This past week has continued to be both an amazing experience in Chester and stressful at the same time. Sickness has plagued me yet again, leaving my incapacitated many mornings. Monday was a tough day with school the entire morning and studying for the MCAT later on in the day at my favorite coffee spot, the Jaunty Goat. After that, I had class again, worked on school projects, and had an MCAT tutoring session. Suffice to say, I was quite mentally exhausted. In the morning, I went to grab breakfast with Parker and tried my best not to cough in public. After taking 2 COVID tests, I was proven negative but continued to feel sick. My friend Brooke and I were excitedly planning for our soccer match on Wednesday, but it unfortunately got cancelled. In-between classes, I went grocery shopping and did some more homework. our Contemporary Past class went on a field trip to churchyards in both England and Wales, which was extremely interesting but made me miss soccer practice. Wednesday, I continued the productivity by completing work, studying for the MCAT, and eventually taking some time off to attend to social with my fellow soccer teammates. Each week we dress up for a theme on Wednesday nights and go to pubs. Thursday was amazing as I got to sit down with my friend Bruno and learn about his life and dreams. Sitting down to talk with my classmates has been one of the most fulfilling things to do this semester. Thursday afternoon was filled with more studying and gym time. Friday was packed with getting ready for the 1 week student-development week, where me and my friends would be traveling to Paris and Brussels. I went to get lunch with Una, my good friend from Taiwan, and do some more work. Saturday was difficult as I packed most of the day, looked over forms and flights, and took a practice MCAT exam that did not go extremely well. I am getting the most frustrated with this portion of my study away. On Sunday the group of Lexi, Julia, Hannah, Una, and I travelled to Paris safely. I was scared the flights would be a scam because they were so cheap, but Sunday night we were able to land safely in Paris, which I will discuss more about next week.
Photo Descriptions
Top Left: Pub Golfing with Womens Football
Top Middle: Studying at the Jaunty Goat
Top Right: Medieval Church from CTP Class
Middle Left: Inside of Medieval Church
Middle: Me at Lunch with Una
Middle Right: Me Waiting for Food at Lunch with Una
Bottom Left: Leaving for Paris (Train Station)
Bottom Middle: Hannah and I on Bus to Paris
Bottom Right: Local Pub on Social Night
Overall, I have felt overwhelmed with this week. Mostly like I don’t know if I will succeed in my future or if my relationships I am making on this trip will last. I’m also struggling to find a partner to keep my accountability with Bible reading. This is not helped by my somewhat poor MCAT practice scores. At the same time, I’m thrilled I am currently in Paris. I feel like I’m running around everywhere until I feel some control, but time abroad has shown me that I cannot control most things in life. So far, my experiences of the past week have taught me to plan even more ahead and then sit back and relax when those planned days come to fruition.
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