And we’re off!

I left on Wednesday night and all my flights were delayed in some way or another, my over night from LA to NYC pulling over to emergency land in Texas for a few hours due to engine failure and my NYC to Dublin the next nigh leaving a full 5 hours later than expected. I spent Thursday wandering the Museum of Modern Art in NYC with my high school friend Alexis and got back to the airport in time to wait another 6 hours for my delayed flight to Dublin, but with a few tears, some running and serious trust in the universe I made my flight from Dublin to London and met my friend Emily in the café by Victoria Station like we’d planned.

Emily and I walked through Hyde Park to find our hostel, checking in and then heading out to meet a friend and explore the city – walking through the lit up West End on a Friday night (posters for the Book of Mormon are on every bus). London is a huge place, but it always feels walkable, like there will always be something worth seeing around the next corner. We got back to our hostel late and I fell asleep smiling as we crept into bed, glad to have made it to the adventure I’d hoped for.

The next day we wandered London all morning looking for another hostel or wifi or a place to store bags, miscommunicating until we just ended up at the Victoria and Albert museum. My feet were blistered and tired but I’m glad it worked out that way, the three of us stumbling upon Kiwi Day celebrations (drunken dressed up Aussie/New Zelanders) and beautiful neighborhoods that look nothing like America’s. We stored our packs at the museum and used their wifi to look up hostels, ultimately deciding we’d just head back to Oxford after dinner to rest up and see the rest of London later in the week.

It was a good decision and we spent all day Sunday exploring Oxford colleges and the city attractions. From courtyards to parks to cathedrals to bridges, Oxford felt modern and ancient all at once – all its inhabitants dressed their best to meet up in pubs to discuss theology. We heard musicians practicing from every hall and stopped in for an Evensong service at the St. Cross chapel (scratch that it was New College) – the choir boys singing impressively well for looking so casual. Emily’s house mates are one character after another, switching from Italian references to jokes about the 1300s without stopping for a second. Even the house has character, portraits of monks hanging from the walls and the book shelves lined with books from every discipline. But as studious as everyone obviously is, there is such a culture of camaraderie – inside jokes and drinks for every occasion prevail. Every college has common rooms and lounges stocked with tea, dining halls and bars. Oxford students work hard, but socializing is a full time job too.

One of Emily’s friends is friends with a member of the band Reel Big Fish so when she was giving them a tour on Tuesday I tagged along, spending the afternoon quizzing them about life on the road and what they think of audiences (apparently they do see you dancing manically in the crowd and remember enough to tell their friends later). My brother is a fan of theirs so I asked them to sign a paper for him after dinner (they had a sharpie with them because pen never looks as good) and passed on their offer to see their show that night from backstage.

I had an early day the next morning heading to London alone to explore and give Emily a chance to catch up on some work. It poured all day but I walked along the river from London Bridge to Westminster Abbey anyway, passing the Eye and the Borough and the Globe and heading on to the Palace. I dried off in the Tate Modern Art Museum and crossed bridges and platforms just because I could. The clouds parted as the sun was setting and I went to the 5pm service at the Abbey, finishing my day exploring the Lebanese district in search of food. London really impressed me.

We headed to the nearby town of Woodstock on Thursday to explore the Blenheim Palace grounds and chase quail (pheasant?), eating a full English breakfast at an adorable café and exploring the local museum before heading back to have dinner and catch the play Gawain the Green Knight in Oxford with a few of Emily’s friends. I loved it and going for ice cream afterwards was the perfect way to end the night.

Friday and Saturday were pretty chill, I made my plans for Scotland and sent some emails back home before we headed out to the Brasenose formal hall for dinner on Friday. Emily was feeling feisty so we forced the dorky undergrad boys sitting next to us to talk, freaking them out by being girls who wanted to talk to them. They were so unbelievably awkward, but Emily and I had a ball. We finished the weekend with a few more museums and pubs we’d missed, spending more time together than we had in 4 years, maybe more.  It was nice to catch up in person, getting to see the daily life and worries we all face. 

Sunday I went to church with her before catching my buses to London and then Edinburgh, talking for a while with a few members of her congregation. It was nice to share some of myself with them, to hear who they are and what they care about. They were all so supportive of my trip and gave me the extra bit of confidence I needed to leave Emily and head off to Scotland alone.

So now you know the facts – I did this and then I did that and then I did this again. But if I try to add much more or think about things too far I’ll never post it. The name of the game is checking things of the list and I can fill in the fun stuff later. Maybe.