Dear Universe,

I love movies.  I love watching them in the theater or in the comfort of my home, in sweats, under blankets.

I like watching new films, foreign films, indie films, classic films and just favorite ones that never get old.  I like when friends recommend movies for me too.  (In fact, recently I was on a mission to get through a list of films someone gave me—sixteen in total!  When I did, I felt a sense of accomplishment!)

And another friend?  It’s our goal to attend any film festivals or quirky theaters we can, always trying to see the know-nothing-about-films before they catch buzz.

Anyway, watching movies is one of the pleasures I miss most when I’m working.  Teaching can be so time consuming that committing to a film sometimes simply doesn’t fit into the schedule.  It’s a rare occasion when it happens.

But here I am in London.  And here I am with time on my hands.

Since I’ve gotten here I have seen so many films I’m losing track!

I saw the French film Populaire.  I loved it.  And when I saw a movie theater showing Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo on the big screen, I jumped at the chance.  I had never seen Thelma and Louise in its entirety.  But this trip?  Caught that on the big screen too.  Iceman was another treat at the movie theater that serves wine while you view.  This past weekend I even got the chance to attend a Nordic Film Festival.  Saw two pretty memorable flicks—King of Devil’s Island and Accused.  Just yesterday, I finally got to see Much Ado About Nothing, Joss Whedon’s adapted film version of the Shakespeare play.

All in all, I have been enjoying this.  Catching a movie has been a perfect getaway on a cold afternoon, a drizzly night or just after a day of walking for miles on end.

I hadn’t realized how much I miss the escape a movie gives.  For just those couple of hours, it is a break from thinking and talking and going and working.  I think I want to make movie watching mandatory when I get back home, back to work.  It should be somewhere in my rotation in the never ending quest to create balance.

Thank you for the time and chance to indulge in a bit of a film frenzy.  Seeing all these great flicks, incredible acting and memorable writing is inspiring.

With Gratitude,

A