Oxford, England
April 12-15See photos below
Imagining a place and actually being there are two very different things. Leaving the comforts and norms of home and seeing a new place is always exhilarating. It is one of the aspects of travel that is so appealing to me. Knowing that there are ways of living different to mine is what draws me out time and time again. There is nothing I love more than seeing a piece of the world from someone else’s perspective.
When we arrived in Oxford to stay with Ashley’s Uncle and his family, we were eager to kick off our travels. We were in a daze after the daylong journey, so being welcomed into a beautiful home fresh off the plane was a huge boost, allowing us to settle in comfortably to work through the inevitable jet lag. After arriving in the afternoon, I was excited to get out of the house and truly be there. The imagination bit had ended.
We were greeted with proper English weather on the drive from the airport, but only for a short while. After dropping our bags and a quick cup of tea, of course, we were brought to a nearby park that also served as the grounds of Blenheim castle, where Winston Churchill was brought up, to walk off our travel legs. Walking through picturesque neighborhoods to get there made the excursion all the more enjoyable, and a great way to see the suburbs of Oxford.
The next day we had a walking tour planned with a local graduate student at the university. When we arrived in town we were pleased to find out it was only the four of us in the group. As we set off, it was hard not to marvel at every stone of every building, knowing how long some of the structures have stood in Oxford. Being from America where everything is so new, it is mind-blowing to think that we get to walk in places that have been around since the 1400’s. The tour took us through many streets and alleyways, pointing out historical landmarks such as the door that proved to be the inspiration for the Chronicles of Narnia, the stained glass bunny that inspired Alice in Wonderland, and an original black board from a lecture that Albert Einstein gave at Oxford University. Finally we stopped at the pub where J.R.R Tolkien and C.S Lewis would escape to write without interruption, known as The Eagle and Child.
Seeing Oxford from a locals point of view was a wonderful way to experience the city. Even on days in with no particular plan in place, it has been nice staying with extended family and just talking and laughing. Life moves extremely fast. Taking the time to step back and experience new things has been the best remedy for making time go as slow as possible.
