Thoughts From Abroad | Part 37

Recently I've realized how difficult it is to come up with content for Thoughts From Abroad.

These posts were originally designed to point out the little day to day struggles I face as an American living abroad. However, as I approach my 10th month in England, it's safe to say these little struggles no longer stand out to me. 

So, the day has come to take a little break from Thoughts From Abroad.

I am not taking a blogging break. You can expect the same amount of posts from me as usual. 

I'm just going to step back from TFA for awhile to brainstorm and develop new content.

Speaking of new content... I am happy to announce the launch of my Travel Guides page! Here you will be able to find posts specifically designed to help YOU plan future trips based on my experiences! While the page is a little bare at the moment, you can expect lots of new "Travel Guide" posts coming your way soon!
Stay tuned!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 35

• New blog layout... Again. What does everyone think??
• I apologize for my brief absence from the blog this week. The stress of my dissertation and all the future visa stuff I have to do got to be a bit too much. On the bright side, my dissertation is going smoothly so far! 35% done!
• I started my part-time summer job this week! I absolutely love working in a museum, especially in the summer when everyone is so happy!
• I can't believe the weather the UK has been having lately. It's absolutely GORGEOUS! Every bit of free time is spent laying in the grass outside. However, free time comes sparingly.
• I've almost caught up on Made In Chelsea. Just a few more episodes to go!
• Today I met Miriam Margolyes, aka the woman who plays Professor Sprout! Needless to say, I was fangirling. I resisted mentioning the fact that I am a Slytherin. 

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 33

• Conversations with kids at work:
• Kid: "How old are you?" 
• Me: "23."
• Kid: "I thought you were 16!"
• Although I just spent the weekend in London, I'm going back on tomorrow to have lunch with an old study abroad friend! I'm really excited to see Rachel as I haven't seen her in 3 years!
• I've eaten at Mission Burrito about 3 times this week. Is that bad?
• Now that the undergraduate term is over, the library is soooo quiet. I can finally do some dissertation writing in peace!
• I'm trying to plan a weekend trip to Italy sometime soon! Yay for little trips away!
• American Horror Story: Freak Show has finally started releasing little tiny hints! Gah, I seriously cannot wait!
• There's nothing more depressing than being inside an archive on a beautiful day, which is what I have on the agenda today.

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 31

• I have officially started my dissertation. Yep, words have actually been written down. Even though I've started, I don't feel experienced enough to be doing this. 
• I am now 23. Goodbye to the days of rocking out to Taylor Swift's 22. 
• Made in Chelsea is my new guilty pleasure. It's like The Hills, only more British.
• I woke up with the worst crink in my neck on Wednesday. It was so bad, that I felt sorry for myself and watched Made in Chelsea all day... I probably should have actually done work.
• I beat J at mini golf. Needless to say, I was very proud of myself. 
• Las Iguanas. WHY HAVE I ONLY JUST BEEN THERE?! Seriously amazing food.
• Unnecessary stress has appeared in my life. Life just loves throwing you curveballs. 
• My hair has gotten to the point of no return. I'm in desperate need of a hair cut!
• My parents brought me Velveeta and Rotel when they came to visit. It's taking all my strength to not immediately make myself queso! 
• Happy birthday to all the May babies! It seems May is a very popular month to be born :)

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 30

• I can't believe this is my 30th Thoughts From Abroad post! These have become my most popular posts by far. It's amazing how y'all actually like reading my weekly shenanigans! 
• On Wednesday I took a little trip with J and his friends down to Weston-super-mare, where I saw the English coast for the very first time. In the 8 months I have lived in England, I had never actually seen the coast! It was a beautiful day on the Grand Pier. 
• I've been through dissertation hell this week. After my meeting with one of the world's leading Henry VII historians last week, I've been frantically trying to put together a slightly different topic (still Henry VII though). I'm thinking of dedicating a post to my dissertation ramblings soon. 
• On top of dissertation hell, I've been in essay hell as well. Essay hell ends on Monday, thank God.

• If you haven't noticed, I'm in desperate need of a break from my masters. My parents and my sister will be here all next week and I couldn't be more excited. This will be my mom's third time to the UK (she's helped me move in my previous two moves), while it will be the first time for my sister and dad! I'm so excited for them to finally see my crazy English lifestyle! 
• I finally finished Dracula! You remember how I stared it 4 months ago? Well, between all my university work, it had been pushed to the back of my book shelf, completely forgotten about. I rediscovered it Tuesday night and quickly finished it. I admit, it gets pretty slow towards the middle (which is one of the reasons I put it down 4 months ago and forgot about it) but the end is fantastic! 

• I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Blog Every Day in May now. At first it was fun, but I feel like the quality of my posts have gone down. I'm always a 'quality over quantity' type of girl, but I also hate backing down from a challenge. 
• I hate to self promote here, but if you need a cheap Sponsor spot, go check out my Sponsor page! I offer a blog introduction in a Thoughts From Abroad post for only $4! 
• Now that it's officially summer I'd like to plan a trip to mainland Europe sometime soon! Any suggestions?

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 29

BLOG EVERY DAY IN MAY | DAY 9

• Wednesday's post was my 100th post! How crazy! I started this blog out of boredom last summer. I was working as a car dealership receptionist while waiting for my big move to England. I needed a hobby, thus Bristol In My Pocket was born!
• I've really been enjoying 'Blog Every Day in May' this month! I've been rather busy lately, but BEDM has been a nice distraction for me! 
• It's been beautiful here in England lately. Like the 'lay in the grass reading a book' kind of beautiful.
• However, leaving my flat at least once a day is getting rather difficult with all the essay work I have to do. When will it ever end?
• I had the pleasure of having coffee with one of the world's leading experts on Henry VII yesterday. It was so nice just sitting with her and my professor, discussing our love of all things Henry!
• I had my last masters class this week! Once I turn in my essays next week, it's all independent dissertation work until September! 

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 28

Welcome to Thoughts From Abroad, a weekly recap of the little things going on in my life in England!

• Thank you everyone who wished me good luck for my presentation! It went really well and I got great constructive criticism back. 
• I'm not exactly sure why it took me so long to read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. JK Rowling, why are you so amazing?
• I need a hair cut. But I don't want to pay for one. Help me I'm poor.
• I only have one more week of classes! Woohoo!
• The chili dogs at Spoons... Omg.
• Is it normal to dance around singing the Sound of Music? 
• Try to get through this list without crying. Yeah, not possible. 
• It's May and I'm still wearing my coat...
• I will be 23 in three weeks! How strange.
• It's festival season in England! What is everybody's favorite festival? There are so many I want to go to!
• I'm trying to decide if I want to participate in #BEDM (Blog Every Day in May). Thoughts? I know I've already missed May 1st but I might give it a go!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 25

Welcome to Thoughts From Abroad, a weekly recap of the simple things going on in my life! I decided to reformat my Thoughts From Abroad posts as I was getting bored with the 1-10 theme. Let me know if you like it!

• I can't believe this is my 25th Thoughts From Abroad post! When I started this series it was mainly to keep my family back home updated on my shenanigans abroad. For some reason though, it has turned out to be some of the most popular posts on my blog! Thanks for reading y'all!
• The sun is shining! The birds are singing! It has been a beautiful week here in Bristol! I've actually been able to turn off my radiator and keep my window open without freezing to death! I love Spring!
• I finally opened a UK bank account. Only took me seven months.
• My boyfriend and I had an argument as to who was the most popular Spice Girl growing up. He says Ginger and I say Baby. Was it different in the UK than in the USA? Thoughts? Also, if you want a 90s throwback, click here. You're welcome.  
• My love for pomegranates is ridiculous. 
• I can't believe Taco Bell has started serving breakfast and I can't even try it!
• That being said, eating out in the UK is absolutely amazing. Cafe eating is the life. 
• The Walking Dead season finale. OHEEMGEEEEE! HJVBUJHBDHG!
• Want to have your face at the bottom of one of my Thoughts From Abroad posts? Check out my Sponsorship page! It's cheaper than a cup of coffee and super easy to do!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 24

1) This week's Thoughts From Abroad post is rather short mainly because I have been buried in school work. I've been feeling really studious and inspired this week, and it's actually crazy how much stuff I've gotten done! It's still the early stage of my dissertation process, but it's starting to form itself into a well thought out plan!

2) It's hailed about 3 times this week. So much for spring.

3) I've gotten my boyfriend hooked on American Horror Story! Finally, someone to watch it with me! We're almost done with Season 2.

4) I finished 'The White Princess' by Philippa Gregory in less than two days! I personally think it's her best novel yet. But that may be my bias towards Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. They are, after all, who I am writing my dissertation on.

5) I'm seeing The Wanted in Cardiff tonight with Emily! This is going to be my fourth time seeing them live! Crazy, right? I first met them two years ago and they are seriously the most down to earth guys ever.

No matter how cold it is, there's always time for ice cream. 

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 23

1) SPRING IS HEREEEEE!
Can you believe it has only rained ONCE in the last two weeks! 

2) I kind of blew off St. Patrick's Day this year. Since moving abroad my excitement for holidays has only increased, but for some reason I was just not into St. Patrick's Day. At least I didn't get pinched for not wearing green, that must be an American thing.

3) The setting for the next season of American Horror Story is going to be a 1950s circus! Omg, I seriously can't wait! 

4) I think it might be time to upgrade my UK phone. There's only so much a girl can take of a non-smart phone.

5) The amount of google accounts I have accumulated over the years is ridiculous. I think I have 4 or 5 and nothings more annoying than when your computer doesn't recognize the one you want it to automatically login to. 

6) I'm notorious for having knee problems. I don't know what I did to set it off, but my left knee has been kind of useless the past few days. 

7) Currently reading: 4 books on the Black Death, 3 on medieval afterlife, and 2 on Henry VII. Life of a history masters student...

8) I've come to the realization that I can no longer drink Starbucks. I'm too spoiled with Bristol's amazing coffee scene that Starbucks just isn't all that great anymore. 

9) When is Eurovision?? My friends keep on explaining it to me and I feel I HAVE to watch it this year.

10) I've finally caught up with The Walking Dead! Y'all... That last episode was cray. Like "made me an emotional wreck" cray.

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Meet Katie!

Katie Walpole hails from upstate New York in the USA. She's currently living in the UK while she attends graduate school at the London School of Economics. An avid traveler, Katie has traveled to over 25 countries and has set foot on three continents! Katie can often be found eating a macaroon, drinking a latte, and updating her blog! 

BLOG | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 22

1) Being Spring Break in America and all, there was an insane amount of Americans on our visit to London. I swear, I heard more American accents than British ones.

2) I've decided Leah came to England this week solely for the purpose of making shadow puppets with me at 9:30pm on a Thursday evening. We're exciting people, I know.

3) It's been SO nice to have my best friend visit me. Leah is the first person to come visit, and I had so much fun showing her all the cool places and amazing things I do here. Unfortunately, she heads back to Atlanta tomorrow.

4) While we did see the sights, the majority of Leah's visit consisted of sitting in cafes and asking people "what's your wifi password". 

5) Nothing is better than trying your best "British accent" with another American in England.

6) I finally have a picture of me and Jon (the boyfriend)! If you want to see how much of a rocking couple we are, check out my Instagram here. 

7) It didn't rain once this week.
#SpringMiracles 

8) I bought an awesome Hogwarts shirt from Primark. I feel like such a badass when I wear it. 

9) I'm starting to panic slightly about essays for this term. What's the point of essays? I need to focus on my dissertation! 

10) Want to sponsor Bristol in my Pocket? Go have a look at my Sponsor page y'all! 

A preview of my trip to Bath with Leah.

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Meet Jamie!

Hey there, I'm Jamie and the the voice behind Gunters Abroad. 

My husband and I are recent transplants to England and love to travel and eat! Gunters Abroad documents our European travels, the thrilling ups and downs of expat life, and of course, yummy food! Come follow along with us on our crazy adventures!

BLOG | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 20

1) I'm almost done with Dracula. The second half has taken me a bit longer than expected but I LOVE IT!

2) I've managed to order every book known to man on Henry VII. Dissertation, I am ready for you.

3) I've been fighting a cold all week. Super fun, right?

4) Lush has a fantastic way of hiring the friendliest people. I am always impressed with how helpful they are!

5) I've come to the conclusion bread is very small in this country. When I go to buy sandwich bread, my options are small or smaller. 

6) I spent about 3 hours updating my resume/CV. It's fancy y'all. 

7) The Photo Hunt is tomorrow! AHHHHH! 

8) Leah freaking Sears is coming to England in 8 days! Get excited for TON of amazing posts because we are going to be busy tourists!

9) Last night I went to go see As You Like It with my boyfriend and his parents. As You Like It was one of the few Shakespeare plays I knew almost nothing about, but I absolutely loved it! By far one of my favorites!

10) Yesterday I was contacted by a man who had a beautiful story to tell about his wife. She was diagnosed with Mesothelioma and given only 15 months to live. Not only did she beat it, she has now been 8 years cancer free. To check out their amazing story and to face your fears, visit Lung Leaving Day.  

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 19

1) A 1217 copy of the Magna Carta has left its home in Hereford Cathedral to spend six months in a Houston, Texas museum I used to volunteer for! How cool! It is the second known time to ever leave the cathedral!

2) Working in a museum during half term is exhausting. 

3) On the recommendation of some classmates of mine, I have started to read Dracula. Amazing! How have I never read this before?

4) I learned the hard way that English mustard is not like American mustard, it's more like horseradish. 

5) The weather here has been absolutely amazing these last few days. Let's hope it stays that way!

6) I'm mistaken for a Canadian more than anything. 

7) My boyfriend and I stumbled upon a lady playing 16th century music on her flute in the Old City. Needless to say it was amazing.

8) I have found a Tesco that sells American products. I can finally fulfill my craving for Kraft Mac and Cheese!

9) I had an amazing brunch with Bobbi and finally signed up for the Photo Hunt today! Yay!

10) Excuse my brief absence from the blogging world this week. Life has been a little crazy. I've had a TON of reading to do, not to mention I'm starting to prepare my first proposal for my dissertation. AHHH!

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 18

1) I almost stepped on a rat the other day. A RAT! You would think after hundreds of years of plagues and death, England would deal with the disgusting creature that is the rat. 

2) I stumbled into Lush and bought wayyyyy too much. The sad thing is I don't have a bath tub in my flat, which means I had to avoid the bath bomb section. Urgh, curse my tiny tiny shower! 

3) It seems to be getting colder and colder outside. I'm over this, where's spring?

4) I realized yesterday that there are so many parts of Bristol I haven't explored yet! 

5) Unless you live under a rock, you'd know that England is pretty much completely under water. I think we've lucked out in Bristol, the flooding hasn't been as bad as the rest of the country.

6) I don't know what it is about this weather but all I want to do is curl up in a ball and sleep. 

7) I miss having a puppy to cuddle with.

8) Hotel and flights are booked for Ireland in April! AH!!!

9) Who's idea was it to take tequila shots to celebrate passing our essays? 

10) Happy Valentine's Day!
Plans for today include reading lots of "How We Met" posts followed by dinner with my boo.

One of the few bits of sun we've had this week.

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 17

1) I've been nominated for the Top 100 International Exchange and Experience Blogs! Cool, right? You can vote for me HERE.

2) Broncos... Why?
Just,
why? 

3) To my surprise, there were about 100 American football fans in the bar when I showed up to watch the game. What surprised me even more was about 90% of them actually knew what was going on!

4) There were 80 Year 1 students at work on Monday. EIGHTY! For those Americans out there, Year 1 students are 4-5 years old. You can imagine how exhausted I was. 

5) I bought a hat. You know, those big black floppy ones. I feel like I should be a part of the coven in American Horror Story.

6) I'm spending way too much money time in cafes. I can't help it though, I'm addicted to coffee and brunch! 

7) Tanya Burr's new lip gloss line is amazing. I have to admit, the colors I ordered weren't exactly what I was expecting, but the quality of the products are fantastic. 

8) The Starbucks just down the street from me closed today. Yes, a Starbucks went out of business. While I'm sad to see it go, I completely understand why it happened. Bristolians are very supportive of local businesses and let's face it, local cafes have better coffee. 

9) I made myself chicken curry last night and it was fab! I have to pat myself on the back for that one because it was amazing. 

10) If you missed it last week, I'm officially offering Sponsorships! While my blog baby is still growing, I wanted to provide a cheap and easy way for newbies to get their name out there! 

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Meet Van Berry

I'm a 22 year old student from Germany with the urge to see the world. I took a year off after my graduation to travel through Scandinavia and Britain before going to Uni again. I'd be glad if you follow me on my journeys through Northern Norway / The Arctic, Scotland, Sweden, The Baltic Region and maybe even further away..... Enjoy my travelogues and pictures on my blog, watch my travel videos on my youtube channel and enjoy my latest travel snapshots on Instagram.

BLOG | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM

Don't be shy, go check out her blog!

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 16

1) Couple sitting at the table next to me in cafe:

Man: "I don't know if I should take the job. It's in Texas."

Woman: "Is there even anything to do in Texas? I thought they just sat around shooting stuff all day."

2) There has been a debate on the best Nando's flavor. I'm team Mango & Lime.

3) Did you know that the River Severn (Bristol's main water source) has the second highest tidal range in the world? That's crazy!

4) It's been stupid cold here lately, but no sign of snow. 

5) I have officially finished Peep Show and moved on to The IT Crowd. Gotta love British TV. 

6) People take coffee art very seriously here in Bristol. 

7) Kid at work when I told him we were studying things from Victorian times: "You're American, you don't know the answers".

8) School is officially in full swing and I couldn't be happier. It nice to have something to do again, let alone something I enjoy. 

9) My best friend Leah is coming to visit me in March, another friend Meagan comes in April, and my family comes in May! AHHHH! I'm so excited to show everyone Bristol!

10) I'm officially offering Sponsorships! Seeing as this little blog baby of mine is still growing, I wanted to offer affordable and easy ways to sponsor. Both options are cheaper than cup of coffee, and are great ways to get your blog on my reader's radars!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 15

1) I started eating meat again (after two years of being a pescatarian). Yesterday I had a fried egg burger with peanut butter on it. 

A FRIED EGG BURGER WITH PEANUT BUTTER!!!! HOW AMAZING?!

2) I met Brendan Cole. He's a dancer on Strictly Come Dancing and unfortunately I had no idea who he was until someone told me.

3) We've had a mixture of amazing and dreadful weather lately. Rainy days = a very unproductive Sara.

4) The University of Bristol has an American football team. Words can not describe how happy this makes me.

5) It's been 4 months since I moved to England and I still don't understand why the letter Z is pronounced Zed...

6) What I'd give for a little beach time right now. Anybody want to fly me to Australia?

7) I made fajitas... and they were delicious. Why am I always talking about food?

8) I know I said this last week, but I really need to start thinking about my dissertation.

9) Classes officially start on Tuesday. While doing absolutely nothing has been fun, I'm ready to get back to reality. I've been in the library pretty much all day preparing for the upcoming week. Yay for being productive!

10) Thank you everyone who commented and showed me love for Bristol Vibes! It's nice to change up the pace every now and then. If you haven't see it yet, watch it here.

And so the semester begins.
Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 14

1) I'm almost tempted to say Bristol has skipped winter and gone straight to spring. It's been beautiful here lately!

2) However, I would like just one major snow this year. Just one BIG snow so I can go sledding for the first time.

3) And it's also been raining. Nonstop. I don't mind the rain here because it never rains for more than an hour straight. 

4) My American Horror Story Asylum experience so far:

Woah.

What.

Ew.

Awesome.

Woah. 

5) I should probably start reading things for my dissertation now that I have a little free time...

6) I went into Primark and bought one item. I'm learning self control.

7) I need to plan a day trip for sometime this week. Any suggestions of places to go around the Bristol area?

8) If you haven't seen this video, you're missing out. Bad British Commentary

9) I have come to the realization that the most deadly animal in England is the cow... Just think about that.

10) I was pleased to see the History MA gang last night. We are all slowly trickling back to Bristol, and there's nothing better than discussing possibilities of us all failing our essays over drinks.

Here's a picture of me being a cool kid back in the day.
Happy Friday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Abroad | Part 13

1) I apologize for my brief absence from the blogging world. I was back in Texas for the holidays, and to top it all off I had 3 essays and 4 medieval transcriptions to finish! To say I have been busy is an understatement.

2) I'm back in the UK! Woohoo! Although I loved being back home for a few weeks, it's nice to be in my own routine again. If you haven't noticed, I'm extremely independent and function best when on my own. 

3) I don't think I've ever said this before in my life: it IS possible to eat too much. I've eaten so much the last couple of weeks. Goodbye American portions!

4) Having said that, I will miss margaritas and queso. And kolaches.

5) Over the break my old roommate and I planned a trip to Ireland when she comes to visit me in April!

6) I forgot how nice it is to walk out of the house in yoga pants and a t-shirt without being judged. Gotta love the casual sorority look.

7) Y'all. The Olympics are about to start and I have no TV. What. The. Heck.

8) I think I've beat jet lag... I think.

9) It's weird to think that in 8 months I would have turned in my dissertation and completed my masters program. Time to start panicking yet?

10) I'm never one to make New Year's Resolutions, however there is one task I would like to accomplish in 2014. Travel outside the UK more! My first 3 months in England were an adjustment period. Now that I am comfortable living abroad, I think it's time for me to travel Europe more!

Happy Saturday!
xoxo

Thoughts From Home | Part 12

I am taking a tiny break from blogging until my essay deadlines in two weeks, but don't fret! I'll still be posting, just not as frequently. 

I have been back in Texas for a little less than a week and already I have experienced a little reverse culture shock. It's amazing how 3 months abroad can change your outlook on home! So, instead of Thoughts From Abroad, this week is Thought From Home.

1) Everything in America is so big! The houses, the shopping centers, the portion sizes. EVERYTHING IS SO BIG!

2) I'm finding it increasingly difficult to work on my essays. It's hard to focus when you have access to a TV and BBC America is constantly playing Doctor Who!

3) I missed Tex Mex so much, it's not even funny. I would bathe in queso if I could. 

Too much?

4) It's so inconvenient having to drive everywhere! Why can't everything be within walking distance?

5) There's nothing like Christmas in Texas, however, I do miss Bristol!

Me and my sister. Obviously my skin hasn't seen the sun in 3 months. 

Happy Friday!

xoxo