Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

AHHHH! My first blog post and I'm sitting in a different country. I keep forgetting that I'm in a different country and have to keep reminding myself. So, obviously I made it safely to Liverpool Hope University but travelling was definitely an insane experience. The flight from Clevelan to Newark went well and the flight from Newark to Manchester wasn't bad. I wanted to sleep more during that flight but they served snacks, dinner, then snacks again before the lights went out. I only ended up getting maybe 3 or 3 1/2 hours of sleep. They served breakfast on the plane and we landed in Manchester at 7:3o am. So, we get off the plane and have to go through customs. Now if you have a UK or EU passport there is one line and all other passports are in another line. The only issue with this is that those with passports from Europe get served quicker because that line has more open customs officers. That said it took 2 hours to get through the customs line. Then I had to make my way to the train station which is connected to the terminals in Manchester. I'm definitely buying luggage with wheels before I leave because there is no way I make it home with the luggage I have now. I made it to the train station, got a ticket and waited for the next train to Liverpool Lime Street Station. When I got on the train I met two girls, Emily and Alyssa, from Indiana who go to Ball State. I was so relieved to meet them. The ride from Manchester to Liverpool was scenic but I had a hard time staying awake. We took a taxi from the train station to Aigburth Park which is the campus that my dorm is in. We got our rooms and got settled into our new homes for the semester.

That night we met some of the international students because most of them live in Aigburth Park. Alyssa, Emily, and I went up the street to get stuff for our rooms from the Home and Bargain and Tesco. Even though the dollar isn't worth much here, most things are less expensive then they would be in the U.S. We made spaghetti for dinner and then we went down to the common lounge to watch the Champions League match between Liverpool F.C. and Debrecen. Of course, I was in my element and enjoyed it thouroughly but left in the 70th minute because I was dead on my feet.

Thursday was a long day. We had international orientation all day. The actual campus where classes are held is like 4 miles away so we have to take a bus which was a double decker. We spent most of the day in a lecture hall being told important things to know. One of the most chaotic parts of the day was figuring out class schedules which took way longer then it should have. The campus is really nice and things are somewhat close together. Once all are meetings were done we went out to catch the bus but then 6 of us decided to walk back. This probably wasn't the best idea and the directions we got weren't the best. Also, street signs in Liverpool are extremely hard to find and everything tends to look the same. So after about an hour of walking, we decided to call a cab. We got in the cab and little way up the road we saw the airport which is nowhere near where we needed to be. This was a bonding experience and fun for awhile. We even got to see the childhood home of John Lennon as we were walking so it wasn't a complete loss. That night some of us hung out and just got to know each other better which was a blast.

Observations and Odds & Ends:
~ The money here is awesome! Pounds in note form are colorful and bright, but there are so many different coins that it becomes confusing.
~Everything here just seems so alive. Maybe its the hustle and bustle of the city or that the grass and plants are so vibrantly colored. Its such a refreshing environment.
~Everyone here is extremely nice and welcoming. The international students have been together most of the time so we're all in the same boat. The home students move in tomorrow so we'll see how it goes from there.
~The houses and architecture are so unique and interesting. Everthing is old and vintage looking which I absolutely love.
~Public transportation is a godsend and should definitely be used more prominently in America because it is so worth it. Things are so much more accessible and even in a big city like Liverpool you can go just about anywhere.

We don't start classes for another week so I'm sure I'll have plenty of exciting stories and experiences to share before things get crazy!