Nostalgia

I've been feeling pretty nostalgic lately, for several reasons.

At the Mayan ruins of Tulum 

The first, and probably most immediate, is that I'm having a hard time believing that it's now been more than a year since I left for my study abroad experience in England. It was a wonderful period of time, where I met new people and saw amazing sights. I frequently consider the merits of buying a plane ticket to go back, despite the great expense.

Going on a cruise in the Carribean over winter break has helped with the desire to travel a least a little, especially considering that it was warm and beautiful while it was cold back home, but I definitely still want to travel so many other places in the future. I've been to Europe a couple of times (and still seen only some of the many sights available) and, as of this December, I've touched on a very small part of South America; however, I've never been to so many other places, and I hope to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way in the future to see a bit more of the world.

Another piece of nostalgia is the fact that this is my final semester at William & Mary. It's hard to think that it has already been almost four years since I began as a freshman and had no idea what a wonderful community I would build here. I love being a student here because of my friends, and because of the opportunities for new experiences (in classes, in clubs, and even studying abroad). I don't yet know what will come when I graduate in May, but I'm sure it will also be amazing if my time at William & Mary is any indication. However, I'm don't know where I'm going to find a group of friends as awesome as my friends in Spotlight Show Choir...so I suppose I'll just have to come back to visit everyone as frequently as possible (potentially to the point where they're a little sick of me, but such is life).

Not only does the idea of graduating make me feel nostalgic for my freshman year, I also feel
nostalgic for my childhood, because graduating from college seems like a landmark for growing up
and taking on new responsibilities. I don't know if I'm ready to think of myself as an adult quite yet, luckily I have quite a few months to get used to the idea.

Homeward Bound

So: This is it.

I'm sitting in the airport, waiting for our gate to be listed, and trying to find the words to sum up this experience. I will admit to having felt some apprehension before leaving about how well I would manage being away from home for so long a period. I do not generally tend towards homesickness, but I've never been so far away before. 

However, everyone is always saying that a study abroad is a life-changing and wonderful experience, and they are certainly not wrong. I do not regret for a moment my decision to come here, even if it does mean that I have had one less semester to spend at William & Mary. I loved living in Exeter almost as much as I have loved Williamsburg, and I am as sad to leave it behind as I will be come next spring and graduation.

I made so many new friends: students from the University of Exeter, other exchange students from around the world, and even some from back at William & Mary whom I might never have met otherwise. I saw new places, both in the British Isles and in continental Europe. Although I certainly hope that I will have more opportunities to travel in the future; I still have a very long list to get through, and quite a few continents that I haven't even begun to explore.

I think that being here has taught me so many things about myself that I never knew. 

I can survive on my own in an unfamiliar place, helpful knowledge, considering my looming graduation and entry into the real world. When traveling, and probably just in general, you will get lost and things will not work out the way you had planned, but if you just relax, things do work out. People are nicer than you expect. 

There's also the little lessons: learn some of the language (be it an entirely new language or just some changes in slang), don't overpack (you need less than you think), take advantage of the opportunities you are given, and above all, don't panic.

After this, I am no longer so worried about how my life will change after I graduate; I know I can handle what comes my way.

I am a bit sad to be leaving, but I also think that I am ready to go home. I plan to put my new life lessons to good use and to be much braver than I was before. Over the past few months I have realized how much there is to see back home, and how little of it I have seen.

Hopefully it won't be too long before I get another chance to travel abroad; but if it is, I will simply have to find some new adventures closer to home!

The Last of My Days in England

The day we traveled back to England from Ireland was the day that felt like it might never end.

We woke up at around 3:00 that morning and loaded the car up, before making the three-ish hour drive down to Dublin to meet our 8:30 ferry to Holyhead, Wales. We made good time and arrived with nearly an hour to spare before boarding, an hour we filled with caffeine and blank stares. The ferry itself was all right, if a bit rougher than ithe way over had been. Once again we had booked premium tickets, so I interspersed cups of tea with naps curled up in my little armchair.

Upon arrival in Holyhead, we made our way across Anglesey Isle and up the coast a little, to Conwy Castle. We parked on the far side of the city from the castle itself and walked most of the way on the old city walls. The castle was really interesting, although mostly an empty shell of stone at this point. The views of the sea from the towers were beautiful, plus I found some remaining stained glass in the chapel!

After leaving Conwy, we drove back down the coast a bit and made another stop at a castle. This one was Caernarfon Castle, and it looked to be in slightly better shape than Conwy, at least from the outside, and we did not actually end up going in. Instead, we took a few nice pictures of the outside, and of the surrounding town, before finding someplace to eat. We all know that, no matter how beautiful, historic buildings must be found wanting when compared to food (especially considering that we were all absolutely starving). We ate at the Black Boy Inn, just down the street from the castle; I'm not sure if the lamb shank (my second of the trip) was actually a delicious as I thought it was, or if I was just so hungry that anything would have tasted amazing.

After those two stops, we pretty much just drove continuously on our way down to Exeter (which our handy GPS estimated would take us at least another five and a half hours). On the way we did drive through both the Snowdonia National Park (Doesn't that just sound like thename of a made-up kingdom for Barbies?) the Brecon Beacons National Park, which were both beautiful. 

I was thrilled when we finally made it to Exeter. We parked the car, dumped our bags in my flat, and walked down to our hotel. Michael spent the night in my flat, as our hotel would only sleep two, while Mom and I spent the night at the Royal Clarence Hotel out on the Cathedral Yard (we had a view of the Cathedral from our window). That night was the best sleep I have had in ages, bar none.

The next day I introduced my mom to the wonders of the Exeter Cathedral, which I think is the most beautiful we visited (not that I'm biased or anything), before grabbing breakfast and heading out on our trip for the day.

We decided to head out, driving through Dartmoor on the way, to Tintagel, on the coast of Cornwall. Tintagel is the legendary birthplace of King Arthur and the town definitely banks on that connection. Everything that possibly could had a name that referenced some aspect of the Arthurian legends (in fact we had lunch at the King Arthur's Arms after we walked back from the castle).

The castle itself, mostly ruins, was on a rocky outcropping into the ocean and the views were spectacular. First we walked down to the beach and into Merlin's Cave. We chose wisely, because when we came back from our adventures on the higher ground of the castle, the tide had come in and the cave was inaccessible. But my favorite part was the rocky cliffs jutting out above the ocean. I was glad to get some gorgeous pictures in, but mostly I just enjoyed sitting there.

The uphill trek back into town was a little unpleasant; it was a fairly hot day and we were probably still a little tired from our long journey the day before. Once we got back in town, we found the first place that looked appealing and sat down to lunch. I had my last fish and chips of my study abroad.

We left Exeter the next morning; it was sad to say goodbye to the town that had been my home for e last five months, but luckily I had gotten the chance to say some last goodbyes already (I had run into Jen, Lucy and Simon the night before).

Our first stop of the day was Bath. It was just as beautiful the second time around, although we walked around a different part of  the city this time. We saw the Jane Austen Centre, the Circus (large town houses arranged in circular around a little park, and apparently inspired by the Colosseum), and some generally good examples of the beautiful architecture in Bath. Our one real stop was in the Fashion Museum, which Michael suffered through admirably. I loved looking at the clothes, but the best part was definitely trying them on. We were given the opportunity to try on a few different Victorian gowns and bonnets, as well as corsets and crinolines. I think I tried on all of the gowns that would possibly fit me, and the corset made my waist look amazing (although I will admit to some, by which I mean so so much, difficulty breathing while wearing it).

We continued our journey towards London and, on the way, visited Stonehenge (the second time for Michael and me) was still rather awe-inspiring, and once again the weather was perfect for the visit.

Although that was our last real stop, the day was certainly not over. Once we arrived at our hotel, a Jury's Inn near Heathrow, we unpacked the car and headed out to the rental lot to return it. I think we were all glad to be done driving on the opposite side of the road, and it was kind of relaxing taking the tube back to the hotel.

This morning we headed into the city, heading first to see the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Mom was especially excited to see the Tower Bridge because on her first (and only before now) trip to London there had been scaffolding covering it.

After that we headed over to St Paul's, which Michael was particularly interested in seeing. We walked around the church, enjoying the amazing mosaics and the neoclassical architecture for a while. We also climbed up the many stairs to the Whispering Gallery and the Stone Gallery, although we did not continue all the way up to the Golden Gallery, a decision my legs much appreciated. We had lunch at a nearby Pizza Express, before Michael left to grab his bags from the hotel and make his way to the airport for his flight back home.

Mom and I continued on to Westminster, where we saw the Houses of Parliament, as well as Westminster Abbey. The abbey was beautiful as well, although I will admit to a preference for St. Paul's versus the gothic architecture of Westminster (Mom had exactly the opposite preference, but to each their own). However it is still a close call, and I absolutely adore the stained glass windows, the detailing in the stonework, and the arches of Westminster.

The last thing on our agenda was to pay a visit to the National Portrait Gallery, although first we stopped into their cafe for afternoon tea (or coffee in my mom's case). The gallery was a wonderful as ever, and I could have spent at least twice the amount of time there than we were able to.

For dinner I introduced my mom to one of my favorite chains here, Wagamamas; then we headed back to the hotel, where I proceeded to pack frantically (this is always how I would characterize my packing, no matter how much time I spend at it, because I loathe it so very much) and then to write this very blog post. See: I can write posts in a timely manner. 

Tomorrow morning I will be leaving the UK and returning to the US, for the first time in more than five months. 

A Week in Ireland

On Tuesday morning we began the three hour drive down to the port for our ferry to Belfast. The drive itself was lovely, despite intermittent rain (although that certainly wasn't unsual). On the way we actually got a good look at Stirling Castle, and some pretty good pictures I think. We also got to see some amazing views as we drove through all the coastal towns on our way to Cairnryan.

The ferry ride itself was nice as well, especially since we got premium tickets and spent the trip in the Stena Plus Lounge. In any case, the trip was only about two hours, and before we knew it, we were on the road again, this time in Northern Ireland.

After arriving in Belfast, we went directly to the Titanic Belfast Museum, the exterior of which is intended to simultaneously evoke the iceberg and the prow of the Titanic. The museum left me feeling a bit drained, especially when you consider how much of that tragedy could have been avoided.

In need of a pick-me-up, we headed over to the Mount Stewart house and gardens. The house wasn't particularly impressive, partly because it was under restoration (lots of scaffolding); but the gardens were spectacular, and surprisingly Mediterranean feeling. In addition, the location of the house afforded some wonderful views of Strangford Lough.

To get to our flat in Belcoo, we actually had to head back through Belfast, which was lucky because this time we managed to stumble across some of the Unionist murals (those who supported Northern Ireland remaining with Britain), as well as one of the "peace walls" containing the Catholic neighborhood.

The flat in Belcoo was my favorite yet, not least because it provided a good Wifi signal (finally). It was actually located just across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, so all of our phones decided we had already crossed the border. Luckily the pub owner next door was willing to call our host so he could come meet us with the keys to the flat.

The next day we took advantage of the location and the sun, and walked around the park that could be seen from the windows of our flat. We even walked across the bridge and into the Republic of Ireland (which marks the first occasion on which I can say I walked into a different country). Later on, we drove into Enniskillen, where we saw the castle and cathedral, although we didn't actually stop at either.

On Thursday we got up fairly early, so that we could head up to the Causeway coast. We made our first stop at Mussenden Temple and Bishops Gate. The temple was originally built as library and is modelled after the Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum. Located right on the cliff's edge, the temple provides an amazing view of the ocean. The grounds of Downhill Estate, on which the temple is located, were full of rolling hills (there were definitely some "the hills are alive" pictures taken).

Next we headed further along the coast to Dunluce Castle, which was mostly ruins, located on an outcropping of cliffs above the ocean. What was cool was that you could walk down, almost to the water at the bottom of the cliff, and see a little cave running under the castle and into the ocean.

The final, and best, stop along the coast was obviously the Giant's Causeway, which was absolutely breathtaking. We also had enormous fun climbing around the various formations, which made me think of honeycombs. I picked up a necklace which imitated the pattern. This was probably my favorite stop of the trip thus far.

After that we decided to head home, because it was already past four, and the drive back would take at least another three hours. On the way back we drove through the Sparrin mountains, which were admittedly a bit more like giant hills, but still amazing to look at (not so amazing to drive through - hello motion sickness).

The next day we had a bit of a late start driving up to Derry (or Londonderry, depending on your perspective on the whole "Northern Ireland being a part of the UK" thing). Our first stop in the city was the Guildhall, which was the location of the Saville Inquiry after the events of Bloody Sunday.

After a quick lunch at a cafe near the Shipquay Gate of the wall around the city, we walked up onto the wall itself. The wall is the only completely intact city wall remaining in Ireland, as well as being the last city wall to be built in Europe. We walked along the wall for a bit, making a stop in St. Columb's Cathedral (the stones of the original cathedral are actually a part of the wall). We also walked down towards the Peace Bridge (which looks a bit like ship's sails passing each other) before getting back in the car.

We drove around the city for a bit, seeing several of the murals in the Nationalist (those who supported Northern Ireland becoming a part of "free Ireland") neighborhoods of Derry, the Diamond War Memorial, and the "Hands Across the Divide" Sculpture.

After leaving Derry, we drove up to the Inishowen peninsula, which was beautiful. We made a stop at Grianan of Aileach, a ring fort located at the top of one of the tall hills in the area. The height definitely allowed for some amazing views of the surrounding area, and the ring fort itself was pretty interesting.

The next day Michael wasn't feeling particularly well, so Mom and I headed out on our own. We drove all the way down to Galway and wandered around the town for awhile. We stopped in at the Thomas Dillon shop, the original makers of the Claddagh Ring, and I found a Claddagh necklace to bring home (I already wear two rings regularly and I don't really want to add another). We also walked down to the river and saw the Spanish Arch, which was originally a part of the city's walls and protected the quays. We had lunch at a pub in town before leaving the city.

On our way through the countryside we drove through Athenry, which is partly known because of an Irish folk ballad "The Fields of Athenry." We stopped to look around at Athenry Castle, as well as seeing remains of a stone gate.

Our next stop was Clonmacnoise, a collection of ruined temples, round towers, and (best of all) high crosses. Clonmacnoise is near the river Shannon and houses three high crosses. The best preserved is probably the Cross of the Scriptures, although I preferred the more abstract South Cross. One of the round towers is the only remaining tower in Ireland whose roof is unaltered.

As we headed back up to Belcoo, we made a quick stop at Boyle Abbey, which was pretty, but not quite as interesting as Jedburgh Abbey back in Scotland.

The day after that we took it embarrassingly easy, by which I mean we didn't do anything at all. Sometimes, even when you're traveling and want to make the most of everything, you have to take a break and just relax.

On Monday, our final day in Ireland, we decided to take it easy. We took the comparitively short drive of about an hour down towards Sligo to see Drumcliff, where Yeats is buried and the home of another round tower and high cross. This high cross was pretty interesting too, featuring carvings of Cain and Abel and the Fall of Man.

After Drumcliff we drove out to Rosses Point, which is the tip of one of the nearby peninsulas and which is home to a lighthouse and a monument called "Waiting on Shore" of a woman holding her arms out towards the sea.

We made a quick stop at the Creevykeel Court Cairn, before heading out to Carrowmore. Carrowmore has several examples of passage tombs and dolmans, and is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland, as well as one of the oldest (ranging from five and half thousand to six and a half thousand years old).

We tried to make a stop at Knocknarea, the tomb of Queen Maeve (or Queen Mab as she is better known), but the weather, and our footwear, did not really permit a hike uphill. On our drive back to Belcoo, we also saw the Glencar waterfall, which we had passed on our way down that morning but hadn't really noticed.

Overall, Ireland was spectacularly beautiful, even during the few rainstorms we experienced, and I will be sad to leave it behind. However, there is still almost another week in England left ahead.

Heading North to Scotland

The morning of the 29th I headed out of the hostel and began my hour-long trek to Heathrow airport; it was made wonderfully simple (although still quite long) by the fact that the tube makes stops at each of the terminals.

I met Michael at around 9:40, and together we took a shuttle out to the car rental lot where Mom was waiting. After that, we were pretty much immediately on the move, and I was definitely impressed by how quickly Mom got used to driving on the wrong side of the road, as well as the incredible number of roundabouts. I mean, we survived, so all in all, she was amazing.

Our first stop was Bletchley Park, home to top-secret code-breaking endeavors during World War II. The military aspect wasn't all that interesting to me, but learning about the day-to-day lives of the people who worked there certainly was. Especially cool was the way the bunkers were laid out as if the workers had just stepped out for a break. In every room there were knick-knacks strewn about: a lipstick and compact on top of a filing cabinet, a jacket hung on the back of a chair, a chess set mid-game.

Our trek continued up through the Peak District, which is beautiful, until we came upon Chatsworth House. It was breathtaking; you come up around a bend and suddenly the house just there across the river. I was pretty excited; not only are the house and grounds gorgeous, but they play Pemberley in several adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice (including my favorite, the 2005 edition starring Matthew Macfayden and Keira Knightley). It was a little rainy when we arrived, but that hardly detracted from the beauty. After that stop we continued our drive up to our hotel up near Leeds.

The next day we drove around Leeds for a bit, before making a stop at the Royal Armouries Museum. The best part of the museum was the case of swords from the Lord of the Rings movies, although the Japanese archery gear was pretty cool too.

The next stop was more my speed, another of those glamorous English manors, Harewood House. The first sight of it is not quite so impressive as Chatsworth, but the grounds more than made up for it. Most enjoyable were the Himalayan gardens, with a waterfall and river whose stepping-stone path you could cross (if confident enough in your sense of balance) and a variety of unfamilar flowers. They also had a bird garden, which featured snowy owls, a kookaburra, flamingos, and even penguins. On a side note, this house too played Pemberley.

We continued on to Durham, where we met up with Emily (whose family had also been stationed in Monterey, California when I was born). We saw the Cathedral and Castle, plus a bit of the university. Although Emily is attending university in England for the entirety of her degree, it was still interesting to get another person's perspective as an American studying in the UK.

 We spent the night up across the border of Scotland, in Hawick. To get there, we had to drive through the Northumberland National Park (the southern half of which is moorland and the northern half of which is a range of rolling hills known as the Cheviots) during twilight. The natural light lingered incredibly late, by which I mean it was still somewhat light out even at 11 pm.

That Saturday morning we spent some time in the nearby town of Jedburgh, where we enjoyed a full Scottish breakfast - no haggis, though - and saw the abbey with its absent roof and empty window frames.


After that we headed back through Northumberland and down to Hadrian's Wall. Our first stop was at the Chesters Roman Fort, which once housed cavalry. The ruins were interesting, particularly some of the fragmentary inscriptions housed in the indoor museum, as well as the remains of a Roman bath.

Next we headed over to Housesteads Fort, which afforded a much better view of the wall itself, although this did require a bit of a walk uphill to reach the fort itself, as the fort was strategically placed on high ground. We then headed back across the border, enjoying the Northumberland National Park for a third time, to spend another night in Hawick.

Check it out! I have a cupcake store!

 The next day we continued our drive north. Our only stop for the day was in Edinburgh, so we spent a significant amount of time walking around. However our first stop was at a Vodafone, so that Mom and Michael could get UK plans, mostly to take advantage of the data.


 In town we focused on the Royal Mile. We actually started somewhere in the middle, so we headed down to one end at Holyrood Palace, which is the official residence of the Queen in Scotland. By the palace is the Queen's Gallery, which is currently home to a painting by Sir Peter Lely of Frances Stuart, Duchess of Richmond and also the model for the idealized allegory of Britannia.

St. Giles Cathedral

He's pointing because we're awesome

We continued along the Royal Mile, making a quick stop at St. Giles Cathedral, which has a particularly distinctive crown steeple, before continuing onwards. At the other end of the mile is Edinburgh Castle, which was an impressive prospect at the top of the hill and which we had seen from several different angles as we walked around town.

After leaving Edinburgh, we continued our journey north to our flat just outside Blairgowrie. This flat was even nicer than the last, although still sadly lacking in a good Wifi connection. (But really, what can you expect when you're out in the middle of nowhere?) We ate dinner at the nearby Dalmore Inn, which had the most amazing lamb shank I had ever tasted.

Monday was our last full day in Scotland, and our last day heading north. We made our first stop up at Blair Castle. The best part was definitely the exterior of the castle itself, and the walled-in Hercules Garden. However the interior was certainly interesting as well, despite a design tendency towards covering the walls in deer skulls and antlers (creepy, right?). There were some great paintings (even a couple of Mary, of William & Mary fame) and lots of artifacts related to Queen Victoria, because shewas close friends with one of the duchesses who lived there.

We continued up to Inverness so that we could drive alongside Loch Ness. It was incredibly gorgeous, and we pulled off the road to take a couple of pictures. We even got to walk down to the edge of the loch. Our next stop, Urquhart Castle, was located on the banks of Loch Ness and was once one of the largest castles in Scotland, although it is now in ruins.

On our way back down towards Blairgowrie, we made a stop in Dunkeld to take a quick look at the cathedral there, part of which is in ruins, and part of which is still in use as the parish church.

That was our last evening in Scotland, and our last in Britain for a while. The next morning we would be driving down to Cairnryan to take the ferry into Northern Ireland.