Europe Day 1: Oxford, England

Something truly life-changing happened to me this past year, and it has a little something to do with a seven day trip across Europe. To start off, I guess I should mention this trip was through my school, and it just so happened that every single one of my friends was registered to go, except for me. I was not supposed to go, and by that let's just say I'm not made of money and spending $4,000 on a trip was just not ideal, let alone realistic for someone still in school. It was extremely difficult seeing their excitement grow as the departure date came closer, but I had begun to accept the fact that I just would not be joining them on their exciting adventure together.

Five weeks before departure, the person in charge of the trip announced that someone registered had made a last-minute cancellation. Since they could only get half the trip refunded, they were nice enough to offer someone else their spot for half the total price of the trip. So, in total that came to around $2,000 to go to Europe!!! And by the way, that is including airplane tickets, hotel, tours, and one meal a day. That is just unheard of these days.

My friends immediately turned their heads towards me and pleaded that I just had to go, that it was meant to be. And I guess it was because I had just enough saved up to send myself to Europe with $200 to spare. I can't express how grateful I am that everything fell into place, and can now say with confidence that I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. It was by far the best week of my life. I learned so much and my perspective on the world and on life in general has been dramatically broadened. So with that said, here is where I will start sharing, stop by stop, my incredible experience abroad. First stop: Oxford, England.

Once we landed in London after a nine hour overnight flight, (which I might add I did not sleep a wink. What can I say, I was too excited.) we immediately got on a charter bus headed to Oxford. Some of the first things I noticed were the cars driving on the left side of the road and their steering wheels on the right side. Right from the beginning I fell in love with the strangeness and differences of being in a new country. When we made it to Oxford we were given some free time to walk around and shop off the bustling Cornmarket Street. My friends and I stopped by a cute café overlooking a side street, and I couldn't help but treat myself to caramel shortbread. (I apparently couldn't wait to eat it either, judging by the missing corner.)

After purchasing a very touristy Oxford sweatshirt, our group made our way over to Oxford University for a guided tour. When we arrived, the first thing I saw rising up in front of me was the dome of Radcliffe Camera. I immediately fell in love with the architecture that was in every direction as far as the eye could see. However, more importantly I fell in love with the feeling associated with this place. I could feel the history, but at the same time it had such a modern breath of life, as it is still a functioning school.


Another aspect of Oxford I couldn't help but notice was the abundance of bikes. Practically everywhere you went there were rows and rows of bicycles lined up, as you can see to the left.

Some other picturesque sights as we continued our tour were the Hertford Bridge (better known as the Bridge of Sighs), the beautiful but gated-off All Souls College, and the amusing carved stone heads surrounding the front of the Sheldonian Theatre.

    Hertford Bridge (Bridge of Sighs)                                                            All Souls College

Sheldonian Theatre Stone Heads

It was also really neat because the day of our tour was also the day that several people were receiving their degrees, so we saw several students throughout the day with their robes on. I can't even imagine what it would be like as a student at Oxford, but just thinking about how those people experience this campus every day is mind-blowing to me. However, perhaps my favorite part of the Oxford tour was just simply strolling across the beautiful campus trying to comprehend the fact that I was in a different country, a whole ocean away from home. When the tour concluded, we headed back to the London area for some fish and chips and a much-needed night's sleep. While I was sad to leave Oxford, I couldn't wait for the new day, one where I would be entering the world of London.