Bath

Yesterday, we all travelled to Bath for the most hands-on history lesson imaginable. We did make one stop along the way at Prior Park. It was commissioned by Ralph Allan, one of the wealthiest and most benevolent men of the eighteenth century. He wanted to look upon the city of Bath from his home, and he wanted Bath to look upon him. The estate seems to stand on a very long slope with the estate at the top and lakes at the bottom. In between, one of only three existing Palladian bridges breaks the landscape. This was definitely my most favorite home/estate/grounds, and it's the one I would wish to live on out of those we've visited. My name was carved into one of the trees there, so I guess it was meant to be.

Once in Bath, we tried to make a reservation for tea in the Pump Room, but they were at capacity, so we continued to the Roman Baths. I thought they would be bigger or more cavernous, but they were actually fairly intimate. It was mind boggling to think of how many people (and how many famous thinkers, politicians, etc) had walked the very stones I walked and socialized in the rooms where I spoke with my friends. The baths exist because of some hot springs, and visitors went to them for both medicinal and social purposes. The Baths and the Pump Room, where people drank the spring water, were places to see and be seen. The water was also thought to hold a healing property, so people came from far and wide to dip into and drink it. The main bath (the "King's Bath") once had a roof overhead at which point we can imagine clear water beneath. Now, the water has a green color to it and it's murky. They don't treat it, so it would be ill advised to drink or touch it. In fact, the steps had some really sick algae growing on it that made me a little bit sick. Good thing they swam in cleaner stuff!

After the Roman Baths, we started towards the Jane Austen Centre. It was raining pretty hard, and we heard from other members of our group that it was less about her life and more about the movies, so we went on to the Fashion Museum at Bath. The famous white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe is there among outfits from each time period in order. It was really fascinating, even though high fashion isn't normally my first interest.

Along the way around town, we wound through many of the streets from Jane Austen's novels. She set both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey in Bath (not the entire novel either time, but much of both) and, having read both of them for my class, it meant something entirely new to traverse her old stomping grounds. We even saw her house at #4 Sidney Place although we couldn't enter. It's inhabited even today, and (get this) it's a room for university students. On our bus ride someone said: "can you imagine trying to compose a paper in there with that kind of pressure?"

Today, Bethany and I went on a little adventure to find a new power cord for her computer. Hers melted by some sour twist of fate, so we did finally find it. We rode the local bus, and it was neat to see a new area. We ran into this old lady who was looking for the cancer hospital. She was almost in tears because she couldn't find it and no one knew where it was. It broke my heart, so I asked some people in one of the stores who gave directions and we were able to get her there. Whew! I hope she made it. Other than that, today was a recovery day including tea and reading (of course). Tomorrow I will take a tour of the Medieval Library and Merton, and I'm excited about that! Also, some friends and I may go punting since we didn't do it this weekend.

Anecdotes

I've been storing up some interesting moments for when I had some time to write them down, so here we go:

Story 1: Ambulance
Two days ago I went for a run along the river. It's a short jog to get to the beginning of the trail. I'm about half way there when I see a man with his back to me acting sort of strangely. So, I slow down to see what I think, and all of a sudden his legs buckle and he falls over backwards. Everything from his shoulders up is in the street (although he wasn't in serious danger of being hit by a car) and he began having seizures. He was homeless, and I think they were drug induced, but I'm not sure. Anyhow, I don't have a phone here for obvious reasons, so I had to sprint ahead to a British couple and have them call the ambulance. The police arrived and the paramedics, and I had to explain what happened and how he fell. It was really scary and I was afraid he wouldn't be okay, but he did stop seizing eventually. He had drooled a lot and he was bleeding slightly, but I think the emergency personnel got there in enough time that he won't have any real damage. It was strange to be in that situation here in England, but it was also comforting to know I saw everything just in the nick of time and was able to help him.

Story 2: Amie
My good friend Amie (who I met on this trip) received news yesterday on our way home from London that her brother is dying in Austin. He was found in his home yesterday and had been without oxygen for up to two hours. They say that, in this event that he does live -- a miniscule chance -- he would never function normally because of the amount of time he spent without oxygen. We arrived back at the college late and had to book a new flight, pack and get things situated for Amie to return to Austin today. It's so horrible to have something happen with your family when you're so far away. When she found out she was crying so hard she was shaking; I've never seen anything like it. Despite everything, she wants to return to Oxford and will arrive back here in one week.

Okay, just two stories and they're done with. I just realized they're a bit sad, but there you have it. In other news...
On Friday several friends and I went to Christ Church College for the grand tour. I never realized it, but Lewis Carroll (creator of Alice in Wonderland) really received a great deal of inspiration from the University. He was a pedophile and fell in love with the Dean's daughter Alice. He based the novel on her, and took other elements from the surrounding area. The Cheshire Cat was Alice's cat Dinah who hung around the university. Carroll watched it from his math tutor's window. The tree where it spent most of its time still stands today. The long necks of the "firedogs" which guard the fire inspired the moment when Alice's neck grows long in the novel. The White Rabbit was based on Alice's father, the Dean. After dinner every night he slipped away behind the High Table down a spiral staircase, providing the idea for the rabbit hole. In Alice in Wonderland, the Red Queen always shouts "off with their heads" just as King Henry VIII, founder of Christ Church College, did when he famously executed two of his wives. Aside from the Alice in Wonderland references, the University teems with interesting history. We were happy to find that the Great Hall looks exactly like the one from Harry Potter (although it wasn't actually filmed there) and the staircases, among other things, were actually used in the movies.

Yesterday, my closest Oxford friends and I went to London for the third time now. It was only the second day to actually roam the city with abandon, and we had a fabulous time. I can't imagine it having gone better. We started early in the morning at 7 AM. Our first stop was Portobello Road, which has so far been my favorite part of the whole trip. It was incredible! Vendors set up everywhere with everything from antique watches to art to seafood platters. I picked up a few things, but could have spent the whole day and my whole budget there. The greatest place we went to was The Mockingbird Bakery, a famous shop where they sell the best cupcakes in the world. I've never had one better, and I plan to return for more. If I could take them home for everyone else to taste, I would. They are that good. I even got a shirt from there.

After Portobello Road, we went to Westminster Abbey again. Amie and I sat on the lawn and enjoyed the view while Mallory, Vannessa and Bethany went inside. It's crazy to think how many famous people are buried right within those walls; basically every person worth their weight in salt has a tomb there. I also kept thinking how there are some British people who are ordinary now and who have seen The Abbey as a tourist but who will one day rest there when they die. The people who ended up there had no idea when they were young that they would make such a huge impact on the country, and yet there they are.

Next, we went to Abbey Road. It's a high traffic area, so it took us a while to get a good picture walking the cross walk Beatles-style, but we did it. The recording studio was just next to it, and everyone (tourists, locals, etc) had signed the walls outside.

After Abbey Road it was off to Herods, one of the most famous stores worldwide. Want a bathtub filled with caviar? They will get it for you. They had everything from sushi to clothing to make up, and it was gigantic. We almost got lost in it. It's really not my type of place, but it was pretty amazing to see. Rolls Royce and Mercedes and BMWs lined the front of the store with drivers standing nearby waiting on shoppers to finish making their purchases. In many ways, it was fascinating, like stepping into a different world.

We rushed across town to try to re-visit The Mockingbird Bakery, but we missed the closing time by three minutes. Bad luck. We had dinner in Notting Hill and then headed to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. For those who have read Harry Potter, this reference makes complete and obvious sense. For those that haven't, leave your house right now and buy those books. Then, clear your calendar because you won't emerge from your room for several days until you finish them.

It was tiring but we were giddy in our exhaustion. Until Amie received the horrible call about her brother, we really had a happy day. I look forward to the next time we go and get to do more exciting things. I think that at one point we're going to go see Wicked. I'm reading it right now, so I hope to finish it and then get tickets.

The Globe Theatre and Hampton Court Palace

Sorry it has taken me a few days to update! The time got away from me, but I'm back.

Yesterday, our group headed for London to watch King Leer on the stage of the famous Globe Theatre. Before I get ahead of myself, however, I have to mention our side trip to Hampton Court Palace. When we first arrived, I really didn't know what it was, and it's not very beautiful from the outside even though it's huge in size. We received some maps of the grounds and of The Palace, and that's when it hit me: this is the Royal Palace for the former kings of England! Henry VIII lived here with all of his wives, and it was once an operating home. Among the varied trips we've taken, this one was a favorite amongst the group because of the way it came alive for us. Some of the places we've visited like Chepstow Castle or Tinturn Abbey were much more visual and less interactive. At Hampton Court, however, they had sound effects and props (including real food in the kitchens and some actual glowing fires). Although we were not equipped with headsets, each room had a story and, as you walked in, the headset narrated to you the importance of that location. It would be all too easy to lose yourself in the palace itself. The chambers of the Queen alone could fill a normal home. They had small gardens in the palace grounds called "courts"; my favorite one had a huge fountain. One interesting fact we learned is that The Queen used to ride a boat from Hampton Court to London and back whenever she felt like it. We all agreed that wouldn't be too shabby of a set-up.

Outside of the actual palace were the palace grounds complete with a maze and beautiful gardens all around. We didn't have time to even cover half of The Palace, much less the surrounding area, but we've discussed going back and getting the full experience. Our heritage pass gets us in for free with headsets, so we just might take an afternoon trip there.

After Hampton Court, our trip continued into London where we ate a quick meal (after, typically, getting lost) and seated ourselves in the historic Globe Theatre. Shakespeare's plays were once staged in that very theater before it burned down, and now a reconstruction serves us in giving a genuine experience. The seats are wooden benches without backs, if you get a seat at all. When Shakespeare lived, the poor stood on the ground level by the elevated stage, and the rank improved the higher in the theatre one climbed. We sat just above the ground, but next time we go we'll be standing. The play itself was no where near the quality of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Stratford, but the setting was captivating. It's a theater in the round, and I could truly imagine myself hundreds of years ago sitting in that spot with Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The play was quite long: a little over 4 hours, and I was exhausted at the end of it. We made it back to our college at 1 AM, and here begins a new day.

Today we plan to hop over to Stonehenge and catch up on much-needed sleep. Tomorrow, we're off to London again to do some exploring, this time hopefully with a more concrete plan of what we want to do when we're there.

Wales

Yesterday, our entire group traveled to Wales, which was only two hours away (and that was to the destination, although I'm sure we entered the country even earlier). That's basically the equivalent of going from Austin to San Antonio or something. Texas is way too big. Anyway, it was gorgeous. I loved even the bus ride and the ability to sit there quietly reading and taking in the surroundings. We drove through these humongous trees, and that was really beautiful.

Our first stop was Tinturn Abbey, famously Gothic and therefore interesting with respect to one of our novels, Northanger Abbey. The Romantic Legends class found it useful as well because they had studied a poem by Wordsworth in which he describes Tinturn. In fact, we went to the spot from which he wrote it and saw Wales countryside for miles. A winding river broke up the unbelievably green landscape, and it might have been my favorite view so far. Tinturn has, obviously, lost some of it's cohesion. It's been renovated some, but basically everything still standing was standing when it was created. The huge vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses really made you gasp. We ate a lunch of bread, cheese and fruit there before heading out on a three mile trek through the Wales countryside.

Whenever we go on long walks it's always one of my favorite times. There's something about seeing that countryside and knowing I wouldn't be there if I hadn't come with this group that really makes me appreciate the opportunities we're given to see places we never would have thought of on our own. With others to navigate and decipher the trail maps, my only job was to follow and be amazed at everything in front of me. The trek started out exhausting because it was incredibly steep for about a mile in addition to being muddy and wet. I felt like we were in a rainforest. It flattened out some after that and then it was just a matter of watching for tree roots and so on. Once, we got to run through a HUGE meadow. Simultaneously, several of us broke out singing "the hills are alive with the sound of music..."; it was sublime and we these tiny specks on a huge plain.

After the hike, the bus picked us up and we went to Chestow Castle, the oldest known castle in the U.K., so I'm told. It had all sorts of passages and small rooms and stairwells, so we were able to really climb through it and explore more with it than at Tinturn. It sits on the side of a cliff near the sea and the river emptying out near there is the muddiest I've ever seen. It makes sense; after all, this is where the soil deposits, but I was struck because it was hard to tell what was water and what was land. It all just looked like mud. In it, I saw my first real eddy swirling below.

The whole day was well planned and we got back just before dinner. I finished some of my book and saw some amazing things, not to mention went to WALES, somewhere I had never been.

London: Trip 1

Yesterday my friends and I went to London for the day. We spent a total of about 7 hours there, and we were exhausted at the end of it. Happy but tired. I had a totally different experience there when I went with my friends from Italy in 2006, and I'm sure that's because we went in the autumn back then, whereas now it's tourist season. It made for a very crowded city center, but we got used to it and managed to stay together, so it was a success.

The day started with an adventure when Brittyne and I tried to find an ATM before paying the bus fare, which we expected would be easy given that the bus picks up on the main road. Wrong-o. We walked and walked and kept thinking "oh, it will be right around the corner". Needless to say, almost 40 minutes later we had made a huge loop around Oxford and finally managed to find an ATM. I realized at that moment it was best to sleep with one eye open on the bus so our friends wouldn't strangle us with our heritage passes or their bare hands.

We arrived in London starving, so we ate fish and chips at the historic Kings Arms before proceeding to Buckingham Palace. It's the attraction I remember most vividly from two years ago, and it was funny seeing it with different people at a different time. I loved it just the same, but it reminded me of how long it had been standing there and how enduring the city has been and will be. I expected it to change, but there it was exactly the same.

Next, we were off towards Parliament Square. We passed Prince William's home where we posed with the security guards, which was good for some laughs. Bethany is completely in love with Prince William, so it was entertaining to see her giddy about standing outside of his home. Other stops on our London adventure included: Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, the Westminster Bridge, Piccadilly Street, Her Majesty's Theatre, the National Gallery (briefly, we decided to come back later when we had more time), and everything in between. It was a whirlwind, but we definitely spent adequate time in each place, really absorbing all that the city has to offer.

By the time we left London, it was really cold, and the sun was setting, so when we got to Oxford again we were rushing to find warmth in our beds and pass out to dream about all of the great things we did that day.

Today we woke up, walked around town and found a fabulous little Indian food restaurant called Chutney's, and had the best meal of the trip so far. We've decided it's going to be a new lunch place for us. Also, we went to the grocery store and bought some sandwich things for the lunches we want to eat in.

Tomorrow morning it's off at 8 AM for Blenheim Palace in Wales with the group. It should be quite the trip!

Living the Life

The last two days have been "lazy days" around Oxford. We've read, rested, enjoyed copious amounts of tea, talked and talked and talked, and just enjoyed living here in this beautiful city. I've gone running and discovered new things that way, we've tried new pubs and new beers, and met new people. Last night we went out dancing and had a hilarious time together. So, not too much news to report as far as travels and adventures go. This is what I wanted from the trip, really: the chance to get to know Oxford and London as a local and to absorb the culture of this small area. I feel like the last two days have been that way.

I've been so lucky that there's a group of us who are like-minded and can laugh and talk together for hours. We've all been really fortunate to have clicked so quickly, and, although there are always individuals that manage to get under the skin a little bit, it's been really undramatic and easy up to this point.

Running is hard for me here. I didn't realize how bad I am at running by myself, and I've had to cover more miles alone on this trip than I ever have before. I'm not making it to my goal distance on long runs, but I'm doing pretty well. My speed has increased quite a bit since I got here because the weather is cooler, but I've had a hard time readjusting my pace to "easy" now that I'm not visiting with friends along the way. The trails are extraordinary and lined with the most beautiful scenery I've seen in a long time. It's the perfect time to reflect and just listen to myself, so I have enjoyed that time. In Austin, since I don't trail run, I'm usually around a good number of people when I run and it's very central, whereas here I see runners sprinkled throughout but it's not the same crowd or city noise I'm used to. It's nicer and calmer, but it forces me to confront that quiet space running brings.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Yesterday was a day of field trips and illness. Tuesday night I had a bit of a sore throat, and Wednesday morning I woke up sounding like a man and definitely groggy from some kind of sickness. I probably started feeling badly because of sleep deprivation although I seem to be sleeping plenty. Traveling tends to produce that effect. Nonetheless, I managed to make it through the day (albeit with some coughing), and I seem to feel better and better.

The British love mayonnaise. I, however, detest mayo and gag at the thought of it. The British put mayo on most things and on all salads/sandwiches I have encountered. You can imagine my horror. Yesterday, one part of my lunch was a cheese salad, which I imagined to be different types of cheeses. It was, actually, grated cheese with mayo on some lettuce. I skipped it, but did eat the onion and cheese chips which, although I thought I would hate them, turned out to be delicious! The other thing the British always do it make dessert for us. I love this about them. I love their dessert. My favorite so far was the sorbet that was the flavor of tea.

We set out at 1 PM for Stratford and, along the way, stopped off at Baddesley-Clinton where the Ferrars family (the real people whose name Austin possibly used in Sense and Sensibility). It was different from West Wycombe in every possible way, reminding one of a typical British home rather than displaying an ornate Italian style. The family housed Catholic priests when it was against the law to do so, and we saw how that room and the chapel were hidden from prying eyes. A moat surrounded the home complete with ducks, and next to the home is a garden. I saw some of the most extraordinary and unique flowers there, and then discovered that it connected to a little herb garden as well. Over a small wall was a whole pasture of sheep, which happen to roam in meadows all over the place here. The animals such as cows and sheep are all very fat and happy here, which I love.

Onward we rode to Stratford where we were given several hours to explore the town and eat dinner. Stratford was a lot like a theme park. It was small but packed, and everything had to do with Shakespeare, at least along the main roads. I first went through Shakespeare's birthplace and museum where I saw original copies of some of his plays, models of the original Globe Theater (which burned down and has since been rebuilt), and read about his family, history, players, etc. It was interesting to see the different ways in which various artists had drawn him -- each one different and yet similar on many counts -- and to learn that, even alive, he was renown. His home had many bedrooms and workrooms, even though the average size of a home at that time would have been one room on the bottom level and one on the top. The most valuable possession they had was a bed -- maybe what we would think of as a full sized mattress -- that represented wealth and was only used by guests. They displayed it in the main living room as a status symbol. Shakespeare's father made gloves and worked wool, and the cost of some nicer gloves would have been about a fourth of a schoolteacher's salary for a year. However, Shakespeare did not apprentice under him and, had he done so, he wouldn't have been able to marry until his seven year apprenticeship was over at age 21. He married Anne Hathaway, whose home we also saw, several years earlier than that.

After seeing his home, we ran into a "Witchcraft and Wizardry" Shop and stopped in. It wasn't directly linked to Harry Potter, but had the same theme, which Madison (one of the girls I nanny who's also on this trip) enjoyed. Dinner was pasta and a crepe at a cute place off of the main road. We would have searched for something out of the way with a more local fare, but we didn't have time. It was time to head off for the theater!

Arriving at the Courtyard, it reminded me on the outside of a barn or cottage and on the inside of a typical American theater such as the Paramount. However, we found our seats and discovered that it was made like a theater in the round. The audience didn't actually sit in a complete circle, but almost, and there were several levels just as it would have been when Shakespeare lived. The play was spectacular and hilarious, and Dr. Barchas who has seen many renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, said it was her favorite one yet. She even said it topped the one she saw with Emma Thompson in it! My favorite character was Bottom, who did a hilarious performance, but I really enjoyed the entire thing. It was a bit long, and we didn't get back until midnight, but it was well worth it.

Today was my last class day until Monday, and we finished with Sense and Sensibility. Now, on to a personal favorite: Pride and Prejudice.

First Day of Class and West Wycombe

Monday was my first day of class at Oxford. I woke up, and when I walked out of my staircase onto the quad with my school work, it really hit me that I'm actually studying here. My class is called "Jane Austen on Location"; we read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey, and now we're visiting the places in the books and that Austen references. When we went to class it was still a little bit fuzzy because of jet lag, and also we had gone on a long hike the day before. I hadn't reviewed the book yet, and honestly didn't really know which one she wanted to start with, so I felt unprepared. I think everyone did, but we made it through and the second class day went much more smoothly. This particular professor has a reputation for expecting more than usual from her students, and she lives up to it. I've had her before, and I've taken care of her daughter twice a week for a year, and she definitely sets a high bar. It makes us work harder, and the best work I've done has been in her classes. Our discussions have gone well, and the group members already know one another because we spent time together before coming here.

Today we traveled to West Wycombe. It's especially known for the period in which Sir Francis Dashwood, second baronet, lived there and made it notorious with his risque landscaping and ornate Palladian architecture. He had traveled on the Grand Tour to Italy and Greece, and he came back with new knowledge, a disdain for the Catholic church, and the courage to do something outlandish. He was a member and officer in several clubs, including the Hell Fire Club, the Dilettanti Club, the Monks of Medmenham, the Fransiscans, and others. They met in various locations, but the Monks of Medmenham began at Medmenham Abbey until they needed more concealment and moved to West Wycombe, Francis Dashwood's estate. He renovated the gardens to represent his own ideals and those of the group. Many of his statues were fallic symbols or depicted the Venus, the goddess of love. The opening to the Temple of Venus was meant to imitate a woman's body, as did the arrangement of bushes on his estate, which one would see from his tower. He had landscape architects, such as Repton, design "authentic" ancient temples to add credibility to the estate, and he set a trend that took off immediately. The man-made lake he shaped into the form of a swan to, we believe, recall the mythological story about Zeus and how he turned into a swan in order to rape a woman. The innuendo continues, but doesn't still exist today. The estate was renovated to exclude its more suggestive elements, but the basic form and many of the structures still mark the grounds. Also on the property are chalk caves in which the group met. We traveled down into those, and it felt sort of like walking into an underground burial site. It wound down through different passages, and we saw many off-shoots before finally arriving at their group room.

At the club meetings, Dashwood dressed like a clergy man, poured a milky juice for the members to drink (apparently a combination of various liquors created the affect of milkiness), and mocked the practices of the church. Afterwards, they met with prostitutes in their own "cells", drank excessively, and the rest we'll never know.

The Dashwood family still lives at West Wycombe, and we saw pictures of they and their children when we toured the home. Many movies have been filmed there including "Little Dorrit" (currently filming), "Cranford", "The Importance of Being Earnest", and several others I hadn't heard as much of.

After the trip, we returned to the college (only a 30 minute bus ride or so) and went to dinner. Tonight a lot of us are going to the college pub and out to the Purple Turtle afterwards.

As a side note: today I got a run in, and I found a new trail at Christ's Church College that I followed. I saw a good number of other runners and walkers this morning, and it was really unbelievable to actually do some jogging next to one of the most famous university colleges in the world.

The Trout Inn and Other Tales

Sunday was Day 1 of our trip after arrival, and it started out strong. I woke up at 6:30 AM to run around Oxford. A friend of mine did part of the run with me, and then I finished up before taking the best shower of my life. I was never so happy to see hot water before. It's really cold here, and we're all still a little achy from travel, and that shower was the perfect medicine.

After I was ready to go, a friend of mine and I went to get lunch before meeting up with everyone else for a long walk. The professors planned to take us to the Trout Inn, about three miles from the Oxford center, through beautiful countryside. I don't remember the last time I saw such a picturesque scene. There were interesting boats of different colors, ducks, swans, an offshoot of the Thames, and the most vibrant landscape colors I've ever seen in the sky and the grass. Many Oxfordians sat on the grass all along the route with their families or a good book, and others fished in the stream. We came upon Port Meadow, which might have been my favorite place to look upon. It must have been the huge expanse of greenery that awed me because, in the States, I knew it would all have been developed by now. It was park as far as the eye could see, and incredibly flat. It felt like you could run forever and jump and play through the green, green countryside that lay before us, and we were just specks in this greater picture. In the distance, the city stood there contained and peaceful watching our retreat.

The Trout Inn is the name of a pub, and pubs in England are not the same as pubs in America. In America, pubs or clubs center much more heavily around an adult crowd and alcohol, whereas pubs in England are gathering places in a different kind of way. They are almost like oases, and many times entire families attend (children, adults, pets, etc.). The bar does center the spot, but one can buy food as well, and drinks are a side set to the conversation and relaxing that everyone participates in.

We returned from our hike, and a group of us went to find a cafe for tea or coffee. We located a sweet but snarky place on a side street near the college. It had funny sayings written all over the walls, the menus, and even the sugar packets. For example, one sugar packet said "put grain under the mattress of your enemy" and another said "white sugar: for commoners". They made us laugh. The armrest had an arrow next to it and, written on the wall, it said "an armrest: for those lucky enough to have arms". It was all very random and unexpected, but we laughed over those and our own conversation while drinking our first English tea! It was spectacular.

In the evening after dinner, we found the college pub (actually within our grounds) and stopped in to meet some of the locals and to talk some more. I had some cider, and we got to know others in the group for hours. After that, it was across to the Purple Turtle, a bar where many members of our group went and mingled with some local students from Oxford who work at the University in the summer. They seem to be our unofficial tour guides, and we're okay with that because they're intelligent and handsome.

Now, I've had breakfast today and my first class starts in one hour. I'm nervous, but it will be nice to get the first day jitters out of the way.

Arriving in Oxford

I've finally made it! I left home at 11 AM on Friday the 11th and arrived here in London at 8:30 AM today, Saturday the 12th. A friend of mine who really never gives hugs gave me a goodbye hug, and I'm convinced that it brought me luck for the whole trip. I think that's why she doesn't give them often; she must know their power! Getting through check in was a breeze. It took a total of 30 minutes to be seated at my gate from the time I walked through the front sliding doors. I checked my bag all the way through to London and didn't have to deal with it again until I arrived this morning. I got to my gate and still had around 1.5 hours to kill, so I finished the book I had started ("The Way The Crow Flies" -- great read if you're looking for something good), and eventually made it to Dallas. From Dallas, I found the correct terminal without too much trouble. It was only a short connecting ride over, and I sailed through check in. I only had to get a boarding pass, so that made things easier. I broke out the next book on my list, "Wicked", and started reading that before meeting two friends at the gate. The one I had really known well before, Amanda, and I had arranged to have seats together, so we got to chat the whole way. The plane left, and we had very little turbulence. I did have trouble sleeping just because I wasn't really tired, but I got in about 1.5 hours, which was more than most of my classmates.

I suppose the lucky hug only works its magic in the States because when we got to England, things started to get a little bit crazy. At the airport, we had trouble finding the bus to Oxford. It was hectic because there were lots of different terminals (like at Dallas) with connecting bus routes between them. We were meant to meet two other friends, but we waited for about 40 minutes, never saw them, and finally got on a bus that had space for us. (We found out later that they had gotten on at a different terminal and actually saw us waiting as they drove by leaving. Damn the fact that we don't have cell phones here!)

The bus driver was a douchebag and gave us a hard time for no apparent reason the whole time. He was our first encounter with the British, and we would not give a glowing report. He griped at us when we tried to help him, and he was rude when we paid him. I think he was just tired and maybe unhappy at his job, but it was unfortunate that he let it out on us. For a break in the chaos, we did enjoy a lovely trip from the airport to Oxford. The countryside is something out of a movie and, unlike Texas, they get rain, so everything is lush and growing. The English have, quite possibly, the best manicured lawns in all of the world. Even from the sky we could see the rows and could tell how clearly cut everything is. Anyhow, we arrived in Oxford and the insanity began again. This time, we were a little more delirious, so that made it both easier to handle because we just couldn't stop laughing and also more frustrating because we just wanted to fall over and go to sleep.

At our stop, the bus driver got off and started unloading what we assumed were our bags. We followed him, grabbed what was out so far, and then he immediately closed the storage area. Three of my friends (we met up with one more on the way) had bags still underneath and requested that they be allowed to get them. The bus driver said "I'm not prepared to open this and I'm not helping you get any of those out. You can get them out at the next stop at the top of the route" which was ridiculous for obvious reasons. They needed their stuff and weren't about to say, "oh yeah, you go ahead and keep the other 3 bags... just do what you want with them". So, he finally let them get their stuff, and we thought things were fine. Then, I looked over and noticed another bag nearby that I didn't recognize. I asked the other girls if it was theirs and they all said, "no". At that moment, we realized that the bags the bus driver grabbed were totally random, and he had unloaded some random person's bag and left it on the side of the main street in Oxford. Nice. Obviously, we felt we had to remedy the situation. After all, someone was in Oxford without luggage and at a huge loss. We walked all over WITH OUR BAGS through the crowded streets only to find that place after place couldn't hold it. Finally, we received help at a bus depot and were able to leave and find the college.

It's been a while since I saw such busy streets. It reminded me of Rome, really, and I had wrongly assumed that Oxford was quiet and quaint. I'm definitely surprised by how many people come here and how much stuff is available in this small town. Walking through the streets for the first time was exciting, but our arms were aching as we pulled ourselves through the entry gate. We signed in and the rest is yet to come.

My room is very small but I like it a lot. There's a bed, dresser, small closet, and amazing window which looks out to nothing special but reminds me of "typical" England. We've gotten to roam a bit, eat lunch at EAT, and visit each other's rooms while unpacking and laughing over travel stories. I like everyone on the trip so far, have yet to see a professor (which ends in 30 minutes), and have already warmed to my new short-term home.

Seven Days More

Today I am only one week away from my flight to Oxford! I first knew I wanted to go to England with my school when I was still in Italy. I was about to leave and I thought of how much I wanted to make it back to Europe; I was afraid it would slip away and that life would get too busy. So, I made a plan. I saw the information for this program and had a pretty good idea that I wanted to go. I knew I would want to save for the trip myself because my parents had already been so generous in paying for me to live in Italy for seven months. So, it's now been over a year since I first started planning to go. I can't believe it's only one week away. I was beginning to wonder if these moments of packing and preparing would ever come.

Earlier this morning I booked a hostel for the Lakes District. I'm going there with some friends on one of the weekends for a couple of nights. It may be the only weekend I spend away because I want to stay close and really absorb the local culture, but it's possible that I'll go to the beach once. A lot of my friends will leave the country each weekend, but after having lived in Europe and seen students do that, I know it's not for me. It's exhausting, it makes people physically ill, and it includes the sacrifice of really learning about where you are and what you came for. Since all of England is new territory for me, I am for sure staying in the country, and I think the London/Oxford area will have plenty to amuse me.

I've gotten some recommendations from a British friend of mine and from a friend who just returned from studying in London for six months. Those will be fun to follow, and there are so many things to see in London (especially as an English major)!

I wrote the fourth of five papers today, so only one more until I'm done with that whole aspect of the trip. I'll probably have to revise, but the worst will be over. I've mostly gotten the things I need for my trip but there are a few things I'm missing still. Among things to buy were several books for the plane and for any down time I have: "The Thirteenth Book", "Wicked", "Gentlemen and Players", "Cranford", and I'm currently reading "The Way the Crow Flies". It should be relaxing, and there's nothing better than vacationing with a good book.