October Sky

Unfortunately for you I do not really have any crazy stories of boozing or traveling just yet. Unfortunately for me this is because I have actually had to use my brain since I returned from the chaos that is Oktoberfest. This past week was my last full week of class for the semester. I had a paper on the advantages and disadvantages of the BBC's license fee due for my British Television Studies course due yesterday, I have another paper comparing the Department of State to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office due for my British Political Institutions course on Monday and we also have an exam for each class on Monday and Tuesday. I decided that it would be in my best interest to take it easy this week in order to do what I needed to do with these papers and exams and prepare for what next week has in store for me. On Wednesday I will be parting for my mid-semester break with a few of the girls from my program. We are spending Wednesday night and most of Thursday in Venice then taking a train to Florence for the rest of our break. I actually went to both places with my family when I was twelve so I think it will be interesting to see what I remember and if I leave with the same impression that I've held for eight years now. The one night in Venice will be my first hostel experience so I'll be sure to let you know how that goes. Also, I am hoping that we will be able to catch up with some of the people who are studying in those two cities. One of my goals in all of my travels is to get a feel for what the city is like for people who live there, not just the tourist side. Obviously I did not have much time for that kind of exploration during my time in Munich, but hopefully being in Florence for a few days will allow us to creep away from the tourist attractions like Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi and toward some of the hidden wonders that Italy has to offer.

I must confess that I am in utter shock that it is October. When the calendar page turned, the temperature dropped significantly so it finally feels like I'm in London. Fortunately we still have not had more than two days of rain... hopefully that doesn't mean the rest of the semester will be one fluid downpour (no pun intended). When I return from my fall break, I will begin the rest of the semester, which consists of one class per week on Monday's and my internship with a member of Parliament four days per week. I have a friend visiting that first weekend after my internship begins and then Briel and Jeremy will be coming to visit the weekend after that (yay!!!). Then, I will be heading to Copenhagen for Halloween which will be ridiculous. I'm working on my plans to visit Bridget in Ireland and a possible trip to Barcelona and Amsterdam before the end of the semester. Unfortunately, I really do not have that much time left here. I was afraid that the semester might drag a little before I got here because I knew I would be out of my comfort zone and that every day would consist of new challenges and unfamiliarity. However, I am now beginning to understand why everyone says how quickly the time abroad goes. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in the pit in the Knicks PR Department. Now, I'm sitting in the kitchen in my flat in London, looking out at an October sky as I try to find reasons not to read about how the FCO is similar to the Department of State. 2010 is going to have a hard time topping 2009.