Brandon's Turn

I was instructed that I (Brandon) need to do the next post.  Prepare for a waltz through an artistic genius's gallery.

So, here's us. . .

. . .in Keeble College's quad . . .

. . .and we went to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History where they have remains of really big trees (for scale, for those of you who don't know, I'm about 6'3"). . .

. . .and a model of a cross-eyed T-Rex. . .

. . .and British boys that don't like cross-eyed T-Rexi (is that the plural for T-Rex?) . . .

. . .and, finally, an old, small sculpture of a snake sculpted by Irish who didn't know that snakes don't have ears. . .

That's all for now.  My course begins this upcoming Wednesday.  If you would, please pray for mine and Claire's selection of a church to serve at this upcoming year; it's proving to be a more challenging decision than anticipated.  Lastly, it's been recommended to record "what Brandon is currently reading" on a regular basis.  Having just finished John Stott's The Cross of Christ, I am now trying to finish J. Gresham Machen's What is Faith?.  Prayers for my reading ability are also welcomed.

On Tuesday

 

A walk down Woodstock Road.

Flat F

When we were choosing where to live, the North Oxford Overseas Centre (NOOC) stood out because of its central location and excellent price. The pictures on the website showed a furnished apartment that, though small, would be sufficient for a ten month stay.
We have been really pleased with our choice, for many reasons. There are many different nationalities represented here (last year they had residents from over 55 different countries!); the staff has been so helpful and kind;  it's just a 10 minute walk to Wycliffe Hall, where Brandon's classes will be; and the City Centre (where you can find or do almost anything) is only about a half hour's walk.
I will say, though, that we had a good laugh when we actually walked into this place for the first time. We both had images in our mind of the layout; both were different, and both were wrong! Kitchen behind a door? Bedroom + office + dining area in one? Nope, we both agreed, didn't picture it that way!
Believe it or not, we've noticed a lot of benefits to this cozy setup. A small fridge means more thoughtful meal planning and less food wasted. We've been careful about what we purchase because we need to be efficient with our space. And a desire to "get out!" every now and then will push us to eat in the community dining area or watch TV in the common room, and hopefully meet some of the other residents. 

So, here it is! (Please ignore the fact that I look so goofy in the opening of this video.)
Flat F

The Journey Continues

After a few hours of sleep on the plane, we woke Tuesday morning to find ourselves flying over Ireland with less than 2 hours left in our flight- a welcome relief after a night sleeping upright in coach seats.

We deboarded, went through customs (fairly easy), found our luggage (all three pieces- yea!), and made our way out of the airport to board a bus to take us to another terminal where we would grab a coach to Oxford. This was less easy considering the weight that was currently on our backs, under our arms, and in our hands. 

Brandon had read up a little beforehand on what buses traveled to which terminals, and so we managed to get to the right terminal the first time. I waited with our cart of luggage while he bought our tickets, and then we proceeded to the bus stop that would take us to Oxford. A short thirty minutes later, we were admiring the English countryside from our window and using the coach Wi-Fi. (Which was pretty cool.)

We arrived an hour later at the bus station in Oxford. Hauling a combined 7 pieces of luggage, we rattled up a cobblestone road (to the amusement of several people enjoying a coffee at a shop in the square) to a line of taxis, our final mode of transportation in getting to our new home at 107 Banbury Road.

The front of our building- 107 Banbury Road

Overall it was not a difficult journey. We were tired, and we slept 13 hours that night to prove it, but so many things could have gone wrong that didn't. We are grateful to God for a safe and speedy arrival. Thanks to everyone who prayed for our travels!

Soon to come- a look inside our flat!

Leavin', on a jet plane...

We're here!
Ok, so we've been here.  This actually marks day three in Oxford for us. It has taken me a bit to post because we've been trying to get some things done first (like unpack, buy groceries, set up a bank account, and learn our way around.) I'm going to post about these days separately because it's 10 p.m. here and I'm listening to Brandon snore and hoping to do the same soon! So, let's start with the day prior to departure...that way the title makes more sense.

The Eidsons were kind to host my mom and sister on Sunday afternoon/evening so we could all spend time together before leaving. We enjoyed a great dinner together (which included a surprise visit from Jordan Britt, who just happened to be passing through Birmingham!) and got a lot of time to hang out Sunday night and Monday morning. 

Here's a shot of our families at the Eidsons' house in Birmingham right before we headed to Atlanta for our flight; the Hudgins (above) and Eidsons (below).

We said a teary goodbye to my family in Birmingham; a quick "hello" and "goodbye" to my aunt and uncle, Carol and Jerry Moore, once we got to the airport; and then had one last set of hugs with Brandon's parents before getting in line for security. Once on the other side of security, we waved goodbye to the Eidsons and made our way to terminal E. At 11 p.m. we boarded the plane, bound for London!

I'm starting a blog!

And hoping that someone other than me will read it.

I thought blogging might be a good way to keep people up to date on our goings-on while in Oxford. Hopefully it'll be an interesting conglomeration of personal updates, pictures, videos, and funny stories about life in England.

I'd like to thank in advance our moms, who will undoubtedly check this blog daily.