Who Writes This Punny Nonsense, Anyway?

I'm Rachel, and (just in case you couldn't tell by the title of this page), I have a horrendously cheesy sense of humor, to which you will unfortunately be subjected fairly constantly if you continue to read this blog over the next few years. So apologies in advance.

To make up for the eye-roll inducing wordplay, however, I promise to try my best to update this blog often, so that it will serve its purpose. That is, not to convey windy and off-topic musings on life in general (which I feel blogs far too often do) but rather to give you your own personal window into the amazing adventure I'm about to begin. Pictures included!

Most of you know me to some degree, but I feel I should at least give a refresher course on why exactly I feel that my life will be interesting enough at the current juncture to update a webpage about it-- if only to make me feel less  narcissistic. To do that, we have to rewind just a tad. Almost a full year ago now, I was in St. Louis, Missouri, trying not to sweat through my clothes at what was undoubtedly the most important interview of my life. At stake was a Rhodes Scholarship, the century-old tradition begun by this guy:

For an interesting history lesson, Google this mustachioed stoic and read a story of disease, travel, murder, political intrigue, patriotism, and precious stones. I mean, really, what more could you want?

If you don't have time to do some Wiki-ing, just know that Cecil Rhodes was a controversial British colonialist in South Africa who started a small enterprise you may have heard of, which is now known as DeBeers Diamonds. Fortunately for many generations of American students, Cecil held a staunch belief that Oxford University was (and always would be) the finest university in the world, so he left a large chunk of his worldly fortune to ensure that college age students from across the Pond would be able to make a two year pilgrimage to England and study with all expenses paid.

Mr. Rhodes's original specifications for his Scholars were that they possess:

-Literary and scholastic attainments
-Energy to use their talents to the fullest, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports
-Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness, and fellowship
-Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings

Although these have changed slightly over the last 100 years, the Scholarship still stands as a tall order for any student, no matter how inflated his or her ego. Honestly, when I look back to last November, I still smile to think of how ridiculous I must have looked when the chair of our committee read out the names of the two winners from our District, which inexplicably includes South Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. I had been shocked to even get an interview, and had gone in with an "enjoy the ride to hell in a handbasket" attitude, so convinced was I that I didn't have a shot. So when I heard my name read off matter-of-factly as one of the recipients, I reacted like any 21-year old would have: my jaw dropped and I almost burst into tears. Although I would like the record to show that I did not actually cry until I called my parents, and my mother cried first!

Luckily, the winning of the scholarship is just the beginning, so I had many mundane details to attend to rather quickly to bring me crashing back down to earth with pragmatic concerns like filling out applications, sending transcripts, and doing an insane amount of interviews. I still honestly have trouble believing that this is actually, really, truly happening....but perhaps when I'm actually on the plane to England, it will finally seem real. Then again, I don't mind the surrealism. Who can complain about having an opportunity of such a magnitude that they have to pinch themselves every time they think about it?

Anyway, enough of the past; the future's far brighter. On October 2nd, I will be flying to London with 31 of my peers to begin the first of two degrees I will receive in the next two years at Oxford: a Master of Sciences in Contemporary Chinese Studies. I will be living in Brasenose College, which requires another quick tangent for clarification. In many British universities, there is a tradition of having academic programs separate from residential colleges, which are each slightly different and known for their own flavors. Although your academic program is loosely related to your college choice, it's sort of comparable to dorms in the US, except meals and parties and location are all much more diverse than we would consider normal. You can look Brasenose up if you wish, but I picked it because it is smaller, centrally-located, rife with history (the doors on one of the buildings are older than the United States), and has a reputation for being --as my father's British coworker so succinctly put it-- "the perfect mix of posh and sporty!"

Along the way, I will be taking every opportunity to travel, take pictures, eat, meet new people, and generally just do my best to make the most the whole experience. And that's where this blog comes in! I want to share my experience with all of you, and I honestly want to record the whole endeavor for my own reference in the future. So don't feel obligated to read this, but if you ever do get bored or stir-crazy, or you miss my terrible puns, check in and see what's cooking across the Pond!