Conquering Summer

Stress finally got the best of me today.

Last night I spent and hour and a half in the library trying to catch up on all two weeks of work I haven’t completed for the Politics of Empires class. You’d think I would have gotten a lot done in nearly two hours. You want to know how much I read? I read and took notes on 12 pages. That’s right, 12 pages. And the really funny thing is, I was legitimately focused and ready to plow through some work. It’s not as if I spend upwards of two hours fiddling with my book, drawing, checking Facebook, finding library books, or sending bored needless texts (alright, I may have done a little of that, but that’s not the point). No, I spent two hours authentically focused on reading and taking notes. After having spent exactly and hour and 38 minutes at the corner back table of the library sunbathing in the rays of sunshine pouring through the window overlooking the parking lot on my left, I threw in the towel. I decided at that moment that I would drop this class and only take one class this summer. After all, I told myself, I can still spend a month in Oxford as a GA, but I will only take one class. This will give me some free time to focus on myself, read some books on my list, go to the beach, start my Thesis, study for the Foreign Affairs Officer test—I had myself convinced that this was the only course of action to take. So I took the night off, made spaghetti and curled up on the couch to finish a novel I had previously put on hold. Life was good. Or so I thought.

Generally, I’m not a crier. But that can change depending on the stress level of any given circumstance. This morning, reality sent my stress level over the top. I was already free as a bird in my mind, so when I spoke to someone I trust and respect about my decision and I didn’t get the confirmation I expected, the bird dropped out of the sky in a fit of narcolepsy.

“What is your goal in life,” she asked me with a smile. “What did you tell me you want to do when you grow up?”

“I want to be an Ambassador,” I said with hesitant confidence.

“Then my advice to you would be this: Don’t give up.”

The easy way out is titled “the easy way out” for a reason. In the stress of preparing for Oxford, selling my first born child to pay for my flight, and worrying about classes and projects taking place overseas while continuing to maintain the daily maintenance needed to keep up my life in Virginia Beach, giving up sounds unfathomably appealing. But I’m not a quitter. Is life going to be stressful this summer? Yes. Am I going to accomplish everything I had planned? No. Am I going to have the time of my life in England? Absolutely.

When all is said and done, it is all going to be worth it. Trust me on this one.

My name is Natascha and I am a conqueror.

Authentic Adventure

The reality of life during an adventure is anything but perfect. In the midst of it all tempers flare, tears fall, directions get lost, homework is left undone and baggage inevitable gets lost and retrieved in some god-forsaken part of the world. That is life. That is school. That is travel.

When I, along with all 27 students and four faculty members participating in the Oxford program, look back on the summer we will have spent traveling and studying together in the beautiful city of Oxford, England, there is a haze that will have settled over our memories. This haze will block out most of the nuisances of the trip, turn bad memories into laughable ones and accentuate the incredible moments that will be sprinkled throughout our time together. The haze will usher in a sense of calm, beauty, and fondness in the part of your heart and brain that treasures the uncertainty into which everyone stepped when mustering the courage to spend a summer semester overseas. This haze is a beautiful and necessary part of any unpredictable voyage, but the haze does have one utter down fall: it does not settle until the trip is over and the stress has lifted.

This is what I’m here for. Until the haze settles, stress will act as the exclamation point to the end of every sentence a day writes. There will be foreign cities to explore, new words to learn and a new culture with which to become accustomed.

In the midst of everyone’s tension, I’m going to be sharing my own experiences concerning Oxford in this blog. This will be a way for me to unload the worries of my experiences and give you (my readers and fellow adventurers) the ability to relax knowing you are not alone in your concerns. In the following weeks leading up to Oxford, the weeks spent in England, and the few weeks after, I will be sharing my thoughts on everything from school and the weather to money and politics. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments sections and suggest things you would like for me to research and write about. Together I hope we can conquer the realities of travel and admire the beauty of culture.

My name is Natascha and I am a real adventurer.

The Road Less Traveled

As I type this, the sun shines brightly outside of the glass door of my home. While the clock may say that it is 6:00pm, my tired eyes are not so sure. As with most trips, the day came yesterday when it was time to begin the long journey home. Getting up bright and early, a few of us loaded our luggage into the taxi and waved bye to Oxford.

My last night in Oxford.

As I reflect on the month I spent in Oxford, I am overwhelmed by the memories and experiences that I accumulated there. Reflecting on the academic aspects of the trip alone provide a deep trove to explore. Yet like a multiple layer cake, Oxford is so much more than academics. It is walking down a street where the first English translator of the Bible William Tyndale might have walked. It is sitting at a pub talking the night away with friends. It is ordering chips rather than French fries. Simply put, it is being rather than reading.

For myself personally, Oxford will always represent the history I experienced firsthand while developing meaningful friendships with my fellow students. While the experience was priceless, the trip did not come without cost. If you were to ask, it is very likely everyone on the trip sacrificed something to come. Sacrificing either monetary resources, time with family, or other opportunities, everyone on the trip weighed Oxford against something and found it worth the price.

Overall, the opportunity Regent provided to spend a month in Oxford was amazing and one I will not forget. At least for me, Regent’s Oxford program this summer represented the road less traveled and my choosing it indeed has, “made all the difference.”

Apples of Gold in Settings of Silver

Just like it has for the past month, the sunlight began streaming through the windows of Abingdon House at 5am. Today would be like most Friday mornings, except that it would be our last day in class. Continuing on our study of the American Constitution, we examined Lincoln’s proposition that the relationship of the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution can be likened unto the proverb, “Apples of gold in settings of silver.” While time did not allow us to fully dive into the depth of this proposition of Lincoln's, it was enough to provoke thought and reflection.

After class Thursday, a few of us visited the ancestral home of George Washington. While the house proved quite modest, it stood as a physical representation of how deeply intertwined the history of the United States is with history of England.

Ancestral home of George Washington.

Part of the group.

As evening approached today, people began to slip away to prepare themselves for the finale of the Oxford program, the Gala dinner. Served in Hertford’s great hall, the evening in many ways acts like a setting of silver surrounding several weeks of golden experiences. And without fail, the evening showed itself extraordinary as the ladies dazzled in their dresses and the men stood tall in their formal attire. It was an amazing night.

Before dinner.

.Just after the dinner

The Clarity of Differences

Having spent the last few days learning about the British Constitution, today we began to study the origins of the American Constitution. Today was also our first day of class with Dr. Morrison. Possessing such a detailed knowledge of American colonial history, Dr. Morrison took us step by step through the events in American history leading up to the writing of the Constitution.

In class with Dr. Morrison.

As we progressed through America’s past, not only could I see the continuation of British political traditions, I could also see the development of distinctly American traditions never seen before in the world. It is amazing how through examining the political traditions of others we can come to better appreciate our own political traditions.

Elementary, My Dear Watson

With the London Tube (Subway) alive with travelers yesterday, we hopped off the Bakerloo line at the Baker St. station to transfer to the Jubilee line. With Westminster the objective of our subterranean journey, we found ourselves headed towards one of the most iconic sections of London. As we emerged from the underground Tube station at Westminster, Big Ben stood austere as a guard watching over Parliament. Nevertheless, Parliament was not on the day’s agenda but rather the building that represents the Church of England, Westminster Abby.


The entire group at Westminster Abby.

We spent the morning touring through the magnificent interior of Westminster Abby. Walking through such a place, it comes as no surprise how these buildings represented the pinnacle of societal achievement, maybe similar to skyscrapers in the modern era.

Afterwards, we organized our own trip to see the official London residence of the Queen, Buckingham Palace. As one might expect, the Palace proved beautifully ornate with extreme attention given to the symbolism found in each room.

In front of Buckingham Palace.

With interests beginning to diverge, two groups formed with one headed towards a city bus tour and the other towards Churchill’s War rooms. Going with the Churchill group, we began our walk from the Palace towards the War rooms. Sadly we arrived just minutes after the museum closed. Beginning to feel the effects of our long day’s walk, we found a pub to rest our feet and enjoy some dinner.

Classic London shot.

Over the course of our time in Oxford, we have had many opportunities to travel in and out of one of the greatest cities in the world. From Parliament to St. Paul’s Cathedral, we have walked umongst places that many never even see firsthand. Our times spent in London have been amazing. But one need not be Sherlock Holmes to come to that conclusion.

As we passed under the famous Baker Street on our way home.

Kissed by the Welsh Sun

For those of you either fluent in foreign languages or well traveled, the answer to the question posed in the previous post was Wales. In addition to a group of us making our way out to the west coast of Britain on Saturday, another group stayed a little farther inland visiting both Stonehenge and the lovely city of Bath.

While a part of Great Britain, Wales exhibits some characteristics typical for countries outside of the UK. The use of a non-English language stands out as probably the most important of these characteristics. While English remains predominant, the Welsh language greeted us throughout the train station as we arrived in the capital city of Cardiff. I found the word structure of Welsh unlike anything else I had seen before. For example, “visitor” in Welsh looks something like, “ymwelwyr.”

At Cardiff Castle.

As we drove around the city on an open air bus tour, our guide introduced Cardiff to us as the “capital of the country.” This statement stood out immediately in my mind. It would seem that to the Welsh, Wales is their country. Talking to some Welsh individuals later on seemed to confirm my hunch that the Welsh people possess a strong identity in their Welsh heritage.

Enjoying the sunny day!

The sun shone bright for a good portion of the day. We would be reminded of this later on as our arms and faces took on a slightly redder complexion. Overall, the day in Cardiff, Wales was wonderful.

Concluding our day in Wales.

So while we were enjoying the rays of the Welsh sun, the other crew was on a completely different mission. Tasking themselves with finding answers for questions long unanswered, they began their day by visiting the iconic Stonehenge.

At Stonehenge!

Hmmm, maybe they should try another method for moving rocks.

Having solved the dilemma of how to move hundreds of tons of pure stone, they proceed on to the city of Bath which dates back to the time of the Romans. Possessing the only natural hot springs in Great Britain, Bath became the spa of the Roman Empire in Britain. While parts of the crew’s sight seeing was impaired by the ever-present British rain, they had an amazing time touring an incredibly beautiful city.

Ready to try out the Roman baths!