A General Update and Time for Reflection

I find it difficult to comprehend that my last blog post was just under three months ago, and that I have been back on American soil for nearly two full months. I sound so cliche when I say that the time has flown, but I myself cannot think of any other way to put it.

Ever since my return to the states I have been on a quick track to catch up with friends, family and the myriad of doctor's appointments and obligations I had neglected during my semester abroad. Just three weeks after my arrival I was off to work at Camp War Eagle for Pre-Orientation and Orientation. Following my time at camp I was blessed with four weeks of time at home to reflect, decompress and relax. (Most of which did take place!) Even though my time in England and Europe is done, I still want to use this blog as a place of reflection and commentary on the amazing experiences that I lived through in Spring 2013.

So tonight I will begin the rather large (but rewarding) task of finishing blog posts about my trips and finally piecing together one of the most significant chapters in my young adult life.

Here's to the rest of the story!

Lovely, Dark and Deep

This blog is often the place where I document the "big" events, the trips to famous cities, and the most memorable of occasions. There are, however, so many small moments that have entirely captivated and changed my hear since I have stepped upon this English soil.

The weather has been warming here lately, and it has turned my attentions out of doors. There are several neat trails in the woods surrounding the Manor, and Grantham has a lovely canal that I often like to ride my bike alongside. I find that my thoughts feel more my own out of doors, and my walks among the green mossy trees and sweet snow drops have become some of my favorite memories. I am reminded of how much my Kansas spirit loves the wilderness. I am often disillusioned with the materialism and busyness of big cities such as London. I am thankful for the opportunity to visit such places, and the blessing of the woods to retreat to when my spirit needs renewed.


In the words of Robert Frost, "the woods are lovely dark and deep.... and I have miles to go before I sleep."

A Weekend of Beautiful Ruins

The last weekend of February took this traveler to south western England and the lovely town of Bath. This trip was a refreshing contrast to Ireland in the fact that I would be traveling with the school on a coach. I did not have to worry about transportation in the slightest. I welcomed the stress reliever, and I promised to count this weekend as a relaxing get away to one of England's more famous cities.

After a long coach ride, my friends and I visited the historic Roman Baths. The site was a tourist hotspot and we filed in among the hundreds of other travelers to see a glimpse of culture in Roman-occupied England. Our audio guides filled our minds with information, and slowly we allowed ourselves to imagine the environment of the baths thousands of years ago! We concluded the tour by tasting the bath water, needless to say it was less then appetizing. In fact, we found it rather tasted like the American pennies that we had just a few minutes earlier tossed into the bottom of the bath pool.

After the Roman Baths, we made our way to the Jane Austin Center! Austen visited Bath often as a young woman and even spent several years living in the city; furthermore, two of her novels are set in Bath. All of the tour guides were dressed in Austen-era clothing and there was a section of the museum dedicated to dressing up in your own dress and bonnet! It was a fun pilgrimage to make as an English major and Austen lover. I left with a few cards depicting Mr and Mrs. Darcy, and I felt quite content. 

The next day we hopped back on the coach to make a short drive to Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey. Our first stop was at Wells Cathedral. The building was beautiful, but the highlight of the trip had to be Louis, the cathedral cat. We saw him as we first entered the building. This fat ginger cat sauntered through the glorious building as if he owned the place, judging by his size we figured the Abbey fed him as though he did. We walked out of the cathedral to see a fresh farmers market in full swing. I bought a bag of fried donuts that tasted almost like the Kansas State Fair. I was in heaven. 

The next part of the day was my favorite. Glastonbury Abbey was beautiful. Now just ruins, this remarkable landmark reveals glimpses of the splendor that was once one of the finest monasteries of its time. While beautiful, the Abbey is also home to several legends - the famous King Arthur is to supposedly have been buried at the Abbey. Unfortunately following the dissolution and King Henry VIII's creation of the Anglican Church the Abbey was largely destroyed. On the day we visited the flowers were just beginning to bloom around the ruined monastery. We danced through the open fields and ruined walls. As we snapped pictures and admired the blossoming blooms, snow began to tumble from the heavens. It was gloriously beautiful. Once we were fully chilled to the bone we made our way into the town for lunch. Glastonbury is the Lawrence, KS of England. It was hippie central. About a third of the restaurants we encountered were entirely vegetarian, and all of the bookstores were full of pages documenting how to live greener, become a yogi, and cook vegan cupcakes. I was in total bliss. 

 That afternoon we took a final stop at Avebury, a rock formation that is supposedly older than stonehenge. Unfortunately, Avebury did claim the kind of awe that stonehenge would, but we made the best of the stop and took ornery pictures next to the ancient rock formations. (I may have even tasted one...)

 

That night we cooked our own meal at the hostel, and then spent the evening listening to one another share our "life-stories." It was a relaxing and much needed evening. Sunday morning we loaded onto the coach once again to see one of the most famous sites in the world - Stonehenge. The trip was worth it, even in the bitter cold. The mystery surrounding its origins and the sheer size of the rock formation was captivating. I spent thirty minutes walking about the site, despite the freezing temperatures. It was an impressive conclusion to a weekend of beautiful ruins. 

Reunions in Belfast, Northern Ireland

I'm playing catch up on my blog here, but I spent a weekend last February making my first travel adventure solo to Belfast, Northern Ireland. This trip had been a plan in the works for over two years, and it was one I was ecstatic to make!

The reason I traveled to Belfast was to visit my friend, Danielle, who attends uni there at Queens College. I met Danielle back in the summer of 2009. The two of us were were matched together for a month through an organization called the Ulster Project - an organization that brings 12 Northern Irish teenagers to the states in order to talk about diversity, peace and building strong communities. The month as a blast and we became life long friends. I was so thankful when I found out I would be studying abroad because I knew that it meant a trip to see my dear friend. 

While I was excited for our reunion, I was crazy nervous about navigating trains/the London underground/catching a plane all by myself. The morning I was intending to depart for my trip, I was running through the manor trying to finish my last minute errands and print off my boarding passes. As I ran up the 97 stairs that lead to my room, I was struck that I hadn't read my Jesus Calling Devotional yet that morning. I was overcome by a need to slow down and read it before I continued on with my day. I opened the book to the date and my heart exclaimed. The page read:

"Give yourself fully to the adventure of today. Walk boldly along the path of Life, relying on your ever-present Companion. You have every reason to be confident, because My Presence accompanies you all the days of your life - and onward into eternity. Do not give in to fear or worry, those robbers of abundant living. Trust me enough to face problems as they come, rather than trying to anticipate them. Fix your eyes on Me, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, and many difficulties on the road ahead will vanish before you reach them. Whenever you start to feel afraid, remember I am holding you by your right hand. Nothing can separate you from My Presence!" (Hebrews 12:2 and Isaiah 41:13)

I was renewed by the freedom of His presence. So with hugs from friends and final prayers, I climbed into a taxi and made my way to the train station. Easy travels soon brought me to Belfast Airport where I was reunited with Danielle! That evening we went out to a local pub/club that is popular among the college students at Queens and met up with several of our friends from the project! It was a night of dancing and sweet reunion! 

The next day Danielle's mother came to Belfast and took us both out to dinner. I felt instantly as though I was one of her own daughters. She treated us to a special lunch (and cupcakes for later!). One of the most special moments of the day was when she gave me my own claddagh ring. A traditional Irish ring that represents love, loyalty and friendship. It was a perfect afternoon.

The next day was spent wandering the Gardens, exploring the Belfast museum and touring Queens College. Danielle and I cooked dinner that evening and enjoyed a night relaxing. It was a nice break from the normal busy tourism I usually encounter on my travels. Sunday morning came early and I was back on a plane to England, but I was so thankful for the weekend well spent in Northern Ireland.

The gorgeous Queens College! 

Finding my Rhythm on the French Riviera

In all of the busyness of my travels and school, I have neglected to keep this blog up to date, but several big things have been taking place in my life since I wrote last.

Just three days after I returned from Scotland, I completed my first big British Studies exam and packed my bags again - this time for the south of France. Our day of travel began late that evening with an 11:20 train to London and a long (restless) night spent trying to sleep on a cold airport floor. Somehow, though, our sleep deprived bodies made it to France mid morning on that Thursday. On the bus to our hostel, we met two other travelers around our age that were also staying at Meyerbeer Beach Hostel. We instantly became friends. The two girls were from New Zealand and had just finished up their undergraduate degrees. They were currently backpacking around Europe before they began their post-graduate jobs. They offered us some great travel suggestions and we loved to hear the stories of fellow world travelers. 

As our bus made its way through the French streets, we caught our first glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast to the grey, snowy days that we had been experiencing in Scotland and England, Nice was paradise. The sun was shining and we found ourselves shedding layers. The bus dropped us off right next to the shore on the Promenade (also known as the "English Way" since the project was commissioned by wealthy English families that spent their holidays in Nice during the second half of the 18th century). Our hotel was just two blocks away from the sea. We were enamored by the sunshine, our Kansas eyes reveling in the glory of the sea. 

As we explored the beautiful city of Nice, we found one of my favorite treasures - the fresh produce and flower market. The large market is located in Cours Saleya, right in the heart of the old town.  This was where I first fell in love with the language of French. Many of the vendors spotted us as Americans and used it to practice their English, but for the most part only French was spoken around us as shoppers and vendors exchanged goods and coins. We made several meals from this market, enjoying the fresh produce, baguettes, and relatively inexpensive prices. It was one of my favorite moments because it captured the culture of France, especially southern France, so well.  

We were even blessed enough to witness this cool street band performing as we shopped! 

The next morning was spent further exploring the city and enjoying the gorgeous pebble beach. We spent several hours that morning scouring through the rocks in search of my favorite treasure - sea glass. Ever since I visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I have been in love with sea glass. I am so fascinated by the colors, the small jewels of the sea that were born from brokenness. The sea glass that I would find on the French Riviera that morning, however, would hold even more significance for me as I began to try and understand my journey as a student abroad. 

Earlier that week, I had been hit hard with an aching for home. I remember feeling so frustrated with myself for feeling this way because I was traveling the world. I was seeing some of the most significant cities in history. I was experiencing rich culture and tradition. Yet I felt a sea of sadness that I could not shake. Looking out at the Mediterranean that last evening had only left me yearning for the familiarity of the Flint Hills and the beautiful barrenness of a wheat field in the winter. As I searched for sea glass that morning, I was overwhelmed by the metaphor of the transformed broken bottle. I realized that in that moment of homesickness I was a piece of sea glass. I am usually a creature of comfort. I am quick to define myself by my relationships with others. Yet there I stood on ground over 4,000 miles away from everything I had ever known. I was most certainly not comfortable. I, like the sea glass, had been broken away from everything I had ever depended on. All that I had used to define me had been smashed. I was an independent student and feeling ever so much like a broken shard of glass. In that moment though, the Lord was teaching me a beautiful lesson. He is the sea. In this season of my life, He has taken me away from every worldly thing I cling to and he has worked my brokenness within His hands. He is making in me a treasure; he is teaching me to be dependent on Him alone. 

I think that is why I am here on this adventure in this moment. I am learning to trust all while experiencing some of the most beautiful things the world can offer. None of them, however, can shine a light to the glory that is being made in me through the Creator of it all. I am reveling in the way He is hiding my life within His as I learn to cling to Him more fiercely. 

With a new perspective, I was ready to continue my trip with joyful eyes. The rest of the weekend included a lovely day trip to Monte Carlo where we all soaked up the sun and the extremely posh style of this seaside city. Our last day in France was spent cracking jokes and slipping our toes into the Mediterranean Sea. It was a perfect weekend... until our plane landed in London in the midst of a snow storm an hour and a half behind schedule. That, however, is a story for later. ;) 

The gorgeous Monte Carlo!

View from Nice on Castel Hill

Ran into a Barbara Kruger piece at the Modern Art Museum in Nice

I must conclude with this video. It seems France also gave me the answer on how to obtain a livelihood as an English/Sociology major, and that answer seems to be have wealthy friends. ;) haha 

Until My Next Adventure!

xoxox 

Edinburgh has my heart

Edinburgh, Scotland was such a beautiful place.

On Friday morning, I woke up at 6 am. With sleepy eyes I brushed my teeth. I slung my rucksack over my shoulder. I left for the station. I was bound for the land of the Scots. 

Something about a four hour train station in the morning just felt really good that day. Maybe it is my natural predisposition to appreciate the newness of the morning or the sweet time I had in solitude, but that train ride was one of my favorite memories. The train ran into some mandatory maintenance and we were stuck for about 20 minutes out in the middle of the country side. I wrote a letter and was overwhelmed by this land, the greenness of this piece of earth I am living on. It was perfect. My eyelids were heavy and I eventually let myself rest. I awoke with sleepy eyes and a mind full of quiet thoughts. I let myself day dream out the window, and then I saw it - the coast. The glorious grey waters pulsing against black rocks. The juxtaposition of green and the charcoal of the sea took my breath away. I tried to snap a picture, but it didn't dare do it justice. I kind of like that though. Knowing that a moment can never be made real behind a lens and that a second like that is only kept in you memory. A gift from God that is special for you to revel in. 

That is how Scotland greeted me. 

Our first afternoon in Scotland was a wet one. We made our way through the drizzle and found a darling restaurant called Henderson's. I could not have been more in love. Henderson's is an all vegetarian, wholefood restaurant that was founded in the 1960s by a couple that originally was just looking for a place to sell some produce from their East Lothian farm and kitchen garden. Now over fifty years later, this basement restaurant is still a pretty bustling place on a friday afternoon. I even got to try some vegetarian Haggis! 

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering Edinburgh and getting a feel for the town. We explored Royal Mile and made our way to the castle to take pictures of the setting sun. 

That evening we enjoyed a nice discounted dinner at our hostel. They had amazing veggie burgers. I know I keep talking about food, but after living at the manor and eating potatoes every meal I get really stoked on some good veggie friendly food. Edinburgh just knew how to woo me from the beginning. 

Saturday morning began at 5 AM. We woke up before the sun, ready to tackle King Arthur's Seat. It is located in central Edinburgh, about a mile from the castle and rises over 800 feet over the city. There were several trails heading up the small mountain, and we took the one less traveled by. It lead us all the way across the face of a smaller hill near King Arthur's Seat. We felt like we were chasing the moon. Every step brought us lovely views of the city's twinkling lights below. Finally we made it right as the sun was rising over the coast. It was completely magnificent. I tasted the goodness of God. I felt so small and overwhelmed by the beauty of his presence atop of that mountain with several of my newest and dearest friends. 

The way down was much easier to tackle in the sunlight and we all felt silly from lack of sleep. Afterwards, we all enjoyed coffee together, shared stories, and heartily laughed. I really could not think of a more magnificent morning. I am so certain that I will treasure those moments of community, of silliness, and adventure until old age sets in my bones. 

Saturday was a pretty big day for tourism. We spent 3.5 hours that afternoon walking through the city in a free tour provided by New Europe. Despite temperatures and tired legs, this was probably the best tour I have ever been on, not one of us complained. In fact, I think we all left the tour with a bit of a crush on our tour guide Eoin. The tour was really personal and engaging. I learned more about the city and the history of Scotland than I could have imagined. This is what I find so engaging about studying abroad. As I walk these ancient streets, I place myself within the history. I place myself within the story. The stories of:

• Jenny Geddes, as she threw her stool at the minister in St. Giles Cathedral and started a riot in protest against Anglican Prayer books being forced into Scottish Presbyterian churches
• Medieval forms of deterrence - like nailing the ears of thieves to a place in the common square for open ridicule 
• The real William Wallace (not the Mel Gibson kind)
• Robert the Bruce
• THE STONE OF DESTINY 
• Greyfriars Bobby, the most loyal Scottish Terrier to have lived
• The covenanters that faced horrible torture in the name of their religion in Greyfriars Kirkyard 
• The graveyard that inspired JKR's Harry Potter
• Half Hangit Maggie Dickson, who survived her hanging sentence and lived for forty years after

In Edinburgh it is considered lucky to touch David Humes' toe as you walk past! 

Edinburgh's Castle - Such a beautiful sight!! 

These are just some of the stories that captured my imagination on the tour. I was completely fascinated by such a city full of tradition and history and folklore. 

Sunday took us to see Edinburgh Castle. We spent several hours touring the exhibits and museums located inside this enormous castle. Once again, I saw an extreme overlap of history in what I was learning in my courses at Harlaxton and what I was actually experiencing/touching/seeing at the castle. I fell in love with the Honors of Scotland. In this exhibit, I was able to see the crown jewels, the scepter, and the stone of destiny. This blog post is already really long, but man oh man you should really look up the story of the stone of destiny. It is a good one. My dear friend Molly always speaks about it so energetically and now I totally understand why. The guard in the room gave us several cool perspectives and discussed with us the idea of Scottish independence, a vote that is taking place in 2014. 

so thankful to be seeing the world with this sweet friend! 

Lunch was enjoyed at the Elephant House cafe, the place where JKR was said to first be inspired to write Harry Potter. The cafe was packed, and the food was delicious. Elephants of all sizes lined the walls and sat on the tables. There was a wall dedicated to articles about JKR and pictures of her writing in the cafe. We sat next to the window, and I tried to channel my inner Rowling.

  

The final time left before our train home was spent walking one last time through some of our favorite spots and seeing new sights we had missed. One of the fun places we stumbled into was a fudge shop. The sign out front said come on in, it's free and well we couldn't resist. We ended up spending forty minutes watching the man make a new batch of fudge and talk to us about his job. He even gave us a nice portion for free since we were "at the right place, at the right time." It was a super 'sweet' way to end a perfect weekend. ;) 

A Day of Rest

This morning I had plans.

I had full intentions of waking up, catching the shuttle to Grantham and spending the first half of the day worshiping with the locals at New Life church. Unfortunately my busy little mind seemed to think that the shuttle left 30 minutes later than it actually did. So this morning at 10:45 I stood in an empty courtyard and realized the shuttle was long gone. I no longer had plans. 

 My friend Erin and I took this humbling inconvenience as a the chance to explore. We soon threw on our hiking boots and sweaters and headed down for a walk by the Grantham canals. The snow that had covered the entire countryside for the past few weeks was washed away last night by warmer temperatures and a morning rain. The sun was shining. It was glorious. 

After a few lost ways and directions from a lovely couple taking their dog Maisy out on walk, we found the canals. We spent the morning reveling at the wonders of the bright green earth that had been hidden beneath the snow. Our conversation was so rich as we allowed ourselves to explore, imagine and wonder about the life we have lived and the largeness of life ahead of us. 

We ended up walking a good five miles today, and it was exactly what I needed. I was so astounded by how refreshed I was from a good couple of hours spent out in my Lord's creation. I am further reminded of how intentional He is with my heart. He is continually inviting me to recognize His divinity, His goodness, His beauty! While worship in town would have been wonderful, my Lord was inviting me to rest - to slow down, to trust and to be at peace in His presence. 

This morning I'm feeling thankful for a love like His, thankful I do not write the plans. 

A birthday weekend for the books

Friday, January 18th, marked my 20th year of life. I could not have asked for a more beautiful day. I welcomed in the new decade with skype conversations minutes before midnight with my mother and my sweet boyfriend. But the morning welcomed even more joys as my roommate surprised me with chocolates and a birthday tiara to wear later that evening (pictures to follow). That afternoon at lunch another friend decided that the entire campus should wish me well, and she led the refectory in singing happy birthday. It was horribly embarrassing, but so wonderfully special all at once. I returned to my room to see that other dear friends had decorated my door and left behind small presents of chocolate and snacks.

One of the best surprises of all came that afternoon as a new front of snow came in and further blanketed the manor grounds in white. I went for a walk by myself and soaked up the glories of creation and the goodness of the Lord. The snow froze my toes, fell gently on my eyelashes, and soaked my curls. It was glorious.

The evening concluded with a fun night out at a popular local pub in Grantham named The Goose with a group of my girl friends. I could not be more thankful or overwhelmed by the love I have received by these people that I have only known for two weeks. It was the perfect way to celebrate twenty. 

Dear friends! (and that crazy birthday tiara!)

My darling roommate, Abby!

Saturday morning came early with a morning train to Nottingham. The bitter cold and snow put several of our plans on hold, but my friends and I made the best of the weather! We spent the morning exploring the museum and gallery at Nottingham Castle. This proved to be a most eventful morning spent dressing up like Maid Marian and enjoying an interactive Robin Hood exhibit. We hope to make our way to the real Sherwood Forest as soon as spring comes.

Nottingham is famous for its history in lace making and design. In honor of this rich history, the gallery featured a beautiful exhibition titled Lace Works. It was a lovely collision of contemporary art and the famous Nottingham lace. The artwork was breathtakingly lovely, and one of my favorite moments of the morning. In fact, I think it later sparked my interest in purchasing a darling top adorned in lace design at a local shopping district that afternoon near Nottingham's historic and bustling Old Market Square.

The wicked weather kept us indoors and shopping the rest of the afternoon, but one of the best parts of the evening was a trip to Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem on Castle Road, England's first inn/pub. It has been serving the locals since 1189 AD. The bad weather kept the famous pub fairly quiet for a Saturday, but we still struggled to find a table to eat. We finally found a spot in the top of the inn, inside a room that looked like it had been carved out of a cave. I was able to sit next to a medieval sword.. simply the best. The food, however, was not medieval in the slightest. Ye Old Trip made this girl one happy vegetarian with a delightful butternut squash burger and chips, coupled with the pub's famous dark ale. It was a perfect way to wind down and relax with dear friends after a long day of walking about the city. 

Sunday came sweetly with a morning spent in worship and the partaking of the Eucharist at the Harlaxton Village Church. The church was built in 1170 and has had multiple additions built since then, giving it a rich history that is cherished by all of the local congregation members. Afterwards, I was invited to enjoy lunch with my roommates meet-a-family. It was the most wonderful part of the entire weekend. I was so humbled by their kindness and willingness to make me feel welcome. They whipped up the most delicious vegetarian meals I have ever tasted to accomodate to my eating habits. I left full of spicy chickpeas with red pepper, oriental cabbage with leeks, and cooked onions and spinach. Not to mention the lovely dessert of apple crumble and custard. We spent hours there conversing, drinking tea, and listening to their stories. 

This evening as I look back on the busyness of the weekend I am overwhelmed by a sense gratitude. While I am so thankful for historic sites, beautiful landscapes, and rich history, I am most thankful for the beautiful people I have met here. I am thankful for the ways in which they are inviting me to live a better story, for the ways in which they are inviting me to be a part of their own. I can only worship my Creator for writing a story such as this!