by Claire Palmer
University of Worcester, England
Well, I've finally made it to my flat! It's now been 8 days since I've arrived in England, but it seems much longer due to the fast pace I've kept! Most of the other people in my flat arrived to the campus directly from the airport, and after hearing of their experiences (some having 28 hour flights!), I'm quite happy that I chose to tour around a bit before moving in.
I wouldn't suggest exploring the area before moving in to everyone, but because I had my mother with me, it worked out very well. After flying from Knoxville to Detroit, then to Boston and finally landing at the London Heathrow Airport at 6 AM on Tuesday the 3rd, I was very exhausted (I had trouble sleeping on the flight due to a good selection of movies and a screaming child) and was very glad that I didn't immediately have the pressure of registering and unpacking everything. We arranged in advance for a car to take us to our hotel, and after drinking juice and strolling around Hyde Park for a bit, our room was ready and I was finally able to get some sleep. Thankfully, the exhaustion and jet lag only lasted for a day for me and I was able to enjoy seeing sights such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, 221b Baker Street, and Fleet Street, all while slowing becoming accustom to the culture of England (although there are many, many others as well in London!). That Saturday, we took a train to the Shrub Hill Station here in Worcester, and after a bit of an adventure, found our hotel, which was in Stourport-on-Severn, about 10 miles out of the city centre. We took a cab into town that day and the next, and purchased just about everything I would need for my flat.
I think if I hadn't had my mother or anyone else with me, I definitely wouldn't have gone into London or even Worcester early, but I'm very happy I did! It was nice to have time to make the transition from foreigner to tourist to resident at a slower pace, as opposed to jumping right into daily life, without having to worry about staying on my own in a strange country with two large bags. Because stress can sometimes cause a flare up of my fibromyalgia, this also lessened the chances of needing to deal with any health issues on top of everything. If I had to state a takeaway lesson from this entry, this would be it: If you have the spare time, money, and a companion, I would definitely suggest taking the time to explore your new home before moving in, but if not, there is absolutely nothing wrong with moving straight in. Everyone here has been more than helpful to me, and even if I hadn't gone shopping for items for my flat in the days before moving in, there are a number of people here who would have helped me with that. Here they've even arranged for international students to move in before domestic ones so we can have a bit longer to adjust and be on the same level.
See you, Space Cowboy!
University of Worcester, England
Well, I've finally made it to my flat! It's now been 8 days since I've arrived in England, but it seems much longer due to the fast pace I've kept! Most of the other people in my flat arrived to the campus directly from the airport, and after hearing of their experiences (some having 28 hour flights!), I'm quite happy that I chose to tour around a bit before moving in.
I wouldn't suggest exploring the area before moving in to everyone, but because I had my mother with me, it worked out very well. After flying from Knoxville to Detroit, then to Boston and finally landing at the London Heathrow Airport at 6 AM on Tuesday the 3rd, I was very exhausted (I had trouble sleeping on the flight due to a good selection of movies and a screaming child) and was very glad that I didn't immediately have the pressure of registering and unpacking everything. We arranged in advance for a car to take us to our hotel, and after drinking juice and strolling around Hyde Park for a bit, our room was ready and I was finally able to get some sleep. Thankfully, the exhaustion and jet lag only lasted for a day for me and I was able to enjoy seeing sights such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, 221b Baker Street, and Fleet Street, all while slowing becoming accustom to the culture of England (although there are many, many others as well in London!). That Saturday, we took a train to the Shrub Hill Station here in Worcester, and after a bit of an adventure, found our hotel, which was in Stourport-on-Severn, about 10 miles out of the city centre. We took a cab into town that day and the next, and purchased just about everything I would need for my flat.
I think if I hadn't had my mother or anyone else with me, I definitely wouldn't have gone into London or even Worcester early, but I'm very happy I did! It was nice to have time to make the transition from foreigner to tourist to resident at a slower pace, as opposed to jumping right into daily life, without having to worry about staying on my own in a strange country with two large bags. Because stress can sometimes cause a flare up of my fibromyalgia, this also lessened the chances of needing to deal with any health issues on top of everything. If I had to state a takeaway lesson from this entry, this would be it: If you have the spare time, money, and a companion, I would definitely suggest taking the time to explore your new home before moving in, but if not, there is absolutely nothing wrong with moving straight in. Everyone here has been more than helpful to me, and even if I hadn't gone shopping for items for my flat in the days before moving in, there are a number of people here who would have helped me with that. Here they've even arranged for international students to move in before domestic ones so we can have a bit longer to adjust and be on the same level.
See you, Space Cowboy!