hdnn in uk

After a nightmarish situation of being stuck in Chicago for two days, I finally reached the comforts and loveliness that is home...only to fall horribly ill. Went straight to bed upon getting home and didn't wake up until Christmas morning except every four or so hours to vomit. Absolutely ridiculous, but the optimistic side of me can't help but to thank the heavens that this great fun didn't happen until after my grand European adventure. I can't imagine how awful it would have been to have thrown up all over Gaudí's fabulous creations in Barcelona, the Roman ruins at the Coliseum, or into Venice's Grand Canal. It was actually sort of nice (in a twisted way) to be pampered at home in my own bed. It is very weird, waking up to negative-degree weather with piles ... read more

My final papers have been submitted into official-looking wooden boxes in their respective departments. My physiology exam rests in the hands of the course director to be graded. My room is now halfway packed, one suitcase stuffed full of memories, the other suitcase waiting to be filled. It's all rather symbolic, actually, because right now I feel like half of me can't wait to leave for Europe and then home...but the other half inevitably wonders: where has the time gone? Without having to study or write papers or complete other academically stressful responsibilities that usually keep my brain occupied, my mind naturally wanders in the direction of jumbled reminiscence, nostalgia, and reflection. I remember, waiting at Newark Airport, meeting the college professor, a graduate of UEA himself, who predicted this semester to be a really fun ... read more

I had an amazing weekend with two of my closest friends...in Prague! Kelsey is studying there for the semester, and Marie and I wanted to see that part of Europe (and Kelsey, too, I guess :). So the three of us found ourselves together in the Czech Republic on one of the most memorable adventures of our friendship yet. It was my first time traveling out of England by myself, and everything went really smoothly. Marie and I landed in Prague at almost the same time on Saturday afternoon to be met by Kelsey. It was one of those really sweet airport moments where people run into each others' arms and, all around us, people smiled and laughed. We were just so thrilled to be together! Just when I was starting to feel a bit homesick, ... read more

In between London and Norwich lies Cambridge, a city bursting with intellect and promises for even more world-changing discoveries to come. I had heard only great things about Cambridge, so when Jillian and I talked about the possibility for a day trip together somewhere in England, I suggested the gorgeous city where Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the structure of DNA at Cambridge University. Well, I didn't really say all of this to Jillian - I just told her that it is a really beautiful city - but secretly, I wanted to visit the place that helped to build the world of biology as we know it today. Plus, I had bought an outstanding pair of double-helix earrings in Amsterdam and needed the perfect excuse to wear them. For our third time together in England, ... read more

Have I told you that I'm also taking an English course for extra credit? Not really, but I may as well be taking a class; I add a new word or phrase almost every day. Here is a little dictionary I have compiled thus far of all the British lingo I have learned. American English vs. British English -aluminum = aluminium -angry/sad/regretful = gutted -apartment = flat -bathroom = toilet/loo -buck (dollar) = quid -call = ring -cell phone = mobile phone -cigarette = fag People don’t buy pre-made cigarettes. They just carry little bags of the stuff and make them on the spot. I see it everywhere; at first I thought they didn’t have regular boxed cigarettes here until I asked one of my flatmates who said that they do but nobody buys them because ... read more