Hello everyone!
School is still going great so far. I am very happy with my classes and have joined a few clubs. One is the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the other is the Club Managers Association. Each will give me many opportunities to volunteer, tour, and meet some substantial people within the Hospitality industry. There are many trips planned to go to Boston and New York, so I will be sure to write about my adventures there. So far I have been extremely pleased with how personal my professors have been. They’ve all been very accommodating to me and my situation. They give me useful information to become further involved with the school while I am here, and I appreciate that.
The most challenging part of living here so far has been learning how to get around without a vehicle. Public transportation is almost non-existent in my small town back home. I have learned quickly that I need to give myself enough time to wait for buses, and have used Uber when they are not near and available. So I’ve gotten around fine, but still miss driving a lot.
The weather here has finally taken a turn and is now fairly cold and rainy, which can make walking to class kind of miserable. However, when the weather is drearier, I know that the coffee shop downtown will not be so busy, so I go there to study and get a hot coffee. I also mind my time and read while I’m there. I just finished Wuthering Heights, it was very good. Looking out the window, I am slowly starting to see the colors change on the trees. They say that mid-October will be the peak of the season. I will be sure to post pictures on here of it when the time comes.
My roommate, Elise, is great and the best roommate I could’ve asked for. Since she is from the Netherlands we often talk about the differences in cultures from here compared to her country, I find it very interesting. We have yet to visit the Emily Dickinson Museum in town but plan to one weekend soon. We decided that we want to attend the home football game tomorrow. UMass plays Arkansas State, so naturally, I have to go. I’m not sure who I’ll root for yet being partial to both teams, however; that just means I’ll be happy with whatever the outcome is.
I am still very pleased with the decision I made and am loving every bit of it so far. It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been here for a month, time really does fly by.
-Aarah <3
