YOU'RE GOING TO AN ARTIST COLONY?! I'm so jealous jealous jealous.1. What should I know ahead of time?
• You will be hot or cold most of the time. Layers.
2. What should I bring?
• Tina recommended a travel towel. They are great, but can be expensive. So I used a hand towel. It was small and after I left my first towel at one of locations it was only £3-4 at linen shop in York. So it wouldn't have been a tragedy to lose another.
• A set of hiking clothes. It's good to have warm and cold weather versions--or a warm version you can layer to make warm.
• Juli's recommendation for sock liners is brilliant. I wore wool liners and wool hiking socks and I didn't have any blisters either. Also, you only need a couple pairs of socks. Just wear them over and over and over.
• A set of "town" clothes. Keep these "sets" separate in your bag or you will stink all the time. (You will stink all the time pretty soon anyway, this just delays it a wee bit.) You will hate all your clothes very soon, but, like Tiffany said, you'll want to buy loads of fun new stuff all along the way.
• A musical instrument. I prefer the tin whistle. Although hurdy gurdies will win you points on the YHA circuit.
• Tweezers! Matches! Other tick remedies!
• Pocketknife! Excellent for daily picnics. I brought one of those helpful multitools with a knife, pliers, and scissors (see next). And I loved it.
• Tape, glue, scissors. All been said before. But great. I grew a tumor-like collection of fliers and brochures that I only wanted one or two pictures from to glue in by journal. You'll save yourself a lot of space and weight if you clip as you go.
• Regarding journals. Bring one that reflects what you want to do in it. I brought a soft-bound somewhat large format because I like to draw, and, when occasion permits, make rubbings. I was able to bend my notebook to accommodate this. It was also large and pliable enough for me to glue all my crap in without breaking the binding.
• Journal note 2: WRITE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN YOUR JOURNAL. IF YOU SADLY LEAVE IT IN A LIBRARY IN DORCHESTER YOU WILL HAVE A HOPE OF GETTING IT BACK. Mine took a couple months, but I did get it back.
• A suitcase/bag/backpack that is easy to carry up and down loads of twisty stairs. Hostels and small inns don't believe in elevators. And make sure the handles won't come off, or you'll be cursing every time you look at your bag. Unless you bring an über sturdy bag or a backpacking backpack, your bag might not be suitable for further travel once your journey ends. Probably best not to borrow from an easily-enraged sibling.
• A set of hiking clothes. It's good to have warm and cold weather versions--or a warm version you can layer to make warm.
• Juli's recommendation for sock liners is brilliant. I wore wool liners and wool hiking socks and I didn't have any blisters either. Also, you only need a couple pairs of socks. Just wear them over and over and over.
• A set of "town" clothes. Keep these "sets" separate in your bag or you will stink all the time. (You will stink all the time pretty soon anyway, this just delays it a wee bit.) You will hate all your clothes very soon, but, like Tiffany said, you'll want to buy loads of fun new stuff all along the way.
• A musical instrument. I prefer the tin whistle. Although hurdy gurdies will win you points on the YHA circuit.
• Tweezers! Matches! Other tick remedies!
• Pocketknife! Excellent for daily picnics. I brought one of those helpful multitools with a knife, pliers, and scissors (see next). And I loved it.
• Tape, glue, scissors. All been said before. But great. I grew a tumor-like collection of fliers and brochures that I only wanted one or two pictures from to glue in by journal. You'll save yourself a lot of space and weight if you clip as you go.
• Regarding journals. Bring one that reflects what you want to do in it. I brought a soft-bound somewhat large format because I like to draw, and, when occasion permits, make rubbings. I was able to bend my notebook to accommodate this. It was also large and pliable enough for me to glue all my crap in without breaking the binding.
• Journal note 2: WRITE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN YOUR JOURNAL. IF YOU SADLY LEAVE IT IN A LIBRARY IN DORCHESTER YOU WILL HAVE A HOPE OF GETTING IT BACK. Mine took a couple months, but I did get it back.
• A suitcase/bag/backpack that is easy to carry up and down loads of twisty stairs. Hostels and small inns don't believe in elevators. And make sure the handles won't come off, or you'll be cursing every time you look at your bag. Unless you bring an über sturdy bag or a backpacking backpack, your bag might not be suitable for further travel once your journey ends. Probably best not to borrow from an easily-enraged sibling.
3. What should I leave behind?
• I brought my computer in 2009 because of a program I was doing in Germany afterward. It was annoying to carry about and worry about. I didn't have one in 2007 and was perfectly content. There were way more hostels with wifi in '09 than in '07, and the trend will probably continue. With ipods or iphones or smart phones with wifi ability a laptop is probably unnecessary if you're only reading email. If you want to be writing all your essays on a laptop, that's a different story.
4. What should I absolutely do or see no matter what?
• A buttload of plays in London. Take advantage of student ticket prices.
• Do a quick google search of your favorite British person/people, literary love/s, whatever. Find a place along your journey to pay homage. You will do a lot of this with the program, but it's fun to create them on your own so you are more invested in them. I sought out the address 4 Corfe Close whatever town I might be in. I know. Very grown up. If you have a favorite novel set (at least in part) in London, scan it before you go for mentions of location. You are going on a program organized by someone else, but you should still personalize it by making sure you recognize your specific passions.
• Do a quick google search of your favorite British person/people, literary love/s, whatever. Find a place along your journey to pay homage. You will do a lot of this with the program, but it's fun to create them on your own so you are more invested in them. I sought out the address 4 Corfe Close whatever town I might be in. I know. Very grown up. If you have a favorite novel set (at least in part) in London, scan it before you go for mentions of location. You are going on a program organized by someone else, but you should still personalize it by making sure you recognize your specific passions.
5. What should I miss?
• Places with mannequins. But it's hard to know beforehand what these are. Just know that they are scary and their images will remain with for a long time.
6. What attitude should I take with me (as an American, student, traveler, etc)?
• It's okay to stink all the time.
• It's okay to look horrible in your hiking get up. It's also okay to look horrible in your town get up, but as that's your vanity talking, I won't address it here. Alas with the hiking clothes, you probably do actually look very silly. Like all your clothes are varying shades of bright orange or something equally laughable.
• It's okay to look horrible in your hiking get up. It's also okay to look horrible in your town get up, but as that's your vanity talking, I won't address it here. Alas with the hiking clothes, you probably do actually look very silly. Like all your clothes are varying shades of bright orange or something equally laughable.
7. What can I expect from the experience?
• Awesomeness.• Disillusionment with the rest of your life because you know nothing will be as good ever.
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