The first week...

After traveling for 48 hours, I finally arrived in Heathrow Airport @ 7am this past Sunday morning only to discover a heat wave had descended upon the UK. I was wearing a thin sweater since I expected it to be chillier than I was used to but even that was too much. It didn't occur to me that the UK doesn't have air conditioning until I asked someone in line at customs if the a/c was broken and they laughed out loud and explained the reality of the situation. Turns out, I was one of the very lucky ones. I didn't have to drag my luggage to the bus then up the streets. One of my very good, kind, and wonderful friends, Michael Crow, met me at the airport and drove me to the University. Once he made sure I was checked in, we went to lunch and then he showed me around Oxford, since he used to live there.

The adjustments to another country have been mild, compared to some people's travels but still there are some things that are very different. Lesson number one - they drive, ride their bike, and walk on the opposite side of the street that we do. I have had 2 very close calls with bikes already. The traffic doesn't stop for pedestrians here. Lesson number two is the cost of everything here is twice what it is in the US. That's tough for students like me that aren't living off my fathers credit card. The school provides us with breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday and most of us just skip dinner. I am doing laundry right now as I write and it is $2 to wash a load and the same to dry one. I wasn't planning to do laundry just yet but it has been in the 80's here everyday and it feels like 100% humidity so I've been sweatingin everything I have worn and am now out of clothes so it's too the laundry room I go.

I am gonna write in more detail about the things we have been doing separately so I can post pictures but let me say this.... this is the prettiest city I have ever seen. Absolutely gorgeous. We found out in our history class today that Oxford is the only city that didn't get bombed by Hitler during World War II. Some of these buildings date back to the 1300's. I walk down the street in amazement and thank God He opened the door for me to be able to come here.

Cheers!