the last 3 day trip...

I think I am in a state of denial. We just returned from our last 3 day trip. I can’t believe how quickly this study abroad is going by. At least our last trip was THE BOMB! No, I did not like spending over 20 hours on a coach; but on the bright side…our bus driver Zultan (yes that is his real name) was the man! Thank you Zultan for the jelly filled doughnuts, the yummy sweets, and for having the bluest eyes known to man (I may or may not have a small crush on Zultan haha) and no, I did not enjoy getting zero sleep; but I did love our awesome view of the lake as seen from our hostile window. No, I did not like the sweltering heat and the beads of sweat dripping down my forehead for 3 days; but I did love walking everywhere without an umbrella and soaking up the vitamin D my skin has been deprived of for far too long. And no I do not like that this trip is quickly winding down; but I love that I just had the best 3 days!

We left bright and early (weird…I am kind of experiencing déjà vu with that phrase…maybe that’s because we ALWAYS leave bright and early!) on Wednesday and set out for Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters. For those of you who don’t know, the Bronte sisters are the authors of the ever famous novels Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. We read Wuthering Heights in class while we’ve been here…and if I’m being honest, I did not like it one bit. However, I will say that seeing that seeing the moors that were talked about so often in the novel was pretty incredible. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the book that I had such a hard time with. They were beautiful. Next it was back to the coach...and we began making our way to the Lake District. The Lake District was gorgeous. I have never seen such clear water in my life. I could see every dead fish, lost sock, and beer bottle ever dropped. Haha okay that sounds gross, but the water really was pretty. It looked glassier than glass looks! I think all you water skiers out there would have appreciated it even more than I did. While in the Lake District I visited Dove Cottage (William Wordsworth’s house), took a leisurely stroll along the lake, ate dinner, and spent the evening relaxing on the dock. And let me just say the Lake District has never ending light. At 11:30 it was still light outside…and by 4 in the am, the sun was already rising again—weird!

At the Bronte Sister's House

Dove Cottage

...wish i may, wish i might...

The Lake District

On Thursday we drove for a bit and started out the day with a short hike. Did I say short? I didn’t mean that…we got lost; so what was supposed to be a short hike became a long one in which multiple people got ticks (ew), someone passed out, and by the time we reached the end we were all sweating like crazy. But the end brought great a great reward which I was very “Hoppy” to see! Does the name Beatrix Potter ring any bells? To those of you who can’t hear the bells, let me enlighten you. Beatrix Potter was the author of Peter Rabbit! Her house was so cute and it was fun to see the pieces of furniture, scenery, rooms, etc. that appear in her illustrations. I kept my eyes peeled for Peter, but apparently he had other plans because he didn’t make an appearance. Sad day. After we said goodbye to Beatrix and Peter, it was off to Liverpool. On our way, we got to stop at the Preston Temple. Oh my gorgeous. It was so great to get off the coach and spend a little time just looking at the temple and feeling the spirit. I wish we had had time to go inside, but i am still grateful to have even seen the outside. It was seriously so beautiful. Liverpool was fabulous. First of all, we got to stay in a Hotel instead of a Hostel…boo yeah! Second of all, I was hit with Beatlemania! We went to this sweet museum called “The Beatles Story”. The whole thing was devoted to the life and lives of the Beatles and it was the coolest museum ever. I also went to the maritime museum where I spent some time in the titanic exhibit, and went and saw “The Cavern” where the Beatles first performed. There was also a really neat statue just on the coast of Liverpool which was actually a statue dedicated by the LDS church. Liverpool used to be one of the largest Sea ports in the world…it was here that most of our ancestors came to sail to America. It was a really neat experience to be able stand in the same place that so many devoted, faithful church members stood, as they were about to sail into an unknown future putting all of their trust in the Lord.

Beatrix Potters House

Preston Temple

Attempting to be artistic haha

Beatles Museum

Friday it was off to Wales to spend time in some pretty rad castles. The first castle we went to was the Beaumaris castle. We got to walk in and out of the whole thing and really get a feel for what it had been like in its prime. It was ginormous, and had this sweet moat going around the whole thing. It was three stories high, and was practically a maze, and I loved every second of it. After the castles we headed to Coventry where we visited another Cathedral. This cathedral was different than the others we have seen because it was a ruined cathedral. The ruins of St Michael's are the consequence of violence in our own time. In 1940, the city of Coventry was devastated by bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe. The Cathedral burned with the city, having been hit by several bombs. You can still see the remaining shards of glass in the windows. It was pretty cool.Beaumaris Castle

Coventry Cathedral

Well, I think that kind of sums up the 3 day trip. Obviously I never do the experiences I am having justice, but I try my best! It was so much fun, and as always I came home completely exhausted completely beat. In London that translates to completely ready to keep going going going! Following our three day trip it was off to Brighton…but that is for another blog post! xoxo