A Day in the Life of a Master(s) of Education

I've been thinking about the future a lot lately (probably to ignore the present, but that's a story for another time) and it has dawned on me I should make another bucket list. My bucket lists are things I'd like to accomplish but won't be super down on myself if I don't. More like a life wish list. This will probably be updated again but for now, here we go: Travel to each continent (Africa, Mainland Asia & South America left) Learn to ride a motorcycle Visit every Disney Park in the world Attend an Olympics Have an office (which I can decorate however I'd like) Become a flight attendant/work for an airline Learn another language and be proficient (American Sign Language, Spanish or French) Own a old Jeep or Mini Cooper or any car made between 1970 & 1998 Go to San Diego Comic Con or New York Comic Con Take a Disney Cruise, hopefully to Alaska Update Jan 2019: I mentioned in this original post that I would probably update...

Things I will miss about living in England: •Walkers Cheese & Onion Crisps •Knowing exactly what something cost, taxes included •Using coffee night/wine night as prees in the Common Room before a night out with the girls...or turning it into our own party •All night study sessions in the David Wilson Library, especially in the Graduate Reading Room •Travelling to just about anywhere with ease on the cheap •Popping down to London within a couple of hours •Open containers and having a beer in the park on a nice day •Meeting up with so many friends, some I haven't seen in years •Having a pint at the pub •Primark •Grocery delivery •Weatherspoons, especially The Corn Exchange •A kebab & cheesy chips from AJs after a long night at the library •Playing quidditch (even in the snow) in Victoria Park •Leicester's Curry Mile •Quick trips in to town that turn into adventures ...

Munich:   Salzburg:   Budapest: Prague:     Dresden:       Amsterdam:                  

There's been ups and downs and I've almost reached the finish line. Just wanted to pop in and say EuroTrip 2018 has been a great way to finish up my time in the UK. The plan was to stay in the UK until mid-September but as they say...best laid plans. Due to a turn of events, I'll be heading back home sooner than originally thought so I booked a EuroTrip with some of my friends as a send off to my time here. The trip included 5 countries (The Netherlands, Germany, The Czech Republic, Hungary & Austria) and 6 cities. Of those, 5 were totally brand new to me. As per usual I do 2-3 things in every country I  have visited since I first studied abroad in Italy back in 2007... 1) Drink beer/wine/liquor 2) Eat McDonalds 3) Purchase a button. When I travelled to Italy for the first time, I learned the drinking age was 18 and also to love wine. To this day I still appreciated the fact that I bought amazing red wine in a juice box while there. I still talk about it as well. I...

So it seems as though I've only been in the UK for a few months but actually it's been almost 9 months. In that time, I've traveled more than I have in my life, made friends from all over the world and really started to appreciate that I have the best network of family and friends anyone could have. As my time here comes closer to its end, I could not be any happier that I took this leap. I wasn't sure it would be worth it to leave the life I had setup for myself and the path I was dedicated to but these last few months have helped me grow so much. I honestly believe I am a better person than I was when I got here, for all the trials, tribulations and triumphs. Here are a few pics of my latest UK adventures, looking forward to see what is next.

Several weeks ago I was suffering from a case of homesickness. Thankfully that has mostly dissipated. One of the ways that helped was travelling. In the last month or so I have been to Edinburgh, Scotland; Alnwick, Northumberland, England; York, England; Dublin, Ireland; Belfast, Ireland; St. Austell, Cornwall, England & Cardiff, Wales. For those of you following at home that means I've seen every country that makes up the United Kingdom. What a trip. In Scotland, it snowed but I got to eat in the restaurant where J.K. Rowling wrote much of the Harry Potter Series. In Alnwick, I had the chance to visit a poison garden, cross the sea at low tide to visit The Holy Island and take broomstick flying lessons at Alnwick Castle (the Hogwarts Castle in the first two films). In York, I was able to stroll the Shambles which served as the modern day Diagon Alley and also attend a Sunday service at York Minister. Dublin and Cardiff gave me the opportunity to party and dance all night with ...