Oxford // England
I (Jess) had a solo trip abroad booked, but wanted a bit of a trial run so I booked 2 nights away in Oxford – somewhere James had already been.
After checking into the hotel, I headed straight out into the centre via the museums. Within minutes I was face to face with dinosaur skeletons, which was a good start.
From there, I wandered around a few bookshops and made my way up to the top of The Sheldonian Theatre just before sunset. It was cloudy, but still worth it for the views.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty unplanned. I ended up in the market, picked up a milkshake from Moo Moo's, and had a wander through a few shops. It was nice not really having anywhere to be, or anyone to think about but myself.
By early evening I'd ended up near the main shopping area and, after a full day of travelling and walking, I was starving. So I went for my first proper solo meal. It felt a bit awkward at first and I was glad to be sat slightly out of the way, but once I got my book out I relaxed into it.
Afterwards, I'd thought about going to the cinema, but it didn't feel very "Oxford". Instead, I ended up at a violin recital at a nearby college, which felt more in keeping!
The next morning was nice and slow. I found a coffee shop, sat with my book, and noticed how many other people were doing the same thing – on their own, completely unbothered.
A friend who used to live in Oxford had sent me a few recommendations, so I loosely followed those. Again, lots of coffee and reading.
I eventually wandered out to Magdalen College. The grounds were really peaceful, and I managed to see deer and a fox.
Later, I went to see a film at The Ultimate Picture Palace. I didn't know anything about Nickel Boys beforehand, but it turned out to be a good choice. The cinema itself was probably the highlight – just one screen, a small ticket booth outside, and a tiny tuck shop in the corner.
After the film, I headed over the road to a small independant cocktail bar which caught my eye, and I had a watermelon cocktail and read some more of my book before heading for a warming curry for tea and back to the hotel.
It was a simple couple of days, but it did exactly what I needed it to do. Oxford was lovely, and I really enjoyed the vibe of the place. Travelling on my own felt a lot more straightforward than I'd built it up to be.
– Jess