It's been nearly two weeks since my return from vacation. With jet lag and the inevitable happy/sad of post-vacation life, I've been a bit mopey. Life is tumultuous right now, full of looming changes and big decisions while somehow still feeling static and stagnant.

​When I look at the pictures below, they remind me of a time when I was possibly at my healthiest, The landscape inspired me to run, I wanted to go out and run just so I could see that bridge, feel the cool crisp air, hear the animals. These pictures remind me that even if I feel static and stagnant now, it doesn't mean I always will. It's possible that within a few months I'll be back by the river, running, inhaling all the beauty, exhaling all the bad. 

They remind me that not only is it okay to be alone, but it can be downright pleasant. I was possibly at my healthiest because I wasn't distracted by a bunch of things. I spent time really working on myself mentally and physically. Meanwhile, at home, being alone feels like there's a growing bubble in my chest that can burst at any moment. It's funny how perspectives can change. I need to keep in mind how I felt alone abroad and how I feel here. They can be similar, it's just in how I look at things.

These pictures remind me that even though certain things are always there (the trees, river, and plants), they are always changing. Even the buildings, though they look as if they are unmoving, static, even those will change with each season. I may feel stagnant, but like the trees, the river, the plants, there are small changes happening to me. Right now. It just might take a while to see or feel that change.

​It was really nice to visit again and have some good lonely times at the Stour.

Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad,

​Dacy

I should have updated while I was gone. I even took my laptop with me, but honestly didn't use it much at all. There was a lot of down time (like when I laundered all my pants at once and couldn't leave the house till they were dry), but there were also days that just flew by. Most of the time I felt so tired from train rides, walking, absorbing the cold, and being inwardly delirious with happiness. 

I forgot the simple joy of drinking ice cold water from the tap (and it tastes good!). Or looking out the window into a lush garden (even in winter the lawns are a vibrant green). I forgot how glorious the clouds can be, how open the fields can be, and how good their salt and vinegar sticks are. I forgot how nice it is to not have to add tax to anything- the price is the price and that's it. So easy. I forgot how good the bread is and that they keep their eggs at room temperature. I didn't actually forget any of this, but it was such a treat to soak it all up again. 

I had homemade scones for the first time (and they were delicious!). I had so many good meals, both home cooked and from restaurants. I walked and ran by the Stour. I took pictures. I saw old friends, made new friends, and got to know friends of friends better. I am spoiled by all the goodness.

But now I'm back home and despite the inevitable sadness of vacation ending, I am ready to sleep in my own bed and cuddle my dog. 

I have pictures from before I left and pictures from my trip. Those shall be posted in due time. Here's just a few for now.

Till next time,

Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad,

​Dacy

Well, this broad is broke. No joke. I've been back for a good few months now and it's mostly been me catching up on responsibilities and getting back into the swing of working. I'm lucky to have a job to come back to and a steady paycheck. My job has always been so good to me. 

While I wouldn't change anything about my study abroad, there are obvious parts of my experience where I could have been more frugal, whether it was groceries or eating out or even travel expenses. But even the splurges were balanced out by penny-pinching, like taking a 12 hour coach ride from Canterbury to Amsterdam or squeezing into a 12 person dorm room that felt more like a prison than a hostel in London. In retrospect anything can be done better, but poor decisions and mistakes are bound to happen. It is what it is and you get what you get.

I could say that something like Glastonbury was an unnecessary expense, and before I went I did feel guilty about spending the money. Yet, the experience of going to one of the most well known British music festivals was well worth the money. Not just because of the amazing time I had, but because it was genuinely one of the most British things I did while in England. I saw a lot of UK bands, spent the entire weekend with a fun bunch of Brits, and even experienced the inevitable combo of rain and sun and mud. Like the perfect cup of English Breakfast tea, I was steeped in British culture. 

Study Abroad was also educationally important, as I was given the chance to experience a different method of teaching. I took a Literature and a Creative Writing class, both of which operated in a manner I was unaccustomed to, but quickly adapted to and enjoyed. There is a considerable amount of independence involved in the Literature classes. Rather than spend weeks discussing one book, as was my experience in undergrad American universities, the UK system went through about a novel a week plus essays to emphasize critical points. It was up to the students to pick and choose the topics of interest and to conduct more in depth research to bring their own input to class.

All the travel, all the late nights with cheap wine, every pound I spent, I don't regret. I met some wonderfully unique and interesting people and made lifelong friends. It was all worth it and I would go broke all over again if the opportunity arose. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone without hesitation.

Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad,
Dacy

Oh, you know, just a couple pictures from a roll of black and white film I shot in January. It's only taken the entirety of my stay in England + a month or two since I've been back to develop, but no big whoop. It's done, right?

I'm getting close to being done with all my film photos and that is so sad. Having these photos to go through makes the transition back to reality all the more bearable. I get to have all the little moments again. Sigh. Until next time.

Your Broad (No Longer) Abroad,

Dacy

Sadly, this photo is missing Frankie, the final hilarious housemate. It's also blurry. Still it'll be a reminder of how fantastic my housemates are and all the good times we've shared. 

Douglas with his strange love for hypotheticals and obsession with ice cream will always be my British Veronica Mars partner. Amelie still gets to be my bud cause she hopped across the pond and is back in Long Beach as well. The experience would have likely been so different without her. I probably would never have met these people because I would not have had the balls to show up in England without a place to live. And Jack will always be my grocery/cooking pal, chauffeur, and Glastonbury tent mate. So many good times even if a lot of them were just in our kitchen or sitting on a bed watching tv with wine or cider. 

The housemates will be/are already missed. Good times. Good good times. 

It's almost appropriate that this picture is blurry. I've been back in the States for barely a week and already the whole experience feels a dream, a lovely surreal stay in the beauty of temperate England. I would definitely go back and work/live in England. 

Your Broad (no longer) Abroad,

Dacy

A few weeks back I posted pictures of my housemates Amelie and Jack. Douglas was excluded simply because his photo was taken on a roll of 35mm slide film and there was about a 2-3 week wait for it to be developed and scanned. Anywho, here he is appreciating a cup of tea and that lovely English sun!

Your Broad Abroad,

Dacy

I wish I could get a good picture of my favorite part of Spring in the UK- the swirling, floating, drifting petals, leaves, and cotton puff pollen. I thought just being here and enjoying the birds and scenery during the winter was a beautiful thing, but then spring came around. 

The first signs of spring came with the neighbor's tree sprouting soft small petals and the perpetual breeze blowing through Canterbury ensured a steady flutter of white and lightly pink petals. More trees sprouted green leaves and those were plucked and blown by the wind to spin and drift in the air. 

And, possibly most magical of all, are the puffs of cotton-like seeds (from a tree I can't identify) whirling in the wind along the Great Stour River. My first encounter with these magical puffs of reproduction was on a run and at first there were just a few floating along in front of me. And there were little piles of puff lining the pathway and as I ran, more and more of these puffs came eddying towards me. It's a good thing I like to look up often, because when I did look up it was a delight to see the air above me just buzzing with puffs.

I know it's a part of nature that happens all over the world, even in California, but this broad comes from urban/suburban roots and there isn't much swirling of anything in the wind. There's also the magic of witnessing seasons in a different country that I'm sure is fueling my joy. I've witnessed these puffs in both Amsterdam and Hannover, and it was just as captivating.

But enough with the rambling, I've got coffees to drink and pictures to take.

Your Broad Abroad,

Dacy