Culture Shock

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."--Barack Obama

I have been back in the States for almost 2 weeks now. I haven't really had a chance to sit down and relax because I've been freakishly busy visiting ECU and seeing everyone I haven't seen in ages. BUT posts will be more regular now.

Here's some things I've realized and that have happened that seem noteworthy:

1. The American accent sounds slightly harsh to me and this is how I feel about it in a picture

That sums up how I feel when I hear a particularly twangy accent.

This sums up the thought of "Oh dear god did I sound like this to everyone? And why do the English think my accent is fancy?"

2.  Roosters, male turkeys, guinea fowl, and billy goats all find me attractive. Yes I was chased across a lawn by several in their full on mating mode complete with what I'm sure was their most attractive screech.  

There they are in all their glory...

I realized it might seem like I was just walking around where I live and all of a sudden a really random assortment of birds came around a corner, got aroused and ran after me. Not quite. My Dad wanted to look at a building to date it for a friend and we were on their property. I walked around a corner, saw tons of birds headed right at me and said "DAAAAAAAD we're about to get attacked." I'm pretty sure he was expecting something much more ferocious when he turned around to discover a puffed up turkey, rooster and a guinea fowl strutting their stuff at me. They weren't interested in my Dad. I was chased around the yard throwing my Dad god awful looks and ended up near a billy goat cage... turns out they like me too. When he started bleating my Dad about lost it and was bent over laughing at me and I made a bee lone for the front of the house and ultimately the car. As amusing as it was I was not amused at the time. 

3. We have a new kitten that I call the beast/terrorist. She likes to attack anything and everything in my room then looks cute while doing it. Last night I discovered she is a fan of zumba. I was trying to learn a new song for the classes I teach and I was practicing in my room while she was on the chair. Before this I couldn't get her to give me any attention unless I had some string in my hand. The second I started bopping around, as you do in zumba, she froze, stared at me, then starting rolling over in the chair, turning in circles and trying to swat me everytime I went by. She was pretty much doing the cat version of dancing until I came near and she had to at least keep up cat appearances by attacking my leg until I moved out of range. Sadly I do not have a picture of this, but I'll try again tonight and see if I can sneak one in of her awesome dance moves. 

4. I've had another one of my infamous "ideas". I've been obsessed with Cirque du Soleil ever since 2009 when I saw a show in Florida. I've still never seen something so creative, imaginative, and mind blowing ever since. I don't have delusions of grandeur that I can make it into that ridiculously amazing show, but I set a goal for myself that within the next year I'm going to submit an audition video. I've decided to aim high. Go big or go home right? Should be a challenging time, but I am really excited for it!

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened"--Dr. Seuss

Full Circle

"Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of another."--Lawrence Block

Here are some pics of me during my first 2 weeks in Leicester:

I have less that 3 weeks left in my stay in the UK. It's been a year and one month since I took the plunge and decided to leave everyone and everything that I have ever known and been comfortable with to start a new chapter in my life and stand on my own feet in a foreign country. I've finished my Master's degree in Bioarchaeology, which was absolutely the hardest thing my brain has ever had to deal with. I've traveled to so many different cities and more countries than I have ever before. I've met some of the most amazing people. I've experienced a different culture and completely fallen in love with the place I can now call home, Leicester. Yet I'm leaving.

I left not really knowing myself and not having experienced a multitude of cultures. I'm leaving with a better understanding of myself. I've also become friends with people from more countries and cultures than I can count and I have loved every single second of it. When I left Dulles airport I had no idea what to expect and I was absolutely terrified, but excited. It's weird saying this, but I am a completely different person now. I love who I've become and who this country has shaped me to be. It's amazing how much one person can change in just a year.

I've taken advantage of every opportunity and taken more chances than I ever have before and I'm proud of that. Gone is the person who was too scared to go after what I wanted. I realize some people who read this blog might think that I'm taking my time for granted since I've visited so many places while I've been here. I visited these places to get an idea of what this country really is like and tried to meet new people everywhere I've gone and do things like the locals. I came here to learn not just about my degree, but about things I never knew existed. You just can't replace these experiences. I am unbelievably grateful for this chance. I wish everyone could do the things I've done. Yes I always seem to want to go do more, but I do these things for the right reasons. I want to help people, I want these places to change my life and they have. Seeing the world makes me feel whole as cheesy as that is. There's just something about going to a completely foreign place and seeing where you end up and who you end up with.

I still don't have my life figured out, but I'm more okay with that. I'm on my way to where I want to be and that's what matters. It's such a bittersweet feeling knowing that I'll be leaving Leicester/UK soon. I've started a life here, made friends, settled in and now I am uprooting myself again to go back home. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond excited to see the people I've known forever and love dearly. I just don't want to get stuck in one place. I want to be able to achieve my goals and I know my family and friends will help me in whatever way they can. It's just an odd feeling being on your own to be plunked right back into the life you left behind over a year ago. I'm not sure how to cope with that yet, but I guess I will figure it out once I get there.

All I can say now is that I will be enjoying my last few weeks in Leicester, traveling to the places I've always wanted to see in England, going to my favorite haunts, and seeing the people I am going to miss so extremely much.

Now here are pictures of me taken in the past 2 weeks. If you didn't know me before and can't see my character change you can definitely see the physical change.

One of my favorite quotes is "to travel is to take a journey into yourself" by Danny Kaye. I don't think I ever understood it completely until I came over here and restarted my life from scratch. Now that it's happening all over again I see it in a whole new light. Right now my life is coming full circle from a year ago to now, but I'm a completely different person with a new outlook on life and new ambitions. Let's see where this takes me.

"One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are."--Edith Wharton

Time For A Change

I've been blonde for the past 2 decades of my life. 2 years ago I decided to go even blonder. My hair was down to my mid-back. Here's a picture for those of you who don't know me.

I'm the one on the far left. Now I desperately needed a haircut because my hair was just plain fried. I decided it was time for a HUGE change. Ladies and gentlemen I went all out. HERE is what I look like now :)

I adore it and am going to rock this new look like there's no tomorrow. As my friend said "Emma you are a stone cold fox with red hair." Thanks Sydney. I hope everyone likes it as much as I do!