It is really hard, after going on an adventure, to go back to your ordinary life. It's just so... Ordinary. I had gotten into the habit of blogging several times a week, so the last couple of weeks, I keep opening up blogger, only to stare blankly at the screen, trying to figure out what to write. The truth is, I don't really have anything to say. I mean, who wants to hear about my day? After about the third post that says exactly the same thing, people would be over it. I know I would, if I was reading it! :)
The day after I got home, I had this momentary panic attack. I was convinced for a short while, that I had dreamed the whole thing up. That made me sad, and worried that I was losing my mind if my delusions had become that realistic. That was when I tripped over my suitcase while getting out of bed... So I knew it had either really happened, or my delusions were far more advanced than I first thought...
So here I am, being my same old boring self, blogging about, well, nothing... Sorry!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Final Days
Monday was an adventuring day. We set out in the morning to visit the legendary Sherwood Forest! Yes, we went to Robin Hood country. We stopped in a town on the way and saw an ancient church. Then made our way to the forest... Of course, it is a lot smaller now, much of it having been cut down for building before it was made a National Nature Reserve... It was a beautiful place, even in its end of winter bareness. There were birds singing everywhere, an laughing voices as people wandered the paths... The main attraction being Major Oak. Major Oak is an extremely old oak tree, that is the rumored location of Robin Hood's hide out. Granted, it's not QUITE old enough fro that, but it's a fun thought! Around the oak, there were booths set up, archery and catapult games, and people in costume. It was a fun festive atmosphere.
Tuesday we took the morning off. We spent time watching T.V. Nice and quiet... In the afternoon, we went to Matlock. It is a sweet town. We walked through the park and around some of the streets, taking it all in. After a bit, we loaded back into the car, and headed to Mairi's parents' house... They live in Matlock. The Montgomerys are WONDERFUL! I loved them to pieces in no time. I was treated to tea from china cups. Offered three different types of cake, and ate the one I chose with the cutest silver cake forks. I got to hear some great stories, family history and such... It was a lovely afternoon. A nice way to spend my final day, surrounded by that family feeling, hearing stories and having great conversation.
That night was hard for me. I love England, and it feels so much like home. I didn't want to leave. Much as I DID want to leave, be home, see my family and friends, I DIDN'T want to leave, you know?... I went to bed that night, with tears...
We got up Wednesday morning at 2:30... Ugh. We had to leave just after 3 am to get to the airport... The good byes were hard. Mairi and Ben had brought me and I cried as I hugged them and turned away... They watched me up the escalator, I turned a corner, and that was the end.
Security wasn't bad at Manchester Airport... The last time I flew out of there, I was surrounded by policemen with machine guns, and had to go through 4 different security checkpoints. This time was much easier... The flight to Paris was short and pleasant, but arrived in Paris late. Now, I had been warned in advance about Charles De Gaulle Airport... I was informed that 3 out of 4 times through, your luggage will get lost, and if you have less than an hour and a half, you probably won't make your flight... IF my plane from Manchester had arrived on time, I would have had an hour and twenty minutes to get the next one... And the plane was twenty minutes late... Great...
I ran... I ran very fast through the airport, knocking people out of the way, shouting "Excuse me!" behind me... About a hundred yards from my gate, I had to stop. There was an enormous line, and they were not letting ANYONE skip through it. Great... I was beginning to panic a bit. Thankfully, I was standing next to two guys from Seattle, who were waiting for the same flight as me. We talked and kept each other calm, agreeing that as so many of us seemed to be in the line, they would hold the plane, right?
It took forever. When we got through that line, we were sent to another line. This line? Another security check. Yep. I got frisked, for the first time in my life, by a large, rather frightening French woman. Then I ran again... I was the second to last person to get on my plane, and had no assurance that my luggage had made it on.
The plane was really nice. The most comfortable one I have ever flown on. The seats had more room, and I could even move my feet. The seat next to me was empty, something I had been praying for hard. I was nice and cozy for the over 10 hours I was on the plane. Every seat had its own screen and had tins of movies and T.V. shows to choose from... It was a great flight, despite its length, except for one thing... The flight attendants didn't feel the need to pay attention to the coach passengers. Half an hour after we took off, we got a snack and drink. Five minutes after that, we got lunch and a drink... That was it for a VERY long time. They kept taking food and drinks up to first and business class, but we were utterly ignored...After SEVEN hours, I was very thirsty. I was tired of waiting, so I rang the call bell... I waited five minutes, then rang it AGAIN... Someone finally came. For crying out loud! SEVEN hours and I had to ASK... An hour after that, the decided to feed us again. A tiny muffin and a drink... I guess it was too much to ask to have a nice comfortable, smooth flight AND good service. It was silly of me to expect it...
Upon reaching Seattle, I made my way to customs. That customs check was surprisingly easy... Of course, then we had another one. At the second, I was lucky enough to be chosen to have my bags all searched. Yay... When I finally made it to where I was supposed to meet my mom and Tab, I was a wreck. Exhausted, sad, and ready to go home... But they weren't there. It took me 45 minutes to find them. They had been told repeatedly by airport officials, that people from my flight would be coming to this other place... So imagine my distress, when after all those hours of travel and multiple searches, to not find them anywhere... It wasn't pretty. I fell apart a little once I finally got to them... After the two hour drive home, I spent my first afternoon and evening alternately watching movies and having long chats with mom and Tab. That, and trying to stay awake...
I am very glad to be home, but miss all my people over the ocean SO much. I hope they all know how much I love them and how grateful I am to them for all they have done for me...
And now I am trying to adjust back to life in the US. My first challenge was approaching the correct side of the car when a passenger... I almost got in the driver's side...
Tuesday we took the morning off. We spent time watching T.V. Nice and quiet... In the afternoon, we went to Matlock. It is a sweet town. We walked through the park and around some of the streets, taking it all in. After a bit, we loaded back into the car, and headed to Mairi's parents' house... They live in Matlock. The Montgomerys are WONDERFUL! I loved them to pieces in no time. I was treated to tea from china cups. Offered three different types of cake, and ate the one I chose with the cutest silver cake forks. I got to hear some great stories, family history and such... It was a lovely afternoon. A nice way to spend my final day, surrounded by that family feeling, hearing stories and having great conversation.
That night was hard for me. I love England, and it feels so much like home. I didn't want to leave. Much as I DID want to leave, be home, see my family and friends, I DIDN'T want to leave, you know?... I went to bed that night, with tears...
We got up Wednesday morning at 2:30... Ugh. We had to leave just after 3 am to get to the airport... The good byes were hard. Mairi and Ben had brought me and I cried as I hugged them and turned away... They watched me up the escalator, I turned a corner, and that was the end.
Security wasn't bad at Manchester Airport... The last time I flew out of there, I was surrounded by policemen with machine guns, and had to go through 4 different security checkpoints. This time was much easier... The flight to Paris was short and pleasant, but arrived in Paris late. Now, I had been warned in advance about Charles De Gaulle Airport... I was informed that 3 out of 4 times through, your luggage will get lost, and if you have less than an hour and a half, you probably won't make your flight... IF my plane from Manchester had arrived on time, I would have had an hour and twenty minutes to get the next one... And the plane was twenty minutes late... Great...
I ran... I ran very fast through the airport, knocking people out of the way, shouting "Excuse me!" behind me... About a hundred yards from my gate, I had to stop. There was an enormous line, and they were not letting ANYONE skip through it. Great... I was beginning to panic a bit. Thankfully, I was standing next to two guys from Seattle, who were waiting for the same flight as me. We talked and kept each other calm, agreeing that as so many of us seemed to be in the line, they would hold the plane, right?
It took forever. When we got through that line, we were sent to another line. This line? Another security check. Yep. I got frisked, for the first time in my life, by a large, rather frightening French woman. Then I ran again... I was the second to last person to get on my plane, and had no assurance that my luggage had made it on.
The plane was really nice. The most comfortable one I have ever flown on. The seats had more room, and I could even move my feet. The seat next to me was empty, something I had been praying for hard. I was nice and cozy for the over 10 hours I was on the plane. Every seat had its own screen and had tins of movies and T.V. shows to choose from... It was a great flight, despite its length, except for one thing... The flight attendants didn't feel the need to pay attention to the coach passengers. Half an hour after we took off, we got a snack and drink. Five minutes after that, we got lunch and a drink... That was it for a VERY long time. They kept taking food and drinks up to first and business class, but we were utterly ignored...After SEVEN hours, I was very thirsty. I was tired of waiting, so I rang the call bell... I waited five minutes, then rang it AGAIN... Someone finally came. For crying out loud! SEVEN hours and I had to ASK... An hour after that, the decided to feed us again. A tiny muffin and a drink... I guess it was too much to ask to have a nice comfortable, smooth flight AND good service. It was silly of me to expect it...
Upon reaching Seattle, I made my way to customs. That customs check was surprisingly easy... Of course, then we had another one. At the second, I was lucky enough to be chosen to have my bags all searched. Yay... When I finally made it to where I was supposed to meet my mom and Tab, I was a wreck. Exhausted, sad, and ready to go home... But they weren't there. It took me 45 minutes to find them. They had been told repeatedly by airport officials, that people from my flight would be coming to this other place... So imagine my distress, when after all those hours of travel and multiple searches, to not find them anywhere... It wasn't pretty. I fell apart a little once I finally got to them... After the two hour drive home, I spent my first afternoon and evening alternately watching movies and having long chats with mom and Tab. That, and trying to stay awake...
I am very glad to be home, but miss all my people over the ocean SO much. I hope they all know how much I love them and how grateful I am to them for all they have done for me...
And now I am trying to adjust back to life in the US. My first challenge was approaching the correct side of the car when a passenger... I almost got in the driver's side...
Monday, April 5, 2010
Giants and Pirates
Saturday dawned clear and bright. It seemed the perfect opportunity to go adventuring. My fabulous friends decided to take me to see some of the hills and countryside where that amazingly wonderful film, The Princess Bride was filmed. Yay!
The hike was beautiful. Derbyshire has some truly breathtaking landscapes. We were up in the hills, so we stopped now and then to take in the view. It was astounding... Then, suddenly, we saw it... The big rock where the Dread Pirate Roberts (aka Wesley) defeated the giant... I must admit that I squealed... It was a lovely morning. Truly lovely. Fresh air, gorgeous views, scenes and quotes from favorite movies, and delightful people. A fantastic day...
The afternoon and evening were spent around home. Mairi was baking, so my stomach was constantly growling from the delicious aromas drifting out of the kitchen... At 6:20 exactly, I saw my first episode of Dr. Who... Now I know what all the fuss is about. I really enjoyed it!
Easter Sunday was sunny too. I rode with Mairi to church at North East Derbyshire Christian Fellowship, or NEDCF. A wonderful and welcoming place. I got a lot of, "Kelina? From America? Oh! THAT Kelina!" :) It made me smile. I was VERY excited to meet Kara. She is a very good friend of my friend Ben. She and I had connected on facebook ages ago, and were rather anxious to meet for real. She is lovely! We were talking like old friends in no time. :)
After church we had a delicious chicken dinner and lazed around on couches for a few hours. The evening was to be spent first at this church called Sanctum, then out at a pub called The Poets. Sanctum was where I would be meeting James, anther of Ben's friends who had become a friend of mine via facebook and twitter. Then all four of us were going to the pub.
Sanctum was my first experience with a C of E church... It's nothing like the stereotype. For one thing, the vicar, Mark, has a nose ring and a mohawk. For another, the worship service was more like a hard rock concert. I loved it.
At The Poets after, James and I also agreed that we both thought the other looked very like their picture, but less flat. We had a blast last night... Well, I guess I can only speak for myself, and I did have a blast. :)
Until James broke my heart... :) haha
The hike was beautiful. Derbyshire has some truly breathtaking landscapes. We were up in the hills, so we stopped now and then to take in the view. It was astounding... Then, suddenly, we saw it... The big rock where the Dread Pirate Roberts (aka Wesley) defeated the giant... I must admit that I squealed... It was a lovely morning. Truly lovely. Fresh air, gorgeous views, scenes and quotes from favorite movies, and delightful people. A fantastic day...
The afternoon and evening were spent around home. Mairi was baking, so my stomach was constantly growling from the delicious aromas drifting out of the kitchen... At 6:20 exactly, I saw my first episode of Dr. Who... Now I know what all the fuss is about. I really enjoyed it!
Easter Sunday was sunny too. I rode with Mairi to church at North East Derbyshire Christian Fellowship, or NEDCF. A wonderful and welcoming place. I got a lot of, "Kelina? From America? Oh! THAT Kelina!" :) It made me smile. I was VERY excited to meet Kara. She is a very good friend of my friend Ben. She and I had connected on facebook ages ago, and were rather anxious to meet for real. She is lovely! We were talking like old friends in no time. :)
After church we had a delicious chicken dinner and lazed around on couches for a few hours. The evening was to be spent first at this church called Sanctum, then out at a pub called The Poets. Sanctum was where I would be meeting James, anther of Ben's friends who had become a friend of mine via facebook and twitter. Then all four of us were going to the pub.
Sanctum was my first experience with a C of E church... It's nothing like the stereotype. For one thing, the vicar, Mark, has a nose ring and a mohawk. For another, the worship service was more like a hard rock concert. I loved it.
At The Poets after, James and I also agreed that we both thought the other looked very like their picture, but less flat. We had a blast last night... Well, I guess I can only speak for myself, and I did have a blast. :)
Until James broke my heart... :) haha
Friday, April 2, 2010
English Sunshine
A lovely day in the English sunshine... Also known as rain. :) As a native Bellinghamster, a little rain never scared me... The plan for today? Chatsworth...
Chatsworth is an amazing, enormous old stately home. It is one of the biggest in Britain I believe. It has been the setting of many novels and movies, as well as some real life adventures...
So this morning we all had a nice slow start. Once we were up we had a traditional full English breakfast... SO tasty!!!!! We, Ben, Steve, Mairi and I, set off through the rain... The drive to Chatsworth was beautiful. When we got onto the estate, there were sheep grazing inches from the road and wandering all about. There was a huge herd of deer as well. The grounds around the house are worth the trip, not even factoring in the house. There are rolling hills dotted with sheep. A gently meandering river. Stands of trees stretching their arms to the sky. Breathtaking. But the house itself... Beyond description...
Never have I seen such grandeur. The opulence. And most of it quite tasteful. The outstanding opulence is not over done... That may seem contradictory, but it's true! The pictures I took, don't do it justice... When once we had finished touring the house, we exited out onto the back lawn. We strolled up to the magnificent fountain on the hill, then made our way through to the car, past the place where Mary Queen of Scots used to go for her exercise when she was being held prisoner at the house...
Next we headed to Bakewell. It's a town connected to the estate. What I could see of it from under my hood was lovely. We went to a tea shop. The afternoon tea was amazing! So good and so filling. We finished with Bakewell Pudding. Absolutely delicious! We went to the farm shop next, the headed home... It was a tiring, but fantastic day...
Looking back over this post, I see it is rather short, but the day was so full... But Chatsworth isn't something that can be understood by reading it in type... You have to see it to understand. So be sure to travel to Derbyshire and visit Chatsworth and Bakewell!
Chatsworth is an amazing, enormous old stately home. It is one of the biggest in Britain I believe. It has been the setting of many novels and movies, as well as some real life adventures...
So this morning we all had a nice slow start. Once we were up we had a traditional full English breakfast... SO tasty!!!!! We, Ben, Steve, Mairi and I, set off through the rain... The drive to Chatsworth was beautiful. When we got onto the estate, there were sheep grazing inches from the road and wandering all about. There was a huge herd of deer as well. The grounds around the house are worth the trip, not even factoring in the house. There are rolling hills dotted with sheep. A gently meandering river. Stands of trees stretching their arms to the sky. Breathtaking. But the house itself... Beyond description...
Never have I seen such grandeur. The opulence. And most of it quite tasteful. The outstanding opulence is not over done... That may seem contradictory, but it's true! The pictures I took, don't do it justice... When once we had finished touring the house, we exited out onto the back lawn. We strolled up to the magnificent fountain on the hill, then made our way through to the car, past the place where Mary Queen of Scots used to go for her exercise when she was being held prisoner at the house...
Next we headed to Bakewell. It's a town connected to the estate. What I could see of it from under my hood was lovely. We went to a tea shop. The afternoon tea was amazing! So good and so filling. We finished with Bakewell Pudding. Absolutely delicious! We went to the farm shop next, the headed home... It was a tiring, but fantastic day...
Looking back over this post, I see it is rather short, but the day was so full... But Chatsworth isn't something that can be understood by reading it in type... You have to see it to understand. So be sure to travel to Derbyshire and visit Chatsworth and Bakewell!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Coffee In England (And Other Matters)
Well, yesterday was my first full day in Tupton. Tupton is the town in Derbyshire where my friends live. It is quite close to Chesterfield. I had a nice quiet morning drinking tea and catching up on some emails and such. Around 10 am Ben, Steve and I walked to this cute little coffee shop. It was called The Cornerstone I believe. It was odd. I asked for a caramel latte, and the barrista looked at me like I'd grown horns. hahaha. Steve remarked, "You're not in Kansas anymore." My response, "Apparently." :) The regular latte I had was pretty good, but not like home. And that's fine, because they have the BEST tea in this country, and that's all that really matters.
After coffee, we strolled back towards home, but stopped in the butcher shop on the way! Steve bought bacon. It was my first British Butchers experience. When we arrived back home, we had bacon sandwiches, or bacon butties. So yummy! We spent the rest f the day watching TV and movies. When Mairi got home we watched Sister Act 2 during dinner. Love that movie! We all sang really loud along with the movie. Fun times!... The day was nice and relaxed. Good food, good friends, and good conversations. And of course, sort of good coffee. :)
This morning, we drove into Chesterfield. We stopped in another coffee shop first. It was Cafe Nero... I know, sounds ominous, doesn't it? Nero... But at least this cafe had heard of flavor syrup. I got to have a caramel latte! It was pretty good, really. Next we wandered into a cute little gourmet chocolate shop, then a pet shop. Next I got to visit my first Argos. Then we went to see the famous Crooked Spire. It's so cool! It sort of twists and bends to one side. The church it's a part of is quite lovely. We spent some time walking through and I snapped a few pictures. After we finished there, we strolled through the stalls. It was market day! Chesterfield is a picturesque town. It has a lot of character.
This afternoon, we picked Mairi up and went for a drink at the Hardwick Inn. Really lovely place. Lots of atmosphere. It was nice and quite, and wonderfully old and beautiful.
This evening we stopped at Tesco on the way to dinner... I was ridiculously excited. I've been hearing about Tesco for ages. My friends here swear by it, so I've been eager to see one for myself. It did not disappoint. :)... We had dinner at an Indian restaurant in Chesterfield. This is my second curry dinner in England... Man can they do a good curry here!
Now we are now settling in to watch Little Miss Sunshine... Happy times! :)
After coffee, we strolled back towards home, but stopped in the butcher shop on the way! Steve bought bacon. It was my first British Butchers experience. When we arrived back home, we had bacon sandwiches, or bacon butties. So yummy! We spent the rest f the day watching TV and movies. When Mairi got home we watched Sister Act 2 during dinner. Love that movie! We all sang really loud along with the movie. Fun times!... The day was nice and relaxed. Good food, good friends, and good conversations. And of course, sort of good coffee. :)
This morning, we drove into Chesterfield. We stopped in another coffee shop first. It was Cafe Nero... I know, sounds ominous, doesn't it? Nero... But at least this cafe had heard of flavor syrup. I got to have a caramel latte! It was pretty good, really. Next we wandered into a cute little gourmet chocolate shop, then a pet shop. Next I got to visit my first Argos. Then we went to see the famous Crooked Spire. It's so cool! It sort of twists and bends to one side. The church it's a part of is quite lovely. We spent some time walking through and I snapped a few pictures. After we finished there, we strolled through the stalls. It was market day! Chesterfield is a picturesque town. It has a lot of character.
This afternoon, we picked Mairi up and went for a drink at the Hardwick Inn. Really lovely place. Lots of atmosphere. It was nice and quite, and wonderfully old and beautiful.
This evening we stopped at Tesco on the way to dinner... I was ridiculously excited. I've been hearing about Tesco for ages. My friends here swear by it, so I've been eager to see one for myself. It did not disappoint. :)... We had dinner at an Indian restaurant in Chesterfield. This is my second curry dinner in England... Man can they do a good curry here!
Now we are now settling in to watch Little Miss Sunshine... Happy times! :)
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