Good morning!
I'm sitting in my bed right now having a little tea and listening to the rain outside. It's been a rainy week (I know I know...I live in London). And even though it's been rainy, this week has been my best week so far here in the big city.
After moving into my flat last Saturday, filling up my refrigerator, and buying the necessary items, the flat started to feel like a home. My friend Elaine (she is from Canada and is teaching here as well), just got to the UK and has been staying on an air mattress on my living room floor all week. It's nice to have company, especially someone who is new to the UK too!
I worked on Monday and Wednesday at two different schools. On Monday morning, I taught Year 1 and in the afternoon I taught Y3. On Wednesday, I taught Y6 all day. I think I've decided that I like Year 3 the best. Y3 is 7 and 8 year olds which is pretty close to what third grade is in the US. :-) Hopefully, I will be able to work again tomorrow. Next week is "half term break" here in the UK so the students and teachers get a whole week off of school!
I've gotten to know my neighborhood this week, too. The train station is literally a two minute walk from my flat which is so nice and convenient. If I walk 5 minutes down my road, I get to the "High Street". Here in London, every neighborhood/town/borough has a "high street" or a "high road". It's basically where you can find a majority of the shops and restaurants in your neighborhood. Now I love my neighborhood, but I don't want to give anyone the false idea that I live in a glamorous area! It is safe and nice but it isn't like the places in London you've seen on TV or in magazines. I don't have any cute boutiques near me (which is a good thing for my wallet!). I do have lots of markets and grocery stores, restaurants from all over the world, and a few hotels close by. One day (when it's sunny), I'll take some pictures around my neighborhood and post them on here!
Today, I'm meeting my friend Kait from UNCW. She lives here too and has for a few years. She just got engaged a couple weeks ago so we are having a celebratory lunch! Then I'm off to the gym, the library, and to my Thursday evening class.
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!
Lots of love,
K xoxo
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
My new pad
Hi from London!
I have officially moved into my flat! It's going to take a little while to get everything just the way I like it but for now here's some pictures!
I have officially moved into my flat! It's going to take a little while to get everything just the way I like it but for now here's some pictures!
Friday, October 19, 2012
time flies
I can't believe that a month ago today, I was getting on a plane with all my luggage to start a new life here in London. This last month has taught me so much more than I could've imagined. Here's a list of the few things I've learned...
1. PATIENCE - I consider myself a very patient person (hello, I teach elementary school!) but I have never been very patient with adults. After a major debacle with my leasing agent who had me wait for three weeks on a form to come in the mail, I learned the importance of patience. Before I came here, I waited on so many things...to get into university, to get a job, to get my visa, etc etc. But since I've been here, I've really learned how sometimes you have to let go of the control you want to have and allow other people to do their jobs (even if you think they aren't doing it quickly enough!).
2. IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY and FRIENDS - I haven't talked about this much because it seems a bit silly to whine on this blog. But I really miss my family and friends back home (yes you guys!). At first, I was really homesick...I cried practically every day. Being around my family and friends is my comfort and it always has been. Having weekly Skype dates with my parents, whatsapp conversations with friends, and emails has really cheered me up and kept me going. So thank you to all of you who have made a special effort to keep in touch with me over the last month. It means SO much to me and I hope you'll continue!
3. BEING UNCOMFORTABLE - You are probably thinking "What?!". Well moving to another country can definitely make you uncomfortable and you HAVE to learn how to deal with it if you want to survive. Like I said before, being with my friends and family was my "comfort zone". I never really had to worry about feeling uncomfortable before I came here. Now, I am forced to put myself out there so that I can make new friends, be a good employee, and a good student. So far, it seems that being uncomfortable has its benefits! I'm making new friends, doing my best at my job, and getting to know my professors and peers at university.
When I first got here, I thought "this is too hard...I'm not strong enough to do this". I'm so glad I didn't give up. Every day gets a little bit easier.
LOTS of love to my friends and family,
Kristen xoxo
1. PATIENCE - I consider myself a very patient person (hello, I teach elementary school!) but I have never been very patient with adults. After a major debacle with my leasing agent who had me wait for three weeks on a form to come in the mail, I learned the importance of patience. Before I came here, I waited on so many things...to get into university, to get a job, to get my visa, etc etc. But since I've been here, I've really learned how sometimes you have to let go of the control you want to have and allow other people to do their jobs (even if you think they aren't doing it quickly enough!).
2. IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY and FRIENDS - I haven't talked about this much because it seems a bit silly to whine on this blog. But I really miss my family and friends back home (yes you guys!). At first, I was really homesick...I cried practically every day. Being around my family and friends is my comfort and it always has been. Having weekly Skype dates with my parents, whatsapp conversations with friends, and emails has really cheered me up and kept me going. So thank you to all of you who have made a special effort to keep in touch with me over the last month. It means SO much to me and I hope you'll continue!
3. BEING UNCOMFORTABLE - You are probably thinking "What?!". Well moving to another country can definitely make you uncomfortable and you HAVE to learn how to deal with it if you want to survive. Like I said before, being with my friends and family was my "comfort zone". I never really had to worry about feeling uncomfortable before I came here. Now, I am forced to put myself out there so that I can make new friends, be a good employee, and a good student. So far, it seems that being uncomfortable has its benefits! I'm making new friends, doing my best at my job, and getting to know my professors and peers at university.
When I first got here, I thought "this is too hard...I'm not strong enough to do this". I'm so glad I didn't give up. Every day gets a little bit easier.
LOTS of love to my friends and family,
Kristen xoxo
Monday, October 15, 2012
Edinburgh Scotland
This past weekend I journeyed up to Edinburgh Scotland. It's just a 4 hour train ride. I love this about Europe - most places are just a quick train or plane ride away and they are usually affordable!
The city of Edinburgh is gorgeous and has tons of history behind it. I visited Edinburgh Castle, ate some delicious meals, and got to see some really beautiful scenes.
Enjoy the pictures :-)
xoxo,
Kristen
The city of Edinburgh is gorgeous and has tons of history behind it. I visited Edinburgh Castle, ate some delicious meals, and got to see some really beautiful scenes.
Enjoy the pictures :-)
xoxo,
Kristen
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
good things come...
...to those who wait.
I have always thought of myself as a very patient person. I understand that sometimes you have to wait for the things you really want. But let me just say that these last few months have been a serious test of my patience!
I'm still waiting to move into my flat. The paperwork is taking almost a week to process when I was told it would only take two days. I'm also still waiting on my money from the US to transfer to my UK bank account. It's been two weeks now and I've been told it can take up to 8 weeks!
So, hopefully by the end of this week I will be in my new flat and will have my bank account all ready to go!
On a different note, I was asked to choose my courses that I wanted to take in the spring term. I had five options but was only allowed to choose two. They all sounded really interesting! In the end, I chose "Psychology for Special Needs" and "Inclusive Pedagogy". Both classes will help me to better understand students with special needs and the best way to teach them based on their individual needs. This term, I take two courses that are required by all students in my program. They both sound really interesting. I am truly excited about my course and learning more about students with special needs.
I joined the gym yesterday and that made me feel really good! Little things like that make you feel more settled in a big city.
That's all the news I have for now!
Lots of love,
Kristen xoxo
I have always thought of myself as a very patient person. I understand that sometimes you have to wait for the things you really want. But let me just say that these last few months have been a serious test of my patience!
I'm still waiting to move into my flat. The paperwork is taking almost a week to process when I was told it would only take two days. I'm also still waiting on my money from the US to transfer to my UK bank account. It's been two weeks now and I've been told it can take up to 8 weeks!
So, hopefully by the end of this week I will be in my new flat and will have my bank account all ready to go!
On a different note, I was asked to choose my courses that I wanted to take in the spring term. I had five options but was only allowed to choose two. They all sounded really interesting! In the end, I chose "Psychology for Special Needs" and "Inclusive Pedagogy". Both classes will help me to better understand students with special needs and the best way to teach them based on their individual needs. This term, I take two courses that are required by all students in my program. They both sound really interesting. I am truly excited about my course and learning more about students with special needs.
I joined the gym yesterday and that made me feel really good! Little things like that make you feel more settled in a big city.
That's all the news I have for now!
Lots of love,
Kristen xoxo
Thursday, October 4, 2012
LOST IN TRANSLATION
I thought I'd do a fun post on things people say over here that are different from the things we say in the good ol' USA.
On the left side is how they say it here in jolly old England and on the right side is what we would say in the US. Enjoy! :-)
chips - french fries
crisps - potato chips
biscuits - cookies
kitchen roll - paper towels
cash machine - ATM
pants - underwear
trousers - pants
fags - cigarettes (yes this is for real)
buck's fizz - mimosa
There are at least a hundred more so I'll have to do another post soon about this!
Lots of love,
K
On the left side is how they say it here in jolly old England and on the right side is what we would say in the US. Enjoy! :-)
chips - french fries
crisps - potato chips
biscuits - cookies
kitchen roll - paper towels
cash machine - ATM
pants - underwear
trousers - pants
fags - cigarettes (yes this is for real)
buck's fizz - mimosa
There are at least a hundred more so I'll have to do another post soon about this!
Lots of love,
K
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
my first day at school (for the final time)
Well...maybe for the final time! If you know me, you know I love learning and love school. I anticipate that once I have my Masters in Special and Inclusive Education, I'll be ready to throw in the towel!
Anyways, today was my first day at the University of London's Institute of Education. My campus is right next to a beautiful park called Russell Square in central London. I spent the whole day inside though - attending sessions and learning what it means to be an "international" student. At one point I couldn't help thinking "this is really weird to be the foreigner in a country". Sometimes I forget that England isn't America because they really are SO similar!
I made a few friends and met two really nice girls who will be doing the Special Education program with me. It was fun and exciting meeting new people - especially since they come from all over the world!
I worked yesterday again in a "reception class" (reminder - these are four and five year olds). I had another great day with a whole group of little cuties! Their accents are just too much. They keep me smiling all day!
One word that I love that Brits say is "cheeky". From what I've been told "cheeky" is another word for naughty. Well yesterday one of the little boys was playing in the classroom and kept saying "oh you cheeky little monkey!" to one of his friends. It was so funny to hear that come out of a 4 year old's mouth! :-)
I also have some exciting news to share - I HAVE FOUND A FLAT! It is SO nice, in a great neighborhood, and I got a great deal on it! I had a leasing agent (a real estate agent) helping me and he was so nice. I decided to get a one bedroom flat. The girl I was going to live with from Canada has decided she isn't going to come to England for another few weeks. I couldn't wait any longer....I'm ready to get settled into my own place instead of living out of a suitcase. I'll be moving into my new place this weekend. When I do, I'll post some pictures!
Lots and lots of love,
Kristen
Anyways, today was my first day at the University of London's Institute of Education. My campus is right next to a beautiful park called Russell Square in central London. I spent the whole day inside though - attending sessions and learning what it means to be an "international" student. At one point I couldn't help thinking "this is really weird to be the foreigner in a country". Sometimes I forget that England isn't America because they really are SO similar!
I made a few friends and met two really nice girls who will be doing the Special Education program with me. It was fun and exciting meeting new people - especially since they come from all over the world!
I worked yesterday again in a "reception class" (reminder - these are four and five year olds). I had another great day with a whole group of little cuties! Their accents are just too much. They keep me smiling all day!
One word that I love that Brits say is "cheeky". From what I've been told "cheeky" is another word for naughty. Well yesterday one of the little boys was playing in the classroom and kept saying "oh you cheeky little monkey!" to one of his friends. It was so funny to hear that come out of a 4 year old's mouth! :-)
I also have some exciting news to share - I HAVE FOUND A FLAT! It is SO nice, in a great neighborhood, and I got a great deal on it! I had a leasing agent (a real estate agent) helping me and he was so nice. I decided to get a one bedroom flat. The girl I was going to live with from Canada has decided she isn't going to come to England for another few weeks. I couldn't wait any longer....I'm ready to get settled into my own place instead of living out of a suitcase. I'll be moving into my new place this weekend. When I do, I'll post some pictures!
Lots and lots of love,
Kristen
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