my favorite place: norwich, uk

In Spring of 2019, I studied abroad at University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, UK for five months. As I am very much a homebody and love to be with my family here in Oklahoma, I was very unsure about how I would enjoy being abroad in Norwich. Little did I know, it would become my favorite place! Norwich is a quaint English town with quirky spots and beautiful, traditional architecture alike. Below is a photo I took while exploring the city my first month there.

(Image Information: personal photo of a street 
in Norwich; photo from  January 28, 2019)

Not only is the city itself beautiful, the campus of the University I attended was quite impressive as well. As most everything on UEA's campus is made of concrete, the students refer to it as the concrete jungle. The most interesting and notable thing that I recall about the campus are these funky dorms--the Ziggurats (Zigs). Although I did not live in the Zigs, they were fun to look at from the window of the library while I procrastinated my summative assignments. 

(Photo obtained from The Modern House; photography
by John Fielding, Gerry Balding, and kaysgeog)

When I wasn't cooped up in the library, my friends and I were most likely out to eat at our favorite restaurant, Ji The Chicken Shop. The name is pretty self-explanatory--it was a chicken shop with the best chicken strips. What made this place stand out is the fact that it was a Vietnamese chicken shop, so they had a ton of different seasonings for their chicken that I was not accustomed to. My personal favorite was their plum seasoning (sweet and salty) which I miss dearly and cannot find anything similar in America...HELP.

(Photo of a line out of the door at Ji The Chicken Shop
obtained from their website)

My time in Norwich is something I treasure deeply and miss everyday.  I cherish the places I explored and the people I met; the experience was truly life-changing as cliché as it sounds. If you ever have the chance to visit England, I would highly recommend checking out Norwich!