Everything is falling into place!  I have moved into (and organized/decorated) my “permanent” room.  I know what classes I am taking this semester.  I have my “Freshers” wristband and am ready to party (or maybe more accurately stated, watch others party).  And, most importantly, I have made lots of friends!

            Going to a foreign country is both exhilarating and terrifying.  But, an all-new experience is made entirely less frightening with good friends.  There are so many people on campus!  It is a much bigger University that NWOSU.  Of course, many students are native to the UK, but many are International Students, like me.

            I have never been an International Student before.  Others have always been the ones to have accents.  My vocabulary has always been standard.  But here, I am experiencing an entirely different culture.  It amazes me how many people there are in the world!  Just today, I met someone from Turkey, someone from France, someone from England, someone from Finland, and someone from Canada.  Each of these people has had separate unique lives, have families, strengths and weaknesses, pains and joys.  I suppose the word I am looking for is “sonder”.  I am currently filled with a great sense of sonder.  I have never considered myself an overly self-centered person, but I also don’t necessarily often think outside the borders of my friends, town, state, or even country. 

            I don’t know that this seeming preoccupation with one’s own area is wrong, and is in fact probably very good as that selfsame preoccupation is what allows one to form bonds.  But focusing only on what is visible either in front of you or on the news truly limits the world, or at least one’s perception of it.

            I am not saying I have a solution for this.  I don’t.  I could study a hundred years in every university on earth and still not fully grasp the different cultures and peoples represented in them, but I want to understand.  I want to experience life and all that it has to offer.  I want to look back at this time and say with confidence that I “didn’t waste a minute.”  This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I intend to take advantage of every minute of it. 

            Just some end of the week thoughts.  God bless, and have a good night!

My room!