I went to Oxford, England this past Fall for a study abroad trip, and, needless to say, I’m a changed woman. That sounds so cliché, but I really am! I could write all day about stereotypical “European traveler” stuff, but you probably don’t want to read about that because you’ve heard it a thousand times before. So, I’ll tell you how it really is, the good and the bad. Firstly, I was doing schoolwork, and let me tell you, taking 17 credit hours is no joke!
First of all, my decision to go to England was mostly based on the fact that I thought England would be the most similar to America. I mean, they speak English, and that’s a big deal for me. So, when I got to Oxford with this idea in my head that England was similar to the U.S., I was very much taken off guard when it wasn’t. Firstly, our social system is corrupt, but in England, they still have a whole Aristocracy that is very much prevalent. Next, their whole system of government is different, which affects most things that happen. They don’t have a written Constitution or ruling document, and their government can be reelected when the current government decides to. Kind of wild! Also, they drive on the left side of the road! This means that you also walk on the left side of the sidewalk, the stairs, and the escalator. I felt like everything I knew about everything was different. I think my issue was that England is similar enough to America, that the differences drove me crazy at first. You do have to be a fast learner because you don’t want to ignore their culture while living in their country. This made it particularly difficult to come back and relearn what I had just worked so hard to forget. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful to have been immersed in that culture and to have learned the differences and why they work for the English.
Besides learning about the English culture, I also learned a little bit about the Spanish, Dutch, and Belgian cultures. I visited Barcelona and Girona in Spain, Amsterdam in The Netherlands, and Brussels in Belgium, and needless to say, I cannot express each of these places in such a short blog post, but I’m going to try. Honestly, it never really felt like I was in any of these places because I was so in awe of them. Barcelona was just like any other fast-paced city, but if you looked beyond that, there were communities, art, and culture around every corner. Girona was like being in the biggest castle ever. The streets, walls, and archways were made of cobblestone, and yes, I did pretend to be a princess! Amsterdam was wild! Everything is legal there, and there were some things that I probably shouldn’t write on this, so I won’t! But, Like Barcelona, once you looked past the hustle and bustle, it was beautiful. Lastly, Brussels was like a chocolate and waffle wonderland. There were waffle and chocolate shops around every corner, much like I presume heaven to be! This may, quite possibly, be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever written, but it’s hard not to be cheesy when talking about Europe. It’s not always a picturesque dream, but a lot of it is! I hope to go back someday and do all of the things that I have yet to experience. I’m so thankful for this opportunity!
