"Would you like some crisps with that, darling?"

Man, I can't believe it's already been a week since I moved into the University. It feels like much longer.

Everyone I've met here has been really lovely, both international and local. It seems almost like everyone here is more inclined to be...I guess familiar, with other people? For example, here are some names that total strangers have called me this week:

1. Darling (this is a popular one)
2. Sweetheart
3. Baby

Now before you start getting any ideas, they weren't hitting on me. Most of them were asking me if I needed help picking out a sandwich for lunch. Apparently it's really common in the UK for people to use pet names like this. It's just so strange, because you hardly ever hear people speak to someone like that in the States, especially with total strangers.

It's doubly weird when your usual pet names among friends are "woman", "blob", and "you there."

That's all for now. Cheers, everyone.

Commuting is hard.

Hello, all. I haven't officially moved into the dorm yet, but it's getting close! Today Amoo Mortezah, my dad, and I traveled all over London via nearly every method of public transportation possible: the tube, the buses, the overground train and walking.

Amoo Mortezah and my dad on the train

Needless to say, we are very tired.

We were taking all the routes that I would take to get to my dorm, to my classes, and to their house in Cuffley. We also got a chance to walk around my campus a bit, figuring out where my dorm is, etc.

As you can see here, it's got a lovely view of the Thames. However, it is also right next to an airport, so we'll see how that goes.

On left: Ailsa House, my dorm. On right: windblown Keri.

The area on campus is really nice. It has a vibe similar to UTD.

East Building, UEL Docklands Campus

UEL Stratford Campus. Had a heck of a time getting here, let me tell you.

In other news, Dea and I have officially booked our train tickets and accomodation for Edinburgh, Scotland! You can look forward to hearing about our shenanigans some time next month.

Move in day is tomorrow! aahhhhhhhh

We're here!

After a long flight in which I had the worst sleep of my life, we are in England! In the beautiful village of Cuffley, specifically.

We're lucky and got here just as the weather became gorgeous, a balmy 80 degrees. It's okay to be jealous, Texans.

This is going to be a short entry, because I am le tired. Next time, I promise I'll have pictures.

Packing, packing, packing.

As anyone who's ever been on a long trip can tell you, packing is a pain. It's particularly awful when you're trying to cram 4 months-worth of supplies into one suitcase, a duffel bag, and a backpack.

The first step is to make a packing list.
The next step is to promptly lose the list and just start putting things in.
At least if you're me.

I wanted to try to maximize space so that I could have room to bring back souveneirs. My favorite space-saving method is "bundle rolling". It's an awesome way to make everything fit!

Of course, I'm bringing along some light reading. I wouldn't be me if I didn't.

 

Eventually, I did manage to get everything contained, and if my scale is correct, just under 50 pounds!

Bring it, TSA
Departure in t-minus 2 days!