Victoria Obisesan
UMBC Exchange: Newcastle University
Major: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pre-Departure Post #1
Hey Everyone!
My name is Victoria Obisesan and I am a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I am sitting on my couch writing this post only a few hours before I leave for the airport and head off to Newcastle. I have a connecting flight from Dublin to Newcastle which I find exciting because I have always wanted to see Ireland and even if it’s from the Dublin airport today, I’ll take it!
Since being introduced to the Education Abroad Office my freshman year, I have wanted to go abroad. My cousin went to France for a semester and she loved it, so I wanted to give it a try as well. I quickly realized that I needed to plan way in advance since I did not want to fall behind in my chemistry courses since I can only take them in the U.S. as I was told by my advisor who then set me up on a plan to take all of Organic Chemistry and finish ASL during the Summer 2025 sessions. While it was extremely stressful going from school to work nearly every single day, I am grateful that I saw it through and can now travel without the fear of having to catch up!
Originally, I was between three universities for the exchange program. I had wanted to go to Japan with my friend Maranna, who is there right now so shout-out to her and go check out her blog posts! However, my major would not fit well there. So that left me between Newcastle University and the University of Galway. I think what really pushed me towards Newcastle was the ability to go watch a Premier League game. Especially since Newcastle United’s stadium is about a 10-minute walk from campus and I have enjoyed playing soccer, or I mean football,l my whole life. I even joined the Women’s Soccer Club here, which I think more people should try out for, it’s loads of fun yet still competitive.
That being said, I am really going to miss my schedule. Knowing I would see my friends three times a week at practice, during classes, or just run into them on campus. We could easily meetup in the dorms or after classes and the fact that I won’t be able to experience that for about 4 and a half months is crazy to me.
I am quite nervy about the flight and just studying abroad in general. This will be my first flight since 2019, my first ever flight alone and to Europe for that matter, which I cannot tell if I am more excited or nervous for. So much preparation since the application time until now has gone into this experience.
This past weekend, leading up to my departure, has been full of me hanging out with friends, finishing my packing (just finished it today), and doing my hair. I have been doing my hair since forever, but it feels like it does not get any easier. Hours upon hours are spent braiding, but I am especially proud of how it turned out this time since I opted for a boho style. I set up in the bathroom and surprisingly my friend Jesse came by to help me and keep me company while I did my hair! It took me about a whole day to do but I think it was worth it. Within Saturday and Sunday, I went ice skating, had dinner with friends, went to the mall twice in one day, visited my friend at her job, and made a snow angel in said friend’s front yard! It wasn’t until late Sunday night that I finally returned back to my house and said a final and quite saddening goodbye to my friends which I will have to repeat in just a few hours to my family before I embark on this journey.
Well, that is all for now, thanks for keeping up with me and talk to you later!
In-Country Post #1
Hey UMBC!
It’s Victoria again and I have so many exciting experiences to share with you after being in Newcastle for two weeks now!
Starting from takeoff, the flight was nice since it was practically empty so I had a whole row to myself and the view from the window was gorgeous. My second flight was in a smaller plane and it was with four other international students that were coming to study at Newcastle as well! The Meet-and-Greet program was very nice since they provided transportation to the university and also leads me to my first culture shock. Well, I knew this already, but seeing cars driving on the left for some reason threw me for a loop. My whole first week, I kept looking left then right to cross the road when I should have been looking right then left. Also, if anyone asks if I almost got hit, the answer is no (the car was closer than I’d like).
Orientation day came and all I had to navigate from my accommodation to the campus was my eSIM, google maps, and my friend Katherine that I had connected with before the trip through our mutual friend! I met students from all over and we had coffee in The Grand, a coffee shop next to campus. The interior was cozy and full of our energy since we took up about a third of those in the shop. This here is where I met Alex, also from UMBC, and Katie who lives in my flat!
After orientation was when the adventure really began. With only three more days before we start school again, we did everything we could to explore. First priority was food. We had some bomb Indian cuisine after orientation and I can not stress enough how good it was, every bite was worth it. We decided it was time to grocery shop and found a Tesco Express nearby and bought a few supplies to last us until we could figure out the metro or bus to Aldi that weekend. Seeing everything in GBP instead of USD was another small shock since I had to keep converting the price of each item to see if it was reasonable, but I think I got the hang of it now.
By Saturday we were on the metro to Aldi and I must say, the metro in Newcastle was cleaner than the D.C. lines I have been on, I know, shocker. The metro here also has a deal for those who are 21 and under to get a Pop Blue card where a single ride is only £1 which equates to about $1.37. The walk back from the metro was highlighted by a pleasant stroll through Leazes Park where all kinds of birds littered the area.
Every Sunday, next to the River Tyne the Quayside Market takes place. I had gone with Alex and Katherine and we ended up only buying food. The food was great and the red velvet cupcake I bought was about the size of my hand and delicious. On our way back to our flats, we could hear St. James Stadium since the game against Aston Villa was underway. The closer we got to the outside of the stadium the louder the booming voices of those inside grew. I pulled out my phone to watch the game, and even though there was about a minute delay between my streaming service and the shouts from the stadium we found it quite fun to hear what happened before finally seeing what happened.
It isn’t until Wednesday I received my finalized set of classes for the semester. I ended up taking Physics, Genetics, Philosophy, and Psychology courses and even made a friend in my Philosophy class which dives into Aesthetics and what art and beauty mean. The people on campus are nice and my first week went by smoothly. The campus is quite large, at least compared to UMBC, and I learned very quickly that I would need all the given transition time between classes. I also learned that the word “Cheers” is said at the end of nearly every interaction I have had. I assume it means thank you but I have also been told “Thank you, Cheers” so I am not exactly sure. I might ask someone.
A few highlights of the past two weeks include me going to the Hancock Museum next to campus, watching Newcastle vs. Liverpool in the pub, walking across the Gateshead tilting bridge, going out with friends, getting ramen, going grocery shopping, and just hanging out with my flatmates. I also keep in touch with all my family and friends back home through WhatsApp which has definitely calmed my nerves about being so far away from home.
Well, thanks once again for tuning into my blog, see you guys later!
In-Country Post #2
Hello UMBC!
I hope your first few weeks back have been good, now it’s time to tell you some more about my time here.
My classes so far have been going quite well. I had two lab sessions for my Genetics class where we performed PCR followed by Gel Electrophoresis to see if the DNA samples we were given matched. It was honestly quite fun and the lab itself was pretty laid back. I also have been enjoying my Electromagnetism course since our professor always brings out devices and machinery to demonstrate the concepts we are learning!
Taking our sights to nature, we explored Jesmond, a nearby suburb, last week and even visited a thrift shop our friend Katherine found for us. The walk was peaceful and seeing the architecture along the way was nice. The thrift store itself was full of items to choose from. Although I did not buy anything, Katherine bought this stylish necklace that she put on immediately after leaving the shop. Then, later that week after classes, we took the bus back to Jesmond Dene to visit the petting zoo within the park. The weather was a bit wet so some of the animals stayed in their houses, but we did see peacocks, pigs, numerous species of birds, and goats! I had also caught a nasty bug at this time so I had a rough week fueled by a constant runny nose and lingering cough, but being outside felt a lot better than staying indoors.
To clear up my sinuses, I ended up getting Pho for the first time with Alex and Katie later that same day. I made sure to get it spicy and it was delicious. Definitely going to get it again soon.
After another week of school behind us, the weekend finally reared its head and a trip to Durham for a few hours was planned! Our train tickets were bought and all we had to do was navigate the station, which by the way was a lot larger than I was expecting. The train ride took about 10 minutes and the scenery along the way was beautiful. Every time I thought the foliage can’t get any greener it continued to amaze me. It must be the constant rain keeping all the grasses so green, although, that day was one of those lucky days we had some sun for a bit. After getting off on our stop, we descended from the station into the city where we stopped by Greggs for a snack before sitting in front of the Durham Cathedral for a few minutes. The Durham Cathedral and Castle are right across from one another so it made transitioning between both fairly easy. We never actually toured the Castle since we did not buy tickets but it looked gorgeous from what we could see.
The Durham Cathedral itself was grand and jaw-dropping. The exterior and interior left us questioning how on earth people built it, beyond impressive. It was also nice to visit the cloister where some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed. After leaving the Cathedral, we walked through the city and came across an ongoing market before settling in a café for tea and coffee. We bought food and our adventure was soon over with a final uphill trek back to the train station which was very lively since a home game in Newcastle was to be played soon.
This week so far came with a visit to the Hancock Museum which is arguably on campus. They have a Planetarium which I plan on going back for since I have not been in a while.
About three minutes away from the museum is Claremont Teahouse where we spent brunch this past Sunday. I got a sandwich and fries while my companions both got Full English breakfasts, with one being vegetarian. We all enjoyed our meals and plan on going again in the future where I think I will be open to finally trying the Full English.
Jumping back in time to the Super Bowl, even though it went on late for us in the UK, staying up for Bad Bunny’s performance was worth it. The ads were lacking this year, and I must admit that the Crypto ad that had us doing karaoke to the Backstreet Boys got us good. The game felt a bit slow and watching abroad was a bit hard since the TV version didn’t have the exact sequence of ads because we weren’t in the US. To combat this, we had the Super Bowl pulled up on the TV, Alex’s computer, and my phone. Both of our devices were pulled up for the purpose of watching the ads, so anytime an ad break ran, we’d raise my phone’s volume to watch the ads before lowering it again and shifting out focus back to the TV since my phone was slightly ahead in gameplay.
Once again, thank you for reading my blog and we plan on going to the beach this weekend so stay tuned for more about that experience!
In-Country Post #3
Welcome back UMBC!
Spring is right around the corner and I honestly can’t wait for the sun to set later. I heard that you guys back home got some impromptu snow…that’s unfortunate, the weather here has been sunny and quite nice recently.
Picking up right where we left off, I did in fact go to the beach, specifically Tynemouth Beach. I took the metro with Alex and we were dropped off in the middle of the Tynemouth Market which is open Saturday and Sundays. The market itself was huge and lively with a wide variety of shops and food options. After walking around the market and exploring the booths, we left for the beach. It was about 10 minutes out and required numerous steps to get down to the water. I myself am not a fan of stairs at all, merely because of how uneven they can be and my fear of falling on them. A little lame, I know. But the sand on the stairs made them slippery so I took a little extra caution on my way down.
The water was freezing. I still don’t understand how some people were comfortably swimming with it being that cold. I had just gone to rinse the sand off my hand and could barely withstand the temperature. 
The dogs on the beach though were having the time of their lives. Swimming, playing fetch, and digging holes in the sand, it was fun to see what they got up to. We eventually had to leave the beach and head back to the market to get food before heading back to our flats. Eating a chicken gyro for the first time while walking around the other unexplored half of the market was the perfect way to end our journey there.
Classes and school days have been moving faster recently. Time is sneaking up on me and I can’t believe that in a little over two weeks the long-awaited spring break will be here. On a spontaneous decision, most likely induced by this realization and some online inspiration, I took my hair out and tinted it a red-brown color since I was afraid of bleach and developer. It turned out pretty good considering how it is most visible in the sunlight because my hair is too dark for it to turn out as pigmented as the bottle shows.
So far, I have had a physics assignment and just finished my genetics homework which required me to write a discussion section about our lab results, take a short exam, and provide anonymous feedback for my peer’s discussion they submitted.
Besides the few assignments, my week was relaxed. For the past three weeks, going on four now, I have been going to the gym with Katherine and Alex. Before coming, I had convinced myself a membership was not necessary since I would be walking a lot. While I do walk everywhere, I am glad I was convinced to get one because going to the gym as a group makes the most unbearable tasks miles better.
Speaking of unbearable tasks, remind me to never hike Arthur’s Seat without proper footwear again since that uphill trek was treacherous. Our Sunday trip up to Edinburgh, Scotland was wonderful really. Took the early train, arrived around 11, and started out from there. Walking uphill for an extended period of time is never easy, but what made it that much worse was that the path was a bit muddy, so I kept slipping in my ‘half a size too big’ boots. I like to think that had I been wearing my running shoes the traction would have been better, but I really don’t know. What I do know is that with running shoes my feet would not have hurt as much as they did after walking for hours in my boots. Must have to do with a difference in sole flexibility. Otherwise, the rest of the day went off without a hitch and made for a nice transition into the new week.
This new week was highlighted by a gathering for Alex’s 21st birthday! We helped her set up the common area and bought the Connie Caterpillar cake for her, per what we were told is considered tradition. To my surprise, Alex also shares this day with my friend Johana back home who just turned 20! So of course I had to wish her a happy 20th birthday! The next day we attended our friend Brooke’s first gig with her band T-shirt. It was in Jesmond right by the thrift shop we walked to some weeks back. The venue was cozy and operated on a “donate what you feel” policy which was cool to see. The band’s performance was amazing and I am currently awaiting an invite to their next gig.
These past two weeks have been interesting and I honestly do not know what is up next, but be sure to find that out next time on my blog! See you later 🙂
In-Country Post #4
Hey UMBC and welcome back to my blog!
I think my karma for making fun of the fluctuating weather in Maryland came back to bite me because our week of warm weather was ambushed by a week a misery. I can deal with the cold, I can deal with the rain, but what I can not deal with is this UK wind! There is no direction to the wind here, it can come from any angle and it really picks up speed on the path to my accommodation since I am surrounded by so many tall buildings. But after last week, this week so far has been very pleasant.
Retracing my steps, last week I had the pleasure of meeting Katie’s friend Ella from the University of Vermont! The three days Ella was in Newcastle consisted of us showing her around town, Grainger Market, Tynemouth Beach, and campus. At the Grainger Market she bought her first leather coat from this vintage shop! It was so nice and a steal for sure. We took a detour on the walk back to the flat since the weather was quite nice, making time to stop at Leazes Park Lake and walk around admiring the blooming flowers and the flocking birds. After dropping off all our stuff, we took Ella to Tynemouth Beach before it got too dark. The beach was quiet since there weren’t nearly as many people as the last time I came.
Throughout the day, I noticed numerous people in Barcelona jerseys which reminded me of the Champions League game that was to be played at St. James’ Park. To provide Ella with the full experience, we took her to watch the game in Luther’s, which is an on-campus food spot. The atmosphere was amazing, especially after Newcastle scored, but a little soured when Barcelona converted a penalty kick for a last-minute equalizer. That night we had to say our goodbyes to Ella since she would be heading up to Edinburgh with Katie for a few more days before heading back to North America.
The rest of my week was relaxing, majorly categorized by completing some physics homework, which was a few practice problems in the Numbas lockdown app.
With my old style taken out and allowing my hair to breathe for almost two weeks, I made the step to actually do my hair before our spring break comes around. So, early Sunday morning, I began braiding my hair, which was extra hard since I did not have a spare handheld mirror that I could use to see the back of my head. What I can’t see can’t hurt me so the parts at the back of my head are not my business. That same night Katherine had a bus ride up to London to meet with her friend from UMBC coming to visit for spring break! Alex and I ubered with her to the stop just to make sure we saw her off. After getting back around 1 Monday morning, I finally finished my hair, curled the ends, and went to bed.
After my classes did not come rest, but a search for a green shirt I can wear for St. Patty’s which was the next day. Nearly every store in the mall did not have what I was desperately looking for. I finally managed to find a top…in the early teens section. A little tight around the arms, but it fit! A little off topic, but one thing I noticed about the stores around Newcastle is that they like art, so I always see something on the walls or spraypainted on the way to the bathroom. This time I saw Goku.
With Monday’s stress out the way, I woke up early to see Alex off before she left to take the train up to London to pick-up her friend, Ava, also from UMBC, from the airport. Their train back up to Newcastle was delayed due to “signal failure”, but even with the delay they were still back in time for us to get ready together before heading out to celebrate the holiday.
An impromptu decision to buy a train ticket up to Edinburgh and join Alex and Ava this Thursday was made whilst getting ready, so stay tuned to see how this second trip and the rest of these two weeks will pan out!
In-Country Post #5
Good morning UMBC!
The first two weeks into my spring break have come and gone, now it’s time to fill you in.
Edinburgh with Alex and Ava was nice! Our train that Thursday morning was very early and I decided, for some horrible reason, to practically stay up all night doing work so I would not fall asleep and miss the train. I, of course, slept on the train to be recharged for the lengthy walk around Edinburgh, which was just as lovely as the first time we went. Alex, Ava, and I even managed to find the people who take and print your photo for free on a newspaper sheet. He took numerous poses so we each chose our favorite from the three he printed for us.
Coming back down to Newcastle, we met up with Katherine and her friends who were also visiting from UMBC! It was like one huge crossover episode where your friend’s friends meet your friends, if that makes any sense. But we stayed up until very early talking and got lunch the next day at Dakwala again for the lunch deal. It was delicious, if you get the chance, go there! Yet, after lunch was also the time we had to say goodbye to Alex and Ava as they went up to see London before Ava flew back.
Still in Newcastle, Josh, Beth, Mwende, Katherine and I spent the three days we had together going out, getting food, and becoming accustomed to the city. The 2 AM shawarma run was a success since they enjoyed their wrap but like all good things, it comes to an end. Three days in a row we said our goodbyes, first to Mwende, then Beth, and finally Josh, all returning to UMBC. Yet, this sparked the beginning of our spring break journey.
For some reason I came without a cabin luggage bag so I had to quickly buy one on Amazon in preparation for this journey. Also, for context, Josh left the same day we did, just earlier that morning whereas we would takeoff at 7 PM. Now you are probably wondering, how on Earth did you find time to pack, I didn’t. I stress packed around 1 AM the day of our flight because I realized I hadn’t started packing to live out of my suitcase, and backpack, for a whole month! I managed to do laundry, clean, and finish packing right as we had to leave for the airport, which we opted to arrive nearly three hours early for. To our surprise it was not busy at all so going through security was a breeze.
The flight to Faro was full, but overall, it was good. We landed and headlined for our hostel where we would spend six nights at. The city was quite small and we managed to walk and see everything we wanted to within two, almost one day. We were especially excited, and in shock, to see the Chapel of Bones. Later on, we booked a train up to Lagos which was gorgeous. It was hot and the sand felt so nice underneath our feet. Finally, a drastic change to the wet and windy UK weather. The next day we booked a van tour that took us to the Algar Seco Park, Boneca Cave, Benagil Cave, and Marinha Beach. We were shown the most gorgeous views and climbed the rocky trail in Algar Seco before driving to the Benagil Cave where we saw it from above. We finally settled at the Marinha Beach where cats roamed the area before finally heading back to Faro. After all that action we had two rest days where we just relaxed, ate, and later on went to Faro Beach.
We eventually had to say goodbye to Faro and hop on our flight to Madrid. Alex’s friend and former UMBC exchange student, Carolina is from Spain, so we got to meet her and get a guide of the city from someone who lives in said country. Katherine and I explored Retiro Park and the surrounding monuments our first day in Madrid before meeting up with Alex and Carolina. Throughout our time there, Carolina showed us the recommended spots, took us shopping, and to a photobooth that turned the pictures into keychains. On our last day together, we hung out late into the next morning before finally saying goodbye as they would head up to Carolina’s home town while Katherine and I would take a train to Barcelona.
It is also in Barcelona that I will be attending the Davido Concert which I am ecstatic for! However, I still do not have a fully planned outfit and bought another top in Madrid just to give myself a second option.
I am going to have so much to talk about after our trip to Barcelona so stay tuned for that and to hear what we have coming up next!
See ya!
In-Country Post #6
Hello UMBC!
Welcome back and get ready to hear all about the last half of my spring break across Europe.
As previously mentioned, Barcelona was our next stop. Katherine and I got off the plane and took to the metro to get to our home for the next three nights. While we knew it was Holy Week, we underestimated how packed the roads would be due to this. The streets were practically shut down due to the processions that were happening that day which we saw after exiting our final metro stop. We stayed in the Gothic quarter about 2 minutes off from La Rambla. Our three day stay involved us seeing the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, exploring the Gothic Quarter, Casa Milà, Ciutadella Park, Arc de Triomf, Cathedral of Barcelona, accidentally climbing a mountain, going to Barceloneta Beach, attending the Davido concert, and so much more!
How Katherine and I accidentally climbed a mountain still amazes me to this day because we really thought we were heading the correct way to get to Park Güell. Google Maps did us dirty and we faced a 30-minute walk back to get there. We decided to go through Parc del Carmel since it seemed that they were right next to each other, which they were but imagine our surprise when our hike kept increasing in elevation in order to get to the park, that was more of a mountain-top view of the city. The hike, although surprising, was quite nice once we finally sat down. However, the descent to get to Park Güell was a little challenging since neither of us wore the proper shoes for rocky terrain. Thankfully there were only two rough parts.
The Davido concert was fun! I will say he took a while to come out, but I guess this lines up with the usual ‘African time’.
As soon as the concert ended, I took the metro back and met up with Katherine. We stayed up until it was time for us to leave and catch our flight. For context, the concert ended at 11 PM, we were in the uber by 3:40 AM, took off around 6 AM, and landed in Venice at 8 AM.
Also, Venice is where we meet back up with Alex!!! But Venice is also where we say goodbye to Katherine :(. The three of us explored the different regions of Venice and went in a circle, starting from Dorsoduro, through Marco, Castello, Polo, and then Cannaregio. I also did my Instagram Takeover in Venice so head over to the UMBClife’s Instagram page to see my posts!
Venice was beautiful. It was hot and a little busy in some areas, but being there was gorgeous. The water and Wisteria, that for some reason is just littered around Europe, gave a very summer feel to Venice. It was just relaxation every day, we’d eat out or cook and get gelato all the time. San Marco’s square was the busiest place we had been, but the view of the Basilica was breathtaking. Everything in Venice was beautiful, especially the ceiling painting inside Church of San Pantalon, it’s huge!
We saw Katherine off to the airport a day before we would leave for Vienna. Katherine would be in Budapest with her sister and later we would both be in Croatia, unexpectedly, at the same time!
We only had about 2.5 days in Vienna so we had to speed-run it. We saw so much on this first day, the churches, palace, and all the buildings looked grand. Alex and I also were in time for the Steiermark Frühling festival taking place. The live music and traditional attire were wonderful to see. The park around the Schönbrunn Palace was beyond huge. Everything was attached to it, the zoo, fountains, maze, gardens, and ruins. It would take all day to walk there.
Vienna came to an end and Dubrovnik was our next stop. One word to describe it, hilly. It was the most elevated place yet. We hiked Mount Srd first thing the next morning after our arrival. The walk to get there was just as rough as the hike, but the view from the top was beautiful. We went back to our place to get ready again and went down to Old Town. There we explored the port, the shops, Rector’s Palace, and the Jesuit stairs. After getting Burek, we went to see the West Harbor and Fort Lovrijenac which was one of the best views I have ever seen. The water was so blue and the weather was so nice. The next morning, we took a ferry to the Elaphiti islands, specifically Lopud, which was very quiet. We hiked to the other side to get to Sunj Beach and ate some food there before catching the ferry back to the mainland. With ample time left in the day, Alex and I got food on the way back and ate while watching ‘Now You See Me 2’.
Finally, after a very early journey to the airport, we flew to Oslo which is our final destination before heading back to Newcastle. I am sure there will be plenty to see, so stay tuned to hear about Oslo and my first week back in Newcastle!
In-Country Post #7
What’s up UMBC!
Once again, welcome back to my blog and to my last week of spring break.
Oslo was not half as cold as I was expecting. I thought it was over for me, and that I would need to wear nearly three layers before throwing on my brown GAP jacket. I, to my surprise, did not!
We were in Oslo for 5 days. There was quite a lot to see and the distance between all the attractions and destinations honestly were not bad at all!
Upon arrival, we had to take a 2-hour shuttle bus up to Oslo from the Torp airport. I did not realize the distance, but was grateful for the shuttle since an Uber would have been crazy expensive for us.
Sidenote, the shuttle buses leave crazy early, like at least 20 minutes before the scheduled time so make sure to arrive early!
The views along the way were lovely. Seeing snow covered mountains in the distance with heavy fog just made sense and made the journey more enjoyable.
We saw the Royal Palace, walked the rooftop of the Opera House, went to Vigeland Sculpture Park, Akershus Fortress, Frogner Park, got red velvet cake from Soulcake, tried Vafle (Alex did), and so much more. The palace was a bit smaller than expected, but that is a good thing, I guess. The Frogner Park had an ongoing theme that I was not aware of beforehand and I, along with Alex, were surprised to walk around and see lots of sculptures on theme. The Vigeland Sculpture Park was very hilly and aligned closely with the inclines of Dubrovnik and Edinburgh. However, it was also a gorgeous park with numerous artworks throughout. We saw the viral Nordic Pixel Forest when we went in the evening and watched LED lights change colors. It was not dark enough to give that known glowing appearance, but walking through the lights and listening to the background sounds was nice.
Close to the Opera House by the pier, we also saw Moren, The Mother, which is a large symbolic sculpture of motherhood. Food excursions on our first day included us getting Butter Chicken and Lamb Korma, both insanely delicious, and going shopping for groceries so we could cook and save money. Our hunt for sweet treats led us to entering Soulcake specifically for the red velvet cake which was always sold out whenever we went, until our second to last day in Oslo. Alex’s hunt for Vafle was accomplished on our second day in Oslo after our walk to see Damstredet and the cozy houses along it.
Getting ready to return to school was the worse feeling, since I wanted to enjoy my vacation, but also knew I had to open up my laptop and do the one thing I did not want to do, work. I am glad that I did a tad bit of work before returning or else my first week back would have been horrible.
Our entire return journey was pretty long, but not bad at all except for the fact that our bus up from London was delayed nearly 3 hours. Before leaving for the month-long vacation, we emptied out our fridges so nothing would spoil, however, that also meant no food upon arrival so we had hoped to buy groceries on our walk back from the train station. This plan failed since we arrived the time Tesco would close, 12AM. Instead, we stopped by our usual spot for Shawarma and it never made me realize how much I missed it.
Now for school, everything went well! My first week back was a breeze and I got back into the routine a lot faster than I believed I would. Gearing up for finals has made me nervous, but bot entirely stressed. I remind myself I just need to pass…should probably motivate myself more but this line of thought keeps me sane since the grading system abroad is much different compared to UMBC.
One exciting part of my second week back so far was my biology class field trip to the Hancock Museum. We explored evolution through numerous exhibits and the activities were quite fun while engaging. Alex and I also reunited with Katie and watched ‘Hoodwinked’ and ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’. I loved Hoodwinked as a kid and rewatching it made me appreciate how funny it was. I also watched Glass Onion for the first time and am proud to say that I correctly guessed the killer at the beginning of the movie.
Also, the cows are back! In the field across from our accommodation are a bunch of cows freely roaming and grazing, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them. I was told it is a common event that happens in the spring.
This current week is also the week where Katherine will reunite with us before Katie officially moves out of Park View. I can’t believe the semester is coming to a close.
With that in mind I am currently stress planning my final two weeks of travel after finals. I really want to see Greece and Dublin. Not to mention I haven’t explored London either and am trying to fit all of this into two weeks, which is not hard, but finding reasonable flights and accommodations for all of them is!
By the time you hear from me again I will have taken my first final, so stay tuned to see how that goes and what I officially plan for final vacation.
Wish me luck!
In-Country Post #8
Welcome back to another week of my blog UMBC!
My first final was a few days ago, and all I can say is wow. The process for all of my finals is relatively simple since they are all digital; just show up to your assigned computer cluster at your assigned time and seat, then you take the exam on the school computer. Only aspect I had to focus on was knowing the content, bringing my student ID, pens, pencils, and an exam approved calculator. It was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be which makes me more confident for my future two assessments.
As for my actual psychology exam, it went alright, I think. There was a huge biology component dealing with evolution, but I was familiar with that topic before taking the course so I feel good about how the test went.
But jumping back to before my exams, the last week of classes was just review and providing resources for us ahead of our exams. I appreciated how all of my professors reassured us and recapped topics they wanted us to know. Being unfamiliar with how finals are given made me extra nervy, but it really is straightforward and there’s nothing to worry about.
Katherine is back!!!! Well, she has been back but I had to get this bit about my exams out the way. Katherine came back with her sister, Isabel, after traveling a bit more. Isabel studied abroad in France about two years ago and Katherine visited her then, so it was cool to see the roles reversed. Meeting up with everyone again was so nice, made me realize how much I missed it. A day after their arrival, Katherine, Katie, Harshie, Isabel, and I went out to eat and chat. We played card games with the two decks Katie brought and it started to drizzle after a while of us being outside, so we made the move to head back to our flats. However, the idea of showing Isabel some of the city at night came up so after saying our final and heartfelt goodbyes to Katie; well, they were saying their goodbyes, Katie and I live in the same flat so I was going to see her the next day before she left, we went out.
Newcastle at night is so lively it’s insane to me. Some food spots open until 2 or 3 in the morning, while other are open 24/7. It’s safe to say we all had a grand time exploring the city.
The next day, I saw Katie off, giving her one last hug before promising to see her this summer in Pennsylvania. Honestly, I’m excited for that because we will all probably meet up at Alex’s house since it’s closer to Philadelphia than Katie’s, and I can use it as an opportunity to see Philly.
The rest of the week past by in a blur with loads of studying done, but also a planned shawarma trip with Katherine, Harshie, Alex, and Isabel. We finally got the student deal which included a drink and chips (fries). We ate as we sat in the grass at the park close to our accommodation and had a lovely stroll by the cows that are just grazing in the field across the street from our flats. It sounds really crazy once said aloud but I’ll provide some evidence.
Also, we all know about how drastic weather is in Maryland, trying to prepare for a day with all the seasons involved, but let me tell you about Newcastle and how it is just as crazy. It was sunny all day this particular day, then out of no where dark clouds came rolling in and it started pouring down rain. Okay, nothing crazy, it rains all the time here, but then the rain went from patters to bullets. It was hailing outside! I couldn’t believe my eyes and took a picture from my window to capture the white balls that littered the ground. Mind you it was sunny and good weather a few minutes prior, I even went outside with no coat! The hail gave up a while later and it was sunny again.
I still haven’t figured out my travel plans for my last two weeks but it might just be a London trip because everything is expensive. At least this gives me more reason to return to Europe in the future!
It is final season everywhere, so good luck to everyone back home on your final exams and essays! See you!
In-Country Post #9
Hey UMBC!
First off, congratulations to all of our graduates!!! Also, congrats to everyone for getting through finals week!
The weather has been looking up and summer is nearly upon us, I can’t believe it. The World Cup will be played in a little over two weeks from now, I’m so excited. I will also be back home in about a week, it’s insane how fast time has passed! It seems like yesterday I finally landed in Newcastle, only for me to have to pack everything up and return to Maryland in eight days now.
Besides the feeling of incoming doom, these past two weeks did a number on me, specifically writing my final essay and studying for my physics exam. My biology exam went well if I may say so myself. I felt very comfortable and confident taking that test which is more than I can hope for honestly. Now, physics, studying for this exam on electromagnetism nearly took me out. I had to start from scratch because my foundation of understanding was shaky and I couldn’t expect to do well if I didn’t fix it first. After five days of intense review, I was ready to crush the exam. It went by just fine. I returned my borrowed calculator and even went grocery shopping afterwards. However, after taking care of those duties I did not have time to spare, my final essay was due the next day at 3PM. Out of 2000 words, I had 400 down. I did in fact get it done and submitted my essay around 2PM. I was finally free.
Immediately, I went to the kitchen to cook an actual meal, something I was craving for days. I did my laundry, cleaned my room, vacuumed it, opened my window, and took out my trash. I was officially done and had two more weeks to explore England before my return flight takes me home.
Saturday was a busy day since I went to the Tynemouth Market for the last time. I bought jewelry for my sister and some candy for myself. Once back in town I also got my brother Manchester United paraphernalia and some books I think he’ll like.
Then came Sunday, it was hectic. Alex’s boyfriend Matthew had arrived days prior in London, so she went down to London to explore with him for two days before coming back up to Newcastle. In the morning, Katherine, Carmen, Alex, Matthew, and I went down to the Quayside Market. This would also be my last time at the market. It got hot very fast as we were walking up and down looking at the stands. I bought the same red velvet cupcake I had my first time there before getting a lamb gyro. We sat at a bench just talking and enjoying the weather before parting ways. Carmen was seeing her family who came to help her move out, Katherine was going to the airport to fly to Amsterdam, which left the three of us to return to Park View. We made plans later to watch the final Premier League games which is how we found ourselves going to a nearby pub. We really were just there to see if Tottenham or West Ham would be relegated since Arsenal already won the league. The inside of this establishment was insane. There were like at least twenty TVs playing all the different matches and Matthew told us there was even a TV in the men’s bathroom! After the matches concluded, Alex and Matthew went to the mall to try the Dave’s Hot Chicken that finally opened up there. I made my way back to my dorm because I wanted to eat and take out my braids.
Monday was the hottest it has ever been in Newcastle. It was insanely nice outside, no jacket type of weather. I honestly just relaxed. I did have to say my goodbyes to Alex as she and Matthew would be flying to Budapest, but I also had to plan my day trip to Alnmouth and Alnwick which was the very next day.
I did not see much of Alnmouth, but Alnwick was beautiful. I got cake at a coffee shop, walked around, before sitting in the pastures across from the castle. It was so sunny and warm I sunbathed for almost two hours and ate the fruit I brought before returning to the train station. The train was a bit longer on the way back but I was happy to snap a picture of the sheep grazing in the field.
The next day was Carmen’s birthday party. It was in Jesmond Dene which is the petting zoo park Katherine, Alex, and I went to at the beginning of the semester. Katherine was arriving today from Amsterdam so we made our way, albeit late, to the park for Carmen’s party. The theme was movie/tv show so I went as Rudolph and Katherine went as Katherine from Vampire Diaries. We stayed until dark and took a ‘shortcut’ back. It was treacherous. We had to cross a stream, hike up this trail into the clearing where we finally saw the street again. This was not the path we took to get there so I was in shock by the actual workout it was to get back. We ended up getting food and visiting Brooke at her job since this was my last time seeing her. I also had to say goodbye to Carmen since she was heading back to Prague the next day as well. I made more friends with others that attended the party which is so crazy now because everyone is moving out and this was my only interaction with them. But making connections and having people come in and out of your life is natural so I’ll try not to be too sad about it.
I booked my train tickets to London and Cambridge along with my hotel so I will head up this Friday to see London, then go to Cambridge Saturday night, spend the day there Sunday, before coming back to Newcastle that night. I still need to plan out all the activities I want to do so it looks like I have my work cut out for me.
Thanks for tuning in to my blog, I’m sure I’ll have fun experiences to share from London and Cambridge next time! See you 🙂