I've been unoffically accepted to the University of Bristol!

Got the email yesterday that they intend to offer me a spot!  I'll be paying through the nose, but it's THRILLING to have a solid plan.

It's also a wee terrifying.  Part of my mind keeps going back to some other the other schemes that sounded good at the time (marriage, teaching high school ) but I keep telling that voice that NOT everything turns out to be crap.  Besides:

1.  I LOVE grey and rainy days (maybe not 365, but we shall see)
2.  I love wearing fleeces, sweaters and coats.
3.  I grew up with British parents and British families instead of cousins and aunts.  I understand the British reserve and have some relatives that I can see for the first time in 20 years.
4.  I love history, architecture, walking and British accents.
5.  I can't be any more isolated or lonely than where I am and what I'm doing now, yet I always keep myself amused.  Imagine if I lived within walking distance of civilization!
6.  I'm a Yankee, living in the South for 13 years.  Last year, it took my students several months to figure out that I'm not Southern born and bred.

Maybe I'm looking for validation ~ I know that everyones experience is different and there are no guarantees.  And I know that Bristol is not a town where everyone wears neckties, tweeds, plaids and wellingtons to fetch a pound of ham from the local butcher.

Sorry, I'm giddy.  I'm chatty.  And I'm very pleased!

4 months and counting

~Holly

Congratulations

Well done!  So are you definitely going to Bristol then, or are you still waiting to hear from Bath?

Congratulations!  It feels great, doesn't it?

Congrats!  

That's exciting news! Congratulations! 

Congrats! The South West is a great place to live (my university is in London, but I still live in Somerset).

Thanks folks! 

I'm leaning towards Bristol because of the opportunities that a bigger city affords - more places to live, more job opportunities.  Also, the program at Bath is vocationally oriented, while at Bristol I could go on to do a PhD.  As always, suggestions and input are welcome.  There's alot I don't know about life in the UK.

West Country represent!  (I've been watching Little Britain )  Everything I've read and seen about the SW makes me glad that it is where I will start out.

According to the chavtown.uk site, Bristol ranks at the top.  What people wear and say is not a concern for me (so what if someone calls me "Love") - I wonder about personal safety.  What is the situation really?   

Congrats. I, too, am crossing The Pond this year. I've wanted to go to the UK since I was a teenager (The Cure!). 

According to the chavtown.uk site, Bristol ranks at the top.  What people wear and say is not a concern for me (so what if someone calls me "Love") - I wonder about personal safety.  What is the situation really?   

Honestly, as long as you stay clear of the not-so-nice areas (St. Pauls, Montpelier etc.), you'll be fine . Yes, what people say on chavtown is generally true, but those people only live in/hang around in certain areas of the city.

The university is located in a very nice area, mostly populated by students and the well-off upper middle classes, so you don't see many chavs around. If you end up living in the Clifton/Redland/Cotham area, you'll generally be pretty safe (there is some crime, as is the case pretty much anywhere, but it's a nice place to live albeit fairly pricey compared to other areas of the city). In 20 years of living in the Bristol area, I've never felt particularly unsafe and personally I haven't experienced much crime at all (again, it depends where you live/where you go in the city as to your own experience).

Bristol is lush! At least that's what my Bristolian friends say!  Although, everything is 'lush' to them. I've never felt too threatened there, but I do tend to stick to the center of town. Like ksand24 said, the area around the university is really nice. You'll see and hear quite a few 'Vicky Pollards' which always makes me chuckle. Gumtree.com is a great place to look for housing in Bristol. There's loads on there.

I've just ordered an atlas on-line.  When I get around to looking for flats, I will probably be asking more questions about the best places to live!
 
thanks, and thanks again!

Hey Hollyberry, congrats! I'll be attending University of Exeter next autumn and having spent some time in the South West, I can tell you that it's gorgeous out west.