Was Oxford a Dream? And Other Thoughts From This Side of the Pond

From this side of the pond, and from this side of the new year, Oxford feels like a dream. New Mexico is so fundamentally different from England, in everything from food (delicious and spicy) and weather (clear blue skies and sunny every day) to overall lifestyle and culture (cowboy boots, pickup trucks). It's been easy to feel like my whole experience there this past fall has retreated into the distance, like my return to the land of gloomy gray skies and centuries-old stone is not imminent.

But imminent it is. Ever since arriving home just about three weeks ago, I've spent time basking in everything New Mexico, everything I've missed while living overseas. A few good Stanford friends came to visit over the course of the break, which was a huge treat and admittedly made me miss the Farm more than I have since leaving in June. (Part of me still thinks I'm going back to Stanford for winter quarter, I think, and it throws my mind for a spin to realize that I've moved on to a new part of my life.) I've caught up with local friends and family and spent more time eating chile than I should. Getting back in riding shape, at least somewhat, has also been so, so good. And that Oxford reading I promised myself I'd do over the break? I've knocked off several novels from the contemporary fiction class I'll be taking during Hilary term, though I have yet to finish those DPhil and MSt applications looming over my head for later this month. All in all, I'm feeling rested and with that comes a sense of inertia, a sense of disbelief that my time at home could be nearly over, even while I've had time to anticipate the excitement that awaits me once I return overseas. Which I will, this coming Tuesday. A few more days in the Land of Enchantment, then back to Oxford for around five days, then on to the southwestern part of France for the week before classes resume on January 20. Break isn't quite over, but I'm approaching a new chapter of this journey. It's strange not knowing the next time I'll be home, but 2014 has so much to look forward to.

At some point in the upcoming travel whirlwind, I'd like to reflect on what Michaelmas term meant to me and what I'd like to do with my time at Oxford going forward, so stay tuned!

Among the things I've enjoyed at home -- and the things I will miss -- is this cute, fluffy face.