I have been in England for four days now. Oxford is beautiful, some of its buildings built as early as the 1300s. We are currently staying about a 20 minutes walk from the 38 Oxford colleges but will be moving into Jesus College on Sunday, located at the heart of the university. Then we will really be able to experience Oxford college life! Right now, I am staying in a picturesque cottage covered with trailing vines. The garden is beautiful as well, with paths winding through flowering plants and bushes and a small grassy area in the middle where I currently sit at a small lawn table, writing this blog entry. The only drawback is that the inside of the cottage is damp and musty and I am apparently allergic to something in the air, resulting in constant sneezing and a hacking cough. However, we are only here for a week, and despite the allergies, I am enjoying staying in such a charming location. Today, we took a tour through Oxford and even went inside one of the colleges. It was fascinating to learn a bit about Oxford's history and to see the inside of some of these ancient structures. The ceiling of the Sheldonian theatre could be a mini replica of St. Peter's cathedral, and the stained glass windows in the Queen's College chapel are breathtaking. Unfortunately, my battery charger to my camera is missing, so I wasn't able to get any pictures. I hope to rectify the situation as quickly as possible, so I can post some pictures on this site. Tomorrow is an induction ceremony at the Bodleian library where we will receive library cards that will gives us access to Oxford's libraries. I have most of the books I need for my independent research already, but it will be useful for the group research and a quiet place to study.

New Beginnings

Well, I've never blogged before, so this is a first for me. I'm excited to give it a try though, and there is no better time to start. I just came back from an amazing vacation in Tennessee. We stayed at a summer house on the Sewanee campus and enjoyed a relaxing break from the bustle and buzz of everyday life. The weather was fantastic - beautiful and sunny for most of the week, and on the day before our departure, tranforming into one the most spectaculuar thunder storms I have ever experienced for an incredible grand finale. I watched it from my uncle's back deck, together with the rest of my family, over a lovely steak dinner. It was better than any firework display I have ever seen. The sky seemed interminably charged, flash after flash of lighting jagging across the horizon as the wind whipped and whistled through the trees. The rain fell in torrents, at times drumming so loudly that it became difficult to hear hear the constant bassline of thunder that accompanied the stormy chorus. It was the perfect end to a fantastic week. Tomorrow I am off to a youth conference in Oregon and then, next week, on to Oxford. Although it is only a summer study abroad research program, I am looking forward to my time there immensely. In any case, the Tennessee trip was a lovely start to what is promising to be an eventful summer!