awkward

Classes have started now. There is so much work to do! I dropped one of my subjects so now I'm doing four but that's still quite a few. I have a few papers to write still (one due either tomorrow or tuesday, since I haven't started it yet the due date's gonna have to be tuesday).

I went to dinner with some Americans today but I didn't tell the English people I usually go with cos when I'd spoken to one of them earlier they had been really vague. I saw them on my way back and I'm worried that now they think I was being rude or something. I read too much into these things but you never know really, especially as I said 'oh I couldn't find you' (a blatently unconvincing excuse). Grrr at my own incompetence! Still, I have now got a few American friends as well as English which is what this is all about really.

Flagstaff

As I am feeling mildly less jet lagged, I will try to update what has happened in the last week of being in Arizona.

The journey wasn't hugely exciting. The BA catering strike meant that we had hardly anything to eat on the flight but I suppose these things happen. The journey from Phoenix to Flagstaff was much more exciting. The scenery was amazing. In Phoenix and surrounding area it was very dry so there were loads of cacti and palm trees but as we drove north to Flagstaff the scenery gradually came more green with fir trees and loads of grassy areas. I don't think I've ever seen so much difference in such a short time.

For the first few days I was in a hall with all the other international students. To be honest it was a bit of a dump with the only good point being the amazing view from my 7th floor window. Flagstaff is surrounded by hills and mountains which made pretty good views. On wednesday I finally got to move over to my actual hall which although nicer, doesn't have the views. However, it's not hard to wander outside and around the campus to see stuff. It's nice to unpack and stick up all my photos , makes me feel less far away from friends in Britain if they are on my wall!

I was a bit jetlagged at first and for a time very homesick but I've made a few friends so at the moment I'm not really feeling homesick at all. It didn't help that for the first few days I couldn't phone home because Phoenix Sky Harbor's airport's phones won't let you phone international numbers - how stupid is that! It took me about a day to figure out how normal pay phones worked but now I've worked that out, phoning home makes things a bit easier.

Tomorrow all the American students arrive. I have a room mate so I'm a bit nervous about it all. What if we don't get on? I have spoken to her by email and she seems nice but you never really know. Tomorrow there is also a trip arranged by the international office to the Grand Canyon which, of course, I will be going on. The only drawback being that my room mate will have moved in by the time I get back and had a nose around at my rubbish!

Arriving

I have arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona in one piece and so has my luggage - bonus! It's really nice here, very mountainy and green! Phoenix (where I flew into) was like an oven compared to what I'm used to.

I'm quite jetlagged at the moment so I'll post when I am a bit more adjusted!

August 9th, 2005

I leave Britain in ten days for eight months, have I mentioned this yet? Well, I know I have but it's the key thing dominating my life at the moment. I've paid those bloody fees now so nothing in the way of planning to go. I'm excited and scared at the same time, how is that even possible? All the people I won't see for so long and all the new people I'm looking forward to meeting.

I still have a load of stuff to do related to that which I keep delaying. Probably not such a good idea but disorganisation is what I do best.