Hello, once
again…
I have been back in the United States now for about 3 months. I
stayed in England over the summer to participate in a field course
offered by Lancaster University in Scotland, as well as to
continue to work with Nicola and Olivia. I also traveled to
Tenerife for a week in August. (Tenerife is a small island off the coast of
Africa, but owned by Spain.) There,
I had a lovely week of sun and relaxation.
Upon my return to the
U.S., I was lucky enough not to be plagued by reverse homesickness. I
stepped quite easily back into my life here in the
U.S. and at UMaine. One added
bonus was that while I was in England my parents had moved from
Massachusetts to Maine, so I got to come home to a completely new
house!
School started and I began to
think about my thesis. At one point I had become quite nervous as I
had heard some rumors that having not started on my thesis prior to
my 7th semester, I would be “behind the eight ball”. I
hurried to get a project underway and soon found out that nothing of
the sort is true. There are plenty of opportunities and projects
available to students who were not here the semester before their
senior year. I feel as though this is an important message to
portray to anyone thinking about studying abroad. It is very
feasible to graduate in 4 years while still being able to study
abroad (even if you are in a challenging academic track).
Now, having been back for a few
months, I am missing the UK more than I thought I would. Certain
things, like my favorite brand of “crisps”, the accents, friends,
and general way of life give me pangs of sentimentality when I think
about them.
The year is almost half over!
Classes are whizzing by, and grad-school applications are starting
to be filled out (I hope to return to
England next year for a
postgrad degree). I wish everyone luck for the rest of the year
(especially if you are about to jet off on a study abroad
experience!) Enjoy every minute of it. I hope our frequent readers
have enjoyed reading about or adventures and discoveries!
So
long for now! Any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to
contact me at:
jennifer.kray@umit.maine.edu. Enjoy the holidays!
Jen
