How Time Flies!

Well, it's April! I realized it's been a while since I last posted, and so much has happened since then. To recount it all would take way too long to write and to read—ain't nobody got time for that! So I decided instead to do a quick slide show of things that have been happenin lately over on this side of the pond.

So, first, Oxford term ended, and I had my last tutorial meeting... ever!

So much sadness...

Then I went to Wales!

I woke up early every morning and frolicked in fields, played my penny whistle to attentive audiences of sheep, and fed beautiful horses!

I stayed in a dream home, a gorgeous manor house owned by a beautiful Welsh family...














...and ate dinner by candle light every evening with the most lovely group of people.

Picture courtesy of my wonderful friend Marie

I climbed to the top of a bunch of hills and took funny pictures of my face for my momma...

And I laid on grassy knolls in the (slight) sunshine with my dear friend Katina.

Mmmm...

I also went to a bunch of castles. No pictures of those, though, because their awesomeness can't really be summed up in a picture or two (and... I think my camera died when we went there :P). I went on a glorious hike past numerous waterfalls and stopped at Tintern Abbey, the famous place that William Wordsworth wrote a poem about. These were also just too awesome to be summed up with a few pictures.

Then, unfortunately we had to leave our paradisiacal retreat and go back to England.

Over the bridge we went!

This bridge right here

Once we got back, I had to do this course called British Landscapes. I wrote some essays, went to some lectures, went on a few field trips.

I made some homemade bread,

Started my thesis on Oscar Wilde, the love of my life,

Saw some beautiful sunsets from my window

Night #1

Night #2

It was a party.

Then, I went with some friends....

My pals, Dawn and Dave

To see the Queen! 

That is ACTUALLY the Queen!!

That was pretty cool, I guess.... (AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!)

I also went to London over Easter weekend to see a show in the West End. I spent the day doing tourist-y things while playing it off like I was a local. Solid.

I saw Big Ben.

Walked across and took pictures of Tower Bridge, which, to me, looks like it belongs in Disney.















I also attempted multiple times to get a picture of my face AND the bridge, but continued to fail. Either I got the bridge and not my face or my face and not the bridge. Sheesh!

This was the best attempt.

I gave up and took a silly picture instead :)  

















I also saw the Tower of London which was much scarier and much more of a, oh you know, tower in my imagination.

Still kinda cool, though.

And I went to the show The Judas Kiss, a play about Oscar Wilde, played by Rupert Everett. Basically it was perfect in every way.

"The truth of a person is only visible through love"

I went to Christ Church Cathedral for Easter service—the same place that the Queen had gone for Maundy Thursday service—and made a homemade quiche for the Easter potluck we had at my house.

Even a homemade crust. Look at me go!

So, now, this past week was the last week of British Landscapes, and consequently, the last week of classes in my Oxford career. (Whoa) For the last field trip, we went to Coventry where I saw the most Beautiful stained glass window I've ever seen before. I wish a picture was able to capture its magnificence, but it's just impossible. I wanted to include a picture anyways because I just loved it so much. The actual window was unbelievably breathtaking and inspiring, especially knowing the background and the intent of the building it was in: a cathedral brutally destroyed in WWII, rebuilt for the sake of hope, peace, and reconciliation among the people. It was Beautiful. I could've stayed and looked at it all day!




Lately, I've just been working lots on my thesis and enjoying my last few days in Oxford. There have been more and more incredible sunsets lately. The other evening as I was biking home, I was so struck by the Beauty of the sunset that I had to stop and spend a little time enjoying it while sitting in a field. The fading light peaking over the tops of the buildings in my beloved city was enough to make my heart soar.


















Evidence of my heart soaring:

















Good times. 


My most recent update is from yesterday. I went to sing at a wedding with my a cappella group. People who get married in/around Oxford are usually pretty well off so I assumed the venue would be pretty spectacular, but then we arrived there.



Holy cow! The place was amazing! We sang outside on the terrace in the sunshine and the guests were very pleased. The whole day was wonderful.

Some of the girls, being lovely as always!

I actually went to London again after we sang at the wedding because I had loved The Judas Kiss so much that I wanted to see it again. It was just as spectacular the second time. Ah, I do love me some good theatre.

Well, I guess those are all the updates I have. I'm sure I missed a number of things, but I should probably stop procrastinating and actually do some work on my thesis now. Five more days and my Oxford education will be complete. I can hardly believe how soon that is. My, how soon ends always follow beginnings!