Old Photos

For the last few days (since Friday evening) I have been staying with Marina and Ryan in Longframlington! They have a gorgeous house and have been so kind to me. I'm very thankful to have family so close to the school.

On Saturday Ryan had dance classes at a school in Alnwick and the teacher graciously agreed to let me join three of his classes that day. First we began with pilates which was FANTASTIC. It felt amazing to stretch again as I haven't been doing it much since circus ended. I was able to keep up with the others..well everyone except the teacher who could stand and raise her leg straight up to her ear. I am not exactly that advanced.

After that Ryan was doing tap for an hour and so Marina and I snuck out for a tea (mine) and a cappuccino (hers). There we ran into another 'dance mom' who liked to chat. A lot. Everyone here likes to chat a lot. One moment you're asking about their day and the next they're telling you about who's friend's friend's daughter broke their leg.

Pilates was a breeze in comparison to the next two hours of dance - jazz and modern. At least in jazz I was able to do some of the warm-ups. Modern was another story. The teacher moved so quickly because they had already learned a lot of the dance. She would say 'one, two, three, and one, two three' and I would be stuck on step one!

Overall it was nice to have a bit of exercise and now I have an even greater respect for Ryan's dedication to dance. He reckons he takes over 20 hours of dance a week.
It has been super super fun hanging out with Ryan as we are always able to reconnect very quickly!

Tonight we went through a bunch of old photos and so I thought I would share some of my favo(u)rites!

5 Week, 3 Day Anniversary

Today is the 5 week and 3 day anniversary of my arrival to Longridge Towers School. Seriously where does the time go? It's been an easy transition for me into the new school because of how similar it is to Highland Park High School. The kids, the classes offered, the movement between classes, everything closely resembles the structure of HP. Obviously there are slight differences that, added up, make it an interesting and new experience. I think the fact that I speak the same language as the kids and we grew up in similar cultures made it easy for me to fit in and get along with the students at school. Although, Carmen found it an easy transition as well even though she speaks a different language.

I have had a less easy time getting used to the rules and structure of the boarding house. While I understand completely that all rules laid out have a purpose and are put there with good intention, I feel that some of the rules are unnecessary. Overall, it has just been different and it will take time for me to adjust to having specific time frames that things must be done in. I prefer how at home I have the freedom to choose what time I do my homework, how long I spend on it, and I have more flexibility regarding prioritizing homework and my social life.

That being said, everyone in the boarding house is here to help me and all of the kids are very friendly. It's like living with 30 brothers and sisters! The best part is that when we go to school if we see another boarder we say 'hi!' and 'how are you?' and 'how is your day going?'. Knowing all of these people makes me feel included and like I have been at the school my whole life! I love it and it makes me feel very at home.

And here, for your enjoyment, are some random pictures from the last week :)

 After a long day of school...

On a rollercoaster with my friends at Lightwater Valley

amusement park on a Sunday outing.

Two of my friends (Kelsey, Carmen) on a swan paddle boat at the amusement park.

Baby ducks and their mommy following our swan boat!

This picture sums up this past week: dictionaries, homework, warm clothes,

and packets of mixed nuts (pictured above is the beautiful Carmen eating and studying).