by Jenna Looney | Summer 2023 |
This summer, several of my close friends and I got the opportunity to study abroad in Oxford, England, with the English department. To say that this experience was a dream would be an understatement. I spent the past month learning so much about myself, others, the world, and most importantly, my identity as a Christ follower. We traveled all over England and even got to go to Italy and Ireland on our travel weekends. This trip was most definitely an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
One thing about studying abroad in the summer for just a month, is that the schedule is going to be jam packed. It is difficult to find a balance between trying to fit everything you want to do in just a few weeks and simply slowing down and experiencing life abroad. I have had several friends who studied abroad for a whole semester in Oxford, and so before I left, they sent me a list of their favorite places to eat, study, grab coffee, and much more. That list was extremely helpful, especially as I was trying to determine the best way to spend my time while I was in Oxford. I was able to prioritize what I wanted to do, and I am happy to say that as we left and traveled home, I felt more than content with what I experienced. One of my favorite things about this trip was the group that I traveled with and what we did together. Our class was focusing on all things Jane Austen. We took a few group trips to London, Bath, Chawton, and Winchester, all of which were significant cities in Jane Austen’s life. While in Bath, we visited the Jane Austen Center and got to go on a Jane Austen walking tour of Bath. In London we went to the British Library and British Museum and got to see some of Jane Austen’s work. Finally, we went on a day trip to Chawton to see Jane Austen’s house, then Winchester to see where she was buried. All of these places were incredibly fascinating, and it made taking the class with all of the other students so much fun. Another thing that I did while I was abroad was take a few trips to other countries. I traveled with 4 of my closest friends to Venice, Italy, and then to Ennis, Ireland. Before studying abroad, I had very little experience with international travel. It was a learning curve, but also truly such an incredible opportunity to travel with some of my best friends to some of the most beautiful places in the world.
Another one of my favorite things about my study abroad experience is how much I feel like I learned about myself and the world around me. Like I mentioned previously, before this trip I did not have a ton of travel experience. In the group of girls that I went with to Ireland and Italy, I was the one who did a lot of the travel planning. I have always been someone who likes to be organized and plan things, but I have never truly planned a trip before. It was challenging at times, but I learned so much about how other countries function and how different America really is. Another important lesson I learned is that I really enjoy taking a class that focuses on experiential learning. So much of what we learned and studied in class, we were able to physically see and experience through our class trips and Jane Austen excursions. This learning style gave me a much better understanding of and appreciation for Jane Austen and her life.
Overall, I am beyond grateful for the things that I was able to experience while studying abroad in Oxford, England. I have always heard from my friends who went abroad that it changed their life, but experiencing it for myself is something that I will never forget. Whether for a whole semester or just a summer, studying abroad is so worth it. It opened my eyes to the world and cultures around me, and influenced me to step out of my comfort zone and experience life in a place that very quickly began to feel like a home away from home.
