Time for Reflection

The last week in Oxford was definitely the most stressful but at the same time, the most rewarding. I spent all of Wednesday writing my final paper for Dr. Archer (literally ten hours in the Trinity library basement) and then cramming for my International Mass Communications final. Both assignments went well, as I received an A on my final and felt like I ended on a strong note in my final tutorial session. After arguing about the outbreak of witch-hunting for a good hour, I was relieved that my academic work in Oxford had come to a close. It was amazing how my mood suddenly changed once I walked out of the tutorial, as a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was finally back to my stress-free, laid back self. Steph and I had a celebratory lunch at Edamame, an authentic Japanese restaurant and walked around town for one last time. We returned our bicycles (finally), and packed up all our belongings. I managed to make it back with much more than I had come with and had to purchase an additional duffle bag to carry it all. We all went out for one last night in Oxford, and of course, made it to the Purple Turtle. Friday morning, the group flight left much earlier than Steph and I. I woke up around 4 a.m. and could hear the rest of the house leaving. I was sad that it all was really over. Around noon, Steph, Kyle, and I crammed into a cab with all of our luggage and made our way down to the bus station. Once getting to the airport, we were in serious need of carts to transport all of our luggage. We looked ridiculous with the amount we were travelling with. We checked our bags, had lunch, and got to the terminal. The flight back was not that bad, despite the small child that kept poking his head through our seats. We both were anxious to get home and in two days, be back in Athens. I was relieved once getting off the plane, getting through customs, finding all of my luggage, and finally meeting my parents, to know that everything had gone okay. My body was still in tact and I hadn’t even lost anything on the trip! There were so many things that could have gone wrong studying abroad and I was so lucky that none of those things happened to me.
Some time has passed now that I have made my way back to not only the U.S., but to my stomping grounds in Athens. It has taken me a while now to get back into a normal routine and on some sort of schedule. The time difference also messed me up for awhile. It seems like so long ago that I was saying goodbye and packing up my bags. I know now why my mom placed so much value on study abroad programs. I really do believe they change you. I’ve already noticed such a difference in my attitude and beliefs between last year and this year. It made me realize why I am in college and what I should be valuing in my last two years. It also made me eager to learn and excited about my major. I like being able to participate in class and stand my ground. I know now that if I really put my mind to something and apply myself, I can be very successful. I have also felt such a close bond with the people I became close with on the trip since being back in Athens. I get so happy every time I run into one of them on campus or see them out. Its only these people that truly understand what we experienced over there.
The trip was completely comprised of highs and lows, but the highs really did make up for my low points. The low points made me realize things about myself I never knew before. And the highs were what got me through the day. In complete honesty, the trip was not exactly what I had imagined it to be. But what it was ended up being so much better. I did something and studied somewhere that I never would have the chance to ever again in my life. Through reading countless Reformation history books, building friendships with people I thought I never would have, travelling by myself all over the U.K. and Europe, and figuring out a foreign country on my own for the first time, I stretched my mind beyond belief. And above all, I can honestly say I feel smarter and know so much more about myself after studying at Oxford.

Last Formal Dinner

This week’s Formal Dinner was by far my favorite. After congregating on the quad outside for group photos and having a glass of champagne, we made our way into the dining hall for one last Formal Dinner. It was different this week because I really felt like I had made friends with a lot of these people—and people that I didn’t necessarily think I would have made friends with. Dr. Trivedi gave a toast, we sang the fight song, and our wine glasses were continuously refilled. The experience of these Monday night dinners is one truly unique to itself. Afterwards, we went downstairs to the Trinity Pub for a beer. Steph and I talked with her Terry professor for awhile about our career paths. It really is something else to be able to talk to our professors like normal people outside of the classroom. I have really enjoy talking to them. We made our way over to the Kings Arms where Dr. Archer got “iced,” among other things. We came back to the UGA house and I stayed up for a little while hanging out with people. My only regret is that I have not allowed myself to go out every Monday night. . If I had less work or wasn’t travelling every weekend, I would have loved going out more in Oxford with these people. I can hardly believe we leave on Friday. I have no idea where six weeks have gone, nor am I prepared to leave one bit. I do think a sense of relief will strike me once I get on that airplane. I still have a paper and a final Thursday before I can tackle packing. I hope to make the most out of these last few days here!

The Boonies

Saturday morning, I woke up at 7 a.m. and headed down to Trinity to meet the rest of my Reformation History class for our weekend excursion to Shropshire. I slept on the coach and woke up in literally the boonies of England. We toured Harvington Hall, a house that Catholics lived in during the English Reformation. Dr. Archer wanted us to see all the intricate hiding spots priests would hide in, for they would be killed for treason if found by the Church. We made our way to Ludlow where we checked into the well-known Feathers hotel. We went on a rather boring/pointless walking tour of the city and went to The Parish Church of St. Laurence. I think I’ve been in more churches on this trip than I have in my entire life. After, we went around Ludlow Castle which I actually enjoyed. It was a great place to take pictures. We had a three-course dinner at The Feathers with Dr. Archer and Dr. Trivedi, our program leader. This ended up being a ton of fun and we all got pretty drunk with Dr. A. The man loves to drink. The twelve of us managed to find the two bars open in Ludlow and certainly made our mark on Ludlow. Apparently, we even made the front page of their newspaper…oops. A group of us all shared an adjoining balcony and continued hanging out in our rooms when the bars closed.
Sunday, we all felt like death. I sucked it up and we went to Stokesay Castle and yet another church. We had lunch and by this time I was ready to leave. I really enjoyed hanging out with some of the people in my class and my professor. I forgot what it was like to have actual relationships with my teachers and it made me miss it. I’ve also never been able to get to know my professors so well. I love how even though Dr. A is one of the brightest people I will probably ever meet, I can hold long and meaningful conversations with him. Although he tries to be intimidating, he can be nicest and funniest old man you can’t help but love. These kinds of settings are so unique in that aspect. Not only am I taking a weekend trip with my Oxford don, but I’m living in a house with my Grady professor. It has made me excited for my smaller classes this semester and to actually form relationships with my professors in the future.

Paris in a Day

Thursday was possibly one of the longest days possible. At about 2 a.m., I realized I was answering the question to my history essay completely wrong. I had to pretty much start from square one and get it done. By about 4 a.m., I took a break and skyped with Claire. I watched the sunrise and finished my essay. I went to class, packed my bags, and headed to my tutorial session, which went surprisingly well considering the circumstances. Dr. Archer was impressed with my answers and said that obviously I had understood what he was asking. I laughed and told him it took awhile. Afterwards, I bolted to the train station to meet Steph and Adriana where we made our way to London Paddington. At Paddington, we took the tube to Kings Cross station to catch our chunnel ride to Paris. About two hours later we arrived at the Gare du Nord around 9 p.m. The three of us were initially a little overwhelmed. Steph’s attempt to speak English to the currency exchange woman did not go over so well, so we found a different kiosk where I tried my French. Luckily, more of the language came back to me than I thought would. We then bought our metro tickets and I asked the woman at the information desk how to get to our hotel. She circled about five different stations we needed to change at to get there. This obviously did not seem right. We asked someone else, who told us a much easier and direct route. I think the lady at the desk just wanted to see us suffer. After figuring out what turns out to be a very easy metro system (in my opinion), we checked into our hotel. The man at the desk was so sweet but only spoke French, so once again I tried as hard as I could to make sense of the language. After successfully breaking the language barrier, we put our bags down and made the 15-minute walk over to the Eiffel Tower. We went up and reality sank in that I was finally in Paris. The view was amazing and the lights were spectacular. By this time it was pretty late and we were starving. We found a café that served until 12 and I had a croque monsieur, something I have wanted to try in Paris since learning what it was in French class. Going off of no sleep, I hit the sheets within seconds.
Friday, not under the influence of any boys, we all woke up around 8:30 to make the most out of our day. Its funny that even though I only had one day, I saw more than I have in probably any other place knowing that I was on a very strict schedule. Not having to wait around for a huge group of boys didn’t hurt either. We took the metro over to the Notre Dame. We had breakfast at unfortunately one of the more touristy cafes. We tried not to fall into the trap, but were so hungry and didn’t want to waste any more time looking for a place to eat. After, we spent a good amount of time inside the Notre Dame. The architecture was amazing and the stained glass phenomenal. I was able to appreciate the Church more after taking my Reformation History class and learning about the decadence of the Roman Catholic Churches. Afterwards, we headed over to the Musee du Louvre. Unintentionally, we found ourselves at the Jardin du Luxembourg, a beautiful garden. Steph went to meet the guys at the hotel and Adriana and I headed to the Louvre. I’m glad we got to spend such a long time there and really see what the museum had to offer. As our feet were starting to drag at the museum, Steph and the boys finally made it. We met them at the Mona Lisa and walked around a little more. The boys stayed while we made our way up les Champs-Elysees. The walk was a bit deceiving; just because you can see the Arc du Triomphe does not mean its close. We reached the avenue and had dinner at an amazing café where I finally got my French onion soup. I loved being able to utilize my French when ordering my meal and I think the waiters/Parisians in general appreciate it when you try and at least attempt to speak their language. We unwinded with a glass of wine and I was completely content that I had seen all I had in the day. With about an hour or so left until I had to leave for the train station, we hopped on the metro and got off at the Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower one last time. I couldn’t leave Paris without some pictures in front of it. I parted ways with Steph and Adriana and went to the train station around 8 p.m. The area was a little bit sketch and the stop to get off at for the Gare du Nord was unclear. I asked a French girl how to get there and she was nice enough to pull me on the right train with her. All I can say is thank goodness I spoke French. I got to the train station at the perfect time. I witnessed two guys get handcuffed when going through customs and was relieved once getting to the Eurostar since it had a much better crowd than the rest of the station. I didn’t mind being by myself, especially since travelling alone is much more efficient, but I was ready to get back. A huge sense of relief came over me when I got into London. I bought my tube ticket and went from Kings Cross (the Harry Potter Platform 9 station) to Paddington. I actually was getting frustrated with the people in front of me who clearly did not understand the tube ticket machine. I felt as though I lived here and they were the foreigners. They had closed the Circle line so I had to switch trains. A few weeks prior and I probably would have freaked out. However, I knew exactly which train I needed to switch to and felt a sense of accomplishment when I did so on my own. Being much more prepared for this trip than any other, I had looked up train times back from London to Oxford since I knew I would be by myself. Getting to Paddington at about 11:15, I ran to the platform to hop on the 11:20 train back into Oxford. I ran into the UGA Law class coming back from their day trip so I was no longer alone. I fell asleep with the reassurance that I was not by myself and woke up in Oxford around 12:30 a.m. I got to the house, still in disbelief of what I had done that day, showered, and packed my bag for my class trip the next morning. I was proud of myself for not only seeing all the places I wanted to see in Paris that day, but for making it all the way back to Oxford by myself. I came to the conclusion that I love travelling with the guys, especially at night when safety is a main concern, but it was nice being able to do the sight-seeing I wanted to do on my schedule. That being said, Paris is a little scary at night to be in without any boys. Also, if I was on some program with a million of my friends, I never would have had to do things, such as find my way home alone or map out how to get to the places I want to visit, which in turn are making me grow. I was only able to rely on myself to get back safely and I did.

Reaching the Finish Line

Last night, I ended up staying up until 4:30 a.m. to finish my Communications paper. I think I have gone to bed more when it is light out then when it is still dark. Anyways, I chose to write about new media technologies and how they are influencing the world of journalism and naturally, enjoyed researching the topic. It felt really good to cross it off my list once I had finished. This morning, we watched the HBO documentary film, ‘To Die in Jerusalem’. It featured the mother of a 16-year-old Israeli girl who was the victim of a Palestinian suicide bombing. The bomber was just a teenager herself. I’ll be honest and say that I do not know nearly as much as I should about Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We’ve discussed it some in class but it was not until we watched this documentary that I really got a better picture of what is going on. The film brought tears to my eyes and I could not get over the fact that this is going on in our world today. I could actually empathize with both mothers of the girls, but can see that it will be a long time before Israel and Palestine will make peace. The film ended with no sign of hope or resolution between the two. It made me feel so fortunate for where I live. I have read articles in the news about continued riots in Israel and Palestine and it makes me sad. This afternoon, I came to the Radcliffe Camera to work on my history paper due tomorrow. I just keep telling myself that I will be in Paris tomorrow night.

BBC, Among Other Things

Let me just start off by saying that I cannot believe I have been here for a month now. I feel like (well I haven’t, lets be honest), had a moment in a day where I have not been doing something. I can’t imagine studying abroad for a shorter amount of time than this. When would you see anything? I already feel like I have failed to see all that I wanted to. Sunday night, I had what could potentially have been my first sort of anxiety attack. I’ve never had such an elevated stress level as I have on this trip. Whether it be writing one of my 10-page papers until 5 in the morning or trying to make a flight to Amsterdam, I’ve never been under this kind of stress. Even my weekends are not any less stressful because I’m constantly trying to figure out where I am or what we are going to do. That said, it is making me so much stronger, and smarter, for it. I’m learning so much, not just in my classes, but travelling to foreign places. So come Sunday night, I began to freak out a bit about how little time I had left here and how much more work I still have to do, things I want to accomplish, and places I want to see. I tossed and turned all night long, not sleeping more than an hour total. I opted out of the what would have been a five hour event of our speaker, drinks on the lawn, and formal dinner, to stay in and get work done. I felt somewhat better about things when I went to bed. I had gotten a head start on my paper and booked the hotel for Paris. Today, we went back into London for a tour of the BBC. We got there early and were right across from the Westfield mall so I looked around a few stores but refrained myself from buying anything. The tour was pretty interesting and the question mark shaped building was huge (seven floors). Afterwards, my Grady class went to a Syrian restaurant and I sat next to Dr. Rhodes. She is such a sweet lady and reassured me on my work here and gave me advice on one of my Broadcast professors for this semester. I fell asleep on the bus back into Oxford.

London Round Two

Friday, we ended up waking up later than we wanted to. I made the decision to book my chunnel ticket to Paris for next weekend. I’m still not sure whether or not this was a smart idea since I can only go for one night, but I am determined to make it worth it. We got the afternoon train into London with the boys and checked into our hotel, Twenty Nevern Square, in Kensington. After making the decision (not mine exactly) not to buy DJ Tiesto tickets, we took the tube to Covent Garden. We walked around a little, went inside the market, and then up to a balcony bar to watch a street performance. Jack and his friend met us for a drink. I asked a few girls where we should get dinner locally and they told us Zizzi was inexpensive and had great Italian food. Dinner was a lot of fun and afterwards, we stopped by the Jack’s LSE dorm to have a quick drink. Of course, it got to be later than we had planned on and by the time we reached Victoria Park, Tiesto had finished performing. We ended up running into Andrew and some guys from our program. They joined us and we all went to a London School of Economics party sponsored at some club. It turned out to be a late night and we made our way back to the hotel, escorted by the guys. I loved hanging out with some of the other guys on our program that I honestly probably never would have gotten the chance to otherwise. They were so sweet to make sure we got back okay.
Saturday, we woke up and quickly checked out. We took our bags to the Paddington train station and headed to a local Lebanese place for lunch in Knightsbridge. Next, we stopped at Harrods and Topshop. After some retail therapy, we took the tube over to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. The weather was perfect, so we sat on a bench and enjoyed the views along the water. We called it a day and headed back to Oxford to go out for Ryan’s 21st birthday. We started out at the Kings Arms and met up with a bunch of people on our program. This was my first Saturday night actually out in Oxford. Afterwards we walked over to The Bridge, one of the big nightclubs in town. I’d say Ryan had a successful birthday night.
Sunday, Steph and I had a lunch-date at The Living Room, a more upscale restaurant. We sat outside and had amazing iced coffees and eggs benedict. I’ve really been enjoying her company and figuring out what we have been learning about ourselves. We walked around town some more, checked out the store Primark, and came back to the house. Once again, the weekend and going out took a pretty big toll on me. Although I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t quite seen everything on my original agenda, I’ve accepted the fact that I can’t see it all. London is just so huge that it is nearly impossible to. I am glad that I have figured out the tube system and the layout of the city much better. I’m also learning how important it is to make set plans. It is always so much more difficult to stick to them when trying to accommodate a group of people. That’s why I wouldn’t mind travelling with just one other person...who knows, maybe someday I'll have a husband to with.

Hard Work Does Pay Off

I have hardly had the time to even shut my eyes, yet alone update this thing. Once again, I started off the week without an ounce of sleep. I am almost to the point where I think I will be able to manage sleeping less once I get back to school. In my Communications class, we had Martin Webster, a BBC correspondent for South Today come in and speak. He talked about how dedicated journalists must be and how you really have to devote your life to the career. It was a little bit of a rude awakening when he informed us that you work pretty much 24/7 and that you are lucky to make about $30,000 starting off. At the same time, I’m not that surprised. As long as I am doing something I am passionate about, I will make due. He quoted Walter Cronkite by saying, “We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity.” This could not hold more truth, as I feel like even this experience has given me so many opportunities. Monday night Formal dinner was preceded by a man who spoke to us about the historical architecture of Oxford. It was Brady’s birthday, but I had to come home to cram for my midterm the next day. I was a little perturbed by the old drunk man that sat down next to me on the bus ride home. I quickly ran into the house and cracked open my books. Steph rolled in around 4:30 while I was still studying…I was jealous of the state of mind she was in. Tuesday, two hours and four essays later, I took what felt like, and very well could have been, my first nap of the trip. It was well deserved as I ended up getting an A-. Wednesday, I did a little bit of shopping and walked around. It was actually nice to have some time to myself and be able to clear my head a bit. That night, I continued my research for my history class. I sort of got off topic and began researching the main differences between Catholicism and Protestantism for my own sake. I’ve enjoyed learning a bit more about religion and have actually had a few conversations with Steph about it. That night, we made a detailed trip itinerary, including tube stops and all, and booked an awesome hotel in Kensington. Yesterday, I had my third tutorial session with Dr. Archer. He wasn’t quite as nice to us this time, but I was pleased that I got a B+ on my first paper. Last night, we found ourselves at the Purple Turtle, yet once again. I refuse to keep going to this grungy dungeon, but somehow always end up there.

I amsterdam

Where do I even begin? Thursday, after expending all our other options, we called a private hire taxi for Steph, Brady, Ryan, Sam, and myself to take to London Luton airport. This ended up being a good choice (for the way there atleast) and we only paid about 16 pounds each. After sitting in traffic, we were about 60 seconds away from not being able to check-in to our Easyjet flight. Afterwards, we proceeded to sprinting through the airport to find our gate. Turned out, our flight was delayed so we caught our breath and had a beer. A short one-hour flight later we arrived in the Amsterdam airport. We wandered aimlessly looking for customs, being led downstairs to empty rooms. After seriously debating not getting our passports stamped (joke, but tempting), we found the train station where we continued to have trouble with the train ticket machine. We finally got on the train, where we told to get off at the wrong station. A 20 euro cab ride later, we made it to the Marriott Amsterdam. We (2 of the 8 of us) checked in to our room where we found the rest of UGA who were also staying at the hotel from the Innsbruck program. With no time to spare, we walked across the street to the Bulldog Café…naturally. Steph, me, and about 30 guys from UGA found ourselves in a private room in the back of the café, completely immersing ourselves in the Amsterdam culture. Friday, after my good nights sleep sharing a bed with Steph and Andrew, James led the group to the famous pancake factory…45 minutes away. Having one of the guys take the lead was nice so I wasn’t really paying much attention to my whereabouts (the city still confuses me). After a famous Dutch pancake (banana & Nutella) we walked around some more, discovering “Smartshops” and coffee shops on every corner, and found our way to the Vincent Van Gogh museum. I was surprised/thoroughly entertained to see some of these boys get so excited about going to a Van Gogh museum and taking the audio tour. Afterwards, we had dinner outside in the square near our hotel, where mid-meal, an old man undressed into a thong and did an acrobatic routine on a rope. Slightly disturbed/completely amused, we went back to get ready for the night. Friday night was a little nuts but totally fulfilled my expectations. Being with solely college boys, Steph and I followed to the Red Light District. Let’s just say, I saw some things I never thought I would see in my life.
Saturday we continued our sight-seeing at the Heineken brewery. The place gave me a new-found appreciation for the beer. Afterwards, a bunch of us rented paddle boats to see the city from the best spot—the water. This probably was my favorite part of the weekend. We popped a bottle of Hoegaarden rose and relaxed as Stuart and Malcolm did all the work. After going back to shower without all of our roommates, we got ready and met the guys for Thai food. Somehow we all managed to go back to the Red Light District again that night…when in Rome, right? (or Amsterdam in this case)
Sunday was a little rough. We checked out at 12 and had about 8 hours to spare until we had to go to the airport. We stumbled upon some random diner for breakfast and could hardly figure out how to split the check because we all felt so dead. Steph, Ryan, and I attempted to go to the Anne Frank house, but opted against standing in the line, which looked like it would take forever. We did some shopping, walked until our feet hurt, sat outside and had a “white” beer, and did basically everything to kill time. Finally, we took the tram to the Amsterdam Central Station, where we then took the train to the airport. We waited for our delayed flight for what seemed like forever, my stress level rising as I thought about all I had to do this week for my classes. We finally took off at about 12 a.m. for a somewhat scary plane ride back after being informed the reason for our delay was that the plane needed maintenance. This really was one of the only times I have been a little scared on an airplane. About two hours late, we landed and were greeted by our angry private hire taxi van driver. By this point, all of us would do anything just to get back to Oxford. After waiting in the cold parking lot for our driver to find his misplaced car key and disputing with the company manager on the phone, we made it back at about 2:30 a.m.
Amsterdam. The place is insane. Its weekends like this that make me miss my family. I felt safe with all the people I was with, but those kinds of cities take a toll on you. I’m glad I went at this time in my life, because I honestly don’t know if I could handle it in any other kind of situation. That being said, I was ready to leave Sunday. I’m physically and mentally exhausted. On the other hand, there is much more to the city than coffee shops, beer, and prostitutes. Its a pretty town full of gorgeous flowers with culture, canals, and museums. I loved the experience, getting to know some of the guys better, seeing all that Amsterdam had to offer, and completely stepping out of my comfort zone. However, I have never wanted to sleep in my bed in the comfort and safety of my own home more in my life.

National Magazine Co.

Today was one of those days I really needed. After waking up at 6 a.m. with a black eye/sty from my lack of sleep somehow, I did not have high expectations for the day. I completely passed out on the bus ride into London for our class trip and woke up at the National Magazine Company building. There we were greeted by Terry Mansfield, one of the head guys of the company. He then introduced us to the Editor of Company magazine, a chic magazine only sold in the U.K. She was a very fashionable young woman who inspired me to be as successful as she is. It was weird to open up the latest issue of the magazine to the “Letter from the Editor” and be sitting directly next to her. Just when I could not be more pleasantly surprised with the day, we were taken into Cosmopolitan office and shown around by the Editor. The environment was a little like The Devil Wears Prada, but way less intimidating. The girls were still so glamorous and the overall mood seemed pretty laid back. It honestly made me have serious second thoughts on whether or not I am pursuing the right career. I could totally see myself behind one of those desks, designing magazine pages or blogging for their website. Afterwards, we went to this awesome Asian tapas restaurant called Ping Pong. The food was amazing and I really enjoyed talking with the other girls in the Grady School. I came back, figured out how we were getting to Amsterdam this weekend, had dinner with the guys, and headed to the library to work on my 10 page paper due tomorrow.

Steph's Birthday

Today, Steph and I took the day off to celebrate her 20th birthday! After class, we walked around town and did a little shopping. We went to The Head of the River for lunch where we had the most amazing food and shared a bottle of wine. The weather was perfect so we sat outside and watched people punt on the river. I’ve really loved getting to know her as a person. Afterwards, we went to Christ Church, where we saw the most beautiful architecture, including the Harry Potter dining hall scene…it actually was really cool. We met some guys from Baylor and ended up showing them around town. After our usual speaker, drinks on the lawn, and formal dinner, I ended up going back. The dinners are killing me here and I felt pretty nauseous. I'm under my covers now and am within seconds of falling asleep.

Scotland

Leaving around noon, the five guys and I hopped on the six-hour train to Edinburgh. The ride flew by thanks to the very personable British man we met who showed us his cartoon drawings he was going to BBC to pitch for a show. Some of them reminded me of old Nickelodeon shows I used to watch when I was little. I was not surprised when he told me they were the exact shows he had been inspired by. He seemed so much like us and it really made me realize how similar Brits can be to us Americans. We parted ways and finally made it to Edinburgh. I was blown away by how beautiful Scotland was. We walked out of the train station into a gorgeous green haven with castles, cobblestone pathways, and men in kilts—seriously. I really was not expecting any of this. Friday night we checked into our hostel and headed to the main street, Royal Mile. We walked around for as long as we could until we had to eat. Did I mention it stays light out there until about 10 p.m.? After dinner, we went to The Scotsman’s Lounge where we listened to live Scottish music. I decided to try some Whiskey and really embrace where I was. We checked out another pub with a live band but then called it a night so that we could be somewhat rested for the British Open in the morning. Saturday, we all woke up in our camp style bunk-beds around 9. After showering in the communal shower and having our free “breakfast,” we got the train to St. Andrews. The ride was only about an hour long and we all passed out during it. I bought my 25 pound ticket at the gate and was bummed that I had to part ways with my camera and phone during the tournament. I did not pack accordingly, as the wind chill was freezing and I was in a skirt. I stuck it out and lasted all day. I really enjoyed myself too. We were all of five feet away from Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy (just to name a few). I was glad the boys wanted to go so badly since I probably would not have on my own. The ride back was somewhat eventful. Brady and Sam ended up sitting next to these Scottish guys who kept making them chug a bottle of wine. The guys were hysterical and obviously just wanted to have a good time. We ended up getting off at the same stop as them and having a beer at some bar/restaurant on the other side of town. Ryan, Jack, and I took our stuff back to the hostel, I put on some warmer clothes, and we met the rest of them at Candy Bar. I had no idea places like this existed in Scotland. It was a very posh nightclub with beautiful people. After a few drinks the boys were starving since we never really ate dinner (my eating schedule has been so off). I asked around and found some pizza place where I ordered pizzas for the guys to-go (or “take-away” as they say here). I felt a little like mamabear since I seemed to be the most sober/responsible one of the group. Back at the hostel, we decided to wake-up Brady out of his comatose at about 2:30 a.m. and tell him it was time to check out. This joke lasted about an hour and was honestly one of the funniest moments on this trip to date. Sunday morning, we woke up and explored the city a little more before our train left at about 1 p.m. Determined to see the Castle, I ended up lugging my huge Longchamp bag all the way up Castle Hill. I hate that we only had a weekend because there are so many more things I would love to go see. This experience really is making me realize how anxious I am to travel and see so many more places.

Sleep Deprived

I started my second week here rather exhausted from the weekend. My lack of sleep is definitely starting to catch up with me. We had another formal dinner after a speaker came and talked about the mafia. It was pretty interesting and definitely something I really knew nothing about. After dinner we went out to a few pubs in town. Tuesday, a woman by the name of Susan Lewis came and spoke to my International Mass Communications class. She used to work for New South Publishing in Atlanta before moving to London. She was really inspiring and got me thinking about working for a magazine. She talked about the young interns at Vogue, referred to as “Voguettes,” and the differences between the U.S. and the U.K. How amazing would it be to intern or even work in London? Wednesday I spent most of the day in the Trinity Library—this work load is seriously insane. Thursday, I had somewhat of a minor meltdown. My lack of sleep and stress level had hit an all-time high. Steph was there for me with a care package in hand and a much needed back massage. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her. After another tutorial session with Dr. Archer, we all went out and relieved some stress at The Purple Turtle (possibly the grimiest club in Oxford, but nonetheless always a good time). Steph and I ended the night by sleeping on chairs in Trinity…oops. This morning I had a rather exhilarating bike ride back to the house. I'm about to pack my bags and head off to Scotland for the British Open.

Weekend in London

Friday morning Steph and I slept later than we anticipated. We quickly packed our bags, called a cab, and made our way down to the Gloucester Green train station to meet up with the boys. After enjoying a nice lukewarm Stella on the hour train ride into London, we got off at Paddington station. For being my first time in London, I can say I was proud of myself for finding my way around such a big city with ease. The buildings reminded me somewhat of the ones in D.C. and the Tube train system very similar to the Metro. We got to our newly built hostel in the Paddington district, ran into the UMASS guys from Oxford in the lobby (ooph), and put our stuff in our room filled with three bunk-beds. We took the scenic path through Hyde Park and went up to Piccadilly Circus (the Adam’s Morgan, Georgetown-like area of London). We met a rather entertaining local named Han at a tavern and continued to explore. That night, we had a “lovely” dinner at the Pride of Paddington, Jack met up with us, and we made our way to the one and only, Tiger Tiger nightclub. This was after, of course, the boys wanted to be escorted to the “Sway Bar”…no thank you. Steph and I called the shots. After that the pictures will have to suffice…let’s just say we may or may not have gotten a knock on our hostel room door at 5 a.m.
Saturday we all woke up to what may be the HOTTEST room I have ever been in. Seriously, why does England not believe in air conditioning?? We got out of there asap and made our way down to the Westminster Abbey area. There we saw Big Ben, the London Eye, Parliament, etc. We stopped at a couple of places for our Pimm’s fix. Later that night, we had another group dinner at an Italian place. We went to several different places, including the Absolut Ice Bar (although we didn’t exactly get into the ice part), and ended up with a new friend; Amos (supposedly goes to Harvard…right). We somehow managed to end the night with Chinese food and sleeping in Jack’s 4x4 dorm room at the London School of Economics. All in all, the night was a success, encountering “T-Pain’s uncle, a Russian mafia bouncer, Amos, and of course…getting iced.
Sunday was a little less enjoyable, practically getting kicked out of the hostel for checking out late, among other things, and having to brush my teeth and wash my face at the train station. Steph and I still managed to make a 4 hour shopping spree to the original Topshop in Oxford Circus after getting lunch. We made our way back on the train Sunday night.

An Education

I can honestly say I think I will learn more in the six weeks I'm here than I did this entire past school year. Last night, with the help of some serious coffee and English tea, I pulled my first all-nighter here. It definitely paid off, as my first one hour tutorial session with my Oxford don, Dr. Archer, went surprisingly well. Going into the meeting at his flat was one of the more intimidating experiences of my life. We walked into a room filled to the ceiling with books, one of which I'm pretty sure he wrote. His cat named Europa was sitting on his shoulder as he sipped his tea. The three students from his session before looked somewhat sheepish and I assumed he had already sized me up. To my surprise, I began to lead the discussion. Dr. Archer continually kept questioning me because I had the most opinionated and less "popular" belief about what he was asking. The question we were asked to research was, "How adequately did the Church meet the needs of English people in the years immediately preceding the Reformation?" I took the standpoint that they were not met, because the Reformation was in fact successful, as there were several graphs, stories, examples, etc. in the books I found to show how people less and less became dependent on the Roman Catholic Church and England began thinking for their own. I even named off this guy Gilbert Johnson who was one of the first to be prosecuted for speaking against the Church, and talked about how he catapulted the Reformation, and he didn't even know of him until I showed him in the document that I found. He seemed impressed and told me I had made really good connections and that he even agreed with my opinion. We also had the former British Ambassador of Italy, Yugoslavia, and Ireland, Sir Ivor Anthony Roberts, come speak to my International Mass Communications class about public diplomacy and I asked him a little about 9/11. Not quite sure how I managed to do all this since I was functioning on an hours worth of sleep. I just booked us a 6 person hostel to stay in for the weekend in London. First time to London, first time staying in a hostel, first time for everything.

Did I mention a bird flew into my room?

Slightly Embarrassing

After the painful morning wake up at about 7:30 a.m., we walked down Banbury Road to breakfast and our first day of class. After realizing we could get there much faster, Steph, Andrew, and I went to seek out bicycles. Let me start by saying this is SO much harder than I remember it being. After almost falling off several times into oncoming double decker busses, I decided I'd walk the bike until I came to a less congested area of town. Later on that day, I may or may not have slightly fallen off the bike as I came to a stop...right in front of the surprisingly attractive construction workers. I was only a little mortified as the one yelled, "Awww sh*t miss, awe you alright??!" Carolyn...your nickname for me, Bruiser, has hit a whole new level.

Something out of Harry Potter

Monday we started off the day with a walking tour of our new home of Oxford. We saw the infamous Radcliffe Camera and a Harry Potter film site. We were then inducted into the Bodleian Library. That night, we had our first Formal Dinner. We met our Oxford dons and headed out to the lawn for our new favorite drink, Pimms (still have not figured out exactly whats in it). I can't say I tried the duck confit that was served at dinner, but the experience was nonetheless something out of a Harry Potter dining hall scene. Afterwards, we went down to the Trinity pub where we met some interesting kids from some of the northern schools that are studying here as well. Less than impressed, we left and made our way to Kings Arm, a local pub. I never knew there was a difference between a bar and a pub. However, I was informed a pub is short for "public house" where they serve food as well. They also tend to close early, which I'm definitely not used to.

Across the Pond

As my mom drove me to Dulles airport, I realized I probably should have figured out before I got in the car how I was getting to Oxford upon arrival at London Heathrow airport. I think this may have freaked her out a little. I made the trip across the pond all by myself and somehow found the bus line that would take me to Oxford. Once I got to Oxford, I hopped in what I thought was the passenger seat of the taxi. The man laughed as I soon realized I was in the drivers seat...a little delirious. This was only the beginning of my sleep deprivation on this trip. I ran into Ryan and Kennan on the street and for a second felt like I was in Athens. The first night, we all sat in the boys' room at Trinity College with our wine. I may or may not have accidently made a few international drunk dials...oops, sorry Mom. After realizing everything was closed early on Sunday night (4th of July), Steph and I headed back to our room, finally unlocked our door, and called it a night. We were anxious, to say the least, to see what we had in store for us.