In Which I Move to Oxford

This is a dream come true...times ten. Right now I am sitting at my window desk. Looking out at the front of number 8 Crick Road, Oxford, England. There are little brick cottages and trees and green grass and raindrops on the window. Its overcast..because when is England not overcast? My shoes (Catherine, this is where you come in) are muddy and wet because a group of us went walking in the Oxford park this afternoon. Its less than a block away. :) I have a stack of Shakespeare on my desk, along with some Browning, Goethe (for when I go to Germany), Lewis and Dickinson. Next to the stack of books is the most wonderful pictureframe I've ever owned. :)

The trip here was fun, yet nerveracking at the same time. The plane was turbulent and bumpy almost the whole way. However the people sitting around me were amazing. We went through costoms and the baggage claim together even. I have to say the border patrol man that stamped my passport was definately a big sour puss.

Then the bus. I was most nervous about this part. Mostly because all my life my biggest pet peeve has been looking like a tourist. There was one point where I had to squeeze my bags through a little hole in a railing while wearing a backpack larger than my body. Lets just say I got one through, then turned around and nocked it over with my backpack, got the other one through, and then it fell over while I was righting the first. All this is happening while I am trying to not fall over myself. (please, stop judging me)

I caught the bus at 8:30, which was fun because there were about 5 other students from the same program traveling on it. We talked and met each other and watched the countryside go by. We got into Oxford and I just about died. My words cant do justice so I will save it for later.

I am the first, and only, one in my room right now. I just got my (or should I say, Catherine and Chris') laptop connected to the internet. I went downstairs earlier to find the most adorable kitchen with bay windows and teapots all around, and everyone in it eating and talking. It has a wonderful view of an english garden in the back.

Then we went on our walk. This is a very long post but sheesh there is a lot to write about (Catherine, start vicariously livin cause this is soooo amazing. Ive been thinking about you all day :) )

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers.