Editor's Note: Thank you to David for providing a first-person perspective on what's it's like to travel to the UK right now. I feel we should note, as David does, that all of this will be changing in a few weeks, so keep an eye on the UK government's website for the latest changes. We will try to get someone to write about the experience after the changes. I believe I can … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: What’s UK Travel Like Now? Post-Pandemic Travel Realties Between the US and the UK
An American Student Abroad
An American Student Abroad: Crossing the Digital Border
As a lifelong Anglophile, I am no stranger to the differences between the US and the UK on a technological front, but I recently had to confront an unexpected technical barrier. After two years in the country, and an ever-increasing determination to stay in the UK by any legal means possible, my wife and I attempted to switch over our digital ‘stores’ for apps, music and films … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Crossing the Digital Border
An American Student Abroad: London After Lockdown
Recently I had a chance to go to London for the first time since the lockdown in Britain began. I booked three days for research at an archive located not far from the Liverpool Street rail station, so I was not right in the heart of the square mile that makes up London, but I was also not far from many of the major sites and locations that are very popular in the Greater … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: London After Lockdown
An American Student Abroad: Reading my way to Britain – How This Columnist Became an Anglophile
How, exactly, does one become an Anglophile? Is it deliberate? Accidental? Is it, in fact, infectious? I’ve been pondering this a little bit in light of a letter I wrote to my father recently explaining my long-term plans, which do include some more concrete details on how I intend to remain in the UK. As a PhD student entering my third (and final?) year, the recently announced … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Reading my way to Britain – How This Columnist Became an Anglophile
An American Student Abroad: England Reawakens From Lockdown
It’s been some time since I sent anything into Anglotopia. The truth is, the lockdown has been hard on many levels, and there has not been much to talk about from either a student-centred or British-life-centred point of view. But things are changing now. There is a general sense that England is reawakening, albeit slowly and unevenly. (And yes, I am at this point only … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: England Reawakens From Lockdown
An American Student Abroad: A Personal Account of COVID-19 Self-isolation Life in Newcastle, England
There are loads of memes right now in which people in some way comment or complain about how this was not what they wanted in an apocalypse. There are no zombie hordes, no Max-Max style dress code, just people in pyjamas watching Netflix. Nevertheless, Britain right now is facing one of the most difficult times it has seen since the Blitz, with very real concerns the NHS will … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: A Personal Account of COVID-19 Self-isolation Life in Newcastle, England
An American Student Abroad: The Pleasures of the English Home – A Historical Perspective
With the UK going into a fairly strict lockdown, many people here are going to be spending a lot more time in their homes than they might otherwise do. Fortunately, the British, and particularly the English, have a special fondness for the home that goes back to at least the 1800s, and that just happens to be the focus of my research work for my PhD. In these difficult times, … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: The Pleasures of the English Home – A Historical Perspective
An American Student Abroad: A Visit to Edinburgh
My work requires me to travel to different archives in Britain, and one of the places I have spent a reasonable amount of time is Edinburgh because the National Scottish Library there has a good range of diaries and private materials that are the mainstay of my research. This is fortunate because Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities to visit. Among other things, it has a … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: A Visit to Edinburgh
An American Student Abroad: Yudetide Season in Newcastle
This is my second Yuletide season in Newcastle, and I must say, I am really enjoying it. Last year, I got out some, but everything was still so new and overwhelming that I was not able to fully engage with it. This year, though, I knew more of what to expect and what to watch for, so I have been better able to enjoy some of the holiday traditions of this amazing … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Yudetide Season in Newcastle
An American Student Abroad: Happy to Come Back to the UK
I recently got back to the UK after a short trip to the Continent. That return was one of the most enlightening and enjoyable things I have done in recent months, and affirmed to me just how much I love Britain, and how wonderfully unique Britain is in the world. Mind you; this wasn't the initial plan. During the summer, my wife and I began to consider the possibility of a … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Happy to Come Back to the UK
An American Student Abroad: A Visit to Whitby – A Gothic Exploration
Whitby has been on my 'bucket list' since I first read Dracula with my English teacher, Mr Stark, when I was twelve years old. The descriptions in Bram Stoker's masterful novel of the ruined abbey and the churchyard that overlooks the sea at Whitby have stuck with me, and still, resonate with me every time I read the novel. Yet, despite having visited England several times, … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: A Visit to Whitby – A Gothic Exploration
An American Student Abroad: A Grand Day Out – Experiencing Cricket at Lord’s
Recently I had a chance to attend a Test Match at Lord's Cricket Grounds in London. This was due to a friend named David, whom I met on Facebook through my Anglotopia writings. David is a long-time cricket player who now serves as an umpire, and was an excellent guide for me in watching some terribly enjoyable cricket as England faced Australia in the second Test of 2019. I had … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: A Grand Day Out – Experiencing Cricket at Lord’s
An American Student Abroad: Visiting Tynemouth – Exploring the Areas and History Around Newcastle
Tynemouth has become one of my favorite places to go around Newcastle. It has a fantastic blend of scenery, history, and food that make it a great place to spend a weekend afternoon, almost whatever the weather is. Not too surprisingly given the name, Tynemouth is located at the mouth of the Tyne River which runs from the North Sea coast through Newcastle and inland as far as a … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Visiting Tynemouth – Exploring the Areas and History Around Newcastle
An American Student Abroad: Walking in the Footsteps of the Past
My degree efforts here in Newcastle require me to read a lot of what would be considered private material, looking for evidence on how people felt about their homes in the nineteenth century. This means I spend a lot of time with old letters and diaries, looking for clues that are sometimes obvious (e.g., a 'handsome clock in the drawing-room') or not so obvious, like subtle … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Walking in the Footsteps of the Past
An American Student Abroad: Experiencing Springtime in England
I know it has been said England is a beautiful and green country, but until one really goes through a few seasons here and watches the amazing changes across a consistent place, it may be hard to appreciate just how true that idea is. Having been in England now for nine months, I can honestly say I have touched on all four seasons, albeit only briefly last summer, and I am just … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Experiencing Springtime in England
An American Student Abroad: A Quirky NHS
If you are at all familiar with the wonderful Charles Dickens novel Little Dorrit, you have probably come across the Circumlocution Office, which is a (theoretically fictional) governmental office that largely exists to perpetuate itself. It does so by creating the most obfuscating bureaucracy possible so that everyone is very busy, but no one knows exactly what anyone is … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: A Quirky NHS
An American Student Abroad: We Need to Talk About English Weather…
Recently, I did one of the most British things I have yet done (and that is saying something for a life-long Anglophile). It was a drizzly morning in Newcastle, and on the cooler side, bordering on actually cold, so I opted to take a bus to university instead of making my usual walk. As I stood near the shelter waiting, there was a woman also waiting there. After a moment, as … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: We Need to Talk About English Weather…
An American Student Abroad: Back Where it all Began – Returning to London
March of 2013 was particularly significant for me, though I didn’t fully realize it at the time. I had been with my college in Colorado as a faculty member for not quite two years then, and undertook my first effort to co-lead a trip abroad, going to England and Scotland. It was the fulfillment of a life-long dream for me, of course, as I had been an Anglophile since I was ten, … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Back Where it all Began – Returning to London
An American Student Abroad: The Six-Month Non-Anniversary of Living in the UK
I’m not sure what to make of this, but a couple of weeks ago I hit a sort of important milestone, and it barely made an impact. Monday the 11th of March marked six months since my wife and I landed and got our visas stamped at Heathrow. I’m a bit conflicted about how low key that anniversary date was for me. On the one hand, I think it means I’ve settled in nicely, and feel … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: The Six-Month Non-Anniversary of Living in the UK
An American Student Abroad: Living Between America and Britain
I suppose I should start with sort of a confession here, and then perhaps I can explain it, so: when I arrived here, I really didn't want anyone to know I was from the US. This is not as political as it sounds and has more to do with my own ego than anything related to current events in the US. The fact is, for a very long time I have identified far more with British cultural … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Living Between America and Britain
An American Student Abroad: Working in the UK as a Student-Migrant
I have been a teacher for the past seventeen years, and so one of the biggest changes I had to adapt to when I moved to the UK was not actually being in a classroom when term time came around in the autumn. I honestly felt a bit adrift, even though I had plenty of research material to work on for my PhD. I got myself qualified to teach at Newcastle University by taking the … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Working in the UK as a Student-Migrant
An American Student Abroad: British and US Perspectives on Time – On Reveling in Britain’s Long Sense of History
A couple columns ago, I commented on the difference between the ‘100 years’ and ‘100 miles’ difference in US versus British life, in particular, talking about the trains and traveling. I’ve been thinking a lot about the other side of the equation, though, too. There are some very real differences in the perception of time, of history between the two countries, … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: British and US Perspectives on Time – On Reveling in Britain’s Long Sense of History
An American Student Abroad: Reflections on Three Months Abroad
Three months in, it seems like a good moment to step back and assess the transition to England so far. My plan is still to be here for the three years of my degree, and quite possibly much longer, though there are a lot of things up in the air, not the least of which is the post-Brexit immigration policy, but taking a moment to step back and look at how far we've come seems … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: Reflections on Three Months Abroad
An American Student Abroad: A Long Way to Travel – Adventures on Britain’s Rail Network
It’s been said that one of the biggest differences between the US and the UK is that in the US, 100 years is a long time, while in the UK, 100 miles is a long way. It’s meant as a bit of humor, but being from the US, I am all-too-aware of the reality of the distance part of the equation. While not my favorite thing to do, it was not uncommon for me to drive 200 miles from my … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: A Long Way to Travel – Adventures on Britain’s Rail Network
An American Student Abroad: I am NOT a tourist – Thoughts on Being a Local and Not a Traveler
I am NOT a tourist in England. On the face of it, that may seem like a terribly obvious statement to make for someone who is living in England, someone who has settled in and got some routines established now as I continue my quest for a degree. The reality is that coping with that idea, that I am in fact not a tourist, has been shockingly difficult. Up until September of … [Read more...] about An American Student Abroad: I am NOT a tourist – Thoughts on Being a Local and Not a Traveler
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