25 Things I Love About My Year Abroad (So Far)

Today I am feeling really homesick. I don't know why. I'm feeling really tired and lonely and it's just finally starting to dawn on me that I'm here for the long haul. And it scares me.
Plus all my friends are back in Birmingham and going out tonight, and it's like watching my own life from a distance. Kinda like It's a Wonderful Life. I should be there and I'm not, and it hurts.
So rather than write some kind of "25 things I wish I was doing at home" I've decided to write a list of things I love about being here in Duluth, in the hope that it'll make me feel better about being away.
Also- I'm really sorry to all of you bored of all my lists. I've only just got my laptop back and I am still photoshop free (although I think I should be getting hold of it really soon :]]]) so I haven't really been taking any outfit photos. I tend to avoid taking them if I already have some lined up because I end up with loads of photos I never put up. BUT I have really liked a few of my outfits this week so I may just be disgusting and wear them again.
So here we go, 20 Things I Love About My Year Abroad (So Far)

1. How pretty Duluth is at this time of year
Lauren and I took photos today of the trees changing colours and it was just lovely. I'm definitely going to see about renting an SLR this week from the library and going having some fun. I should probably get the photos to put up here too..

2. How pretty Duluth is in general
There's one particular view that I just love. I never get sick of it. I also love that you can look out onto the lake from the top floor of the library. That's my favourite place to sit and work.

3. Exploring Duluth
I love spending weekends downtown either getting ice cream down at Canal Park, rooting round Ragstock for vintage goodies or today just walking around and then going to the cinema, I love doing new things and adding more things to our to-do list.

4. Getting excited about American things
I saw red cups in a shop today and squeeled. But beer pong is utterly and completely boring.

5. Being involved with the Statesman
I've had loads of great responses from my article (which isn't online yet, but I'll get it up when the server is back up). I love going to the meetings and feeling like I'm really involved. I have articles planned for the next 6 weeks though!!

6. My journalism class
Okay, I know I'm the biggest nerd in my class and a total suck up, but it's my favourite class and I really want to stand out. If there's one class I can suck up in, it's journalism.

7. Internship opportunities
There is a chance I could be able to get an internship at a magazine up here, thanks to chatting to my journalism teacher. He also knows of another magazine I can get involved in which he thinks I'd be really interested in.

8. Standing out from the crowd
I wouldn't say I dress very differently to most people at home, but here I'm a bit of a novelty. What was annoying at first is really a great thing for a budding fashion writer.

9. American boys
Swoon. There's something about them; their confidence, their accent. Just something so very sexy. And I'm not going to lie, there are a few I have my eye on.

10. Making new friends
Lauren and I knew each other vaguely before we came here, but now I don't know how I'd cope without her!! We do everything together. It's so fantastic to go from friends to couldn't-live-without-each-other. I don't know what I'd do without her- she's amazing.

11. Meeting new people
Okay, I am totally weird and shy around new people, but most Americans are so fun to be around and so quickly invite you to do new things that it doesn't feel difficult at all. I've been so lucky with all the people I've made friends with so far.

12. Helen, my British friend
Yesterday I went to post some postcards and got chatting to the woman in the mail room. She told me a lady in the office was English and would I like to meet her? We talked for probably about 45 minutes. She's offered to take me out shopping as she really misses her daughter, and said I can call her if I ever need her. It's so nice to hear another English voice!!

13. My housemates
My housemates are really fun. We have a lot of good times together. And they both have cars which is amazing :]]]

14. My fish
I now have two fish, Summer and Tom :]]] we have four fish in our apartment, but I think we need a bigger tank. It's probably worth placing bets on how long they're gonna last...

15. Mexican food
Mexican food!! Everywhere!! My absolute favourite cuisine!! I've had Taco Bel twice, Burrito Union twice (and again on Monday!!) and I've made wraps about 4 times now. Just yum.

16. Sending presents
I've sent presents and postcards a few times now, which has been really fun. I hope I get something back soon though!!

17. Appreciating speaking to my parents
Because of time differences, fitting in time to speak to my parents in a rare thing. But it makes me realise how much I miss them and love them when I do get to speak to them.

18. Speaking to my friends
Ditto the above. I miss my uni family :[[[

19. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Nom.

20. The number of blog readers from America
For the first time since I started my blog, I have more readers from the US than the UK. It's kinda scary but really cool at the same time!! Hi American readers!!

21. Free stuff
Free buses, free gym, free (ish) Dining Dollars for coffee. Who doesn't love a freebie?

22. Meeting people who've been to Birmingham
My Shakespeare tutor, the head of internships, a girl working at the cinema... everyone seems to have studied abroad at Birmingham!! It's so cool and exciting to hear the names of the places from home.

23. My Shakespeare class
I find my Shakespeare class really funny. My tutor is hilarious and he's always making sweeping statements about England. And apologizing to me. I love it.

24. The exchange rate
Okay, it's not amazing, but it's not bad. It's nice that when I think "wow, that was a lot," it was really only half in pounds. Ish.


25. Amazing novelty food
Flour in a spray, frosting in a can, hard boiled eggs in a box... Americans really do love their convenience food, and I love all their wacky food. And the fact that the supermarket has a British section. They have digestives, custard, and apparently, sometimes Weetabix!!

I had a lot of responses from other people studying abroad. It's lovely to hear from people going through the same thing. I hope this is a post you can relate to aswell, and a much more positive one at that!!
What do you love about where you're studying?

Charlotte xxx

Oh, and btw, my new post is up over at College Fashion :]]]