What I'm doing right now: Not reading the essays on Dickens I'm supposed to be reading, which inhibits me from writing the essay on Dickens I'm supposed to be writing. Oops.
What I'm also not doing: Not updating my Ireland adventures. I have left quite a gap between my last posting and the "to be continued" sequel. But still. My blog. I can do whatever I want. (Less petulantly and in my own defense, I promise that we've been really busy here. More on that below.) Also, I'm not putting up pictures yet. Sorry, Mom.
What we've been doing: We've had so many adventures! We've been to the Globe, to St. Paul's Cathedral, to Hampton Court Palace, to various historical buildings in Oxford, and to The Eagle and Child (C.S. Lewis's pub!). Kalie and I made it down to London last weekend to see Wicked. I've seen Shakespeare's hotel room, his illegitimate son's baptismal fount, and his theatre. (Well, its recreation, at least. Also, I've seen his milkshake bar. But that's not a historical site, in case you were wondering.) We've been wandering the city, exploring and trying new things. We've found meadows and castles and churches and cathedrals, and I'm discovering that there's no way I'm going to be able to fit it all in by the time I leave. Which, although it makes me sad, is only fortifying my resolve to return. This is an amazing place, and I can't say enough about how wonderful Penelope and Francis are. We had tea at their house the other day, and Francis let me hold a compilation of pages from one of Shakespeare's original folios. My knees literally went weak. And Penelope's cooking is surpassingly delicious.
What we do on a typical day: We wake up and eat an English breakfast, which usually consists of toast and jam (I'm never eating jelly again, not after this stuff). Then we book it through the Oxford streets to St. Peter's College, where we have two lectures, punctuated by tea and biscuits. Then, typically, we spend a good part of the day doing homework (or pretending to [I seem to like parentheses a lot today]) and/or exploring. When we get hungry, the five of us--me, Sean, Aidan, Kalie, and our housemate Stephen--combine our efforts to cook dinner. And this provides good times with good friends and good food, and meals are actually one of my favorite parts of the experience so far. We've had some great, intellectual discussions inspired by our lectures and our reading material. One night we sat around our kitchen table with a pot of tea, a package of Hob Nobs (You don't know what Hob Nobs are?! I pity your soul.), and a compilation of Tennyson poems, out of which we took turns reading aloud. It was for class, sure, but it was still incredibly interesting, fun, and food for an English major's soul.
It's been such a wonderful experience so far. I'm being stretched, which I love, and I have the freedom to run around and explore all I want in the best playground I've ever had. And I've learned so much--about this place, certainly, but also about myself and about my friends. We've had a few bad days, but I'm still so glad we're getting to share the adventure with each other. And besides, having a bad day in a new place means you're breaking in a new home. And sometimes the bad days turn out to be your best opportunites to grow--for everyone involved. And even if they suck, you end up pretty grateful for them.
What we're doing tomorrow: Oh my gosh, so much. Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, and a performance of Macbeth. Plus some. I cannot articulate my excitement.
What I'm going to do in about five minutes: Finish this blog post and then take my book to the hill at Oxford Castle, where I will read while I watch the sun set over this city of dreaming spires. As one of my GHP instructors used to say: Peace out, cub scouts!
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