Just arrived back at the flat a couple of hours ago. It looks like everyone is back safe and sound for the most part, maybe all a bit travel weary but content. I don't think any of us are prepared to flip back into study mode and work like crazy to try and remember all that we have forgotten in the last month. Lots of work will be in store and I NEED to write this Blog now or it will never happen. I am bad enough as it is in trying to keep up with these things. It's even more difficult when your life gets too eventful and sharing all that would just become long winded. I am not going to go through my entire itinerary laying out each delapidated and sad looking Polish Train I stepped on anymore, nor speak of each new city in itself in terms of an hour by hour replay. Instead just bear with me while I ramble, stumbling through my thoughts and feelings of the last few weeks, sharing the things most memorable, and I may even blurb out something remotely interesting to you folks. We will see.
Wow! We've been gone almost a month. I made my last step s away from our beloved home all the way back on December 13, and it's crazy to think how we've been gone for so long. It's so easy to forget how much has happened to all of us when we can just step back into the usual, organized (more or less) routine of life here in Nottingham. I can't believe I have just travelled living out of my backpack for a full 3.5 weeks! That is an accomplishment, and something I am so very comfortable with now. Trains are no longer frightening, nor are foreign languages. I must say that there is some comfort in chatting with your friends and not worrying about other people listening in on you when most can't even understand you. Other conversations become a dull buzz that begins to settle in your ear, and Polish or German don't sound as harsh or threatening (at first it always seemed like the Germans were either angry, or the sight of me screamed obnoxious tourist).................................................................................................................................
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(Attempt to write.....failed)
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(a week and a half later!)
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(and Now I make another attempt)
I am pathetic. I save starts to blogs thinking I will finish them and then it just ends up stretching out into well over another week. That first part up there was actually written the night I had gotten back with my full intentions of spitting out all sorts of good information, but there is just too much to put down. It really is time to move on. Let me just say that this travelling has gotten me extremely stoked for April when it rolls around, and planning for that will come sooner or later. Only problem is I need a nice healthy wad of cash to fall from the sky into my lap so that I can do all that I want to. In all truth, my account has gotten dangerously low and I need to start evaluating my options and reprioritizing what is important and to save more. Thus far I am still the only one in the flat with any form of "income" which I get through singing in choir 3-4 times a week, but that still isn't enough and I am tossing around the idea of snagging another small job on the side possibly this semester. I don't want to be working all the time, but money is in short supply and it is just so darn expensive to live here. Again, everyting is seriously twice as much as it would cost in the states. Finding a decent print t-shirt for 3 pounds is a steal and that's the equivalent of almost 6 dollars! Tough to find.
After saying that I guess this would be a bad time to mention that I went to a rock concert tonight. It was well priced, and I got to see 4 up and coming bands in the UK. In my defense to this small expense of 8 pounds, it got me out of the house after having probably the laziest week of my life. I feel so unaccomplished, but it was nice to live for a while with no worries or concerns. To not wake up to an alarm, Have breakfast at 12 and then read books, watch movies, and cook or bake when it's my turn, as well as finally getting out of the house wednesday and sunday for choir. Some days I never stepped outside the flat door. Very strange and really not the way to live, but hey I don't anticipate having another week like this. I have exams at the end of this week and this slothlike time has come to an end starting officially tomorrow morning when I wake up to the annoying ring of my alarm and have to hit the books the full day.
I hope to study for Kevin and myself's Geography of Great Britain course. It is the only class where I am actually worried about the exam. Geographical Landscapes and describing the rocks and plants beneath and upon it is a world of terminology beyond me, and quite frankly it does not interest me that fluvial (produced by a river) impressions on the landscape may have radial or dendritic drainage patterns, or that heather and bracken seen on the slopes of the peak district is able to grow there above other less resiliant plants due to it's ability to grow in the highly acidic soil in the dark peaks of England. Just useless to making me a better person really. This knowledge does little for me and I highly doubt it would come up in conversation in the future where I can then flex my geographical smarts.
Back to the concert I was at tonight, I basically wanted to say that it got me out of the house. I almost convinced others to join me but nobody knew the bands and I didn't care. The headlining band "Story One" offers their whole album for free on their website www.storyone.co.uk, and I don't see why they would do that. It is amazing! I've been listening to it all week and have gotten pumped over seeing them live tonight and they didn't let me down. they are a rock band that semi-originated here in Nottingham years ago, but now are on their way to fame and fortune I do believe or hope for them as soon as this spring. They have a unique sound in the husky and raw vocals of their lead singer and that he plays violin in an eerie and hauntingly beautiful style. New favorite band of the month. The three preceding bands were pretty good as well. the first two, a sort of punk/rock/emo style were young groups "Page 34" and the 16, 17 and 18 year old members of the band "Area 15". The third group was almost equally as good as my final band in a bit of a different style. "Voom Bloom" had some claims to sounding to me a bit like Modest Mouse at times and maybe a bit of the killers tossed in. All in all it was refreshing to kick back and watch some good old rock music played in classic low ceilinged smokey style that is like some of the shows I used to go to. I love to see new and up and coming bands and go to a show with little expectations and then to be surprised and blown away and to leave the venue with new and exciting music floating around in my head. Good stuff!
I will leave you all with just a few samplings of pictures throughout the trip. Random stuff from all over in no particular order. I have put the very best of my trip in Albums on snapfish which I hope to connect to the blog soon but for now here is a teaser.
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