all settled in!

So this is my very first blog post! I've decided to create a blog about my experiences here doing my masters in international fashion marketing at MMU and everything fashion wise as well! This way all my friends from home can follow what I'm up to and then I can always look back at this- remember the days when you'd write everything down in a journal?? (then knowing me I'd lose the journal and all that writing would be for nothing! haha) Here I can post pictures and things as well.

Here's an update of what I've been up to so far:
I moved across the pond just over a week ago now and I'm starting to get more and more comfortable in my new city! The more I see of it, the more I love it! Manchester is such a vibrant city with so much to do- great shopping, restaurants, theaters, museums, pubs and clubs. It is the perfect mix of the old with the new. The fact that there are 2 large universities here and a bunch of colleges makes it very student based and a lot of fun! I'm living in a flat in Fallowfield (just outside of the city centre) with 3 other housemates. This is perfect because I'm just a 10 minute walk to my campus and there is a Sainsbury's grocery store and strip of different pubs and restaurants just across the road.

Last week we had welcome activities for international students- on Thursday we went to this place called Tatton Gardens which was beautifulll and there was a BBQ and irish dancing (it was jokes!). It was great because I got to meet people from all over, Australia, France, the states, Sweden etc. mainly people doing exchanges this semester at Man Met. On Friday Danielle (my new aussie friend!), Sara (from Phili/going to school at Ryerson) and me decided to go with the Alton Towers option aka a super fun theme park and the biggest in the UK. Picture a much, much prettier wonderland in the English countryside. We all felt like little kids again going on a school field trip and had an absolute blast!!!

I then spent the rest of the weekend with my parents cause it was their last few days in the UK so we shopped, dined, drank some pints in some very traditional English pubs and walked all around the city. It was so nice having them here, helping me get all settled and they got to familiarize themselves with Manchester as well (...and kept saying how lucky I was to be living here!) We even went on the big wheel in the city centre (had to be done!)

On Saturday night, after I said my goodbyes to my parents (tear), my roomate, Becky (from Norway!) and I ventured into the city to have a predrink at Sara's hall. Danielle and her roommate from Greece met us there too. We had a predrink with all of Sara's new flatmates who just moved in!! Played never have I ever which seems to be a favourite of the Brit's and was a hilarious ice breaker. We then went to the MET which is in the student union building where it was a fun night of 1.50 pound VK double fisting, shots with irish guys and lots of dancingggg! It reminds me exactly of the old 1/4's @ MAC awww.

Sunday we were supposed to get together to watch the Manchester United vs. Manchester City game but were all too tired/hung over to make it to the pubs in time to see it! Ended up just walking around Fallowfield with Becky and Danielle- it was a gorgeous, sunny day and it was entertaining just to see the jam-packed pubs and the fans going crazy in the streets! Danielle and I bought tickets for some fresher events which included a camo party @ the birdcage that night so we took a bus into the city centre to go to Primark (most AMAZING store) and find some cheap army gear!!! It ended up being quite the adventurous night! Had my first day of induction week for my program today...there are events going on every day this week and then we'll find out our schedule for classes later. ROUND 3 TONIGHT ahhh this is freshers week after all! It's an 'i heart ibiza' UV rave tonight! It better not get too out of control though because I have to be on campus for 9 AM tomorrow! Us IFM masters students are going on a field trip to cheshire oaks retail park. Woo I think this is definitely the field for me...going to UK's largest outlet centre as part of my program orientation? love it!