Around the World with Dartmouth Soccer: Erin Fleischli, Oxford

2010 Around the World Main Page

Throughout the winter term, Dartmouth women's soccer players will be sending in updates from their travels around the globe. Team members are currently studying and volunteering abroad in a variety of countries thanks to the college's four-quarter Dartmouth plan system.

Erin Fleischli (San Mateo, Calif.), SO, B
Oxford, England - Study Abroad

This winter, I decided to travel abroad to England. For the past two months, I have been taking classes at Oxford University and spending time traveling. Oxford is an unbelievable place and having the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture while learning has been a great experience.

I can't believe it's my turn to write this. It feels like yesterday I was stalking the Dartmouth Women's soccer sports page reading about everyone's travels abroad. They all said that having the ability to go abroad while playing Division I soccer makes Dartmouth on a tier of its own, but I never fully realized how special of an opportunity it is. Being able to experience soccer in a different culture has given me a new appreciation for the game. I went to a Chelsea match a couple weeks ago and the atmosphere was truly inspiring. People in the stands were singing and yelling the entire game, full 90 minutes. Seeing Lambardt, Terry, and Ballack up close was surreal. I can't wait to go back and share all of this with my teammates.

That being said, England has been an unbelievable experience. This is my first time abroad so it has been an overwhelming couple of months. I'm currently taking economics classes at Oxford University and traveling as much as I can. Oxford is an amazing academic institution and it has given me a new perspective. At Oxford, the students are taught in a tutorial format; essentially you and your professor meet and discuss the topic. Being able to foster my thoughts and articulate them to professors has been challenging, yet very beneficial. I usually meet with my professors twice a week and then work individually throughout the week. As classes are winding down, I've been able to travel quite a bit.

So far, I've traveled to London, Paris, and Prague. I'm meeting up with teammates Ally Dutton, Anna Chinco, and Aly O'Dea in Barcelona this week. They've been playing pick-up on the beach so I'm really excited to leave cold rainy England and see sun! I'm also heading to Rome to meet up with teammate Colleen Hogan and then finishing up my travels in Florence. This opportunity is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.