Daytrippers!

Well, it's been a few days since I have blogged, but honestly this is for lack of things to share. I have been doing a lot of reading and writing, and realizing that the history and foundations of the European Union are VERY dull. There are no good wars or betrayals to study... just lots of treaties and agreements. Oh well. I did have my first real tutorials last week, however, and they went pretty well. Neither of my tutors told me that I was a raving genius, but neither seemed terribly disappointed, so I came away pretty satisfied. I can already appreciate the quality of the learning in the one-on-one tutorial system. I feel like I learned a month's worth about Hobbes and Locke in just an hour and a half, and a considerable amount of information about International Political Economy in just under an hour. It's so nice to just ask any questions that I have and to be asked questions directly. It requires a lot of preparation and hard work, but I think it's going to be a great two terms of learning.

The most exciting thing I have done since last blogging, however, is take a day trip to Bath! Some of us were starting to feel a little melancholy and restless here in Oxford so we planned a quick trip up yesterday. The train took just about an hour and was affordable. The only problem that we ran into was Emma and Christina's accidental boarding of the wrong train. Thankfully Grey and I figured it out and ran screaming, two obnoxious American girls, waving frantically into their train car so that they just barely made it off before the train pulled out for London. It was pretty comical! Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Bath, it is a town that once was one of the most posh "resort" towns of England. It holds the ancient Roman Baths from thousands of years ago, which are said to have healing powers. It also has a famously beautiful abbey, as well as a Jane Austen museum, fashion museum, and other beautiful sights. Here are a few photos of the day:

This is the main bath in the Roman Baths. There are several rooms, but this is the most famous and recognizable. It smelled like sulfur and did NOT look like something I would want to immerse myself in.






This is the "high priest" of the Roman Baths. He didn't really know what a camera was, but was glad to pose for a "painting" with us. He was VERY funny!








It's hard to tell, but that's me in front of the abbey in Bath. It was so beautiful and majestic!

Well, I'm off to the library to gather books for my next tutorial. Institutions of the European Union... should be thrilling! I'm looking forward to the weekend, as the pub near my house will be playing the Superbowl (at midnight, yeesh) and some Americans we met in a pub who were really nice and friendly are going to meet up with us there. It will be a great treat to look forward to! I hope all is well with everyone back at home, I miss you so much and always appreciate hearing from you!

Until next time,
Suz