Hopping Across the Pond

See what I did there? I fit my last name into the title of my own work. Call it shameless self-promotion, but you have to admit it’s clever wordplay – the kind of literary genius only an Oxford student could deliver :)

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Well, cheers chaps! Welcome to my blog. I’ll be using this site to document my adventures abroad. This way all of you back in the States (mom) can keep up with what I’m doing.

During this fall semester 2011, I’ll be studying abroad at Oxford University in England. While I will miss my family and all my friends back at Catholic University in Washington, DC dearly, I am very excited to begin my travels. I’ve never ventured outside the US before, and all I know about England is what I’ve been able to gather from About A Boy, What A Girl Wants and Love Actually – which are all excellent films, but probably not enough to go on. Thus, I’ve begun my own, independent research (see photo below).

At Oxford, I'll be mentored by an expert in my field (most likely a graduate student) who will give me an overwhelmingly long reading list of primary and secondary sources every week. We'll meet for an hour once a week, every week for six weeks to discuss what I've read. This sort of one-on-one interaction is something I've rarely experienced as an undergrad, as most of my classes at CUA have been larger, lecture-style. It's slightly intimidating, but that's the Oxford way. (#fear_and_intimidation) 

I'm especially eager to become involved with student life at Oxford. I plan on attending Union Society debates (where famous politicians, activists, and actors have all given speeches. Everyone from Tony Blair, the Dalai Lama and even Kermit the Frog have spoken…I bet Kermit spoke on the challenges of going…or, er…being green!) I also hope to cheer on my college at crew regattas, and watch a few film screenings with the Madgalen Film Society (being the film geek that I am). Of course, it will be hard to fit all this in between the many fancy Oxford wine and cheese parties (and my Emma Watson stalking, because apparently she is spending her semester abroad from Brown at Oxford as well – poser!) But I’m going to give it the old college try!
Aside from that, I'm still deciding where I'd like to travel. I'll go on several day trips to Bath, Stratford upon Avon, and Stonehenge (pictures to come!). I'd love to travel to Dublin, and I plan to spend a week in Rome at the end of my trip to visit friends studying abroad there. There are still a million cities I'd love to see: Paris, Brussels, Berlin, the list goes on. The closest comparison I have to any kind of globetrotting is visiting the countries of Epcot in Disneyworld. Any advice or suggestions for travel would be greatly appreciated!

My phone won’t work in England, so please resist the urge to call or text me for the next few months. Besides skype, facebook, or email, you can keep checking this blog for personal updates– I’ll keep you posted!