Routine, Routine, and a Whole Lot of Bruises
Hey all,
This week was all about getting into a routine. If you know me, then you know how important it is for me to have a set routine and small goals to tackle through the day. One of my favorite quotes is from Admiral William McRaven. He said, "If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right." So, yes, I start off every morning by making my bed!
While completing the small tasks like making my bed is a vital part of my routine, so is attending my classes and managing my time around them. This week was my first teaching week of the semester. I'm still a little confused, but I have to say all my professors and fellow students were very helpful and welcoming. While I'm a little nervous about the new writing system here, I'm excited to be able to do more research and more self-guided learning than what I'm used to at San Marcos.
Besides classes and routines, I officially became a temporary resident of the UK. I never thought I’d say that, but here I am with an ID from another country. It makes this adventure feel that much more real. But also serves as a reminder that I'm a guest here and have an obligation to learn and interact with as many people as possible and really submerge myself in new experiences to understand the culture.
In keeping up with my new responsibility of learning about my new home, I figured I would try a new sport that is quite popular here. This weekend I went spelunking. Or, in layman’s terms, caving. I went with a small group from Leeds down to a town called Swansea in South Wales. There we stayed in what's called a caving hut with members of the caving club.
On Saturday, I went with a small group, two other students and an older gentleman who is part of the caving club, to a cave called OFD2. We were in the cave for about four hours, crawling up and down boulders, crawling through tunnels and water, and sliding down muddy rocks. All while making sure to avoid the plummeting drops to the bottom. Needless to say, I never had so many bruises or have ever been as sore as I did coming out of that cave. But in the end, getting to witness the underground gems seen by so few people was totally worth the bruises and soreness.
Sunday was filled with hiking and 'pub crawling', which I’ve also never done before. A group of us hiked down the mountains we were staying in and started at one pub, got a drink, and moved to the next pub.
It was amazing to experience new things like caving and' pub crawling', but getting to interact with the people I met this weekend was even more valuable. The people and their stories are, in a way, what help you truly understand a culture.
Till next week,
~cheers
