An Atypical English Class: Part 4

[fblike] Gretchen Walch

Looking back on three weeks abroad in the United Kingdom it would be cliché to say the time flew by, and to be honest, it would be far from the truth. Thanks to Professor Rutledge, the class structure immersed us in English literature. He is both modern and classic; he was able to connect with us encouraging us to question the origins of the fictional works we read. The trip seemed to last an entire semester, because each field trip we took felt as if we tumbled down the rabbit hole into one of our stories. The class came to realize that authors write what they know, and we were able to walk, ramble (the English term for hiking), eat, relax, and play in the footsteps of the authors we studied.

Out of class, we explored in our free time or chatted on the planes, trains, taxis and coaches between destinations. It could be argued that each student made a new friend on this trip by bonding over amazing fish n’ chips, “fan-girling” over a shared interest, such as Harry Potter sites, or just sharing a nice conversation on a long train ride or over a game of Snooker (a British game similar to pool). Furthermore, everyone—staff, students and professors—could connect as we shared in the splendor of ancient architecture and the beauty of the rolling English countryside. As we rambled through the moors or on public footpaths; gawked at Big Ben, Salisbury Cathedral, 11th century homes, and Harlaxton Manor; and shopped in Oxford and Bath, we could not have been more thankful to have someone to share this experience with. We will not only remember the sites, but the people who saw them with us.