A Wee Bit of England!

Ready for the journey...
Getting ready for Bath in Camden Market
Acting like a London fashion diva in Bath!
Taking a dip in Trafalgar Square...
Me in the doorway of King George III summer palace feeling quite royal!

“When we start to believe the limitlessness of what we have and the weight of what we are called to do with it (to do with the limitlessness of what we have), we will come to know and experience the reality of the promise that we will experience whatever we ask for.” –Danny Silk-

It’s amazing what happens when we begin to believe in the infiniteness of God and that his love holds no bounds; it’s truly limitless.

As many of you know I’m in England at the moment and have been here for 10 days now. This means there are only about 13 more to go. Although I don’t want to think about that right now because I am falling in love with this place. It’s just that everything is so pretty. The buildings have such character and history, the guy who was making me a baguette the other day called me ‘love’ about 10 times while making my lunch, the lady in this café by this garden in Streatham referred to me as ‘dear’ over and over, and then there was the man who was playing piano in the underground who whispered ‘wonderful’ to the tune of Sunday morning under his breath as I walked by or the best was this guy in Bath who practically proposed to me on camera while making his batch of daily fudge, ‘nuts about chocolate.’ Judging by my video footage it appears he was nuts about more than that, but naturally I turned him down, especially since he mistook me for an American girl. Really though, every day has been as though I’m meeting all these characters in the story of my life where I am the leading lady, and when you’re the lead role you want the story to be grand. I can honestly say that it has!

From tea, to Mirch Masala, dancing around Buckingham Palace, to ice cream in Hyde Park, Sibelius at BBC Proms, the Troubadour, vintage shopping in Nottinghill gate, beers/ poems in Oxford, four part harmonies on a 4 hour road trip, dress up in Camden Town, Falafels on the water, love affairs with the guitars on Denmark street (sorry Gill), making music, coffee and croissants in the park, making picture clouds to hide and seek in Kew Gardens and then the all around amazing company plus more TEA! To think, this was just London in a few words. The real deal was much more enchantingJ

I arrived in Bath on Monday and have been staying with some incredible friends and making new ones in the process. This trip has definitely shown me how far I’ve come with expanding my heart to welcome new people into it. I don’t know why I ever stayed so self-protected in the past. Risking relationships is much more rewarding, not to mention fun! I thought I was doing this whole trip alone when I left; my adventure with God, all independent and ready to take on the world. Although I’ve still been traveling alone, I’ve had beautiful people by my side and I’m realizing, as one friend put it, just how true it is that the experience is what is remembered not all the sites that are the tourist ‘must see’s.’ Some of my favorite moments have been just sitting around a dinner table in stitches over something someone said or laying in silence on the grass waiting for the London sun to pop out from behind the clouds.

I feel so alive here, not that I’m dead in Toronto. I think you know what I mean. It could be the romance of this foreign land or it may just be that my heart feels at rest, settled, and unconcerned with the pressures that will await me when I’m back in my Country. People I love at home I do miss you, but I will warn you, I’m more myself here than I have ever been. This next year ahead is a big one. I graduate for starters and that in and of itself comes with loaded expectations. People asking what I’m doing with my life after school and me wishing I had a better response than “not sure really.” I guess I’ve just realized how important it is to allow yourself to be loved, enjoy the people around you and take steps in the journey that requires some movement to complete. I came here with this worry about the fact that in a year I wont be able to write ‘student’ as a career on forms anymore and wondering what I’ll put down but suddenly being in Wales as I type this and planning a picnic in the mountains tomorrow afternoon, a title just seems insignificant. Daughter, is enough for now and all I do and love will be through this place.

Who knows what will happen? No matter the outcome I’m excited about the beauty and mess of it all, about not going at it all alone, knowing that others have felt a similar worry; maybe I’ll even practice moving some mountains tomorrow…