Coventry
It's officially been a month since I've arrived in England so I thought it was time for me to post a proper update on how I've been going. I apologise for not doing this earlier, the excitement of having no classes (that I go to), excessively clubbing and sleeping until 2pm every day has kept me busy...
There have been numerous things that I have had to adjust to while studying abroad:
BEING THE NEW KID
Being the new kid is always tough but being the new kid in a completely foreign place is even worse. You don't just have to adjust to being with a new group of people but also subtle cultural differences as well. All of my flatmates have been super friendly and welcoming but they've all been together for so long already that I still feel a bit awkward at times. Coming to Warwick mid-year has been difficult because everyone has already made their friends and have settled in. I'm so glad I got put with this lot though because they've all been so sweet to me since I've arrived.
HOMESICKNESS
I don't think it has been long enough for me to really feel homesick but there have been moments where I have really missed home. I got quite sick during the second and third weeks that I was here. All I wanted was my mum to baby me with some of her homemade congee and to sneak me chocolate even though she knows that it's bad for my throat when sick. I'm also really missing my bed back at home. My bed here is probably one of the worst I've ever slept in... Seeing all of my friends back at home go out without me is tough too because I feel like I'm missing out on so much.
GOING OUT VS STAYING IN
Since arriving at Warwick, I have had at least one drink every day without fail. I feel like all I do is drink and go out. They have clubbing events every day of the week here! After three weeks, I finally had a night where I just stayed in my room and relaxed. I forgot how nice it is to just enjoy your own company! While being out is fun, being snuggled up in bed isn't bad either. It's hard to say no to a night out though because I feel like I don't want to miss out on anything here. I'm still trying to find the balance between going out and staying in. I don't want to feel like I'm wasting my exchange experience sitting in my room but I also don't want to be going out just because I feel like I have to.
THE DIFFERENCE IN ACCENTS
I never realised that there were so many different kinds of British accents! Everyone here sounds British but they all sound so different. People here also seem to be intrigued by my accent. My flatmates love making me say particular words to see how I pronounce them. Of all words I thought I would get the most shit for saying weirdly, I was not expecting it to be the word 'dip'...
UK WEATHER
If there's one thing I really don't like about this place, it has got to be the weather. It averages about 4°C here and the wind makes it feel even colder. I'll always be decked out in at least 5 layers just to leave my flat... I'm so upset about missing summer in Australia! The only good thing about the weather here is that when it snows, it's gorgeous.
FOOD
Every time I leave Melbourne, I realise how good our restaurants and cafes are. It makes sense because we are known to be quite a foodie state but it was not until moving here that I started to really treasure the quality of Melbourne food. I constantly long for a nice proper brunch, some sushi, pho or even just a nice quality juice.
Overall, my first month of Warwick has been a blast. I'm still not completely settled in and haven't really developed any sort of routine yet but I'm slowly figuring things out each day and Warwick is starting to feel more and more like a home to me.
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