Category: Manchester

I don't want to rush into the L-word, so I'll say this: I really like it here. It's different than the U.S. in a way that's difficult to describe to people who speak the same language as you. (Believe me, I've tried.) But it's different in a good way — a good, European way. I've spent my first week here very conscious of my nationality. I just say a word or two — "hello" or "yes, please" — and people ask where I'm from in the U.S. (Almost everyone knows of Atlanta; almost no one knows of Missouri.) Brands in stores resemble but don't match what I'm used to, with the exception of Coke, Barefoot and Pringles. And there are few things more embarrassing than checking out at a Tesco…

It's here. In a few hours, I'll be leaving the only country I've ever seen and spending the next several months studying in England, traveling Europe and learning more than I can imagine right now. Excited? Yes. Nervous? Also yes. My primary impressions of the U.K. come from "Harry Potter," "Skins" and "Monty Python," so I really don't have any idea of what to expect — which, for a planner like me, can be a bit hard sometimes. But I'm up for it. I've done a lot of "American" things this week. I sang along to songs such as "Timber" and "Cruise" — in the car, with my best friend and any other time the opportunity arose — more times than I can count. I went on a long road…