Updates

Since I've gotten back from my Eurotrip, the past few weeks have been pretty uneventful for the most part. I've had a couple of assignments in my classes that I've been working on, but other than that my days have been filled with lots of hanging out and LOTS of Hulu episodes. That being said, here are some updates of my (not-quite-so) exciting adventures in Sunderland:

• Started, completed, and turned in my final assignment for financial reporting. Praise the Lord I'm finally done with that class!
  
• Braved near-freezing, almost-hypothermia-inducing weather walking to church one Sunday.
  
• Made pancakes and watched Lord of the Rings with a few of the Clanny girls.
  
• Washed a massive amount of clothes by hand because the laundry facilities hate me.
  
• Planned on seeing Avengers Assemble with CU, went bowling with them instead because the tickets were sold out.
  
• Still saw the Avengers before it came out in the States. Hot dang. FanTASTIC film!
  
• Took a big group photo of (most of) the international students.
  
• Woke up countless times to the sounds of Germans screaming and singing in the flat next to me until 5:30 am one morning.
  
• Started and finished watching the entire season of The Voice (go Jermaine Paul!).
  
• Started watching the The Voice UK (I love British accents!).
  
• Shot, developed, and printed 5 rolls of film for my final photography project.
  
• Found out that the proposed Amendment One in NC didn't pass.
  
• Had a junk food Harry Potter movie night with a bunch of the study abroad girls.
  
• Dealt with more migraines than I can remember (and one right now -- booo!).
  
• Had my first meal of bangers and mash (it has my seal of approval!).
  
• Photographed some kids doing sweet tricks at a skate park down the road.
  
• Walked to Seasburn beach and discovered a part of Sunderland I never knew existed: the nice part.
  
• Went to a (slightly unimpressive) vintage fair in Newcastle.
  
• Mailed a birthday letter to a friend back home, and wished my mum a happy mother's day!
  

Since I changed my flight to an earlier date, I've been counting down the days until I get home. It's a really weird feeling knowing that I'll be sleeping in my bed in three weeks' time. The closer I get to June 1, the worse and worse homesickness is kicking in. I miss my family, my friends, my boyfriend, my church, my job, my everything. But at the same time, I know as soon as I get home I'll miss everything about England. My time abroad has been fantastic: the people I've met, the places I've gone, and the experiences I've had will stay with me for the rest of my life. Although I can't wait to be back in the States, England will always have a special place in my heart.



And now, for Lessons in British English with Hannah:

• "I can't be bothered" is the English way of saying "I don't feel like it."
  
  • "I fancy some squash juice, but I can't be bothered to walk all the way to the store."
• Geordies often pluralize singular pronouns and say "us" when they're really just referring to themselves, or "yous" when they really just mean you.
  
  • "Are yous going with us to the cinema after tea tonight?"
• When someone is being made fun of in a funny/lighthearted way, he's said to be "taking the mick."
• "I knew he was only taking the mick out of me, so I bought him pint and we all had a laugh."