Newcastle 365 Weeks 48, 49, & 50: Better Late Than Never

Written by Jess Friedman
• September 13, 2015

Don’t panic: I haven’t been abducted by aliens.

They extended an invitation, of course, but I told them I didn’t have time for an intergalactic flight at the moment. I had too many other things to do as I finished up my dissertation, packed my flat, and finalized plans for a whirlwind tour of Europe before I head back to the States.

I took a raincheck, though, so if there’s blog silence at any time in the future, I’m just visiting some random planet in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Is that even a thing?

It is now.

Anyways, being busy meant there wasn’t time to post pictures, and now that I’m getting around to it, I’m a bit behind. I’m actually currently on the aforementioned trip around Europe, so I’ve officially left Newcastle. I’m equal parts sad and happy about that–I’m happy about this grand adventure I’m on and excited to see my family soon, but super sad about saying goodbye to all my new friends. It still hasn’t completely sunk in yet. I still kind of feel like when I’m done with my travels, I’ll be headed back to class.

But nope.

I’m done.

I even turned in my dissertation and everything.

*insert crazy-eyed face here*

That definitely hasn’t sunk in yet.

I’M DONE.

WAT.

Look! Pictures!

Week 48

Get ready for lots of pictures related to my dissertation. It is pretty much my life these days.

I did it. If it’s wrong, DO NOT TELL ME.

I don’t know what this is. It’s in Newcastle, but that’s the extent of my knowledge.

It’s getting quiet around here as more and more people leave to head back to their home countries.

I went to Alnwick castle with some friends from the YSA group and we watched a pair of jesters perform feats of foolishness. It was quite entertaining.

Whenever my brain couldn’t handle any more dissertation work, I’d find myself staring out the window at the clouds.

I spent the day on campus running stats for my dissertation from way up on the 6th floor of the Ag building.

Week 49

I know there are only 5 photos for this week, but I literally did nothing on those missing days except for work on my dissertation. I barely even ate–partly because there wasn’t time, and partly because I didn’t have any groceries since I didn’t want to go shopping so close to when I was moving out… So forgive my lack of pictures and let me make it up to you with a gazillion pictures of Europe after my trip.

I made these cookies for some friends at the farm. They were a big hit.

I visited a lot of castles during my last few weeks in Newcastle. This is Bamburgh Castle, one of three castles I went to see with some friends from Church.

This is from another doodle I drew for my dad, like the giraffe from a few weeks ago.

One more day at the farm meant one more chance to admire the Chinese Arch, one of my favorite spots in the city.

Some church friends took me to see Barnard Castle, a town named after a castle called Barnard Castle. Go figure. This is not Barnard Castle. This is Bowes Museum, a stately house which we admired just briefly on our way to Barnard Castle.

Week 50

I had some data go missing, but found it again after lots of prayer. It was definitely a huge blessing!

Mo and Tarn made me dinner, and it was delicious. I love it when Mo makes soup—so yummy!

My flat is empty. All of my stuff has been packed. My heart is broken.

My YSA friends and I had one last meal together at a fancy pants pasta restaurant in Newcastle. The decor was more delightful than the food was, but we still had a great time.

The truth about why socks go missing… At least when you have two pet dinosaurs living with you…

I took a break from my dissertation and went to Durham for an afternoon with Mo and our friend Tarn. We visited Durham Cathedral, which is *hands down* the best cathedral I’ve ever visited–and not just because this courtyard was used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone.

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Jess Friedman

Jess is a Canadian-American who’s always ready for the next adventure. She loves all things living, always has a million creative projects in progress, and polishes her nerd badge daily. She is passionate about helping families make and preserve treasured memories that strengthen bonds across generations. You can read more posts by Jess here.

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Tagged with Castles, Doodles, Food, Newcastle, Newcastle 365, Trixy and Pojo

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