Don't get me wrong. I have definitely had my moments of missing everyone back home, and having some homesickness every now and then, but at the same time, I've really come to love it here. It has been crazy to see how fast time has flown by while over here. It feels like it was just yesterday that my parents and I were looking at the cyber tour for Chester, and trying to get my things packed for my "long" 6 month journey abroad. Between meeting some amazing people, seeing places that I never thought I would see, and making memories that I will remember for the rest of my life, it has been easy for me to get used to life here, both academically and socially. I will really miss this place. I have no doubt in my mind that reverse culture shock is going to hit me hard once I'm back home. Like I said in my last post, next year is going to be strange. I have to go from England, a small, but diverse and greatly historical country, to wee, little Conway. The freedoms of a relaxed school schedule, to the focused ways of Hendrix. This time around, however, it isn't going to be just normal Hendrix, but it will be senior year. I still can't wrap my head around that. Where have the 4 years gone? The 4 years in high school lasted forever, but the college life has seemed to go in the blink of an eye.
Even though it seems as if I don't have a lot of time here left, I've still got a lot of things to do to keep me busy. Starting next week, I'll be working with my internship, Chester: The Giant City, full time. I, along with other Chester students, will be preparing for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on June 4th, which I am really looking forward to. As my boss, Pam put it, "You are really in for a good experience. This is something, that in the future, you will be able to say you helped with. How many people can say that they helped organize and event for the Queen of England?" And she is absolutely right. Since she has said that, I've been trying to make the most of my time here, and have been trying to be more mindful and appreciative of my experience abroad.
When asking people what they thought of their study abroad experience, they will often times tell you that it was one of the greatest decisions that they have ever made, to which I would fully agree. The thing is, I have been wondering if I have been doing enough to make the most of my remaining time here. I have learned so much while here, but I still have more to learn and see. Even Chester, as small as it is, has a lot more to explore. There are so many alleys and paths that would go completely unnoticed if you were just walking around on a normal day. A few weeks ago, some of the others and I found a new passageway to get to the City Centre. We would have been completely oblivious to this new route if it weren't for the music that was being blasted out of the alley due to some party/football screening that was going on. I hope that once the weather becomes a little better, I can do some more exploring. Last week alone was probably the worst weather we've had in a while. Not only did it drop back into the 40's, but it rained everyday. To those people reading this, I highly advise that you don't visit England during the month of April. That whole saying about "April showers" is definitely an accurate one over here.
Also, as my experience has been coming to a close, I have also been putting some serious thought into the graduate schools over here. Not only is it cheaper than back in the states, but it only takes a year to complete since it is such a concentrated program. It has been very tempting, but definitely not something set in stone yet. I've just been trying to put it on the back burner for now, and enjoy the remaining time of my trip.
This isn't really a post about anything I have done in particular these past couple of days, but I thought it would be a good outlet to let out some of the thoughts that have been going through my head lately. All I do know is that, while I am over here, I will be trying to enjoy every second of it.
61 days, 18 hours, 24 minutes, and 54 seconds left. Better make the most of it.
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