I finally made it! I didn't actually realize that I was going to England until I got in the car to go to the airport. I'm pretty sure my exact words were "Is this really happening?" After saying my goodbyes and some delays, I finally landed in Manchester. Jason (the international coordinator for the U.S) met me at the airport and showed me to a van full of 11 other International students who arrived today. It was about a 40 minute drive to Ormskirk through beautiful open land and farms. So far, the 11 of us are spread out through 4 halls that all connect to one common room. Each hall has 9 single rooms with 1 bathroom and a kitchenette similar to the residence halls at CMU.
A group of 5 volunteer students gave us a tour around campus and then through Ormskirk. The campus has many buildings, but they are all close together so you don't have to walk far between classes. There are a bunch of little cafes around campus where you can use the 45 pounds per week you are given on your UNI card (student ID.) Many of the buildings seem very modern while others are more classic college buildings. There is also "The Hub" which is just like the Bovee UC at Central.
Ormskirk is the cutest little town about a 10 minute walk away. There is small farmers market type booths lining the main street selling everything from fresh vegetables to purses and other small trinkets. The town definitely has everything you will ever need while here, with every type of store and lots of variety. We stopped at a small restaurant (I wouldn't really call it a restaurant. It was more like a tiny storefront with some hot pastries) and all ordered a small dinner. A few of us plan on going back to Ormskirk tomorrow to explore and pick up some things we need.
Thats all for now, I'll post pictures of my flat (dorm) and Ormskirk once I get settled in.
