Snow Place Like Home

Hiya,  (people say that here)

I just got back from a wandering run: one of those runs where you start out with no route in mind and no specific distance intended and just run until you feel fulfilled (nod to Jenna my college running buddy).  I love noticing the world at the pace of running.  I began to think that I've never been anywhere quite like Britain in the winter.  I think we in the U.S. tend to think of British countryside as fairly normal and nondescript, but in fact it's quite unique. Running through British countryside is like running through a painting. Nowhere I've been in the U.S. would have quite the same still, glass-like rivers, seemingly rising almost ground level, fields jotting right up to the edge of them.  It's as neat and carefully traced as a map would be: blue line cutting through green area, no banks for the rivers, one is tempted to take one step and walk from the grass right out onto their gleaming still surfaces. Vast still fields, coated horses quietly munching; everything seems frozen in peaceful silence. Sparse rows of smaller trees criss-cross the vast plains and edge the rivers; it reminds me a bit of Kentucky countryside, but then there are no hills here. Although the trees have lost many of their leaves, some still retain some resilient green plumage; it's not quite as grey as Michigan, but still feels that quiet and dead that winter always conjures up in my mind. It's lovely in its own unique way.    

Snow. I looked out the window of my bedroom last weekend and felt a strange warmth at seeing the spattering of white flakes. Strange delight indeed; in fact it was the first time in a long time that I was actually happy to see snow. It was comforting. It was home. For a brief moment, I was back in Michigan. I went outside and caught some snowflakes on my tongue. It's times like this when you realize that even the most amazing adventures in life can still be accompanied by the occasional yearning for the familiar.

Oxford itself is enchanting in the snow. Gothic buildings look that much more beautiful with a covering of white.  The City of Dreaming Spires indeed.

It does bring up the difficulty for me of how to get to class.  I live about two miles away from class via walking; 2.2 miles away via biking. I usually bike; walking for 30 minutes in chilling cold is not my favorite way to spend my 9 a.m.  However, Martin the road bike would not do snow well, which means next week I will spend much more time getting to class than I would wish to.

Side note One of the most annoying things about living here is the fact that Brits don't have rules governing how to pass someone when walking/running on the sidewalk.  Example: if you're walking towards someone in the U.S., you'd always go to the right side of the path (mirroring the cars).  In the U.K., there's no unsaid rule governing walking procedures.  Happens way too many times where you do a kind of face-off awkward dance to get around someone. Really, this is much more annoying than it sounds right now when I'm writing it on a blog.

Anyways, exciting things I've done this week include:  Oxford Uni Women's Ultimate Makes it to Indoor Nationals by Placing 4th in Regionals!  Particularly exciting due to its unexpectedness. We had two girls new to the sport, two girls who had started playing within the last four months, three girls who had never played a tournament in the U.K., and one (rather key) player for Great Britain. And me. By all logical and objective analysis, we should not have placed well. But we had a game plan that we executed brilliantly. The last three games we won a game to take 6th place (of 12), and then won the game for 5th against Birmingham, and then for 4th against Haze, qualifying us for nationals.  Seven games of frisbee in one day where I played almost every point.  Glorious.

I also have an up-and-running plan for my dissertation, which was truly the success of the week.  I might write about sometime.  No globetrotting for a bit here though, as I've started my series of summative essays (the only marks that count for my course for the year).

I could write more but this post is getting long. One last thing is to my grandparents who I know are reading this: Grandpa and Grandma, your thank-you cards warmed my heart.  They were just lovely to get and are now sitting on my desk. I wish it was culturally acceptable to write thank-you cards for thank-you cards, that's how much I appreciated them.  I've told Mom that I will call from England when she is there soon; send my love to the family in Minnesota.

Take time to appreciate the little things.  Lisa