ParentNet

Well, the initial excitement of being an England newbie is unfortunately wearing off and giving way to the normal worries and responsibilities of everyday life. I feel as though I am no longer at tourist status and I am now just another person living life. I have been so busy this week with work and class that for the first time I have not been able to do any sightseeing or exploring. I have gotten into the full swing of things with class and work and along with that I have also been spending time in the library figuring out which books I will need for my courses.

Work has been going surprisingly well. I get along smashingly with all the other bartenders and we have tons of fun while we are working. Saturday I am going to be working with all my favorite bar staff; Patricia, Hana, Neil, and Ryan, and I am sure we will have a great time. I will try to get a picture of all of us in action to put on the blog next week. The only bad thing about work is getting home after. Last night for example while walking to the bus stop I had to cross the street twice to avoid fights that were breaking out in the street. After avoiding that I waited at the bus stop for about 30 minutes, and then had to make the 15 minute walk home after I finally arrived at my stop. The walk isn’t too bad during the day but after a long night of bar-tending it is quite miserable. To make matters worse the other night I left my keys at work (people who know me will know that losing my keys is a common occurrence ) and I had to scale the 7 foot stone wall in the back and climb through the kitchen window. In the morning my British Mum Torrie almost called the police because she thought someone had tried to break in!

I also feel like I have been spending tons of time waiting at bus stops! Some days I like the facts that I don’t have to drive anywhere and it’s nice to get outside and walk, but other days it is such a pain to have to wait on the buses. They never come when they are supposed to, and it makes getting to your destination so much longer. I also believe I have come up with a stable mathematical law which states that if you leave a bus stop and start walking the probability of that bus showing up is greatly increased. I have also learned that bus drivers won’t stop in-between stops for me, no matter how much I have previously buttered them up . . . I think I am going to start bringing them presents . . . just in case.

On the brighter side of things my first polo lesson was amazing! I had tons of fun playing and I am going back for my second lesson tomorrow. After the first lesson I was surprised at how sore I was. Polo is a lot harder than I initially thought it was going to be and I give the players credit for what a tough sport it is.

Nothing else noteworthy happened this week, like I said been pretty busy with work and school and trying to sort my schedule out. Tonight I am booking a trip to Amsterdam with some friends so there will be more excitement in the near future!!

Best

Lauren