Sussex, Society, and the Seaside: A Blog About Brighton

Long before it grew into the largest urban area in North America, New York City was a Dutch colony called "New Netherland."  After defeating the Dutch in 1664, however, the English renamed the city "New York" to honor the Duke of York.  BUT, (you might ask), WHY did the Duke of York need honoring??  And what about the original York -- why was that place so important?!  And why do a bunch of people in the United Kingdom wear New York Yankees hats?!? All of these questions were part of my decision to go on a solo adventure to York this past weekend (well, all except that last one -- that's a question for another blog post).  Aaaaaannnyyways, my story begins at 6 a.m. last Saturday morning......... It was cold outside, and I was tired.  I hadn't slept very much on the overnight bus ride from London.  It was time for some coffee! After drinking a large cappuccino, I hit the road, er, the wall.  York is surrounded by a series of stone walls and gates -- mo

A wise man once wrote a poem about modern society, beginning his monumental work with the following words: April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. That man was T.S. Eliot, and that poem, “The Waste Land” (1922).   Although I’m positing this snippet of the now classic poem out of context, the words really ring true for me at this point in my study abroad journey.   Spring is, implicitly, a time of awakening and rebirth; however, as Eliot so provocatively suggests, it might also be thought of as a time for reflection.   It’s hard for me to believe, but I have spent close to three months in the United Kingdom at this point AND – just a few weeks ago – I eclipsed the half-way point in my study abroad experience.   I am still discovering so much here each and every day, and what I’ve realized is that many of the best discoveries have come right here in Sussex, right here in Bright

The Berlin Wall.  Dutch cheese.  The Cliffs of Moher.  Galway.  Sauerkraut.  The Anne Frank House.   These are just a few of the highlights from my Easter Break travels, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was made possible by EasyJet, cheap hostel and Airbnb room rentals, and a lot of late night planning!   I set out on Saturday, March 24th, and returned to Brighton yesterday, April 1st after spending two nights in Berlin, three nights in Amsterdam, and three nights in Dublin.  It was an action-packed week that included four plane rides, seven train treks, one boat cruise, several bus stints, and one VERY entertaining Dublin Uber (but more on that later!).   In order to properly catalog my experiences in each city, I've decided to divide this post into three sections.  Without further ado, I commence with the economic capital of Europe... Berlin Berlin is a hoppin' place.  The first thing I noticed when I arrived last Saturday was the excellent public