My Travel Plans for Semester One.

This is my eighth week, and by now I've fully settled into life as a student in San Francisco - so it's time to mix it up and go travelling! Over the course of the next few months, I've got a few exciting trips planned.

It's nice to break up this term as it's the longest - I also can't wait to see more of the U.S., and more importantly, scratch off some more states on my map!

 

Long Weekend in Chicago and Iowa - my main reason for making this trip is to visit my lovely friend and old housemate Hannah, who is studying this semester at the University of Iowa in Iowa City - which makes a change from good old Hull! As Chicago's a bit out of my way in the Midwest, this is a great opportunity to see the Windy City as Hannah's only a four hour drive away in Iowa - virtually no distance by U.S. standards.

 

I'm heading there over a long weekend, in just over a weeks' time (the 19th-22nd October) - after two days in Chicago, we're taking a Megabus (classy) to her campus in Iowa City, where I'll get the full (well, two days' worth) UIOWA experience, with Hannah as my tour guide.

 

Thanksgiving in Seattle and Portland - I'm lucky that my Thanksgiving break is an entire week long, as most universities here only get a long weekend off over the holiday. I'm flying up to Seattle with my Hull friend Josh as soon as the break starts - we're going to spend four nights in the rain, probably! No, seriously Seattle is meant to be the second-greatest city on the West Coast (after SF, of course), so I can't wait to see what it's like.

After Seattle, we're taking a bus down to Portland and spending three nights there, including Thanksgiving Day. It's smaller than Seattle, but it's meant to be a really cool (and achingly hipster) city.
Luckily, we got multi-city flights, meaning we can fly into Seattle on the 16th of November and out of Portland on the 23rd November - more holiday time and less sitting-on-a-bus-feeling-travelsick time is perfect for me!

 

Christmas at Home Sweet Home - After Thankgiving is over (and I've braved Finals), I'm finally going home - it's a bit unheard of for exchange students to go home for the Christmas break, but I don't think I could spend Christmas in San Fran alone. So I'm spending three weeks (23rd December -12th January) with my lovely friends and family at home instead! I really can't wait.

Visiting NorCal Friends - When I get back after Christmas, my campus accomodation still won't be open until the 24th of January (and semester two doesn't start until the 28th) - we get around five weeks for the Christmas break. I've got a few lovely friends who live in Northern California, two in Nevada City and one in Lake Tahoe, who've very kindly invited me to stay with them during the in-between period. It'll be so nice to experience their home towns for a few days!

I'm arriving back in San Francisco on the 17th, because on the 18th something very exciting is happening...

 

Reunion in Hawaii - yes, aloha Hawaii! I'm spending a week in Hawaii from the 18th until the 25th of January with one of my oldest friends, Cara, who emigrated to New Zealand a few years back. Seeing as I'm spending this year in SF, we're meeting in the middle! It's been about four years since I've seen her, so I'm BEYOND excited. Also - we're meeting in HAWAII.

 

Expect to see more than a few write-ups of my travelling adventures!