Admittedly, it is quite a daunting task to sum up the most exciting and eventful month of one’s nineteen years of life into a singular blog post. However, I will aim to do my best at sharing the highlights, lessons, and overall impressions of my experience on the Oxford study abroad program without reaching a word count more suitable for a novel.
For as long as I can remember, I have been an absolute Anglophile. I drink a lot of tea. I sometimes listen to the Spice Girls. I enjoy a good scone every now and then. The Great British Bake Off is one of my comfort shows. There isn’t a published sentence of Jane Austen’s that I haven’t read. I’m a proud Gryffindor. I’ve seen the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation with Keira Knightley more times than I can count (although, seeing as I haven’t taken a math class since my junior year of high school, that number might not be as impressive as you’re imagining). I drive a MINI Cooper. I am far too invested in the lives of the Royal Family, and by George, do I love the Beatles (get it?). All this being as it is, how could I not study abroad in England?
Oxford. I do not think there is any place quite like it in the world (despite what Cambridge folk might like to think). As soon as we arrived, my eyes devoured everything in sight. Around each winding street corner, there seemed to be something new, or rather, something very old, to discover. From our visits to Christ Church College to the Bodleian Library to the Botanical Gardens, it was apparent how such a place could inspire the likes of infamous works such as Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit. In Oxford, I often felt as if I had stepped through the pages of any of the aforementioned books, albeit exempting any magical creatures. Day-to-day life in Oxford was unlike any life I’ve lived before. The feeling of catching a double-decker bus to class every morning after stopping for tea at a local cafe cannot adequately be described by my words.
London. I have often entertained the notion of living in a big city after I graduate from Salve, with New York being at the top of my list. However, that notion may be shifting across the pond, as London climbs higher and higher up my (rather ambitious) list. As a group, we took two trips into London throughout our stay. As an individual, I took six trips. There is simply so much to see there, evident by the fact that I still did not cover it all. From Buckingham Palace to the British Museum to the Globe Theatre to the Crown Jewels to Big Ben to Westminster Abbey to Abbey Road to the Tower of London to the War Rooms to the London Eye- I think I’ve conveyed my point. I was able to do and see so much in this beautiful city, from seeing shows on the West End to simply wandering around St. James Park. I even mastered the tube (almost). Saying “so long, London” was certainly not easy.
Bath. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Jane Austen fanatic, finding themselves on a day trip to Bath, must be in want of nothing more, as all of her earthly wishes will inevitably be, at this time, fulfilled. While there is no charm equal to tenderness of heart, the charm of Bath comes quite close indeed. Bath is, I daresay, one of the most amiable places I can ever recall having the pleasure of visiting, in spite of the opinions expressed by Miss Jane Austen herself. To be sure, there is something to be said of the air in Bath, which, having now had the privilege of inhaling myself, I am convinced would sooth any ailment of mind or body. If I had loved Bath less, I might be able to talk about it more. I am half agony, knowing I perhaps may never return; half hope, knowing more assuredly that I will.
Of course, I have omitted a multitude of details and excursions. This is not to insinuate they were in any way insignificant- it is, as previously stated, only in the interest of length. However, I sincerely hope that I have accomplished my initial aim of capturing the general impression left on me after this month abroad.
At any point in my life, if you were to ask me what it is I want: what I really, really want: I’d tell you it was to go to England. And so, when the opportunity presented itself, it was a no-brainer. However, studying abroad was an entirely distinct experience then, say, vacationing. Not only can I now say I’ve been to England: I can say I’ve lived there. I cannot overemphasize how enriching this experience was, both academically and personally. Cheerio!
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