Departure

Angie Appreciation, Balance, Entertainment, Fun, Going Out, Gratitude, Home, Joie de Vivre, Journey, London, Memories, Moments, Shows, Signs, Summer, Travel Leave a Comment

“Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.” ~Donald Miller

Dear Universe,

It’s hard to believe a month has gone by and I’ll be returning home later today.

When I booked this trip I wondered if a month would be too long.  There were moments when it felt like maybe it would be.  But overall, I have to say this trip flew by.

I think it’s because I was more laid back in my approach to being here.  I took each day as it came and played it by ear.  When I did wake up with a plan in mind, it usually got tossed aside for one reason or another so I learned to just go with the flow more.

That’s a good thing!  During the year I’m so used to a strict schedule and rigid routine there’s no such thing as playing it by ear.  If I did, nothing would get done.  So it’s been a nice break to just take things one day at a time and see what you, Universe, had in store.

This led to some fun excursions, unexpected moments and new memoires of London.

Here are some things I got to do this time around, that I didn’t write about:

1.  The British Library!  The literary geek in me loved this place.  I got to see the Magna Carta!  And an original manuscript of Beowulf!  When I taught this, I used to talk about this manuscript.  I saw works by Shakespeare, Marlowe, Wilde and Austen’s early stories.  I saw a Koran that dated back to the ninth century as well as the Gutenberg Bible.  I saw handwritten lyrics by the Beatles to “Yesterday.”  I saw… well, you get it.  It was cool!

2.  The Bodyguard the musical!  Yes, they made this 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner into a musical—makes sense with all the music in it and they even incorporated other Whitney songs.  A couple of hours of Whitney music?  Well worth seeing.  Besides, it’s a bit of a tradition that I check out a show based on a girly flick when I am here—Dirty Dancing and Ghost.

3.  The British Museum!  I had been here before, but on a day when I declared I was open to wherever you took me, I landed there.  I headed straight back to the ancient Egyptian section—one of the largest in the world.  I never get sick of seeing all the mummies, relics and history of Egyptian culture.

4.  Getting back to see my boy Big Ben again.  A trip wouldn’t be the same without him.

5.  The London Zoo!  I’m not ashamed to say it.  My jaw literally dropped when I saw a gorilla, tiger, komodo dragon, hippo and pelicans—all first times for me.  I felt like a kid again.

6.  Going back to the Globe to see Macbeth.  Got goose bumps throughout!  I was surprised by how many lines I still know by heart, since it’s been a few years since I read it.

So many more highlights and little moments.  But maybe my favorite part of this journey?  I saw signs every day, everywhere.  I took pictures when I could, laughed when I couldn’t, but each time acknowledged your winking eye at me, Universe.  Thank you.  Always appreciated.

Thank you for a safe, fun, relaxing and memory-filled trip.  Not a day went by when I didn’t acknowledge how fortunate I am—in so many ways.

Much Gratitude,

A

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