A Hop, Skip, and a Jump Across the Pond

Well I'm back!

After 9 long (but somehow incredibly short) months in Wyoming, packed full with family, friends, exploring, and discernment, I'm ready to start the next big chapter in my life!

 (Hasta la vista familia! So thankful to have such a supportive family back home rooting for me to succeed!)

This time I'm in Birmingham, England, and instead of working or volunteering, I'm studying! I've been out of school for two whole years, so the idea of venturing back into the world of late night study sessions, stressful deadlines, and mediocre coffee isn't too thrilling of an idea for me! But I do love school and I'm so excited about my program! I'm studying International Law, Ethics, and Politics here at the University of Birmingham, and will continue learning about human rights issues and various justice mechanisms. This is going to be a year long Master program, and hopefully I'll have some down time to explore and travel!

 (The view from my flat=best view ever!)

So far I've just been exploring in and around the Bham campus. There's so many welcome events, lunches, pub crawls, concerts, and fairs happening, that each day is jammed with fun activities! So far I've found like 10 clubs I want to join, have met some other postgraduates, finally got my class schedules, and have signed up for all sorts of volunteering and job opportunities. Among my favorite clubs are Windsurfing, Model UN, and various nerd clubs, because why not?!

 

(Old Joe, the clock tower, and focal point for all of campus)

 

I'm fortunate to be here with one of my best friends Laura, so that makes making friends and having adventures even more fun because I'll always have a buddy! Speaking of adventures, we've already had a few! We had some city tours so that we can get a lay of the land and actually know where we are, so those have been super helpful! And we've ventured into the wilderness of Lickey Hills! This is a green country park stuck in the middle of the urban city. We spent hours here and walked a total of 8 miles in and around the park! It was so nice to get outside on a rare sunny day here in Birmingham and explore nature!

 

(Beacon Hill in Lickey Hills)

 

So far I'm loving my time in Birmingham and I can't wait for my semester to start! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up on the blog and my misadventures as they happen!