Very Big Deal in America!

How was I going to write a blogpost about my recent trip to New York without quoting West Side Story in the title? Right, I wasn't. It would not have been right.

But yes, NYC! I have finally been to the United States and what an experience it has been! It was truly refreshing to visit a new continent, and to just enjoy all the new sights and experience this illusive country (I joke.). I have to say that I have never understood the United States. Their politics confuse and annoy me and the stereotypes always looked very real from my European perspective. However, now I was finally going to experience the country of freedom (...), McDonalds, and Donald Trump (uhoh).

People who follow me on Twitter will probably be aware of my frequent rants about stuff going on in the USA (their gun laws, police violence etc.) and I have to say I was not entirely sure what to expect. The same went for New York City. In essence, it's just a big old city with a lot of people and a lot of tall buildings (sorry if I offend any New Yorkers, don't worry- praise is on its way!) and I was a bit scared there would not be enough to do to entertain me for a whole week. In hindsight, I was a bit foolish to think that.

NYC is huge. It's bustling, it's kicking, it's noisy, and it's alive. As a person who enjoys peace and quiet, I have to say NYC is too much for me. I enjoyed spending my days in the city, but I always felt very pleased being able to return to our hotel in Jersey at the end of the day. But it's a magnificent experience. NYC is in no way like London or Paris. There is a completely different atmosphere which I cannot quite get my finger on. The people there seem determined and busy, and they always seem to be discussing either the job they're working on or how their new house is coming along. I have heard more people talk about their new flooring and their most recent business plan than ever before. Why are ya'll discussing this stuff so loudly?

My favourite piece of New York is probably Central Park. I love that little safehaven in the middle of all that chaos. No loud phonecalls here. Just people eating their lunch, walking their dog or going for a run. You can really tell it's the place where everyone comes to unwind (which makes sense because it's a park but okay let's not kill the poetry here).

I really enjoyed the Metropolitan Museum, which has a great collection. The building is stunning, and it right next to Central Park (bonus points!). Going to the top of the Rockefeller Center was also very impressive. I've seen pictures of the New York skyline about a hundred times, but it doesn't beat the real thing-really. 

The real reason I went to the United States was to visit one of my friends whose been living in Washington D.C. for almost a year. Originally I was going to visit her there, but it turned into a family trip and we decided to go to New York instead, and take a roadtrip to D.C. Biggest. fail. ever.

The roadtrip itself was fine. Americans are really polite drivers- who would've thought that!- and I had enough amazing American coffee to keep me happy during the four hour trip. However, the weather was terrible. I have never experienced so much rain, EVER. It poured down from the minute we left the metro, and continued untill after we had re-entered the state of New Jersey. Flood warnings, amber alerts, and queues for the Smithsonian Museum were the result, and basically we didn't get to see much, except for the White House. But really, standing there with your umbrella in the lukewarm rain that's pissing down on you relentlessly, it's not really a good time.

Except for that half-ruined day, the trip was awesome. I loved that our hotel was in this little town in New Jersey so we got to see something else besides the crowded streets of New York. Seeing those houses with their frontporches and newspapers laying on their front lawn was like all my Sims fantasies coming to life. This probably sounds really weird, but it's just interesting when something you are so familiar with through TV, films, and video games comes to life. 

I ate a donut decorated with the colours of the American flag, I went to Walmart to marvel at how expensive everything was, I ate cheerios and had lunch in Central Park. My trip was a walking cliché probably but it was damn good. Thank you America for a wonderful week. I'm sure I will be back again! 

(I will still rant though, that hasn't changed)

(Also, I realised I love being European)

Important Decisions Nobody Ever Warned Us About - But They Should Have

Three years ago I was happy because I had a clear goal: I was going to study English, I was going to get my bachelor's degree in Nijmegen and I would subsequently sign up for a masters degree in said city. End of story.

Three years later I am conflicted. Not conflicted because I am failing to reach my goal. I'm well on my way to completing my bachelor's degree. Conflicted because that what was once clear is not so clear anymore. It's blurry, foggy, confusing and gives me headaches. Where the hell am I going to do a master's degree?

So let's put this dilemma in perspective. Where did it all go wrong with my well-thought out plan I made some time before I even embarked upon my academic career. Well, for starters, I am pretty much done with my university. We've had a great run, it lasted for about a year, then I got buried under books, essays, and pain, and my love for the university kind of dwindled. Then there's the fact that the master degrees at my current university do not appeal to me, and the fact that I'm dying to escape not only the city I currently live in but also the country I live in.

Oh yes, here we go again. My weird aversion to my home country, fueled by love for that weird little island on the other side of the North Sea. It would be futile to discuss the reasons why I want to leave this country as 1. they are boring and 2. I actually don't even know what exactly it is that's putting me off. The important thing is, I'm being put off, which then leads to the conclusion: I have to leave.

I am a person that gets easily bored and it is a major flaw to have. It's not just books, series, hobbies, or other material things that bore me after a while, it's places as well. And I hate it. I wish I still liked the city I live in as much as I did before, I'm certainly trying to but it's just not..there.

So who can we blame for my own shortcomings? Let's blame England. I might not have held the Netherlands in high regard before I went on Erasmus exchange, but going to live in England for a few months certainly did not help change my opinion of my home country. Erasmus was awesome. We all know that. I think England is awesome, we have established that now as well. There is something that pulls me to England which I can't really put my finger on, but it has always been there and frankly it's a bit of a pain in the ass.

So now for the difficult part. What do I do. Do I stay in the Netherlands? (let's nickname this the 'safe option') Do I go abroad (nickname: the 'expensive as fuck but really desirable option even though it will bankrupt me')? This is exactly the thing that I wished someone had warned me about. It is so hard to make a decision about this because in the end it is going to change EVERYTHING.

Chances are that if I stay I will build a life here, in the country I don't want to stay in, and eventually settle for it. If I go abroad I might actually roll into something really nice over there, and subsequently build a life in the country I could actually see myself spending the rest of my life in.

It all seems pretty fucking clear if I jot it down like this but the fact is things aren't that easy because it all comes down to that one thing that no student has but all students desire: money. Who ever thought it would be cool to make tuition fees that high in the UK? WHY? It's like torture. And it is exactly this problem that makes the decision so hard. It's a battle between doing what's easy but might make me less happy and doing what I really want but might be more of an investment than I am even capable of making.

My mind is pretty fried right now. I'm in the midst of finishing my BA degree and thus preoccupied with trying to write a semi-decent thesis- I'm lying, I'm striving to write a good one- and then this big ugly decision is put before me.

I know what I want and I guess that already indicates I have decided. It's not a question of being willing, it's a question of being able. Today I started applying to universities in England, and one in the Netherlands just in case. I'm going to try to find out how much will be able financially, and I guess that is going to ultimately be the deciding factor. Apply, hope. Enquire, hope.

Film studies in England? It is to be decided.

Exeter Favourites

It's been about a month and I'm finally committing myself to blogging again. It's been a major adjustment being back in the Netherlands, and I haven't really been able to find my way here again - in other words, it sucks and I want to go back to the UK! In the last month I've mostly been getting back to uni again, settling in in Nijmegen and been on a really, REALLY enjoyable trip to France. However, I think this is the best time to blog, as I have a bit of time now before the thesis hell really breaks loose.

So, let's take a look at the little gems I found in England. I just want to point out that these things might seem really commonplace to some of you but as a Dutchie these products aren't easily available to me at home, which explains why I'm so happy to have them.

First up, books! The first one is this Barnes and Noble leatherbound edition of Dracula that I got for Christmas. Okay, this one is not actually bound to England in any specific way, but you can get this edition for a fairly good price at Waterstones, as well as a number of other leatherbound classics.

I absolutely love it, it's so beautiful. I almost never spend money on expensive books except if I really like a certain one, and Dracula just happens to be one of my favourite novels, Iehhhh. 

Then there are a few other books I got in Exeter (it's a good place for booklovers and I don't even count myself as such but apparently it's infectious). There is a little shop near the Quai area called Book Cycle. It's located in a really cute little house and sells secondhand books. The concept of the store was entirely new to me: you can decide for yourself what you want to pay for a book, and every visitor can buy three books maximum a day. The money that they make goes to projects to provide less fortunate children in third-world countries with books. I loved this concept and knowing that I was supporting a charity really helped with chosing what to pay for the books - which is the tricky part.

I got these lovely books there:

I paid 10 pounds for these three books, which is about 3 pounds a piece. I'd been meaning to buy The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time for a while and I was very happy to see it there! The middle one is Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, but in French. Now okay, this might seem really pretentious but I read the book in English and very much liked it, and I loved the look of this one. It's from about the 1920s and if something is as old as that I just need to have it, even if it means taking twenty times as long to read it because it's in French - but fortunately I'm picking up that language again! The top one is Waverley by Sir Walter Scott. Again, I liked the look of this one, it's old, and I've been wanting to read some of Sir Walter Scott's work for a while now. Also, it has some really nice pictures in it that are great for Snapchat, just saying.

Okay, then it's on to beauty products. I LOVED being able to pop into Boots and Superdrug. They sell so many brands that are a pain (or just downright impossible) to find in the Netherlands, and it was really nice just going to the shops and looking at all these new products (of which I couldn't buy many because I'm a poor student). However, I did manage to buy some products that I have been loving so far.

First up is this body lotion by Soap&Glory. 

I had heard about Soap&Glory by a lot of British bloggers, and knew I had to try it. Unfortunately, this stuff is not cheap. I paid 10 pounds for the above bottle, BUT I am sure that it will last me a loooong time. Also, this stuff is really worth it. This botty lotion smells like a little piece of heaven. I bought it for my sister for Christmas and after unwrapping it on Christmas eve she kept rubbing little dollops of it on her hand because she loved the smell so much. I decided I had to have one as well and bought this one just before going back home. I also bought my sister one of their body scrubs which is very lovely. It does what it's supposed to do (clear the skin), as well as leaving it soft and smelling amazing. They really have some gorgeous products and I wished I could've bought some more - or all - but alas. I know I'll be trying more of their products though, or giving them away as gifts because just look at the packaging, so cute!

The last things I really want to mention are some lipsticks that I got at Topshop. I'm in the habit of watching youtube bloggers and have heard them talk about Topshop lipsticks many times. I got two, and I was certainly not disappointed!

I got a nice classic red colour 'Hazard', and a more purplish one 'Role Model', which I have been absolutely loving, Both are matte lipsticks, but they do not feel dry on the lips as some matte lipsticks tend to do. They are more creamy and the colours are just amazing. My lips have a tendency to dry out very quickly while wearing lipstick, but these keep my lips fairly moisturised, which leads me to wear them more often. They cost 8 pounds a piece, so about 10-11 euros if I'm not mistaken. Not the cheapest lipsticks out there, but I do believe you get great value for your money. Certainly recommend! (and you can just get these via the Topshop website). Topshop also have some very nice nailpolishes, I've especially been enjoying the matt-velvet ones, so pretty!

So yeah, these are some of the things I've been enjoying in England and which I brought back with me to enjoy at home. I can't wait to go back to the UK and get some more bits and things :).

Looking Back: The Best Few Months Ever

So my title for this blogpost is totally soppy and definitely unorginal but sometimes that is just the way to go, or maybe not, but in any case this is going to be one big sentimental outpour of feelings so if anything, it is applicable.

Where to begin? I've put off writing a conclusion about my semester abroad because in all honesty a conclusion is not what I wanted. I think the title already explained it all, but these have genuinly been the best months I have ever had. They were filled with happiness, laughter, exploration and a stray essay here and there, but that definitely did not spoil the fun. I think the best way to describe it is like an extended vacation that also included studying? Like, imagine a trip to Paris but instead of going to museums you write essays..if that makes sense? It's like living in a little bubble outside of reality, with a heap of people who are living exactly the same, making it all feel normal.

However, these months have been anything but normal. For me, living in the country that I've always wanted to live in was a bit daunting. I must admit there was a part of me that feared that these few months were going to be the dealbreaker: what if England is not the country I imagined it to be after all? Luckily, this did not turn out to be true. There's definitely things in England that really require some getting used to: the astonishing amount of public drunkness, the horrible lack of proper bakeries, the ever changing weather (I've seen more rainbows in these 4 months than I have probably seen in my life), the fact that people stop to talk in the middle of the street and continually walk into you - RUDE MUCH - and the amazingly high cost of public transport. BUT if anything this experience has only made me love and appreciate England even more (which feels weird to say after this list of suckiness). The places I have been to, the lovely nature and weird but 'interesting' customs just make me want to stay, and everytime I go back to England it feels like coming home.

As for the whole Erasmus exchange, I am so thankful that it exists. It is really exciting to meet people from all over the world and share the same experience with them. I've met so many wonderful people that I've otherwise had never been able to come into contact with. I enjoyed proving stereotypes about the Netherlands wrong, or explaining to people that no, it is not called Holland, and yes, there is more to the Netherlands than Amsterdam. On the other hand it was nice to learn a bit more about other people's countries, and I enjoyed getting some of the stereotypes about those countries proved wrong - or right, depending on the subject.

I may have already talked about this before, but I am especially thankful that I got to study at the University of Exeter. It may not have been my first choice, but damn was it a pleasure. I almost feel like I have learned more than I have in two years in the Netherlands. The relaxed atmosphere during classes was really enjoyable, and the fact that we got to access some proper archival material was simply amazing. I loved flipping through Victorian periodicals and magazines, and it was awesome that we got to get creative with these sources when we had to do a project for our Imperial Encounters class. I especially enjoyed this class, to the point that I didn't even resent writing essays for it that much - eh?

One other thing that I really enjoyed doing these past few months was a sport: archery. I had never done this before, and considering it is a bit more accessible in the UK than in the Netherlands I just had to try it. Really happy I did it! I may not be an expert now but I am glad that I at least got to learn the basics, AND I have a certificate to prove it- ahyeah.

Not so surprisingly, it is incredibly hard to sum up four months in one post, and yeah, it might have helped if I had blogged more. But in those incredible moments it did not feel necessary, and I know that the best moments I will never forget, even if I don't have the blogposts to remind me. I am sad that it is over, but those feelings are definitely outweighed by gratitude and joy that I got to have these experiences to begin with. Furthermore, I KNOW that I will go back to England soon. It might not actually be my home, but it can be, and it will!

As I do want to share a bit more about my experience than just these general feelings, I decided to do a 2014 Favourites post - England edition. I encountered some great products across the pond, and I definitely want to share those with you, so look out for that :)

For now, it is back to reality (although maybe a slightly better one than before :)).

Bath and Cornwall

I probably don't have to expand upon the reasons why it has been a while since my last blogpost- time is going by so fast! This blogging about my experiences is actually harder than I anticipated because essentially this is just real, normal life, and not some weird trip around the world or whatever. But anyway, I went to some nice places in the last few weeks which I thought I'd write a bit about.

Firstly, three friends and I went to Bath a few weeks back. I'm not sure why I knew about Bath's existence, but it's probably due to Jane Austen or some art lesson I had in secondary school. It's not that big of a city - which I knew beforehand - but it's famous for it's Roman Baths, and the Royal Crescent, which I was very excited to see. And actually, it did not disappoint!

I feel like many times you read about something or see pictures and you just expect it to be less cool than that, but it really wasn't.

Just look how cute it is! We were very lucky with the weather, but nonetheless I think it would have been stunning. I either read somewhere or someone told me that the idea behind the Royal Crescent was that people from that time liked to see the clash of nature and civilisation in their architecture - or something oddly nice like that - and true or not, I think they definitely succeeded. Of course, the park in front of the Royal Crescent was packed with tourists - wonder how the people who actually live there feel having their house photographed every five seconds.

I also made some other general pictures of the city which I already uploaded on my facebook, as that might be a bit more readily accessible :)

My friend and I also hung out at Waterstone's for a while, crying because of all the cool books we want to buy but can't actually afford right now - it's a tough life. I saw this beautiful edition of Dracula which I subsequently fell in love with.

Last weekend I went on another exciting trip to Cornwall, together with my parents and brother who came to visit me for a few days. It was really nice seeing them again, and they brought me some Dutch goodies to survive the harsh English experience (just kidding, I've become used to the supermarkets, the tap water, and the bread - I will say no more on the subject). I showed them around Exeter for a bit, took them to see the campus, and the day after we ventured to Land's End, crossing Dartmoor along the way. Again, pictures are already online! However, I just love these two..

Both Dartmoor and Land's End are absolutely stunning, and it reminded me why I love this country so much.

City Snapshots: Exeter

More than a week has passed since my last blogpost and honestly time has gone by so fast. My classes are FINALLY sorted. I'm taking a course on Romanticism and one on Victorian Imperialism, which are both subjects I am already acquainted with. However, I'm just glad we could get our hands on some English modules and so far the seminars and lectures have been really nice - everyone participates so well here it's miles away from the situation at home where the lecturer sometimes has to use persistent staring tactics to get students to speak up in class.

So yeah, really nice to have that sorted, and I'm back to reading again. However, boring everyone by discussing my classes wasn't my intention for this blogpost. As I took a look on Facebook and saw that a lot of my Erasmus colleagues were uploading a lot of photos of their new home and adventures, I thought it would be nice to share some pictures of Exeter as well. I've been kind off slacking off when it comes to taking pictures, because it just feels a bit strange - like taking pictures of Nijmegen or its university, what's the point of that? However, it might be nice to have at least some pictures to look back on, so I will try to make a conscious effort to take more pictures.

We went to the park to read a while back, and it's a really nice spot.

We also went on an evening stroll to the quay area, which was rather lovely - ignoring the fact that there were about 5000 bridges that I dreaded passing.

Then I also made some pictures of the campus, but they really don't do it any justice. I mean, the fact that it's built on a hill is really annoying, but it makes for some nice views.

This is only a really small part of campus, but it's the part with the best views, and also the place were we will spend most of our time as students of English.

I made an effort with the first two pictures, the rest were made with my phone so please bear with me - I'll try to bring my camera more often - even if it makes me kinda look like an idiot.

Settling in, England

So I came up with some pretty cliché opening sentences for this blog post:

Option #1: Englaaaaand, I'm finally here!

Option #2: Yes, the adventure has finally started (ugh especially hate this one)

Option #3: Guess where I am!

Yeah, let's not bother with any of those. It has been such a busy week, but it has been great as well. For those unaware, I recently moved to Exeter for my semester of studying abroad, and I'll probably write about it regularly on here.

So yeah, Exeter. I won't say it's a coastal town, but it has an impressive amount of seagulls. I was rather expecting the city to be ugly - going of on things I'd heard from other people - but it's actually not that bad. There are some really nice spots in the city centre, and they have a really cute park.

The university is just really impressive, it's huge for one, and the library has some seriously high-tech equipment. I'm not kidding, they have an entire room filled with mega tablets placed in tables which you can use to mess around with, or study - whichever one you fancy. 

Fresher's week has been good, certainly not as intense as the Dutch one, but it was nice that you could pick the events you wanted to go to yourself - although this was also a bit overwhelming at times. We explored the campus, cried about our still not confirmed courses with several members of staff, and signed up for some societies. I signed up for archery, which I'm pretty excited about. I don't think I'll get another chance to try it, so I couldn't miss that opportunity.

All in all, England turns out to be quite a strange country. When it comes to shopping, some things are really cheap whilst others cost a surprising amount of money. The bread is definitely inferior to the bread at home, and don't even get me started on the tap water (I should probably get over this but I'm not over it yet). Oh how you realise how nice the Netherlands truly is when you spend time abroad. On the other hand they have some really nice shops here that I am desperate to go to but too broke to actual spent money at right now. 

Tomorrow is quite an important day, as I might be able to finally secure a place on an English course, but for now it's just hoping for the best. 

Oh on a final note, English people turn out to be especially awkward dancers.