The Great Walk

This semester flew by quicker than I expected and I suddenly realized that it's been months since my last post.  I've missed blogging and how it acts as a reminder of where I've been and how I've grown and changed as a person.  One of the reasons we grow is because we encounter others in our lives that push, stretch, and challenge us to be more than we think we can be, or maybe they help us reach our true potential.  I've met some incredible people while I've been in London and I'd like to share some of the best days I've spent here.

The Great Walk

As promised, Avi, I'm finally blogging about "The Great Walk."  Towards the tail end of Christmas break I had decided that I was going to figure out a walking route to the school because I was tired of waiting for the tube.  (It takes me 40 minutes on the tube and 30 minutes on foot to get to class, hmmmm?!)  And because, let's face it, if my flat didn't have a giant skylight I would have had a serious vitamin D deficiency because I rarely left the place over break.  I needed to get out.  My good friend Avi had offered to show me Hyde Park and so I asked if he would come with me.  Something you have to know about Avi is he's very knowledgable and is passionate about passing that knowledge along, which means inevitably there will be a quiz at the end.   And seeing as how I can only remember the names of two of the four corners of Hyde Park,  I may have to google that business.  

Moving on.  

Long story short, I had never been down to the Thames or to Westminster Abby, and I had only ever glimpsed Big Ben out in the distance, from Trafalgar Square.  Basically I hadn't done all the really fun touristy things you're supposed to do when in London.  Avi suggested we go to the water and I was game.  Having left everything at home save my phone and keys, I insisted that we skip the tube and walk.  I didn't want him to have to pay for me to ride the tube because it is kind of a rip off to buy a ticket for a single ride.  So we walked.  And walked.  And walked. At one point I got impatient because the water seemed so close but we were not going straight there. Later I found out the reason why.

When we got to the Thames and the tide was low and it was spitting; a term the Brits use to describe a sprinkle.  Avi suggests we sit and I insist that we keep going...he keeps doing this as well as periodically telling me that we're walking to fast.  I kept thinking to myself, what's his deal, I'm fine, lets just get there.  What I later realized about Avi is that he's they type of person who tries to make the most of every minute.  I often refer to the book "The Pokey Little Puppy" when trying to explain what it's like walking with him. He doesn't walk, he moseys.  He is frequently behind if we are walking in a group and have no immediate destination, because he is taking in everything around him.  Although I have an eye for small details, I often miss really BIG things because I'm more focused on the destination rather than the journey.  

Big Ben

A prime example of this would be the fact that we were sitting on a bench at the back of Westminster Abby and I had no idea, it was so plain and unassuming, nothing grandiose about it at all.  As we walked around the side of the church I realized where we were and I had this ridiculous grin on my face and then I felt terrible for being impatient.  Avi confessed that he had been trying to be discrete about coming here so that it would be a surprise.  He thought I would recognize the church. So we crossed the street and sat across from the church and Big Ben for a while taking it all in.  Pretty incredible stuff!  From there we could also see the London Eye across the river and in the distance St. Paul's Cathedral sat quiet and proud amongst colorful lights, it's dome simply lit.  As we walked and the river snaked and meandered, the dome floated back and forth on the horizon.

We kept walking because, well, why not.  As we walked Avi named off each bridge we passed and continued to keep an eye on our pace to make sure we weren't walking too fast.  I pointed at one bridge and asked if it was the one that had been destroyed by Death Eaters in Harry Potter (Yep, I did just say that!).  He had no idea what I was talking about.  I insisted that there is a walking bridge that crosses the river and it was on Harry Potter, and everything on Harry Potter is true and accurate, duh!! Okay, I realize that's ridiculous, but the bridge does exist.  After making "Y" shapes with my hands and describing what the bridge looked like, we actually found it and discovered that it's called the Millennium Bridge.  It had been built for the Millennium Celebration in 2000 and has become a permanent fixture. I had been wearing flats all day and was less than prepared for "The Great Walk."  By the time we got to Millennium Bridge I was pretty quiet.  Having started out the day unusually (okay maybe not unusually) chatty, at this point it was crickets in comparison.  I was loving every minute, but was coveting every motorized scooter we passed, I have never before in my life given such serious consideration to mugging a senior citizen.  
It was dark now and we had been walking for about 3 hours.   I climbed the steps and stood that the foot of the bridge and waited as Av threw something in the garbage.  As we began to walk onto the bridge Avi asked if I saw it?  My initial thought was, yeah, I'm standing on it.  Then he pointed behind me and there it was in all it's glory...the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral towering over me, brightly lit against the dark sky.  I was so tired I didn't see it!  I freaking LOVE Mary Poppins and could sing "Feed the Birds" to you BY HEART!!  (I know my dad would be proud!) And have...to several unsuspecting people who were with me the next time I was near it.  No joke!  And here I am standing in the shadows of the Cathedral, the Cathedral and I'm so tired, I don't even see it.  That's some blind spot!:)

St. Paul's Cathedral

We walk over the bridge to the other side of the river.  This is where The Tate Modern sits, a huge old power plant converted into a modern art museum; it's open late tonight, but we decide to skip it.  As we walk we pass men selling cinnamon roasted peanuts which makes it smell amazing, well for me at least, Avi is allergic and less enthusiastic about the smell.  We walk beside The Globe Theater and sit for a while.  I was surprised at how quite it was on a Friday night.  London is such a big city, but it has a distinctly different pace.  It has the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan city, and yet there is something reserved about it.  Everything begins to close down around 11 and the tubes make their last run at 12:30.  London puts itself to bed at a respectable hour.  

Tower Bridge

We pass several other bridges until we come upon Tower Bridge.  During the Olympics, this was the bridge that boasted the olympic rings.  Needless to say, it's massive.  We started to cross the bridge but had to stop at one point because the bridge was raising so a boat could pass.  We crossed and ended up on the other side where The Crown Jewels are kept.  I'm not going to lie, by that point, I was done.  We took the tube back home and I was praying that the walk up the hill to my house went quickly.  When I got home I put on the most comfortable shoes I could find because I felt like I had just walked around London bare foot.  Avi was nice enough to make dinner because he could tell I was exhausted.  

The next day Avi sent me an email with the route we had walked mapped out on Google Maps.  It turns out we walked just over 10 miles that day.  Not to shabby!  I've posted the link below so you can see "The Great Walk" for yourselves!  

http://goo.gl/maps/tAVQs

I'm grateful to have friends who are literally willing to go the extra mile with me in order to help me make the most of my time here!  

London In Retrospect

Having been in London for a little over four months now, I've taken some time to reflect back on my experience thus far.  It seems that my first semester of school flew by and I've already started second semester, where has the time gone?  London has offered me plenty of adventure and misadventure, but on the whole has welcomed me with open arms and treated me like an old friend.  

As I've said first semester flew by in a kind of whirlwind.  Between finding accommodations and starting classes my plate was quite full.  Having finally found a place to call home, I was able to settle into a routine quite quickly and learn my way around the city.  For the most part I did little exploring, as I was acclimating to the copious amounts of reading and writing required by my program and allowing myself time to take everything in.  I knew there was no rush to see the city all at once, as I would be here for a year, so I could take a leisurely pace and not run myself into the ground trying to cram in all the sites!  

Classes proved to be interesting, while the coarse work was challenging and rewarding.  My professors are some of the most incredibly knowledgable people I've ever met.  They all bring different experiences from various areas of the art world, as they are all still working for galleries, museums, foundations, philanthropists etc. as well as teaching.  My favorite class last semester was Art and Its Histories with Dr. Deborah Schultz.  This class focused primarily on philosophies of aesthetics, as well as theories and analysis of art.  Dr. Schultz, who earned her PhD in Art History from Oxford University, is incredibly knowledgable and was able to help us navigate the weighty material of philosophers like Kant, Hegel, Panofsky and Wollflin.  I enjoyed this course not only because of the content but also because of its structure; the dialogue and collaborative nature of the class allowed us to interact with the information in a more comprehensive way, making abstract concepts tangible.  I was also surrounded by incredibly intelligent women who provided varying insights and thought provoking commentary in every class.  

Due to the fact that I'm studying Art History many of the classes took place in galleries or museums throughout London.  One of the major benefits of public art is that most of the galleries and museums are free to the public and/or students.  I have had the privilege of seeing some of the greatest art in the world as part of a class or as a requirement for an assignment.  Outside of this I didn't venture out a great deal.  I took a few trips: one to Norway, another with my cohort to Venice; again seeing some incredible art, architecture and history, along with some small day trips to places like Cambridge and Oxford.  Needless to say there was plenty going on without my having to seek out extra outings, so when Christmas break rolled around, it was welcomed!  I spent much of the break reading, sleeping and relaxing.  I let myself do whatever I felt I needed to do...so I took lots of naps!!  I also got to talk to my family and friends back home via FaceTime and email, which was wonderful!  I used this time to take in all the things I had experienced over the last few months as well as consider what comes next for me once school is done.  I did quite a bit of thinking about my thesis topic, as I had considered changing it, but feel certain that I am going to stick with my original idea dealing with the iconography of Christ, something which is incredibly interesting to me.  

Towards the end of break I got out and saw more of the city.  I can honestly say that I LOVE London!!  It is a beautiful place full of warm, friendly people, history, culture and diversity!  It feels more like home than I could ever have imagined and I'm looking forward to the next nine months I get to spend here. I also feel blessed by the relationships I have formed here.  The Lord has surrounded me with smart, kind, wonderful friends who are thoughtful and considerate.  People who are intentional, who go out of their way to listen, talk, laugh and be together as we share this experience.  People who challenge, support and encourage me, and who are equally passionate about their own purposes and pursuits. 

I find that there are times I can't believe that I'm really doing this; living out the dreams the Lord planted in my heart at such a young age.  However, for the first time, in a very long time, I have a sense of contentment, peace, and joy!  I feel myself coming alive and growing as each day brings new opportunities, challenges and insights.  It's as though a part of me had been sleeping and is finally awake!