It’s hard to believe that in less than 3 weeks I will be arriving at Oxford. It all feels so surreal.
I had a nice summer consisting of teaching tennis, seeing old friends from high school, and reading books on Phenomenology. Philosophy is fun and practical. Speaking of practicality, I also read a book on rock and roll in New York City in the 2000s and I briefly entertained the thought of dropping everything and becoming a rock star, but then I realized that I play no instruments and have absolutely no musical talent, so for at least the time being I will put that dream on hold. With all that being said, I am looking forward to going back to school.
As a young boy I briefly lived in London. I developed a strong love for the country and culture while also becoming a fanatic football (soccer) fan. I lived walking distance from Stamford Bridge, Chelsea F.C’s Stadium, and became a fan for life. I always knew that in some capacity I would want to return to England, so the opportunity to go to Oxford was one that I could not resist.
It will be tough to leave my friends at Holy Cross for the entire year, but I know that these next 9 or so months will be an amazing opportunity for me to grow as a person. I visited Holy Cross twice in the last 2 weeks, and I think that now I am ready to embark on my new adventure.
I am excited to meet new interesting and worldly people. I have already been in contact with a student mentor at Mansfield who will help me get settled once I arrive and he used the word “penultimate” in context over Facebook chat, and honestly that is really cool. I also bought 2 season tickets to the local soccer team Oxford United. They were ridiculously cheap and my parents say I can use that second ticket to help make new friends.
I think that this blog will help me reflect on every day spent at Mansfield, and I look forward to sharing my journey with you all. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started.
Henry
