Oxford University

Wow!

So, I know I told everyone back home that I was going to keep up with a blog and write every day...that didn't exactly work out too well. One thing I realized while I was studying at Oxford is that you definitely do not have enough time to study, sight see and keep up with blogs! I thought after the first week the pace of how I was living would slow down...but I was definitely wrong! If anything, the first week was slower than the rest because Wilton, our program advisor, wanted us to get used to the time difference and to catch up on sleep! We did so many things while I was here. I also made some great friends! I'm always amazed at how many great people you can meet in such short periods of time, especially when you live with them, everyone gets really close. It was definitely a fun time. I'm actually more sad than I thought I was going to be by leaving, the end day just crept up on me. Of course, I'm missing the beach something terrible...but it will still be there when I get back.

So I know many of you are wondering what all I have done/seen since I have been here. Well here is a list, it's going to be shorter than it should be because I cannot remember the names of all the places at the moment (i'm on the Oxford Express bus on the way from Oxford to London as we speak):

- Dover Castle
- White Cliffs of Dover
- Canterbury
- Windsor Castle
- St. John's Church
- Stratford Upon Avon
- Shakespeare's Grave
- Bathe (Roman Bath's)
- London (we did so many things in London, I'm not going to list them all here)
- BARCELONAAAAAAAA
- Christ Church

wow...I have to stop listing because it is going to take me way to long to write down everything, and by trying to remember all the places I've been in the past month would be horrible because I know I would forget some, and I do not want to leave anything off.

All I can say is, studying abroad is definitely a MUST for everyone. Those of you who are still in college, it's not too late for you to sign up for a program! I have learned so many lessons that I would not have learned any other way. Independence truly takes on a completely different meaning when you are in a different country by yourself. Looking back on the whole situation, I cannot believe I didn't study abroad sooner! I loved Oxford, to say that I studied there means a lot to me. The classes were challenging, but the Don's are amazing so it pays off. I definitely learned the meaning of working hard and prioritizing. With papers due, plays to be read and lectures to have memorized plus daily excursions to all over the United Kingdom...it was time well spent! As I leave Oxford now to go find and travel with my family through London, Paris and Rome I realize just how much I've missed them. I'll be sure to update the blog once I get settled in to the hotel and catch-up with my family!

That's all for now!

Hey Loves (as they say here in Oxford)!

It has been quite a while since I wrote...sorry! It took some time to get over here and used to the 5 hour time difference! So I left RDU on Saturday @ 6pm and got to Heathrow @ 6am...with the 5 hour time difference it wasn't THAT long of a flight. Thankfully I got to fly with my friends, so it was a pretty fun plane ride for the most part. We had our own televisions on the back of the chairs that had movies, tv shows, and games...so I watched 'Fools Gold,' 'The Office,' 'Biography of Donald Trump on E!,' and played Tetris! haha. The night of the flight our whole group got a total of 0 hours of sleep, it made for a LONG weekend. We actually didn't go to bed Sunday night until around 10pm because we were told not to go to sleep too early or we wouldn't be able to sleep the whole night (I was pretty tired, so I'm pretty sure I could have gone to bed at like 5pm and slept the whole night). Instead of going to bed early though, we had dinner (in the Oxford, Somerville College dining hall). The food over here is not too great...but it's edible (for the most part). Last nights dinner was the first night anyone actually ate more than 1/2 of their plate of food. It's not buffet style dinner, it's a 3 course meal. There are actually servers in the dining hall that bring you each course of the meal...it's crazy! After dinner we went out to a pub and drank Pimms, it's pretty much amazing! Seriously, there's like a million pubs here and they're all super awesome!

Classes started yesterday, I'm taking Shakespeare and the History of Britain since 1865...they're both great classes. The most amazing part of taking classes here, other than the obvious fact that it's amazing to be studying at Oxford, is that we are taught by true Oxford dons! My Shakespeare don is absolutely amazing. Similarly, my history don is great too! The combination of the English accent and the excessive knowledge makes class wonderful! I have already learned so much in class, there is just something about the way a Shakespeare play sounds when read aloud by a true English scholar! It really actually makes trying to learn Shakespeare anywhere else in the world look downright silly! Today in History my don read a speech made by Winston Churchill aloud in the true voice of Churchill, meaning, he imitated him...and sounded JUST like him! What a great way to learn!

Since I've been at Oxford we have traveled to many many many places. Mostly by walking too...I bet I've walked over 25 miles in the past 4 or 5 days! I went to St. Mary's belltower, Christ Church College, Oxford Cathedral, Woodstock and Blenheim Palace! I must say, Woodstock was the cutest town I have ever seen. All the houses were little cottages and there were little bistros, pubs, and cafe's everywhere! Blenheim Palace was also just unbelievable! To think that the Duke was actually there when we were is also an amazing thought!

Sorry to end this post short...but it's dinner time here, and we can't be 2 seconds late or else we get reprimanded, and we don't want that!

Hey guys! As you know, I have been accepted to study at the University of Oxford. While there I will be studying at Somerville College (Oxford is comprised of multiple colleges) focusing on the topics of Shakespeare and the History of Britain since 1865. As you may know, many great thinkers, idealists and leaders of our world, current and of the past, studied and/or graduated from Oxford. People such as William Penn, Margaret Thatcher, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Albert Einstein, John Donne, Oscar Wilde, Sir Walter Raleigh, Tony Blair, Indira Gandhi, Stephen Hawking, Rupert Murdoch and Bill & Chelsea Clinton (just to name a few). A school containing a list of alumnus as impressive as Oxford is intimidating but those who know me understand that a list with names such as the ones previously mentioned will do more than just intimidate me, but will also inspire me to learn, work and strive to be the best student, advocate, and citizen that I can be. With that being said, I am extremely honored to have been accepted to partake in such a great opportunity and I hope that all of you will visit this website regularly to not only keep in touch with me but also to update yourselves with my current studies, adventures, plans, etc. This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I hope that by you visiting this website we can share it together!