Explorations, Part One

I've been studying abroad for over a month now, but for most of the time I've felt the "studying" a lot more than the "abroad" part. Sometimes you quite literally need to remove yourself from your academic setting to remind yourself what's beyond the library: a prolonged "study break," if you will.

Last weekend I took a day trip with some friends to Stonehenge and Bath—and neither were what I expected. It was my first excursion outside Oxford since I got here, so I was very much looking forward to exploring other places in England for the first time. 

My first impression of Stonehenge was from the bus, a vantage point I was not prepared for. The formation simply and casually rose up at a bend in the road—so casually that I thought it was the good ol’ American Foamhenge, some eccentric and witty way of advertising that we were almost there. But nope, that was Stonehenge. I will admit that I got so excited that I took four or five pictures of it from my seat on the bus, even though it was objectively a very poor viewpoint and I would get much closer in a matter of minutes.

My second impression of Stonehenge: w i n d y. And when I say “windy,” I mean so windy that my hood was putting itself onto my head and I was practically being propelled down the path alongside the rocks, like Mother Nature was trying to tell me to stop dawdling and make room for the other tourists. The fact that the surrounding area was flatland as far as the eye could see was not doing any of us feeble humans any favors. 

While the wind did virtually numb every other sense in my body, it thankfully did not deprive me of my sight. Real talk: Stonehenge is not as big as I thought. Photography, perspective, and the afore-mentioned Foamhenge probably influenced my perception of its grandioseness. But there was also that undeniable sense of awe that came over me, one that made me realize that not only was I looking at one of the AP Art History 250 works (if you know, you know), but was also feet (or should I say metres?) away from something that has been around for centuries. It was different than seeing something equally old but in a museum, separated by glass and summed up in a blurb on a plaque. Just being in its presence, being allowed to absorb it myself, thinking about its potential purpose but realizing I would never know for sure—it’s the kind of awe that makes you realize how small you are in the grand timeline of the world. It’s seen generations upon generations of people, endured every force of nature that’s been thrown at it, and probably will continue to do so for many more years to come. Stonehenge: the world’s oldest and most stationary instrument of human humility. 

A vista that does not do it justice

Almost two hours away was Bath, which is now at the top of my list of “Places That Took My Breath Away.” I have a weird fascination with towns/cities located amongst hills (see: Siena, Italy; Toledo, Spain; the town from Kiki’s Delivery Service). It gives the place a sense of closeness and security, like it’s a world of its own hidden by the earth itself. And being able to look up and see rolling greenspace with rows of houses nestled into them—it imparts such a feeling of peace and beauty that I can’t quite put into words. I think I may have said the words "I'm so content right now" aloud at some point.

When I first set foot in the city, I saw and thought of a million different things I wanted to do. Dozens of independently-owned bakeries, restaurants, and shops lined the streets, a small but charming park (Parade Gardens) overlooked a flowing river. Thankfully the people I was with were able to figure out an orderly schedule, but whenever we were going to our next destination I couldn’t stop soaking in my surroundings. For once, the millennial in me took her eyes off her phone, save to take the occasional picture to send to her parents. It was a bit overcast that day, but even under a gray sky it looked like a perfectly quaint place to sit outside a cafe, or better yet: on a picnic blanket in the hills looking down into the city below. Ironically, we did not go to the actual Roman baths in Bath, given that ticket prices were not conducive to the poor abroad students’ budget. All the more reason to go back, right? 

And there was something else. When I saw the waitress who served us our lunch, or the employee at the bakery who rang up our purchases, the stacks of houses that ascended the hills…was it jealousy, that they get to live in a place as beautiful as this? Wonder? If I could see myself living here, or Siena, or Toledo, or anywhere else that’s far from everything I’ve known? I feel like that’s always an inevitable part of visiting a foreign place. You can’t help but imagine how you’d fare in a place like that, what kind of person you’d become. It can be fun to think about, but there's that tiny voice in the very back of your mind saying, Do it. I dare you.

All in all, the trip was well worth it and a wonderful first venture outside Oxford. Please enjoy the pictures as they go up on this blog at a snail’s pace. And here’s hoping there will be many more adventures to come.