Blogging Abroad: Taking Flight

Here I sit early in the morning with my cup of tea, and here's the moment you've all been waiting for (or maybe just I've been waiting for it...)!

My first blog update from Oxford!!!!

During the couple weeks before the day I left, I met six different people who have been to Oxford or the nearby area in England (all but one for the purpose of studying there). One of them was a German lady who studied at Cambridge in the 50s, another studied abroad here in Oxford for a semester then came back for two more years, and another did this exact program last year. I feel like I got a good amount of helpful advice from all of them and it was cool (and kind of strange all at the same time) to suddenly meet all these people who are/have been connected with the place I'm going to be spending the next few months.

After saying goodbye to my family (would have fit them all in my suitcases if I could, but airlines tend to frown upon that), I got on my flight from Boise Thursday morning for my first leg to LAX. I had a super talkative row buddy on the airplane so it made that leg go quickly, which was nice. We got along surprisingly well after he started out by telling me he was in the Navy going for his degree right now and didn't see the point of people going to school for 'irrelevant things like philosophy' (before I told him what I was going to school for). He was a nice guy though and was embarrassed to have stuck his foot in his mouth so badly. I just found it amusing.

I met a couple friends (SOOOOOOO happy to see them both!) during my nearly 6-hour layover in LA. We got lunch, went to the beach, got some ice cream, and just hung out and talked. It was lovely and I miss them (again) already.

Note to self and others: do NOT go into the ocean before getting onto a 10-hour flight--it makes you kind of cold and miserable...

Oh yeah... the 10-hour flight...

I had a good seat and didn't really talk to my rowmates this leg, but sleeping was an issue. I got in around 12:30PM on Friday. That's a looooooong time to be on a plane... Surprisingly though, I didn't really get jet lagged--even after 3 questionable hours of sleep. I do feel like I'm a day behind, but managed to stay up until bed time and even got up early this morning. Hopefully jet lag doesn't catch up with me later today.

Until the point that I actually stepped foot on English soil (on my way to the bus station), it still hadn't hit me that I was actually IN England. Driving through a tiny bit of London and through the countryside was absolutely beautiful. 

(I sat on the good side of the airplane and saw the Olympic setup on our descent into London)

Speaking of which, Heathrow is still decked out in Olympics gear (the Paralympics are still going) and Oxford itself is just as picturesque as I thought it would be. And yes, driving on the opposite side of the road is a little disorienting...

And the house where we're staying is gorgeous! Just look at this yard!

It's an old manor house on a tiny lane (like I-and-my-two-suitcases-had-to-move-off-the-side-of-the-road-to-let-one-car-pass tiny) around other university housing. I ended up getting to the house around 3PM (15:00 here). Most people had shown up earlier that day and were in town when I got here, but we all got to hang out last night and it was wonderful meeting everyone. I feel like I will fit in very well here and I'm super excited to start classes in a couple days (as is everyone else).

That's all the update I have for now. Let the adventures begin!

The road goes ever on and on,

Dani