Hey everyone! First, I want to put out a really big apology out that I have taken such a break from posting on my blog! Time goes so fast at AC that months often times feel like days! However, I figured that a new year could come with new goals, one of which will be to update my blog more frequently!
Since it’s been so long, I’ll try to give you a quick overview of what I’ve been up to for the last three months!
In the end of October, we had a week long October break. Considering the United States is a very long way away, I decided to take advantage of being in Europe to do some travelling. With my friends Matthew from California and Lucy from England, I took a four day trip to Barcelona. Barcelona was such an amazing city. We enjoyed warm weather, delicious food, and beautiful sights. My favorite part of the trip was visiting La Sagrada Familia, an absolutely beautiful cathedral. We also explored some of Barcelona’s markets, and we visited the Museum of Modern Art. After returning from Barcelona, I spent the last three days of October break in London with Keely, a friend of mine from Boscobel who was spending a few months exploring the UK and Europe. It was so nice to see her, and we enjoyed seeing sights such as the Big Ben, the Tower of London, Westminster Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and the London Bridge. It was so nice to catch up and to see the beautiful city.
When I returned to school on the first of November, the busyness of AC began again. On the 5th of November, we celebrated a British Holiday known as bonfire day. This holiday celebrates the execution Guy Fawkes, a conspirator against the British monarchy. It’s a strange reason for a holiday, but it’s fun nonetheless. The day is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, and a cookout. On the 11th of November, I had the chance to go with some friends to a 21 Pilots Concert in London. It was an absolutely amazing experience! The next day, I returned to school for my first school ball. Known as the percentage ball, it’s a ball that celebrates the diversity and the LGBTQ community at my school. Everyone asks a friend of the same gender to attend the ball, and it’s a really fun night of dressing up and dancing. Even though I was tired from all the dancing the night before, I had to get up the next day to prepare for the North American National Evening! At AC, every regional group has a day where they put on a performance the displays their culture in a fun and funny way. The North American group at AC consists of Americans, Canadians, and Bermudians, and we put together a really funny program full of skits, videos, and jokes. The next weekend, Keely came from England to visit me in Wales! She visited AC and explored Cardiff. On Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to a rugby game of the national team of Wales versus Japan. It was a super interesting event and such a nice weekend. On the 24th and 25th of November, our school had a conference known as the critical engagement conference. Speakers were brought into the school ,and we spent the time talking about world issues and thinking critically about our role in the world. It was a really cool and engaging event. That Friday, I celebrated Thanksgiving with the other Americans and Canadians at my school. I thought it would be sad day because I was away from my family, but it was actually such a nice day with so many amazing friends. We prepared and ate a full Thanksgiving meal, and it was so fun and delicious. That weekend, the school sponsored a trip to Bath, England for the day. Bath is famous for its Christmas markets, and it was so nice to explore the city and to do some shopping.
In December, I started an activity with my friend Maddi called the international cooking club. The members of the club each take a turn teaching the students in the activity how to cook a dish from their country. So far, we have learned how to make Mongolian dumplings, Israeli desserts and baked eggs, Nigerian seasoned rice, and British and American Christmas treats. On the 3rd of December, I hosted an event at the school called Winter Wonderland. It was an event that included Christmas cookie decorating, hot chocolate, and Christmas movies. It was such a nice event that gave everyone a chance to relax and to get into the Christmas spirit. The next day, the school hosted an really cool Christmas craft fair where I had the chance to purchase some beautiful handmade Christmas gifts. The last week before Christmas break was filled with final exams and getting ready to go home. I had the chance to go to my link family’s house for a wonderful Christmas dinner, and I enjoyed going out for dinner with friends a few times. On Saturday the 10th of December, we had a Christmas ball. We drew our dates out of a hat and had a fancy dinner with our whole house. Everyone exchanged Secret Santa presents, and the second and first years performed and gave out awards. After that, we had a dance in the castle. It was such a nice evening! The next day, there were elections for the Student Life Committee Chair. The Student Life Committee is a committee that plans almost all events and social activities for the students at Atlantic College. I decided to run, and I won!! I’m now in charge of coordinating all student activities. It’s a big task, but I love doing it!
Before I knew it, my first term was over, and I was ready to head home for a much needed and anticipated visit. I look back, and I can’t believe that my first term was less than five months long. Never in my life have I had the opportunity to do so many things in that small of time period. I had such an amazing first term, but it was so nice to see my family and friends again. I loved spending Christmas at home and sharing a little bit of my new life in Wales with the people that I love at home.
However, now that I’m back at AC, I’m excited to conquer 2nd term, and I’m so excited to see where this adventure continues to take me. Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for more updates!

My friend Yuval and I at the Percentage Ball.

The Welsh rugby game.

Thanksgiving with the North Americans.

Christmas cookie decorating.

The Christmas Ball.

The Christmas dinner in our house dayroom.

My link parents with their link students, Noe and I.

La Sagrada Family in Barcelona with Matthew and Lucy.

Exploring the city of Bath with friends.

The river Thames and London Eye with Keely.

Feeding the birds of Hyde Park.