I've decided that it's time to post my journals from my trip to England. We were there seven months ago.
I want to go back more than I can say. I miss it more than makes sense for a two-week trip.
Part of that might be because it was the last part of my summer that was really good.
But anyway.
For the next few days, I'm going to post a few days worth of journals.
First up: Travel; Oxford
10 May 2011
Day One: Travel Day
I don’t usually get worried/anxious/nervous about leaving home. I’ve been to Hawaii, Jamaica, Florida, St. Louis, and West Virginia, not to mention college, without my parents in the past six years. But I’ve been freaking out about this trip for several weeks. Why?
-I have a tendency to blow through money without realizing it. I know how much of a problem this is but it’s become such a habit that I have to work really hard to remember to think about each purchase.
-My most recent flight was terrible. We were just above a storm and the turbulence was awful. I was scared for the first time in my flying career. My choir director, who was leading the trip, said that it was nothing compared to her trip to Europe. I didn’t want to be scared during a flight again, especially over the ocean.
-I’m not close friends with anyone on the trip. And I’m rarely motivated to care about deepening friendships. I’m just fine doing things on my own, especially when traveling. But on a trip like this, it’s important to become close with the rest of the group. I don’t want to seem like a jerk.
BUT. The van ride to the airport was fine. We had a good time talking about things we’re looking forward to and what we had done to prepare.
AND. The flight has been fine. I watched “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” which was almost nothing like the book but was a decent movie nonetheless.
I’m excited to land and get started on this adventure.
11 May 2011
Day Two: Wanderings in Oxford with Jet Lag
Today we all fought our exhaustion as we wandered about Oxford. I was feeling fine until we sat down for Evensong. Usually, if I keep moving or talking to people, I can stay awake, but as soon as I stop doing anything, it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open.
I’m still trying to convince myself that I’m in England. The people don’t look any different from any I’ve seen before, the landscapes I’ve seen look like Pennsylvania and New York, and the flora and fauna is so similar that I could be anywhere in the States.
Of course, there are differences.
-Driving on the left. I’ve been to Jamaica, so it’s not completely new to me. And Brent has done it so much that I’m not worried at all. I guess the major differences are the lack of square blocks and all of the roundabouts. Plus the cyclists and pedestrians. I’d be so scared to try to drive. No one seems to care about running into anyone. As a fast walker and an intense city walker, I love this. I walk around people and weave through crowds like it’s my job. I refuse to get slowed down by someone in front of me walking slowly. I do this in hallways, on sidewalks at BC, and especially in Chicago. When I’m with a group, though, it becomes a bit of a problem. I’m learning patience.
-The cuisine. There seems to be no such thing as a light meal. I haven’t been very hungry, as my digestive system has not yet adjusted, so the large portions and greasy fish have been difficult to handle.
-I haven’t noticed many differences in vocabulary, but sometimes word usage seems simplified from American English. I’ve had to think carefully about money and the exchange rate, but I haven’t had much chance to spend. Everything seems to close pretty early.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow. C.S. Lewis has long been one of my favorite authors/philosophers/
apologists, a love that my dad and I share, so visiting his home will be very special. Dad has told me several times that he is jealous of me. It will also be fun to wander in Oxford for a while.
12 May 2011
Day Two: Heroes of Different Kinds
This was a wonderful day. We were all much more awake and could better appreciate the things we saw.
Blenheim Palace was magnificent. I wish we’d had more time to explore the grounds, but the house itself was incredible. As a photographer, I could appreciate the symmetry of the architecture, even though I rarely take centered shots. I wish we’d been able to take photos inside during the tour, but I know that the memories will last.
The Kilns was one of the places that I’d been looking forward to the most, and was the thing that Dad was most jealous of. He is something of a Lewis scholar, even team-teaching a Lewis course for a while. It was so strange to think that we walked paths that Jack and Warnie walked, stood in the place where Narnia was first put to paper, and looked out the window that Jack probably looked out just before he died. I took dozens of pictures to show Dad.
In one day we stood in the room where Winston Churchill, the great wartime leader, was born, and the room where C.S. Lewis, soldier in more ways than one, died. A hero of country and a hero of faith, so geographically close to each other yet so different.
Our furthered adventures in Oxford proved to be a bit frustrating. All of the shops close around 5pm, so we didn’t have much time. I’m looking for a Lycamobile SIM card so I can use my phone to call my parents. I emailed them tonight but that’s just not enough. I want to hear their voices from across the ocean and speak into my own house. I’ve wanted to text them so many times to tell them what we’ve been doing. I’ve gotten so used to that that it’s almost second nature to reach for my phone. I hope I’m able to find the card in the next few days.
Tomorrow: Bath, Stonehenge, Jane Austen's house, Winchester Cathedral
I want to go back more than I can say. I miss it more than makes sense for a two-week trip.
Part of that might be because it was the last part of my summer that was really good.
But anyway.
For the next few days, I'm going to post a few days worth of journals.
First up: Travel; Oxford
10 May 2011
Day One: Travel Day
I don’t usually get worried/anxious/nervous about leaving home. I’ve been to Hawaii, Jamaica, Florida, St. Louis, and West Virginia, not to mention college, without my parents in the past six years. But I’ve been freaking out about this trip for several weeks. Why?
-I have a tendency to blow through money without realizing it. I know how much of a problem this is but it’s become such a habit that I have to work really hard to remember to think about each purchase.
-My most recent flight was terrible. We were just above a storm and the turbulence was awful. I was scared for the first time in my flying career. My choir director, who was leading the trip, said that it was nothing compared to her trip to Europe. I didn’t want to be scared during a flight again, especially over the ocean.
-I’m not close friends with anyone on the trip. And I’m rarely motivated to care about deepening friendships. I’m just fine doing things on my own, especially when traveling. But on a trip like this, it’s important to become close with the rest of the group. I don’t want to seem like a jerk.
BUT. The van ride to the airport was fine. We had a good time talking about things we’re looking forward to and what we had done to prepare.
AND. The flight has been fine. I watched “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” which was almost nothing like the book but was a decent movie nonetheless.
I’m excited to land and get started on this adventure.
11 May 2011
Day Two: Wanderings in Oxford with Jet Lag
Today we all fought our exhaustion as we wandered about Oxford. I was feeling fine until we sat down for Evensong. Usually, if I keep moving or talking to people, I can stay awake, but as soon as I stop doing anything, it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open.
I’m still trying to convince myself that I’m in England. The people don’t look any different from any I’ve seen before, the landscapes I’ve seen look like Pennsylvania and New York, and the flora and fauna is so similar that I could be anywhere in the States.
Of course, there are differences.
-Driving on the left. I’ve been to Jamaica, so it’s not completely new to me. And Brent has done it so much that I’m not worried at all. I guess the major differences are the lack of square blocks and all of the roundabouts. Plus the cyclists and pedestrians. I’d be so scared to try to drive. No one seems to care about running into anyone. As a fast walker and an intense city walker, I love this. I walk around people and weave through crowds like it’s my job. I refuse to get slowed down by someone in front of me walking slowly. I do this in hallways, on sidewalks at BC, and especially in Chicago. When I’m with a group, though, it becomes a bit of a problem. I’m learning patience.
-The cuisine. There seems to be no such thing as a light meal. I haven’t been very hungry, as my digestive system has not yet adjusted, so the large portions and greasy fish have been difficult to handle.
-I haven’t noticed many differences in vocabulary, but sometimes word usage seems simplified from American English. I’ve had to think carefully about money and the exchange rate, but I haven’t had much chance to spend. Everything seems to close pretty early.
 |
| Christ Church College |
I’m looking forward to tomorrow. C.S. Lewis has long been one of my favorite authors/philosophers/
apologists, a love that my dad and I share, so visiting his home will be very special. Dad has told me several times that he is jealous of me. It will also be fun to wander in Oxford for a while.
12 May 2011
Day Two: Heroes of Different Kinds
This was a wonderful day. We were all much more awake and could better appreciate the things we saw.
 |
| Blenheim Palace |
The Kilns was one of the places that I’d been looking forward to the most, and was the thing that Dad was most jealous of. He is something of a Lewis scholar, even team-teaching a Lewis course for a while. It was so strange to think that we walked paths that Jack and Warnie walked, stood in the place where Narnia was first put to paper, and looked out the window that Jack probably looked out just before he died. I took dozens of pictures to show Dad.
 |
| One of the last sights C.S. Lewis saw |
Our furthered adventures in Oxford proved to be a bit frustrating. All of the shops close around 5pm, so we didn’t have much time. I’m looking for a Lycamobile SIM card so I can use my phone to call my parents. I emailed them tonight but that’s just not enough. I want to hear their voices from across the ocean and speak into my own house. I’ve wanted to text them so many times to tell them what we’ve been doing. I’ve gotten so used to that that it’s almost second nature to reach for my phone. I hope I’m able to find the card in the next few days.
Tomorrow: Bath, Stonehenge, Jane Austen's house, Winchester Cathedral
1 comment:
may I see the pictures again?
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