But, as in any fairytale, there is usually a damsel in distress, and the format of my distress is usually embarrassment. My friends and I asking a local whether we can walk on what looked like a sidewalk and then seeing a no walking sign, for example. Also, losing my shoe on the steps up the underground while carrying my luggage, and an impatient Londoner grabbed my suitcase and ran up the stairs with it, as he was tired of being behind me. My friends tell me my accent has become even more Southern since we have gotten here, so I could not be any more obviously American. You can take a girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. All I know to do is show Southern hospitality, be polite, and apologize constantly. "SOARY!" is a very common word around here (meaning "sorry." If you say excuse me, like we usually do in the good ol' U.S. of A., they'll stop and expect you to say something! Awkward!)
As bustling and fascinating as London was, it cannot compare to my first glimpse of the countryside. When I saw that first pasture on the train ride from London to Salisbury, I felt like the backdrop of the daydream I have had my whole life was right before my eyes. I got a little misty eyed from tears of joy, I must admit. When we toured Stonehenge, I felt like I would never want to leave it. I wanted to build a little farmhouse and fence where I could keep some cows to open a little dairy farm right by those mystical stones. I felt like I belonged there. I couldn't help but romp in the grass, twirling and swirling with joy that I was living my daydream.
Oh, and did I mention this place is foodie heaven?! Food is expensive here, but I don't mind a bit, because everything is pretty much organic and natural. Processed foods are almost non-existent. I have been most impressed by the ham! Eating a ham sandwich at home is just plain-Jane, but here, it's a luxury!!! That pork is so fresh that it's still singing "Hakuna Matata!!!" Hehe ;)
Oops, I almost forgot. This is a "study" abroad trip, so I guess should mention what I have been learning ;) For example, did you know Peter Pan is about infant mortality? Yes, he died as a baby in the first book, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (we discussed it in the very location that inspired Barrie to write it!) I know this shatters everything you thought you knew about Peter Pan as it did for me, but don't cry: the story was meant to comfort people of that time period when infant mortality rates were very high, because it shows Peter living a happy, full life after his untimely death. It also was a protest against the rigidness children were expected to conform to in that era, when they were not allowed to have any imagination. This book encouraged childhood freedom. Speaking of childhood adventure books, we also stood in the very garden in Oxford that inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland! We discussed the people he based the character of the book on (yes, there was a real Alice and Dinah!) FASCINATING! This is broadening my horizons as an English major like nothing else ever could. Everything is so much more real when what we are reading is right in front of us. It's like the history and ideas behind the writing are tangible! Literally! Here is THE garden door as described in Alice:
The heartwarming "Bon Voyages" and early birthday cards I got from my family and friends before I left seem like they were received in another dimension, although it was only days ago. I have been in a swirling tornado of new sights, like the twister that carried Dorothy away from home, off to an adventure.
I have seen an ancient castle filled with golden-threaded robes and diamond-studded scepters, alongside some of the world's most impressive modern architecture (that is one of the most fascinating aspects of London; it's so full of history that the old and new are side by side).
I have seen the story of one of the world's greatest empires told by its people's artifacts in the Museum of London.
I have stood in awe of one of the world's greatest mysteries, with the wind in my hair adding to the chill of magic that was already in the air; in that grassy paradise, I felt as if I were living a poem from the Romantic era. Or maybe as if I were Merida, my Disney princess hero.
I have gazed down from stony ruins at the same sheep-dotted, yellow-and-green-patch-quilted scenery that provided part of the backdrop for the saga of Henry VIII.
I have worshiped the Lord within stone walls and stained glass that are a reminder of His majesty.
I have walked the ground the Romans once tread, surrounded by mystical caverns and hot springs.
However, far more than experiencing these landmarks, I have experienced life. RICH life. Talking with the locals and splitting my sides at their mischievous humor. Getting to know friends, both old and new, much more deeply. Discussing centuries-old literature, whether in the daisy-dotted, grassy churchyard of Salisbury Cathedral, or in the ballroom Jane Austen once frequented, and sharing our awe of how alive these words still are this very day.
