Thursday, February 28, 2019

Rye


Oh, Rye. I don't think I have ever been to a town that was so beautiful as a whole; there's little I love more than a good medieval street, and the town center is packed full of them. We navigated the tiny streets in our rental car and went straight to the Mermaid Inn, where we were staying. The inn itself is a historian's treasure trove, so I've reserved a separate post just to talk about it, but needless to say I was in heaven. 

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Dover Castle



The day we went to Dover was the first time I had really driven in the UK. We had picked up the car the day before, but driven immediately to the parking lot in Canterbury; we wanted to get an early start the next day and the rental agency didn't open until nine. I won't pretend I wasn't nervous; even though I probably over-prepared by reading the entire UK Highway Code prior to leaving the US, knowing in theory how to drive on the opposite side of the road and actually doing it are two very different things. It was a strange feeling to have to consciously think about every single turn and road sign. Thankfully after a couple days something just clicked and it became as instinctual as driving here in the US, but that first drive from Canterbury to Dover was pretty nerve-wracking.  That first view of the Castle, though, looking out over the English Channel, though--completely worth it. 

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Canterbury Cathedral


It's hard to quantify exactly what I felt when I stepped into Canterbury Cathedral. Looking down the nave, I was overcome with awe and a flood of emotions that I didn't at all expect. I actually got a bit teary, if you want to know the truth, and the experience stuck with me to the extent that I can recall it so vividly as I type this. The cathedral holds so many dichotomies, both physically and historically; parts are bright and holy, and others dark and shadowy, which I suppose makes sense for a building as old as this one.

Friday, February 15, 2019

Canterbury

The first Saturday morning of our England trip, we woke up bright and early to catch a train from St. Pancras station to Canterbury, and about an hour later we stepped out onto its medieval streets. It took me approximately 2.3 minutes to fall hopelessly in love with this town. From the half-timbered buildings to the towering cathedral to the sweet little shops of Buttermarket, I was smitten almost immediately.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Walt Disney World 2019: Day Two

Man, I think I'm still recovering from the whirlwind that was day two of our Disney trip (you can read about day one here).  Three parks in one day is not for the faint of heart, but I was convinced that Tyler needed to experience Tower of Terror, Flight of Passage, and Epcot (which is neck-and-neck with Magic Kingdom for my favorite park). We started out at Hollywood Studios and rope-dropped Slinky Dog Dash; the line was still crazy, but we waited maybe 30 minutes, and it was definitely worth it. I say "it was worth it"; I actually hated it because I was terrified the entire time, but Tyler loved it...mainly because I was terrified the entire time and he thought it was hilarious. He's a peach, I tell ya. In retrospect, it wasn't that bad, and I'd probably do it again now that I know what to expect, but at the time, whoa boy. 

Thursday, February 7, 2019

The Joy in the Middle

This winter has been a wild one to say the least. We've had a legitimate blizzard, a separate snowstorm that dropped over a foot of snow, a "snow day" caused by dangerously low temperatures...all separated by some random 60+ degree days. If I didn't look up the forecast, I'd honestly have no idea how to dress on any given day. Looking back on the past year, life sort of mirrored the weather: 2018 really held some of my highest highs and lowest lows, and I think I'm still getting over the level of emotional whiplash I experienced over the past twelve-ish months.  I worked myself to the point of burnout and physical exhaustion at my job, buried one of my closest relatives & role models, and found myself withdrawing because of anxiety more than I'd like to admit; I also took five different trips, officiated my brother's wedding, and spent the better part of a month in my beloved England.  

2018 taught me a lot, but if I had to sum up the most important lesson of the past year, it would be to recognize the joy in the middle--those average days that pass by without fanfare, that get lost in all the highs and the lows. The days where I get home from work at a normal time, snuggle the cats, eat dinner, do the dishes and read before bed are the ones I hadn't appreciated enough, but there is so much happiness in those simple moments after such a year of extremes. While I'm hoping that 2019 has more highs than lows, if the majority of my days are in the middle, I'll be perfectly happy with that. 

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Walt Disney World 2019: Day One


Last month, Tyler and I took a trip to Walt Disney World: my third trip and his very first! Even thought I'm far from a Disney expert, my other two trips were taken with a Disney expert, so I felt pretty confident in my ability to navigate the parks and pick things to do that Tyler would enjoy. (Not going to lie, though, I still had Haley do all our reservations and I had her on speed dial, just in case!)

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