It's just the start of everything
Okay todays post is going to be a total rant with not so very organized pictures. I hope you don't mind. I just wanted to tell you about right now, how I am feeling and what I have been up to these past couple of days.
I guess it is too soon to say, since my modules haven't even started yet (in one week I might be totally stressed out) but so far it has been so much less emotionally stressful to change environments than last time. Coming to London was unbelievingly stressful compared to this (no wonder; I was only seventeen back then and had never lived away from my family before) and I feel like even moving to Stockholm was more emotionally challenging than this. I guess since this is my third time 'moving' to a different place, I have kind of started to get a routine for it. Okay, I am totally sleep deprived because of late nights (out, in friends rooms or studying) and quite antisocial after having had small talk conversations with a hundred-or-so different people in just a few days, plus slightly stressed about my courses (I have started studying already even though I haven't had any actual lectures yet. I think this years courses will be very intense.) But overall I feel so much better than I could have hoped for!
I really have enjoyed every day here so far, and I know I will have bad days (because everyone does, especially on an exchange) but I feel totally prepared for it. These days I have made some really amazing friends, walked around town and really taken the time to appreciate the beauty of this place, plus started studying for my modules. I am really excited about theology, and perhaps even more excited about german.
Okay now I guess it is time for pictures. A few days ago Alyssa and I went to the music Fayre in Younger hall, because she wanted to know how and if she could get access to the practice rooms, and so did I. Yes, we could, if we became members of the Music Centre. Sounded like a fair deal. Alyssa also went through the second hand books with music chords that they sold at the Fayre, and found what she said was some really nice ones. Alyssa plays the piano, and yes, I have heard her, and yes, she is really good at it.
This is the entry hall to the Younger building. So beautiful.
And this is one of the practice rooms. There is a piano (not that I can play it, but Alyssa can) and the walls in the room makes every sound bounce back and sound really loud and clear.
I may or may not have just sat in the window for a while, humming Swedish hymns and folk songs, and feeling musically insufficient when listening to a girl in another room singing some sort of advanced, really high-pitched operette.
Alyssa, Jo and I visited the main library and went on a guided tour to see where everything was. It's big. And modern. Just like Stockholm University main library. The difference is is Stockholm you don't need to bring your matriculation card unless you want to use the printer or borrow any books. Here you need it even if you just want to get in to the library. But that goes with most things here, dorms, student pubs etc. I try to make sure to always have it with me.
Jo and Alyssa.
The other day Alyssa and I found this really cool book store in town, that I just felt like I needed to move in to and live in forever and ever.
Me in my natural habitat.
I went out with Kajsa to try St Andrews night life (or mostly to hang out with Kajsa), and it was really nice! We joined some of the people in her hall when they were going to a tequila party at someones house, and after that we went to the student pub "The Union". When walking back I noticed that even though it was night time the town still had a really safe and calm atmosphere. I don't think I will ever feel unsafe when walking through town at night.
This is St Salvators Quad, where some lectures are held, and where I had my introductory lectures. Hogwarts, anyone?
After my second introductory lecture I went for a walk to the other side of town (a short walk haha, the town is so small), to see the cemetery and the pier.
I also went to the Multi-media centre in the Buchanan building, where I will have my german lectures, and there they have computer programmes with really good resourses for learning languages, and beteen 9 and 5 on weekdays there is free access for all language student (tecnically all students, but the ones that don't study languages usually don't know about it). So I can go there and practice german whenever I have spare time. How great is that!?
The view through the window of the Buchanan buildning.
Yesterday Alyssa and I went to the Sports Fayre because she wanted to sign up for cross-country. After that we went for a walk along west sands. I still can't get over the fact that we have a beach like that just a two minute walk from our front door.
After our walk it was almost dinner time and since our hall doesn't serve dinner on weekends we went to the annex and cooked together instead. Alyssa, Jo, Alix, Ben and I.
Then Alyssa and I spent the rest of the evening studying in our hall library, when many of the students in our hall was out at some event at the Union. I studied german and Alyssa russian. She is taking a russian module this year, and since she is a beginner she has to start with learning the russian alphabet, which was exactly what she was doing yesterday. In russian they roll their "r's", just like we do in swedish, but since Alyssa is american that specific sound is very hard for her to learn. It was so funny listening to her trying. <3
Today Alyssa, I and a couple of other students from our hall went to the church, and I wore a dress for the first time in what feels like forever, hence the picture. The church is on South street, and is called Cornerstone. The service was nice; it was sort of a mixture between a modern and a traditional service. And the church room was really crowded. Lovely to see so many young people that actually are interested in being a part of a church community.
And finishing this post with a picture from my desk. The card Mirelle sent me to say thank you for surprising her on her 23rd birthday, the silver St A water bottle I got for free from development one of the first days here, the mascot that Emilia made for me and sent me as a 20th birthday gift before she left for New York. Plus a book I got to borrow from Alyssa that I am reading right now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of New York, this song has been stuck in my head for days now. An old favorite that has gotten to be the song for my first days here. (Lots of hugs to Emilia from the other side of the Atlantic, and my best wishes for your year in NYC.) <3
