Week Two

Glad to see the blog is up and running, and working for everyone. Thank you for the comments and feedback for my shin! (Which is still numb...)
Every day has been different so far. The weather changes slightly day to day, but is constantly cool. It was sunny the other day, but because of that, it was actually colder since there weren't any clouds. I was so excited, but so miserable at the same time--haha, imagine that! It is something I will definitely have to be patient with, as I adjust to not having the warm sunlight from San Diego.

Last night was our first run since I've been here. We've been talking about going for a while, but something always seems to come up, or it's just too cold. So, after having a lazy day (mostly due to the bad weather!), I was ready right when Peter got home from work. His housemate JP ended up coming along, and it turned out to be really nice. It was a short 4 miler, and it felt so good to be out running again, as it's been a few weeks since I've been able to run. Once we reached the top of the hill (about half way), there was a fabulous view of Canterbury from Kent University, looking something like this:

After our run, Kerry had made everyone dinner which was amazing--chicken stuffed with mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes, wrapped in bacon with peas and potatoes. Yum! Then, we all watched the last episode of An Idiot Abroad. The show is absolutely hilarious. If there is any way of watching, and you have a bit of spare time, it's seriously a good laugh.

The other night Peter and I walked into town to pick up some hangers for the closet which I have completely taken over, and afterwards we had dinner at a restaurant called Wagamama. I got "yasai katsu curry," which was described as follows: sweet potato, aubergine (eggplant) and butternut squash, deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a curry sauce and sticky white rice, garnished with mixed leaves and red pickles. And it looked like this:

I'm sad to say, that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It isn't very often that I don't like what I've ordered, so I was a little disappointed. Peter ordered almost the exact same thing but his came with chicken, so there wasn't much we could do. The sauce had a weird tang that just wasn't my favorite, I guess. 

We may just be better off cooking at home, instead! Right Peter?! :-)

Yesterday morning was another early wake for me. Apparently there had been a "weather warning," because the wind was so strong, and it was raining too. After Peter left for work, I laid in bed, and got sucked into the internet, and here is what I managed to get done:

I think Peter had a nice laugh while receiving them through email at work :-)

Soon after creating these, I had a nice chat on Skype with my friend Freddy. It was good  to catch up, as we have a similar little love story. His girl being in Germany, while he's in San Diego. Towards the end of our conversation, he asked for my address, so to potentially send me a care package, and asked what I was missing most. I couldn't think of much at that moment, but since have thought of a few things that unfortunately cannot be sent via care package. They include:

• The sun: As a San Diego native, I have truly been spoiled by the sunlight. It determines the hour at which I wake up in the mornings (usually). It motivates me to go outside and enjoy it's rays. It gives me a glow that I don't get anywhere else. All it takes is to be without it to really appreciate it's extraordinary effects.
• My mom: I don't think there has ever been a time that I've felt down when she hasn't been able to lift my spirits. At any moment that a doubt might creep into my mind (after all, I've just taken a huge leap into the unknown), I miss her the most. And I think of how nice it feels to be held by her, having her gently stroke my hair and tell me that "everything is going to be okay." Send that in a care package!
• Amarin Thai Lunch Special: I would have thought sushi would overrule any food craving of mine, but I can't stop thinking about my vegetable rama lunch special with thai iced tea! It's cheap and simply delicious! 
• Clothes fresh from the dryer: Dryers are not common here, and one of my favorite things is feeling my clothes come right out of the dryer. Having a freshly washed and warm towel to dry off with or putting warm socks on. Or just having clothes that aren't totally wrinkled and feel hard once they're dried. Another one of those things you don't really appreciate until you don't have it anymore.

I am meeting Peter's mom in town for lunch today at noon, so I am going to start getting ready and get a few things done first. My online banking hasn't allowed me to log on since being here, so I'll need to give them a ring. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and please stay in touch!