Summertime...and the livin's easy

I should start this post by stating that 'Summer' is a loose term in Northern England, but that hasn't stopped me from getting out and about and relishing those few sunny days. Classes are over, the dissertation is in full swing, and I fly back to San Francisco in less than three months! With that being said I'm trying to take full advantage of the time I have left, continuing to travel around but also just enjoying time with friends back in Leeds. So while I have a lot on the agenda coming up, here is a recap since my last post.

At the beginning of May, my good friend Bret from Boulder came to visit. We spent a solid 10 days travelling around London, the South Coast, and Yorkshire, hitting both the tourist sites, and places definitely off the beaten path. We were fortunate enough to stay with my family in London, so he was able to get the real East End experience... I will give myself credit for serving as pretty good tour guide of the city, as we managed to walk about 13 miles a day, and use every form of public transit imaginable. We also spent a day at the Seven Sisters Chalk Cliffs near Brighton - absolutely beautiful. While the White Cliffs of Dover are more well known, these are even bigger and less spoiled. After a few days down South, we made are way back up to Leeds, where he was able to meet all my friends, and get introduced to my local pubs. We also managed a day trip out to Whitby (a coastal town where Dracula was inspired) and York. The trip was even capped off with a Leeds Rhinos rugby match. Overall it was great hanging out with a fellow CU Buff and giving him a sneak peek of my life out here.

Following Bret's visit, I spent the next couple weeks wrapping up essays for the semester, before a fun weekend in Madrid. One of the great things about England, is the affordability of travelling across Europe (*at least while we're still in the EU). As a lot of people were away the first bit of june, I decided to travel a bit myself, so chose to hop on a cheap flight to Madrid following a day down in Shropshire visiting my cousin. Madrid is a beautiful city, not for any stunning geographical features, but just in the art, architecture and overall layout. While I had been to Barcelona and San Sebastian,about seven years prior, Madrid offered a totally different Spanish experience. Not overly touristy, while still offering plenty to do, it simply felt very real.

After returning from Spain, with a bout of food poisining to bat, I spent a couple days laying low in Leeds. Just FYI - Travelling across big cities and flying on Ryanair with a poor stomach is as miserable as it sounds...Anyway, after a lazy week, I met a friend in Manchester to check out the Imperial War Museum. Not nearly as big as the one in London, but still fairy impressive and it was an excuse to explore more of the city. While the city centre itself isn't huge, there is still a fair bit to see within Manchester; Deansgate and MediaCity are particularly nice areas.
The following week, my flatmates and I took a road trip to the gorgeous Lake District. Spectacular weather made for a few great days hiking, relaxing by the lake and strolling through some cool country villages. What makes the area so interesting are the incredibly rugged hills nestled against crystal blue lakes...definitely different from the gentle rolling green scenery of Yorkshire. It is by far the most beautiful spot I've been to in Britain. It also allowed me to test my driving skills on the other side of the road. Suffice it to say, driving on the left is easy, driving on tiny country roads the size of a bicycle path in a Rav4...not so much. Needless to say, May and June provided for some excellent travels, especially within England.

While I have been very fortunate to spend a lot of time travelling, I should note that the majority of days are spent between my flat, gym, store, library, and the occasional pub. While it may be a bit boring to write about, and not anything glamorous, the best part of this experience has just simply been the feeling of establishment and normality in living out here, not just a typical 'study abroad' per se. I have never really felt all that home-sick, because I feel at home here. While I am beyond ready to move on from the student lifestyle and get back to a structured job again, I am not looking forward to leaving that establishment and my life in England behind.

Anyway, that's enough for now. I have a feeling my next post will be some dramatic countdown to departure / 'I need to find a job!' spiel...so we've got that to look forward to :)

*Side Note: While I intentionally stray away from politics on any kind of social media, I would be amiss to not say I am concerned about the results of the Brexit vote. If you are interested on my thoughts I have a supplementary, somewhat politically muted post, not advertised on FB, that can be accessed through the home page of my blog.