I’ve been home for two weeks now, and they have been slightly rough. A few days after getting back I woke up one morning to realize that I, unfortunately, took some germs back home with me from the ride back. Jet lag was nowhere in sight, I would have rather had jet lag for a week than a cold. I did start to feel better the beginning of this week and decided to venture more outside. Let’s just say it wasn’t completely pleasant.
I’ve lived in the South my entire life, and it took only a month for my body to forget about humidity. I do not miss the heat. It took less than 4 days for me to become reacclimated, but Oxford spoiled me. The weather was pretty amazing all around.
I was only in Oxford for a month, but the city did become home to me that quickly. I miss being able to walk everywhere and not having to get into a car to run errands. I miss walking by buildings that are older than some governments. At times I would catch myself taking that for granted, and other times I could find myself so amazed that these building still exist. The city of Oxford is truly a wonderful place and I cannot imagine spending a part of my summer anywhere else.
Looking back, I have a bigger appreciation for patience. England is old and to preserve the richness there the old buildings are kept. Only so much can be modernized, so you have to learn how to not expect some things to be so easy and available when you want it. Also, this trip was my first time relying so heavily on public transportation and this taught me patience quickly when trains would be off schedule. With this better handle of patience, I feel more confident in my ability to manage unknown situations.
When picking a study abroad program make sure you research the areas you will be visiting. Learn a bit about how transportation works and what kind of transportation you will need. Just find as much information as you can before you take off for your trip. Getting to your destination with some background information can make the world of difference for the start of your trip.