I'm going to bore you slightly with travel details from Mondays flights just because surprisingly I arrived at Portland Airport right on time! I'm a bit of a worrier sometimes and having to cross New York city between flights was my major "I'm going to miss my connection" worry. But I didn't so all is good! Unfortunately three of the other Keele people did miss their connection in Pennsylvania, but they got here all okay a few hours later. Good times! The best bit of all the travelling was going in to shameful tourist mode in the back of a yellow cab in New York and taking pictures of road signs and a laundromat. Funnily enough though I didn't see a single McDonald's or Starbucks (see the little sticking tongue out face here)
So after being awake for too many hours and travelling across the ocean and Canada (I love the GPS maps on the plane) I finally arrived in Maine and was taken to the Residence Hall. Everyone I had met including some other international students from South Korea and Japan were super nice and friendly and a really great laugh. Now I was honestly planning on unpacking straight away, but I was invited out in to Portland by my room mate and so the unpacking possibly didn't get done (read definitely didn't).
The room is actually really cool! I'm in a four person suite with a lounge/mini kitchen area, bathroom ad four single rooms. I've only met one of my room mates so far (the other two move in this weekend) and she's super nice! I see a win win situation here. And the weird (in a good way) thing is that she goes to Winchester University in England. So basically despite being tired Monday was awesome!
On to Tuesday! I can hear you all groaning now but bear with me, we have pictures to come!!! Tuesday was a free day and all the international students that had arrived (about twelve of us) went in to the nearest town to have a look around as it was a free day. The biggest thing that I noticed about Gorham was the fact that there seemed to be the American flag everywhere! Seriously, every other telephone pole had one and people had them from their houses and in parking lots too. It was sooo patriotic and a stark contrast to the UK. I may have slightly chuckled at the thought of Union Jacks being presented in the same way.
We had our first American fast food experience too at the Burger King store where I meal was about £2.50 and the drinks had free refills. Now the soda machine was clearly the best invention ever. Over 100 drinks with amazing concoctions such as orange coke and neon pink raspberry sprite. I have vowed to somehow try every single on of these drinks....somehow! We followed that with a visit to the grocery store to just stock up on water/soda, cereal and toiletries. We then got together for a kick about in the car park behind the Hall...well the boys did, we girls just sat on the grass and watched/ogled them.
Glossing over dinner we played an American board game "Apples to Apples" with one of our RA's (Resident Assistants) Funnest. Game. EVER! It's sort of difficult to explain but needless to say it was a barrel of laughs and then some! Then its gets super boring cause we all went to bed.
Nearly over, I promise! Wednesday and we did campus tour etc in the morning and choosing the all important meal plan! Mmmm food. In the afternoon however we took an afternoon trip to Portland and did some super touristy things. Taking pictures and shopping in awesome shops called "Cool as a Moose", as in a moose with sunglasses....yeah it's THAT good!
I'm going to put in some pictures to finish off and nice little captions to boot! Yeah. I'll be back again to bore you to death in another couple weeks but I hope you will be back! :D CIAO!!!
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| All Study Abroaders at USM this year! |
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| Keele Study Abroaders outside Irish pub Gritty's! |
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| Portland city centre |
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| The marina/port of Portland |
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