The View from Above

As I write this I am sitting on a plane coming home from the greatest adventure I've ever had. I read an article yesterday about the things travel teaches you that college can't. My favorite quote from it was, "Travel can turn introverts into extroverts, bring confidence to the meek, and create adrenaline junkies out of thin air; it pushes your physical and mental limits, forcing you to quickly adapt to uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations." I never knew how true that would be until these 3 weeks. It has done all of those things for me and more. I have gained the greatest gift of all from studying abroad, perspective.

Yesterday as we toured St. Paul's I had chills the whole time. I knew our time was coming to a close and I wanted to soak up every last bit of the place that attracted me from the beginning. On our first day during our tour around the city, we stopped at St. Paul's. This was where I had my first "I'm really in London" moment. At the foot of this iconic structure I realized that everything we were doing was not a dream. Well maybe a dream come true. So yesterday as we climbed to the very top I was struck by the gravity of what I had accomplished throughout this journey. I flew across the ocean, lived in a foreign place, and adjusted to a different way of life. More than that I saw the greatest sites, met people from various walks of life, and learned more than I could have ever hoped. From the top of St. Paul's I looked at the city below and all the memories that were sprawled out before me. A place that was new, exciting, and a little frightening just twenty days ago was now at my feet and no longer the giant city I knew nothing about. It was a place of growth, of healing, and of change for the better. We discussed perspective many times in our class and I finally realized what we had been talking about all along. Perspective is the greatest gift one can give themselves and travel (in my opinion) is the only way to do it. My eyes are open wider to the environment and people around me now. The world isn't such a scary place and it is worth exploring. I am so thankful for the opportunity Tech London has given me and will forever cherish what it has done for me. We talked about how this was more than just a memory and that is so true. This adventure changed me and I'm anxiously awaiting the next one. Although I am currently bound for the states, I left a little piece of myself in London. A piece that will stay there forever. 

Canterbury: A Student's Tale

I'll be completely honest when I read the Canterbury Tales my senior year of high school and again last quarter I wasn't exactly a fan. I appreciate Chaucer and all he did for the language, story telling, and history but actually reading his works was not my favorite. Now after seeing Canterbury for myself I have a whole new perspective. As we walked through the city gates I imagined what it must have been like as a 13th or 14th century pilgrim to reach that point. Weeks or months of traveling and you have finally made it. I can definitely relate to that after this amazing trip. There has been so much travel involved and I have learned that half the fun really is getting there. However there is nothing like the feeling of reaching your destination and knowing you have arrived. For those pilgrims that Chaucer writes about I can only imagine that feeling multiplied by about one hundred. 

As we walked up to the cathedral itself I was in awe. It gloriously points to heaven and dwarfs everything around it. The inside is even more extravagant and it is a great work of art and worship. It was amazing to see where St. Thomas Becket was murdered and I could feel the gravity of the history in the room. As we climbed the stairs up to where the shrine once was I understood how the pilgrims felt as though they were climbing to heaven and redemption. For hundreds of years people from all over the world and all walks of life have climbed those stairs looking for knowledge or simply praising their Lord. It was humbling to be one of those people and I'm thankful we were able to make our own pilgrimage to Canterbury. 

Freezing Time

I find myself taking so many pictures on this trip. 327 to be exact. I'm so thankful that I have. I want to remember everything about this experience. The buildings, the food, the people. If I could figure out how to save some of the smells I would. I don't want to forget anything about the amazing experience that has shaped me in so many ways. When we read John Keats' poem "Ode to a Grecian Urn" I understood why he felt it needed to be immortalized in print. There is definitely something to be said for the urns. We were able to find some at the British Museum this afternoon and they were amazing. So detailed and in great condition for being thousands of years old. They tells stories of life long ago and keep those moments alive. Keats discusses how for those on the urn will never kiss, the seasons will never change, and there will be no variation in life. In some ways that is good and bad. Who wants to leave a great season of life? No one looks to the future and says "Oh I hope it gets worse from here." Those frozen on the urn can live on in a "happy, happy" time, while those not on it fade away. They are not immortalized in art for the rest of time. Children and adults alike don't peak at them in museums daily. For the characters of the urn, life has stopped and they are stuck. Like I said there is beauty in it but I also see it from another perspective. Although that moment in time is forever, there is no change for them. Change is good, change is healthy. This trip has given change, more than I knew I needed. I would freeze time if I could but that's not how it works. We have to press on. We have to go back to Ruston and work and monotony but we will always have a piece of London in our hearts. Just as the people of the urns are stuck in that point in history as Keats writes, part of me will always be stuck in London. My memories, pictures, and journals will help me remember this trip forever and I am so grateful.

The Solitary Reaper

Yesterday in class we discussed some of the Romantic Era poets like Wordsworth, Keats, Byron, Shelley, Blake, and Coleridge. I was surprised by how much I identified with their words that were written so long ago. I think having this experience has made me more thoughtful and insightful after seeing all the things that inspired the greats. The poem that spoke to me the most was The Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth. I could picture in my mind's eye the "solitary Highland Lass" after seeing the rolling English countryside in all its greenery and livestock. We discussed how if you are from the country or even just a smaller town it is so easy to miss the quieter, peaceful life back home. Don't get me wrong I am loving London and all that it has to offer and the adventures I've had but I often miss the slower pace of Ruston and simply the nature that surrounds it. Growing up in the Piney Hills I have been a lover of the outdoors and the peace that it brings me. We talked about how Wordsworth felt that man living in nature is living appropriately and I agree. There has to be some balance between the hustle and bustle of city life and the solitude of the country. I think that's why I liked Stratford so much. It reminded me of quaint little Ruston with it's smaller town and the trees and beauty around it. We discussed how one might want to return to nature and I am definitely that one. Again I am so thankful for the opportunity and my time in the city but every time we ventured out of it I felt a little more at home. I have definitely learned that I am not cut out for city life, though it is fun to visit. I need trees and grass and water to keep me going which is why I am so excited about our journey to Ireland this weekend! Wordsworth talks about how he "listened, motionless, and still" and I look forward to when I can do that and not hear construction, sirens, and people and just soak up the silence. I love you London but this girl needs something God made, not man made.

Royally Shakespeare

I will admit that watching a Shakespeare play while sitting down was a completely different experience. Surprisingly, while I was more comfortable I was less into the performance of Henry IV Part II. I thought that I would prefer a production set in the time period in which it was written rather than the Roman Era but I found Titus Andronicus to be more entertaining. Henry IV was interesting to watch especially in Stratford.  Seeing a play in the place where it was possibly written does not come around often. As I said in my last post, Stratford brings Shakespeare to life and the performance only boosted that. Hearing them speak in the language of the time was as close to anyone could come to hearing the Bard himself. Seeing their costumes gave me a mental picture of what he wore in the period as well as his peers. The play covered all facets of that era with the language, dress, habits, and hierarchy. As an audience we were able to get a peak at what the people of the day might have looked like and lived through. From the poorest in rags, to the clean cut knights, and the princes and kings regally dressed we worked our way up the social order of the time. I found it interesting how loyalties were everything in that day. You had to pick a side and could not waiver or risk the consequences. You were an ever-loyal servant to the crown and it was not in your best interest to change your mind. I could see how there was a feeling of oppression and duty, no matter what your morals were. Relationships would suffer, all in the name of England. Experiencing all of this up close and personal was interesting and gave a mental image to Shakespeare's life while being in London and Stratford. His brilliance and power with words was evident and it was great to watch his work come alive for a second time.

Shakespeare's Stratford

I have never been somewhere like Stratford Upon Avon. It was like walking around in a fairytale. The cobble stone streets, the classic frames of the buildings, and the beautiful greenery along a pristine river made it almost magical. It was a truly happy place and it's no wonder Shakespeare was able to create so many great works growing up and living there. Even living in such rough times as I have mentioned before in my posts it seemed to me that Shakespeare had it pretty good. He was well off in the community and seeing where he came from was incredible. Walking the streets that he walked almost daily was something special. I decided that if I were to live in England I could definitely live in Stratford. It's so quaint and cute but has just enough going on as well as a good combination of town and country. Seeing where he was buried was almost surreal. To experience the resting place of one of the greats if not greatest writers of history was amazing. The hallowed halls of the church were beautiful and although I was surprised his grave was not more opulent it was a fitting tribute for the bard. Even so, Stratford is his tribute. A whole town devoted to carrying his legacy with all of the different houses, theater, and Shakespeare paraphernalia it is something everyone should see. Walking along the river Avon (and later cruising down it) was like a postcard or movie. Touring his houses was like stepping back in time and I could picture little Shakespeare working on his studies or helping his mom in the kitchen. One can see how these were real people who performed everyday activities as well as write world changing plays and sonnets. Stratford brings Shakespeare to life and I am so thankful for the opportunity to visit. 

All the World's a Stage

I'm pretty sure I time traveled today. Being in the Globe and watching a performance of Titus Andronicus was surreal. In spite the of the blood and gore that was promised to us by everyone we met it was an amazing production. I'll be honest I was nervous about what the 3 hours would hold but once I set my mind that I might not get this chance again, I was excited to take it all in. Being in the cozy theater and looking up to see the thatched roof I could imagine what it was like back in Shakespeare's day. These people loved their theater and rightfully so. It was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen and what makes it even more amazing was (at least I imagine) how accurate it was. The costumes, the stage direction, the acting, and the effects created an awe inspiring play. I truly understand why every teacher I've ever had has said "Shakespeare's plays were meant to be performed and not read." They are so right. Shakespeare was a genius. I knew that but today I saw it for myself. At one point my friend said to me, "How did he come up with this stuff?" and she hit the nail on the head. He was the original, the best. I have had a love/hate relationship with Shakespeare throughout Jr. High and High School but no more. I love his works, plays and sonnets alike. I'll admit they are difficult to read sometimes but it is worth it to see them up close and personal. Today I was in the shoes of the groundlings, the commoners of Europe that came to the theater to escape their troubles like I have said before. That was how Shakespeare intended for his works to be experienced and I am so thankful for the opportunity.

Violence Entertains

As we discussed how violent and gory Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus is today I was reminded of my visit to the Tower of London over the weekend. In Shakespeare's time, violence was part of the culture. Bloody Mary had wreaked havoc on the Protestants and killed thousands in horrific ways. I made the connection in class today about our readings from Spenser as well and what I discussed in my last post. The people of London at the time were living in basically hell on Earth and wanted to escape somehow. Not by dying necessarily but to take their minds off their problems by maybe watching a public execution at the Tower or as I discussed yesterday, looking to God. The second option is better in my opinion but what I'm getting at is I see how Shakespeare's bloody plays were so popular. People had the mind set of "yeah my life is bad but at least it's not that bad." They wanted to identify with the tragic character and learn from his mistakes rather than make their own. Living in this time, Shakespeare had plenty of inspiration for his plays even though some were set in the Roman Era. Queen Elizabeth was ruling England and did not have a successor to take over when she died. The same theme runs throughout Shakespeare's plays and that is how Titus begins. Another form of inspiration was the culture of violence I discussed earlier. When we went to the Tower of London we could see the massive lawn where people were executed and the people of London could grab a seat in the grand stand and watch the whole thing. There were many different forms of capital and corporal punishment and various ways to torture someone. The people ate it up and prayed that it would never happen to them. While we may not boil people alive today we certainly still enjoy violence in our culture. Sports are bloody and painful but I would pick a football game over public hanging any day of the week. I often have to change the channel to avoid seeing too much violence and and harsh themes because I would rather not fill my head with that, except for the occasional episode of Law and Order. It's interesting, it attracts, and I believe it is just human nature. Maybe the animal inside of us comes out or maybe we aren't much different from the people of Rome or Shakespeare's peers. Times have changed and the types of violence have evolved but have we as a human race? I sure hope so.

Set Your Mind

I have now spent 5 days in this amazingly beautiful city and I completely understand how it influenced so many of the world's greatest authors, poets, musicians, and artists. This place is a buzzing modern city but is also so deeply rooted in this traditions of the past. It pays tribute to its history without being stuck in it. It has inspired my writing and thinking and it's only been a few days shy of a week since we arrived. Today while we discussed Spenser and the Theatre for Worldlings I could not help but remember my time in St. Paul's Sunday mattins and our tour of Westminister Abbey today. Learning about the history of the people buried there and the tradition of the religion I connected the dots between life and faith of this country throughout its existence. When we discussed Spenser's devout faith and his writings of beautiful things being created then destroyed, I was reminded of the verse from Colossians, "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth." I wonder though in his day were all of these stunning churches built to help the people set their mind on things above while still being stuck on earth? Walking in those places I could feel God's presence. Especially during the service on Sunday, it seems that the gap between Heaven and Earth was a little bit thinner in the echoes of St. Paul's. Based on our discussions today I feel that in such a hard time period, the people had no choice but to look to the heavens and put their hope in something bigger than themselves. They needed these opulent places, not to show their own power (well maybe some) but to pay tribute to the Lord that would one day make their suffering cease. Their offering and trust in him does not defy the verse in Colossians, it supports it.

I am in awe of how much I have already done and seen in such a short time in this exciting place. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this adventure holds and I am anxious to keep learning, growing,  and seeking inspiration.