Pond and Puddle Jumping

Updates on my life as an international student in the UK

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I’ve got Seoul, yes, I do...

My first trip of 2019!

Over the Christmas holiday I took a trip to Korea to visit one of my best friends from my first undergrad. She has been living just outside of Seoul, in Incheon, for the past 2 years teaching English to elementary school children.

I had pictured Seoul as futuristic and sterile – with lots of skyscrapers and clean lines. While some parts of the city upheld these expectations, there were more parts of the city that were bursting with street food, string lights, art installations, and people. So. Many. People.

This city is unlike any other city that I’ve travelled to in terms of crowds. I realise that it was also the holiday season so there were numerous tourists around like myself but still, everywhere seemed to be running at maximum capacity. The other interesting point is that locals didn’t seem to notice! Being jostled or even straight-up pushed out of the way was not an issue for everyone else. I’m glad that I’m quite tall otherwise I think it would have been a bit of a claustrophobic experience.

I enjoyed seeing the fashion of the city and the standards of beauty (even though I’m well aware that they are quite impossible to uphold. It was interesting being in a place where physical appearance holds such prominence). Everyone had beautiful, poreless skin and lots of the men also wore make-up. I enjoyed browsing the skincare and make-up stores, taking advantage of the cheap deals and trying new products.

What I also really enjoyed was the food! Korean food is so tasty - with all the different spices and sauces. If you’re not a fan of really spicy food, beware. That’s not to say that you can’t find non-spicy food, it’s just that you should note that it’s more common than in North America.

Korean BBQ! One of the things I was looking forward to the most on my trip. This is from a restaurant called Ungteori in Myeongdong. Delicious! 

Finally, this brief trip allowed me the experience of what it feels like to be in the minority and look different. While we were out and about, I noticed people staring at me. While we were exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace people came up to me asking to take my picture or to take a picture with them. Some people didn’t even ask, they just blatantly took my picture. This is not to say that I minded or that I was offended. This was the first time that I had ever received attention like this and was unsure how to handle it. Needless to say, it was a funny experience and makes for a good travel story.

I had no idea that this little girl was taking my picture until my friend showed me this picture afterwards.  

Seoul is a beautiful city with so many interesting alcoves and neighbourhoods. I’m so glad that I was able to make this trip happen. This trip reminded me that travelling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. There will always be time to work or study or do any of the other mundane things we have to do in our everyday lives. I will take advantage of these travel opportunities while I can.  

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New Year, Final Semester...

So next week my final semester of law school starts. How crazy is that? Time truly speeds up as we grow older.

This past semester went much smoother than 1st semester of last year. I knew what to expect from my professors, the school administration, and I had my own quiet space to come home to away from school which was invaluable. I also continued my routine at the gym from the summer which did wonders for my mental health during the stressful end of the semester with all my deadlines.

This semester I didn’t do much travelling as I had a trip to Korea planned for over Christmas vacation. The only new place I explored was Bristol, a city in the SW of England. I went there for a weekend in October to attend the XIX National Council Meeting of ELSA UK (which is the organisation that I now sit on the board of as Director for Internal Management! I successfully applied for this position in late August). Bristol is like a smaller version of London and the university there is stunning, particularly the law building.

Bristol has a dark and interesting history. It was the initial port that slaves came into from Africa before being further shipped onto America or being bought and distributed throughout England. Interesting fact, the famous suspension bridge in Bristol’s background is where slaves were kept before being auctioned. They would be kept in cells inside the cliff under the bridge.

This academic year is denser than last. By reading week in October we had covered substantially more material than we had by the same time last year. I think this was a good thing though. I felt more engaged and interested in all my modules. This final semester will be denser still with more deadlines and the added stress of applications for Training Contracts. The saving grace is that I only have to make it through 4 more months before this degree is finished. Not that I’m wishing away my time at school but I am excited to see what is to come in the next chapter after school. I am hoping to secure a TC or legal job in London or the surrounding area. I don’t think I’m ready to return to Canada just yet.

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One year in...

I realised in writing the above blog post that I never posted this one. It has been sitting in my “drafts” for 4 months…whoops! Anyway, the sentiments still stand true so I thought it was still worth sharing.

Last week (September 15, 2018) marked 1 year since arriving in the UK. Looking back on the previous year, there are both high and low points but on the whole I would call it a successful year. I grew both personally and professionally, met people from all over the world, and got bitten by the travel bug.

I travelled to eight countries. I had the opportunity to participate in international legal conferences and engage with legal students and professionals from various backgrounds. I also gained valuable work experience through a summer internship. I’m slowly learning that legal knowledge is only part of this profession and that networking and making connections wherever you go is just as important. Also, not be afraid to get involved and to talk to as many people as you can. If this international experience has been teaching me anything it’s that the world isn’t so inaccessible and that you have friends everywhere you go.

The most important thing that I’m taking into this year is to remember to just do you. Everyone is on their own journey and has different goals. It’s so easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others that we forget what we’re trying to accomplish and how far we’ve come on our own journeys. Every step, no matter how small, is still progress and what you’re doing is enough. You do you. At the end of the day self-care and self-improvement is all that matters.

Last year was a bit of a whirlwind and thinking about the fact that a year has already gone by is crazy. It’s important to practice self-reflection. By doing so we can realise just how much we’ve actually accomplished. It also allows us to refocus and set a gameplan for the remaining distance to reaching our goals.

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European Summer

I decided to spend the summer in Canterbury. I was fortunate enough to land an 8 week paid internship at a firm in the next town over, a 20 minute commute on the train. I’m glad that I decided to stay because it allowed me to further explore Kent and all the little villages surrounding Canterbury.

Broadstairs Beach. Broadstairs is a little resort town 30 mins by train from Canterbury, heading South. Fun Fact: Charles Dickens lived in Broadstairs while writing Barnaby Rudge (1841).

This summer I also moved into my new place at the beginning of July. It was such a welcomed change to living in residence. I had access to a full kitchen again and a full sized fridge and freezer (which isn’t always the case in European apartments). It was also my first time living by myself, I have always had at least one roommate. Moving into my new place was the much needed spark to get my summer rolling but also to wake me up out of the little rut that I felt trapped in from living on campus.

It was nice to be back on a proper schedule for the summer. Getting up to make it to work for 9am and back home by 6pm, with weekends to myself to relax and explore. It’s funny, when I was working full-time a year ago and considering going back to school I was so excited to be a student again. Now that year one was complete of this academic experience I was so excited to get back to a full-time work schedule!

The firm that I worked at was a mid-size, high street firm with solicitors practising in a number of different areas. I got to work in conveyancing, specifically commercial conveyancing. This was an area of law that I had never considered before but I really enjoyed it and would consider specialising in it. For those that don’t know, commercial conveyancing is the process of buying and selling business properties. Having this summer experience is already proving useful this semester as I work to complete my Land Law module. 

The weather this summer was unreal! I was told on multiple occasions that the amount of sun and heat that we got was unlike any summer the UK had experienced in years. The only downside was that because most of the buildings are several hundred years old they’re not equip with air-conditioning, like back home. Instead, I had to rely on portable fans to keep cool. Needless to say there were several days when they just didn’t cut it. 

In my exploration of the surrounding area, I finally made it to the White Cliffs of Dover! They are stunning! I made several trips to the Cliffs over the course of the summer.

 Dover is a 30 minute bus ride from Canterbury and for such a small city it has quite an impressive history! The port itself has long been the gateway to the UK and mainland Europe. At the shortest point it’s only 26 miles to France. Fun Fact: while walking the cliffs there are points where my cellphone picked up service from French towers switching my coverage!

Dover is Europe’s busiest ferry port, seeing the passage of approximately 400 ships every day! It is also a popular cruise port of call. Dover Castle overlooks the harbour. It is England’s largest castle and has the nickname of the “Key to England” due to its defensive significance throughout history, dating as far back as 1066 and William the Conqueror. 

The most interesting piece of Dover’s history for me are the Napoleonic Tunnels that are dug into the Cliffs under the Castle. During WWII, Operation Dynamo (the evacuation of Dunkirk) was masterminded from these tunnels. You can do a walking tour through these parts of the tunnels that remain as they were during wartime. 

This summer made me appreciate Canterbury and the surrounding areas for their charm rather than simply thinking of it as the place where I go to school. This summer also allowed for some much needed time to myself which can be hard to fit in during the school year!

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That’s a Wrap!

Year 1 is complete of my law school experience and upon finishing my exams 5 weeks ago this was me (see above). 

I’ve never been so happy to be finished school for summer break. This year was hard. I severely underestimated the transition back to student life and campus life. I had pictured something along the lines of my on-campus experience at Dalhousie University. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Living in residence was loud 24/7, the food was disgusting, and sleeping on the floor would have been more comfortable than the mattress I had to sleep on. 

I wholeheartedly believe that your physical surroundings make a HUGE impact on your ability to excel and cope with any mental challenges. Which is why for next year I’ve secured my own place, off-campus. If I had to choose between powdered eggs, canned beans, and deep fried everything for breakfast for any longer, I seriously would have snapped. Likewise for dinner, I longed for fresh fruits and veggies. For a self-proclaimed foodie and someone whose diet consists mostly of fruits and veggies I was left hungry and bored with my food choices.

It’s easy to say “if you didn’t like it, order in or buy your own food” but 1) I had nowhere to store fresh foods and 2) eating out all the time is expensive! Anyway, I’m happy to say that I never have to encounter UK residence food again. Also, for those of you complaining about the food in residence at your Canadian universities I can honestly say that you have no idea how good you have it. I certainly took my residence experience at Dal for granted. 

The course itself is good. I enjoyed most of my modules. I had to adjust to new way of learning though. The course is heavily based on self-teaching, compared to my undergrad experience of 3 lectures a week plus seminar for most of my modules and required readings to support what was discussed in lectures. For this course, it was the opposite. The lectures were to support what we had read and provide for further discussion in seminar. We also had multiple different lecturers for each module throughout the year which I didn’t really like because it lacked consistency. 

Overall, I happy with how first year went but I will definitely be making adjustments for how I approach next year in terms of my study habits and note taking. I guess that’s part of it though. It’s a learning process in itself and there are going to be growing pains. In this transition back to student life I further developed my ability to be flexible and my resiliency. Adding the experience of this transition to the adjustments that accompany an international move, I’m quite proud of myself and my accomplishments thus far. It can only get brighter from here!

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We have a lot of catching up to do...

You know the friend that you have where you can go months or even years without talking and it’s like nothing has changed and you’re happy to just catch up on everything that has happened since the last time you spoke? Oh good, ‘cause that’s what this blog has become. 

We have five months of catching up to do. This is not how I had intended this blog to be and I’m a bit disappointed with myself that I’ve gone five months without a single update considering all of the great adventures I’ve been on in the mean time. For the summer I’m entertaining the idea that I will do at least 1 post a month, which is totally attainable. I’m planning to stay in Europe over the summer and I have some friends and family visiting over the next 4 months so I will not be short of things to write about. 

Anyway, here’s the Reader’s Digest version of my life over the past five months though a lot has happened so this post is longer than my others:

Christmas 2017: London, Vienna, and Bled

I decided to stay in Europe over the Christmas holiday. We got a 5 week break and I had plans to spend some time in London, Vienna, and Bled. My friend was kind enough to let me stay in her London flat while she went to home to Canada and for the latter half of my break I had plans to meet up with a couple friends from my Halifax to explore Vienna and Bled. 

Firstly, I was blown away by the lights and decorations alone. London knows Christmas. It made how we decorate at home look like peanuts in comparison. The lights on Regent street and Oxford street were stunning. I also checked out Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and multiple Christmas markets around the city. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of skating rinks set up around the city and was sure to take advantage of them.

Christmas decorations at Spitalfields Market. 

This was the first time that I would be spending Christmas away from family. I hadn’t made it home to my immediate family for Christmas 2016 but I had gotten to spend it with my aunt and uncle who lived in Edmonton, a city only a few hours from Calgary, so it didn’t hit me in quite the same way it had hit me this year. There were multiple points during the day where I regretted not going home. However, I wasn’t completely alone, a friend from school had also decided to spend Christmas in Europe and so the two of us were making the most of our surroundings. 

We went to the service at Westminster Abbey for Christmas morning. I’m not a religious person in the slightest however, I was able to appreciate the service in a way that I had never experienced church before. The sense of community and just genuine joy that seemed to be in the air was comforting. This was also the first time I had been inside the Abbey and it was incredible. 

Our original plan was to go to the movies after the service however literally EVERYTHING is closed on Christmas day in the UK. Who knew? So, we went on a mission to at least find a restaurant that was open. We ended up in Chinatown for a late Christmas lunch and after lunch proceeded to go on a nice walk through the city: seeing Marble Arch, through Kensington Park and past Buckingham Palace. Even though I had been feeling homesick more than I had ever been since arriving in the UK, I was also really happy to have spent Christmas day experiencing things I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to. 

The next city on my list over the holiday break was Vienna. This was also where I would be ringing in the New Year. I had come to notice that the over-the-top Christmas decorations wasn’t just a London thing but rather a European thing. Vienna did not disappoint. The city was oozing with culture and history and I was excited to explore. 

We went to the Albertina museum, saw a small ensemble performance of Strauss and Mozart (twice!), and went to the state opera over the next four days in addition to checking out other museums, Christmas markets, and (more) ice skating. I think the thing that I loved most about this city was the food! I definitely overindulged while in this city but that’s what vacation is for, right? It was also so lovely catching up with my friends. I hadn’t seen one of the them in almost two years so we had a lot of catching up to do - she had been on some crazy adventures herself, through Southeast Asia!

With the year coming to a close I had the opportunity to reflect on all that had happened. 2017 was good to me: not only had I moved overseas and started law school but earlier in the year I had learned to ski and was getting more into rock climbing and hiking. I had also reconnected with old friends and made many new ones. I was looking forward to continuing this positive trend and seeing what the New Year had to offer. 

City Hall Christmas Market. The NYE fireworks display went off behind City Hall.

We rang in the New Year with a bottle of Champagne in the City Hall square watching fireworks and dancing to live music. Again, a moment where I had a brief sting of homesickness but also surrealness - I was ringing in the New Year in Vienna! How incredible is that?

From Vienna we travelled 6 hours by train to Bled, Slovenia. Not the first place on everyone's travel list but it definitely should be! I was so pleasantly surprised by this town. It seriously looks like Narnia and that we had walked through the wardrobe upon arriving. The Alps are literally the backdrop to the town and Lake Bled, with its island church, adds to the picturesque landscape. 

View from a look-off we hiked up to. Notice Bled Castle in the background on top of the cliff. 

We spent two days in the town, hiking around the lake and up to the castle. The town isn’t very big but it was nice to just wander around and relax after the sights and sounds of Vienna and London. Bled is very sleepy in comparison. 

Most of the other tourists around are there for the skiing. There are shuttles leaving regularly from the town centre to the ski hill. I noticed that Bled also offers “adventure vacations” in the summer with SUP, canoe and kayaking tours, and white water rafting. Again, not a destination I would consider for an adventure vacation but now that we’d been there I would love to go back and experience that. 

Panoramic of town from Bled Castle. 

After our time in Bled we trained back to Vienna for one final night before parting ways to fly back home. I spent the final days of the break in London. Another friend of mine had moved to London on the 30th and it was great catching up with him before heading back to Canterbury. 

January 2018: Oslo, Norway

Within the first few days back in classes I booked a weekend trip to Oslo with some of the other girls at school. Flights were only £20 round trip! We quickly realized that our flight would be the cheapest thing all weekend. Norway is very expensive in comparison to other places I’ve travelled. That’s not to say that we didn’t have an excellent weekend, just that my original budget for the weekend was severely underestimated. Sorry bank account. 

This is when I’m supposed to justify my actions by yelling YOLO! and saying quotes like “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Regardless, Oslo is a beautiful city and I loved learning about Norse culture and the Viking Age and would love more time to explore this city. Sculptures and paintings depicting Norse mythology are all over the city. We also went to the Viking museum where we got to see three Viking ships, including the world’s best preserved ship. The museum also had countless artefacts and a visual journey through the Viking Age. I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in Oslo.

This picture does not do justice to how large these ships were. Like, look at the rudder! Also notice the carvings on the ship. 

Another highlight of our weekend was Holmenkollen National Arena, which hosts cross-country and biathlon venues as well as Holmenkollbakken, a large ski jumping hill. We venture up to the Arena for what we’ve been told are stunning views of the city and to watch the sun set. However, the day we went, the city is covered in a sea of clouds. The sunset is still spectacular and the arena also has a small museum of the history of the ski jump which was interesting. 

Under that sea of cloud is Oslo.

Other quick highlights from the weekend include seeing the architectural gem The National Opera House, the nightlife of the Grünerløkka district, the Vigeland sculpture park, and the Mathallen food hall. We packed a lot into that weekend! 

Mathallen Food Hall from above. 

Reading Week - February 2018: Warsaw, Poland

I travelled to Warsaw over the Winter reading week in February with two friends for a week-long conference on international commercial and corporate law hosted by ELSA - Warsaw (European Law Students’ Association). While this trip was mostly academic, the organizing committee also scheduled free time for us to explore during some of the days and hosted great social programmes in the evenings.

This was my first academic conference and it did not disappoint. We got to connect with law students from across Europe and engage with lecturers and professionals from around the world.

Warsaw is a beautiful city with a mix of old and new architecture. Fun fact: about 90% of the city was actually rebuilt after the war due to destruction and the modelling of the buildings came from pre-war pictures and paintings.

Entering the old part of the city.

The historic campus of the University of Warsaw is incredible and some of the buildings remind me of Dalhousie University where I did my first undergrad. The university is actually where Chopin studied music! And the law faculty is actually the oldest on campus, founded in 1808. 

On the main gate leading into campus.

The academic program for the week was organized around lectures, panel discussions and debates, and allowed ample opportunity to ask questions. At the end of the week we also got the chance to participate in workshops hosted by local firms. This conference supplemented the material that we’d been learning so far in the company law module at school. 

When not in class we skated at the National Stadium, checked out local nightlife, explored the Jewish Institute and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and went to a gala dinner hosted at the National Library at the end of the week. The week went by a lot faster than we would have liked.

The Supreme Court of Poland. 

March 2018: Stirling, Scotland

Lastly, my most recent trip (end of March), and second major ELSA event for the term, Scotland! I was so excited to go. Another weekend trip, I went with one of the friends I travelled to Warsaw with. We represented our local ELSA group at the National Committees Meeting for all of the UK ELSA groups. We also got to reconnect with some of the participants we had met at the Warsaw conference.

This weekend was a chance for us to meet other local ELSA groups, hear about what they had accomplished over the last academic year, and see their plans for the upcoming year. The University of Stirling group were excellent hosts and the campus was beautiful.    

Though we were based in Stirling for the weekend we also did a day trip to Edinburgh before heading back to Canterbury. Scotland is stunning. There are no other words to describe it. The history, the lush green space and mountains (which was a nice change from the flatness of England), and the people, who were so nice and genuine, made for a fantastic weekend. 

Wondering through old town in Edinburgh.

A part from the committees meeting, we toured Deanston Distillery and did a whiskey tasting paired with chocolate. We also explored Stirling Castle and the town centre. On our day trip to Edinburgh we walked through old town, tried the declared “best haggis in the city”, and went on a tour of Holyrood Palace (Fun fact: this is the official summer residence of the Queen!). I enjoyed Scotland so much and have already booked a trip back to Edinburgh for late August when my brother comes to visit the UK. 

Our whiskey tasting after the tour of the distillery. We were the only two to sign up!

Scotland made me feel like home. Which isn’t that surprising seeing as many families in Nova Scotia have origins in Scotland and in some communities in Cape Breton Gaelic is still commonly spoken. 

Panoramic from Stirling Castle. The weather was unseasonably warm. 

If you made it this far reading about my recent adventures, I thank you for bearing with me as I chose the highlights to mention. I found it hard to keep things short. 

The first year of my degree is quickly coming to an end and I’m honestly so shocked that I’ve already been in the UK for 8 months. I feel like I only just arrived! I’ve definitely been bitten by the travel bug and have started to plan a couple trips for after my exams.    

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Remember, Remember the 5th of November

I’ve gone from no posts in three weeks to two posts in one day!

Anyway, this past weekend I got to partake in the British holiday known as bonfire night or Guy Fawkes day. I didn’t know much about it beforehand other than people telling me that there would be food and music and a large bonfire. Large is an understatement.

The picture does not do justice to just how big this “bonfire” was. When we arrived at the event, which was held in a field a short walk from campus, there was a pile of trees and brush over two-stories high surrounded by a double barricade waiting to be ignited. 

There were lots of families around which was nice to see and there was a DJ and food and sweets and even a few carnival rides. I expected some sort of introduction or eulogy before the lighting of the fire but there was only a crowd countdown and it didn’t take long for the fire to catch. 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fire this big before. The heat was so intense, even after we moved back several metres from the barricades! It was mesmerising though and the crowd just stood and watched as the fire burned. 

After the fire began to burn down there was also a  fireworks display. There have actually been fireworks going off all week throughout the city. They look especially pretty next to the Cathedral which is lit up at night. 

I don’t think I fully appreciated the meaning of this “holiday” but it was a fun way to spend an evening. 

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Reading Week Adventures

I’ve been MIA for the past bit because school has picked up. I’ve started to feel the pressure of readings and class prep and we also had our first assignment due. Anyway, excuses aside, I’ve still had time to travel and explore between my school obligations.

Two weeks ago I travelled to the Netherlands with the International Law Society. We visited the International Criminal Court in the Hague and then some of us stayed behind and travelled on to Amsterdam. The trip was short, leaving on Sunday and returning on Wednesday, but it was nice to leave campus and leave Canterbury, if only for a few days. I also didn’t fully grasp how accessible the rest of Europe is until this trip. Going to the Netherlands we took a coach - only a 6 hour drive. Coming back we flew from Amsterdam to London - less than an hour flight. I’m hoping I can make the most of this proximity over the next two years.

In front of the ICC. Fun Fact: Even though the court is in the Hague it is technically international territory and when you enter the building you’re “leaving” the Netherlands.

Being able to visit this court made me further appreciate the type of trials that take place here. Throughout the tour we listened to recordings of victim’s testimony about the impact the court’s efforts have had on their lives and we learned about the great amount of time and effort it takes for victims to finally receive justice. I’m so glad I was able to secure a ticket for this society event. 

Although I only spent roughly 24 hours in The Hague, I can say it is a beautiful city. I especially liked the architecture. It was also fairly easy to get around from where our hostel was located. Side note, I had my first hostel experience while on this trip and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. 

After the tour of the ICC, a group of us continued on to Amsterdam. We packed a lot into the next two days but it was well worth it and I feel like we only scratched the surface of what this amazing city has to offer. We visited Anne Frank House (which I highly recommend!), the Rijks Museum, and the Heineken Brewery to name a few of our activities.

One of several complimentary pints we enjoyed on our tour of the brewery.

Getting around by foot was also extremely easy in Amsterdam, though be sure to watch out more for bicycles and scooters than cars when crossing the street. I also really enjoyed all of the food I ate while in Amsterdam; there were so many little cafes (not coffeeshops, unless you’re after something else) everywhere with so many pastries and sweets to choose from! The cheese and bread were also unreal. It is incomparable to what we have in Canada. 

For being October it was surprisingly warm in the Netherlands!

These next four weeks are going to be pretty intense with assessments before the Christmas break but the countdown is already on for my next adventures to Austria, Slovenia, and Scotland! I hope everything goes as smoothly as it did for this trip! 

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Canterbury Tales

So I’ve been here for 3 weeks now and I realize that I haven’t said much about Canterbury, the city where the university is located and the place I’ll be calling home for the next 2 years.

Canterbury is so full of history. In the centre of the city is the Cathedral which was founded in 597 A.D., and is the headquarters of the Church of England and Anglican Communion. (Another fun fact is that the Cathedral will be the venue for my convocation in 2019!) 

In addition to the Cathedral, the city is home to two other UNESCO World Heritage sites, St. Augustine’s Abbey and St. Martin’s Church. I’ve only had the chance to explore the Cathedral so far. Lucky for me, admission is free for students. 

What I liked most about the Cathedral was that although it is at the heart of downtown, it doesn’t feel like it. Once you enter the grounds, the chaos of the main strip, High St., disappears. 

Canterbury has a large student population, being home to three universities. My University, the University of Kent, is located just north of the city centre on St. Stephen’s Hill. The university’s quad overlooks the city centre and boasts a beautiful view of the Cathedral. Pictures seriously don’t do it justice. 

Catering to its high student population, I haven’t found things too expensive and there are lots of great pubs and shops to choose from. There’s also always something to do in town. The other weekend the city hosted a four day food and wine festival and the other night hosted a student shopping night. 

Canterbury is also very close to London. It only takes an hour to get there by train. Last Saturday I ventured into London for the first time since arriving. I only had the day so I saw all of the quintessential touristy spots but I feel that I got a good taste for the city and am looking forward to spending more time there. I’m actually going back this Wednesday for a tour of Parliament with one of the law societies from school. 

On my day trip, I was able to meet up with one of my childhood friends who coincidentally moved just outside of London 3 weeks prior to my arrival. It’s so funny how small the world can be. 

Outside of the gates to Buckingham Palace

Because Canterbury is so close to London it will be a great base for the travelling I hope to do while here. 

3 weeks in and I still feel so good about this decision and I’m starting to feel more at home in this beautiful little city every day.

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“Week 0″

It’s funny how all of my worries dissolved as soon as I cleared customs and met a university representative at the arrivals gate. His enthusiasm was contagious as he helped me with my bags and we drove the hour drive to the university. The people who met us at my accommodation were just as excited to be welcoming all the new students to campus. 

As is typical with all universities, this past week was “Fresher’s Week” or “Week 0″ in our timetables. I find this term hilarious. From the time we learn to count as children we’re taught to start at 1. Week 1 in our timetables is when classes and the real work begins so I guess it makes sense to label our welcome week, a time filled with various parties and activities, as 0. Anyway, regardless of its name, this past week was really great and a good start to my time at the university. 

There is a surprisingly large Canadian population on campus, especially in my program. This is reassuring because it means that in the equivalency process for my degree to practice in Canada I will have many people to ask for advice and support. 

The law school hosted a variety of activities to get acquainted with the university and the city centre, in addition to the welcome events scheduled for all first year students to the university. One activity was a trip to Leeds Castle in Maidstone. I think by the end of my time in the UK I will have seen my fair share of castles, to which I have no objections.

Leeds Castle was founded in the 9th century. It was the private property of six of England’s medieval queens and a palace used by Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to give some context to its long history. Since 2001, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain.

This trip was a good way to wrap up the week and a great sneak peek at the history that is literally all around me - something that I’m looking forward to exploring more of. 

This week I will be starting classes and having the chance to sign up for various societies and activities on campus. One that I am most excited for is the university Law Clinic. Local solicitors and barristers volunteer their time each week to offer advice sessions to people in the community who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access legal advice. As law students we’re given the opportunity to participate in these advice sessions and gain first-hand experience.

This week flew by and I was able to see and do so many activities, far too many to write or post about. I had a lot of friends and family asking why I hadn’t been posting pictures or updates. I’m hoping that this week I will establish more of a routine and be able to consistently post about my adventure - sorry fam! 

[pondandpuddlejumping-blog]

#emsinternationaladventure

I guess it’s official. I mean there’s a hashtag so that’s something, right? 

I started planning for this adventure 9ish months ago when I decided to apply to law school in the UK. Up to that point, the past year had already seen its lot of changes. In addition to the trivial changes that accompany a move across the country, I learned a lot about myself - what I am capable of, my resiliency, and what I want to accomplish, both personally and professionally - not to get all philosophical on you (that’s not the point of this blog). In short, my move across the pond seems less daunting thanks to this previous trek across the country.

I leave tomorrow on what I’ve been (repeatedly) told is going to be “the best experience of my life” and I couldn’t be more excited. I was more organized for this move and have had my bags packed since the beginning of the week, (instead of frantically trying to decide how many pairs of shoes to take with me the night before) much to my parents’ delight. 

To say the next two years will be exciting is an understatement. I feel confident about this decision and am looking forward to seeing where this adventure takes me - both in my experiences at school and travelling abroad.

First stop: