From Canterbury to Calais - Happy Thanksgiving!

Ok, I have not blogged the past few days but I have a lot to catch up on. First of all, Happy Belated Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you had a great day full of food, family, friends, and "thanks." As for me, I miss my family so much; this being my first Thanksgiving away from them, it really hit me how much I miss them. I am so thankful though, because I was able to have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with many friends here in Canterbury. Spencer, the master chef that he is, conjured up some wonderful yams, stuffing, and pumpkin pie for our potluck Thanksgiving, to give a very "American" element to our feast. We had a number of wonderful friends all gathered together to share in our holiday and celebrate our friend Lavinia's birthday. It was such a wonderful day. Although I miss home, it was a great day to remember how thankful I am for what God has given me here, and my longing for home reminds me how thankful I am for what He has given me at home too.

The White Cliffs of Dover

As I said in my last post, Spencer/my friend Chelsea has been staying with us for this entire week, which is a miracle in and of itself. I am so glad she is here with us, and it has been such a fun week so far. After our return from London, we spend Tuesday showing Chelsea (Shelty) around Canterbury. We ate at the Old Weaver House, which is one of the oldest restaurants in town (building from 1500). We showed her around the Cathedral, and finally enjoyed walking around the shops and streets before returning to our campus.

On the ferry to France

The Streets of Calais, France

An interesting side note I meant to mention before about the Canterbury Cathedral. I am slightly jealous of my classmates here because they actually get to graduate in the Cathedral. How amazing would that be to graduate in a building over a thousand years old! Even more, if a person graduates from Kent Uni (my university here in Canterbury) with high honors (which is like having a good GPA in the States) they become one of the only groups of people allowed to get married in the Cathedral. This right is only allowed for high public figures, royalty, and graduates of this University. I just found this to be so amazing, and one of the greatest motivations to graduate with high honors.

The Tour de Guet

Steak and Frite

Ok, back to my time this week. After a day in Canterbury, Spencer, Chelsea, and I spent Wednesday in France! Yes, we were able to do a day trip in France. It almost seems unreal to me, but it worked out. We left from the famous White Cliffs of Dover and set sail across the English channel to Calais, France. While there we enjoyed authentic French food, the local sites, and the quaint friendliness of the small town. We finished our day off by getting some French wine and cheese for our return to Canterbury. It was a relaxing journey to appreciate the French culture on the coast with two wonderful friends.

A local park in Calais

We were a little loopy after a day of travels

After class today, Spencer, Chelsea, and I will soak in Canterbury once more before our trip to Brugge, Belgium tomorrow! I will be sure to post pictures when we return. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving: "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." 2 Corinthians 9:11.