November, the third month of my exchange year, was one of my favorite months in England, but it’s also the time when homesickness can really kick in. As the workload ramps up, so does the stress, and with your support system being so far away and six hours behind, it can start to feel really lonely, especially around the holidays.

Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated in England, but through an exchange program meetup at the university, I met an American guy from New York who invited me to his flat for Thanksgiving dinner! In a small Oak House kitchen, nine Brits and four Americans shared what we were thankful for over a massive spread of home-cooked food. We had both British and American stuffing, traditional British foods like Yorkshire puddings, British and American gravy, roasted vegetables, sausages, mac and cheese, and apple pie. His flatmates were wonderful, and I ended up becoming good friends with them. It turned out to be one of the sweetest moments of my time in Manchester.

In November, I also experienced an interesting holiday called Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. People have massive bonfires, sparklers, and fireworks shows to commemorate the day a man named Guy Fawkes was arrested for attempting to blow up the House of Parliament. This is celebrated every November 5th, and I was lucky enough to be invited by my English friend to her home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, to celebrate! It was such a fun time, and people take it almost as seriously as the Fourth of July with all the fireworks and bonfires.

One thing that shocked me was how much people use fireworks on days that aren’t holidays in Manchester. It’s not uncommon to hear big booms and see flashes of light on any random day or night. My English friends wouldn’t even flinch when this happened, while I would freak out and scan the room for the nearest exit, because in America, it could possibly be a gun. I feel a lot safer in England because of the lack of guns.

On that topic, I think it’s useful to touch on some of the stereotypes English people have about Americans, as many relate to our gun ownership and politics. Many Europeans and Brits see Americans as ignorant people who believe the U.S. is the only country that matters. We are seen by some as loud and stupid. The main questions I get are about guns, Trump and healthcare/insurance. I believe most of these questions come from a place of genuine curiosity, and they’ve actually led to some extremely interesting conversations that have taught me a lot about the world. No one has been outwardly unkind to me, but I’ve built up some thicker skin due to some people’s harsher jokes and comments. This has been good for me, and I believe it’s great to be tough, take jokes as jokes, and filter out the ignorant people who can’t look past a stereotype.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: University of Manchester