Arrival!

Well, I've arrived. I am exhausted/hungry/sweaty after dragging myself halfway around the planet and through London. I will update in more detail this evening.

Threshold: Eve of Departure

Tomorrow, I shall embark on my journey to discover the roots of my European heritage, for exploration of my ancestral origins I shall cross the great Ocean and abide in London for the forthcoming months during the near future. Packing has been stressful, I would not let my boyfriend aid in the arduous process because I felt this adventure will be too close and personal for me to tolerate outside involvement in its preparation. I am shivering from nervous pangs, a strange foreboding, it is as if I stand upon the abyss of the unknown and I know I am about to take the plunge. I shall plumb the depths of my ignorance and conquer them, I know I can handle it, I can overcome this challenge and tomorrow I shall take the first step. Today held both celebration of the truths that shall soon be mine and lament for those I leave behind, waiting with open arms and bated breath for my return.

If all goes well, my following post should describe the environs of my London abode.

--T.R. MacGregor

Less than 2 weeks to go...

As the days go by, I realize how close my departure is... am I ready for this? I'm feeling 99% excited and 1% nervous. Last summer, I backpacked through Europe for a month. That is, slept in a tent and traveled through 6 countries, the majority in which I couldn't speak the language. London should be a breeze comparatively, right?

I still can't wrap my head around the idea that I'm going to be LIVING in London. For 4 months! It doesn't at all feel like I'm going to be going to "school" there. If I'm being honest with myself, homework and all that is definitely going to take a backseat to wandering around London. Who am I kidding? Hello, it's London!

If there's one thing I'm going to miss, it's all of the people I care about. Being at home this summer was nice, for the most part. I had a great babysitting job and got to see my boyfriend, Eliyah, pretty regularly as his parents live about an hour and a half from mine in New York state. I didn't get to see my friends Isabel, Elizabeth or Becca at ALL which was pretty awful, but I got to see Betsy on the weekend of the 4th of July which was great. I think I'm definitely ready for a change of scenery, and living in London (a huge city) is going to be fun after 4 semesters of Grinnell, Iowa, but I am going to miss my little school in the middle of nowhere. It's so much fun (my Dad doesn't understand this at all), and I guess being in London for a semester will only make my return to the cornfields that much more exciting.

More later.

T-minus 3 weeks!

Hello to all who may or may not be reading this......

I decided to start a blog in which I will document my fall semester studying abroad in London! I am leaving August 24th and will be gone until December 20th. I figured this would be an easy way for all my friends and family to keep tabs on what I'm up to.

So, now I'm in the final stretch of summer. During the second phase of my semester abroad, I'm taking one, intensive course called "Modern Irish Literature". The study-abroad coordinator recommended I do the reading required for the first day of the course THIS SUMMER, so I'm beginning to take it seriously. This week, I intend to start reading "Castle Rackrent" by Maria Edgeworth, which, according to the introduction, is the first Irish novel, and a novel upon which many subsequent Irish novels are built.

In terms of items I need for London, I'm pretty much set. All I need to get is a webcam with a microphone to Skype with my parents and friends with and a few pairs of tights. Sooooo excited for the London fashion scene.

That's all for now.