a semester abroad!!

I remember the soft wind whispering through open bay windows. Tangles of ivy reaching inside. Simple roses. Cobblestone streets and speckled moss peeking up from underneath.

There was the incessant bustle of city life, and the refuge I found in the world a train ride away. Village. Country. Warmth and light.

I loved that centuries-old ironwork and stained glass. Those crisp accents. Afternoon misty rain showers. Light July jackets.

I loved England.

I remember knowing ever since I started college that I wanted to spend a semester abroad. I didn't know where I wanted to go. I just wanted to. First I was going to go to Spain, then China, then India, then Ireland, then I finally decided upon Bulgaria. Once all of those fell through I had my heart set on Australia but that didn't work out either. Sweden? No. Finland? Uh uh. A last minute try for Ghana? No.

It turns out there aren't that many schools that Hendrix will send me to that offer religion programs in English. But I have to study religion. It is my major...and it is what I love.

So finally, I applied to one school. Everything in. All or nothing.

I applied to the University of Chester in Chester, England, just south of Liverpool. It would have been nice to go somewhere new, but a girl can't complain about the prospect of an entire semester spent drinking the English tea I enjoyed for a couple weeks this summer. The University is a much bigger school than my own--11,000 students--but I thought that would be both challenging and enlightening. The town was founded as a Roman fortress in 78CE and a Roman wall still encompasses a large portion of the city. Since the 1500's it has been a Cathedral town, and since the 1800's a college town. On top of all that, they would let me study religion. And as of yesterday...

They accepted me!

I got the email, immediately called my mom, and then began my search for a cute raincoat.

January 4 - July 2

I get to go back to England, and live there. Really live there. It's going to be beautiful, the tea is going to be great, and I'm going to be broke and happy as can be.