Girl Gone London!

Hello!!!

It’s officially been over a week since I arrived in Oxford, and so far, it's been an amazing experience!

Classes started on Monday, September 1st, and I didn’t even realize at first that the UK doesn’t celebrate Labor Day. But I get my Fridays off and in Oxford, so I'm not complaining. I’m taking five classes in total: Concept of God, Developmental Psychology, Multicultural and Philosophical Foundations of Education, Philosophy and Ethics of Education, and Psychological Foundations of Education. Plus, I’ll begin my student teaching in the next few weeks!

Out of my five classes, I only have three professors. Two of them teach two different subjects, which has been a little confusing at times. Instead of tests, we’re assigned more writing, which I actually prefer. Three of my classes are one-on-one, and in the others, there are only one or two other students. It definitely keeps me on my toes and makes sure I’m paying attention! My class schedule is Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with student teaching on Tuesdays, and Fridays off. In the picture to the right, I’m working on homework at my favorite local café in Oxford, just 8 minutes from my house. I usually order the Mango Mix smoothie or iced chai, and their pastries and breakfast have never disappointed me.

I’ve met students from all over the world—Germany, Brazil, Madagascar, the Netherlands, China, Nigeria, Ukraine, France, Belgium, and many more. Everyone is incredibly nice. The professors are very flexible and genuinely want us to succeed and have fun. Before every class, they always get a fresh cup of tea in a mug. I haven’t had my first cup yet, but I will soon! They’re all so proper, calling us 'love' and using phrases like 'and you,' 'cheers,' 'rubbish,' and more. One of the wildest differences for me is how they call restrooms 'toilets.' Instead of signs saying 'restrooms,' it’s always 'toilets.' Hmm, interesting!

During the first few nights, I played lots of card games with my housemates. There are 8 of us, and we often gather downstairs to play spoons—it gets crazy! I’ve also signed up for a weekly yoga class, and the first session was wonderful. I’m glad to be getting back into it.

As for the food, I’m still getting used to it. There’s a lot of variety in potatoes, green beans, and roast beef. But I’m glad I brought along some Goldfish and my favorite candy to snack on!

This past weekend, the school organized a trip to London for us! About 50 of us went, and we all took a bus together before splitting up into smaller groups to explore. I went with two of my great friends, and we booked a tour of Buckingham Palace. I couldn’t believe how massive the palace was, and I didn’t even see the whole thing! Each room had a different theme, and my personal favorite was what I called 'the gold room.' The artwork was incredible, with so much detail. In some pieces, I could really feel the emotion.

Next, we walked to see Big Ben, the London Bridge, and the London Eye. It was so surreal to finally see them in person. The bridge was incredibly busy, and there were lots of double-decker buses everywhere!

After that, we went to Gordon's Wine Bar, which was the coolest place. It’s all underground in vaulted cellars, and as we walked to our table, I had to duck because the ceilings were so low. The only lighting came from candles, with one at each table. We ordered a charcuterie board and split a bottle of wine between the three of us. It was a nice, relaxed time where we just chilled and chatted for about an hour and a half.

Afterward, we visited the National Gallery Museum, specifically to see some Van Gogh paintings. Naturally, we also had to check out the Victoria & Albert Museum because there was a temporary Taylor Swift exhibit. Unfortunately, we arrived 45 minutes before closing, and they started closing parts of the museum about 30 minutes early, so we didn’t get to see everything. The exhibit was set up as a trail of her different outfits from her various eras. One outfit on display was from the 1989 World Tour, worn while she performed 'Out of the Woods.' Pretty freaking awesome, if you ask me!

Finally, we stopped by 'The Black Dog,' a pub that Taylor Swift actually writes about in her new album, The Tortured Poets Department. You have to listen to the song for me! I was fangirling so hard, I could barely contain my excitement. They even had part of the lyrics on the side wall! I did notice that the crowd was mostly male, but I spotted another group of Swifties, which I could tell by their Eras Tour shirts. My friends and I ordered cocktails, snapped some photos, and then took a stroll around the nearby park.

That’s it for this week! I’ve got some fun trips planned over the next few weekends, and I can’t wait to share more!

Cheers!

Isa