It’s at about this time every year that I get horribly nostalgic. Facebook and Instagram are flooded with those “remember what you were doing X years ago” posts—all photos from my time studying abroad in Oxford, England, three years ago. It’s not so much wanderlust that compels me to be mopey and stare at my Oxford photos for an hour at this time of the year; it’s missing the quotidien of living in another place, the same melancholy I get thinking about Kentucky now that I’m in Minnesota. It’s missing eating Nando’s at least once a week, going to lectures in beautifully old stone buildings crawling with ivy, hot chocolate and millionaire’s shortbread from Caffé Nero, the Marston footpath being flooded from the relentless rain, and waiting for my creative writing tutorial on a bench beside the river.
Read MoreWe arrived, bedraggled and with spirits dangerously low, to London Victoria around 7 a.m. after our near-eternal ride on the Night Bus from Hell. After getting as far away from our fellow passengers as quickly as possible, we got our bearings and headed for the nearest underground station so that we could drop off our bags at the hostel.
Read MoreThe journey from Oxford to Bath is short and enjoyable through the train service that links the two cities. Upon arrival, Mary and I were energized from our free hot breakfast at the hotel. I loved Bath the last time I went, and I could see even more of its appeal in the summer, with the shops bustling and quirky displays of art and street performers out.
Read MoreWe arrived at Brighton at around 10:30 a.m, greeted by the salty smell of the sea and the wind whipping our faces. It was in the 70's and perfect: sky bright blue, water beautifully aquamarine, tourists not yet outside. We took our time walking along the Brighton Pier as the workers were dashing about in preparation for its opening, appreciating how much the sea made this day feel like an actual vacation. Then, we made our way down to the pebbled beach, walking along the line of cute shops and restaurants, reaching the skeletal remains of the old pier washed out to sea.
Read MoreI've dreamed about studying abroad ever since I can remember. When my brother and I played house as little kids, I was always a missionary in China or a college student in Germany. Then, in high school, I became enraptured with British television (Doctor Who, Merlin, Sherlock—the works), and I set my sights on England, hoping to one day spend a glorious semester across the pond and become a bona fide anglophile.
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