• Home
  • About
    • Work with Me
  • Travel Planning & Itineraries
  • Destinations
    • England
    • France
    • Italy
    • Scotland
    • United States
    • Wales
  • Mental Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Life Well Wandered

Life Well Wandered

29 August 2015 · Leave a Comment

Back to School

College· School

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

I won’t pretend going back to school after being gone for over a year isn’t hard. Sure, my friends are great and I’m enjoying my classes and living situation so far, but it’s really bizarre being back.

I’m not even sure where to even begin with my observations, so I’ll just jot down some random thoughts that have popped up into my head.

davidson college chambers

I no longer know anyone on campus.

At Davidson, a small suburban school of about 1800 people, it’s not uncommon to know at least half, if not more of the school. And then recognise the other half. Coming back I recognised nobody. I felt like a freshman all over again and became frustrated at the fact that I’m a senior and didn’t recognise enough people. Hopefully, that will change as I get to know more people on campus!

My friends lived a whole life together at school while I was gone.

davidson college

I know it might sound petty, but I was really worried about the fact that I hadn’t seen any of my close friends at school in almost a year and a half. Coming back to them has been great, but there have been some challenges. I did miss out on some memories and I feel like I’ve changed and had experiences that they can’t relate to, but I’m hopeful that our fun friendships will continue to grow as the year advances!

I miss British academics.

lse mug

Man, I did not know what I was missing before I went abroad! I much prefer the British academic style. Davidson is incredibly stressful. In fact, I have 3 essays, 1 test, and a presentation this week alone! And I’m not used to ‘homework’. Or having to do reading for each class every other day. I would take my occasional essays, once a week classes and lectures, and two months of revising for intense final exams at LSE than this! Hence why I’ll be going back to Europe for grad school one day (hopefully!).

Having a full bed is wonderful.

davidson college martin court b

I live in the top right flat!

This is the first time away from home that I’ve had a double bed and it is blissful. I’ve taken to sleeping in the middle of my bed just because I can. My room might be incredibly tiny now because of it (barely enough room to move around), but the bed makes it worth it!

I miss Europe.

Being back at Davidson has only solidified my idea that I want to move abroad one day after I graduate. I’m not sure exactly what I’ll do (most likely grad school first), but I feel like I fit in more over there. I miss the culture, the diversity, the food, the history, and the politics (for observing). I’m glad I’m spending one more year back at Davidson, but I feel like I’m just biding my time until my next big adventure, be it in America or abroad.

See also  Last Weeks in London

davidson college martin court b

As you can see, coming back to Davidson has been a bit of a roller coaster. My blogging has taken a bit of a toll because I’m still trying to remember how I handled Davidson academics before I went abroad. I’m in some exciting clubs and I’m having fun reconnecting with old friends, solidifying new friendships, and looking at my life with a very comparative lens. I’m interested to see where the year takes me!

Have you had a rough transition coming back after a year (or more) abroad? How did you handle it?

You may also like

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
Previous Post: « Last Weeks in London
Next Post: Krakow »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Life Well Wandered

alex life well wandered

Welcome to my corner of the internet! Life Well Wandered is a travel blog where you'll find a little bit of everything. I love sharing itineraries from past trips, secret spots I've discovered on my travels, histories of places I find fascinating, and stories about my mental health.

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Life Well Wandered

Search

What’s New

  • A Guide to Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds
  • The Real-Life Inspiration for Moria? Exploring St. Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold
  • A Lord of the Rings Guide to the Cotswolds: Places That Inspired Tolkien’s World
  • Day Trips from London: Stonehenge & Salisbury
  • Visiting Upper Slaughter in the Cotswolds: A Guide
Follow
college tourist

Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please check our disclosure page for more information.

lifewellwandered

My favorite stop in Bruges was City Hall. Built in My favorite stop in Bruges was City Hall. Built in 1376, it is one of the oldest in the Low Countries and has been used as the seat of the city government for over 600 years. 🤓
Inside City Hall is the beautiful gothic hall. It was remodeled in the 19th century and decorated with beautiful murals and woodwork from floor to ceiling. The ceiling dates from 1385. The murals were painted in the 19th century and depict different people from Belgian history, including Jan Van Eyck, Brueghel, Rubens, and more. 😍 #lifewellwandered
If you fancy climbing up about 400 steps in a spir If you fancy climbing up about 400 steps in a spiral staircase, then consider visiting the Belfry in Bruges. From the top, you'll see just how beautiful Bruges is, with its winding streets and orange rooftops. 😍
Dating back to the 13th century, the Belfry is the most important tower in Bruges. At over 83 meters (272 feet) tall, it was an important status symbol in the Middle Ages. It formerly housed the treasury and city archives, as well as a market for the town. 🏰
At the top of the tower, you'll find a carillon—47 bells playable by hand with a keyboard—with bells ranging in weight from two pounds to 11,000 pounds. Historically, the bells were used not only to mark the passage of time but also to alert residents of fires, work hours, or important events. Today, if you visit at the top of the hour, you'll get to experience the ringing of the bells. 🛎 #lifewellwandered
In March of 2015, I began my biggest trip around E In March of 2015, I began my biggest trip around Europe to date. We had about 5 weeks off (during which we were supposed to be revising for exams) so my friend and I took the opportunity to see as much of Europe as possible while also getting to know each stop as well as possible. A hard balance to strike, but we did the best we could! 🇪🇺
Our first stop was Bruges. We visited on the day of a solar eclipse, but it was already cloudy and foggy so the lack of sunlight wasn’t noticed. We spent our day in Bruges wandering around the streets and eating waffles - not a bad start to a trip around Europe that would be characterized by eating and wandering! 🍽 #lifewellwandered
The last stop on my series of day trips around Eng The last stop on my series of day trips around England was Windsor. I had been close to Windsor once before but had yet to visit Windsor Castle or the town. Windsor Castle was overwhelming. 🏰
It is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, founded by William the Conqueror and the home of 39 monarchs. We spent hours walking around the various wings and exhibits, trying to absorb everything we could. Have you visited Windsor Castle before? 👑 #lifewellwandered
Bath is most famous for, well, its Roman baths. As Bath is most famous for, well, its Roman baths. As a Roman history nerd, Bath was on my to-visit list for ages and I spent my entire visit to the baths geeking out over all of the artifacts and ruins. 🤓
For thousands of years, 240,000 gallons of 115ºF water has risen into this spring, known as the Sacred Spring, daily. In Roman times, this phenomenon was believed to be the work of the Gods, so Romans built a temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers, around the spring. Water from it feeds the Roman baths. 🛁 #lifewellwandered
Three churches have occupied the site of Bath Abbe Three churches have occupied the site of Bath Abbey since 757AD. There was first an Anglo-Saxon monastery, then a massive Norman cathedral (the foundations of which can be seen underground in one part of the Abbey) and then the present abbey church from the 1600s. ⛪️
The first King of England, King Edgar, was crowned here in 973 - his coronation set the precedent for the current coronation ceremony of all kings and queens of England. 👑 #lifewellwandered
I visited Winchester on what felt like the first w I visited Winchester on what felt like the first warm, sunny day in months. When you live in a place without regular sun, you always take advantage of beautiful days. Winchester made the perfect destination for a beautiful day spent walking around and exploring. 🤗
Winchester’s High Street is built along the original Roman street that led through the town. Today, it has buildings dating from the 16th century. The clock was presented after a visit from Queen Anne in 1713. 🕑 #lifewellwandered
Chances are, you’ve heard of the Knights of the Chances are, you’ve heard of the Knights of the Round Table. Did you know that the Round Table of King Arthur can be found in the Great Hall in Winchester? ⚔️
While this table was created around 1290, well after the death of King Arthur and his knights, it’s still impressive to visit. Weighing over one ton, it is thought to portray King Arthur on his throne surrounded by 24 places for his knights. King Henry VIII added a Tudor Rose during his reign. Swipe for a closer look at the table! 🤓 #lifewellwandered
In another edition of always visit the cathedral i In another edition of always visit the cathedral in the town you visit, I bring you Winchester Cathedral. One of the reasons why I chose to visit Winchester of all places was its connection to Jane Austen. Jane Austen spent the last weeks of her life in a house in Winchester and was laid to rest in its cathedral in 1817. ⛪️
Have you ever traveled somewhere because of a favorite author? 🤓 #lifewellwandered
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel Planning & Itineraries
  • Destinations
  • Mental Health
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2023 · beloved theme by Restored 316