So, I made it to Lancaster University, suitcase somehow in hand. I waited a mere ten minutes at the baggage carousel in the Manchester Airport before my blue-tagged, purple bag came down the shoot, and I felt an instant sense of relief. That relief somehow stayed with me as I caught a train to the Lancaster station and a taxi to the school.
When I finally entered my room, I was tired, sore, and ready to pass out. Not much has changed since then, but in this very rare instance, I’m pretty happy to be this exhausted.
Lancaster University’s International Summer Programme (or ISP, as us hip kids call it) has been a heckin’ wild ride. With four US credits worth of material packed into four weeks, we did tons of work in a short period of time, and even though it was well-structured, the exhaustion began to set in around week two.
The first week was simple, with an annotated bibliography due the following Monday. Simple, it was just an introduction to the weird MHRA form of citations. MHRA is, for lack of desire to use better terms, a struggle. It’s like a cross between MLA and Chicago, but without enough similarities to either style for this MLA-loving American to remember. Will any of my papers this semester be properly cited? Maybe by finals, folks.
The following week, we had a group presentation (the absolute bane of my existence, following me across the globe, the murder of kernel-starved crows to my sweet, sweet corn crop) due on Monday, September 5 – my birthday. Micah and I still celebrated that night, salvaging what could have otherwise been a not lit night, and brought in my 21st year of existence the right way, at our favorite local pub, The Crafty Scholar.
The next week, the 40%-of-your-grade-so-don’t-screw-it-up essay was due, and I diligently worked on it for the latter half of the work week and all of the weekend while also taking the occasional curly fry break. Curly fries may have been my primary source of nutrition last weekend, but the good news is that I ate, and that’s a step up from my normal essay-writing habits. I may not have slept much, but that’s whatever at this point in my academic career.
And, finally, last Friday, the ISP came to a close with our ninety minute final exam. After weeks of jet lag, getting up early for lectures, staying up late to work, and somehow forcing out the motivation to spend a few hours studying after field trips, I am ready for the upcoming two weeks of relaxation.
So far, I’ve started to chill just enough to feel revived. Saturday, we went to breakfast at this awesome vegetarian cafe then walked around town for a bit. Today, I slept until I remembered what it felt like to feel awake, then I drank some chocolate soy milk out of a flamingo sippy cup I bought at Sainsbury’s (it’s non-spill! That’s a smart purchase for me).
All is relatively well in Siannaville, even if it is cold, devoid of Jimmy Johns, and far, far away from home.