nut free nerd

September was a blur. I nearly had to do a double take when I looked at a calendar the other day and realized that it was nearly October. Between preparing for Oxford, moving to Oxford, and living at Oxford, it feels as though this entire month has been one transition right after another. It’s a relief to finally be settled in and feel more comfortable in this amazing place. Here’s what I was up to in September:

In September I read a total of 5 books:

1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
2. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
3. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
4. Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner
5. Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley

As I Lay Dying is my favorite book that I read in September. This was my second time reading it and even though I first read it last summer I was still taken aback by the striking ending. What a brilliantly crafted novel!

It’s official: I’M AT OXFORD. September was a whirlwind of transitions: not only to a new country and culture, but also to new friends, assignments, and routines. Though living in England has certainly taken some getting used to, I’m happily settled in now and can’t wait for my tutorials to finally begin. I’ve experienced so many new things in the past few weeks that I hardly have time to discuss them all.

A major goal that I’ve recently crossed off of my bucket list is going to LONDON. What a city! It felt like a blend of Boston and New York City, with some areas being more open and calm and other being more crowded and bustling. I was lucky enough to be able to many sites in one day: Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tate Modern art gallery, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Though I had a blast visiting, I think it’s safe to say that I definitely prefer living in Oxford!

It’s absolutely incredible being able to live and study in a city that is as rich in history as Oxford. It still feels surreal when I walk into the Radcliffe Camera to casually study while everyone takes photos of it from behind the gate. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that extraordinary feeling!

I’ve been really fortunate to have made some great friends here already and I can’t wait for all the other students to get here so I can meet even more people. It’s strange to think that the term hasn’t even officially started even though I’ve already done so much!

Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to blog since moving to Oxford. Though I’ve scheduled plenty of posts in advance for the next few months, less free time means less time to spend reading other posts, commenting on other blogs, and being active in the blogging community in general. Hopefully I’ll be able to work it into my schedule once I settle into a more regular routine.

Here are some notable posts from my blog this past month:

• Summer Book Tag
• Liebster Award | 6
• On Reading Classics | Discussion
• Unique Blogger Award
• Tomorrow is Travel Day! | Holly Goes Abroad
• Ultimate Harry Potter Tag
• My First Week in Oxford | Holly Goes Abroad
• Desert Island Discs Tag

Here are some posts that I loved reading this month (there are so many!!):

• Briana questions whether or not art must always express the artist’s personal beliefs
• Trang shares oodles of Tumblr screenshots that are the definition of relatable for bookworms 
• Krysta reminds us not to get too caught up in social media and statistics when blogging
• Marie give tips for staying on top of your commenting game 
• Richard shares interesting facts about the beloved author Roald Dahl 

How was your month of September? What was the best book you read? Did you do anything really fun or exciting? Let me know in the comments section below!

Yours,

HOLLY