Life in North Carolina

So earlier this year I spent 4 months in North Carolina. How was it? Incredibly fun. I mean, being an exchange student in the US gave me (in many ways) the best of both worlds, foreigner and local!

One of the first things I did was buy a car. It was surprisingly easy to get a pretty big car for not so much money. And it was easy to sell it too. (In case you're wondering, she's a 1999 Ford Explorer, and appropriately, we named her "Dora.")

Then, time to break in the house with proper party equipment ;)

Oh yes, North Carolina is on the east coast, so the winters are cold. Usually. This year had an abnormally warm winter. Nevertheless, it snowed one night! It was amazing to wake up to a white dusting everywhere. (I think my inner Californian is starting to show.)

Microbrewery. This one (Triangle Brewing Company) provides free tours of their brewery every Saturday, with free beer!

Oh yes, and there were some amazing parties. Mostly with classmates, because, frankly, there isn't too much actually going on in Durham.

Springtime came! And suddenly, all the trees went from barren to full bloom! It was actually quite spectacular...

...until you take account of the pollen. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - was covered with a yellowish-green layer of dust. Luckily I was not nearly as allergic to it as I feared I might be.

Civil War battle sites.

So, no major sports teams in Durham, but they do have a minor league baseball team: The Bulls.

...and the food. Specifically, BISCUITS. It's a signature go-to dish around these parts. And there are some really good ones (specifically Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill). But yes, all the food was incredibly fattening and delicious at the same time. It's really remarkable that I completed the semester without having to replace all my clothes with the next size up!