I'm a list maker. You're gonna have to deal with that. :)
HISTORY- The amazing thing about British History is that not only can it be learned, but also lived. Go anywhere in England and you will learn something you won't forget. Love love love.
(This is a photo I took from the London Eye of Parliament and surrounding areas.)
CHILDHOOD-
This is Ely.
Ely basically raised me to be street smart. It also fed my independence when I was young. Everyday I rode my bike from my house to the center of town even though I wasn't supposed to. I made my usual route behind Waitrose, under the tunnel and through the market square. From there I would ride down the big hill down to the river and play with the swans and ducks, and on Fridays listen to the band play. I would then struggle back up the hill, go through the stone Almondry door, park my bike behind the bathrooms, pet the cat, and walk through the flower garden to the cathedral.
I would walk through it and pretend I lived there, always stopping to light a candle and say a prayer. Here is what part of the inside looks like.
After that I would get back on my bike and ride to the train station, always wondering, if I had enough money, how I could take the train somewhere and back without getting caught. A few times I even went into a pub called the Minster Tavern and watched football with some older gentlemen. I was in the 5th grade... but they didn't seem to care at all. I constantly made new friends on my route and I loved it.
I was really good at not talking about these occurrences because I didn't want to get in trouble. Getting into trouble would make the adventures stop.
One day I even got hit by a car. I was crossing a neighborhood intersection and suddenly felt the strong and painful impact of something large, metal, and mean. The woman driving apologized profusely and I told her I was fine, then hastily tried to ride home. Battered and bruised, I hid the truth from everyone and actually ended up keeping the secret for close to 12 years. :)
ADVENTURE- The stories I have are innumerable. They are also unforgettable and life-changing. I've explored so many new places and ideas that I would not trade for anything in the world.
This was actually taken in Wales, but it is one of my favorite photos and a reminder of just one of my many awesome adventures in the UK. *swoon*
This is the pier at Brighton. One of my most cherished places. This photo was taken after a long afternoon of playing with my good friend Jillian. :)
Queen of the Tube: My method of travelling EVERYWHERE in London and one of my best friends. le sigh.
MEMORIES- Going to school, showjumping, wandering the streets of London, eating with close friends, going to church, meeting celebrities, learning new things, staying in hostels in the most random places you can imagine... I miss it all.
Yep, that would be Michelle Pfeiffer waving and smiling at lil ol' Lolli.
TRUE HAPPINESS-
Jumping for joy in an alleyway in London... somewhere near Great Russell st.
PEOPLE- If you really want to know me, go to England with me. Then you'll have a part of me that no one else does.
Having cream tea in Devon near Lydford Gorge.
More strangers have touched my heart here than in any other place I have been. This was a homeless man and his dog that I met by my flat one day. He still enters my mind on a regular basis.
PURPOSE-
I love England because she loved me first. It was here that I first found out how to be myself and here that I learned how to love. I found beauty and truth in England. I also found security and comfort... and when that was stripped from me years later, I found it again. In England.
Most of all I found a purpose.
and I want to go back. Now, please.
