Before I studied abroad, I might not have taken seriously how deeply one connects to the place they live. Yet, the past two months, while seemingly short, truly were life-changing. I applied to study abroad without much thought, but it took a lot of back and forth dialogue to put my foot down and decide I truly wanted to go.
Once we got settled in Oxford, we found bakeries with beautifully decorated cakes, coffee shops with upstairs seating and rickety wooden floors, and the grocery store to load up on a few days’ worths of groceries. We began our classes in a little establishment off of Woodstock Road – The Quaker Meeting House – and got plugged into a church, St. Aldates. We went running through the abundant parks and meadows Oxford holds, and we grew accustomed to walking at least a mile to get places. Annual passes at Blenheim Palace were bought, we ‘swam’ through Port Meadow, and we soaked up our time in this new home.
While Oxford itself was an incredible journey, it wouldn’t have been half of what it was without the people I experienced it with. Oxford held the largest ACU group, but it never hindered us from learning to know one another. These were people we saw day in, day out, from breakfast to class, to the common rooms, and everywhere in between. We were all on the same schedule, all in a new place, and all wanting to make the most of our time – the perfect environment for connection. Not only did I grow closer to the friends I already had, but our community grew abundantly as we created one-of-a-kind experiences with each other. Class devotionals on Monday nights, breakfast for dinner with a smaller group, college night at church, and eventually, traveling to different countries in our free weekends. An environment affects change so much in a person, but the people there with you make all of the difference.
It would be impossible to convey everything I learned or experienced in Oxford, but there are a few that stick out to me. Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to step back from my commitments, my activities, and the people I spend time with, and to view myself as me, outside of that. It can help you think about what’s important to you back home, and what you want the rest of your college career to look like. For me, these past two months helped me grow in proactivity and confidence. Whether it be volunteering to plan out all the details of our next trip, navigating us through the streets of a city, or choosing excitement instead of intimidation when countless opportunities present themselves, the experiences I had helped make me a little more well-rounded.
While I’m saddened by the loss of still being in Oxford, I’m grateful for class Zoom calls that feel a little more like reunions, a virtual breakfast for dinner, and time to sit and dwell on what the Lord has done in us since we left the US back in January. Study Abroad gave me the dearest friends, an abundant atmosphere and culture, and instilled a drive in me to go after and get done ideas that I have. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I am eager for the day when I can return to visit this temporary home.
