UMASS BABY!

Alohaaa!

I thought it was about time for a blog post as I have finally found 30 minutes to lie down on my bed and write it...(even though its 11pm).

During the days it's non-stop and then at night I'm too tired to do anything. However, tomorrow we have our first 'lie-in', so I can afford a later bedtime...rebel, I know ;)

Sooooo...

I have no recollection of dates or days because, right now, I'm eating, sleeping and breathing hockey so my brain can only cope thinking as far back as beginning this blog. So bare with me!

So for these 2 weeks we are in 'pre-season'. This is where there is no lectures or uni work, literally just hockey. The first and second year students (freshmen and sophomores) are staying in dorms along a corridor, which is obviously great fun and just like starting boarding school all over again!

Near the end of August I will be moving into my permanent dorm with an American girl who's also on the hockey team :)

(University of Massachusetts Campus)

After literally dumping my suitcases in my temporary pre-season dorm the craziness began...

The first day was filled with standard stuff like physicals, meetings, getting equipment etc etc. Then it was all hockey timeeeee.

However first we had to complete the mile test. We had all been set target times that we were training for over summer and mine was 6.30. It was super hot (for an English kid) at 9am but we all ran it as a group and it was really motivating! I finished in a time of 6.33 which I am really happy about but also know I could've got those 3 seconds. Next time for sure...

On Tuesday we have the 300s fitness test so I'll be trying to hit my times in those as well!

A 'typical' day so far in pre-season has kinda gone like this...

- Breakfast 8pm

- Hockey 9am-11.15am.

- Ice Bath.

- EAT.

- Hockey 3pm-5.15pm.

- Ice Bath.

- EAT.

- SLEEP!!

Then there are extra things incorporated into the day such as video analysis, meetings or lifting in the gym.

(How not to ice bath...)

I'm having such a good time and everyone is so lovely! The team are great and so far I am loving the American uni life!!

The food is amazing! I get a cheeky little swipe card to get all my meals and there is so much choice and variation from sushi to steak, salad, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, pork, chicken oh I could go on...sweet potato fries...salmon...stir fry...Mmm Mmm Mmmmm.

(Just in case anyone wondered ^ BBQ Pork Steak, SO GOOD.)

Also, it is hilarious how some of the American girls react when I speak or say words they don't, such as 'full-stop', which they call 'period'. Or even a 'car-park'...parking lot. I have also figured they have no idea what a 'hen do' or 'stag do' is........their loss. Hahaaa. There are plenty more examples as well!

I do have a new America phone number now so don't text my old number. I'm using whatsapp to message you guys from home so message me on Facebook/twitter if its not working cause I'll need to alter your number to international :)

Yes, everything is super American out here. Literally how you see it in the movies haha...I'm even picking up some of their lingo ;)

I have been so unbelievably super busy that I'm pretty disorganised and have hardly had any contact with anyone from home! SORRY! Once I get settled into my dorm and the craziness has died down, I'll have it all under control and be back in contact with family and friends ha! But I'm fine and having a blast!

Well done to all you little clever beans from Casterton and Carlisle that got into Uni, I'm proud :) I'm chuffed the revision seemed to pay off for everyone and I'm also happy with my final results of ABB in English, Business and History of Art.

Ok, I'm genuinely about to fall asleep so I'm going to finish up...but I could literally write plenty of pages about everything so far, but I just wanted to touch base with anyone interested!

I'll be posting properly once I'm settled in my dorm and we've had our first game but in the mean time I might post some more pics!

Ciao,

Hannah x 

The Big Apple.

Just a few pictures from our stay in New York, the city that never sleeps!

Times Square.

Broadway.

9/11 Memorial.

Brooklyn Bridge.

Times Square.

Yankee Stadium.

Central Park.

Next stop, UMASS!

Hannah x

So Long, Farewell...

SOPPY POST ALERT. TISSUES AND ED SHEERAN MUSIC AT THE READY.

This is it! "Goodbye England!"

It seemed only yesterday that I was counting down 80 days to go at school and now it's here, I am leaving...TODAY. I can't believe it, how time flies!

I guess the most daunting part of leaving home today is, unlike most students who leave for university, I don't actually know when I'm next returning...

Most of you will know that us Farrell's like to travel, so it is very likely we could be spending Christmas abroad, meaning I wouldn't be returning home. Then that leaves summer...well 'summer'. That's where my dilemma begins. America actually has a summer, a hot one. England on the other hand.......

Yeah, you see my point.

Obviously there are loads of family and friends I will want to see by summer, but you might just have to come and see me if I catch a bad case of the 'American Bug'!

I'm currently lying in my favourite place (my bed) typing this blog, having no idea when I'll next be back home...which is kind of scary but so exciting at the same time!

Anyway, who knows where I'll be in one years time, I could be singing a different tune and ready to visit home...I said 'could be' haha!

All I know is that my final few weeks in England were brilliant, spent with amazing people making some great memories. One of the best summers I've had :)

It was so lovely to spend my last weekend with all our closest family and friends. Thank you everyone, top people! Love you all!

Next stop is New York for a few days with Mum, Dad and Tom before I head to Massachusetts and Tom returns to Oklahoma State for his final year at uni!! Scaryyyyy!

It's so strange experiencing the same emotions I did 9 years ago before starting boarding school. A completely different adventure, but so many similarities!

I am just SO excited for the future, new friends, experiences and challenges! 

Don't worry though, I'll miss this place. I'll miss the people, I'll miss the country, oh and obviously the English weather. NAAAATTTT.

Part of me doesn't know how to end this blog or what to say because it actually means I'm going...arghh...

...so errrrm we'll just go with a picture!

It's now the next morning and I'm sitting having my last fry up in Glasgow airport! 

That picture ^ was taken at 5.15am before we left so I was way too tired to even feel a little sad! Hmm yes, the car was a bit of a squeeze to say the least! Four 23kg suitcases, four 10kg small cases and four backpacks! Not forgetting four people...I won't specify weights!!

Anyway I better post this as I only have 30 minutes free Wifi. How generous of you Scotland...

See y'all on the other side of the pond!

Ciao for now!

Hannah x

PS. I did warn you it would get a little bit soppy!

What Do I Pack?!

Holaaaaaa

 

With less than 4 days before I leave for America, I figured today was the day to start packing. If you know me at all you will be familiar with my packing procedure. If not, here is how it usually goes.



1.  Realise I should be packing, but instead head to the fridge.
2. Procrastinate for hours until I have very limited time to pack.
3. Suddenly everything turns into a mad rush.
4. Chuck/stuff/squish/push/squeeze/throw as many items of clothing into my bag as possible.
5. Leave feeling very disorganised, knowing I have forgotten something. (usually my pyjamas)

Now you would think that after 9 years at boarding school and travelling up and down the country for hockey nearly every weekend I would have become a more efficient packer...no, nope, not at all, incorrect. Far from it actually.

 

However, this time round I thought I needed to get my game together and alter my packing method...giving myself a whole 4 days, hmmm.

 

Seeing as I am travelling across the world, approximately 3154 miles (that's 5076 kilometres for you Americans!), and staying there for the best part of 4 years, my parents have sacrificed one of their suitcases so I can have two. Which 'should' give me enough room...

I started my packing by going through ALL my clothes and making two huge piles, one pile consisting of what I wanted to take to America, the other, ultimately, for the bin. I had to repeat this initial process multiple times before I had a suitable amount of clothing in the 'America' pile.

Lets just say I kind of under-estimated how difficult packing was going to be. I need clothes to cover all seasons and weathers, from boiling temperatures to heaps of snow, blustering winds and so on. It is SO hard to prioritise clothing. Sympathy, PLEASE?!

 

I found myself going through old clothes thinking "What if I need it for..." and "I could wear it with...", even though I haven't worn it in years! This resulted in me having to be extremely disciplined and brutally throwing away clothes I wanted to take with me. Wahhhh :'(

I figured I'm not going to die without all my clothes and shops DO exist in the USA! However, this did not stop steps 2. and 4. from my usual process occurring. I am still no where near finished packing due to my procrastinating. My procrastination included: eating, sleeping, candy crush, YouTube, eating, tweeting, singing, eating, dancing, YouTube, TV - Location Location Location ;) and more eating. I even went for a run!? And then ate again...

Anyway, I have finally managed to zip up one of my suitcases after about 10 minutes of sweating, pushing, pulling and squishing it to fit. My other suitcase however, probably won't get closed until 5.00am Tuesday morning!

I'm slightly nervous that I will forget something really important...passport Hannah, passport!! I am also pretty sad that I can't take particular things with me which carry sentimental value because they are too big/heavy or won't fit.

But believe me, I am taking as much as possible haha!

I'm pretty sure step 5. will also remain the same. I guarantee I will leave home feeling super disorganised and knowing me, I probably will forget my pyjamas!!
 

 

Anywayyyyy this is already longer than I planned! So I will stop rambling on! In the future some of my blogs will be similar to this, some will be a picture or even just a video, so there will be a good variation :)

That's all for this blog folks! Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you did :) Even though packing is a right BORE, it has increased my excitement levels by 100% because it is all feeling so real now!

 

YAY!

 

Ciao,

 

Hannah x

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