White Christmas

Today I awoke to the first settling snow in Canterbury of the season! As I turned back the blinds to peer out my bedroom window I was mesmerized by this sight...

Out my bedroom window

I love the snow (for now)! Canterbury is just as beautiful blanketed in snow as it is any other day. It made me think of the movie White Christmas, not only because it is almost Christmas, but because it is the one movie every Christmas that my mom begs us to watch with her. I looked outside, and thought of her and the rest of my family who I will be home to see in three weeks.

Kent Uni covered in snow!

I can't believe how quickly my time here has been going. I was a bit solemn today as I thought about having to leave this place. It is not that I don't want to go home; I cannot wait to see everyone and be home for Christmas. It is just that I am not ready to leave this place and these people, but I know I must.

If you look hard, you can see the cathedral in the snowy haze

Tomorrow I am spending the day in town with friends. If the snow is still beautifully settled like it was today, I will be sure to post some pictures of snow-covered Canterbury streets and half-timber houses. As for now, I must sleep. Cheers!

The Mountain

You know it has been a blessed week when it goes by so fast, you did not see it coming to a close. That is just how this week has been. Spending the week with Spencer, Chelsea (Shelty), and all our friends here in England could not have been more enjoyable than it was these past several days.

We are thinking of forming a band, we already have our album cover

Spending time with these friends has reminded me how grateful I am for God's guidance in my life. Both Chelsea and Spencer became my friends at a time in my life where I was struggling deeply in letting go of control to God. Most people who know me know I am a Type A personality who likes to plan things out and have control and order in my life. However, when I first went to college, God really began to teach me that I wasn't trusting Him enough. In my mind, it was as if my life was a mountain I must climb, and God was my harness and belay. I was doing the climbing, in control of each step I made, and God was there in case I really slipped up, keeping me from tumbling down to a lowly state. But God taught me with a gentle loosening of that harness and a gust of reality wind that He is not just a harness. He is so much more. He is the one placing my hand on each rock, encouraging me with each step, guiding me up a path in relationship with Him. Being with these two friends and all my new friends here in England has been a reminder how much God has blessed me in His guidance, and how much more of a climb through life I get to enjoy in relationship with Him.

A little treasure in the woods

A walk in Blean Woods

I love all the traveling, I love school, I love Canterbury; but it is the relationships with new friends, the growing relationships with old, and my relationship with God that has made this time in England so monumental. We didn't get to go to Brugge, Belgium on Saturday like we were planning, but it turned out even better, because we got to spend time with our friends Dave, Josh, and Sarah in the Blean woods instead. It was better to be with friends than anything.

This why we are friends

I am now in a place of juxtaposed feelings. I am so excited to return home to family, friends, and the Christmas celebration, I can't even wait. I miss home dearly and have been so excited to return. At the same time, I have (in risk of sounding over-dramatic and feminine) fallen in love with Canterbury, it's people, it's church, and it's beauty. I become a bit depressed every time I think about leaving my new friends I've made here in Canterbury. It is a love-hate duality that I both love and hate.

Blean Woods, a beautiful place

That has been my week that flew by too fast. Thank you Chelsea for coming to visit! It was a week full of great memories with great friends.

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.

London + Friends = Joy

Shelty is here!!!!

What a weekend! Nothing makes enjoying England better than enjoying it with good friends. On Friday, Janice and our new friend Lisa were able to come see Spencer and I in Canterbury. I was so happy to show them around the town we've been living in for the past few months. Coming from Spain, the girls were a little shocked by the cold weather here, but they were troopers and adjusted just fine. After a tasty pancake breakfast in our kitchen with a number of friends, we spent the rest of Friday exploring Canterbury and checking out some of my favorite parts of this town.

Stuck between traffic on Westminster Bridge

Big Ben, Janice, and my new raccoon hat :)

The next morning we left Canterbury (Spencer, Janice, Lisa, our English friend Doug, and I) for a full day in beautiful London. Spencer and I had a fun time playing "tour guide" since we had been to London before (of course, we had a bit of help since Doug is from England). We hit a number of the big sites: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, British Museum, Kings Cross, and the London Eye. However, one of my highlights of the day was our evening in Hyde Park at the annual Winter Wonderland. It was like a county fair on Christmas-filled steroids. We ate some chocolate covered waffles in the German Christmas market, and walked around the park, checking out all the attractions, rides, and shopping booths along the way. It was a wonderful day.

A night in Trafalgar square friends

Trafalgar Square

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park

Spencer, Doug, and me at Big Ben

On Sunday, we went to Hillsong London for church, which was an experience all on its own. The church was massive, and full of people from all over. After church, and a bit of strolling down the shops on Oxford Street, we had to say goodbye, one by one, to our friends Lisa, Janice, and Doug. The time with those friends was priceless and I am so glad I got to spend it with them in London. After our sad goodbyes, Spencer and I spent the evening going to random parts of London we had yet to see, since we had an all day Tube pass. We enjoyed each others company as we moseyed around the city, and saw places like Fleet Street, the Tower Bridge, and the famous Harrods department store. After wearing our feet to the bone, Spencer and I called it a night and went to our friend Miles' place. He was so kind to let us stay over for the night, because we'd be getting up early in the morning to pick up our friend Chelsea (Shelty) Price from the airport! We could barely sleep though; we were just too excited to see her.

Fleet Street

Tower Bridge

Shelty is Spencer's dear friend from high school who I have been blessed to have in my life as well. She came here all the way over from school in Nebraska to spend a week in England with us and I have been looking forward to it ever since she bought her ticket to London. We arrived with a small sign that read "Welcome Shelty Price" as she came running down the airport to us. It was unreal. We couldn't believe a great friend from home had come here. We had such a good day today in London, and I can't wait for everything we are going to do this week. I'll be sure to blog as often as possible because I know we will be doing a lot. Now, we are back in Canterbury, Shelty is recovering from her jet lag (I am so proud of her for staying awake all day today after a long flight), and I am ready to fall asleep as well. This weekend, I truly experienced God's gift of joy. Goodnight everyone!

Three Unique "Must-Do's" of Canterbury, England

As I have been enjoying some more down time in Canterbury, I've decided to share with you three small pleasures that have caught my attention in my time here. Although they might not be popular tourist attractions, they are things that I have found as a local of Canterbury to be some of my favorite experiences.


#1: Oxfam Bookstore - Oxfam is a charity company found throughout the UK working to raise money to fight poverty in the world. Not only are they a compassionate company, but their bookstore here in Canterbury is the best I've ever seen. From the outside, it doesn't look like much (as you can see in my picture), but it's in the quality and affordability of their book selection that I grabbed my attention. The shelves are stacked with classical treasures, written as far back as the early 1700's. Some of my favorite finds so far have been a collection of Charles Dickens books for the late 1800's, a Bible written in the original Greek from the mid 1800's, and of course multiple copies of the Harry Potter series in their British edition (which I have been collecting in my time here). In addition, these books only ran around £3-£6 (less than $10) each, much cheaper than anything I could find in La Jolla's famous old bookshop or those back in Long Beach. I could literally spend hours in Oxfam Books. If you ever find yourself in Canterbury, this bookstore is a must.


#2: Starbucks - You might be thinking, "Kevin, are you kidding me? Starbucks?" but think again. The Starbucks here in Canterbury isn't like any Starbucks I have seen. This one is found in one of the oldest buildings in Canterbury, just next door to the world famous Canterbury Cathedral. The coffee shop, built in 1437, is full of rooms where one could sit down with a nice book and coffee, or just chat it up with some friends. The best spots in the house are in the very back rooms, which have windows facing the Cathedral. It is almost unreal to sit in a Starbucks, something we see every 100 yards in California, and be able to look out on one of the most amazing church buildings in England. So, in answer to the question I'm sure you all first asked when you saw 'Starbucks' on my list: No I am not kidding. This is my favorite place to sit and relax in all of Canterbury.


#3: Galaxy Chocolate - OK, this is not exactly a Canterbury specialty, as you can find it in all of England, but it definitely deserves to be on the list. Those who know me, know well that when it comes to chocolate, I do not kid around. I almost always have some in supply, in case of chocolate-craving-emergencies, and my love for chocolate has become so evident, that some of my friends decided to get me a 10lbs chocolate bar for my birthday last year. I do have my favorites that you can get back at home (in order: Milka, Guittard, Ghirardelli, Lindt, and Cadbury), but Galaxy Chocolate (which we cannot get back in the States) is the only common-brand chocolate I have found that is on the same level as Milka to me. I am already deciding what clothes I must leave here so that I can fill my suitcase with Galaxy Chocolate bars. It is that good. I don't know how they do it, but the chocolate melts in your mouth better than any other brand I have eaten. They have milk, dark, cookie crumble, caramel, and more (my favorites are milk and cookie crumble). If you go to England, even if you are not the biggest lover of chocolate, you must get Galaxy chocolate.

Germany: Living with the Locals

This past weekend, Spencer and I journeyed to Bremen, Germany to visit our friend Felix. We met Felix this past summer through our friend Janice. Him and his family were so kind to let us stay with them for the weekend and show us Bremen through the eyes of a local. Amazingly, our flight was only 15 Pounds round trip, so it was a great deal for us to go.

Bremen Windmill

It was a beautiful train station

The Roland Statue

The first night we arrived, Felix and some of his friends took us for a night out, trying some Turkish food and stopping for some drinks down by the river. the next morning, we awoke to the smell of traditional German breakfast foods and got acquainted with Felix's family. That morning, as it was Sunday, Felix took us to a church he enjoys in Bremen that actually has English translators. It was such a great experience to be a part of a German church service. Some of the songs were actually in English too, which was nice for us. After a nice morning at church, Felix's mom took Spencer and I into town to get a nice tour of Bremen while Felix had to study for his big tests coming up that week. She was so wonderful, showing us all the wonderful parts of Bremen. I loved that town! It's not a big tourist destination, but I recommend it to anyone who travels through Germany. It has a very rich history without the overload of tourism, and it is full of friendly people, tasty food, and beautiful landscapes.

The Dom (church)

Awe inspiring stained glass, this one of Adam and Eve

Inside the church

The Schnoor district

We returned home that night to a tasty "Bremish" dinner that Felix's parents made for us. We had some of the best meat and potatoes I've ever had, along with some delicious red cabbage. Speaking of food, Germany is good at making it. I tried bratwursts, schnitzel, a pretzel, German chocolate, and (my favorite) Bremer Knippe, along with all the food Felix's family served us. The food was some of the best I've had in Europe.

Spencer with some bratwurst

Old fashioned German candy shop

One thing Bremen is most famous for is the story of "The Musicians," a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. In the story, 4 farm animals from Bremen were worried that because they were so old, the farmer would be getting rid of them soon. Therefore, they decided to run away together to try and begin a career as musicians. As they were traveling, they came across a house of thieves. Standing on top of each other to see into the window, the four began to "play their music" for the thieves inside. Thinking it was some witch or ghost outside, the thieves ran, leaving the house for the four musicians, who lived out the rest of their lives there. It was a fun little story, and there was a statue in the town center of the four musicians, which was fun to see.

The Musicians Statue

This trip was so different than those that I've been on before because it felt like a home away from home. It was so comforting to have a family styled dinner and a pseudo family here in Europe. It wasn't a cram-it-all-in whirlwind through a busy city, but it was a time to slow down and enjoy culture, food, history, and all that God has created in the German countryside.

On the train

Now I am back in Canterbury, currently sitting at Starbucks, looking out on the Cathedral towering over me as I enjoy the warmth of my peppermint mocha. It has been such a good day to recognize the blessings I have been given here. I have encountered so many interesting people and made some great friends so far here. My prayer today is that I continue to praise God for these blessings and see this not only as an adventure in Canterbury, but as an adventure in meeting God daily in new and interesting ways.

The Harry Potter World Premiere!

Today was an amazing adventure in London! Spencer and I took a bus from Canterbury to London right after our morning class to try and get a look at the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 World Premiere in Leicester Square. Knowing that this would be one of the biggest premieres London has seen, I had no idea what to expect, especially since some people had been camping out there since the night before. As we arrived that afternoon, they were still setting the red carpet up and forming the walkways, so no one really knew where to go. After being moved around several times by the venue security as they were doing work, we miraculously found ourselves at the railing of the red carpet just before the theater entrance. We were amazed at how close we were! There were thousands of people there, and we got a spot at the theater entrance! Even though it was extremely cramped and difficult to get pictures, we managed to snatch some photos of some of the cast as they walked by. Spencer and I both even got James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley (one of the twins) to sign our copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows books.

Signed by James Phelps (Fred Weasley)

It was truly a day of epic proportions. I know some of my pictures aren't too clear, but when they would come over to autograph, we were close enough for conversation (sadly there wasn't much time for that). Thank you God for this amazing day!


Here are some of the pictures I got of the cast. Sorry some are fuzzy, but it was amazing just to be right there at the front!

Bonnie Wright - Ginny Weasley

Devon Murray - Seamus Finnigan

Clemence Poesy - Fleur Delacour

She wasn't famous, but her hair was ridiculous

J.K. Rowling - the mastermind behind Harry Potter

George Harris - Kingsley Shacklebolt

Imelda Staunton - Professor Dolores Umbridge

Warwick Davis - Professor Flitwick/Griphook

Helena Bonham Carter - Bellatrix Lestrange

A Dancing Death-Eater, with Luna just behind him

Evanna Lynch - Luna Lovegood

Toby Jones - Voice of Dobby the House Elf

Ralph Fiennes - Lord Voldemort

James Phelps - Fred Weasley (This last picture is actually of him signing Spencer's copy of the book!)

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter

Rupert Grint and Emma Watson - Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger

The Trio - Harry, Ron, and Hermoine pose for the reporters before entering the theater