Climbing in Yorkshire!

So true to my lets be friends with everyone nature....that and needing to climb or I was going to go crazy here. I FOUND A ROCK GYM. Only a 2 mile walk from my flat! Not only did I find a gym but I then found a society at my school called "The Mountaineering Society" After joining that I found their trip to Yorkshire Dales (mind you this was all in a day). Monday to be precise ..and by friday I was on the bus with 19 strangers headed to climb stuff!

I thought the ride was only 2hours i don't know why I didn't look this up before hand but to my surprise it was a solid 6. The next morning we had porridge ( I now know what y'all were saying about tasteless food) everyone broke off into groups weather they wanted to do a long hike or a short one or climb. We hiked out 5 miles (in the rain because thats all it does here haha) to the site we started to climb. I was like a little kid on christmas especially when I was ready to be climbing on grit stone and it ended up all being limestone! :) My hands were very grateful for that! Although I was really sad to not be climbing anything I'd looked up I was also perfectly content there looking over the beautiful landscape in front of me....still needing to remind myself I'm living in England!

That night we all helped to make dinner which was another typical English dish "Bangers and Mash" sausage, onions and mashed potatoes (they even got me veggie sausage!). We shared in a few drinks definitely some great bonding time with my new awesome friends!

The next day I woke up with strep throat but we went out to this great bouldering spot that I now looking back wish I got pictures of! Our bus broke down and we spent the remainder of the day in a pub (because thats the brit's solution to everything). It was more great time to make friends that i'm so thankful for now! Being the only American to go they confessed they all had ideas of how I would be but I think we both concluded we liked each other :) haha

 climbing!

the view from driving

the view sitting waiting to climb

first night with my English climbing family

 hanging on the bus review mirror :)

 looking out from our climbing site

 the hut we stayed in

 getting ready to climb

Hello all! wow do I have tons to post! I keep meaning to write and then getting side track by another adventure :) Upon landing our guide brought us to our "lettings" (campus housing / flats). We were there long enough to drop our bags then they immediately taught us how to use the bus to and from the city. We went into the city to grab basic necessities. Everything is so little and picturesque. The lettings we live in our in a compound of several other ones the whole is called "Park Place" My letting is called Windsor hall and in my opinion the best location because we are in the heart of Park Place across from my door is "Park Eat" which severs as a Bar at night and Cafe during the day with pool tables. The Royal Post is also just outside the door! Tea is what they call dinner here which I will be heading off to shortly!

My trip for Scotland was booked for March 7th-9th. We'll be looking at Harry Potters castle Hogwarts and the cafe where J.K Rowling wrote the novels as well as a tour of the lake Loch ness then finishing it off with a ghost walk of a famous mental institution.

Lastly I got my schedule which I have to walk a mile across campus and over a lake to get to one class but I really only go to school Tuesday 9am-12 2pm-4, Thursday 4pm-5 and Friday 10am-11 (I think Umass has some changes to make!) I'm talking Philosophy of Law, Food science and Gene Chromosomes interactions.

The pictures posted are from my Flat where we have two kitchens, 6 bathrooms (sinks in our rooms as well).

Ello! I fortunately have had many friends who have studied abroad before me and they all recommend a blog series for those willing to listen to me go on and on and on about my life as Britt the Brit! This way it's easier for those on facebook and those smart enough to stay off the time sucking vortex to follow my adventures:) I have been warned MANY times I won't have a lot of down time so responding individually to messages ..like you all know I love to do but it won't EXACTLY be ideal for all the adventuring I have planned! (also may make me a little too homesick!). I plan to post once a week minimum to keep those interested updated and sort of create a little memory book for myself as well! I hope y'all enjoy it! ....and I also hope I do some cool stuff otherwise this will just be silly :p