Leaning on a bridge after climbing Scafell Pike
An Adventure through Oxford
“You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin — to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours — closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.”
— Merry, The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Before I left for Oxford, England, I was told to step out of my comfort zone. There was a day in the middle of the semester when I received an email asking for last-minute volunteers at The Gatehouse, a non-profit that provided dinner to people who needed it. I had planned to eventually serve at The Gatehouse, but honestly, I did not want to. What can I say? I was in no mood that day to “step out of my comfort zone” and spend the social energy. So, I resolved to volunteer another day.
“Man plans, and God laughs,” goes the Yiddish saying.
My friend happened to be going to volunteer that evening, and encouraged me to go with her. I conceded, and an hour later I found myself making coffee and tea with two new friends, Lucjan and Macy. Lucjan is a friar originally from Poland, and Macy is a student in California studying abroad. As we laughed and talked freely with one another, we served hot drinks to the folks who came in. Lucjan told us about life in an Oxford Friary, and Macy and I laughed about the differences between the US and Britain. We stood making coffee and tea for almost two hours, but time became meaningless for us. At the end of the evening, we said our goodbyes, though I would serve with Lucjan again. That night has claimed a fond place among my memories of Oxford. If it weren’t for my friend’s encouragement to go volunteer that evening, I would never have met Lucjan or Macy.
Looking back now, I recognize I had a crazy range of sublime and unique experiences: experiencing Evensong at Westminster Abbey, visiting centuries-old castles in Spain, seeing the Queen’s funeral procession in London, paragliding over the Swiss Alps, and walking into the Sistine Chapel – just to name a few. However, when I look back upon my study abroad experiences as a whole, it is not these experiences that first come to mind.
Rather, I think of movie nights with my friends. I think of playing ‘Just Dance’ in the living room until we were all soaked with sweat. I think of singing worship songs during our Monday devos. I think of when all of us guys would go to Turf Tavern. I think of the long hike in the rain that some of us did with Dr. McCracken and Mike Morrison, when we persisted through the winds and torrents to summit the highest mountain in England. I think of how many times my friends encouraged me and each other to finish homework, even when that was the last thing we wanted to do (in England of all places!).
I think of the journey I made with my friends. The journey that we made together. When the road grew dark for me, or when the going was surreal and joyous, we all made it together. It is for these, my companions, that I am ever thankful.
Selfie in the Sistine Chapel
Brothers in Switzerland
Punting on the River Cherwell in Oxford