I've been thinking a lot about writing and not doing too
much of it lately, as you may have noticed. That doesn't refer only to my
thesis. I have now spent four months plus a few weeks here in at-times-sunny
Lancaster, in the northwestern part of the United Kingdom, and not written a
single blog post! Something tells me this will be the only one I write to you
from Lancaster, unfortunately. For posterity, I have included a timeline just
below and of course, the pictures, as usual.
When I got
to Lancaster, my landlord, Kevin, a man perpetually outfitted in a tracksuit,
greeted me at the train station. He drove me in his car with the steering wheel
on the wrong side on the wrong side of the road to the house, which I
immediately called an apartment, and he corrected me. The house sits at the
base of a big hill, facing an elementary school, near the campus of the
University of Cumbria. I live there with two girls (20, from Lancashire, 21
from Wales) and two boys (34, from London of Nigerian descent, 26 from France).
As a side note, I suppose at a certain point they stop being girls and boys and
become men and women. Most of my housemates go home on the weekends, so life can be quiet. Furthermore, my age has
betrayed me. I didn't realize how big of a difference there was between 20 and
24 or 24 to 34 until now. Needless to say, your interests do diverge
between these ages. But, it would be a lie to say my housemates aren't nice,
and we've had quite a few good chats and done all right so far in sharing a single bathroom, so that's a feat
to be reckoned with.
Most
weekdays, I make my 20-minute commute by bike, considerably hillier than my
Amsterdam itinerary, from my home to the University. There, I have a desk in an
office with a lovely view of an ongoing record sale and a Spar supermarket. I
technically share my office with three people, of whom only one ever shows up
occasionally. I manage my own time- a curse and a blessing- working on the
project that is my master's thesis. My supervisor is fantastic, and has been
very communicative at all points of the process. I've had a lot of autonomy in
the project, so it will probably be gratifying to look back at my work and know
that I have done so much of it myself. This level of independence is also very
new for me, though, so I sometimes find myself anxious about the next steps. However,
I usually find that I am quite capable and surprise myself when I tackle the
problems in a logical order on my own.
The campus
is very green and reminds me of Chapel Hill when the sun is shining, because of
how much nature there is around me. The people who work in my building are nice
and friendly, but many of them are naturally quite a bit older than me. As a
result, I've not made so many friends among colleagues, but I've had a lot of
interesting conversations where I've received sage advice. On Thursdays, the
University has a market and I have made it a habit to buy fresh farm eggs
there. They also have a stand that sells delicious cakes and pies, including
one Legendary Chocolate Tart that I just cannot resist.
Thus far, I
have filled my free weekends applying for jobs in France, doing laundry,
grocery shopping, cooking for the week ahead, and cleaning the house. Reading
that, I consider that I've become a boring adult, but I think these chores come
with the territory of living alone, and not necessarily adulthood. Since about 75% of my housemates are gone on
many weekends, I've also had to practice alone time. The hardest thing for me
has probably been learning to fill this without feeling like I'm missing out
when others, hundreds of miles from me, seem busy. The effect of social media
is of course that many of my friends back home appear to be settling in and feeling
comfortable while I struggle to find my place (again, for the many-th time).
Needless to
say, this has been tough and I've recognized that moving a lot will
occasionally exacerbate my feelings of loneliness or isolation. Jealousy will always be on my shoulder thanks
to social comparisons. Regardless, on my good days, I enjoy reading on my own,
taking a walk or a bike ride near the canals, and watching movies. On bad days,
I feel sorry for myself (literally!). Thankfully, this has driven me to make more
attempts to talk to my family in these past few months. Matthieu is also, as
always, a patient partner and talks over this with me time and time again. He
has come to see me here in Lancaster three times and we have made it a point to
explore new places and have as many international adventures as we can while I
am here.
With or
without him, however, I have visited Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London
in addition to a variety of small towns nearby. I'm trying to make it a point
to get to Manchester for longer than a few hours before I leave. I've gone
hiking in Lake District multiple times with the Lancaster University Hiking Club as well as with Matthieu, and been near the home of William
Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. I find it interesting how most other foreigners will
associate England with the royal family, Union Jack, red phone booths, and
guards with fuzzy hats but after this, I will associate it with endless rolling
green hills, mountains like fluffy pillows that turn into steep rock quickly
under your feet, sheeps, lambs, cows, ducks, ducklings, swans, signets, and
beautiful trees and flowers. The nature here is stunning and I consider myself
incredibly lucky that I get to experience this place in the springtime (though
I will always miss spring in The Netherlands).
I've also taken
the time to be social, of course. One Hungarian girl at the University has been
particularly kind, and I have made two friends here who have really taken an
interest in keeping me busy on lonelier weekends. One of them, Sarah, is a PhD
Student I met at Ultimate Frisbee, which I played incredibly sporadically here
(as everywhere). She grew up in
Scotland, but is half Chinese and half English. She introduced me to weight
lifting and taught me how to use all the machines in gym but we've also gone on
walks together, explored Lancaster, and eaten plenty of ice cream, usually
joined by her boyfriend, Max (who doesn't like ice cream).
The other friend
is Michaela, a thoroughly freckled and red-headed professor/lecturer who works
across the hall from me. She and her boyfriend, Huw, have kindly chatted with
me during work breaks, invited me over for dinner, and driven me to multiple
local areas, including the sea! I feel really lucky having met them. It is
quite difficult making friends as an adult and the two of them and their other
halves have definitely made me feel welcome and happier here than I ever could
have been without them.
Sports have
also become a staple in both my weekdays and my weekends. Early this year, I
decided I wanted to try and run a half marathon (as a sort of parallel to the
ten miles I ran at the end of my Bachelor's). As a result, training for it
became an important routine, and I've run all along the canals here, happily
swallowing many gnats along the way (mmm, protein!). One time, I even spent a
whole night with a bug in my eye, only to cry it out the next morning. The last
weekend in May, I ran the race in Edinburgh, and felt very proud of myself for,
as Matthieu put it, continuously putting one foot in front of the other for
over two hours at a faster than usual pace. In addition to completing that run
we spent that weekend sightseeing in Scotland, gorging on the beautiful
scenery, and appreciating the first rays of summer sunshine.
The
relation with the sun is quite different here than the Netherlands, where any
sign of sunshine leads to people running to the parks. In Lancaster, when the
sun shines, the parks still feel empty and the spaces remain just as vast.
There is something to be admired in the emptiness though. In a chilly June
sunshine, daisies push themselves out of the earth, and voluminous treetops
undulate in the wind like waves on a sea. The clouds move at an immense pace,
always reminding me that the weather is ever capricious.
Fortunately
for me, the sun is also out today, and will be until 9:40 or so. The days are
incredibly long here. In 13 of them, I will be flying to Lyon for the next
adventure. But today, I am on a train returning for a well-deserved weekend in
London with friends. Next weekend I have my final hike planned with the hiking
society. In the last one we climbed Scafell Pike, the highest peak in where for
a moment I was the tallest woman in England. I'm just hoping to hold onto that
feeling a bit longer.
Until next time,
Julia
A Brief Timeline (For Posterity):
Feb 15: I arrived in Lancaster in the evening and
frantically hunted down bedding at the only store open in a town of 40,000
people. This gave me a chance to walk around the town very early in my stay,
and I was immediately awestruck at how quintessentially "cute British
town" it is. It even has a castle! I met one housemate Aerin.
Feb 16: I visited the University for the first time, saw my
office, had lunch with Guillermo, my supervisor, and explored the area.
Feb 18: I had my first attempt at Ultimate Frisbee in
Lancaster with the local group, Fish. Sometime here, I met my other two
housemates, Luc, and Georgiana.
Feb 22: I had my second attempt at Ultimate Frisbee, where I
met Sarah, and I turned in my ethical application for my study (you have to
imagine the frantic nature with which I worked to have it ready at this point).
Mar 1: I attended an interesting lecture on health
economics!
Mar 7: I had a first
lunch with Michaela and her boyfriend, Huw (the Welsh spelling of Hugh).
Mar 10-13: I took a weekend trip to Glasgow/Edinburgh to
stay with my friends from my time teaching in Hungary, Andris and Peti Horváth.
They are twin students at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and I saw about
four plays and musical pieces in two days, as well as Edinburgh for the first
time. We laughed a ridiculous amount this weekend, and I went to sleep at about
2 am every day. What I learned: The University of Glasgow looks like Hogwarts!
Mar 16-18: I took a trip to London to spend the weekend with
friends (basically family), The Neumarks (Esther, Julie, Kati, András) as well as dropped in on Dorka
Prinz and her parents, family friends from Hungary. This was my first time in
London and I can confirm that it is a great city, but spending time with loved
ones was probably even better than that.
Mar 19: I went on my first hike in the Lake District. It
poured all day, and my fellow hikers told me that this is the worst weather
they have ever hiked in (great!). I took a tumble on a slippery rock, fainted
in the rain, and bruised my coccyx, which meant I couldn't cycle or exercise
for about four weeks. When I got home,
my newest housemate, Paul, had moved in. Fortunately for him and me, he wasn't
taking a shower, because I was absolutely drenched (and so cold!).
Mar 24: Matthieu arrived to Lancaster and we celebrated our
anniversary. We took a trip to Liverpool, where we did the Sandeman's free tour and
learned all about the superlambanana and the liver birds.
Mar 31- Apr 3: I took a weekend trip to Barcelona with
Matthieu, his housemate Typhanie, and her boyfriend Yoann to visit our friend
Marina, who is from Barcelona. In Barcelona, I saw two of my favorite things that
I have not seen in a long time: the Sagrada Familia and the sunshine.
Apr 13-18: After a quite few weeks of work, Matthieu came
for his second visit and we took a few days off to go to the Lake District. We
stayed in a B&B where we had a very filling British breakfast each morning.
During the days, we explored the countryside and took long walks exploring the
area. This was perfect timing since the area was filled with lambs. When we got
back to Lancaster, we took a tour of the castle, which mostly functioned as a
court and prison.
Apr 20: I had my first meeting with Steve Jones, the
Director at The Spectrum Centre where I'm working. By this time, I had started
recruitment for my project and was well on my way with that.
May 5-16: I took a small working vacation in Lyon, which was
a really valuable time for me. I had started to panic about finding a job and
moving to France, and I realized during this trip that there's no need to worry
about getting a job until I get there, and I would also be able to find
housing. This definitely calmed me down and I felt much more ready to come back
to Lancaster and keep working on my thesis.
May 16/17: I discovered something called "Pint of
Science"- an event centered on scientific presentations for laymen over a
beer. It's a really cool concept and I highly recommend you look to see if
there is one happening near you next year!
May 26-28: Matthieu and I took our second trip to Glasgow,
he met the twins and got to see a bit of Glasgow and a bit of Edinburgh, and I
ran my half marathon. We spent a really lovely afternoon in Glasgow in the
Botanical Gardens, which I would recommend to any friends who love plants!
May 29- Jun 3: I began data analysis! This is very important
for finishing my thesis.
Jun 5: I climbed Scafell Pike, the tallest mountain in
England!
Jun 9-11: I spent the weekend in London with Katherine (a friend from
high school) and her family and with Amber, from my program in Amsterdam.
The Pictures:
 |
| Run around the canals |
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| On the way home (castle in the distance!) |
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| London! |
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| Tower of London |
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| At Borough Market |
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| The Rosetta Stone |
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| Museums |
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| Museums |
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| Museums |
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| Westminster Abbey |
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| Westminster from a distance |
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| Big Ben |
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| London from the sky |
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| A British Fox and A Blue Ridge Fox |
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| London |
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| London |
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| London |
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| The Globe |
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| The Globe |
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| Highland Cow, anyone? |
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| It's called the "Lake District" for a reason! |
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| Foggy, but still beautiful |
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| Buttermere |
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| Waterproof map cover? Check! |
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| Liverpool, shall we? |
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| Eleanor Rigby |
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| The River Mersey |
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| Liverpool |
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| Barcelona Sunshine |
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| Just as pretty as always |
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| Barceloneta |
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| Baby Sheep! |
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| Panorama (including Michaela, just barely!) |
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| First Ice Cream of the Year |
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| Off we go (little did we know we were on the wrong train) |
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Stranded in the wrong town, we visited the sight to see-
the church, and they asked me to help test their sound system. |
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| Full English breakfast in a B&B |
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| Off to the Lakes on bus 555! |
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| Up we go! |
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| Just Chillin' |
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| Who said the weather was going to be ugly? |
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| The view down |
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| A happy hiker |
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| And another happy hiker! |
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| Looking majestic |
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| Up we go (again!) |
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| I know what the important things are- gingerbread. |
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| All smiles and cold noses! |
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| River Lune Aquaduct |
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| View on the walk |
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| Communal calf stretch (credit to Sarah) |
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| Aren't we cool skipping stones? |
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| A beer and some flowers |
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| Evening run to campus with Matthieu in tow (he took this one!) |
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| Glasgow Botanical Gardens |
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| Julia for scale |
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| Smile! You're in a warm room with plants! |
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| Glasgow Botanical Gardens |
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| I have a professional flower crown making boyfriend |
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| Edinburgh |
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| Edinburgh |
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| Greyfriar's Bobby |
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| Arthur's seat- what a view! |
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| 13.1 miles done! |
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| A beautiful day for a walk up to Williamson Park! |
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| View from Williamson Park's sundial |
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| From the other side of town, sheep and cows |
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| The cat who led the way (and Sarah) |
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| She refused to pose for a picture (the cat) |
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| It's my first adolescent cow! |
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| Moo! |
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| Duck pond on campus |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society |
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Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society
These guys were jumping into
the water to go upstream, actually |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society |
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Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society
Up we go! |
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Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society
Little Frog! |
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Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society
Lamb in Motion |
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Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society
At the top! |
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Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society
Proof of the Scafell Pike summit! |
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| What goes up must come down |
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| The view from above |
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| On the way (Thanks to Ina from LUHC) |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society (Ina, LUHC) |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society (Ina, LUHC) |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society (Ina, LUHC) |
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| At the top! |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society (Ina, LUHC) |
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| Hiking in Eskdale with the Hiking Society (Ina, LUHC) |
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| Not a happy bull |
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| Almost back down! |
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| A beautiful day in London |
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| By the water |
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| Almost-graduated drinks with Amber |
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| Tucked away in London |
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| Almost blue skies |
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| View of London |
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| Maltby Market |
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| Sunset, London |
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