How is it March already?

Hello all!
I’m writing this in my dorm room as the sun is streaming through the window and a package of summer dresses has just arrived from home (thanks Mum and Dad!). It’s probably around 24 degrees and one of those gorgeous sunny days that maybe come once or twice a year in the UK and everyone just has to leave work or school early to head to the beach. The trees are finally beginning to get some leaves here and there are pink blossoms popping up everywhere. Spring is arriving and it feels like summer!

It’s been a while since the first blog – so what have I been up to? Well there was the trip to Asheville (very not Nashville), a weekend in Washington DC, course deadlines, baseball games and of course most importantly BASKETBALL. It’s official, I’ve become one of those people that shouts at the tv whilst ‘the game’ is on and wears only Carolina Blue (it’s an official colour I swear). I’ve been to a total 3 games here which is fairly impressive, what with the lottery system of winning tickets, and one of them was the DUKE GAME. (I’ve forgotten how to not type that in capital letters.) Watching basketball here is literally madness the stadium is so enormous and ridiculous. Carolina haven’t lost a home game this year (impressive!!!). Everyone knows all the team and you see them around campus and try to act REALLY COOL like its no big deal even though you’re absolutely freaking out. Ted asked me the other day whether the games were broadcast on like, UNC TV or something. OH NO, this is ESPN, this is an ENORMOUS DEAL. We beat Duke (woooooooo!!!! dook suck) – MICHAEL ACTUAL JORDAN TURNED UP, everyone lost it. Now we’re trying to win the overall conference & then the national conference. It’s all very exciting. We watched a few games one of the bars (hot dog bar!!!) on Franklin St and everyone goes mad!

THE DUKE GAME – we only went and won 83-90 and it was oh so amazing

On a calmer note, we’ve been making it a habit on gorgeous days to head out to the baseball stadium (noticeably fewer in the stands!) and bathe in sunshine whilst the most clichéd baseball tunes play out – I mean literally at around half way through they play ‘Take me out to the ballgame’ and everyone stands up and tries to catch bags of peanuts. Not to say this isn’t swish and fancy and with more hype than any Aberdeen game times about 4000. There are people who clearly go to every game and have print outs of our team, the opposing team and write down how well they’re doing and all this. Quite the commitment- baseball is played in 3 day series and there feels like theres AT LEAST one a week. Still, its a beaut way to pass the afternoon doing nothing whilst feeling like you’re experiencing something INCREDIBLY American.

An afternoon at the ballgame

All through this actual university work is ticking along in the background (how the sports players cope I have no idea). I heard the workload was going to be more than I was used to in Aberdeen and to some degree I’d say that’s true. I’ve had plenty of tests and exams but there are never long essays or lab papers I need to write which is lovely! However to pass my courses out here I need to get 70% – compared to FOURTY in the UK! So they set the bar a lot higher which I guess is no bad thing..!

Anyway I’m about half way through the college semester (cry cry cry cry cry) and that means.. SPRING BREAK! Hahah no really. A few people I know are actually going to Cancún. I’m going to Mexico too, but I’m going to the places surrounding Cancún that are going to be much more exciting. A couple of girls and I are travelling from Mérida to Tulum and exploring the Mayan ruins and beaches along the way. It’s going to be 34 degrees and I AM EXCITED!!!! How is it possibly already spring break?!?!?!?! I’ll obviously write a lengthy blog about Mexican food (I cannot wait).

Speaking of food… I’ve had Bojangle’s ‘famous’ chicken & biscuits. Oh dear. Oh dear dear dear. Biscuits to me are basically scones with no sugar and just an incredibly amount of fat instead – they’re much closer to a suet pudding. So obviously a great idea is to USE TWO OF THEM TO SANDWICH A PIECE OF FRIED CHICKEN? No? Nobody? Well it makes just no sense to me. I felt like I needed a lettuce leaf ON AN IV DRIP afterwards and I haven’t gone back in a hurry! Having said that, good lord have I had some tasty burgers here (even if I only see a vegetable every few days or so ahha!). ANYWAY food interlude over.

So, Washington DC was my favourite trip so far. It was ridiculous. I watch an impressive amount of tv (generally lol) that’s set in DC and the whole weekend I kept going on and on about The West Wing. I went in a group of nine and CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE that not one of them is a real watcher of the West Wing????? IT’S AN INSTITUTION. So anyway, DC was lovely, we visited the Capitol, had a GREAT tour, cycled down to the White House and Washington Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. We even got to see a little bit of Georgetown (hey Alicia Florrick!) which was stunnnninnggggg. Again, ridiculously sunny – as Mum would say we have been ‘very lucky with the weather!’.

THE WHITE HOUSE (Trump wasn’t in, thank god)

The Capitol on the Hill – remember that amazing episode of The West Wing when President Bartlett WALKS UP TO THE CAPITOL?!? Well it’s a hefty old way so no wonder he actually drove most of it. But still, EXCITING!! I WALKED ON THAT ROAD!

I’m still amazed every day that I’m so lucky to be studying here. The campus is just getting more unreal each day – it’s beautiful and I’m often like woah – I’m actually living here. It’s so cool. (I really have no other way to describe it!) – anyway here’s a cute tree.

Lots of love (& go heels!)

Katie xxx