Taking Advantage of Faculty-Led Programs: Two Incredible Weeks in England

Public Relations and English Professional Writing major Ally Bonicker ’23 studied abroad in England in May 2023.

Studying abroad was always something I was intrigued by. During my sophomore year, many of my friends began talking about their study-abroad plans for their junior year. At that time, I was involved in several different groups and extracurriculars on campus, and I just couldn’t imagine spending an entire semester away from everything I loved here at Etown. With so many people around me going abroad for the spring semester of junior year, at times, I felt like I would be missing out on this experience.

I had heard about the various faculty-led programs offered, but I didn’t seriously consider them until my other friends started planning their trips abroad. After some research, I chose to go on a 15-day trip to England from May 18 to June 1, 2022. Dr. Tara Moore offers this “Regional Writers of England” trip every other year, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. Throughout our travels to Oxford, Bath, London, and many other beautiful cities, I learned so much and had some of the most fun experiences of my life.

In this blog, I’ll give you a brief rundown of everything we did during our two weeks abroad, so if you’re looking into the “Regional Writers of England” trip, this is the blog for you.

Oxford

Our excursion started out in Oxford, a small town in central southern England. While fighting off the jet lag on our first day, we visited the stunning Christ’s Church, sat by the Thames River, and explored the most popular sites around Oxford. We fueled up every day with a full English breakfast (fried eggs, toast, beans, tomato, sausage, bacon, and black pudding), which was more food than I could ever imagine eating for breakfast. During our free time, a few friends and I visited the Oxford Botanic Gardens and then did something called the “Uncomfortable Walking Tour of Oxford,” which taught us a lot about the history of racism, sexism, and imperialism in the city. 

Chawton Village & Stratford Upon Avon

While staying in Bath, we took a few day trips to nearby towns. We took a coach to Chawton, where we toured Chawton House and Jane Austen’s house. The next day, we took another coach to Stratford upon Avon, best known as Shakespeare’s birthplace. We visited Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Holy Trinity Church, and Shakespeare’s birthplace. We also had cream tea (scones with cream and jam, and little cupcakes) on a ferry and took a boat ride along the Thames River, which was definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip.

Bath

After our time in Oxford, we took a train to Bath, which was my favorite of the cities we visited. After exploring on our own for a bit, we started off with a tour of the city, where we learned about the gorgeous Roman and Georgian architecture. In the following days, we toured the Roman Baths, had a traditional afternoon tea in the Pump Room, went to the Jane Austen Centre and the Mary Shelley House, walked around Queen Victoria Park, and went on a ghost tour! Our guide was committed to the part, and even though we didn’t see anything abnormal, the stories were still very cool.

Glastonbury & Wells, Stonehenge, and Salisbury

While we were in Bath, we took a few day trips, one to Glastonbury and Wells, and another to Stonehenge and Salisbury on our way to London. On these trips, we visited Wells Cathedral, climbed Glastonbury Tor, and walked through Glastonbury Abbey. The Tor had incredible views, and Glastonbury Abbey had the most beautiful architecture. Seeing Stonehenge in person was an awe-inspiring experience. We also toured the Salisbury Cathedral and saw the Magna Carta. 

London

We spent our last five days in London, and we did so many different awesome things. We toured Westminster Abbey, visited St. Dunstan in the East, went to the Dickens Museum, the British Museum, and the Natural History Museum, walked through the National Gallery, did the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studios tour, went to a production of Les Miserables, and saw Much Ado About Nothing in the Globe Theatre. It was definitely a busy few days! Along with visiting Warner Bros. Studios, which was absolutely incredible, seeing a play in the Globe Theatre was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The atmosphere was incredible, and the production was so well done.

Dip Your Toe in the Waters Abroad with a Faculty-Led Program

Semester-long programs aren’t for everyone. If you’re involved on campus and struggle with FOMO like I do, faculty-led programs may be the best option for you, and the England trip is definitely one of the best.