Bristol

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Well I suppose it is time for me to update everyone on my first few days at the University of Bristol. Really my life has been a blur since getting here, which is not a surprise as I am busy 97.5% of the time. The flat that I moved into is rather nice. I have four “lovely” flatmates, a great sized kitchen (with a little balcony?!? - pictures to come later) and a bedroom. Cooking for myself has been a slight adventure, although I think that I am the only one of my mates who actually knows how cook anything besides soup from a can. They are all very enthusiastic and jazzed at being at “Uni” for the first time. Quite frankly though I am not used to having to expend this much energy all the time, I don’t know how the Brits keep this up all the time. Really, it might have to do with the fact that they are only 18 and I swear there is a part of the genetic code of freshman that can just keep partying till long after the sun goes down. At times it makes me feel old to hang out with them.
That being said random people in my building know me as “American girl” which brings back fond memories of American girl dolls in my childhood. To be perfectly honest it is a strange sensation when people think that you are cool because you are from America. Furthermore, I have told everyone here that I am from Chicago, which apparently a fair few Americans must do. I was speaking to someone and they said that someone last year was also from Chicago, apparently they went to school at Purdue - in Chicago?
The Bristol University campus was bathed in golden sunlight yesterday, which was the first (and possibly only) day of complete sun I have seen in this country of slightly miserable weather. Everything is completely lush and green from all the rain, but at the same time it rains, and rains all the time. So far my favorite part of the campus is the Royal Fort Gardens, as it is a breath of fresh air in the hubbub of the University Precinct. Although their Humanities complex slightly rivals the beauty of the gardens, basically Bristol Uni took a block of old villa homes and made them interconnected by windowed walkways. The result is slightly stunning. The only thing that is not ideal is the straight uphill 25-minute walk from my flat to Uni.
As soon as I get my camera back I will put up pictures of my fun days and my slightly crazy nights, but for now feel free to stalk my facebook there might be something there

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Comments

[Marshelle]

So been there
It's like you're re-living my study abroad experience...omg. I felt the same way, getting lumped in with the freshers. Who were all awesome, but it was a little weird when I had been in college for three years (I was a senior). I felt like I was pretending a bit, all the time. Trying not to seem old, jaded, and over it. And then feeling a little bit bad for playing immature. But it was fun anyway! And, yes, the Brits (you're right about that, it's nationality, not age) have some sort of gene that lets them party until they're literally falling over and then get up for whatever activities they have the next day. And then do it all again the next night. Good luck with the sun. I noticed a 5-days cloudy/drizzly, 1-day rainy, 1-day sunny pattern, but you seem to be getting more rain than I did. How are your classes?

[AGrilley]

Brits...
Yes, I can not keep up with them at all... really I have tried and failed and accepted that I will party about half the amount that they do until my blood becomes a bit more british and a little less american. seriously though I don't understand how a culture can function with so so so much drinking involved. The freshers are nice, but i am kinda old and jaded even with my own age, so pretending to be young and naive about lining on my own is hard. Plus they make extremely immature decisions most of the time... but again so sweet and nice! On the note of the weather, it has been beautifully sunny for the past five days, (which I have spent hungover in bed mostly so that is no good). But the campus is just brilliant in the sun! I don't start classes till monday, and my first English class is on Friday, it is Literature's Children, and there are only 14 of us in the class which should be amazing. Apparently it is also considered a 500 level class in Madison so that should be interesting, (just a little nervous for that). My other classes are basic physics and Biochemistry, so no sweat there... how has your semester been?