by Zola Feasel| Summer 2024 |
I have always wanted to go to Great Britain. If you asked me why, as a child, I would’ve said it was because I wanted to marry either Prince William or Harry and become a princess. As I got older, my interest in the country narrowed to Oxford due to a borderline obsession with C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. So it makes sense that my over-the-pond experience with ACU included seeking out spots Lewis frequented and spending my Sunday service at Christ Church, where the Great Hall of Hogwarts was brought to life. I did not think that my first experience in the city or the country would involve so much Shakespeare, but after experiencing Oxford, London, and parts of the U.K. through the lens of a Shakespeare English course, I am so grateful that it did.
While we spent class time discussing several of William Shakespeare’s plays, our primary engagement with the Bard was onstage. We spent our first evening in Oxford watching Twelfth Night at Oxford Castle and, several days later, ventured to London to see Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare’s Globe. This particular Globe performance was so powerful that the audience felt as though they were breathing with the actors. We then made our way to Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, grave, and other various historical sites. The Royal Shakespeare Company put on Merry Wives of Windsor, seemingly set in 90s England. The set, characterization, and overall production were an absolute treat. Two weeks later, we returned to London to supplement our Globe appetite. I enjoyed the rhythmic pacing of Richard III, the incredible physical life of deaf actors portraying the Egyptians in Antony and Cleopatra, and the way the performers in Much Ado About Nothing included the audience in the telling of their story. As a theatre major, I loved getting to experience individuals who are masters at their craft and who could articulate Shakespeare’s stories with such power.
On my own time, I explored new places and built new relationships. I took a train to York, stayed in a hostel for the first time, and then spent five days in Edinburgh, Scotland, with several girls on the trip. We walked the Royal Mile, visited the Castle, and climbed Arthur’s Seat. In Oxford, I would walk along the canal in the morning. It was my favorite part of the trip. Then I would spend the rest of my day talking, laughing, and walking around Oxford and London (Borough Market is one of the best places to do this!) with my sweet friends. We even went to see Hadestown on the West End. Getting to spend time with good people was one of the biggest blessings Oxford and the world abroad had to offer!
Studying abroad in Oxford is something I will never forget. Through my Shakespearian excursions, I found a new avenue by which to explore my passions in writing, theatre, and human nature. I walked away with strong friendships founded on a mutual desire to care for and minister to one another. And I learned that the rest of the world is a lot closer than we often think. The people and places with which we interact were also made with a purpose and by a good Creator. Through studying abroad, we learn to meet ourselves in a new place and grow in our view of the world through it. All my love and thanks to Oxford English 2024– I’m so grateful I finally got to see you!
