Well, I’m back.
After an eight hour plane ride (much easier than the one to Heathrow), I made it home. I’m glad to be back, but I’m so enormously grateful for my trip to Oxford.
Something I’m especially appreciative of is my expanded world view. I feel like I have a much greater understanding of what everything beyond Pittsburgh is like. I’ve known for a while that it’s important to me to travel and to try strange new things, but now that I’ve done a little bit of that, I want it all the more. I have much more confidence in my ability to adapt to unusual circumstances, and I’m looking forward to pursuing more opportunities to grow, abroad and at home.
I’ve also learned a fair bit more about what I might want to do with my career in the future. I’ve been vaguely aware that academia might be an interesting path, but now I’ve seen sort of a different side of it, and I’m still interested—maybe even more so. I’ve learned that there are a lot of different types of academics, and a whole lot of different niche fields one can specialize in. Anything you want, really (I met someone who specialized in the folding mechanisms of 18th century letters, and he was super cool and interesting!). I’m very excited about the possibility of specializing in something very specific and fun of my own choosing.
Ultimately, I highly recommend the program at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. I had a really wonderful time, and I’m so very glad that I did it. Thanks for reading my blog!
