Begin Shenaniganing!

Today marks the beginning of the road to Northern Ireland.  As part of preparing for this trip, we as a team will meet every Thursday night in class. The first part of class will be spent with everyone going to NI, while the second half will be spent with everyone going on cross cultural in the near future. This will mainly be those going on three week terms in May.

As I look back on the time leading up today, I realize how blessed I am to have this opportunity. Not only am I blessed to be accepted into the team, but more than this, I am simply blessed to be going. I have realized how lucky I am to have a happy, healthy family and a school that supports cross cultural, and I am simply blessed to have the opportunity to do such an exciting thing.

I believe this is the third time I've said this, but again it is time to say "Ready, Set, Go!" Let the English Shenanigans begin again!!

All my love.

Peace

I am giving a speech about peace today. Next fall, I am going to spend a semester studying peace and conflict resolution. Hmmm interesting....   (;

English Shenanigans Round 2

Well, I have received the official news...I am heading back to the UK! For my cross cultural her at Bluffton University, I am going to be going with a group of students to Northern Ireland for the semester next fall, 2013. I wasn't sure whether or not I would get accepted, so hearing the news was definitely exciting!

When thinking about next fall I am filled with all sorts of emotions:

I feel blessed to have this opportunity to travel abroad again.
I eagerly look forward to everything I will learn and experience.
I am excited to get to know my other team members.
It feels weird that I will be with different people, in a completely different setting.
It will be weird being at a University setting, and living with host families, instead of a work setting, living in my own home.
It will be weird not being with Britt and Rachel, among our 'family' in Bradford.
I hope to visit my Bradford family at the end of my time there, which gives me all sorts of happiness.
It seems strange that I only just returned, and now I will be starting the process of preparing for another journey.
I am anxious about leaving new friends made here at Bluffton.
I'm glad that I already have some experience, so I will not feel so much homesickness.
I'm excited to celebrate fun holidays like the 5th of November again.
I'm excited to drink good, British tea again.
I am excited to absolutely fill myself to the brim with fish and chips, among other yummy meals.


So, with all these emotions, my head is still in a bit of a whirlwind. (:

But overall, I am simply happy.

And, as you can tell.. I plan on continuing my blog during my time leading up to, and during my time there..

So ready, steady, go!...... English Shenanigans - Round 2

Blessings
xx

Art Tatum

I'm just going to come right out and say it.  I'm not in the mood to blog.  I haven't been for a few weeks now.  I've tried to think of things to write about, even wrote one out, but decided it was rubbish, so, obviously, I left it unposted.  << and that is something I've never ever done! (gasp).  But this is something that can't be avoided, and it is something that needs to be faced, so here-goes...but with a wee bit of a twist.

When we first got here, one of the fellas at the Anglican church asked if any of us lived close to Toledo, Ohio...(gasp) YES! I did!  (Britt too).  He went on to tell us of a famous jazz player, Art Tatum, who was from Toledo.  I probably thought something along the lines of, "right, okay, that's pretty interesting!"  And over the course of the year he continued mentioning Art.  And each time I got a little more interested in who this Art Tatum was.  I have no idea on who he was, or what his story is, but the other day I looked him up on YouTube.  And I rather enjoyed his music!  It isn't anything out of the ordinary, but I think what really draws me is that one of the darling British gentlemen suggested him.

So what I'm getting at is that this is one of the many memories I will be bringing home with me.  I probably won't always remember the name of the chap who first told me about Art, but I will always remember that he was the 'Art Tatum' guy....Just like I will remember so many other things, big or small, that remind me of my year spent here.

So here's to you Art!  And the lovely person who I will always remember, along with all the others who have become, not just friends, but family to me.

Art Tatum, Tea for Two

Twins

It's my BIRTHDAYYYY!!!  But more importantly, it is the day that I share with my beloved twin sister.  She has been there since day one.  My other half.  So today, I dedicate this blog post to the best twin sister this 20 year old could ask for.  I may not always be the most cheerful, or the nicest, or the most agreeable, or the most fun to be around, but you are always there for me, and I am forever going to love you.

Many times in the past we've been asked what it's like to be a twin.  I really have never had a good response to that.  How do you answer that?  It's like me asking, what is it like to not be a twin?  In a way it is almost like asking, what is it like to not have my right arm?  I don't know.  I've never been without my right arm, nor have I ever been without my twin sister.  I may not say it or show it enough, but she is irreplaceable, my life would lose half of it's meaning without her.

So a quick shout-out to you Elise, for always  being there for me, and being the best 'big' twin sister.

All my love.

End of Summer Blues

Alright, I've got another metaphor for you.  Unfortunately, it isn't as gory as my scabs metaphor (I'm sure you are all experiencing similar feelings).  However, I'm sure it will instill the same quirky bittersweet feelings, as it does me. (:

Also, before I dive right in, let me just add how I've been meaning to write this post for a week or so, but due to a week of glorious weather (70's and sunny!!!) as well as my new-found obsession with a series called Once Upon a Time, this post has been postponed. << My apologies for the obnoxious run-on!

Oooookay! Now for the good stuff!  You remember how when you were a kid, or maybe are/were a parent with children, and you would get the end of summer blues?  I'm not sure if this is the 'official' label for it, but it's what I am deeming it!  But you all know what I'm talking about.. Getting so excited for summer to be over, because you are starting to get bored (gasp. I know!).  But at the same time, you are thinking... 'This is crazy! Why am I excited for summer to be over, when I know I'll be ready for it again in three weeks?!'  Maybe it was the fresh, new school supplies, or getting to see friends again, or having a purpose in life besides playing outside..or, more likely, all of the above!  Whatever it was, there was always that growing anticipation for summer to end.

Well...I've got my own case of the 'Summer Blues' here.  I can tell the end of my time here is slowly RAPIDLY, way-too-quickly, approaching.  It's not that I'm ready to go, but I'm also counting down the days until I go home. It's like my head is saying, 'No, I'm not ready,' but my heart is saying, 'yes, it's time.'

It kills me to say that I'm ready to go home though, because the day I set foot on Bradford soil/pavement/whatever, a little piece of my heart became a part of Bradford.  No... I take that back, a piece of my heart didn't break off..  A new piece was added.  The love I've developed during my time here has become a part of my heart, a part of me.  Instead of leaving a piece of me behind, my heart just grows bigger.  Obviously this is rather bittersweet, because on 9 July, I will be taking all of this developed love with me, while leaving the source of it behind.  I can't tell whether I'm more sad or excited to leave.  Every day, minute, second, it changes.  I guess simply because Bradford has become home.  So I'm not just going home when I go back to America, but I'm also leaving home.  And this time when I leave home, I don't get to simply come back in 10 months. And quite honestly, that breaks my heart, and kinda freaks me out...

Nonetheless, the end of my 'summer' is drawing nearer.  My heart is looking towards the new adventures that are swiftly approaching.  I pray that these feelings are just temporary though.  Because I want to embrace my remaining time here.  After all, this is just one small, itty-bitty part of this crazy gift called life.  So I plan on enjoying every last bit of it!

....(insert: Side Note) >> And in embracing my remaining time, it seems as though I've become open to the idea of going in to school extra days!  I never ever thought I would find myself doing that!  But either in sensing my rapidly approaching end, or because of it being a fun-filled special events week at school, I found myself volunteering to help my teacher on Thursday and Friday in addition to our normal Mon-Wed schedule.  I must be coming down with something...but I'm kinda' looking forward to it!..(maybe..yes!)

Picking off Scabs

So... I've come to the decision that certain visitors should not be allowed to come.  These visitors shall remain anonymous, but they know who they are, (and a lot of you know who they are) and they will be appearing in some following pictures. (;

These visitors came in all their beauty and happiness, and you know what?  We had a fantastic time!  We laughed, we cried, we played, we talked.  I got to show them a smallish piece of my life.  We ate out at Prashad (a famous curry house)  I also got to take them to London and show them the sights like the pro-London traveler I've come to be.  We saw it all!  Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the British Museum, Trafalgar Square, and even perused the National Gallery for a little bit!

Now,  don't be tricked.  I know this all seems lovely and happy, and fun...but take heed...it gets worse.

You know when you were little and you would pick off those pesky scabs before they were ready?  Maybe I'm the only one who's ever done this, but I'm going to compare this visit as a scab...being picked off before it was completely  ready.

My fall.. resulting in the booboo (hence the scab) was saying goodbye in Dulles Airport that August day, so many months ago.  Sure it hurt, but I had distractions from the pain..new journeys awaiting, so I hopped up and eagerly went on in my adventure.  My booboo healed, the pain went away, and I went on with life.  But remember, I still had that scab.. I started picking it off the moment I looked towards platform 2 at Bradford Interchange and saw them walking towards me.  That first hug, the countless hugs and kisses following, the hours spent together, the looks we shared across the living room, the cuddles on the couch, the late-night goodnight hugs, the hand-holding, the walking arm-in-arm, the hugs shared in H&M, the tears held back, the whispers murmured, the single tear in the museum while sitting together waiting for someone to come out of the bathroom, the giggles, the shared hotel room... all the little edge bits of my scab.. coming off little by little.  I was enjoying myself immensely.  But then, the big one, that one piece of the scab you KNOW you should leave alone because its definitely not ready to come off.  But unfortunately, I had no choice, I picked it off.  I gave one last hug each, and sent them on their way back to America, while I wandered back up the stairs to our hotel room.

And my scab bled.. not right away though.  I didn't realize it was bleeding until I got back home to Bradford.  I walked in the house, and it just felt...weird.  You see, my scab wasn't ready to come off.  I was ready to see them again, but I was NOT ready to say goodbye.  I didn't have the distractions this time around.. just my day-to-day life.  It felt weird that they were going home, and I was here for however many months left.  And now I had those hugs, those kisses, those looks shared, the walking arm-in-arm, fresh in my memory, only to be taken away again.  And it hurt.  It still does.  But I know my scab will heal again, and in time I will once again get to see them.

Now don't think I'm not happy that they came.  Maybe it would have hurt less if they didn't come, but I am infinitely happy that they did.  I had an incredible time with them.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I'm simply saying that this is what I feel post-scab picking.  No remorse, just thoughts.

Now...for the fun pictures!  :)

I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

All my love.