Leeds

Well I am officially going into my second week in Leeds. It's been a whirlwind past month of packing up and moving, but I'm finally out of suitcases and starting to settle into my new home. September was a busy month moving out of my apartment, leaving my job, and saying goodbye to friends. As September 13th rolled around, I was stoked to begin my new adventure abroad. I spent an awesome week in London with my dad and cousins, exploring sights new and familiar. I toured Buckingham Palace, saw the Book of Mormon (hilarious by the way), and of course visited the local pubs. However after the vacation was over, the giddiness of being in England soon turned into a sobering truth. Once I took the two hour train to Leeds, my dad left, and I moved into my rather cramped room, the reality truly began to sink in. I've moved 6,000 miles away, left a good job and good friends to come to a town where I don't know anyone.

Don't get me wrong, I am excited for what this year has in store, and have begun to meet a few people (including my flatmates). I've also joined a postgraduate society, and as classes kick into gear, I'm sure I will meet people through my course. I've also begun to figure my way around the City Centre and the University itself, so I at least know where I am going now. Yet, despite this there is still a sense of anxiety about starting from scratch. My contact list is still pretty small, and while I know which direction I'm heading I haven't necessarily found my "go-to spots" yet. This will change, and I am confident enough to know that things have a way of working out. For the time being, however, my current reality isn't entirely glamorous. It's a lot of down time, a lot of uncertainty, and to be fair a bit of homesickness.  But enough about my feelings, and on to the subject of Leeds itself.

Leeds is quite a bit bigger than I imagined (around 750k in the city proper), and therefore is quite busy and congested. There is also a huge student population, so I've been trying hard to find where the older postgrads hang out, as opposed to the masses of first year undergrads. It's kind of disheartening to see magnificent old buildings surrounded by a concrete jungle of crappy student bars and stores (geared toward 18 and 19 year olds). The City Centre itself seems to be more of my scene:  a lot of old buildings, some cool hidden pubs, and a sense of detachment from the university area. In fact, this past weekend, I attended a bar crawl in town, and went for a proper Sunday roast at the oldest pub in Leeds (18th Century), which helped make me a feel a bit more "local". 

Beyond town, the  area just outside of Leeds is quite beautiful as well. Picturesque English countryside, with small towns and villages scattered throughout, give Yorkshire a sense of timelessness. There is also easy access to great Yorkshire towns such as Skipton and York--I think I've totaled two castles, two minsters and about ten cathedrals so far! Overall, I still have a lot of exploration to do, but I hope to soon embrace the pride that the locals have for Leeds and Yorkshire as a whole.

Well that's my summary so far. My goal over the next several weeks is to continually settle in and meet more people. Once classes kick into full gear (the readings have already piled on), and I have a solid social scene behind me, I'm sure I will be able to call this place home.