By: Rachel Lees

As a mature student on a study abroad exchange, I wasn’t sure what to expect with university life, but I allowed myself a couple of weeks to settle in and get to know my new environment.

Every weekend I try to get out and see the surrounding areas. It took me a couple of weeks to get orientated with the town I’m in and the public transport system, but once I had that figured out, it has been easy to explore further afield.

I’m in the North of England at Lancaster University, which has a general population of up to 18,000 people per semester. The sheer volume of people has been quite an adjustment, especially coming from Tauranga Waikato University.

Because of the Kiwi way of networking, I have made a friend who lives in the town. She stayed on a mutual friend’s farm 20 years ago in New Zealand and they stayed in contact. New Zealanders seem to have this wide world network of contacts, so you never know when that will come into use.

I really wanted to go and visit Beatrix Potter’s home in the Lake District at Hill Top and it’s just a short train ride to Windermere, the nearest big town to Hill Top, but I realized that I only had a few weeks to do it, as Hill Top closes over the winter. I managed to figure out how to get to the Lake but then had to work out which ferry to cross over the lake on, and then how to get up to Hill Top. I rang around a few businesses but because it was off-season I mostly got replies of “no shuttle running,” “I think the ferries are running,” “no bus from Hawkshead to Hill Top and no, we don’t run a taxi out to Hill Top from Hawkshead.” What about walking from the ferry up to Hill Top, I asked? “Well, it’s a fair way.”

I had to give it up but spent a pleasant day wandering around Windermere and Bowness on Windermere anyway, until I met my new friend in town. I told her what had happened, and she offered to take me up to the Lakes District in her car. As we spent a beautiful sunny day driving around the little villages of the Lakes District and wandering through Beatrix Potter’s house, I was relieved I hadn’t tried to walk. The narrow streets had no footpaths, and it is a rabbit warren of streets and lanes. I would most likely have got lost! It was beautiful countryside and I’m so glad I got to see it.

Choosing the Michaelmas term (or Autumn term) wasn’t perhaps the brightest decision I’ve ever made because the sun only comes out intermittently, but I’m very much looking forward to the run up to a white Christmas. Next week the city of Lancaster holds a Lights on Lancaster where artists display incredible light animations at significant places, such as the Castle, the church and the town centre.

I am situated near the much loved Lakes District and the Moors as well as the cities of Manchester and Liverpool (Home of the Beatles), I have so much to explore right on my doorstep.

The history of England alone is an incredible thing to experience. In my first week here the Study Abroad office put on a trip to Chester where I got to walk cobbled streets and sit in a 1000 year old cathedral.