Sunday morning, in Paris, after I had dressed myself and prepared for my day, I noticed 3 small bug bites on my left hand and thought nothing of it. A few bug bites, who cares, right?
I woke up Monday morning in my bed at Keele and these 3 "bug bites" were now all over. Both arms, my right calf, my left foot, my chest and shoulder, my face and my sides. It is not an understatement to say I FREAKED OUT. I thought there is no way in the world I got that many bug bites in one night and so clearly I had caught a flesh eating disease but I went to class anyway. After some discussion with my class mates, I had slightly less insane possibilities: allergic reaction, hives, stinging nettle, etc. Needless to say I went directly to the health center after class, and got an appointment for the next morning. The rest of the day I did homework and then basically hid in my room so as to control my freak out and keep myself from other people.
Tuesday morning, I went to the health centre, with its fancy digital check in and waiting room that tells you where to go rather than having a real person come and fetch you and make polite chit chat and tell you you've lost weight (I miss my home doctor, okay?). After telling the doctor my story of overnight arrival of the anything-but-bites. Her response was "Yep, bites." and in my state of disbelief I said something like "It can't be anything else? How could I get that many in one night" She went on to explain that she had seen a girl with a case of bed bugs recently and if it were hives it would have shown up in a concentrated area rather than everywhere. She gave me an antihistamine that was/is supposed to reduce the redness and told me that I needed to go to Student Accommodation and have them take care of my room. So I headed off to receive the news that I was in the wrong place, but its okay because she called the right place and the lady who would give the approval to call Pest Control is in a meeting. So when she was out they would call pest control who should be there later in the afternoon to take care of it. I headed back to my room gathered my stuff and went anywhere but there so that I could study and try not to think about it (WHO GETS BED BUGS?? I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING YOU TOLD CHILDREN) Then to my Mass Media class, where to my relief I didn't have to hear anything about politics. Upon returning to my room I could smell some sort of chemicals and assumed pest control had come. Then it was off to have crepes with my friends and then closing out the day with some Taize Prayer at Sacred Space.
Wednesday morning, the bites seemed relatively the same and still relatively creepy (Hello long sleeves) After heading to math class, I decided that I absolutely had to do laundry including my duvet cover and pillow case and towels. To try and save space (because laundry is damn expensive) I had one load of jeans, one load of everything else, and a load that was my towels and my (never before washed) navy duvet cover and pillow case are you seeing what happened? I now have pretty light blue towels. That evening I went to Matt and Sam's house for our Social Movements discussion group, made myself some dinner and then went to the Main Meeting for the Christian Union.
Thursday the bites were starting to look a little better and I was less freaked out about them and focused on more pressing matters, I needed to buy a bible before House Party this weekend. After my Social Movements class, (especially awkward this week, we had our professor back and he kept shooting down the things we had to say and so eventually everyone just stopped talking and it was a mess) and my math class, Hannah and I caught the bus to Stoke-on-Trent and headed off in search of the Methodist Bookshop with my pathetically scribbled directions. After asking the information desk at the local museum and getting a real map from them, we found it. I found a bible I really liked, which also is written in British text (we asked, it means it has the British spelling of words which will be interesting to read later and remember where I got it) Then we spent a little time at the mall, okay we got cupcakes, before we came back. I closed out my night at the Jesus Jam social having delicious food (seriously, soooooo good) and great laughs with wonderful people.
Friday found the bug bites had increased in circumference by more than double and man did that freak me out. Seriously. They were supposed to be healing, who gave them permission to be huge? Whoever it was I'd like to kick they're butt. After class and some time in the library (still there almost every day but by choice rather than by demand and for many less hours) I went back to my room to relax, pack and have a wonderful Skype date with my little Katie (I miss her like woah!) Then it was off to the Chapel for the beginning of House Party. Friday night after we arrived (our coach got a little stuck and we had to jump, the boys in the back played a game where if they say the word "mine" they have to do push ups, and I read the first book for my literature class that hasn't at least partially confused me, bus rides are always an interesting factor in any trip) there were some games, worship, and an introduction to our theme/speaker for the weekend and then some hang out time. I chose to head to bed early (ha!, midnight) because the bug freak out had left me a little exhausted from the day. I did receive reassurance from some of the girls that often this is what bug bites do if you are allergic they get bigger before they heal.
Saturday morning the bites on my face had gone down which made me happy and the ones on my arms looked slightly less like a flesh eating disease. We spent the day totally engrossed in House Party. Breakfast, worship, talk, free time, worship talk, lunch, team challenges (I ate a whole jar (not small) of baby food fed by someone else and spilled some on myself as part of a competition) free time, dinner, worship, talk, talent show, many many card games (learned some new ones and even taught Dion one of my favorites) then bed. Spotlight on the Talent Show, I got to see Exec Club 7 (a parody of S Club 7) and other hilarious acts but I also realized that no matter how okay and distracted I feel, my homesickness can still rear its depressing little head. Andy (one of the guys there) played guitar and sang a song that he wrote about going home and his parents and leaving for Uni. Now he gave the description "This song is about going home and my parents" before he started and I knew that I didn't stand a chance but I thought I'd attempt anyway. By the first chorus I was up and out of my seat and in the other room crying, I missed my parents, I didn't like saying goodbye to them, but they aren't a train ride away like the parents in the song. Helen came over and was really supportive and understanding and I was back in by the time the next act started.
Sunday morning the bites were slightly better, but I was properly shattered (british for really freakin' tired) from the lack of sleep. Sunday at House Party, was breakfast, cleaning, worship, discussion with the girls, angels and mortals reveal, pictures and heading out. Now spotlight on Angels and Mortals reveal. You stand in the middle of the circle and wait for the person who has been giving you presents to come in the circle and hug you and then they stand in the middle etc. I got to hug Helen and she was excited that it was me which made me happy and then I found out that Lillian gave me the coolest Monkey socks ever which I wore that Sunday because I was so excited about them. Those, however, were not the highlights of the reveal. The highlight (purely for hilarity factor) was when Sam was in the middle of the circle (tall bean pole of a guy) and TSK (almost as tall and sharing some bean pole characteristics) runs and jumps managing to get his arms around Sam's neck and wrapping his legs around him knocking him to the ground. IT WAS SO FUNNY. I'm really not doing it justice. The whole room was in stitches, so funny, seriously.
After being back on campus it was time to shift gears. I spent about an hour in yoga pants before starting to get ready for the "Friends"giving celebration. I put on my nice dress, tights and boots, plus makeup and everything. I was in charge of the salad (I am my mothers daughter after all, (she is in charge of the salad at our family's Thanksgiving)) and so after picking that up I caught a taxi with Meredith and Sierra over to Matt and Sam's house and had a great Thanksgiving dinner, plus fun conversation. I really enjoyed it. Although it was unlike the Thanksgiving I was used to it was a new Thanksgiving with a different family and for now that is okay too.
We'll see how not being home for actual Thanksgiving on Thursday goes, but there is a celebration at the KPA so that should be fun and interesting, plus I am going to a (proper English) Football game on Saturday, which feels like such a normal thing for Thanksgiving weekend, except its all turned on its head since I am in the UK. Until then, don't stop climbing scary stairs.
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