Gala Farewell Dinner and Final Thoughts

Dressed up for the Gala Farewell Dinner
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We had a Gala Farewell High Table dinner this evening.  Everyone in the program dressed up and ate in the old dinning hall at St. Edmund Hall.  There were candles on the table and cloth napkins.  We had a three course meal followed by chocolates and coffee.  During the meal, we listened to Dr. Alvine talk about her experiences with Oxford and with teaching her class.  Everyone received a certificate for participating in the program.  It was nice to talk with the new friends I have made on the trip and to enjoy a fancy dinner.  After the dinner, we made our way to the graveyard in St. Edmund Hall and continued to talk with friends.  This was our last night to stay up late and have fun in Oxford.  The next day was our last full day in Oxford which was left for shopping, packing and seeing any last minute attractions.  I spent my day shopping for souvenirs, packing and just walking around the city.  We are leaving in the morning at 5 a.m. to catch our plane.  We have a two hour drive to the airport, a six hour plane ride to Philadelphia, an hour plane ride to Pittsburgh and a two hour drive home from the airport.  I am planning on going to bed early and getting ready for a long day of traveling tomorrow.  Overall, I have fully enjoyed my trip to England.  I am so happy that I choose this program to attend even though the course is not part of my curriculum.  There are others here that are also in the same situation.  I think that this three week program was the perfect length.  I have had time to see everything in England that I was interested in and now I am ready to see my family.  I have loved getting to know all of the people who also came on this trip and I hope that many of them will continue to stay in touch at IUP.  I feel as though I am a savvy world traveler and can handle myself in many difficult situations.  I am aware of the different dangers in traveling and  am ready to take many adventures on my own.  Oxford is a great city.  It is nearly always crowded with tourists, but it has so many great sites to see and has offered a great home to me for the past three weeks.  While I am looking forward to going home tomorrow, I will miss being in the city and being surrounded by such history.