Welcome to Oxford!

So I'm here. I've been here actually... since Thursday morning. It's really hard to believe that so much time has passed and that orientation starts in only a couple days. So let me fill you in on what's been going on.

The day I left (Wednesday the 4th) was very difficult. The chaos of trying to get last minute things done coupled with the random emotional breakdowns and terrifying thoughts of leaving home in only a few hours time led to complete exhaustion and emotional drainage on my part. Saying goodbye to my parents and my sister at the airport was one of the hardest things I had to do, but by the time I was sitting at my gate, waiting to board, all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep. At this point, I felt like sleep was my only escape from this chaotic nightmare. I was eternally grateful though, that I had my friend Beth (from Eastern) to take the flight with me. That honestly made all the difference. With her there, I was able to have someone to work with and to help distract me from the thought of leaving my family.

mom, Claire, me, and dad at the Philly airport!

My first major glimpse of excitement came as I boarded the plane. I've gotten on tons of planes in the past, so I didn't give this one a second thought, but when the stewardesses greeted me with those British accents, my heart jumped. It was the most amazing sound in the world. Beth and I gave each other the cheesiest smiles as we made our way to our seats. It was a very good way to get the trip going. Things were starting to feel a little better.

The flight was very smooth other than a little bit of turbulence before landing in London. The constant crying from the day before had left my eyes tired so I slept (or tried to) through most of it. Even making our way through the airport at Heathrow was fairly simple. With Beth there to go through it with me, everything seemed very smooth. By the time we landed, went through customs, got our bags, and took the bus to Oxford (about an hour and a half from London) it was close to noon on Thursday the 5th. Beth and I made our way to the OSAP (Oxford Study Abroad Programme) office in the center of the city, picked up our keys and welcome packets, and then split up to go to our different houses. Beth is living in a beautiful old Georgian mansion on St. Giles Street which is right in the center of the city. I'm living in an flat farther away, but I can't move in until the morning of the 10th. Until then, OSAP put me in a small bed and breakfast called St. Michael's Guest House. It's very old and small but it's central location is fantastic. It's going to be hard to leave this for my flat which is about 25 minutes away.

The St. Michael's Guest House

Because Beth and I arrived early, these past few days have been like a mini vacation. Steve (another student from Eastern) and Sarah (one of Beth's new housemates on St. Giles Street) have joined us and the four of us have used this time to do nothing but walk around the city and scout out fun and important shops that we'll be visiting over the next four months. It's been nice getting to walk around without any set schedule or obligations. I suppose that gives us a nice leg up over the people who are arriving on time when orientation starts.

Even though I've been here for almost four days now, I still don't think I'm fully qualified to make any official judgements on Oxford itself. The parts I've seen have had a lot of shops and restaurants. Like a smaller, cuter version of Philadelphia without the skyscrapers. At this point, we can only see the outer walls of the colleges because we don't have our college IDs yet. I'm really looking forward to getting those. Once we can walk in to the colleges and see some of the things like the courtyards and cloisters, then I think it'll feel more like Oxford.

Nevertheless, it's been fun to live among the Brits these past few days. Of the British people of talked to, everyone is very polite, friendly and helpful. Today I went to The Eagle and Child- the famous pub in Oxford where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis worked together and worked on the Narnia and Lord of the Rings stories. I got my first official British fish and chips and it was amazing!! I'll definitely be going back there. Beth, Steve, Sarah and I took our own unofficial walking tour of Oxford yesterday. We walked a good ways and were able to see some of the more famous buildings like the Bodlian Library, Tom Tower (at Christ Church), the Bridge of Sighs (based off the one in Venice), and New College (my new school!). Like I said, we couldn't go in any of these places, but it was nice to see them in person. Once orientation starts, OSAP is going to take us on an official walking tour. Then I'll be able to see everything and take all my pictures.

Fish & chips at The Eagle and Child

So tomorrow if my last full day in St. Michael's Guest House. We plan on walking around the city some more and possibly walking out to Venneit Close which is where my apartment is. On Tuesday morning, I get to move in to my apartment and Alexis gets here!! Alexis is one of my best friends from high school and she's going to be my roommate in Venneit Close. I can't wait to see her and officially settle in to my new home!

Hopefully I'll be a bit more diligent with my posts so they don't end up as long as this one. Next week is bound to have some blog worthy events as orientation starts and Oxford life swings into full gear!