Three Weeks!

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Hello Everyone!

It's my three week anniversary here today! Yay! It feels like I've been here much longer, and yet the days pass very quickly.

School went well. The classes are fun and all of the professors are really nice. My German professor is interested in whether or not the American accent makes it easier to pronounce some words, so she keeps talking to me one on one and asking me questions about pronunciation. I don't think it makes it easier, but some words to flow easier for me. French is, as always, a struggle with pronunciation but I do well with the grammar. My history classes are so much fun. There is a lot of reading for both, but I don't mind. I like reading. I only have classes monday-wednesday, so I enjoy a great four day weekend. That might change because I think that I have to move up to the next French level. We've already done all of the words and grammar in the level I'm presently in. But that will be okay. No on really needs four day weekends to travel here. Everything is so close by.

Yesterday we took a bus (for just a measly hour and a half) down to Castleton (which is a small town in the middle of the peaks district) and went trekking. It was beautiful. We bought a map and just followed the directions (to the best of our abilities. one of the directions was to follow the disused path to the gate by the lone tree...quite difficult on the british moor). We tramped all around this little village for four hours. It is located in a valley and we walked up to the surrounding hills and through sheep pens. It was nice for the first hour or so, and then the rains came. I got to live through real English weather. The wind was whipping so hard that the rain was horizontal. The sheep seemed nonplussed, but we were definitely miserable.

Sam (the girl from Viriginia tech) and I twisted our ankles by stepping wrong, so we were slowly walking behind the rest. Justine (from France) and Signe (from Denmark) kept leaving us behind and poor Zhao (from Malaysia) kept going between us and trying to help Sam and I. He even helped me over a fence and got his shoe stuck in the mud at the bottom. It was really funny, but sad too. But he did wear white shoes to an excursion in the English countryside.

After we made it back to town, we went to a tiny tea shop and rested for awhile to get warm. We then raced for the bus because we were all tired and just wanted to get home. I went straight into the bath when I got home and then straight into sweat pants and a sweatshirt.

And even though I was wet and freezing and muddy, I loved it. It's amazing how beautiful it is here. Sam and I stood on the top of a huge hill and were both like "okay, we're both moving here." I can't wait to go again and I might join the Walking Club. The walking club arranges walks all around the peak district (which is only 15 km from my dorm.) I haven't decided yet, but it was a wonderful, lovely experience.

I've got to go get ready for our Flat's "Pub Lunch Sundays." I miss you all! I can't to hear from you/see you at christmas.


EDIT: (for Dad, since he asked). I have 7 flatmates. Dawn is from Liverpool, Zoe is from Brighton, Jennie is from Birmingham, Kat is from York, Leah is from Toronto, Justine is from Rien (in Brittany France) and Salla is from Finland (I don't see her much...I don't even know if that's how you spell her name). With me, that makes 8 :D

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Photos

Castleton
The city after the fog rolled in.

Castleton 2
A sheep for mom.

Castleton 1
Sam happy as we begin our trek.

Map
Map of the Peaks district.