chantry wood

Time sure is passing by quickly! Classes have been really busy so I haven't been able to explore as much as I'd like. Luckily we are on spring break now so this past week I got to take some time to wander the woods about an hours walk from the university. The gorgeous weather has been amazing and delightful! This week I'll be in Madrid so check back for updates.

If you look closely in between the trees, you can just
make out Guildford cathedral!

Happy Sunday!

xo,
K

bruges

Last week I hopped a bus to Bruges! I decided to take a short trip once finals were over and while I wish I had picked somewhere a little warmer, it was nonetheless a fun adventure.

Bruges is an adorable little city with distinctive architecture, delicious food and winding canals. Once I dropped my bag off at Snuffel hostel (highly recommend!) I headed out to explore. It was really foggy which made it all the more atmospheric.

Unfortunately I didn't take the atmospheric fog into account when I climbed the belfort - I couldn't see anything from the top! On my way back down, about half way, there was another good vantage point and I got a decent photo. Before I headed to the hostel for the night I stopped and got a box of Leonidas chocolates - very delicious and so many creative flavors!

The next morning I headed to the train station and stopped by The Church of Our Lady where I paid to enter the 'museum' of sorts and see a work by Michelangelo. It's one of the few works by him that are outside Italy.

From the church I wandered slowly to the train and passed through the Begijnhof and Minnewater Park; even in the cold and fog it was beautiful. I then took the train to Brussels where I stayed for two days with family friends - I'll post that tomorrow!

københavn

It's been a while since I've posted! Lately it's been busy with the holidays, work and classes as we finished up for the holiday break. We have exams next month so soon I'll be busy studying for those. This last month I was able to visit two new cities, the first being Copenhagen.

Such a lovely city at Christmas time! It was cold and a little dreary but the Christmas decor and bright lights helped it feel cozy. It was a very quick trip but I packed a lot in thanks to the Copenhagen Card - definitely worthwhile if you plan to be there a short time and visit lots of museums, plus then you don't have to worry about transportation!

Some highlights include:

Sunset over Copenhagen from the Rundetårn

My new favorite topping for hot dogs

Tivoli Gardens done up for Christmas!

(Tivoli Gardens)

Wednesday was jam-packed with new experiences - I loved every bit of it! Even the rain...

The original Christus statue by Thorvaldsen

Took a boat tour through Copenhagen (Nyhavn)

Met the King's horses at Christiansborg Palace Stables

Thursday I met up with a friend of a friend and she took me around the city to the last few places on my list :)

Visited the small but lovely Rosenborg Castle
(and saw the crown jewels!)

Stopped by Garnisonskirke where some of my ancestors married

Papirøen for lunch! I tried smørrebrød - a traditional
Danish dish

I climbed 300 steps for this view and it was definitely worth it!

I'd love to go back to Denmark and explore the smaller cities and towns but for now it was great to explore a new city and get a feel for the people and their culture.

xoxo,

K

st. catherine's hill

The other day I decided see some chapel ruins on the other side of the city. I'd never explored that part and am glad I did. Even with overcast skies it was charming and exactly what you think of when you think of England. Old homes and businesses close to the road, little churches along the way and views of rolling pastures from the top of St. Catherine's Hill. The sun came out for a little while and it was delightful. I love this city!

xoxo,

K

university of surrey

Welcome from 'Steve the Stag'!

I made it to the University the day after I arrived (I stayed at a friend's house for the night) and quickly set about making it feel like home. We spent the day shopping in town and at IKEA and managed to get just about everything I needed. The rest of the week I had activities both for my program and as an international student which was a great opportunity to meet the other students. By Thursday I had phone numbers of a handful of students and we have hung out pretty much constantly the last two weeks. It has been great to have someone to get together with!

My program (Intercultural Communications with International Business) is similar in terms of courses with another program, Communications and Marketing and so they've put us together for the required course and many of us chose the same optional course. This means I get to attend class, study and hang out with the same group of people for the next year! What's really great is that my program and Comm./Marketing are made up mostly of international students. About a third are from China and Thailand, a couple from the UK, me and one other American, and then handfuls from Germany, Italy and Spain. I also met a girl the other day from Bolivia and another from Albania! Such varied backgrounds and yet we all ended up here at the same time. It's awesome!

Course wise I have a lot of free time to do the reading and assignments but I'm hoping to find a job so I can be more productive. We have class all day Monday and one class each Tuesday and Friday afternoon. The readings not been too much and I've actually gone ahead and started two (out of three) papers that are due in November. I finished the research and am working on outlining and organizing my notes - maybe I'll get them done early!

So far everything has just been a blast and I am enjoying it. I love my accommodations, my courses, my teachers (who are also mostly internationals!) and my classmates. I have some activities coming up that I'm excited to experience and I'll try to document the more interesting ones :)

Enjoying the scenery at Guildford Castle