The Reflection

Hey guys! This is my last England post, as I have just returned to the states!

I made it home safely and all my flights were on time! Currently looking forward to starting work at the LGBTQ Resource Office as their graduate assistant and starting my graduate program of Human Development Counseling!

Think I did fairly well on my final for my English class although I was a bit nervous for it. Revision was especially scary because the only other grade for that course that I received was a paper earlier in the semester. So my grade was really riding on how I did for that Final! BUT it is over and done, I should be getting my scored July 1 and hopefully finishing up everything with my bachelor's degree soon after!

I am so blessed that I was able to study in England. I truly had an amazing experience and met so many great people. I look forward to going back and hopefully seeing some of my friends that I made during my stay in Hull.

Thanks for reading my study abroad blog and now you have received the -HULL- experience! :)

My Surprise Going Away Party

So my roommates, my friend Tish, and I had plans to go see a movie last Friday night... or so I thought!

I was told that we were going to do dinner at Tish's and then head out to the movies after. Then later that day, Tish told me that her roommates were doing something for dinner so we wouldn't be able to do dinner at her house anymore, but we'd still come and pick her up.

So we were getting ready and, to my surprise, Kiri is asking us all whether we're ready! (First sign something was fish-y: my roommate Kiri being rushed/ready to go on time) So we head to Tish's and I walk through the door and everyone yells "surprise".. Suddenly, I feel so guilty because I thought I walked in on one of Tish's roommates surprise dinner/party... Then soon realized that the people in the room was everyone that I knew! The surprise party was for ME!!

I was completely shocked. I've never had a surprise party... so I really did not know what to do and everyone was looking at me expectedly... So after a few seconds of shock, I went around the room hugging everyone. (Stare at the dog long enough, he does a trick... haha)

It was such a good night and I was so humbled that everyone came and everything.

I was also informed that I was making it super hard to plan this party, as I was Facebook-ing asking what everyone else was doing that night and trying to make alternate plans.. Whoops!

But it was a really fun party and I got a huge card that everyone signed (which I refused to read that night in front of everyone!)

Hull-ian Update

Hello all!

I'm 2/2 for final papers ans 1/2 for final exams! I have one more exam on the 31st (Tuesday) and then I am all done with my Undergraduate degree! Weird feeling!!

Also I only have 10 more days until I return to the States... This trip has been an amazing experience and I have met so many great people!

The Home Stretch is in sight!

Well readers, I can see it. The red carpet is unraveling! I have 37 days until I will be flying back into the US.

Decisions are being made and my new life is starting FAST!

I will be back at UIS next Fall for the program of Human Development Counseling. I have interviewed for graduate assistant positions and am still waiting for the final words but I am pretty confident!

Currently am looking at my apartment options. The roommate vrs the major adult decision of getting my OWN apartment! So that's both exciting and totally scary!!

In trip news, I have a few things to look to forward to: trip to London (next weekend), the End of the Ball, and finals (the last is something that I'm not totally excited for though).

That's pretty much it for now! Cannot believe the trip is nearly over! I can totally remember when there was that many day UNTIL i GO to England! It's been a good learning, growing, and enlightening experience and am so glad that I was blessed enough to go.

Until later,

~M

Leaving Paris... take two.

No worries, I am back in Hull and safe. I got back Sunday night at like 11:30 PM! The day was a NIGHTmare! Worse than before!

So to avoid the same situation I went (ridiculously) super early and checked in with the info desk and they told me that I would need to just go to the check-in at three PM (my flight was at 6:00 PM). At 3:50 the BMI check in desk opened up – fifty minutes later than I was told to be there – and the lady at the check-in desk tells me that there is no ticket for me in the system. Then she further instructed me that I would need to go to the other side of the terminal and talk to the lady at the Alyzia desk. This lady informed me that the man from the previous day had not switched my ticket over in the computer system. Because this was not done on the day of the missed flight, there was nothing she could do. Panicked I repeated that “there was NOTHING that could be done? I’m just stuck here in Paris?!” She replied that I would have to purchase another ticket. I asked if there was some sort of manager that I could speak to because I didn’t see why I would need to pay for a mistake that someone at this desk made. She replied asking me if I “saw anyone else at the desk” and that I would have to talk to the flight manager when I landed in East Midlands, “that is if you buy the ticket”. (I cut out some of the banter but you get the gist, she was really rude).

My card was declined because it was a big charge towards the end of my trip and I had not called my bank because they had told me that it was not going to charge me for it. This left me having to go to the Cashpoint and take two separate withdrawals of money (half of the ticket each) then I get back to the desk to find out she told me the wrong amount and I withdrew extra money leaving me with extra euros. So not only did I have to pay unnecessary withdrawal fees and conversion charges, now I had to pay for converting the extra 50 euros back to the money that I can use.

BUT with all this I have a receipt for the "supposed" switched ticket and the one that I was actually charged for. I'm hoping to repeal this and get my money back, but I'm definitely on a tighter budget then I was originally on. But I am home safe and sound!

In other news, it's my birthday in an hour and eight minutes! Going for a fancy dress party with the roommates and some uni friends. It's a "Prehistoric" theme and I will be dressing up as a caveman! It shall be fun!!

Coming to America - Update!

Another detail I forgot to put up here is when I will be coming home.. now known for sure!

Since I didn't get the job I applied for, I will be returning to good ole' Illinois June 8th!

I cannot believe how fast this semester is flying by and that I only have like a little more than a month here! :(

Forgotten Post! - Dublin

Hey guys! I just realized I forgot to post about Dublin/Trampolining tour!

It was so much fun, but everything in Dublin is EXPENSIVE! Or at least the places we frequented...

I finished both my routines! Second one I almost fell over but I scored pretty well in spite of that. I avereged like a 6.4 on my first go and a 5-something average for my second.

Last month I found out my place in my division and I got 8th! (Out of like 20-something novice men) I'm pretty proud of that! I've got one more competition at the end of May, which I'm hoping that I'll do even better in! :)