First Day of Uni

Monday September 29
Had my first day of class today--only one hour long lecture in the whole day! I share the class, Monsters and Transformations in Literature, with one of my roommates, and it's at 11 in the morning so it won't be hard to get to every day.

As a level 1 class, it's probably going to be pretty easy and I kind of already knew everything from lecture today. I have a Monster hobby okay?

I made some absolutely kickass chow mein for lunch, and will soon be getting down to business reading Frankenstein for seminar on Thursday!

Very excited for the real classes to start, doing well. Love you all!

One Week In

Poem: Abertawe

Abertawe is the Welsh name for the city of Swansea, and being in the city inspired some poetry in me. 



Misty air soft against the skin
A lover's nuzzle in the evening grey
Impossibly ancient, the earth murmurs
Nothing is quiet here.
At five the locals lock down
Close up shop, batten the hatches
As if bracing for a mighty storm
That I am too fresh
And too blatantly American
To sense rolling in from the sea
Their language is like their weather
Soft and strange, it settles wetly in the lungs
And at the back of the throat.
And wraps the inhabitants
Of Abertawe
In the murky, familiar embrace
That settles round me now
Elliot's yellow cat perches on my shoulder
And follows my shadow
Through dusky streets

First weekend: A summary

My Sweet Flat

So first off my apartment is adorable. It's very old though and smells quite musty most of the time. 

My Bedroom is HUGE. It's right at the front of the house, so it faces the street. The bed is not comfortable, but it's a bed and it's bigger than my college dorm bed so it'll do.

I have two closets, two desks, a nightstand, and a cupboard. What do I put in all the space?!

The sun shines in through my window during the day so I usually get a lot of natural light. Also, it opens, so I can air out the weird musty smell.

The view from my room into the flat. My neighbor Bev lives in room 4, she's from Canada. Sawree Bev! Georgia the Aussie lives down the steps in room 3. There is a small toilet to the left and a boiler room to the right. The bathroom is the size of a closet!! 

Lots of steps to trip you in the unsuspecting dark. These are super narrow as well. 

Front entryway, storm door, staircase, and Jackson's room (number 1) to the left. Edgar's room (number 2) is behind the wall there. 

This is our little kitchen. There are two mini fridges, two freezers, a microwave, an oven, a stovetop, and a washer/dryer hybrid on the left there. We don't usually eat meals together (at least not yet) but we like to sit around and have a drink or play cards. It's got enough space for the five of us to sit comfortably. The fridge space is a bit small though. 

I love my flat and my roommates so far, can't wait to get to know more of the city!

First Night, First Day

London Town

London is hot, hot, so very hot, muggy and bustling, full to the brim with people and buses and taxis. The people are every race, every religion, every age. They move about their business quickly and efficiently, as is the way of people in big cities.

The buildings are grand and old, but they bear their age with grace. The trees do not, and hunch together or alone, achingly, impossibly ancient in their vigil.

Everything is hazy with smog and cigarette smoke.

Gatwick, England

18-19 September 2014

Gatwick is full of picturesque little victorian houses, lining the streets and peering from the trees. The roads are narrow, and the drivers zip around corners at incredible speeds.

I slept for an afternoon and a night, successfully shaking my Jet Lag. I had my first British Fish and Chips! 

It was warm, muggy, and smelled like Florida, but without the constant whine of Cicadas. There are however large spiders which spin invisible webs in the flower bushes out front. 

The bed was soft, and the quaint old building welcoming. Great first night in the UK.

Reykajvik Iceland

18 September 2014

Iceland is rainy and alien. The ocean eats at its edges like a living thing, the air and the earth and the water steams.

 The old gods threw their tears down upon my head and my bags, leaving a lingering dampness to remember them by.

Safe Landing!