SHOPS, MAFIA, & PARTIES

What I realised about studying abroad is how much I enjoy and cherish the quality time that I get with anyone here. I can’t even explain how quickly I have grown to know so many individuals in such a short amount of time. It usually takes me several months or even years to be so comfortable around certain people, I guess it helps how we are live only a few steps away from each other. I just love all of the friends that I have been making her in Brighton and I am so stoked that I get to share this amazing opportunity with so many rad individuals.

One lovely individual I got to spend time with was my lovely French flatmate, Nedale. I showed her one of my favourite juice shops (42juice) in town, we explored around bought some things that we needed and just chatted. It was really nice getting to know her because I lacked on doing this last semester since I was so focused getting to hang out with others outside of my living quarters. Speaking of living quarters and flatmates, my flatmates are so great. I am so thankful to be living with such amazing individuals; yes 31A, I am talking about you (although room 8 is still a mystery, I don’t really know you… he ignores us and plays WOW).

What else I really love is how a few weeks ago, a group of us met in my flat for some beers and we played jungle speed and mafia (not into the beer but loved playing games). Both games got fairly competitive and it got pretty loud! Lots of shouting and frustration but it was a lot of fun, I definitely want to do that again sometime. 

On a random note, Brighton got a light blanket of snow the other day! Woke up to it before lecture but it all melted before I left the flat. Katie and I decided to stay in the following day since neither of us had class and study in my kitchen, its always nice to just relax and hang out.

Earlier I forgot to mention that the friends that left were just the USAC group aka the Americans due to the fact their second semester started in a few short weeks after Christmas; so I still had the European exchange students to cling on too. Like Daniel, who originally studies in Amsterdam. We took advantage of the free time we had with classes being over and explored Brighton before he headed back home. I feel like no matter how many times I go into town, I find a new café I want to try out or a cute shop I want to buy everything in! I JUST LOVE THAT!! Exploring the city centre never gets old to me. 

Later that week, Josh invited a few of us to join him and his classmates to a pub where we ended up Sticky Mike’s Frog bar where we chatted over pints and played some foozeball. Speaking of pints, I am not really a beer person so I go for cider, but I found this cider that tastes like Toffee Apple! It is super good and super sweet, so I couldn’t drink it that often, but it was a nice find.

Fast forwarding a few days: Tiana, Tom, Daniel, and I got into Tom’s car to head over to Eastbourne for Daniel since he was leaving soon and had yet to see the lovely Beachy Head. It was so bloody windy that it could hold my body weight up… it was mental!!! 

NOMM NOMM

After losing feeling in my toes and fingers, we decided to warm up in the restaurant close by where we got hot cocoas and coffee as well as grab a bite to eat. On the drive home, we drove into a parking lot to check out the cliffs on the beach, but since it was so chilly the stay wasn’t that long. Overall, the mini day trip was very pleasant and lovely.

I will be closing this post with a sad but fun memory: the goodbye party that flat 30A had thrown. It was really great to hang out with everyone before they departed back to their home countries. I could honestly say that I made so many lifelong friends this past semester and I am so lucky to be able to say that. Within the next week, everyone starting to leave one by one and it hurt so bad to say goodbye to everyone. IT hurts just thinking about it. Le sigh, oh well...LIFE GOES ON.  Cheers to everyone who made semester one so amazing and to wherever life takes you all. Love you all a lot.

Cheers,

Amanda x

Now Playing: Sugar by Maroon 5