Norwich

I'm a small-town girl who's been living in a lonely world-- oops, I mean a big town called Irvine. So for me, Norwich is pretty perfect. It's a city with city things like concerts, pubs, and walking-distance shopping. But it's also got that small-town vibe from its little cobblestone streets, familiar faces around town, and it's got NATURE. Even the UEA campus, with its 1960s apocalyptic-concrete-thing goin' on, has its natural charm.

Also, it's pretty neat living right by a river. It's calming, and it looks gorgeous, especially in the morning with the chapel in the background. There's a path that follows the river, providing a lovely view for anyone interested in taking a stroll away from the shops. (Only, if a sketchy-looking guy approaches you at night asking to use your phone, don't let him, even if he says he's been robbed and needs to call the police).

Of course, the weather's not always this nice. (These were taken in September; it is now the dead of winter.) Sometimes the fog is so thick overnight that the next morning, while walking to your 9am seminar, you realize how freaking COOL spiderwebs are when sparkling with dew.

The fog is even nice. And contrary to popular belief, it doesn't rain all the time. Okay, well, it's raining now as I'm writing this... But lately it rains less than half the week (and it's winter!) and on a rainy day it usually only rains for an hour and then stops completely. And some weeks it doesn't rain at all. Go figure.

Even my English friends don't own rainboots. (Sorry-- "wellies.")