The Beginning

            It is 2013! Wowie, that’s right I said it! This past year was insane! I started the year off in South Korea, teaching students English, loving every moment of it and returning to what would be my last semester at APU (Azusa Pacific University). There are multiple reasons to leave the school, but the main one was to be with my family and help welcome the new edition into our lives, Ethen Bich was born on July 29 and I could not be a prouder aunt. He is already so strong for his small age of 5 months and everyone that comes in contact with him just loves life. Living with Anne, Nate, and Ethen has been fantastic! It also helped that Amber came down and has been living in Arizona for as long as I have! I attended ASU (Arizona State University) coming in as a Junior and continuing with a psychology degree. These are all the major changes that happened in 2012. O wait I am forgetting one, I was accepted to study abroad in London.

            On January 1, 2013 I left all my friends and family and flew over the Atlantic Ocean and got in on January 2 where I then had to go through customs and enter the winter winds of London to go to my school. I had been given a fantastic taxi service that took me to Royal Holloway University of London, where I will be studying for the next 6 months. Watching the streets whir by, on the wrong side of the street I might add (I don’t think I will ever get used to that), I noticed that every structure looks so different compared to those in America, and then we got to my school. Pictures do not do the Founders Building any justice! I took some pictures of it (which I pasted below). While I spent most of my first day just trying to catch up on sleep, my next day was filled with exploring the town. I am in the town of Egham, about 15 minutes away from London so I decided it would be fun to walk around and see what this town has to offer, but instead I got distracted by the houses and instead just bobbed and weaved around the streets. 

On my walk I came to Simon's Walk, thought it was an actual path, was very surprised to learn that Walk would be equivalent to our Street or Way.

The Dorm Room I am staying in for the next 6 months

Picture of one of the Pathways they paved for the students on the campus. 

Founders Building (Front)

Founders Building (courtyard)

Founders Building (courtyard 2)

Founders Building (Another angle)

Side view near Founders Building (overlooking the rest of the school)

Founders Building (backside)

        Soon it was dinner time where I met all the other study abroad students. It was interesting to find out that I picked the table with all the students from America, but it was still fun to hear their stories. Tomorrow I will go to orientation and learn more about my classes and what the school offers for us international students. Then me and one of my recently made friends decided that we would head to London and see the city. It still has not set in yet that I am actually here, its hard to know what is in store for me yet, but whatever it is I am here to embrace it!