Next stop... ENGLAND?!

You can see the BGC!
Wait... wait... I leave for England TOMORROW?!? What has happened to the past two weeks? How much information have I crammed into my brain? What have I learned? I skyped with my family yesterday and my parents were like- "So did you learn anything?" And I replied, "Yeah, I learned.... stuff. Metaphysical poetry, Jane Austen, travel writing about moors, playgrounds and farms. You know." But the two weeks of intensive classes have come to an end and there is only ONE DAY MORE. You know this has got to be a big deal because I very rarely use all caps for anything. Perhaps you're wondering what the past couple of weeks have entailed. I'll give you the highlights.
    17th century poetry on Blanchard lawn
  • Discovering the awesome conference room on the 4th floor of Blanchard (above picture)
  • Studying outside on Blanchard lawn with NO black flies (ask any New Hampshirite about this and they'll tell you why this is such a big deal)
  • Watching multiple Austen adaptations, including Bride and Prejudice and Rozema's Mansfield Park
  • Understanding the differences between a traveler and a tourist
  • Reading As You Like It out loud with 10 other fellow students for 2 and 1/2 hours
  • Making all of the English/literary jokes and puns that you can think of and more
  • Analyzing and critiquing seriously everything, from Austen's novels to secular love poems to our favorite childhood books to movies with Byronic heroes
  • Mostly reading, writing, studying and then more reading, writing and studying
  • Completing 1 big paper, 1 exam on poetry (try to imagine that!) and a milieu of other smaller assignments
Studying with new friends
However, this is all coming to an end as tomorrow morning, we leave Wheaton and set off for O'Hare Airport and after that, London. I'll be spending the next week in London with no class (yay!) and lots of walking, learning, adapting and sight-seeing. We will be staying in a youth hostel right next to St. Paul's Cathedral right outside of the West End. I'm looking forward to going to the Globe Theater, seeing Westminster Abbey, exploring bookstores, taking pictures, trying new foods, observing British culture and so much more than I can imagine.

If you want to understand more about British culture and the differences between British and American people, check out these links (they're really funny and eye-opening):
  • 10 Things Americans Do That Drive Brits Nuts - http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2012/05/15/10-things-americans-do-that-drive-brits-nuts/
  • 10 Things Brits Do That Drive Americans Nuts - http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2012/05/17/10-things-brits-do-that-drive-americans-nuts/
  • American Habits That Brits Will Never Understand - http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2013/04/09/10-american-habits-brits-will-never-understand/
  • British Habits That Americans Will Never Understand - http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2013/04/04/10-british-habits-americans-will-never-understand/
On a more serious note, please be praying for safety as we travel and as we spend time in London. Please be praying for our group as we continue to bond together and truly get to experience community together. There will be conflict, pressure and stress as well as laughter, joy and fun. May we come out the stronger because of what we have gone through. Pray for continued time management and balance because with the overwhelming stimulation and activities happening, it will be easy to overdo things or not think clearly in the midst of the busyness. Pray that I would make wise choices, not worry too much and truly enjoy the present moment by moment. Thank you so much for your support, even by just reading this blog post. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity and I will see y'all on the other side of the pond! 

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