Studying abroad in Oxford was more than I could have hoped for. I was blessed to have set eyes on beautiful sights, encountered many interesting people, and explored a part of the world I had only seen in pictures and movies. According to Google, I traveled through 5 countries, 16 cities, and 75 places. In each place, I learned something new about my surroundings, myself, and how the two relate to each other. Although there is a ton of ground to cover, I thought it would be best to provide a brief list of things I experienced and learned while I was across the pond in Fall 2019:
- Reading is quite enjoyable.
Of course, many people are already familiar with the pleasures that come with reading. However, growing up, I hardly spent time with an open book in my lap, especially if it wasn’t required reading for school. Therefore, it was quite surprising to me to realize the joys and adventures that come with a good story. Within the past three months, I’ve read a total of 19 books—more than the number of books I have read in the past three years combined! Although each story took several hours to complete, I often looked forward to the weekends when I would unwind, get comfortable, and engage in a story with many exciting scenes, characters, and themes. The best part of it all was the fact that each book I read connected with my experiences abroad. For example, some of the books were written by authors who had lived, studied, and/or wrote in the city of Oxford—therefore, allowing me to further engage with my surroundings.
- The best kinds of trips are unplanned.
In the weeks leading up to fall break, many of us were busy with schoolwork, which left little time for us to plan and book activities for our mini-tour of Europe. As a result, in the eight days we spent away from Oxford, we were spontaneous. Of course, there were at least some things that we had hoped to do in each city—a concert in London, a boat ride in Amsterdam, and a cooking class in Brussels—but everything else was rather random. The best thing about each city having either a metro system or a compact layout was that it was easier to travel without any major inconvenience. On our last day in London, for example, we decided to explore the area around St. Paul’s Cathedral. We walked across the Millennium Bridge to the Globe Theatre, traveled back across to visit a candy store, caught a metro to Regent’s Park, wandered Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens, went back to our hostel to catch our breaths, and concluded the night with a trip to the Northwest side of London for a concert!
- Lastly, there is so much to gain from volunteering!
When I first arrived at Oxford, I was most anxious about volunteering within the community. I was a stranger in an unknown environment, and I thought this would prevent most people from welcoming me into their community. On top of this, I felt that balancing my studies with travel would already be a challenge in itself, so it was hard to imagine dedicating my time to yet another activity—but this was a foolish thought. In truth, having the opportunity to volunteer in Oxford was an absolute blessing! Early on, I knew I wanted to serve in a position that I was familiar with, so I took the opportunity to volunteer in the creche with the 0-3 year-olds for Sunday morning service at St Andrew’s Church. Every weekend, I looked forward to playing and interacting with the children of the community as they engaged in a time of learning. In addition to this, I enjoyed getting to work with Jayne and Lesley, two wonderful women and leaders at the Church, who helped me throughout my volunteering experience. Ultimately, their support and welcoming attitudes lead me to find a new church home and a community I loved.
For these reasons and more, I dream of the day I return to England. I can only imagine the many things that are left to learn, but for now, I am ready to take on life back in Texas. Before I left for Oxford, I had hoped that, through this experience, I would “go out and seek adventure”, and as you could imagine, I did. Now, my only hope is to continue this attitude for many years to come.
