Remember...

The 5th of November is a special night of celebration in England called Guy Fawkes Night. This holiday started as a way of celebrating the failed Gunpowder Plot on November 5th, 1605. To celebrate, the English have their own "4th of July" styled night full of bonfires, fireworks, and good food.

Laurence and Spencer were quite excited

It's like Root Beer with a kick

Before the flames began

After that pile had burnt to the ground

I had so much fun celebrating the night up on Tyler Hill in Canterbury with a number of friends. I had a tasty burger and spiced up ginger beer. We stood and talked next to the flames that engorged the mountain of wood and branches through the night and then returned to a bar on campus to hang out for a while. It was a great night and a reminder of the blessings of community.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

Friendship

On Wednesday, Spencer and a number of my new, amazing friends that I have made since I've been here at Kent Uni, put together a party to celebrate my 21st birthday here in Canterbury. It was such a wonderful evening. Spencer and I made Pizookies, since that is a very "Californian" dessert, and they seemed to love it! We then spent the evening chatting, teaching and playing Nerts, and laughing hysterically as we played Signs. It was such an enjoyable night. I appreciate so much their company.

We're throwing up our "signs"

I am so thankful for my friends back home. I have missed them so much while I have been here. I was honestly anxious about making relationships before I came to England. I wasn't sure what God had in store for me, what people I would meet while I was here, how much I would miss my friends back at home. However, God has been blessing me so much here with the people I encounter and the friends I keep making. Wednesday night was a perfect example of this blessing.

Pizookie!

To my friends back at home, I love you and miss you so much. I can't wait to see you all when I return. And to my friends here in Canterbury, I am so glad I've been given this opportunity to spend time with you. I am thankful God has crossed our paths and brought us together. I appreciate every day I have here with you, and I hope all of you can have the chance to come stay with Spencer and me back in California :).

From the tours of Paris, to the company of friends in Canterbury, to the package of Mexican spices and Reese's from my father and mother, it has been a birthday to remember. Speaking of "remembering," today is the 5th of November. "Remember, remember, the 5th of November." Tomorrow we will celebrate this very English holiday with a big bonfire. I'll be sure to share the experience with you all soon. Cheers!

A Parisian 21st Birthday

This past weekend was my 21st birthday, and I was so excited for the opportunity to spend it strolling the streets of Paris. Spencer and I left Friday night for London, where we stayed with our friend Miles who was so very kind and let us sleep there for the night instead of having to book a hostel. We got up early Saturday morning to catch our train to Paris, and, two hours later, found ourselves in the land of the French, a language that is "all Greek to me."



I was so thankful to be able to spend my 21st birthday, not only in Paris, but in Paris with 3 wonderful friends: Spencer, Janice and Angela. We made the most of weekend together and enjoyed each others company along the way. On Saturday, we spent hours exploring the Louvre. This museum is a labyrinth of breathtaking works of art, some of which I have studied in the past, making them a bit more interesting to see.

The Seated Scribe - Egyptian Art

Nike of Samothrace - Greek Art

Venus De Milo - Greek Art

Code of Hammurabi - Babylonian Art

Hercules Fighting Achelous - 19th Century Art

I had to fight off some Chinese tourists to get this picture

After the Louvre, we were on the hunt for a highly recommended restaurant in Paris called Chez Janou. I felt like this place was almost the Number 12 Grimmauld Place of Paris (for those Harry Potter fans, I hope you appreciate the reference in light of the movie to come); it was nearly impossible to find, and it took 3 local Parisians and a decent map to get us in the right direction. However, the searching was well worth it; the food was delicious and the people there were so friendly. It was off the beaten tourist path, and I felt like I was eating like a local. I ordered rabbit for the first time, while the other three got duck, scallop risotto, and steak and fries. If you ever go to Paris, this is my number one recommendation for food.

Chez Janou

Rabbit for dinner (sorry the lighting was bad)

After dinner, we picked up some wine and chocolate and took it to the Eiffel Tower. It was a surreal moment. We sat at the base of the tower with our dessert and soaked in the beautiful lights against the night sky. I couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate my birthday than to ring it in at the Eiffel Tower with a tasty, sweet dessert.

Wine, Chocolate, Eiffel Tower...what else could we ask for

The next two days were packed full of touring around Paris. From Notre Dame to the Arc De Triomphe, we packed in as much as we could. For lunch we ate at this very popular falafel place. They were so good, we decided to go twice. For a little dessert, we tried out Amorino gelato and Laduree macaroons. They were easily two of my favorite desserts, and that means a lot coming from me because I love desserts. Amorino forms the gelato into a beautiful flower; I don't know why it hasn't caught on in other places because it looks so cool and it doesn't look that hard to do. On the other hand, Laduree is the inventor of the French macaroon, and they definitely know what they are doing. Both desserts were unbelievable.

Crepes!

Montmartre

We sat here on the steps of Montmartre, listening to this man play the harp

We loved this little street band from Texas

The Rose Window of Sainte Chapelle

Arc De Triomphe


Notre Dame

Amorino Gelato, 4 kinds of chocolate all in one

Yummy chocolate macaroon

If you are ever in Paris, GO HERE. Best fallafel ever!


Nothing says France like snails :)

On Monday we said farewell to Janice and Angela. I was so thankful to spend the weekend with them. Before we got our train Monday night, Spencer and I went to the Jardin des Tuileries, a garden that sits in the center of Paris, and we just relaxed next to the fountain. The colors of fall surrounded us as we enjoyed the fresh air and the beautiful scenery the park had to offer. It was a great way to end the weekend.

Jardin des Tuileries

This kid loved his Eiffel tower toy

Needless to say, I had a very unique 21st birthday, and one I will never forget. I know I keep saying it, but I am so thankful for this experience. It has been a blessing in so many ways. On my return from Paris, I realized that as much as I loved Paris, I was excited to be going back to Canterbury; God knew exactly what he was doing by putting me here for school. I feel like it has become a second home, a home away from home (far away).



Being back in Canterbury has been just as great as Paris itself. Spencer and I have been enjoying Phil Wickham's new Christmas cd (go buy it!) as we work on our essays, which has been making me miss home so much. Also, last night my friends here were so wonderful in getting together to celebrate my birthday. I'll tell you more about that soon in another post because I have some wonderful pictures to share with you for that event. As for now, God bless and au revior!

Work and Rest

These past two weeks have been an enjoyable time but I have had a little more work to do for my classes because of some presentations and essays that fall around this time of the term. Although it has been work than the earlier weeks, I am still enjoying the people and places around me, as well as the subjects I'm diving into here at school. Last week I gave a presentation on cults of Apollo in Sparta for my Ancient Greek Religion class and now I am writing a paper on a Greek temple of Hera in Southern Italy for my Greek Art and Architecture class. I have truly been blessed with classes here that are so intriguing.

My Greek friend and "Kitchen-mate" Stef

For some good study breaks, Spencer and I would either spend time with some friends or go exploring. A few days ago we decided to take a hike through the Blean woods, a local forest in Kent. Again I was made speechless and the beauty of the creation around me. It was both overwhelming and peaceful at the same time. Pure grace.

Blean Woods

Holly in the woods

Local fields near Blean and Canterbury

Today, for yet another break from our studies, Spencer and I went into town to have lunch at a local pub. After lunch we ran some errands and decided to check out a few places in Canterbury we had yet to explore. We discovered a really great farmers market in town called the Goods Shed. It was a unique building and full of real Kentish foods. We also found the St. Augustine Abbey, which was really just the ruins of the Abbey. We couldn't go on the Abbey grounds because it was closed when we got there, but we will be sure to return and check it out. After that we went to the site of the King's School, a secondary school here in Canterbury. It sounds silly that we would go to a high school for fun, but this school is believed to be the oldest running school in the world. It began in the 600s and was started by St. Augustine himself. It was full of beautiful, aged buildings. I hope we can get onto the school grounds sometime and get a better look.

The Goods Shed

Produce from "the shed"

Part of the King's School/Old entrance to St. Augustine Abbey

St. Augustine Abbey

This weekend I am off to Paris to spend time with my friends and celebrate my 21st birthday. I am so excited, and the nerd inside of me can't wait to overstimulate my eyes with breathtaking art and architecture. I will be sure to share some pictures when I return.

I am learning more and more that God brought me here to think. It sounds ridiculous that I would have to get 1000's of miles away from home just to rest and think, but it's true. It is so easy for me to be busy; it's almost painful for me to not be. Here, God has taught me to stop and not be pained by the thought of rest. It's like I am now having to breathe in all these thoughts and ideas that I have been "too busy" to deal with and my lungs can barely hold it all in. God's given me a time to rest so that I can breathe normally again. For that, I am so thankful.