Jet lagged, nostalgic, and singing sad songs

Well, its all over. I'm back in Tosa, back to "real" life, and utterly confused about it all. I won't bother any of you with the strange convoluted thoughts that are running around my head, but I know that I'll be missing Taptonville and all those who lived there this past term very much for a very long time. On the last night most people were there, June 8, we had a party, and it was lovely. The best possible way to say goodbye, the best possible way to celebrate my birthday (a little early but eh) and the best possible way to remember the best parts of being a young student in Sheffield.



With much love to all,
Meagan

The return of the vacuum seal

I'm packing for home! Strange as it may be, I think everything is going to fit very neatly into my two suitcases; the part I'm most worried about is the carry on since it contains two (2) laptops. The broken dead one and the working alive one. Grrr. I am hoping to have the dead one resuscitated soon! Hooray!

Packing is hard work! I don't like it much, especially because I never know what exactly I will be needing. I only have two days left, and then Sunday--but that is all traveling so it should be easy enough. Just a few changes of clothes to leave out and the rest to cram in. This is made much easier by some handy dandy vacuum seal bags and our friendly vacuum cleaner, Henry. This is Henry:



(Photo credit Natalie)

Many people still have a final tomorrow, so not a lot is happening around Taptonville lately. I am looking forward to the party tomorrow to celebrate, and then Saturday Nicole and I are saying goodbye to Sheffield with a visit to the Peaks. Then its off to Manchester for a night in the hotel and Sunday morning a long flight with a much desired destination--home!

I don't feel like I'll be reflecting on my time here anytime soon (at least not publicly), as I will need some distance and the passing of time to truly understand any effects it has had on me. Until then I'll remember it fondly and will just be happy it happened. Ah Sheffield.

See you all soon!

Finito!

The last exam has been taken (sat? I don't know what the British would say). I am finished with school for three glorious months. I am so excited.

The exam process here is frightening. You go into this HUGE room (ours was in the Goodwin Sports Center, so basically a giant gym) where there are just rows and rows of desks lined up. Each class (multiple classes in one exam period) are assigned certain rows. You sit down and fill out all these sheets with your registration number and name and course and all sorts of things. Then you write. For three hours. Yeah. At the end you have to lick part of the booklet and stick it down. I felt really silly doing it, but you have to.

They are (is anyone surprised?)really anal about exam procedures. They have these people called invigilators who walk around constantly, are monitoring noises etc and go to the bathroom (toilet, sorry) with you if you have to during your exam period. It freaked me out. I think I only would have used the bathroom if I was about to explode. I was afraid of them.

School is over, leaving me with just over a week to hang out, pack, laze around Sheffield, party in Taptonville and the other usual stuff. I'm also heading to London tomorrow with Emily which should be a riot. It is my first time--I sort of left it to the end, didn't realize how little time was left-- and so I will be doing all the touristy things. I am looking forward to it!

The first time

Today Becca read "On Chisel Beach" by Ian McElwan. WOAH. This book is the tale of two virgins wedding night, and besides being really graffic and disgusting, it also is startlingly how English they are. I think that after living here, I can appreciate little quirks of English life that are presented in books, movies or television more than before; in this book certain mannerisms or behaviors of the characters made us laugh out loud as we realized how they eerily remind us of things our English acquaintences do. It is always exciting to pick up on little things like that. In the movie Layer Cake, for example, there is a line "Even drug dealers don't work weekends." Before coming here I would not have appreciated that at all! (Many places, including shops, are closed on weekends here. It can be frustrating, but its kind of relaxing, knowing that certain things just can't be done til Monday and you simply have to make do. It isn't just time off for the employees, its actually time off for us too!) Little things like that are quite exciting.

It is also the first of many goodbyes. James is leaving tomorrow. It seems unreal that he is leaving. We will all miss having him pop around so often. He is technically a "neighbor kid" on the Flat 47 portrait, but in reality he is like a cousin who we might be legally adopting. I don't want to say goodbye!

The first goodbye is going to be hard to say. I never wanted this to happen! I hate goodbyes. Isn't it strange that after only 4.5 months, saying goodbye is just as hard as it was to say to all the people we left back at home? With a compressed time frame, the people I have met skipped many of the formalities and slow progressions that usually make deep friendships. They are markedly different than many of those I have at home, but in no way are they less important to me or lacking closeness. I'm turning so sappy. This is what goodbyes do to me.

It is odd that our time here is almost over, and that it was such a short period of time. I think the length of time I was here has been good, and has whetted my appetite for more. I cannot wait to travel again! Living a much simpler life--dial up internet, no real phone, no TV or radio, and limited resources have made me, and I think others here, focus a lot more on relationships here. I'm excited to travel more, and hopefully get to see more of the US than I have. If anyone is interested, we should plan a trip. Once, you know, we all get jobs and our bank accounts recover and our credit cards are paid off.

Today was about 24 Celsius and sunny, meaning I was awoken by Danielle coming over and enlisting me in the tanning party. She, Emily and I wore bathing suits, didn't freeze, listened to music, ate food, read trashy magazines and generally indulged for a few hours in the sun. Of course, I didn't tan (or burn, thanks to liberal application of sunscreen) but it was nice to warm up. I got a few freckles. All I can ask for I suppose.

It was nice enough to wear a dress (finally!) and just mary janes, no jacket or tights or anything. Carl and I went on a hunt for daiquiri mix, because that would have been the ultimate ending to our night...but we settled for this thing called "Carribean Twist" which is a cheaper take on Bacardi Breezers. Eh. Not so great. We made steak and Lincolnshire sausages, garlic bread, and some cucumbers for dinner, followed by ice cream outside! It was so lovely! The first real summery feeling day.

Needless to say, I have not yet started work on my essay for Irish Writing, but it is not due til Tuesday--giving me plenty of time. I finished both of my essays for Early American Lit, meaning I just have that one Irish essay and then a sit in final for Modern Lit-and then I am done! I'll be back in the States in two and a half weeks. Nuts, isn't it?

My plans for these next two weeks are pretty tame. I have to finish this paper, obviously, and then turn in all three next Tuesday. That afternoon, my former spring break immersion leader Teri will be arriving in Sheffield. She is volunteering/living in Liverpool for the year and is coming to stay for two days. My hope is that the weather will stay warmish and we can go out to the Peaks District. She leaves Thursday. The next day is my Modern Lit final, and the day of Liz's flight home. What a shit day. Saturday June 2nd, however, I am going to London! Emily, her friend from home, and myself are going for the weekend. If you have any suggestions on what to see/do/stay whatever, let me know! After that it is back here for about four days full of packing and cleaning and goodbyes. Eeek.

Because Sheffield is this boonies backwater place, there are no trains running to Manchester airport on the morning of the 10th. Instead we are taking the late train on the 9th and sleeping in a terminal (or the rail station at the airport, whichever is open). I'm not looking forward to this, as I have so much stuff to haul around, and because it is my 21st birthday. When I envisioned my 21st, it never involved sleeping in an airport terminal on top of two large suitcases with a backpackers pack as a pillow, believe me.

The sun is just starting to set (although it is 9 pm) which is something I love about summer. Because England is fairly far north, the sun sets really late in spring/summer. I wish I could be in Europe for Midsummer's-- I would definitely have to go to the Arctic Circle and see the 24 hours of daylight!!

Well, this has been a long rambling pointless post, but was bored and wanted to say hello.

Love,
Meagan

News

I don't feel like doing a real post, but some big things have happened:

--Liz (one of my flatmates here in England) and I will be moving in together in Chicago. We have yet to find a place, but once we do, expect it to be the best apartment probably ever. I know, I know--how many times will I say I'm living somewhere and then change my mind?! This time is for real. This plan will not fall through. We are serious about this.

--Essays season is upon us! I have three essays due on May 29. Yeah. Haven't started yet.

--Emily, Natalie and I have decided to read Ulysses. We are going to work very hard and then meet once a month or so in a different Irish pub each time (in Chicago) and talk about it. We will see how this goes.

--Less than a month here in England. I can't believe it's almost over.

Oh: Have people in the US been hearing about Maddy, the British girl who was kidnapped in Portugal? It's all over the news here, headlines everyday and on TV constantly.

Tea without milk? Fascinating.

The event I NEVER thought would happen happened:

British kids asked me to join them in a post-class hangout.


I keep hearing all these stories of Brits going to the pub after class, in between class, during a 15 minute break from class-- but have never seen it or been invited along. I assumed this was due to my crippling shyness, which generally has me leaving seminar with the pod firmly planted in my ears and my feet beating the long path back to Taptonville. Today was my last Early American Lit seminar (what a joke) and afterwards a bunch of kids decided to go to Interval, one of the cafe/bars at the union. And lo and behold they invited me along. I bet those kids, who will probably never think of it or me again, have no idea how excited I was for that to happen. I feel rather pathetic saying that, but it really made my day. It was really sweet of them. They are nice kids, and I wish we had done this at the beginning of the term instead of the end.

It also showed me, once again, that being shy is BAD NEW BEARS. Especially when in a foreign country.

Also: I finally got my Sheffield city library card, instead of just stealing books from my flatmates or using Becca's card. Hoorah. Liz is coming home tonight, releasing the garbage bags, garlic salt, and ipod speakers that have been locked in her room since Friday evening. We are all looking forward to it.

I leave for Ireland on Thursday evening (tomorrow) and am sure I will have strange stories to tell upon my return. Hopefully the literary pub crawl and biking around the Aran Islands will be fruitful.

Love,
Meagan