going home

I spent 105 days in London, so I am not going to consider this another day. Today is devoted to travel. Let’s try not to go crazy.

I was up at 5am and on a coach bus at 6am headed to Heathrow. We made it to our gate with plenty of time to spare, and our plane took off on-time at 9:45am. After a very very long 9 hours and 20 minutes, we touched down in Atlanta and I couldn’t help but smile at all the greenery (this word makes me laugh at the English language).

Found out that Kayla would also be on my connecting flight, so we got our bags, re-checked them, went through security again, and went straight to our gate with no time to spare (and this was a 2 hour layover). We departed the gate at 4:20, on-time, and hung out on the runway for 30min before getting the approval to leave. They must account for this, though, especially at Atlanta, because we were right on time, getting into Nashville at 4:31pm after a very short 37min flight.

We headed straight to Barbara’s! Next stop: Knoxville.

Feels so good to be home!

this is it

days 103-105
April 16-18

Monday

Grachelle invited us all over for a Korean BBQ at her place tonight. She lives in the middle of nowhere (zone 3) so it was fun getting out of the city for a little bit. We brought our Korean friend Ember (for authenticity’s sake) and she helped Grachelle with cooking, pronunciation, and explanations of all the food’s history. Kerri came as well. Such a fun night to have one last hoorah with our London friends.

Tuesday

Last day at work! I finished up all my projects today, had a final debrief with Suzanne, and was on my way out to freedom take the 242 bus home one last time. Never again will I be able to ride past St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bank Street, and the historic City of London on the way to/from work.

I had a phone interview tonight for a position on UT’s campus next semester as Teach for America’s campus campaign coordinator. Basically, I would be networking on behalf of TFA. I spent 1.5 hours on the phone and was late to go see The Wizard of Oz (show #12) with Grachelle and her friend. I rushed over, picked up my ticket from will call, and watched the last 60% or so. Since this is the first production of The Wizard of Oz since Wicked was created, the creators knew it had to be big and different. Thankfully, that creator was Andrew Lloyd Weber (Phantom of the Opera). I was amazed at the set, the props, the dancing, Toto…everything was really immaculate and over the top, in the best way possible. The last scene where Dorothy wakes up from her “dream” was done perfectly. Grachelle said she wanted to cry because she is like Dorothy…having to say goodbye to her Tennessee friends. And as the tin man says, “I now know I have a heart…because it’s breaking.”

(I have since found out I did not get the TFA position)

Wednesday

Last day! What to do, what to do. I ended up selling my ticket to Maddie for the Harry Potter Studio Tour. I decided I would rather have someone else go who would have a lot more fun than I would. I was disappointed I would have to miss out on lunch with Claire Brandon if I went, so this way I could do that and have more time to pack. We met Claire and her mom for lunch at Nando’s. I sure will miss this place. Dabney and her parents decided to go to Oxford today so unfortunately we didn’t get to see them.

I packed everything up fairly quickly since I had already filled my big duffel full of 50 pounds of clothes. And I’m so thankful Ryan sent his parents home with stuff over spring break because I had to give him a lot to take back. I would have been forced to throw stuff away had he not done that…and who wants to throw books away?

Tonight everyone met up at Mark & Lizzie’s for our weekly “Equip” meeting. Or really just a prayer/hang out time. I really loved doing this on Wednesday nights, especially at their new place in Battersea. Since you have to take the tube and a bus to get there, it just gives you time to travel throughout some really neat parts of London. I could not imagine this trip without the people at this church and what better way to spend my last night in London? I said goodbye to everyone (getting a good “Yes Hunter” out of Johnny) and left with Em & Grachelle. We parted with Grachelle at the train station and I watched her skip across the street in the rain singing Wizard of Oz tunes. Em and I hopped on the 452 bus and said goodbye when I got off at Sloane Square.

I’m going home tomorrow!!!

day one hundred two

April 15

Well I’ve been home now for 6 days. Time to finish up this blog before I forget everything.

I don’t remember doing anything today except going to church. It was our last Sunday at Reality London, and a bittersweet one. I cannot wait to go home on Thursday, and am at the point where 5 days seems like a lifetime.

Mark spoke on Ephesians 5 I think…let us walk out of here UNASHAMEDLY and proclaim the name of God in everything we do.

Everything 😉

day one hundred one

April 14

Last Saturday in London. Numerous locals have been bugging me to see Matilda the Musical since we first got here, so I finally decided to go wait in line for tickets. I know…Matilda? Really? Like the kids film?

They only reserve 8 tickets per performance for day seats, so getting them is supposed to be semi-competitive. Also, they are only 5 pounds. I was instructed to arrive no later than 7:15am! I arrived at 6:50 and there were already 8 people in line for the evening performance. I waited 3 hours and got a ticket for the matinee. Maddie & Chucky were supposed to meet me outside at 6:40, but I wasn’t surprised when nobody showed 😉

After getting tickets, I headed straight to the Borough! I knew my stay in London would not be complete without one more visit to pick up some Sicilian blood oranges and mushroom pate. And while I’m there, why not a homemade chicken + green curry meat pie (soooo good).

Matilda was a decent play. Went in with high expectations, so I ended up not liking it that much. It’s catered towards kids, although they say adults are supposed to get equal enjoyment out of it. Not true. I couldn’t help but compare it to Billy Elliot, which didn’t have an elaborate set or costumes. It just had a solid script and great actors.

Tonight was Taylor’s last night in London (before heading “home” to Dubai), so we all went out to the Hard Rock Cafe. Not my choice of restaurant! A burger costs 15 pounds, so I was not participating in tonight’s meal (also, they don’t split checks here. going to dinner with 10 people is not the easiest thing). We had a good time.

dreary land of wonder

days 96-100
April 9-13

Monday

Today is the annual Easter “bank holiday”. Everyone gets this day off as well as Good Friday to make for an extra special Easter holiday. Londoners tend to leave town and many businesses close shop on Friday. Now that Ryan is back from Paris, we met up with Em in Notting Hill to experience the famed Portobello Road one last time. We walked around and settled in at the Hummingbird Bakery – famous for their cupcakes. Very yummy with a much more appropriate amount of icing than the States, where it feels as if the cupcake is trying to eat you. We really do think bigger is better for some reason. But the Brits think more expensive is better, and it’s not.

Tonight I met Kerri for our very exciting night at the Duke of York’s Theatre seeing All New People. Written by and starring Zach Braff (Scrubs), this play is set in a summer vacation home in the middle of winter. Just like 24, All New People is set in real time. We experience time just as the characters do. No scene changes. It was great seeing Zach Braff live, but (and a very big but) his character is extremely depressing. He laughs once, and for all of us who are fans of Dr. D, we don’t want to see a sullen Zach Braff. Lace that with constant smoking, profane language, and cocaine, it just wasn’t very exciting.

Tuesday

Tonight I finished season 4 of Breaking Bad! If you haven’t seen this show, it’s time to start. I started watching it on Netflix after classes ended in December and proceeded to watch 3 seasons before leaving for London. What an incredible plot line, and even more incredible that it continues to keep my attention and keep me on the very edge of my seat (bed?). Bravo AMC and bravo Bryan Cranston. Can’t wait for season 5 to start in July.

Wednesday

Headed to Mark & Lizzie’s tonight in Battersea. They recently moved so it is now quite an adventure getting to their house. I had to take the tube to Sloane Park then hop on the 452 bus down to their place. Took about 45 minutes in total. We had a really great time eating Mexican, talking, praying. There were only 7 people there, so I was a little more in my element and finally got to have some conversations with people I’ve been wanting to get to know a little better. So grateful for these people!

Thursday

Uneventful.

Friday

We had planned to have a Korean BBQ at Grachelle’s tonight, but had to reschedule for Monday. Chucky, Taylor, and I went to Subway for dinner and as we thought about what we wanted to do, we decided to try to get tickets to The 39 Steps. We found Kerri on the way there and dragged her with us. They sell best-available tickets for 15 pounds one hour before each performance, so we got great seats in the stalls. This is a hilarious comedy in which 4 actors play 139 roles in 100 minutes. You think this is going to be a whirlwind CF, but there is a story line and it’s very easy to follow. It’s been around for a while, so if you’re ever bored in London, chances are you can grab a ticket…

day ninety-five

April 8

Happy Easter!

Today was very uneventful. Besides going to church, I stayed in most of the day and watched three movies on Netflix. Annie Hall with Woody Allen & Diane Keaton, Music of the Heart with Meryl Streep, and The Way with Martin Sheen & Emilio Estevez. All really great! I was supposed to go on a big run, but I had no motivation to go outside into the gross weather. Everybody is gone traveling this weekend except for a few of us.

Church was great! We had a huge turnout (30 people) for Easter service and it was really fun being with our new friends this Easter. Last year Cort, Kyle, and I stayed in Knoxville and ended up having a blast. Redeemer had a folk-themed music service and the energy was really great – glad I could keep the tradition going this year.

day ninety-four

April 7

Today Ashley, Maddie, and I ventured to Bath. This is a very historical place, dating back to Roman times, with lots of cool architecture and other things to see around the city. It’s not as cool as Brighton, but maybe that’s because it’s not on the coast and the sun wasn’t out today. We just walked around all day. Saw the Royal Crescent, went through some botanical gardens, had a great meal at the oldest house in Bath, and toured the ancient Roman hot spring baths. Like I said, very historical.

day ninety-three

April 6

It seems like I’ve been here so much longer than 93 days. Yes, this is the longest I’ve been away from home (depending where that is exactly), but I just can’t believe all I have been able to do in this time. You can really change by experiences like this if you let yourself. I’d like to think I have a better sense of myself, the world, different cultures, and what I might want my future to look like with all this in mind.

Today, day 1 out of our 4-day government-mandated “bank holiday”, I traveled south to Brighton with Ashley and Maddie. Brighton is the go-to spot for some sun. Their pebble “beaches” don’t make a great tanning spot for you girls, but any beach town with a pier is fun in my eyes. We enjoye walking around, getting fish & chips and milkshakes on the pier, learning a little bit of Brighton’s history in the museum (oddly enough I was really curious about this little beach town’s history), relaxing on the “beach”, and going on some rides on the pier. It’s basically the Santa Monica of the UK. The first time I heard about Brighton was from Mike & Carol Braun at the Braun Family Christmas in Des Moines. It is also the setting of the first play we saw here, One Man, Two Guvnors. For 7 pounds round trip, we figured we should check it out! It was a fun day in the sun and now I’m very excited to go to Manhattan Beach in May.

getting close to the end

days 89-92
April 2-5

Monday

Happy Birthday Ryan! Tonight we went out to My Old Dutch for their weekly 5 pound pancake deal. Think giant crepe rather than regular ol’ pancakes. Grachelle & Em joined Kerri, Taylor, Chucky and I to celebrate his big #20.

Tuesday

Sweeney Todd! Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton have been receiving rave reviews for their performances and 6 of us bought tickets to go. What an incredible show. Hilarious, sad, dark. Michael Ball played the mother in Hairspray on Broadway so he’s had a 360-degree turnaround. And Imelda Staunton, recent Oscar nominee, is best known for playing Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter movies 5 & 7. It’s a weird storyline, but it works. A fun night.

Wednesday

Went out to Nando’s for dinner with Ryan and Chris. Looks like this will be a weekly occurrence come fall (minus the Nando’s). It’s been really fun getting to know Chris since meeting him in January. He’s here with the UT poli sci program, but he and his classmates have had no problem blending in with the GLS group. They room with GLS people and Chris even came to Stockholm with us. We will miss you Nando’s 😦

Thursday

Decided to sleep in and try running in the afternoon today.

Ate way too much chocolate at work.

Ended up having a really great run in the evening. My training is working and I’m pumped and ready for April 28!

Ireland

days 86-88
March 30 – April 1

This was a whirlwind trip, but how often can you take a whirlwind trip to Ireland?

Ryan and I were originally thinking about going to Ireland over our long Easter weekend (in the UK you get Good Friday and the following Monday off), but we found a flight that was half as much for the weekend before. It was fun traveling with Ryan because it’s just so much easier that way. We’ve really channeled into our inner-spontaneity, and we were continually remind of this throughout this trip.

Our timing for everything was impeccable. Our 7:20am EasyBus shuttle to the airport got us there 70 minutes before departure. Our flight was only an hour long and we were in Dublin by 11am. This airport is not very far from the city, so we only had a 25 minute coach ride after we landed. I forget why we chose the hostel we did, but it was in Temple Bar – a very eclectic, touristy, and flamboyant area. It may have been loud at night (thank you ear plugs), but it was nice being in the middle of everything we wanted to see.

Dublin is not a huge city. It may have a wide metro area, but the city itself is not extravagant like you would expect a major city like Dublin to be. Everything is situated upon the river and you can find just as much to do on the North side as you can the South. Our first stop, of course, was the Guinness Storehouse. Not surprisingly, this is either the #1 or #2 most visited places in Dublin. They take their Guinness very seriously in Ireland, and we learned all about how it is made, how you know if a restaurant serves “good” Guinness, and how to properly pour a pint. I have seen a customer at Mellow Mushroom erupt over an improperly-poured pint of Guinness, and now I understand where he was coming from. At the end of the museum tour, we headed to the 7th floor to receive our “free” pint of Guinness at the Gravity Bar. This is the highest point in Dublin with 360-degree views of the city. Some people on their way out gave us their unused tickets, so we ended up receiving 2 “free” pints! The tour cost 10.6 Euro, and a pint of Guinness costs 5 Euro in Temple Bar, so we’re saying we got our money’s worth.

^^Did I really just write that much about Guinness?^^

We walked all around Dublin Friday night, down Grafton Street and into a really nice public park. We had dinner at Crackbird, a nice chicken restaurant. Not sure why we were feeling fried chicken, but this was actually really good. And classy! I had fried soy garlic chicken. We found some live music then headed back to the hostel by 10pm.

We were up at 6am to make it to our 12 hour tour across the country at 6:50!  It was a tour on a large coach bus with around 50 other people and we stopped in small towns like Limerick, Doolin, and Galway. Our tour guide, Mike, was a hilarious Irish man who really couldn’t care less about how many kids were on board. He would usually apologize after cursing only to continue throughout the tour. He taught us words like feck, feckin’, fecker, and craic (pronounced crack). Feck means…feck. And craic means fun. The Irish love to have tons of craic, and that’s exactly what we did today. The main attraction on our tour was the Cliffs of Moher. I’m just going to post photos and not try to explain this in words:

look at the person on top for scale

Can’t tour anywhere in this part of Europe without getting some Harry Potter history – these cliffs are the backdrop for the Horcrux Cave in HP6. These are the only shots in the entire film series that were not shot in the UK!

my position as the security guard comes walking up asking why we hopped the fence

Doolin

When we got back we went to find the “U2 Wall” in order to pay our respects to Ireland’s most famous band. We couldn’t find it, so we went to a pub in Temple Bar for more live music and were in bed by 11pm since we had to get up at 5:45am on Sunday to catch our coach to the airport. Made our flight with plenty of time to spare, arrived in London on time, and got through customs just in time for our EasyBus shuttle back to London. And what a beautiful, sunny day to stare out the window for an hour. We got to drive through the suburbs of London and see everyone out on their bikes. Felt like America.

My training for the half marathon is going well! I’m having to do longer runs on the weekends and today could not have been better for a 90 minute run. I ran around the perimeter of Central London – starting out in Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill, heading east through backroads towards King’s Cross station, then to Clerkenwell (near church), down by St. Paul’s where I ran along the north bank of the Thames with stunning views of the London Eye & Big Ben, then up through Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus back towards home. I wonder how many people running in the Nashville half marathon will have had this kind of training experience.