Nothing felt as strange as when the leaves began to change

Autumn has officially struck Burlington and is already making me question whether I can survive winter!  The leaves are beginning to change now and I am looking forward to actually seeing the changes in season, something that I am not used to at home.  I'm a little sad that summer is leaving me and it feels so strange that it's the end of September and getting colder rather than warmer.  For now though, I have had a very enjoyable weekend with some of the other international students.

Starting to feel really American

On Saturday we visited Shelburne Farm where we took a yellow school bus (how American!) and got to see how they make cheese and pat the animals on the farm.  I picked up a chicken and got to pat the sheep, goats, cow and calves.  We saw the dairy and the calf pen where there was a little one who was born that morning.  

 After we were done at the farm, we went to an apple orchard where we got to pick apples.  We also tried apple cider donuts and they were so good.  It was very peaceful being out on the farm and walking through the orchard.

Apple picking!

Today was meant to be a day of catching up on all of the study that I need to do, and I did get through some of it, but then the opportunity to go to my first ice hockey game took priority over everything!  And I must say that I believe that I have found a new favourite sport to watch!  The woman's team played McGill University and although they lost by one point in overtime, they played quite well.  It was so rough and such a fast paced game, which made it very entertaining, I didn't want it to end.  I didn't realise how many penalties were given out during an ice hockey game.  Think I really need to learn some of the rules of the game so that I have a little bit of an idea what is actually going on.

Go Cats!

Zamboni time

The men's hockey team have a game at UVM next Saturday so I'm looking forward to going to that.  Definitely going to try and get to as many games as I can.  Man I wish Australia had ice hockey.  I am still determined to see an American football game and also a baseball game while I am in the US.  I have no idea of the rules of either of them but am still keen to see a game!

On a side note, friends from home keep asking if I'm picking up an American accent.  I'm not picking up an American accent, but I am picking up American words, which makes me stop and look at myself funny.  Some of these words include saying:

• paper (assignment / essay)
• school (university)
• fall (autumn)
• major (what you're studying)

In two weeks time we have another long weekend and a big group of us are going to Montreal for the weekend, so I'm really looking forward to that!  I'm packing as many things as I possibly can into my time here because five months will go by so quickly, I mean, it's already been five weeks, which is totally crazy!!  Time is flying by..

Until next post.

Adios Amigos.

Tyarna xx