One Month In...

So, as its been exactly a month since I arrived in Glasgow (and one month and one day since I left home), I thought I would do a - hopefully small - blog post about my thoughts so far.

Really, it doesn't even seem like a month has gone by.  And at the same time it feels like I've been here a long time.  I'm trying my hardest to balance my desire to actually be here and enjoy everything with my desire to be back home.  I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would hate to waste my time here by wishing I was back home (I don't know if that sounds harsh but thats not how I mean it).

I think for me, being away from my family is possibly a little different than it is for some of the other International/American students here.  Most people that I know already live away from home during the school year, so its technically not TOO different from being at school at home.  But for me, I see my family every day, so I'm basically having to learn what to do with myself after I get home from school.  I would normally just relax and hang around with my family, whereas here, I would just be by myself (and for long periods of time) if I did that.  But fortunately I actually have made friends here, and since we live in the same hall, its not too too hard to find someone to either eat dinner with or go to the store with or just to hang out in someones room so we're not being bums.  So thats nice, and somewhat unexpected.  I was really afraid I would just spend the majority of my nights sitting in my room alone, but that generally doesn't happen (unless I want it to). 

Sort of hating communal living, but I think I would hate it anywhere, not just Glasgow or the UK.  At the same time, its kind of nice to know that people in the UK can be jerks too, and not have some idealized version of British people (I'm thinking of Colin Firth here, I think) in my head. 

As for school, we're just starting the 3rd week.  I feel like I'm not quite getting how much work there is to be done?  Because a lot of more local students are acting like there is absolutely no time left until our essays are due (and most are due mid to late November), and have already started.  I really haven't done much except for a bit of reading.  I'm not really sure what to make of classes and lectures as a whole yet because they seem so much different than at home.  The best way that I can think to describe it, is that at home, you go to lectures and thats where the main learning is, and then reading is supplemental... but here, the reading is supposed to be the main learning, and then the lecture is supposed to be supplemental.  And that is totally bizarre to me.  Anyway, I'll say more about that once I've ... done more, I guess.

Hardest part about being away, as of right now:  Being out somewhere, and seeing something that I know would lead to some joke between my mom and I, and knowing that none of the people I'm with would get it.

  Solution:  Its really nice to be able to tell her on Skype later that night.  I'll admit, I skype with my parents every night.  "They" tell you not to, but I don't care.

Best part of being away, as of right now:  See this category for me is different than it might be for others.  There is nothing GOOD to me about not being home, the only thing that would fall under this category would be things here that I'm enjoying anyway.  So, in that sense... 1) the overall Britishyness of everything 2) the friends I've made and 3) haha the gluten free food.

All for now!

  

Also, coming up in the next few weeks:
This Saturday, Archaeology trip to somewhere in Scotland...
Next weekend, weekend trip to Dublin!  Yes, the one in Ireland!