I have been in Manchester for almost a full 5-weeks now. Somehow, time is already going by pretty fast.
I would not say that I am at all comfortable here yet; but with that said, I am not uncomfortable. Thus far, I love my friend group of business internationals, I enjoy spending time and getting to know my local flatmates, and I have my go-to supermarket near my accommodation. I am familiar enough with the bus system to know which bus to take to and from class and I am beginning to understand the best routes to the City Centre. I located a small supermarket with quick coffee and a meal deal on fruit (which I was really missing for a little while). It is located conveniently in between the bus stop and the majority of my classes. Also, I found a cute and cozy area in one of the campus buildings with couches for studying and meet up with friends there in between classes when we have free time. I do not have a favorite, go-to restaurant or café yet, but I have tried a few places that are good contenders. I have not had as much time as I would have liked to find a good gym routine but I have a membership and go when I do have the time. That being said, I would much rather be too busy exploring the city for the one semester I have and deal with the consequences later.
As a sushi fanatic, I have had to alter my food preferences – which I accepted very early on. While Japanese food is nowhere near as popular here, there are loads of Chinese restaurants, Indian food and of course, fish and chips. Right up the street from me is a mile dedicated for curries and Indian food – legitimately called Curry Mile: a mile-long stretch of restaurants serving curry. As someone who has never had the slightest interest in trying curry, I am surprisingly excited to try it in the near future. I will write another blog post going into more detail solely on the food abroad because it has certainly been a huge component of my time abroad and an influential factor on my overall European experience.
Ultimately, as a girl who enjoys finding her daily routine, I am slowly getting there.
