I have been living in England just shy of one month now. It's been a crazy month full of stress and excitement and I wouldn't trade any of it.
Adjusting to life in Bristol has been easier than expected. Sure, I still don't know which coin is which and which side of the street to look at when crossing, but I'm getting there.
Adjusting to life in Bristol has been easier than expected. Sure, I still don't know which coin is which and which side of the street to look at when crossing, but I'm getting there.
However, there are two major differences between my life back home and my life here:
TVs and cell phones.
Both of these, I may point out, have nothing to do with the country I am now living in. It's merely a lifestyle modification that I chose for myself.
Both of these, I may point out, have nothing to do with the country I am now living in. It's merely a lifestyle modification that I chose for myself.
I decided against a TV when I moved to Bristol. Back in the US, there's practically a TV in every room. Not having a TV accessible to me has been a major change in my life, as much as I hate to admit it. I had no idea how much of my time was spent watching pointless television. It's been an extremely positive experience. Now when I'm bored, I pick up a book and go outside instead of turning on a TV.
As for a cell phone, this has been a slightly more difficult decision. The first two and a half weeks in Bristol, I didn't have time to sort out my phone situation. I just hadn't gotten around to it. In those weeks, I realized how I didn't need my iPhone. I used to think of my iPhone as a necessity, but who really needs access to Twitter or Facebook 24/7? So when I finally had time to go get a UK phone, I decided against an iPhone and instead got this beauty. It texts. It calls. And that's all I need.
Happy Wednesday!
xoxo
I had a "dumb" phone my first year in Germany (never really watch TV here, although I do keep up with my shows on my computer). Anyway, on the phone, I ended up getting an unlocked smartphone
ReplyDelete(Nexus 4) so I can use it with any sim card in the world with any sim card and it's been a lifesaver. I put travel guides on it through the Kindle app. I use Spotify constantly for music on the go. I use the maps to find my way around and the train and tram apps for time tables. In Ireland, we got an Irish sim card and used the phone for the GPS in my car. I even have this field trip app that tells me about landmarks that I pass while I'm traveling. And most of all, I have WhatsApp, which is by far the preferred European method of messaging. So, while being unconnected has SO many advantages, being connected ultimately made my life so much easier here. I'm all for your decision though - just curious to see how long it lasts :) I made it 11 months :)
While it's nice now, I can almost guarantee by the end of 2013 I'm going to give in to some sort of smart phone. Lol
DeleteI would really like to try this but I would probably not even last a day!
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised!
DeleteI cancelled TV about 8 months ago as it became too expensive and it has certainly been a nice change! I agree that you end up finding more productive things to do! I also got rid of my facebook account which was another time waster....
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I would function without Facebook! Lol.
DeleteHow did you find the transition to awesome phone deals? The hardest part of moving away from the UK was the lack of phone plans that met my 'mobile' needs. So pricey!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading more about your travels. I've found north Americans in the UK help to fill my homesickness void.
Hannah at www.thelemonhive.com
P.S. If you love history, you HAVE to go to York. It's a must!
The phone deals were awesome here! It wasn't hard to find a plan that worked for me :)
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