Over the Sea I Go

In some ways, I have been waiting to write this post for a very long time.  My dean first planted the idea of doing a year abroad at the University of Oxford during the second semester of my freshman year, which, when one considers how unbelievably fast things happen and develop in college, seems far longer than just a year and a half ago.  I spent the majority of my sophomore year applying first for Georgetown’s nomination to attend Oxford and then for a spot at Oxford’s Pembroke College as a visiting student.  And, as soon as that was secured, it was time to renew my passport and undergo the often farcical and always maddening process that is the UK student visa application.  Even after I received my visa a few weeks ago, I still felt that I lacked the license to be properly excited about my European adventure because I had to prepare for and return to Georgetown to take my Chinese proficiency exam, which was all of two days ago.

Since then, I have wavered between anxiety and anticipation, but, mostly, it comes down to this: after all that I have had to do to make this junior year abroad a reality, the moment is finally here.  Visa, passport, and all other relevant travel documents on hand — to say nothing of two suitcases, a backpack, and a rather large tote — I will be leaving home in just over two hours to board a British Airways flight to London Heathrow.  From there, I will somehow find a bus that runs to Oxford, endure a bit more travelling, navigate this new college town of mine, and then — well, who knows?

Every time I have expressed some measure of nervousness to my mother, she always replies with the same question: “You do speak English, right?”  In this sense, I imagine I have it much easier than other students who elect to study in places surrounded by much higher cultural and linguistic barriers, incomprehensible variants of the British accent notwithstanding.  Simply knowing how to communicate in English, however, does not guarantee very much.  Aside from a brief four-day family vacation in Athens, Greece some years ago, I have never been to the UK, only read about it in textbooks, newspapers, and novels, and, although my academic interests tilt toward East Asia, the UK — and Europe, generally speaking — has always been a place of fascination for me.  I have so many impressions of those countries beyond the Atlantic; thus, as I sit here in my room for the last time, I am trying to ignore them all.  I want to see the continent through my own eyes, and, in an instant, nervousness turns into wanderlust and the thrill of realising that I will walk in new places.

As for Oxford itself, it is difficult to conceive of a university with such a storied and lengthy history (Pembroke College itself, where I will be living and studying, was founded in the mid-1600s) and accompanying traditions (see: sub-fusc), which I look forward to enjoying and sharing on this blog. In truth, I don’t quite know what to expect, and perhaps that is for the best.

And, with that, I believe I will bring this blog post to an end, put some finishing touches on my packing, and shall update again when I am on the other side of the pond!