What I've been Missing

I think it may take me a few months to get over the fact that I'm so happy about spring being here. I realized another beautiful thing about this season tonight as I rode my bike home from dinner in daylight. I didn't realize how much I had taken forgranted daylight after 4pm. The popular phrase states "you don't know what you have until it's gone" - But in this case, I suppose I didn't realize what I've been missing!! I've certainly slowed the pace down on my bike now that there are so many pretty things to distract me with.

The past few days have renewed my appreciation for this old town. I know it will hands down be one the most beautiful places I've had the chance to study in. That's what I thought about today in the library as I sat by a glass wall with a river just a few feet away on the other side. That's right. I made it to the library today. Unfortunately I had a little trouble staying awake through the book on "International Society" theories. But at least it was a start. And since it was so pretty outside, I rewarded myself for waking up with a walk by that river before a second attempt at becoming a scholar again. The 5 weeks of rest have maybe been too good for me. I feel like I'm at summer camp now or something- for smart kids. Kind of like Governor's Scholars was except I actually have to do work now. The temptation to just go to the park or spend the afternoon punting may win in the end I'm afraid.

I love being here- but a lot of important things are coming up back home that I hate to miss out on! My sorority formal was last weekend. Easter was a little different with out the entire family- and soon it will be my sister's birthday!! I can't believe she will be 23.

Then there is the Georgetown Graduation. I hadn't put much thought about it until today because I just realized it is happening in just 3 weeks! My way of coping with being away has generally consisted of becoming absorbed in what is around me rather than what is at home- but it is truy difficult to avoid thinking about all of my friends who are graduating before I return. I guess this is the first year that I will be saying farewell to some very close friends- and it is hard to imagine that I won't actually be getting to see them off at all! There are always hopes of visiting again but growing up in a boarding school I've pretty much learned to accept the realities that come with people needing to move on. Even when it's a bit sad to face.

I guess that is why my sister and I became so close over the years. Somewhere along the way she became my only constant -not just in the existence of our friendship but also her ideals and morals and all that goes along with knowing who she was and wanted to be - she's always had that kind of stability that frustrated me to no end when I wanted to be left to my constant questioning and truly did not want the advice that would have served me well. Even now her constant presence seems to hold as something I depend on - save the fact that she will be living 7 hours away from me when I get home. Eh, she still won't be able to get rid of me.

Ah, but then- there is Mother's Day. But I've got that taken care of. I gave mom italian chocolate for mother's day when she came to visit me. Why so early?, mom asked. Well, for some reason I thought that mother's day happened before she even arrived here -sometime in March. Apparently so did my housemate Kristie (she wrote about this here), so I don't feel too bad. Well, we were both feeling pretty stupid until our housemates told us that the Mother's day in England IS celebrated in March. I was wondering why all the cards were out 3 months early!! So at least I'm somewhere in between late and early for something. I still hate to miss that though.

I'm not sure why I got off on all the things I will be missing. I think I meant to direct this post into the idea of things that I seem to take forgranted- and have recently been reminded of lately one way or another. Tragedies seem to consuming everything lately. Yesterday I rode my bike into town and the road was blocked where a student had been hit on his bike and died less than an hour earlier. It is particularly disturbing as I ride my bike through that intersection everyday probably just as carelessly as the next person. I am sad for my friends here who knew him. The v-tech thing is weighing heavily on my mind as well. It's not really something I can even attempt to talk or write about. I am reminded of the importance of prayer, my dependence on Christ, my own unfaithfulness, His mercy and constant presence.

The campus minister of my former high school posted a podcast on his website which helped me sort things a bit. I encourage anyone who may appreciate a good take on the subject from a Christian viewpoint to take time to listen to it (just 26 minutes)

Just click below :)
InternetMonk Podcast from internetmonk.com

April 19

Springtime

I arrived back from Paris this morning to discover Spring has found its way to Oxford. Everything looks so gorgeous and new and the weather today has been brilliant. It seems as though this holiday has brought many challenges to the Georgetowners here in Oxford- perhaps spring will make everything a little easier on all of us. Days just seem easier to face when the sun is shining.

Oxford has now become the picture that I imagined it should be. On my outing for rowing today I was amazed to see swans up and down the Thames and all kinds of people on punting boats to join the many rowing crews. I could get used to this.

From Muhlenburg County to Bath

On Sunday morning it was nice to wake up to breakfast made by my mom. It seems like so so long since I've been able to do that.

Today we were going to the ancient city of Bath. Ryan and his family happened to be going too! We happened to spot them on the train and decided to tag along with them for the day. The train was so crowded that mom, dad, and I all had to sit in separate places where ever we could find a seat. Dad ended up sitting with a man and his two young daughters. When he told them he was going to visit the Roman baths one of he little girls responded "the Roman soldiers killed Jesus. They put nails in his hands" And so the story of Easter was presented to my father on his first ever train ride from an unlikely source that morning.

Hanging around with Ryan's family was great. First, I was happy that Dad finally had someone to chat it up with. Second, I was happy to not have to be the lone tour guide-especially since it was my first time in that city. Ryan has been a few times because he has friends there. So it was nice not to have to think about which direction to go from the train station and how to find where I was on a map. And in general, it was just a nice relaxing day with good company in a city that wasn't too demanding on inexperience tourist like ourselves.

The day was absolutely gorgeous and Bath is just breathtaking. At first when mom and I saw the light gray houses lined on the hill from the train we didn't realize that was our destination! The town is really quaint but it looks so elegant because all of the buildings and the pavements are made from the same stone. The main square was full of people and as we passed through were greeted by Bath Abby...which is just beautiful.

We were also greeted by a Australian street magician/ entertainer who proceeded to draw his stage our with chalk and invited via blowing a whistle to watch his performance. Now, I am not a person who will generally watch such things...I guess I just feel that if I came to see the city there's no reason to waste time on a guy who is going to ask me for money in return for a few tricks. But Mom and Dad went right on up to the chalk line and we were given front row access to the show. I have to say, it was pretty hilarious and I actually enjoyed it- Ryan's dad became an active participant and even dared to throw fiery torches around!!
Now, all of this was entertaining- but when the guy ended up on a unicycle in a pink tutu decorated with strategically placed red hearts -- well, I still just don't know what to make of it. It was good to see mom and dad really enjoying it

If the cross dressing unicycling knife juggling Australian wasn't enough, then the next street entertainment sealed the deal for Dad martin. We hadn't even gone 100 meters from the last performance when we entered this square of people on benches and all alone in the middle was a guy singing and playing an acoustic guitar. Fine enough...and like good tourists we walked right in the middle of this empty square right next to the guy...who just HAPPENED to be singing none other than "take me back to Muhlenburg County".....Dad couldn't resist when he heard and right as we passed him he looks at the guy and shouts "I'm From There!" The guy just kept on singing like Dad didn't even exist...he probably didn't even hear him. So we continued to the other side of the square....but Dad was just too excited to leave and took Ryan's dad back into the middle of the Square to receive an up-close serenading of Muhlenburg County. Because he really had no experience with English currency, I doubt Dad even knows how much money he gave the guy. Seeing dad so mesmerized by hearing a song from our home state was better than the magic show itself.

We found a great spot to eat that offered Sunday Roast for less than 5 pounds each. The Litten. The food was the traditional English style similar to what I've had at Oxford and tasted wonderful. My favorite thing here is the "new potatoes" which are prepared to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are great.

Next we explored the Roman Baths which is basically the reason that Bath ended up being established as anything around 60AD. It was hard to grasp the fact that this place wasn't just old-but ancient...and I can only imagine how amazing it must have seemed when they were discovered to exist under a neighborhood of houses....even more exciting is the thought that there is no telling how many more baths or Roman ruins there are under the rest of the city that exists today. Seeing steam rise from the waters was a surprise as I had never been to a hot spring before.
It really is just amazing to see the system for water and heated floors and quality
pampering that the Romans had in place so long ago. I think it is just hard not to underestimate the minds of the past - even though they are the reason for whatever new technologies and research we are capable of today- we see ourselves as so developed. It makes me wonder what future generations will think. Like us, I'm guessing they will grow up thinking they have such a better grasp on how government should work, new technology, etc. and because of that they are superior somehow in mind, capabilities- It is a bit humbling to realize that my mind is no greater than that of one 2000+ years ago, as I have no responsibility for the resources available to me- and that thought leads me to think of the cultures existing today which function on a system comparable to one so long ago- either by choice or just circumstance- my abilities are not really any greater at the most basic level that exist with out the convenience of whatever past brilliant people have handed down.

Our tour of the baths was followed by a nice walk along the river, a stop for a postcard, and a farewell to Ryan's family for the day. We enjoyed Cadbury hot chocolate as we waited for the train which was pretty much the most incredible thing for a chocolate lover like me. I guess I just didn't think about Cadbury being from England until Easter arrived and Cabury is everywhere with the cheapest creme eggs I have ever seen. Actually Cadbury is everywhere even before Easter. It's like Hershey's for England. I have to say that is one thing I will miss when I leave. American chocolate just can't compare.

It was well past sundown when we arrived back in Oxford, but Mom was wonderful and cooked an little "Easter dinner" for me! As usual she would say it was nothing special because it wasn't exactly home made-but I was thrilled to have even just a bit of mom's cooking-(complete with canned cranberry sauce which is a requirement for all Easter menus in my life). If she doesn't open a restaurant one day the world will have truly missed out.

Oxford Orientation

Saturday Evening

We didn't waste much time heading in to see Oxford, since it was already 4:00. We caught the bus into city center- and it was here that I realized I had forgotten to tell my parents a few things about England.

While we were waiting for the bus, a lady comes up to the buss with her 2 small children, one in a stroller. The first bus that comes by is not the one for city center so she backs away from it so it won't stop for her- Dad thought this first bus was ours...so when it kept on rolling dad shouts out in that southern friendliness kind of way "they tricked you didn't they?"

2 things:

first: they tricked dad, not her.

second: there is an unwritted rule about England that you just don't talk to people

unless you have been introduced formally by a mutual friend or have some
other specific purpose.

This is a strange idea to Kentucky people...who tend to get offended if you DON'T acknowledge strangers on the street with a smile or small talk....to just ignore them is seen as a bit unfriendly. I only regreted that I didn't tell my father of this cultural difference before he chose to break it on a lone woman with children at a bus stop.

The lady chuckled...so it wasn't a big deal really...but from this point on Dad really had a hard time suppressing his need for small talk with random strangers. We joke because I see my father as a bit of an introvert - so you know its bad when an introvert is too outgoing....I suppose its just what comes from years of work in sales.

Our first order of business was to visit Christ Church college and Cathedral. One of the perks to being a student here is that I am able to get in for free along with my guests! It was too bad that the dining hall used for Harry Potter films wasn't opened. But we were still able to tour the courtyard and the Cathedral. Mom was in awe at the stained glass and dad seemed to like the history. I was excited to get a closer look at the details that I'm not able to see in the Evensong services that I've gone to there. I still can imagine that the building itself dates to the 1600's and has educated the minds of John Locke, Albert Einstein, Lewis Carrol, William Penn...

I walked my parents through the streets that most frequently travel- around the Philosophy Library, the Bodleian, the Sheldonian theater where the Archbishop visited, and finally to The Turf pub where we enjoyed the traditional fish and chips. It was actually my first time to have fish and chips in a restaurant here- It was a lot more food than we had expected and it was sooo good. The pub was swarming with people and the table we ended up at we shared with a couple of other ladies- I knew dad was just itching to talk to join in a conversation- and he did well to limit his comments to "Good Evening"

Dad and Mom's Oxford Pub experience

After dinner we attended an Evensong service at Christchurch...as usual I loved the music most- though the boys choir was replaced by older women and men. We then ventured on to Regent's College, where I gave them the grand tour of the place I've spent most of my life for the past three months- the Library.

It was only 9pm but we were all so exhausted. Back at Stanley Road, mom made hot cocoa on the stove- which I've been craving since our trip to Rome. And she got to know my housemate Kristie from Georgetown.

It was a little strange for my parents to come visit me in the sense that its the first time I've ever been in a position that they are coming to Jennifer's house/apartment whatever. Of course, I can't say I was completely a hostess since mom cooked for me- but it is still a change from the usual. A change that I may or may not be ready for.

Mom and Dad Martin do Europe

Now for the series of 'posts I'm sure you've been eagerly waiting for: reports on the Martins' European Vacation. I know, I'm pretty anxious to tell about it.

Click here to view the photographic evidence

Waiting, Hoping, Wishing - March 31st

Remember a few entries ago where I was writing about an hour before I had to meet them? Following the blog I made the 15 minute stroll to the St. Clements bus stop- ecstatic that the weather was just perfect. Blue skies, a nice breeze....it was just the weather I'd hoped would greet my parents on their first day in England. I walked briskly- knowing that if they arrived at the bus stop before I did it might not be such a happy greeting-

I had expected the possibility of waiting around for an hour if there had been any delays. After the first few buses arrived with no sign of mom or dad martin I became certain that this would be the case. I passed the time watching people enjoy the day and greet their own families at the bus stop. After about 40 minutes I decided that a seat in subway would be a more comfy place to pass the time- and lunch wouldn't be a bad idea. I got a good seat next to the window and kept my eyes glued to the bus stop and passing buses for fear that they might just not get off the bus if they didn't see me.......another half hour passed by....and another.....

....and then the clouds started rolling in. My heart sank as I watched the blue sky disappear....and as the time approached 2 hours I became a bit concerned that mom and dad were waiting for me at some obscure place in oxford with no idea how to contact me. Even if they knew my phone number- I clearly was not at home, and I had no intentions of leaving as the sky looked like it was going to unleash a down pour at any moment. I listened to an American woman carry on about the details of city Real Estate to a guy who seemed uninterested at best....I endured bombardment of my sitting space by some young skater kids who reminded me of my friends from middle school at OBI...and as each bus stopped I examined the people getting off praying that mom or dad would be one of them....

...with the next blue Airline coach I watched a man walk off who seemed a little more exhausted and concerned than the rest, he looked like my dad - and when I caught a glimpse of the balding spot on the back of his head I knew without a doubt that Dad Martin had made it Oxford. Just as I rushed across the street the wind picked up and Mom barely had time to have a good cry and a hug before the rain started....so much for the cheery welcome to England...

I was just relieved to see them and finally start the walk back to Stanley Road. Mom had bought rolly duffel bag/back packs which only came in bright Kentucky Blue....she had also packed a spare duffel entirely stuffed with food for me which might have weighed more both of their luggage combined. I was impressed with Mom's ability to pack so light- but the uneven and often bricked sidewalks in Oxford are unkind to anything on wheels- so we had to stop frequently to get balanced again which I'm sure made for an interesting site. As we rolled along the sky cleared up and by the time we made it to the house, all was perfectly sunny again. Perhaps even with a later start than expected, the evening was going to be nice after all.

Falling behind, and I haven't even Started yet

April 10, 2007

I have always been known to be a slow poke. The catchphrase of my life is "hold on" and has been ever since I could utter the words "I'll be there in a minute". I suppose I just never was motivated to rush or get in much of a hurry. Yeah, I'm one of "those" people you get impatiently annoyed with because I just have no concept of time. My life's greatest flaw. My only consolation is that perhaps I'm bound to live longer since I'm just not in a big hurry to get life over with.

I'm generally used to feeling behind on school work or a ton of other projects I'm wanting to get around to. But lately I feel as though I am falling behind everyone in life in general- recently so many things are just changing. Everyone is moving on, following new directions, making decisions....and I - well I just realized that I'm 3 days late for declaring a topic for my Honor's thesis, I'm a few months behind for figuring out summer plans, and I'm struggling just to figure out which classes to register for next year byond the mere 16 hours that I have left for graduation. At least I'm ahead of the game on one thing- if I had thought about it I guess I could have graduated at December- but that would only mean I'd have to figure the next step sooner....totally not my style. :)

It's not as though I don't have options. Sort of. Basically, I can either move to a city and essentially pay to volunteer for something related to my interests- or I can just stay close to home and work like crazy to pay for next school year. This can not be interesting to read about- but it is on my mind.

Here comes the kink: my sister just told me last week that she will be moving to Alabama less than 10 days before I return to the states this June!! Now, I have missed my friends lately- but I have longed to spend time with my sister for probably 2 years now. Last summer was crazy with the wedding- and I left for school while she was on her honeymoon and didn't see her for 2 months...then of course, I spent a week and a half home for Christmas before coming to England- and now it seems that I will be lucky if I see her once or twice before returning to Georgetown in the fall.

This makes me incredibly sad. Of course, I don't think it has really sunk in yet that she won't be around when I get home- because I've gotten used to being away from everyone over here- but I am inclined to move to Alabama this summer for the 8 weeks before fall semester if I find it hard justifying a loan to do some volunteer interning in Ky- if anyone reading this knows of something I can do around Fort Ruckers let me know!!!

Ultimately, I'm not horribly concerned about the fact that I have no clue what life will bring after 2 months from today. Maybe that fact is something to worry about---I'm sure it will all work out one way or another. I suppose I have let myself become a little too disconnected from my life as a college student belonging to the Bluegrass.....a little focus is what is needed.

....but until that happens, Kristie and I are planning our next trip to Dublin followed by Paris! I can't think of a better way to end my European travels to an end before slaving away on those essays come next Tuesday. We're just squeezing in every bit of excitement we can while it can last.

Blessings on Easter

I am waking up this morning at Caitlan's brother's apartment in London...not quite the typical Easter Sunday I have ever had before, but of course the past 3 months have been anything but typical.

I have had a wonderful week with my parents. The weather was simply amazing all week. Belgium is one now making my list for one of the most beautiful places in the world.- and I can't imagine a better way to have spent Holy Week, a reflection on the sacrifice of my Saviour, than by retracing the steps of my Grandfather during the WWII Battle of Ardennes at Bastogne. He was my age-about 22- and he was fortunate to have endured the bitter cold with little supplies they had that December. I think of how much stronger and driven-how much greater the physical pain he endured- just at the age of 22 than I may ever come to meet. It is hard to imagine really.....of course it is- because it should a bit unnatural to want to think of such real suffering or sacrifice beyond hollywood's creations.....

....it leads me this Easter to reflect on Christ's suffering in a new way...I know that his death and the torture he endured was far greater than anything my grandfather encountered for me, his future generation.... So- if I know that I cannot fully realize what a soldier went through 60 years ago, how much greater is my inability to imagine just how immense the pain, the sacrifice, the blessing for me by Christ?

Last night I attented an Easter vigil at St. Paul's Cathedral, here in London. It was magnificent. And while the painting I was sitting by in the church evoked emotions towards the suffering of Christ on the cross, I couldn't help but share the joy and countless "Alleluias" in a crowd of hundreds celebrating his resurrection and life.

To know that I am a part of a body that extends across the oceans..whether within one of the oldest,most architecturally celebrated churches in history or perhaps a basement floor hideaway...a body that connects me with past generations-beyond that of my grandfather even....that is certainly a blessing.