As I write this Claire and I are sitting in Philadelphia airport on the last leg of our journey home. We have had an amazing few months in Manhattan, Kansas; words literally cannot describe our experiences. We’ve made friends from all over the world and even though it was horrible to say goodbye to them after almost 5 months I know I will see many of them in the future.

Somehow between all the travelling and parties I managed to get 4 A’s. I loved the subjects here and I know it wouldn’t have been possible to study them at home. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity as it has definitely broadened my horizons.

Our thanksgiving road trip was brilliant. We covered over 2,000 miles and went through six different states (Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi & Louisiana). Our first stop was Dallas where we saw the JFK museum, did a little cowboy style shopping and went to see the cowboy’s football stadium. We only stayed there for one day and then moved on to New Orleans. To get to the city you drive across a swamp for miles and miles, the road is literally a really long bridge. The weather was miserable but we got to see the city anyway. On our first night we met up with some of the other international students and had dinner with them in a little seafood place. It was nice to eat seafood for once; living in Kansas made me dubious about eating fish that had clearly travelled a long way to get to the plate. Alligator was popular on every menu in New Orleans.

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We went out on Bourbon St and felt like we were tourists being completely ripped off. We saw the World War 2 museum, toured the garden district, saw Sandra Bullock’s house, Nicholas Cage’s house, went to an MBA game beside the Mercedes Benz Superdome and spent a day walking around the French Quarter. I liked New Orleans and the rich culture there, a lot of the architecture was more European and the streets were narrower. But what shocked me was the amount of poverty we saw. I know Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 but that just didn’t prepare us for the number of homeless people we saw on the streets. And even in the better off areas it just felt like the city wasn’t being maintained. The footpaths were dreadful (you could not wheel a wheelchair on them), the walls and railings were green with moss and seemed like they were never cleaned.

On Thanksgiving Day we got up early to drive to Memphis only to find that everything was closed. We had our thanksgiving dinner in TGI Fridays as it was the only place open! But the next day we toured Graceland, Sun Studios, eat in the Arcade restaurant (a favorite of Elvis Presley’s), saw the motel where Martin Luther King Jr was shot and experienced the night life on Beale Street. The blues was a nice contrast to the jazz in New Orleans. I loved Memphis; it seems to be a city that got left behind. The downtown area has not changed since the 60s. I enjoyed stepping back in time to see a place that has such a rich history.

Sun Studios was definitely my favorite part of the trip. This is where Elvis, Johnny Cash and numerous other legends first recorded. The million dollar quartet, U2 and Mumford and Sons even recorded there. It makes sense that this should have been the birth place of rock and roll with its fascination for both the blues and country music. Rock and roll is kind of a mix between these two genres.

It’s been harder to find work experience for next semester seeing as we had to communicate via Skype etc. with potential employers. But both Claire and I have sorted it out and are starting work in January. To save space in our suitcases we have had to wear our cowboy hats, boots and belts along with the big buckles. I can’t wait to see the shock on the faces of my friends who are picking me up in the airport!