I love the miles between me and the city.

Several times, I have been asked the question "What is your favorite part about London so far?" And the longer I am here, the harder it is to answer that question.

One of my favorite parts about being in London is not being in London. I live in Kingston-upon-Thames, which is a suburb of London, and a 20-minute train ride outside of the city. I have been into Central London numerous times now, but I definitely enjoy having a calmer place to return to at the end of the day.

Another thing I love about being here is the history that surrounds me and seems to permeate every aspect of life. You cannot walk down the street without acknowledging that past of the River Thames or old cathedral. There is something remarkable about being a small part of a place so old; it makes history seem much closer and the future unclear. Who would have imagined 400 years ago what Kingston would look like today, in 2010? And even if they had imagined, how would they have possibly fathomed this swirling together of commerce, history, entertainment, and culture? Perhaps, though, it is fair to say that, although visually it is obviously much altered, conceptually, this town isn't a whole lot different than in was in the 1600s, 1400s, 1200s...

Visiting places like Westminster Abbey, Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Tower of London, you develop a sense of awe at the vastness of time. And you realize that you are merely a speck, a splotch of paint on a massive canvas, a single letter in a thousand page novel, one drop of rain in an all-day storm. And yet, no matter how small your part, it is a part nonetheless. Take it away and the painting is severely altered, the novel is misread, the storm is less impacting.

I want to be clay in the hands of my Creator.

Love,
lvp