whisky business: July 2014

Today we went to Oxford. I LOVE Oxford. So I had high expectations for this trip. And they probably would have been met...if it weren't for the night before. Stairs and I have never gotten along. And when I fell down them again I wasn't even surprised. I think everything is fine, but good lord my ankle is trying to escape my body. Anyways. Hobbling around Oxford on cobblestones with a brace is difficult if not dangerous. In the middle of intersections I remembered that I couldnt run across when the cars starting coming for me. This was the last ASE trip though so I was determined to HAVE A GOOD TIME GOD DAMMIT. We walked around and took the necessary Potter pictures and visited the required pubs. I took pictures in front the Eagle and Child just to make Liza jealous.

The colleges are all so beautiful and the weather was perfect and it was perspective student day! So many balloons and sickly sweet smiles. I had the most delicious mashed potatoes, I think, in the entire world ( or maybe I was just desperate for mashed potatoes). But the highlight of the day was punting. Imagine a gaggle of about 35 girls walking up to the (very attractive) boat boys. I can only imagine the dread they felt. We divided ourselves into groups; Me, Berkley, Aubrey, Lisa and Gina. Brooks, Emily and Cait were in another boat. We set off with only the highest hopes for Berkley, our designated punter of the day. We of course purchased duck bread so we could make some friends along the way. Berk was (not) suprisingly extremely talented and within minutes we had taken the lead! And then we ran into a tree.

And then the bank. And then another boat. So many times I thought someone would plop into the water and make my day, but sadly, this group of girls all had their sea legs. The ducks that had gathered around out boat were so large in number that they made it difficult to move.

Some of the bolder ones went as far to try and eat Ginas bracelet and hop into the boat. But watching the ASEers try and fail and then try again to punt successfully around an island was the best part of my entire time here. I have never laughed so hard. The pictures are priceless and since Gina wont let me put this one on facebook, Im going to put it up here.

My favorite picture ever

But scandal!! Tilly, one of the student workers of ASE and another girl were drinking wine out of coffee takeaway cups and were quite inebriated. So they proceed to splash water at us and the very expensive cameras that lay at our feets. no bueno. But we beat them so alls well that ends well. After a lot of falling over each other and running into pricky patches, we finally made it to the end, thanks to Berkley sitting down in the back and paddling us to safety.

I can't believe that I'm leaving here soon. I legitimately thought for a while that I was never leaving. I was so tired that I wanted to come home. And while I'm still tired and want to come home...I never want to leave. The people that I have met and the things that I have seen are something that I dont want to lose. I dont want to stop having these ridiculous experiences. I want creepy old english men to keep hitting on my and my friends (maybe not). I want to use a stray cat for pets and snuggles. I want to see as much as I can of as much as I can. I want to walk in foreign cities and feel as if they are mine.

But at the same time I want my cats. I want to shower in a shower that has pressure strong than a light rain. I want to find cat hair on everything I own. I want to be able to go out to dinner and drink with my family. I want to go out and drink with my friends in Chicago. I want to have a summer. I feel like Rapunzel in that one scene. Can I put youtube links in here? HAH I can put links here! I feel so tech savy! Points to meeeeeeeEEEEEeee!