Everything!

Hello!

I have just over a month left in London. I have been here far longer than I have yet to be here, and soon it will all come to an end. It's so depressing. I have been trying not to dwell on it, but despite how busy I have been, it feels like the days are slipping through my fingers. I need more time!

Anyways, in the spirit of focusing on the present, I will update you all on what I have been doing. Last weekend I went to Oxford, Windsor, and Bath. While in Bath, I was able to meet up with a friend from home who is studying there this semester. All three are beautiful cities, and I am so glad I ventured out into other parts of England. I plan to do a bit more exploring outside of London before I leave.

On Monday, I went on the London Eye with the girls I am here with, April and Tram, and Tram's boyfriend, Mike. At first I was worried about being up so high, but it moved so slowly that I could barely tell when we were at the top. I was able to get some great pictures of London. Then, last night we got cheap tickets for Wicked! It was such an amazing show. From the storyline, to the performances, to the set, it was an absolutely flawless musical and I am so happy I saw it.

A few hours ago my Mom and Aunt arrived at Heathrow. They are spending the night at a hotel close to the airport and making their way up to Muswell Hill, where I live, in the morning. I am so excited to see them (naturally, I have become a bit homesick) and we have a great itinerary. I will be sure to blog about their visit next week!

And of course I have been working on my project. I had an interview with a health educator at a school in East London a couple weeks ago and have continued to stay in touch with her. I have another interview scheduled, am doing loads of project-related reading, and quite a bit of writing, too. Overall, it's coming along smoothly.

That's it for now. Cheers!

One Month

I apologize for my lack in posting - it seems like there is always something to do in London!

It's hard for me to believe I've been here for a month already. I am trying to take in everything London has to offer because before I know it I will be on a plane back to Boston. As part of the InterFuture program, we have a final conference in Amsterdam before we come home, though, so it will be great to reunite with everyone after an exciting semester apart. After the conference, I think fellow Ambassador, Beckee and I are going to do a bit of European exploring, and then of course I will be Bay State bound once again.

As for what I have been up to lately, work has been getting done, but there is still a lot of free time. I am realizing more and more how unique (and strange) the InterFuture program really is. I am completely on my own schedule - I don't have classes to go to or any day to day obligations at all really. I just need to finish my research in three months, and how I decide to do that is up to me. It makes for a lot of down time, which has made me a bit restless since I'm used to always being on the go in Boston, but I am learning to embrace the chance to reflect on being here. The project itself has been moving pretty slowly, though, so I am hoping things will pick up soon. It has been difficult for me to gain access into schools to interview students and health teachers, but I do have an interview this Thursday so I am hoping it will go well.

Other than that, I am continuing to do the tourist thing and am also anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Mom and Aunt. They are coming in on the 13th for a week-long visit and I am beyond excited to see them. I am going to spend a few days showing them around London, and then we are heading to Paris!

Au Revoir!

From Across the Pond!

Greetings Blog Readers!!

It has been far too long since my last post. Since then, I have enjoyed a relaxing Winter Break, packed (very lightly, might I add!), and departed for jolly old England! I have been here for almost two weeks now, and it has been wonderful. I live with an amazing family in North London. There are tons of little shops and restaurants right up the street, so I am basically in heaven.

Of course, though, I have been enjoying all of the touristy things, too. The nerd (and cheapskate) in me can't get enough of all the free museums here, and my jaw dropped when I saw Big Ben and the London Eye for the first time. That was when it really hit me - I am in London!

But then there is the research I am supposed to be doing. For anyone who needs a recap, InterFuture is an organization that gives undergrads the opportunity to do a cross-cultural study on a topic of their choice. I am looking at the accessibility and use of condoms among 16-18 year old students in the US, England, and South Africa. So, basically, while I am here I will be going to schools and conducting interviews with students and health educators. Then, I will do the same over the summer at home in the US, and hopefully again during the fall semester in South Africa (I am not 100% about going there yet). Anyways, today I finally started sending e-mails and preparing letters. I did promise myself a week of relaxation and sight-seeing before getting down to business, though, so I don't feel too bad about waiting.

Now it's time to go to bed. I will be sure to blog again soon!

Mucho trabajo

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving and everyone is groggy and disoriented. The long weekend was a tease, especially since it is time to get ready for papers and final exams.

t was great to see my family this weekend. My aunts, uncle, grandmother, and cousins visited from Buffalo, so we had a full house. They all left yesterday, though, so things will certainly be quiet when I get home tonight. I worked all weekend, too, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The state of the economy is clearly lessening everyone's Christmas spending.

Tonight when I go home I have to write 11 journals for my Feminist Philosophy class (probably should have started those sooner), and I have two papers due later in the week. I am already counting down until the weekend. At least Friday is Reading Day, so there is extra time to study and finish assignments. Unfortunately, I do have to commute into the city that day, though, because there is a study session for my Spanish exam (I get 10 extra points on my final for going, so it's kind of worth waking up for).

As for next week, I only have two finals, so it will be a somewhat easy week. I also have to come in next Thursday because my SU101 students are presenting their final projects. They are such an amazing group and I am really sad that the class is ending.

What I am most looking forward to, though, is my departure to London! It is 58 days away and I cannot wait. I should probably take a look at my InterFuture Project Plan sometime soon, though. All that thing has been doing lately is collecting dust.

Gobble

So, today is my last day on campus before Thanksgiving break. I am certainly looking forward to a reprieve from classes and commuting, but I am not sure there will be much time to relax.

Wednesday, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother from Buffalo are driving to North Andover to stay with us for the weekend. I love seeing them, but this definitely makes for a crowded house. It will be a nice weekend, though, especially considering that we are getting our Christmas tree on Friday!

Unfortunately, I am also working at Aeropostale on Friday. Black Friday. I wonder if I will get out alive.

Somewhere in there I am going to try to get a lot of my work done. All of my final papers are due within days of each other and I want to get some kind of start on them before next week. That is probably wishful thinking, though.

Ah, well. Thanksgiving is meant for good company and relaxation. Papers can wait.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Such is life

What am I going to do with my life?

Lately, I have been especially plagued with this question. See, I am a planner. An overly compulsive, neurotic planner. I am also someone who is trying to come to terms with the fact that things hardly ever turn out exactly how I attempt to plan them. At any rate, I just typed "what should I do with my life?" into the Google search bar. I am distraught.

I know I have time. I am only a junior, and I plan to go to graduate school, so a long-term career is not anywhere in the near future for me. But I know that in a year or two when I sit down with grad school brochures and applications, I will have an ounce more insight than I would have had I not worried about it now. And so I plan.

But should I go to law school or get a Master's degree? And if I get a Master's, do I continue studying English, or do I pursue Education? And if I teach, do I teach high school? The funny thing is, I know I won't become an attorney if I go to law school. I want to go into public service. So, whether I become a teacher or a public servant, I will be poor and living in a box. At least that is cleared up for me.

I have also been considering what to do immediately upon graduation. Yes, this is over a year away, but once I come back from England I need to decided whether or not I will apply for graduate schools in the fall. I do think I will wait, though. I want to either get a job and work for a year after graduation or get involved with a program like AmeriCorps or Teach for America, things I have been looking into for a while now. Perhaps after taking this time off, I will be more sure about what I want to do.

Until then, I will continue to plan, dismiss any and all plans I make, and hopefully end up being substantially happy.

Overdue

It is November. The end of the semester is upon us.

And Obama won the election. It is a very exciting time to be an American.

As far as school things go, everything is the same. I have five trillion papers due in two weeks and haven't really thought about any of them. Events of campus have been plentiful lately, though. Last week I wrote an article for the Suffolk Voice about John Sigler's visit to Suffolk. Sigler is the President of the National Rifle Association and spoke about Second Amendment rights and the election. Although I did not agree with many of Sigler's views, it was certainly an interesting opportunity to hear him speak.

For now, the biggest thing on my mind has been the pilot study for my InterFuture project. Last month I really dug into it, but I have been slacking lately. Between that and all of the end of semester assignments, I know I have my work cut out for me.

Short post today. Enjoy the week!