So this was my last weekend in Oxford---and I didn't spend it in Oxford. This weekend was our excursion for the Reformation class and I must say that I liked it better than the excursion last weekend. The professor is a blast and it was much more chill. We went to a castle (another one) but we had a really nice picnic right in the middle of it which was cool. Then we went to Ludlow (which is in England but right on the Welsh border)---our home for the next night. We went to a church there that was converted during the Reformation and also the castle. After that, we went back for dinner-which was fantastic! Our room was really nice and it was nice to be in a comfy bed for a night. We woke up early this morning and saw Stokesay Castle then drove about an hour to Harvington Hall. The Hall was my favorite excursion site of this whole trip. It was a manor owned by Catholics during the Reformation and so there were about 7 "hides" built in during the Elizabethan period for the priests to stay during searches (during this time, it was treason to be a Catholic priest). After Harvington, we came back home!
I am super tired now...excursions are quite exhausting. I have a 3000 word and 2000 word paper to write this week, so I will definitely be busy! I am hoping to have a great last several days in Oxford and I can't wait to see everyone when I get home!
Love you and see you soon!
Courtney
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
SO SORRY!!!
Wow...so it has literally been weeks since I last updated and I never finished London. So in a nutshell...we went to see Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station, went on the London Eye, took a cruise on the Thames, and then visited the Tower of London. All that was on our last day and then we went home!
So in the last two weeks I have been super busy with work...although I did get a B+ on my first paper for a class so thats good! Now that I am starting to get a hang of the workload and how different it is, it's not as stressful, just kind of tedious. During the week I have just been doing work and hanging out with friends. We did go see Horrible Bosses one night and that was funny... I definitely recommend it!
Last weekend was my first excursion...it was for my History of Medieval Ages class. We went to see five castles all across North Wales...I have seen enough castles :) It was a four hour drive so that was long and boring but I didn't have to ask to go to the bathroom (for me that is big, and I know my family wishes I could do that on a car trip with them)!!! The castles were all built by Edward I during his war with Wales...they were all built around the same time but as we kept going, they got better and better. Of course, with my luck, my camera died just in time to NOT get pictures of the last castle...where William will be crowned Prince of Wales when the time comes. This was an overnight excursion and the hotel we stayed in was amazing...and we had a really fancy dinner there too which was incredible!!! Now I know where the fees are going :) All in all, it was a great trip but definitely exhausting and I was ready to get back.
It is Friday night here at about 11:30 and I am about to go to bed because I have my other excursion tomorrow bright and early at 815! It is for my Reformation class so it will be some castles and manors. Apparently the place we are staying tomorrow night is supposed to be one of the most picturesque inns in the world...so I am super excited! I will try and let you know how that goes!
My time here is winding down...less than a week to go. It is definitely bittersweet---I have so much enjoyed my time in Oxford and I will be sad to see it go but I am also excited to get back home and start my last semester of undergrad!!! I can't wait to see everyone when I get home and pictures of my excursion are being uploaded to facebook as we speak!!!
Love you and miss you!!!
Courtney
So in the last two weeks I have been super busy with work...although I did get a B+ on my first paper for a class so thats good! Now that I am starting to get a hang of the workload and how different it is, it's not as stressful, just kind of tedious. During the week I have just been doing work and hanging out with friends. We did go see Horrible Bosses one night and that was funny... I definitely recommend it!
Last weekend was my first excursion...it was for my History of Medieval Ages class. We went to see five castles all across North Wales...I have seen enough castles :) It was a four hour drive so that was long and boring but I didn't have to ask to go to the bathroom (for me that is big, and I know my family wishes I could do that on a car trip with them)!!! The castles were all built by Edward I during his war with Wales...they were all built around the same time but as we kept going, they got better and better. Of course, with my luck, my camera died just in time to NOT get pictures of the last castle...where William will be crowned Prince of Wales when the time comes. This was an overnight excursion and the hotel we stayed in was amazing...and we had a really fancy dinner there too which was incredible!!! Now I know where the fees are going :) All in all, it was a great trip but definitely exhausting and I was ready to get back.
It is Friday night here at about 11:30 and I am about to go to bed because I have my other excursion tomorrow bright and early at 815! It is for my Reformation class so it will be some castles and manors. Apparently the place we are staying tomorrow night is supposed to be one of the most picturesque inns in the world...so I am super excited! I will try and let you know how that goes!
My time here is winding down...less than a week to go. It is definitely bittersweet---I have so much enjoyed my time in Oxford and I will be sad to see it go but I am also excited to get back home and start my last semester of undergrad!!! I can't wait to see everyone when I get home and pictures of my excursion are being uploaded to facebook as we speak!!!
Love you and miss you!!!
Courtney
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Halfway Point
This is going to be a long one since this weekend I WENT TO LONDON!!! The family went after our Mediterranean cruise 3 years ago and I quickly decided London was my favorite city in the world. After this trip, I can confirm it still holds the top spot! But first, the beginning of the week...
Nothing much happened except for class on Monday and Wednesday. In class on Monday, I had to read my paper aloud and then critique it afterwards. A helpful hint before turning in any future papers...read your paper out loud before turning it in. It's not that the paper was bad (she had mostly good things to say) but reading it out loud shows you where you need transitions and things like that. Overall, that class was good and I got excited for our excursion this upcoming weekend! The other class was on Wednesday and I only said one stupid thing...haha! I also wrote my first paper for that class towards the end of the week so hopefully that will go well!...now onto London!
Day 1
The people I was going with were already in the city for an excursion at the BBC so I rode the bus into London to meet them. They told me to stay put and they would come to me...two hours later they found me...haha! I got a lot of work done in a park by the Marble Arch so that was an experience. We then wanted to drop our bags off at the hotel. We hopped on the Tube and the hotel was about a forty minute ride. By the time we got there we were tired and wanted to rest up for a full day tomorrow. We went to dinner at the Banana Leaf (an Indian place) and luckily Sameer was with us to help us! Then we went back to the hotel and hung out for a little while before going to bed.
Day 2
Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. I had never been and was a little hesitant to spend 16 pounds to get in...but it was completely worth it! Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside :( The first thing we saw when we walked in (they take you in the side and then you leave out the front) was where the Royal Wedding happened...ahhhhh! So that was cool! Behind all that is a series of rooms that hold the tombs of a lot of kings and queens...it was cool to see since I am learning about a lot of them while I am here. There was also a poets corner where a lot of poets and writers are buried. Probably my favorite part was the Royal Wedding Exhibition where they had a lot of photos from the day. All in all, Westminster Abbey is my new favorite place in London! After that we went to Buckingham Palace and took lots of pictures. We wanted to go see a play while we were here so we went to look into tickets...as a student you can get relatively cheap tickets! That didn't fit into our trip but I think we are going to go on the last week here. Then Antolina and I split up from the boys and walked along the pier by the Thames. There is this really great stretch of pier where people dress up in costumes and it is just a really cool vibe. We had dinner along the pier and then headed back to the hotel to get some rest for the next day!
More to come later....but I just got really tired of typing :)
Nothing much happened except for class on Monday and Wednesday. In class on Monday, I had to read my paper aloud and then critique it afterwards. A helpful hint before turning in any future papers...read your paper out loud before turning it in. It's not that the paper was bad (she had mostly good things to say) but reading it out loud shows you where you need transitions and things like that. Overall, that class was good and I got excited for our excursion this upcoming weekend! The other class was on Wednesday and I only said one stupid thing...haha! I also wrote my first paper for that class towards the end of the week so hopefully that will go well!...now onto London!
Day 1
The people I was going with were already in the city for an excursion at the BBC so I rode the bus into London to meet them. They told me to stay put and they would come to me...two hours later they found me...haha! I got a lot of work done in a park by the Marble Arch so that was an experience. We then wanted to drop our bags off at the hotel. We hopped on the Tube and the hotel was about a forty minute ride. By the time we got there we were tired and wanted to rest up for a full day tomorrow. We went to dinner at the Banana Leaf (an Indian place) and luckily Sameer was with us to help us! Then we went back to the hotel and hung out for a little while before going to bed.
Day 2
Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. I had never been and was a little hesitant to spend 16 pounds to get in...but it was completely worth it! Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside :( The first thing we saw when we walked in (they take you in the side and then you leave out the front) was where the Royal Wedding happened...ahhhhh! So that was cool! Behind all that is a series of rooms that hold the tombs of a lot of kings and queens...it was cool to see since I am learning about a lot of them while I am here. There was also a poets corner where a lot of poets and writers are buried. Probably my favorite part was the Royal Wedding Exhibition where they had a lot of photos from the day. All in all, Westminster Abbey is my new favorite place in London! After that we went to Buckingham Palace and took lots of pictures. We wanted to go see a play while we were here so we went to look into tickets...as a student you can get relatively cheap tickets! That didn't fit into our trip but I think we are going to go on the last week here. Then Antolina and I split up from the boys and walked along the pier by the Thames. There is this really great stretch of pier where people dress up in costumes and it is just a really cool vibe. We had dinner along the pier and then headed back to the hotel to get some rest for the next day!
More to come later....but I just got really tired of typing :)
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Social Weekend in Oxford
It has been quite a while since I updated...thank you Mom for reminding me! The end of last week just brought more paper writing...I had one due on Thursday and I have one due today so a lot of my weekend has been working in the library. But I have found some time to be social!
On Friday night, I big group of us went out to an "upscale" pizza place that had pizzas from around the world. I got the Naples, which was just cheese but it was sooo good! They have 4 pound pizzas on Tuesdays so we are definitely going to have to go there again! Saturday morning I went to the biggest of Oxford's many museums with a couple of friends. It was a little bit strange because the whole museum was packed into the main lobby (a huge main lobby though) so the organization was a little off...and we all know how I feel about organization! That museum was OK....Catie would have loved it because they had a separate museum inside for anthropology and such...but I am looking forward to going to the Science Museum which is right across the street whenever I get the chance. Saturday night, three girlfriends and I went to get some dinner at an Italian place and the food there was so good too! I think I am lucking out with the food! Sunday night we all went to a bar to watch the Women's World Cup. It took forever for us to find a place to watch it which was surprising since it was such a big "football" game and they love it so much. Unfortunately, we lost with PK's (which was a very depressing way to lose) but I had fun with the group I went with!
This week brings more paper writing unfortunately...I wish I had time to do more stuff in Oxford but this is what I signed up for and I am learning a lot about writing papers which is nice, I guess. This weekend is the free weekend so no one is going on excursions with their class. I will most likely go to London for a day and I think I want to head to either Bristol or Windsor for the other day...any suggestions?
I will try to update mid-week but this week is going to be pretty boring so I will wait till I have something to write about!
Love you!
Courtney
On Friday night, I big group of us went out to an "upscale" pizza place that had pizzas from around the world. I got the Naples, which was just cheese but it was sooo good! They have 4 pound pizzas on Tuesdays so we are definitely going to have to go there again! Saturday morning I went to the biggest of Oxford's many museums with a couple of friends. It was a little bit strange because the whole museum was packed into the main lobby (a huge main lobby though) so the organization was a little off...and we all know how I feel about organization! That museum was OK....Catie would have loved it because they had a separate museum inside for anthropology and such...but I am looking forward to going to the Science Museum which is right across the street whenever I get the chance. Saturday night, three girlfriends and I went to get some dinner at an Italian place and the food there was so good too! I think I am lucking out with the food! Sunday night we all went to a bar to watch the Women's World Cup. It took forever for us to find a place to watch it which was surprising since it was such a big "football" game and they love it so much. Unfortunately, we lost with PK's (which was a very depressing way to lose) but I had fun with the group I went with!
This week brings more paper writing unfortunately...I wish I had time to do more stuff in Oxford but this is what I signed up for and I am learning a lot about writing papers which is nice, I guess. This weekend is the free weekend so no one is going on excursions with their class. I will most likely go to London for a day and I think I want to head to either Bristol or Windsor for the other day...any suggestions?
I will try to update mid-week but this week is going to be pretty boring so I will wait till I have something to write about!
Love you!
Courtney
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
So I haven't updated since we got back from Bath on Saturday because nothing has really happened...I have really gotten to know the library quite well though! I have been researching for a paper since then, I am writing it today, and turning it in tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have another one due on Monday so that process is going to be starting all over again with no break :( It's not that the work is difficult...I am finding the paper topics very interesting and pretty much easy to write about...but the research is just very tedious. We get book lists with like ten or twelve books and no real direction as to where in each book we can find information so it just takes a while to comb through everything. I am by no means complaining and it could definitely be a lot harder...I am just not quite used to this style of education and research yet but I know I will get there soon.
Last night was probably one of the most fun nights I have had in a while. I really haven't told you about the nightlife but its mostly pubs...although those close at 12 so after that we have to go to clubs. I kind of like that pubs close as 12 cause it gives me a reason to head to bed at a reasonable hour while still being able to be social! But last night we didn't even go out...Brittany and Antolina and I had a girls' night with wine and The Bachelorette. It was so much fun to just hang with the girls and be chill...we got to know each other a lot better to which is great!
For those of you that don't know...my mom and sister got back from Haiti late last night. I am so proud of both of them for going and I know that they had an amazing and life-changing time. I am especially so proud of my mom for braving the heat and conditions for something she is really passionate about...children...I heard she even plans on bringing a couple home with her (just kidding!) Anyway, I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures very soon!!!
I will update again once this paper is finished and I have had my tutorials for the week...hopefully I will have some more successful stories than the first ones!!! I hope everyone is doing great and please send me updates about how everyone is doing (especially you Tripsie...lets skype please!) Love you all lots and miss you too!
Courtney
Last night was probably one of the most fun nights I have had in a while. I really haven't told you about the nightlife but its mostly pubs...although those close at 12 so after that we have to go to clubs. I kind of like that pubs close as 12 cause it gives me a reason to head to bed at a reasonable hour while still being able to be social! But last night we didn't even go out...Brittany and Antolina and I had a girls' night with wine and The Bachelorette. It was so much fun to just hang with the girls and be chill...we got to know each other a lot better to which is great!
For those of you that don't know...my mom and sister got back from Haiti late last night. I am so proud of both of them for going and I know that they had an amazing and life-changing time. I am especially so proud of my mom for braving the heat and conditions for something she is really passionate about...children...I heard she even plans on bringing a couple home with her (just kidding!) Anyway, I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures very soon!!!
I will update again once this paper is finished and I have had my tutorials for the week...hopefully I will have some more successful stories than the first ones!!! I hope everyone is doing great and please send me updates about how everyone is doing (especially you Tripsie...lets skype please!) Love you all lots and miss you too!
Courtney
Saturday, July 9, 2011
My Trip to Bath!
As I am writing this, pictures are being uploaded on Facebook....Bath was absolutely gorgeous and I was made fun of by my friends for taking so many pictures (I think that may run in the family.....Dad). I went with three other girls...Stephanie, Lauren, and Janelle. What a great group to go with! Lauren is my roommate and I am so glad I went with her because we got to know each other so much better...Janelle is a Pi Phi at UGA so we talked about that for a little bit but she is absolutely awesome too! I think we had a great group go and I can't wait to spend more time with them while I am here!
We took a train to Bath...we had to change trains once and it took us a total of 1.5 hours so it really isn't that far from Oxford. After we arrived, we went to the hostel and I was pleasantly surprised. Janelle even said she stayed in a nicer one in Edinborough so I think my fears about hostels were resolved. We then really hit the ground running! We had lunch at a pub and then headed to the Bath Spa. They were absolutely gorgeous...just look at the pictures and that will show you everything! Right outside the spas was the Bath Abbey which was also fantastic. We then stopped and had tea time (just a snack, really) and I went back and took a nap. Then we went to dinner at this really good Italian place followed by gelato right next door. I will say it was not exactly American lasagna but it was still good....and so much lighter than American lasagna. At night we saw three more sites...the Circus, the Royal Crescent, and the bridge whose name I forgot but that was very pretty. By then it was like 10 so we went back and went to sleep. The next day we woke up and went to the fashion museum which was pretty cool and then took a train home!
We are about to go out to dinner for our first time in Oxford so that should be fun and the rest of the weekend is going to spent reading and writing some more! Hope everyone is doing great at home and I will talk to you again soon!
Love you!
Courtney
We took a train to Bath...we had to change trains once and it took us a total of 1.5 hours so it really isn't that far from Oxford. After we arrived, we went to the hostel and I was pleasantly surprised. Janelle even said she stayed in a nicer one in Edinborough so I think my fears about hostels were resolved. We then really hit the ground running! We had lunch at a pub and then headed to the Bath Spa. They were absolutely gorgeous...just look at the pictures and that will show you everything! Right outside the spas was the Bath Abbey which was also fantastic. We then stopped and had tea time (just a snack, really) and I went back and took a nap. Then we went to dinner at this really good Italian place followed by gelato right next door. I will say it was not exactly American lasagna but it was still good....and so much lighter than American lasagna. At night we saw three more sites...the Circus, the Royal Crescent, and the bridge whose name I forgot but that was very pretty. By then it was like 10 so we went back and went to sleep. The next day we woke up and went to the fashion museum which was pretty cool and then took a train home!
We are about to go out to dinner for our first time in Oxford so that should be fun and the rest of the weekend is going to spent reading and writing some more! Hope everyone is doing great at home and I will talk to you again soon!
Love you!
Courtney
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tutorial Time!
So I had my first two tutorials today and yesterday. The first was for my Renaissance and Reformation class and the teacher was very intimidating so I was very nervous. We had reading to do which I thought I did...haha...but apparently he wanted more out of me and Alex (that's right there were only two of us per session) than we gave him. We talked about the Reformation and it became quite obvious that Dr. Archer was Catholic so learning the Protestant viewpoint in America put us at a severe disadvantage. Every time we said something bad about Catholicism during that time period he told us we were wrong. I can only hear I am wrong so many times....especially when I would be correct in America. Needless to say, it really wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be and I will just take better notes for next time!
My other tutorial is History of the Medieval Ages and my tutor for that, Rowena Archer, is much more personable and interesting. Our assignment was to study an 80 yard tapestry from the Norman Conquest and Battle of Hastings so it was very difficult. When we didn't know an answer or didn't interpret it well she simply explained it without making us feel stupid...a nice change from the previous day. I also liked this assignment far better so it made it more interesting. And the 8 page paper I had to turn in really wasn't that difficult to write.
Other than class and studying, I have just been exploring more of Oxford and making more friends...yay!
And the trip to Paris was cancelled which is actually OK because it was becoming waaaaaay to expensive for the first weekend so we are going to Bath instead which I am very excited about because I hear it is gorgeous. My roommate, Lauren, and two other girls are going also and we got a private room in a hostel so it should be nicer than the bunk rooms. I also just posted pictures so be sure to take a look at those! I will post on Sunday after our trip to Bath so I can tell you all about it!
Love you!
Courtney
PS...since I know I probably worried some people (cough cough Momu and Poppy cough cough) when I mentioned I was sick...I am feeling better although I am still tired...but it was just jet lag and I am slowly but surely adjusting to the time change!
My other tutorial is History of the Medieval Ages and my tutor for that, Rowena Archer, is much more personable and interesting. Our assignment was to study an 80 yard tapestry from the Norman Conquest and Battle of Hastings so it was very difficult. When we didn't know an answer or didn't interpret it well she simply explained it without making us feel stupid...a nice change from the previous day. I also liked this assignment far better so it made it more interesting. And the 8 page paper I had to turn in really wasn't that difficult to write.
Other than class and studying, I have just been exploring more of Oxford and making more friends...yay!
And the trip to Paris was cancelled which is actually OK because it was becoming waaaaaay to expensive for the first weekend so we are going to Bath instead which I am very excited about because I hear it is gorgeous. My roommate, Lauren, and two other girls are going also and we got a private room in a hostel so it should be nicer than the bunk rooms. I also just posted pictures so be sure to take a look at those! I will post on Sunday after our trip to Bath so I can tell you all about it!
Love you!
Courtney
PS...since I know I probably worried some people (cough cough Momu and Poppy cough cough) when I mentioned I was sick...I am feeling better although I am still tired...but it was just jet lag and I am slowly but surely adjusting to the time change!
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