Coming to England this semester was really not much of a thought for me. I knew that I wanted to return to England at some point to study, even before I knew what college I wanted to attend. I had been twice before and was really excited to go back and really emerse myself in the culture. A culture, which I knew would be somewhat different from ours in America, but I was rather confident would not be too estranged.
The few times I had visited England were spent mostly going on tourist visits around the country with lots of Americans, so I still did not have a good idea of what actual British culture was like. I a lot of expectations for how things would work here in Oxford, such as that people literally had tea every day. I also thought that everything would be cleaner, older, and fancier. I also believed the people would be more polite, more fashionable, and that they would all have beautiful accents. Some of these things turned out to be false, or half true, but nothing turned out to be always true.
The buildings here are beautiful, but they are not always older. In Oxford there are still a lot of old buildings from the local colleges, but there are also lots of modern buildings that have been put up around the city to meet the expanding population. Things were also nicer looking and cleaner here, but like any city anywhere in the world, some parts are nice while some parts are not so much. Oxford, although a smaller city, it still has parts that have clearly been a bit over looked.
I was even more wrong about people here. Although they do love to drink tea, and probably have a cup of it at least three times a day, have do not really sit down for 'tea' unless it is a special occasion. Brits are too busy with their jobs, school work, and daily lives to set aside an entire fourth meal of their day, every day. Especially since shops, schools, etc. are still running during tea time so if you are working you could not very well just stop to eat some biscuits. People also are not always more polite here. In fact, I might even say people are more polite in America, at least where I live. There is not much door holding for others, saying 'bless you' when another sneezes, nor 'thank you's and 'your welcome's being said. The Brits do say 'cheers' when they receive something, but they say that all the time. It does not really seem to mean the same thing as 'thank you', which I find to be more formal and more appreciative sounding.
A lot of people are very fashionable here, or at least wear nicer clothes and shoes, but there are still people who think track suits are formal enough for any occasion, and that wearing leggings as pants are acceptable, when they clearly are not. And people do not always have melodic sounding accents as one might imagine. Just like in the US, people have different accents depending where they are from, and some sound much nicer than others.
All of these things, and many others, added to form an extreme case of culture shock. It was strange to think that I was miles and miles away from most of my friends and family, but also that these people who I was with, did not even have similar traditions and ideals. Do not get me wrong, I love being here in England and I love the culture, but at first, it can be quite a lot to take in. Especially the thought that some things, which are very touchy subjects at home, are not much of a discussion topic here. Things like religion, which people in America fight about all the time, is discussed among friends but usually not much thought or passion is put behind it.
But because of all these differences and this journey, I have learned some important lessons and things I hope to remember when returning home in only a few weeks. I have learned how to find your way around a city without a map, for one thing, as long as you have an idea of where you are going that is. This lesson has been developed in Oxford and while traveling around new cities in England. You would be amazing how few maps some places provide. I also have learned how important a small, versatile wardrobe can be. I came over here with just one checked suitcase, as is allowed, and brought only clothes that matched other pieces of clothing. Because of this minimalistic idea of clothing choices, I ended up with several different outfits from only a few sets of clothes. I hope to be able to perfect this when I go home so that I can spend less money on clothes, but still have many cute things to wear.
Another thing I have learned is that I like traveling. Technically I already knew that, but I mean traveling in an even broader sense than just going overseas to visit for a few weeks. I mean that I am in love with moving from place to place, putting down roots in a hundred places at once, and just being able to explore, even if that means adventuring the local city that I know like the back of my hand. There is always more to discover. And this new idea that I have scares me a bit. The college I have chosen and attended for the last few years is wonderful in so many ways, but exploring is not one of them. It is a very tight, closed bubble. People do not adventure outside the school, and why would you? Everything you need is right there. But suddenly, I know that what I need is not just there, it is also elsewhere, out in the wide world. I feel like the Philosopher King in Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave'. I cannot live in the cave anymore. I know what real life is, and I have to live it.
When I return to the US, I am hoping to travel a bit every once in a while. Maybe go to the beach, visit some new cities, find new places that I can learn to love and appreciate, and fill my time with exploring even if it happens to be around the local city and my own college for a while. But whatever happens, I know I cannot just sit around and wait as I feel like I used to. I must move and grow as a person, and I cannot do that while in a stagnate state.
In conclusion, I have learned some important lessons, debunked a few stereotypes, and had lots of fun while on this journey. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels, and I hope these next few weeks, while the last of this journey, will be the start of a new one. And I hope that you start a new journey as well. Try something different, learn a new language, visit a new city, become your own Philosopher King. I promise the journey will change you and take you where you need to go.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other." -Chinese Proverb
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