uhhh-pdates

eghhh...I'm getting really bad at this. Here's a life update. Kind of. Forgive me.

1. This Halloween, there were no (or at least minimal numbers of) costumes, there was no trick-or-treating, no sugar overload. Instead, there was a Formal Dinner at my Oxford college, which I attended and ate a delicious meal with my brother at my side and 'new' friends all around me. No complaints here.

Matriculation.

I have learned, firsthand, in this last month in Oxford—just like we're told circa age 5—that time flies when you're having fun.
-And when you're getting used to a new lifestyle.
-And when you're reading ~11 books and writing 9 pages each week.
-And when you're taking up an old sport again.
-And when---

 okay, we'll just leave it at 'time flies when you're having fun.' 

That's what all this has been, essentially.

All of this is just to apologize for the gap in updates. I'm working really hard to "find the balance" among all my various obligations here [self-assigned or otherwise, hehe], and blogging hasn't really fit in there anywhere. That changes now! (For today!)

Sooooo, on to the actual updates-- MATRICULATION.

fitness.

it's tough.

it's foreign.

it hurts.

-M

last week.

As you might expect (or at least, as you might have figured out from my lack of posts), this past week has been a busy one. I think a quick recap is in order, yeah?

In the past seven days, I have:

• met tons of cool/fun/smart/amazing people
• bought a bicycle
• visited a pub (or six...)
• bought all the necessary rain gear
• pole vaulted
• submitted my first of sixteen 9-page papers
• met my college advisor, my research supervisor, and all my professors
• went to my first college "bop"
• successfully toured around town with my first visitors
• and matriculated into the University (more on that in a later post)

It's been a whirlwind, and I'm already a bit behind on this week's paper due to all the wonderful time spent doing all the other things on that list above, but I'm not complaining.

throwback Thursday

No much new has been happening lately, just a few orientation sessions and induction dinners, so here are some pictures from the verrrry beginning of my UK adventure. It was only 1.5 weeks ago, but it already feels like ages. The pics are from a rain-less day spent exploring London with a good friend. Enjoy.

London has a surprising amount of parks...

...but these reminders are definitely the best fixtures of the city, hands down.

(sorry for not a very good picture-- they're painted on the roads near crosswalk edges)