Big Changes

So I have taken the plunge and gone and accepted my place in Leiden. After a very long thinking session I decided that the opportunity was far too huge to turn down. You have probably guessed by now that I am an Oxford fanatic. I dream of Oxford, when I visit I fall into a different world, and at the end of my trips I never want to go home. Oxford is the most inspiring place in the world for me, and that is one of the main reasons why I have chosen the Europaeum MA. The masters sees me spend my first semester in Leiden, the second at the Sorbonne in Paris and my last semester at Oxford University. My main love in life is travel and combining this with my love of college, I think I have come out the better side of choosing a masters. Of course I am extremely nervous. This is really big for me, I may be nearly a quarter of a century old but I have never lived away from home (that brief sojourn in Hyannis does not count). I am nervous about moving three times in one year, I am nervous about what life will be like in the Netherlands and France. I am worried the MA will be too hard! However I am ready to take that chance and am the most excited I have been in a very long time. Of course I am over-romanticising everything, day dreaming of walks along the Seine, baguette in one hand, crepe in the other, of cycling beside tulip fields and of living in my favourite city in the world - Oxford. I know there will obviously be huge hurdles to jump, but it is definitely going to be worth it. The big move happens August 24th and the day my Orientation Week starts! It all sounds super exciting and I am looking forward to meeting new people and settling in in Leiden! My classes don't start until September 7th so I am taking a little holiday to Oxford from the 30th of August to September 5th! The main reason for this little trip is my impending visit to HIGHCLERE CASTLE (finally)! I booked the tickets months ago and I wasn't going to miss visiting for anything!!! 

So life lately has been hectic, we just celebrated our first year of Michaella's. It has been a very hard, exhausting and extremely rewarding year helping set up my mom's business.

Attending: PIXIES, Arcade Fire & Ham Sandwich in Marley Park. I have loved the Pixies since before I can remember so getting to see my favourite band play again after 9 years was unreal. They played Velouria, my favourite song which made it all the better! They played an unreal set with most of my favourites in there, like Wave of Mutilation,  Hey and Where is My Mind?. The highlight was running across a field of thousands screaming 'FRANK, BLACK FRANCIS, I LOVE YOU' when I noticed a golf buggy carrying the band behind the gates. Sometimes I am such a fangirl.

Arcade Fire put on an impressive show as well, I liked their little intro especially!

Reading: Re-reading Harry Potter

Watching: I am watching Morse from the beginning again, which is great spotting all the little place

s I visit whilst in Oxford.

Bill Cunningham New York - watching this again because who doesn't need a little inspiration from this genius 

Listening to: Bleachers! So addicted to Rollercoaster, it reminds me of the 80s

Visiting: National Botanic Gardens, so lovely, post coming soon.

Exploring Oxford Colleges: New

"Manners Makyth Man"

New College, Oxford

Harry Potter fans rejoice! New College was used as a location in The Goblet of Fire. When we decided to visit I had completely forgotten that New was another 'Potter College', but the minute you see the Cloisters you'll recognise it immediately from the film. Under the tree in the centre of the Cloisters is where a certain character gets turned into a ferret! New has a lot to offer for visitors, and is very distinct from other colleges. It has a 'lived-in' feel about it, when you walk through the Cloisters it feels centuries old, unlike a lot of the other colleges.There is something very atmospheric about New, like behind the stairwells, the creaky corridors and deserted Cloisters are hundreds of years of secrets and stories, all very impressive! New was founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham, and was referred to as New due to the fact that Oriel was also a college dedicated to the Virgin Mary. New College has one of the most prestigious and impressive choirs in the world. The chapel is beautifully ornate, with a wall of statues of saint's, beautiful stained glass windows (some by Joshua Reynolds) , and a huge organ. Another great feature of New was the garden. The garden quad is rumoured to be based on Versailles and there are parts of the old city walls surrounding it. The first thing you will notice is a huge cluster of trees in a circular shape right in front of you. This is the mysterious 'Mound'. The second thing you will notice is the sign saying the mound is off limits! A stone stairs leads up into the Mound, looking like an ascent to heaven with the surrounding trees blurring half the stairs. One day I plan on seeing what is on top of that Mound! The gardens are very well kept and we visited at the perfect time, with splashes of vibrant greens, pinks and reds blooming, pink blossoms glittering on the paths, and luscious greenery at every corner. 

http://www.new.ox.ac.uk/

Exploring Oxford Colleges: Lincoln

Some more photograph's from my trip to Oxford at the start of April. These are from leafy Lincoln College! Lincoln is located in the centre of Oxford and is super pretty! Lincoln College was founded in 1427 by the Bishop of Lincoln, and the college today still has a great deal of medieval features. I loved the quaint architecture and buildings with ivy clinging to the exterior. A well known Lincoln alumnus is Dr Seuss (Theodore Geissel) who was a Rhode Scholar here in the twenties. Lincoln has a more intimate feel to it than some of the larger colleges, and is nice for a quiet break from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets. Well worth a visit!

https://www.linc.ox.ac.uk/

Exploring Oxford Colleges - Balliol

~ Balliol College ~

You have probably guessed by now that I am a little bit obsessed with Oxford. The city is just unbelievably beautiful. I love spending time exploring new areas, wandering down Brasenose Lane to catch a glimpse of the Radcliffe Camera at dusk, eating pasta from Il Principe (my favourite Oxford eatery) and popping into the Christ Church meadows to spot squirrels. At the moment I am slowly (very slowly) ticking off adventures on my Bucket List, one of these adventures is to visit every Oxford College! A daunting task at 38 Colleges in all, but I am determined to visit them all! My last weekend in Oxford was spent partly listening to papers at the Medieval Language & Literature Conference. Niall was giving a paper at the conference on Godfrey of Bouillon! The latter half of the weekend was spent exploring four new colleges - Balliol, Lincoln, New and Keble. All quite different, with their own characteristics and pretty architecture! 

The first college we visited at the weekend was Balliol. Balliol was founded in 1263 by John Balliol and his wife Dervorguilla of Gallaway and is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford. An interesting fact I found on the Balliol website is that about 1% of entries in the British Dictionary of National Biography are Balliol men and women! Every college in Oxford has a list of distinguished alumni, from presidents and prime ministers to writers and rock stars. Balliol has a nice Hall and the garden is pretty, and includes a really cool silver globe. The globe was put in place to celebrate thirty years of women at Balliol and is engraved with the words 'About Time' across it. Inside the globe is a time capsule containing a list of the women who were the first to be allowed in Balliol in 1979. 

Spring has definitely sprung in Oxford, and all the colleges I visited were covered in beautiful bright flowers and luscious green plants. The mini daffodils and cute purple primroses stood out in Balliol, as did the apple blossom petals falling to the ground like fresh snow. All in all I had a great day exploring Balliol!

Check out the Balliol website for more info!