Moving to Durham and My First Week
September 2024: My view on the walk from my flat to Durham's city centre.
Just a 30-minute drive, a 2-hour domestic flight, a surprise overnight layover, an 8-hour transatlantic flight, a 2-hour connection in Amsterdam, a 1-hour flight and an hour bus ride was all it took to get to Durham from Missouri.
Getting to Durham (and Minneapolis)
The route to get here lasted 38 hours in total. It was just me and my entourage of two super-sized, black suitcases whom I’ve accidentally nicknamed “mother” and “f—er” after using the expletive quite often while hefting them around.
My first leg to Minneapolis was delayed, meaning I would miss my red-eye to Amsterdam. The Delta desk attendant, Jenny, offered me flights the next morning, and Mom and Dad told me they would bring me back to the airport again, no worries.
Yet going home felt incredibly anti-climactic. I think it would have been bad luck to go back home for the night. So, I boarded the original flight to Minnesota.
I messaged my friend from high school, Naomi, a recent University of Minnesota graduate who works in Minneapolis. She invited me to crash on her couch, and that I did.
When I arrived at her apartment above an art store, I was let in by her roommates: one a door-to-door campaigner for the DNC with a fresh blow-out, and the other a semi-flamboyant music graduate student at the university.
We waited for Naomi to return from an EDM concert and played Two Truths and a Lie in the kitchen.
After a blissful sleep on the couch, the next morning Naomi and I got a coffee and went for a walk around one of the nearby lakes. I was pleasantly surprised by Minneapolis.
September 2024: Naomi on our walk around Minneapolis.
That afternoon, I got on a flight to Amsterdam and sat next to a couple who were running the Berlin Marathon.
It was their first flight to Europe, and to my dismay, they were not aware of a critical unspoken airplane rule: you cannot ask to get up every hour.
Respectfully, I do not care that you are squished. You get two, maybe three requests for me to get up and let you out. Then, I’ve had enough. This pair was almost just as bad as a screaming airplane baby.
After a short layover in Amsterdam and an hour’s flight to the UK, I made it to Newcastle, which is the nearest airport to Durham.
September 2024: The final leg of journey from Amsterdam to Newcastle, which is just an hour-long flight.
The university had arranged for buses to pick up the international students, which was lovely. However, they had quite long arrival windows, so I sat on the bus for over an hour before heading to Durham.
That is one thing I have learned to appreciate in America: the emphasis on efficiency.
Finally in Durham, I set my bags down in my flat. With no blanket or pillow yet, I took a nap on my coat.
Logistical Fun
I like to consider myself someone who isn’t too fussy.
I’ve slept on airport floors. I’ve ridden questionable buses and had a lot of greasy kebabs in Nottingham in the wee hours.
But after two full travel days, I insisted on sleeping on sheets, and having a set of towels. So, that’s what I did.
After my nap on the first day, I Ubered myself to Dunelm (which is a home goods chain in the UK) for the essentials: sheets, duvet, pillows, bin, laundry basket, towels, soap, etc.
The following day, I tackled a whole array of immigration and university laundry list tasks, like getting my British ID.
On Day 3, I still didn’t have any kitchen supplies or food. So, I went to Tesco (one of England’s most popular supermarkets) and “had a shop.”
September 2024: My shopping cart in Tesco. My Uber driver was not too pleased to see my cart as he pulled up.
Plates, cutlery, pots, pans, chicken, salmon, washing up soap, scrubbies, pasta, broccoli, rice, some cheeky M&Ms, and yes, (I’m back on a student budget), quite a few packs of Ramen.
I had so much to unload I had to call the janitorial staff, and a friend to bring me a trolley and help me on the lift. Whoops!
I’m Making Friends, Mom
Durham is one of the few British universities that uses the collegiate system, or colleges. Each student is assigned a college which essentially becomes their home base for the duration of their studies.
Durham has 17 colleges made up of students from different years. For my American readers, it is similar to a Harry Potter house. Yet instead of names like Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, we have John Snow, Josephine Butler, St. Cuthbert’s etc.
My college, Ustinov, is the sole college for postgraduates only, and has roughly 400 people.
So far, I have made all of my friends through Ustinov, and the Ustinov’s pub on campus: The Paddle.
Making friends with people as an adult kind of feels like asking someone on a date.
You see someone who you like the looks of, you ask for their social/contact info and then ask them to meet up. I literally chased a girl down this week because I liked her eyeliner!
But, so far this approach has worked, and I’ve made friends with Bria, who Ollie, (a boy in Ustinov), let me know is “just friends with me to get a shout-out on this blog!”
Looking at the Year Ahead
September 2024: Durham's Observatory Hill with a gorgeous view of the cathedral in the distance.
I love the symbolism of a new academic year and the opportunity to recreate yourself. In elementary school, it meant getting new school supplies and a shiny outfit to impress on the first day. Now as a masters student, I have been reflecting on what I want to get out of this program.
The undergraduate days of sleeping in and going out on weekdays are over…well, for the most part.
Here are some of my objectives for the year ahead following themes of responsibility, drive, proactiveness and contentment:
Take full advantage of the opportunities given to me
Take care of my physical and social health and establish routines
Set myself up for success for post-graduation
Enjoy living in picturesque Durham and make lifelong friendships
More literally, those objectives translate to…
Earn a first mark in my degree (for my Americans, this is a 4.0)
Publish approximately 50 blog posts by September 2025
Travel to three new countries
Be hired in a destination marketing role by September 30, 2025 in the UK or greater Europe
Work out 4-5 times per week
Be able to run 13.1 miles by September 30, 2025 (yes, I am hopping on the 20-something-running-a-half-marathon bandwagon)
This year will be challenging, but I am so excited to have made this transition. Walking around Durham and being back in England feels euphoric to me.
Coming Up:
This Thursday, I will join the university in the ancient matriculation ceremony held in Durham Cathedral.
In December, I will attend the Ustinov Christmas Ball at Durham Castle. Time to start shopping for a gown!
