If you speak to many alumni who have passed through Harlaxton's walls, you will likely hear tales of their adventures on college trips, British studies excursions, or travel they planned with their friends. You will likely also hear of the adventures had during the week once classes ended. This is how it is with any study abroad program. We focus on the glossy photos and memories of the "abroad" part - accentuated these days by hashtags -, and sometimes we forget the mundane day-to-day of the "study" part. This post is meant to highlight a bit of the everyday ordinary life of a Harlaxton student, the part we often don't write home about.
During the second week at Harlaxton, after the excitement of the ceilidh and meeting an abundance of new people, our first true week of the term began. In addition to the required British Studies course, I had chosen to take choir, a British literature course, studio art, and algebra. I was also completing an independent study with my Japanese professor and my French professor to avoid falling too far behind on those requirements. As such, I became quite proficient at using Skype, which now feels nearly obsolete in this world of Zoom and Google Meet. Needless to say, my day-to-day grind at the manor was quite busy.
In British Studies, we started with the Middle Ages and reading parts of The Canterbury Tales; and in British literature, we began with the first English novel, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Though much easier to read than the Canterbury Tales, I've never been much of a fan of survivalist literature. Even modern TV shows and movies that take inspiration from Robinson Crusoe - Cast Away, Lost, Giligan's Island - have never really appealed to me. I'm more of a fantasy, sci-fi, romance sort of girl. In any case, there was much time spent reading this first true week of classes, and I quickly found my favorite reading spots.
The first was the library, which is always a good staple for a quiet reading space. It was also the location for my work-study, so I had to spend a few hours a week behind the check-out counter anyway. Though small, I quite enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and the scent of paper mixed with cedar. Plus, the views from the second story windows over-looking the
side entrance, the carriage house, and the countryside weren't so shabby either.
My second favorite reading place was the conservatory, though in winter it was a bit chilly inside the glass walls and the iron bistro tables and chairs were not the comfiest. However, the serenity of being surrounded by greenery in the dead of winter coupled with a good book and a hot chocolate from the bistro couldn't be beaten. It was the perfect quiet reprieve from a busy course load.
And, finally, my third reading spot was the window seat in my dorm room. I was blessed with one of the largest dorm rooms in the manor and two wonderful roommates from Eastern Kentucky University. Most students were housed in the carriage house, which, though it had the luxury of a microwave and fridge in the common room, had considerably smaller rooms and was a bit of a walk up to the manor each morning. So, those living in the manor felt a bit blessed, especially since the microwave created several additional fire alarms during the semester for those in the carriage house. And our dorm room had two dormer windows with window seats that looked out over the side entrance towards the woods. They let in much light and made for a perfect reading nook.
When not in class, working in the library, or finishing up classwork, my friends and I would often walk the extensive grounds, sometimes venturing on walking paths through the woods or walking through Harlaxton Village to nearby Grantham. Other times, we would lounge in the billiards room to watch TV or rent movies to watch in the TV rooms in the Bistro. My favorite evening activity, however, was choir on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Sally Brown.
In our first week, we worked on a Viking rowing song entitled "Vem Kan Segla Förutan Vind (Who Can Sail Without Wind)" to be performed the following week at a cathedral in Lincoln during our British Studies excursion. The energy Sally brought to our evenings with her colorful personality and polka dot coat was contagious, and the sounds of our singing echoing through the Great Hall always remained with me throughout the week.
So, I will leave you with the sounds of "Vem Kan Segla".