Page 14 of Unconventionally, Elle

Twelve years ago

J?ude and I tried to keep in touch, but life got in the way.

A text every day turned into every few days into once a week into I'm not sure when I'll hear from him again.

Sarah and I studied abroad together in Oxford during the fall semester of our senior year.

I was working on writing courses, and she was studying in Oxford's fine arts program.

I'd always had a strong desire to go to the United Kingdom, and this was my first opportunity.

It was probably all those Harry Potter and Jane Austen books I read as a child.

My first day in an Oxford classroom was like living in a fantasy world.

The high ceilings and ornate architecture embodied the history that lived within the walls and reminded me of Hogwarts.

The atmosphere was full of academic tradition, as well as the faint aroma of aged wood.

Bookshelves lined the back wall of my classroom, and footsteps echoed off the ancient stone floor.

After class, I emailed Jude a picture of the building and typed " Oxford. " I should have left him alone. I just couldn't resist; I wanted to share the beauty with him.

He never responded.