The world is a beautiful place. Sometimes being stuck in the middle of nowhere in the Texas Panhandle makes you forget that when your skyline is filled with flat, dusty sunsets and cows. While in Oxford, I got to see a different kind of beauty. One of my favorite things to do while abroad was climb up any and every tower that would allow me up. I climbed to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, St. Michael at the Northgate in Oxford, and St. Mary the Virgin at University Church’s tower in Oxford. Each location gave me an aerial view of beauty unlike that in Texas.
The White Cliffs of Dover was my favorite place that my friends and I went to. The cliffs reminded me of hiking the Palo Duro Canyon or the Grand Canyon solely by how immense the cliffs are. Throughout our hike, we were amazed at the beauty from the cliffs, the serenity of the English Channel, and by the sheer fact that we could see the coast of France in the distance.
Studying abroad was not just a month-long European vacation. Study Abroad was an experience that allowed me to learn about public memory and how we interpret the past through the present. Each location that I toured allowed for the articles I had to read for class to click in my mind. Each museum I visited, every historic site, and every cultural interaction allowed me to understand humanity and why it is important to remember and preserve our past so that the next generation can learn from our mistakes. The world is beautiful and so humanity can be too. The history of humanity is filled with war but also stories of hope, resilience, and community. The locations I went to were beautiful, yes, but so were the people that lived there. The churches I went into were beautiful not due to the stained glass, architecture, mosaics, or marble columns. The churches were beautiful thanks to the hands that built them and the community that worshiped in them. I would even say that the more reverent churches, even though less grand and austere, were more breathtaking than the overly-toured cathedrals.
I feel so blessed to have seen and experienced more of the beauty of the world than just what exists within Texas. I hope that the beauty of God’s world will continually be revealed to all students, faculty, and people as we experience the journeys set before us.
Featured Image: Heather Johnson at St. Mary at University church tower. “Oxford is such a beautiful city to look at from above. Unlike skylines with skyscrapers and reflective windows, this skyline is filled with historical buildings, Saxon towers, and universities galore. It was beautiful to see how even in 2022, Oxford’s history is ever present in the city’s layout.”
Heather Johnson in Brighton: “The UK has no shortage of statues. One of my favorite statues was the ‘Universal Donut’ at Brighton Beach. This donut is somehow meant to represent the world and our place in the universe but I mostly just found it fun. Art does not always have to resonate deep within one’s soul in order to still enjoy it.”
Heather Johnson at the Cliffs of Dover: “The White Cliffs of Dover are a marvel to see. The history and beauty of the White Cliffs continued to take away our breaths as we made trekked to the lighthouse. Another amazing thing about this hike was seeing France on the horizon. We often forget how small the world is until you look across the English Channel and see another country through the haze.”