do anything at all.  That was my yesterday, how was yours? ;)

P.S. All these photos were taken by my phone...be impressed.

Days 4 & 5

Ok really quick rundown of yesterday’s events:

1.     Welcome sessions on main campus in the morning – very repetitive of sessions we’d already had as they were meant for the rest of the international students who joined us yesterday.

2.     Free lunch at Augustine House (the lib) where they happily fixed me a gf cheddar and veg sandwich (so delicious).

3.     Shopping excursion in City Centre – didn’t buy a thing

4.     Traditional dinner at the Lounge (SU Pub) – fish and chips, I had chips

5.     QUIZ NIGHT!!!! (at the Lounge)

a.     Quite possibly the best night ever

b.     Paid a pound to play on a team of many new friends from Chicago and 2 from England Hanna and Andy – Freshers Crew) – Your Mom (so that they would have to say “Your Mom is wrong” or “Your Mom is winning” or “What did Your Mom say”)

c.     Had to answer random questions of trivia while drinking Strongbows

d.     Learned how to play “God Save the Queen”

                                               i.     Throw a 2p coin in someone’s cup

                                             ii.     They have to drink all the alcohol to save HM the Queen from drowning

e.     Watched people do the most disgusting shots I have ever seen for getting caught cheating (pardon the French)

                                               i.     “Fucking Awful”

                                             ii.     “Fucking Disgusting”

                                            iii.     “Liquid Chlamydia”

f.      Got asked if I was Irish (possibly the best thing anyone has ever asked me)

                                               i.     Group of British students behind us asked if I was Irish, saying I had an Irish friend in their group

g.     Got told my fake British accent sound like Emma Watson (quite possibly the best compliment ever!)

h.     Watched the rest of my team do a shot of Absinthe-y Alcohol (70% alcohol) – the only reason I didn’t was because I wasn’t sure if it was GF and did not want to be gluten poisoned

i.      Watched a dance-off (or two)

j.      Watched a water-sipping competition, Tyler gave it a good go, but with no avail

k.     Cheered our team on as we finished respectably in the middle of the pack

l.      DANCED!

                                               i.     ChaCha Slide (slightly different in the UK)

                                             ii.     MACARENA!!!!

m.   Had the BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!

Now onto today’s adventures…

Today I woke up late (got to sleep till 10am, but I went to bed at 2am so it was nothing special), took a bath, and went to campus for a free lunch (another cheese and veggie sandwich with some fresh fruit).  After that I took a tour of the incredibly high-tech library and learned how to use all the new-fangled devices it houses (I’m going to live there).  After that I went shopping down High Street with a group of friends, bought a LITRE PYREX!!!!!!!!!!  I was soooooo excited, overnight oatmeal here I come!

After shopping we met up with SarahAnn and Christian (a British friend who studied shortly at MMU earlier this year) and Christian took us on a brief tour of campus then around town.  We stopped at the flat to drop off our things then ventured out to ASDA (taking the scenic route).  We walked for about an hour (he showed us both train stations and some really pretty parks) before arriving at ASDA.  ASDA is Wal-mart owned and is essentially British Wal-mart as far as cheap prices and quantity of things goes.  We had a quick dinner for the low, low price of £2.60 then wandered around ASDA for a good 45 minutes.  You’ll all be pleased to know that I found a cozy blanket and some more tasty GF items (British pastry/biscuity things that I thought I ought to try).  After shopping and having walked all day we made the executive decision to take the bus back to town and so we did.

Things we learned about the bus:

1.     It’s quite easy to use

2.     It’s a little expensive without a bus pass

3.     It doesn’t wait for you to sit down or get up so you better get in and out of your seat quickly

Now I’m back at the flat organizing my thoughts and the future 3 months…and money.  I’m trying not to stress too much, I’ll get it sorted and then I’ll feel better J

Funny quote of the day:

On our way to the flat from the bus station we saw a man running towards the station and SarahAnn said “I hope he’s running to meet the girl he loves before she gets on a bus”…or something similar….you had to be there I suppose.

Things I Miss, Things I Will Miss

There are certain things I miss from the States (obviously my family and friends, that goes without saying), things that are not quite the same and things I cannot find here in the UK:

1. PB2 (chocolate, regular, don't care)
2. Stevia Packets
3. Filtered tap water
4. My bed (the one here is very hard)
5. My pillow (the one here is growing on me, but it offers no support)
6. Fast internet (although I fixed mine a bit by shutting off the wifi and only using ethernet)
7. US measuring cups (especially the 4 cup Pyrex) 
8. Big glass bowls 
9. The microwave (haven't figured out how to use the one here yet)
10. Songbirds (seagulls make the most obnoxious sounds)
11. Baking (haven't tested the oven yet, also don't know how to measure things)
12. Home-made food (I've been living off bread, butter, and jam)
13. Sidewalks for running (they're rather narrow and crowded here)
14. My cowboy boots (I really should have broken my boots in before coming, my ankles would have appreciated it)
15. My library of books
16. Movies!!!
17. Sparx and Luther 
18. 4G network everywhere/mobile data in general (very useful for finding your way when lost) 
19. Baggers at grocery stores (here you bag your own groceries)
20. RIDING!!!  and Banchee :(

Now onto the things I love :)

1. GF/DF products that are delicious and reasonably priced
2. The city of Canterbury which is entirely navigable on foot
3. Being able to walk everywhere
4. The Town Centre shopping (it almost has a tiny SoHo feel)
5. The people!  Everyone I've met has been quite friendly or at least helpful
6. Chips!
7. The history that is ever present
8. The view
9. All of the new friends I've made (and there are lots)
10. The SU with it's cheap Starbucks coffee
11. The Lounge at the SU
12. Karaoke
13. Pubs!  Going to find the Jolly Sailor tonight
14. Tesco (like a small Hy-vee)
15. The confidence I've gained
16. The travels I'm planning
17. The Uni Campus (I'll post pictures when I take them, it's beautiful)
18. The activity (there is literally ALWAYS something to do)
19. Poundland!  Everything is a pound (like Dollar Tree)
20. The Icona Pop electric slide dance thing

and much much more!

If you perchance are contemplating sending a care package, here are some things I can't get here/would love:

1. MORE LETTTERS!!!!  I cannot begin to describe how much joy reading your letters brings!
2. American measuring cups and spoons
3. PB2
4. GF poptarts
5. Wool hiking socks (I'm sure I can find them here if I look, but you really can't have too many)

That's it I think, mostly I love hearing from everyone back home :)

Here's a picture of Poundland from the internet machine (haven't quite figured out how to put my pictures on my blog)

Day 3

Today we found out that class starts tomorrow (at least our "British Studies" classes do).  I feel like a freshman again getting lost, not knowing what to expect, looking silly, and feeling eager/excited with just a touch of nervousness.  Anyway, in our lecture this morning regarding classes we learned that anything marked "Level 6" is going to be incredibly difficult as it is meant for students who have been studying the subject for 3 years (preferably at Canterbury); both my Spanish and Film classes are level 6.  I'm not sure I'm prepared for them so I'm going to meet with my adviser tomorrow after class to get it sorted.  That was a but stressful.  Another stressful happenstance occurred when I went to purchase a book at the book shop (Harry Potter no less) and realised that one of my cards was missing.  After having a total panic attack complete with tears I remembered that I left one of my cards safely at my flat in case my purse was stolen in an attempt to be proactive (clever right?).  All I can say is at least I remembered what I'd done in under 15 minutes so I didn't call and cancel my card.  After that short panic attack I went with a group of other students to scope out the fitness center, we found it alright, but it costs a pretty penny and isn't terribly close to my flat so I'm not sure if it's worth it.  After that, the two girls of the group and I went into the town centre for some shopping (we all needed shoes and some other things).  I think I'm going to have to splurge a bit and buy a pair of Clarks, good shoes are essential with all the walking we're doing.

So before all this happened we had a couple preliminary lectures about fun things to do in Canterbury, the SU (student union - an organisation literally devoted to making sure this is the best 3 months of our lives), and differences between US and UK education - UK is much more do-it-yourself which I really appreciate.  That was all fun (there is indeed an equestrian club -YAY!!!- and a climbing club as well so I may learn to rock climb).  That was all very informative.  Then we went for lunch and by this I mean we went home and had whatever we had in our flat.  I've literally been living off bread and butter (gf/df of course), oh and fruit.  I should probably add some variety.  After lunch we did the first paragraph.

After the first paragraph we returned to our flat and pretty much had the same thing for supper that we had for lunch (or at least I did).  After that we readied ourselves for a night out and headed off to the SU for some karaoke and drinks.  I had a pint of cider and sang about 5 songs (in groups of 3 or more) I think...well let's count to be sure:
1. Don't Stop Believing
2. Titanium
3. I Will Wait
4. Single Ladies

Ok so 4 songs, still took some courage of the liquid variety, but it was incredibly fun and I can't wait to do it again :)

I think it's off to be for me, I've got an early start tomorrow and I'll be walking to campus all by my lonesome so I best have my wits about me.

Random side note, I'm currently starving because it's dinner-time back in the States which my body hasn't quite figured out.

Other random comment, our flat only has a tub (no shower) so we can either venture downstairs and borrow someone else's or take a bath and tonight I discovered the joy of having a bath, it's actually quite nice.

Good night! :)

Day 2 in Who-ville

Today you're getting a list since you got lots of photos:
Things I did today in Canterbury, Kent, England:

• Woke up at 5am (before the sun)
• Organised my room
• Took pictures
• Watched some Doctor Who
• Watched some Gilmore Girls
• Went in search of coffee, found it in the Atrium at Augustine House
• Was registered as a student at CCCU (yay!)
• Listened to the International Office talk about Canterbury and Accomodation (sighed when it sank in that we are responsible for all the cleaning and if we fail inspection - which happens once a week - we get fined)
• Went for lunch
• Learned how to order lunch in a Pub
• Ate chips - they were delicious
• Had some great conversations with some new friends :)
• Planned for adventure and picked some weekend trips to go on (equine excursion across Wales here I come!)
• Took a self-directed walking tour of Canterbury (did not get lost)
• Had touristy moments
• Saw people walking down High Street dressed in Harry Potter costumes
• Got blisters on me...ankles
• Switched shoes
• Went grocery shopping, forgot to buy a salty snack :(
• Returned home and up 3 flights of stairs laden with groceries
• Put groceries away and enjoyed dinner of delicious gf/df bread and butter (also had fruit then more bread, butter, and apricot jam)
• Had some down-time and journaled
• Read some more letters from home (they'll probably all be read by the end of this week)
• Got fed up trying to make Netflix work
• Watched more Doctor Who
• Got to know my flatmates a little more (they are all AWESOME!)
• Ran away from a spider (Tigre..... :P)
• Wrote this blog
• Going to bed...?

That's pretty much my day in a nutshell, twas quite good :)

Tomorrow I have more lectures in the morning...well pretty much all day actually, but I'm going for discount Starbucks at 8:30am which is 10 hours from now.  Good Night (well, afternoon to you in the States)!  

Canterbury Day One

Just so you know, these posts are going to be short, sweet, and to-the-point otherwise I will eventually find them tedious and stop writing ;)

Anywho, today I arrived in Canterbury with fellow student and name-sharer Sarah W.  We arrived at London's Heathrow around 8:30am UK time (so that's 2:30am your time) after not really sleeping on the plane (at least I didn't...I watched Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Great Gatsby, Monster's University, and a couple episodes of Big Bang Theory, jealous?).  We got through customs in a relatively untimely manner due to the fact we were directed to the wrong line initially and stood in it for about 30 minutes before realizing our folly, then proceeded to not find our driver (he eventually found us).  We left Heathrow around 10:30am with our driver and a Canadian student who seemed really awesome and with whom I hope to meet up with again.  Then we all blacked out from exhaustion, next thing you know we were at 7 Vernon Place, our home for the next 90 days.  A few very nice Canterbury students and  Jayne-Anne, our programme advisor helped us move our very heavy bags to the top floor.

Initially upon seeing my tiny room I became rather terribly homesick, but luckily about 10 minutes after Sarah and I arrived the rest of the residents of the entire building (including my other 3 floormates) arrived from Illinois (well Heathrow).  We quickly acquainted ourselves and started settling into our rooms.  30 minutes later the group of Freshers Leaders (OL's) took us into town and left us to explore, which also meant we had to find our own way back - a very empowering experience when you are able to accomplish it without getting lost. 

After shopping, setting up a phone, buying sorry excuses for a couple blankets, a giant sheet, a few hangers, and the best gluten free bread I have quite possibly ever had (along with a few other groceries - wine is on tomorrow's list), I was back in my flat unpacking, organizing, and settling in.  This quickly led to list-making of things I still need from ASDA (British Wal-mart, conveniently located a 30 minute walk away from my flat).  I also tested the shower which ended up having the water pressure of a light summer's rain, oh well, it's only 3 months and at least we have a shower.

This evening all of the international students in my flat complex (Vernon Place, which is like a tiny Hogwarts with all its hidden passageways and tunnels and things) went to the Student Union Pub for a Freshers meet and greet where we met other students (freshman, lots of international, and returning students).  There we danced the Mocarana, the electric slide of sorts to Icona Pop, and Gangnam Style, twas quite fun, but I have now been up for around 38-40ish hours with only 2 non-consecutive hours of sleep and am quite tired.  Thus I shall now be going to bed.

Sad fact of the day- the toilets are old and have some issues, and the internet is slow.
Happy fact of the day- I love Canterbury and Netflix actually does work in spite of the internet. :)

Short, sweet, and to-the-point will kick in as I become more involved with British life, standby.

I don't know why I find this so funny...

...but seriously I cannot stop laughing

These Are BEYOND Delicious (and nutritious)!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter, Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 3/4 cups white rice flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup butter or shortening (melted)
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup chocolate chips*

* If dairy products are a problem, substitute 1/2 cup rice milk mixed with one teaspoon lemon juice for buttermilk, and use dairy-free chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix first four ingredients in a food processor. Blend for one minute. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. When thoroughly mixed, add to food processor, along with the butter and milk. Blend well. Add the chocolate chips, and press "pulse" once or twice. Ladle the batter into muffin tins lined with papers, filling each paper to the top. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until muffins are firm to the touch. Cool and serve. Top with frosting or chocolate drizzles, if desired (they don't need it).

It should make around 12:

Amount Per Serving
Calories		178.8
Total Fat		6.5 g
	Saturated Fat	1.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.7 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	3.5 g
Cholesterol		40.8 mg
Sodium		19.9 mg
Potassium		105.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate		29.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	2.3 g
	Sugars	12.2 g
Protein		3.2 g

Vitamin A	1.7 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	7.5 %
Vitamin C	4.0 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	1.1 %
Calcium	1.8 %
Copper	1.8 %
Folate	3.1 %
Iron	4.7 %
Magnesium	2.0 %
Manganese	2.4 %
Niacin	1.5 %
Pantothenic Acid	0.8 %
Phosphorus	0.8 %
Riboflavin	1.7 %
Selenium	0.5 %
Thiamin	1.2 %
Zinc	0.4 %

Song of the Week

Sorry that I haven't been posting, I've been a little busy lately.