Everyday this week has been about 30 degrees, meaning that almost everyone brought their assignments and revision to the swimming pool to complete, yet with the heat it was hard to concentrate on much. The days are slowly getting longer and considerably hotter, and there is much more to do around Oxford, including lovely walks during the warm evenings through the forest and trails that surround where we live. The semester seems to be flying by before I'm even aware of it, and days are being spent trying to both study and fit in as much other things as we possibly can, as we have all just realised how little time we have left!
On Friday one of my close American friends Ava hosted a dinner party, where she prepared a number of Southern dishes, my favourite being her own recipe for buffalo chicken mac and cheese! The food out here is something that I absolutely adore, so I was delighted at the opportunity to experience some home cooking from a native southerner. This was also a brilliant opportunity to spend time with numerous international students and American students, who we have become friends with over the past few months.
Being away from home for such a long time was never going to be easy, yet the idea of leaving our new home and returning to the UK is equally frightening. Personally I have hardly been homesick at all, with too many new experiences to preoccupy myself with, however when I woke on Sunday morning I got the news that my granny had passed away. This was probably one of the most difficult things I have had to hear, made worse by the fact that I am miles away from home. I have no doubt that the next few days are going to be extremely difficult, yet at a time like this I am comforted by the amazing friends I have made while I have been studying here. With the absence of my real family, my new friends are truly like my family over here, and they are doing their best to look after me during this difficult time.
The week ahead brings yet another 3 tests, and much more work to be doing, which hopefully will be a welcome distraction during this time. There is no doubt that being away from home was always going to be hard at times, and I'm sure all students studying abroad will agree with me that there are parts of home we miss, yet with only a few weeks left, we truly have to continue to make the most of our time here.
No comments:
Post a Comment