Mingling around in the world of blogging

Recently, there have been quite a lot of changes in my routine.. Well, I could cay it has disappeared for a month or so. I changed my university, my location, almost got used to the British accent and started to understand the local Geordies. However, there are still things I feel unfamiliar with. For example, the left-sided traffic is just driving me mad, together with the friendliness of the locals. It's insane, and I guess could not be more extreme after living in Sweden, where people tend to be very reserved and extremely hard to make friends with.
Here, in Newcastle, I am still shocked how cashiers, library workers, baristas etc. call me sweetheart, young lady, love and all these super lovely names that get me smiling before I even think about it. It's just so much more relaxed and laid-back.. So, if you combine it with the cultural differences which are pretty challenging for me as a newcomer, it equals out and makes it so much easier to feel like home.
Moreover, besides all these new experiences, I was given an opportunity to try out blogging on WordPress. Undoubtedly, I took it, so now I have a second blog on my Swedish university's website, which is exclusively about my new university experience in Newcastle. Due to this change, this blog might become less active, but I will still post things here, as I quite often feel the urge to spill the bits of my inner world in this blog, which had become the home of random stuff that I find exciting.
Lastly, I have always wanted to read more on blogging so that I could not only practice more, but improve my writing techniques as well. Also, I just started the course "Writing for the Media: Journalism", which I fell in love with immediately and which I will hopefully benefit from in all aspects of writing, including blogging.

More on the new courses I am taking and my uni-related adventures - in my other blog: http://blogg.mah.se/studyabroad/author/emilijariaukaite

As for now, as they say here in Newcastle,
Cheers!

Christmas came and went

This point, at which one year ends and another starts, is the time for coming back. Not symbolically, but because that is what I personally want all the time. It's like a Christmas gift to myself, a gift that requires an occasion. Being with people I love and miss all the time. This is, however, the time of great sadness, lurking just behind the corner to take over. Time of realizing how temporary and fragile this precious time is. The best time of the year. Well, maybe summer is better, but this is more recent.

So, I went home for Christimas, and spent 3 amazing weeks in my home country. Met all my best friends, strengthened my relationships, spent time with my beloved ones. After four months abroad, I got over from emptiness and loneliness. Brought back to Sweden a lot of memorable moments, warm hugs, and, sadly, a few good-bye kisses.

This post is not going to be an organised one, but when I do not write for a while, I lose the skill, just like in sports or studying. It's been embarrassingly long since the last post, so it just feels good to be back and not pressure myself.

Some news: I am going on an Erasmus exchange in Newcastle, England, for this spring semester. I'm leaving on Monday, so, from then on, it is expected to reflect here, in this blog, maybe even including some impression-based posts or first opinions :)

So, back to my holiday. despite all these bad feelings that are in me now, I feel like this period of time was one of those that people remember when they are old and think how great these times were. But, since I am not planning to stop being crazy when I am with these people,the list of my best memories is still open, and that's something to look for :)

As for this blog's future, I have got plenty of topics to write about and am still open for constructive critic and suggestions. I am also working on getting rid of unreasonable excuses, sso this is just about to show how it goes for me.

Birthday marathon :)

Home-made cookies with my art on them :)

Me and my brother