Rain, Rain, Go Away!

I’ve just come back from a lovely tour of Oxford. Jeff Childers showed us the highlights, including some of the famous churches and colleges, and the streets we ought to know, like the High Street and...well, other streets I’m sure I will learn eventually. I followed the Childers around today, so I didn’t need to consult a map. Perhaps I will gradually learn my way around the city in little bits and in, perhaps, drier weather.

After the tour, everyone in my group got about £40 apiece from the CashPoints on the High Street, where much of the good shopping in Oxford is, then we all went to a wonderful grocery store just up the street from where we were, called Sainsbury’s, to get enough food for dinner for the next few nights...hopefully. I bought some fresh bread, pasta, marinara sauce, bananas, cereal, and a water bottle, so I think I’ll be fine for the next few days, especially since we’re getting lunch for free tomorrow at Exiter College, I believe, and if we like it, for about £4 a meal for the rest of our time here.

We got out of Sainsbury’s just as it started to rain and walked about a mile or so back to the houses. It was quite an experience, since I hadn’t thought to bring my umbrella or raincoat (I hadn’t realized that the tour was going to last that long, or turn into a shopping expedition - I suppose I should be prepared for anything in England), and I’m now trying to dry my jeans and jacket and thinking about how wonderful a hot supper is going to taste. Yum. Penne pasta marinara.

Oxford at Last!

The front of number 10 Canterbury Road - I'm on what's known as the First Floor, but it's technically the second. If you look at the second story window to the far left, you'll be looking at my room!

I’m extremely tired right now, but I thought I’d write a little to keep you updated and to keep myself from falling asleep on my incredibly comfortable bed. Really. It’s amazing. And I don’t just think it’s because I’m running on an hour of fitful sleep from the plane.

My plane left DFW at 5:30 pm CDT and arrived in London/Heathrow at 8:30 am BST (London time, I guess - not sure what it stands for) or 2:30 am CDT. We had lots of movies on the flight and I saw Horton Hears a Who for the first time (it was quite funny and I enjoyed it), so I wasn’t too bored. It was actually a very nice flight for 9 hours. When we got there, our whole group made it through customs and everything with minimal problems. We only had to explain our situation once. It’s really quite complicated, because even though we’re students studying abroad, we aren’t staying for study or studying with any of the universities around, like Oxford, so we don’t need student visas. But we got it all figured out and it was on to baggage claim. Only a few of us had to wait more than 10 minutes for their bags and we were very patient with them. Then we met up with Ron Morgan (who will be staying with his wife Janine in our Oxford houses - they are our den parents, of a sort) made our way to the coach (charter bus) and drove about an hour and a half to Oxford.

I looked out the window almost the entire time, though I did have to look away a few times to avoid getting too motion sick. It was a little disorienting, since everyone drives on the opposite side of the road! A little scary, in my opinion. It will take some getting used to. And I saw my first flock of sheep, which was very exciting! They’re all over the place, grazing on these impossibly steep (and impossibly green) hillsides. The countryside was amazing and dotted with the sorts of little cottages you read about in old English novels. There were also cows and horses everywhere!

We had a nice sandwich lunch when we got to 9 and 10 Canterbury Road (the bread here is amazing) and I made up my bed and got connected to the internet. And that’s about all that has happened so far. I’m going to unpack now and otherwise keep myself busy and awake until our tour of Oxford starts at 2:00.

I hope you keep up with what’s happening. I will strive to keep you updated as well. Farewell!

I'm Still Here

A map of Abilene.




It's approximately 42 days until I leave for Oxford. Not much will be going on. I'll be working and trying not to go insane. My next post will probably be in about 6 weeks, right before I leave for Oxford.

Keep in touch Ciao!