Week 1:

The Carriage House

Thursday morning around 8:30 I finally arrived at Harlaxton Manor! It was an eventful and very long day especially when you include the 6 hour time change. Upon arriving at the manor, we walked through the front doors for the first and only time and were greeted by faculty and staff before our first welcome meeting where we got the keys to our assigned room in either the manor or the carriage house. I ended up in the carriage house and I have two roommates. After getting settled into our rooms and waiting for the other delayed flights to arrive, we went to dinner in the refectory and then celebrated our arrival with drinks in the Bistro (a pub in the basement of the manor). Friday morning started with a "Keeping Safe" lecture led by the vice principal of Harlaxton followed by a Harlaxton history lecture led by Dr. Bujak. After lunch we were able to explore the Harlaxton boutique and buy a couple souvenirs for our family members.

The Manor

We then went on a tour of the manor which helped me find my way around a little bit better, but not much. Then on Friday night all of the students were cordially invited to a High Table Dinner where we listened to bagpipes and were sorted into houses (just like Harry Potter). On Saturday morning we took a shuttle to the town of Grantham and went shopping for a few necessities that we couldn't pack. Afterwards were more orientation sessions for traveling and safety tips and the info fair. Later that night we went to an Irish dancing event called the Ceilidh. We learned a bunch of Irish dances and it turned out to be a blast. We ended the week on Sunday with an introductory British Studies lecture and I took the time to walk around outside the manor and plan a trip to York with some friends. Today was our first day of actual classes starting with British Studies bright and early at 8:30. So far, even though it has been pretty eventful and busy, I have enjoyed every second of being here and I am still in awe of the immaculate beauty of this place. This coming weekend I will be taking a trip to London and I can't wait to finally start traveling and posting about all my experiences!!

The Garden at the back of the Manor

The Great Room

Cheers!
Lanna Harmon