I would be remiss in speaking of my studies here in Stratford-upon-Avon if I didn't speak a little about my life here. In a small introduction to me, I'll say that I am just-shy-of-middle-aged man living here in SUA with my girlfriend Vicky, with whom I have shared my life for the past three and a half years. I most recently graduated from New York University in New York City with a Master's in Educational Theater. Strange as it may seem, the adjustment from country to country, and city to small town, has not been as jarring as I thought it would be. The extremely busy tourist trade here in SUA has made the streets here almost scarily similar to what Vicky and I are used to... dodging pedestrians thru the center of town, carrying armloads of groceries a few blocks to our apartment, and lots of coffee shops, restaurants, and stores/ boutiques/ markets to spend all of your money in.
I have moved places a lot in my life, so moving here seems like just another place to call home. We don't wake up (at least not everyday) and say, "Wow. We're in England." The novelty of moving anywhere will wear off relatively soon after you get there, and then all you are left with is the reality of life, love, food, work to pay off school loans, and a comfortable place to go to the bathroom. So, now that the novelty has worn off of moving to England, I'm still waiting for the novelty of living next to Shakespeare's birthplace to wear off. Walking the streets that he walked, seeing the multitude of buildings here that have survived the ages and are standing here allowing me to see, smell, and experience their locales and culture has been and I think, always will be, a novelty. A great, great thing.
The life here moves slowly however, despite the tourist culture. Getting a bank account, getting a phone (mobile or otherwise), getting internet and cable TV, getting a doctor, and getting a job... of which I have only managed to pull off two of these things thus far inside my first month in England.
My life here outside the Institute is as much a part of my studies as reading, taking classes, and writing those monster term papers. As much as I sometimes wish I could just devote days on end to just writing, reading, and seeing as many Shakespeare plays as possible, I still need to eat, sleep, and crap. So, these little addendum posts will be there to help me describe my life, my experiences, and my travels outside the Institute.
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body's work's expired. -- Sonnet 27
Year 1, Day 10 -- Words written: 0
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