Settling in

So, I am still alive. And deeply sorry for not having written anything on here for over a month. I suppose, at the very least, I'll have a lot to tell you. Let me take you back to where we last left off: Fresher's Week.
I must admit, I was kind of nervous when I headed to University on that first day of Fresher's Week. However, I had done my research and therefore knew exactly where I wanted to be at what time and which events, held by the different societies, were of interest to me. It should come to no surprise that my first stop was the Harry Potter and Quidditch Society. In retrospect, this choice has served me well. But more about that later. Surrounded by my fellow lovers of all things magicial, I enjoyed the various socials the Potter Society hosted throughout the week. One of my highlights was the Welcome Feast, held at The Old Firehouse, an Exeter pub which served as the inspiration for the Leaky Cauldron and makes possibly the best pizza ever. Conversation was animated, trivia, food and drink kept us otherwise occupied and the foundation for many friendships must have been laid that night. Personally, I extended my evening by having milkshakes at McDonalds with two girls, Annabel and Ali. This has now become somewhat of a tradition. All of us are in the Potter Society and the LGBTQ+ Society (the only other society I joined) and we meet fairly regularly. We've already had our first film night with good food and snacks galore.
Freshers Week went by fast, filled with activities, socials, and the occassional mandatory information session for Erasmus or my lectures. Sadly, I did not manage to get a different English course than the one originally assigned to me: Empire of Liberty - American Literature after 1776. People who know me and my disdain for all things American will understand how 'thrilled' I was. However, almost a month has passed since then and I have resigned myself to this unchangeable fact. At least I managed to get the course combination I wanted, including an interesting course in Classics on Roman Death and the Level 2 Course for Academic Reading and Writing. The latter has been quite work-intensive. There is something to be said for independent study and little contact hours, however the amount of work can be quite daunting. At times several deadlines are looming closer and closer, your regular courseload still must be done regardless and of course one wants social interactions as well. If there is one thing one might struggle with, it is time management. However, after a month of living and studying here, I have settled in fairly well and am getting better at knowing how much time to assign to each task. I do not love every course I have, but I am determined to do my best.
Socially, I am doing just fine. In fact, I am downright confused how some people wrote in their reports that they found it hard to find friends or to come into contact with English students. Clearly, they did not join any of the societies (or perhaps only the Erasmus one). A society is an instant gateway into a social group which shares at least one of your interests and you are bound to meet English students that way, too. Ali and Annabel, for example, are British. Also, most courses include study groups, which means you are likely to meet up with a group of other students at least once a week. However badly others might have fared, I can proudly state that I was warmly greeted (and if time allowed it, chatted with) by no less than five people in a day after just two weeks of attending University over here. Do not be afraid of putting yourself out there!
I have also done something which might surprise those who know of my dislike for physical activity: I have taken up a sport. Quidditch. Yes, you've read that right, and yes, it is an actual sport involving lots of running around, tackling each other and throwing balls at people (or through hoops) - in short, it's fantastic. I attended the taster session during Fresher's Week and was pleasently surprised. I resolved to come to at least one proper practice - and ended up enjoying it so much that I have now officially joined the Quidditch team. I even played my first tournament on Sunday, where we competed with other teams. The atmosphere was incredible. I never was one to enjoy watching sport and I never quite understood the fascination. But let me tell you, Quidditch is different. It is a surprisingly complex sport that leaves you standing on the edge of the field, shouting at your team mates to run faster, dodge that bludger, defend the hoops...! Quidditch also means you are part of a team. I have seldom felt more powerful than in that moment before a match, where you all huddle close together and begin to chant. There is something very emotional about that sort of connection with other people. If you are interested in Quidditch or wondering how it is played, check out this link http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2016-10-15/beginners-guide-how-to-play-quidditch/
My favoured position is Beater - which means I get to throw dodgeballs at people. It's great for aggression.
It is also one of the most tactical positions, which is something I still struggle with. You have to constantly keep an eye on everything that is going on and sometimes you must make split-second decisions - do I take that person out or that one? Did I lose sight of something important? Have I been ignoring the other team's beaters and suddenly get hit by one? This is the first time I am actually striving to improve myself where sport is concerned. I regulary attend training on Sunday (almost three hours) and my legs are by now no longer killing me on my walk back into town. There is another big tournament coming up soon, the Southern Cup (part of a only recently established Quidditch League in the South West). By then we should also have the new kit we ordered and you might get to see me in full gear (I even have a shirt with my name on it!).
Anyways, that's enough about Quidditch. There will be more updates about it in the next post (which hopefully won't be long).
My housemate is still absolutely wonderful. We are getting along brilliantly and have worked out a routine. She is a great cook and we will generally eat together in the evening while watching a film or TV series. If both of us are home and have the time, we often head somewhere together. Today we enjoyed a lovely day in town, first buying fabric for my Halloween dress (which she will sew for me) and then heading off for a late lunch (which was delicious!) and finally briefly attending a cooking demonstration (today was 'Vanilla day' so we had perfectly made Créme Brulee). Gina has also clearly worked out that the way to my heart is through historical/nerdy things and food. When she was attending a National Trust conference, she met the people responsible for the Exeter Cathedral. Currently kept there, is one of the most precious books in existence: The Exeter Book. Recently granted UNESCO status, it is the largest surviving collection of Old English literature (dated around the 10th century). Normally, a facsimile ( a copy) is on display in the cathedral and the original remains locked away most of the time. However, Gina mentioned my fascination with Old English and the fact that I recently did an internship at an archive and actually got them to agree that I could come and see the original. We haven't had the chance yet, but basically all we need to do is write an email and they will bring it out for us. A book that is easily thousand years old and worthy of World Heritage status - and I will get to see it. Naturally, I am already very excited! I might also help Gina work on a project she is doing for work. As part of her work at the Underground Passages, she wants to do a special on "Under the Blitz", the time when Exeter was bombed by Germany in retalitation for the RAF's bombardment of Lübeck. I will probably be involved a lot when it comes to contacting German archives (already figured out which ones might be interesting), translating communication and possibly even original sources. If I get properly involved in this, I will at the very least have the satisfaction of being in the credits (a documentary is planned). But anyway, I just find this highly interesting and will do my best to help with research and everything else!
Life in England comes easy to me, it is only my University workload which on occassion gets in my way. I have found friends and am in the process of developing these relationships further, I love the beautiful and extensive campus and, even if I do not love all of them, I at least find my courses interesting or challenging. Gina and I have become fast friends. Today she stated that she will not let me walk out of her life again, even when I am going back to Germany. I assured her that I felt the same way. We have gone beyond simply being housemates for the sake of convenience. I genuinely enjoy her company and I believe that this is the start of a friendship that will last far beyond my term here.
For now, I believe you are all caught up. I might have forgotten some things or left them out, but a lot can happen in a month and I do not remember every detail which might have seemed important to me at the time. I shall attempt to write again soon!

Still alive

I am still alive! I have successfully made it to Exeter and spent my first three days here settling in, exploring and dealing with boring admin stuff. My journey over to Exeter went well up until my arrival at Bristol Airport. My housemate was going to pick me up, we arranged to meet outside Departures and Arrivals...and promptly spent some time talking back and forth on the phone, confused as to why both of us insisted to be outside the proper area but neither could see the other. This went on until there was a pregnant pause followed by 'Which airport are you at?' Turns out she thought I meant Exeter, I meant Bristol and therefore the mystery of why we could not see each other was solved. Luckily I managed to catch a late bus to Exeter and the driver gave me the lowest possible price. My housemate Gina then picked me up at the bus stop in Exeter. She'd been a bit worried about me and apologised for the confusion, but honestly, I just thought it was pretty funny. Especially since she had been in an area that was actually closer to Bristol than to Exeter prior to picking me up. Anyway, I managed to get to Exeter regardless of any airport confusion and we drove to the house. It's located in Pinhoe, which is about 15-20 minutes (by bus) away from the city centre. I should be able to get to Uni by bike or bus in about 20-30 minutes, maybe a bit more. Exeter is full of hills and I'll have to check which way would work best for me if I am on a bike. I do not have one yet, but there are plenty of offers on Gumtree and similar websites to choose from.

My housemate took Tuesday and Wednesday off so she could show me around; we went into town on Tuesday, I bought a prepaid card for my phone and we talked to the estate agency to set up a new lease for me. We also went shopping and Gina took the time while we were driving and walking around town to point out shops, monuments, important buildings and services. I have now also seen the inspiration for Diagon Alley (JK Rowling studied at the University of Exeter). It's Gandy Street, for those who want to see it for themselves. A small street off High Street, so it is relatively easy to find. 

On Wednesday we decided to go on an outing to Exmouth with a stop at Darts Farm. I had told Gina that I missed Fish&Chips and she swore that Darts Farm did the best Fish&Chips with locally sourced ingredients and fish. We had lunch there and I have to say she did not exaggerate - it was really good! 

Afterwards we got back into the car and drove to Exmouth. Unfortunately fog was coming in from the sea and so the sky was quite grey. Still, the beach and sea were lovely and after a short walk around we drove back to Exeter to do some more shopping and then went home. 

Gina's friend had invited us to a night out at a new Victorian themed bar down at the Quay, so we dressed up and headed down there. It is a lovely little bar with quirky staff and a small outside area sheltered from the wind. Their cocktails have some interesting combinations and ingredients, but some of them were decidedly too sour for me. After the drinks we went to a great Indian place Gina and I had discovered the day before and had a late night snack there. Gina's friend dresses like a Victorian gentleman by the way, complete with waistcoat, hat and cane. He also does Iron Age reenactment, LARP and tabletop - so a perfect person to know! I already scored an invitation to the next tabletop session (Pen&Paper for the Germans) and to an upcoming LARP weekend. My housemate also posed a question I never thought to hear: 'Do you want to be a Victorian prostitute?' Apparently there is a market in Portsmouth in November where she usually walks around dressed as a Victorian prostitute (similar to how the MPS has showmen dressed in medieval garb) and I am welcome to join her. It should be fun, so I agreed and Gina is going to make a costume for me. She has an entire sewing room full of patterns and fabric. At one point I'll have to go through them, because once she found out that I liked swing dresses, she told me that she had patterns for those. We might even be able to find a Harry Potter or LOTR themed fabric (I showed her a beautiful swing dress with a Daily Prophet pattern)! 

Overall, we have been getting along quite well. If the past three days are any indication living together should work out just fine. Her cats seem to like me, even the skittish one (or should I say especially that one). Molly enjoyed sleeping on my bed yesterday (my resolve to keep them out did not last long...) and often waits outside my door if I dare close it. Fresher's week at the University is looming closer and I am still a bit nervous about that part of this adventure. However, I'll take it one step at a time. 

Bye for now, I shall report back soon!

Here we go again...

Once again, I am 'going on an adventure' as dear Bilbo Baggins states in the Hobbit. This time around the destination is not quite as far away and the time span not quite as long. Nevertheless, the adrenaline is already coursing through my veins and my heart is beating fast with excitement and nervousness. I am headed to England. Exeter, to be precise. I will be studying English and History at the University of Exeter for a semester; from September to January I will call this beautiful old city my home. Preparations have been underway for the better part of the last seven months and though the road has been rocky at times, I am (mostly) prepared to lift off tomorrow and fly over to England. One of the most challenging aspects of this whole 'adventure' so far has been finding a place to stay during my semester abroad. You'd think that Exeter would be used to hosting exchange students that only stay for five months or less, but it can be surprisingly tough to find an (affordable) place to stay for such a short duration. So if you are planning your semester abroad right now: Look for accommodation as early as possible! I spent the better part of August frantically messaging and calling people, since I hadn't been able to secure accommodation up to that point. There were setbacks and at times it seemed quite overwhelming, but in the end I was incredibly lucky. Not only did I find a place to stay that I could actually afford (without bankrupting my parents), but my new housemate seems to be a perfect fit for me, even though she is about twelve years older than I am. We share a lot of interests (even some of the nerdier ones) and instantly clicked when we talked over Skype. She also has two cats and since I adore pets this will likely be a great addition to my life for those five months. Her job also involves History and I cannot wait to learn more.
I believe that this will be a wonderful experience, however, I am not afraid to admit that it is also quite nerve-wracking at the moment. I will finish packing my bags now and prepare everything for tomorrow. Bye-bye Germany, once again!