I suppose it's like forgetting, losing who you are, and at the same time, something makes you whole.

There's a little boy with his father at the bus stop. They are holding hands, smiling, and both wearing Jason Mraz hats--perhaps that Mum made them put on as sun protection. The dad's is a sandy beige color and the boy's is white and blue striped. His trainer-covered feet are firmly planted on the concrete, yet his entire upper body moves to the right and left as he excitedly waves "hello and please stop" to the bus with his free hand. Once on the bus, he sits contentedly on his hat twin's lap and whispers curious questions into his father's ear. "Ask Mum when we get home," he answers with a nod. It's good to see that it's not just in the US where the men admit the women know all the answers.

A little girl and her mother come out of their house that is directly in front of the bus stop. The girl is dressed in all pink, and she's writhing her hand--quietly but emphatically--to attempt freedom from her mother's grasp. The mother positions the girl against the fence, far away from the street, then walks toward the parked car and opens the boot. The child immediately runs toward the road, and the mother instinctively reaches one hand out to prevent her from leaving the sidewalk. Frustrated, the child turns and looks at me. When I smile at her, she squeezes her eyes shut as tightly as she can, but does not turn her head. By this time, her mother has successfully gotten the stroller out and gently draws the girl toward her seat. Once on the bus, she continues to play this strange form of peek-a-boo with me, while her mother looks on with a smile.

I observe these and many other children every day throughout my various excursions, but the thought strikes me today: how different their childhood is from mine. And yet, children are children, and there seem to exist universal qualities that, if brought together from all different places in the world, there would be little or no prejudice, bias, judgment, or hatred. Just simply curiosity. Acceptance. Care. Love.

It is incredible how much you can learn from children. How much they can teach you about yourself. How much they can teach you about a culture that was entirely foreign to you mere months ago. How much they can remind you how similar we all really are--that we're all in this together, and if we just take a moment to smile and wave at the bus driver instead of habitually sticking our arm out as though we are robots who do as we're told, maybe we will learn something new about the world.

This is how I feel when I watch Wicked the Musical. I am a child again, and everything makes sense because nothing is too complicated. Life outside of the theatre, better yet, outside of Oz, stops. And I am just there, squeezing my eyes just in an attempt to hold on to this single moment forever. I am unaware of the past or the future; I only want to learn as much as I can from now. When it is over, when the house lights come back on, I am an adult again. And all of those worries--the money, the papers, the people--come rushing over me. But if I close my eyes tightly enough, I can remember where I was moments before, learning about fairy tales, friendship, and freedom. And I know that the girl who walks out of those theatre doors is not the same woman who walked in them. Something, it may seem, has changed within me.

It is not quite time to go home. But I understand why I have come here, and this is the first step to the end of a journey. But don't worry, dear reader. This journey, these moments, will live on as a part of me forever. And when I close my eyes or smile and wave, I will be reminded of what I learned here.

Love,
lvp

Spring Break: A Journey with Jabez

It would be impossible to effectively summarize my trips to Italy and Ireland, and yet, I am going to attempt to do just that. This trip was about so much more than just traveling to countries I had never visited before. Of course, that was a large piece of it, but it was also largely about personal growth--an extension of my time in England, then--and a break from routine. It was about fellowshipping with friends from back home and also about making friends with people that I may never see again in my life. It was about trusting the Lord to go ahead of me and prepare a clear path for a smooth journey, and it was about learning to live in this trust--to do more than just believe that He was doing it, but to live like I believe it. It was about giving my brain and my heart a break from the daily attack they receive from various fronts. It was about exploration and discovery, but also restoration and recovery.

I returned with a newfound appreciation for this place I've called home for past few months. I also returned with a deeper understanding of who I am in Christ, what it means to have an identity wrapped up in Him, and how much He longs to bless me with unimaginable gifts.

The weekend before I left for Italy, I went on a retreat of sorts with the young adults from my church. The theme of the teaching for the weekend was the remarkable Prayer of Jabez, the little story in the Bible that's wedged randomly in between the massive lineage of a great family. As a group, we committed to start our days with this prayer and then see how God showed up in our lives. Personally, I chose to pray this prayer every day over my trip, and I can say, without a doubt, that the Lord absolutely granted my request. If you're interested, you can find the prayer here, in 1 Chronicles 4:10.

First stop: Rome, Italy (25 March - 28 March)
Accommodations: Camping Tiber Hostel. Awesome place! We loved it.
Main sights: Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Roman Ruins, Column of Trajan, St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican City, Spanish Steps, Keats & Shelley Memorial Museum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Popollo
Blessings: Great hostel, met lots of interesting people, made a really wise purchase with 11 euro 3-day transportation pass, randomly found several gorgeous churches (Rome, you know?) and even walked into a beautiful service on Palm Sunday, incredible weather, 16 euro train to Florence, made friends with a girl Ana from Portugal on the way, also caught a gorgeous sunset on the journey.

Second Stop: Florence, Italy (28 March - 31 March)

Accommodations: Amanda's apartment. Absolutely loved staying with her.

Main Sights: The Duomo, Piazza Michaelangelo, Piazza de Republica, The Academia, Ponte Vecchio, The Leather Market, San Lorenzo Market, Pitti Palace

Activities: breakfast/coffee/gelato/lunch at "Hani's bar," dinner at Dante's (free bottle of wine for students! I must confess...this is the first time ever in my life that I've gotten tipsy, and it was only after a glass and a half), lunch at The Oil Shoppe, Beatles Cover Band at Be Bop

Blessings: got to see and be with Amanda, free and lovely place to stay, amazing food, saw Anthony Rapp (original Rent cast) at dinner, saw Michaelangelo's David (worth waking up early for to beat the crowd), more incredible weather, chance to relax with Jenny and Amanda after exhausting days in Rome, 23 euro train tickets to Venice.

Third stop: Venice, Italy (31 March - 2 April)

Accommodations: The Museum Hostel. Minor complaints, but overall a great place with a fun atmosphere! 

Sights to see: Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, San Marco, Bridge of Sighs, Murano, Burano

Blessings: good weather (warm, but we had a couple of rain storms), met lots of interesting people at the hostel, didn't get too horribly lost (other than from the train station to the hostel), made a new friend Breanna who is an au pair in London, found a cheap and easy way to get to the airport, found some relatively inexpensive places to eat despite being an overall expensive city, found lovely wedding gift for Chris and Fiona.

Fourth stop: London, England (2 April 11:30 pm - 3 April 6:00 pm)

Accommodations: Stansted Airport. See here. 

Fifth stop: Belfast, Ireland (3 April - 10 April)

Part I - Belfast City

Accommodations: Jenny's dorm room. Sleepover!

Main Sights: City Hall, Titanic Exhibition, Peace walls, Queens University of Belfast, Belfast Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum, Murals, Ship yard, Grand Opera House

Part II - Chris & Fiona's Wedding (7 April)

Accommodations: The Drumalis House in Larne. Beautiful place!

Details: The ceremony was held at Stormont Presbyterian Church, where Fiona's father is a pastor. The ceremony included a lot of traditional, beautiful Irish music, most of which was sung by Concentio, the church's choir. There was also a formal "signing of the register" in front of the congregation, during which more music was sung. Immediately following the wedding, there was tea and biscuits for all the guests, and Chris and Fiona were able to mingle and greet their friends and family before starting the photo frenzy with photographer Katy Cook. 

     The formal reception was about a 45-minute drive from the church, and was worth every minute in the car. First there was a cocktail hour where guests could curb their hunger with some small bites. Then, the dinner began in a different room, and included bread, salad, salmon appetizer, chicken breast stuffed with spinach and ricotta and wrapped in bacon, green beans, scalloped potatoes, lemon custard, biscuits, chocolate cake covered in raspberry sauce, ice cream, and finally, wedding cake. Drinks included water, wine (red or white), champagne, tea, and coffee. After a lovely meal and many heartfelt speeches, guests were invited to move next door to watch traditional Irish dancing. Lots of fun! Then it was back to the cocktail room for some swing dancing! This is where Chris and Fiona had their "first dance" as a married couple.

     Once swing dancing was over, we were ushered back to the dinner room, where the tables had all been moved aside and a traditional Irish band was livening up the scene. Guests were encouraged to take part in learning some Irish dances, and when it was time for a break, the band provided some hilarious song, dance, and story entertainment. This went on until after midnight, when Chris and Fiona finally hit the road for Dublin, where they were leaving the next morning for their cruise around the Greek Isles. The band, however, was just getting warmed up; we stayed up with them until 3 in the morning, and rumor has it that they were still going strong at 5. These Irish sure know how to party! 

 

Part III: Day Trip - Giant's Causeway and Coastal Ireland

Main Sights: Carrickfergus Castle, Giant's Causeway, The Old Bushmills Distillery, Dunluce Castle, Carrick-a-Rede

     

And, one more little collage for you, highlighting the music of Ireland. 

And that, in short, was my spring break. I am off to the Royal Opera House to see the Royal Ballet's production of Cinderella! This is why life in London is so spectacular!

Love,

lvp

Sunsets, Swans, and Smiles

I know that I owe you a spring break highlights post. But to distract you from the fact that I haven't written it yet, I have some more photos for you.

Katie and I went down by the Thames last night to try and get some volcanic sunset photos. While the sunset wasn't anything extra ordinary (although I find the sky always remarkable), the reflection on the water and the swans made for some nice captures. And, besides, the company was superb.

Love,

lvp

"I came up now at Tower Hill, and there wasn't a tower and there wasn't a hill."

There's this bloke called Bill Bryson. He's an American who lived in England for 20+ years and has written a collection of memoirs on this country he grew to love so much. Tori gave me one of these books, Notes from a Small Island, Christmas of 2008, long before I knew that I would be studying here. I started to read it this past Christmas, hoping it would prepare me for some of the culture that I was about to encounter. Today, whilst researching for a paper I am writing for my "British Life & Culture" class, I picked it up and decided to skim over it a bit and see if there were anything I could use. I'm not sure I can incorporate any of the material to my essay, but I thought I'd share a little segment with you. As a disclaimer, I want to add that this book is twice as funny after having lived here for a little while. Anywho. Have a laugh! Or as they say in Ireland, have a good craic!

I can never understand why Londoners fail to see that they live in the most wonderful city in the world. It is, if you ask me, far more beautiful and interesting than Paris and more lively than anywhere but New York--and even New York can't touch it in lots of important ways. It has more history, finer parks, a livelier and more varied press, better theaters, more numerous orchestras and museums, leafier squares, safer streets, and more courteous inhabitants than any other large city in the world. 

And it has more congenial small things--incidental civilites, you might call them--than any other city I know: cheery red mailboxes, drivers who actually stop for you at pedestrian crossings, lovely forgotten churches with wonderful names like St. Andrews by the Wardrobe and St. Giles Cripplegate, sudden pockets of quiet like Lincoln's Inn and Red Lion Square, interesting statues of obscure Victorians in togas, pubs, black cabs, double-decker buses, helpful policemen, polite notices, people who will stop to help you when you fall down or drop your shopping, benches everything. What other great city would trouble to put blue plaques on houses to let you know what famous person once lived there, or warn you to look to your left or right before stepping off the curb? I'll tell you. None. 

Take away Heathrow Airport, the weather, and any building that the architect Richard Seifert ever laid a bony finger to, and it would be nearly perfect. Oh, and while we're at it, we might also stop British Museum employees from cluttering the forecourt with their cars and instead make it into a kind of garden, and also get rid of those horrible portable crush barriers outside Buckingham Palace because they look so straggly and cheap--not at all in keeping with the dignity of her poor besieged Majesty within. And, of course, put the Natural History Museum back to the way it was before they started dicking around with in (in particular, they must restore the display case showing insects infesting household products from the 1950s); and remove the entrance charges from all museums at once; and bring back Lyons Corner Houses but this time with food you'd like to eat; and finally, but most crucially, make the board of directors of British Telecom go out and personally track down every last red phone box that they sold off to be used as shower stalls and garden sheds in far-flung corners of the globe, make them put them all back, and then sack them--no, kill them. Then truly will London be glorious again.

That's all for now. Katie and I are going to attempt to find a place to capture the Volcanic sunset. It's a gorgeous day in London!  Hope it is gorgeous wherever you are.

Love,
lvp

Beauty from Ashes

That volcano eruption is Iceland has thrown a wrench in a lot of students' travel plans. Most of them are trying to get back to London, or wherever they need to be, but all flights are cancelled around Europe. Thankfully, I got back before it happened, and most of my friends--with a few exceptions--made it back as well.

Interestingly, though, the ash from the eruption makes the sunsets more red than usual. Check out these photos to see for yourself. 

I think Katie and I are going to try to find a good place to get some sunset shots tomorrow after we work on our papers. Hopefully I'll have some good shots to share with you later! 

This is just one I snapped tonight from my window before walking out the door...

Bed time!

Love,

lvp

Because we are alive, so we've got to live life

And if home is really where the heart is,

then we're the smartest kids I know...

because wherever we are in this great big world,

we'll never be more than a few hours from home.

And that's important, because I need to travel.

I've had this itching in my shoes since I was just a little kid.

You were on my mind at least nine tenths of yesterday;

It seemed as if perhaps I'd gone insane.

What is it about you that has commandeered my brain?

Maybe it's your awesome songs or maybe it's the way

You go straight to the top, you're not scared of getting squashed.

You know just when to jump off; you are so brave.

And then you run to the right; it seems there's no hope in sight.

And you drop down the tube that takes you right to level eight.

My rollercoaster's got the biggest 

ups and downs

As long as it keeps going 'round, it's 

unbelievable.

Love,
lvp

And what was said to the rose to make it unfold...

Happy birthday to my amazing grandmother! 

Today was absolutely lovely.

I went into Central this morning to have an early lunch with Jenny (and Karen) before they headed off to Paris. I met them in the city last night as well and took them to dinner at a favorite little spot of mine called Stockpot--where they serve cheap, delicious, traditional British food. I also showed them to Trafalgar Square, Westminster (for the night view), and Abbey Road.

After lunch, I went to Costa to have some coffee and get some reading done. I quickly got fed up with being inside, so I hopped on the tube and went a few stops away to Green Park, where I spent about an hour and divided my time being reading, people watching, and photographing.

Not wanting to leave the sea of daffodils, I walked the long way back to the tube station to head toward Angel, where I met Akua for an afternoon rendezvous. We went to a small cake shop where she spent nearly an hour (okay, ten minutes) trying to decide what kind of treat to get. She finally decided on the Curly Whirly (dark chocolate cake with vanilla bean icing) and I settled for the lighter Lemon Chiffon. Yes, we did have dessert before dinner. And yes, we did regret it about half an hour later when our stomachs were screaming at us for all the sugar we had just consumed.

Not to fear though: after some window shopping and dress-up time on Oxford Street, we met Dan and Eric (two fellows Queens students who are also studying abroad) for a healthy portion of Nando's. I had a chicken burger with cheese and pineapple, and it was the perfect end to the day!

I forgot to mention earlier that I called UPS this morning and scheduled my package (which has been in the UK for three weeks now) for delivery tomorrow! It could come anytime between 7 am and 7 pm, which means I have to stay home all day and wait for it. But this is probably a good thing, because I have plenty of laundry to do, and plenty of school work to work on. Not to mention...photos to play with.

Just for fun, and to further prove to you that spring has finally arrived in this country, I am showing you a few of my favorite shots from Green Park.

I want this to be my [future] husband and me one day in 50 years. Eating ice cream on a beautiful spring day in Green Park. Surrounded by daffodils...

Love,

lvp

Photographing Wordsworth

I know you would probably like to see more photos from my holiday, but I am taking a break from editing for bit. I do, however, have another little treat for you in the meantime.

I have a bestest friend. Her name is Victoria. I call her Tori. She is my best friend for an infinite number of reasons, but mostly because she knows everything about who I am...and loves me anyway. We met in ninth grade and have been inseparable ever since--figuratively speaking. In literal terms, we have been separate more than we have been together since college started. This semester is, of course, the furthest and longest we have been away from each other. As much as I miss her, I never feel too far away from her, because we are connected by something much stronger than physical proximity. If I were John Donne, I may compare our friendship to a geometric compass--always connected no matter how far apart.

This is getting a bit creepy, I know. But all of this is to preface the photos I am about to share with you that are a gift to my best friend. Tori's favorite flower is a daffodil, and, as a surprise to me, the United Kingdom (Ireland and England, anyway) is inundated with them in the month of April. In a small way, they make me feel a little bit closer to her; I only wish there were a way to send them all to her. Photos, then, are the next best thing...or perhaps better, since they won't wilt.

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

Love,

lvp

"I long...to be at home wherever I find myself."

I think that a place really becomes a home the first time that you leave it. Because it's the knowing you'll be back there--no matter where else you go--that makes it so significant in your heart. I have so many homes. England has become one of them.

And it changed so much while I was gone.

I stepped off the plane and immediately noticed the warm, no-jacket-needed weather, and wanted to jump around in circles from joy, but decided against it so as to not freak out airport personnel and fellow passengers. But I was extremely thrilled that the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and there were people on the tube in flip flops and tank tops.

Once I arrived at Stansted, I took the lovely and costly Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale (that's said "Tutnam," for all you Americans who were saying it phonetically), and then the tube from Tottenham Hale to Vauxhall. From Vauxhall, I was, theoretically, supposed to take the train to Surbiton. But I think I got so excited to finally be home that I completely distracted myself, hopped on a train that I thought was going to Waterloo but was actually going to Guilford, had to get off at the next stop which was Clapham Junction, and then hop on a train to take me to Waterloo (only because I couldn't find the board that told me where the next train to Surbiton would be leaving from). Eventually, I arrived at Surbiton. 

I was astonished and overjoyed on my bus ride from the train station, as adults and children alike chatted and laughed to one another as though they had not a care in the world. It is truly remarkable how a little bit of warmer weather can do an entire city such good. The flowers are beginning to bloom, the trees are greening, and the daffodils are springing up--attempting to catch up with the ones in Ireland, I think. I am falling in love with this place all over again. And coming back to the hugs, smiles, and tea of Debs and Drew made me sure that I had found my way to home again at last. To think that I was only gone for two weeks! I cannot imagine leaving this place for good come June. Oh dear. Moving on! 

I am in the process of editing pictures. I think I will be up all night. And then I have a paper to write (yes, Grandmother, I have my priorities quite straight), many emails to respond to, and a package to track down. Nevermind the unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, and social catching up that needs to be done. 

Just to keep you busy while I am busy, here a few preview photos that I've played with so far...

Right, well, that's all for now. Should keep you temporarily satisfied!

Love,

lvp

*Blog title quote: Maya Angelou

Oh, Wow!

I will post more about the past two weeks later, but just wanted to update and let you all know that the wedding was absolutely beautiful in every way. Fiona was gorgeous and glowing, Chris was handsome and happy, and we partied well into the night with genuine Irish music and dancing. I promise there are many many pictures to come! In fact, I think I'm going to be posting photos for the next month to make up for all the time I haven't been able to share them with you. Soon, my friends. Very soon.

I spent my last day in Belfast with Jenny, Rachel, and Tricia driving and walking along the coast. The views are indescribably beautiful. It is no wonder that the Giant's Causeway is the third most visited site in the world (second only to the Grand Canyon and Niagra Falls). 

Having the chance to spend a week with people from back home (both Jacksonville and Charlotte) has been surreal and very special. I have found myself missing London and the people there quite a lot though, so I am looking forward to heading back tomorrow. First on my agenda when I return? Photos. Second? A paper that is due on Monday. Oh boy! 

Love,

lvp

Keeping Time with Prince Albert

I had an amazing day walking around Belfast with Jenny, Courtney, and tour-guide Fiona Haughey (not to be confused with Fiona Baker, who is getting married tomorrow).

We went to the gorgeous Belfast Botanical Gardens and the Ulster Museum, had some tea and scones, and then topped off the day at a traditional Irish pub with some Irish folk music!

Tomorrow is the day of the "blessed event," and we are praying for beautiful weather and all things lovely. I, for one, cannot wait to see two such amazing people get married to each other. Wuv...true wuv...


We'll catch up more soon!

Love,
lvp

Back "Home" in the United Kingdom

Top 5 places to sleep in the London Stansted airport:

Pre-Security
5. Attached Burger King seating area on cushioned chairs.
4. Detached Burger King seating area on uncushioned bench.
3. Cushioned airport benches.
Post-Security
2. A table at F&B's Deli.
1. Tmobile internet hotspot with awesome chairs.

So, after 18 hours in this lovely place of refuge, Jenny and I finally got on our plane headed for Belfast. We were welcomed by chilly but nice weather, and a warm place to sleep...peacefully and for as long as we wanted to.

I woke up this morning around 11, and am still trying to remind myself that it's  Easter Sunday. Jenny and I had a lovely lunch at The Mad Hatter...appreciative to be back in a country where we can read the menu and get free water!

Fiona (the bride) and Chris (the groom) came by Jenny's dorm a little bit ago to drop off Courtney. Everyone is gearing up for the wedding; there are many exciting times to be had! There is a tea party tomorrow morning with Fiona and her mom, and then a hen party in the evening. A hen party is the Irish equivalent to a bachelorette party, so that is sure to be a good time! Everyone is quite excited for the wedding on Wednesday. I am looking quite forward to the mini-Queens/USA reunion with Fiona, Jenny, Courtney, Rachel, Natalie, Tricia, and me. Yipee!

I am finally getting to do laundry after wearing smelly clothes for the last week, so I am off to switch my clothes to the dryer.

Love,
lvp

Venice...

...is divine.