west dean

I finally got the chance to go see Will at West Dean and though I missed some events, I'm really glad I went.  I left Friday afternoon and got to the train station in plenty of time.  But of course, I had some difficulties.  The kiosks weren't doing their job so I had to wait in line and have a real person print my tickets.  The line was not too long but it seemed everyone in front of me was trying to plan an extensive vacation which meant the half an hour I had at the station was nearly not enough.  I finally got up to the window about fifteen minutes before my train was scheduled to depart so I went as quickly as I could but by the time I was finished I had about five minutes.  So I walked quickly, hitting ankles as I attempted to roll my suitcase quickly through groups of people.  I jumped on the first car I got to and found a seat across from a lovely British lady.  Shortly after the train started rolling I heard an announcement that the train would be splitting and I figured out that I had gotten on the wrong car.  Luckily I was able to hop off and run up the platform and get into the correct train car before it split.  Then I caught the bus to the college and met up with Will!

He showed me around the campus before we went to a student dinner where we had crepes and pizza.  Kind of a random assortment of food but it was all delicious!  We went to bed early (both of us had late nights) and then Saturday we relaxed, watched a new TV show and later that evening Skyped with Miriam and Stephen for his birthday!  We ate Indian food in his honor and then made tasty jam thumbprint cookies.  It was a great day.

Sunday we went to Church where I got to meet several of the ward members in addition to the little kids that he teaches.  They were adorable and so fun to play with.  Unfortunately we had to leave pretty quickly.  I still missed the train I had planned to take so half-an-hour later I caught one and thus started my long journey back.  From that train I took a bus, then waited forty minutes, took another train, then the tube and then walked the last bit home.  I did meet a really cool girl while waiting for the second train and we chatted most of the way back into London.  The trip took about an hour and a half but it felt like half that with someone to talk with.  Definitely an adventurous few days for travelling but one that I would do again in a heartbeat.

shows

In the last two weeks since I last posted (sorry it's been so long) I have seen two plays and two movies.  I had not planned on seeing movies while here because it is quite pricey but I ended up going the first time just because I wanted to hang out with certain friends.  I saw "Argo" with friends and it was so well-done.  It is movies like these that make me proud to be an American.  The risks that they all took to rescue the others was inspiring and the chance to see behind the scenes of a clandestine operation was fascinating.  I really enjoyed it.






The second time was because Elder Holland needed use of the Center for the evening so we had to vacate for about five hours.  I went with a group to the movies but ended up seeing "Lincoln" by myself.  I, again, really enjoyed it.  It gave me a similar feeling as "Argo" probably because it is another movie about the American people.  Daniel Day-Lewis did an amazing job as Lincoln and I found him totally believable.  But, it was sort of anti-climatic, though I would still recommend it to everyone.

The two shows I saw were "Les Mis" and "Phantom" both of which were great nights.  I couldn't help but think about the movie versions while watching the performances on stage which made it harder for me to just enjoy it for what it was.  I've realized this trip how much I love movies, maybe more than plays.  The talent of the cast in theater is remarkable and it is altogether a different sort of experience from the movie.  One of the reasons I think I enjoyed the movie version of Les Mis was because it was the first version of it, but more importantly, because I didn't react emotionally to the play like I did the movie.  I cried when I saw the film but at the play I was strangely unmoved.  For Phantom it was a bit similar, I still got goosebumps in the theater, but not as much as when I watch the movie.  I also love the close ups in film and the way that even whispered conversations are audible to even me while in plays I sometimes struggle to hear and understand.  Maybe when I watch the film versions again I will realize how much better the live play is, but for now, I prefer film.

hard things

A while ago, well about a week and a half ago, I did two things that I never thought I would do.  A few weeks before this I was asked to teach Relief Society and so I, instead of actually "teaching," tried to lead a discussion about the topic which was the Holy Ghost.  Luckily I've had some experiences with it and was able to share them in hopes of coaxing participation from the other ladies.  There were about fifteen women there and most of them just stared at me.  A few graciously responded to my questions and volunteered but I was relieved when I finished.
As many of you know, I have a severe and nerve-wracking fear of public speaking, especially when I feel like I don't have anything to say.  I prepared for the lesson but mostly just prayed that I would be able to get through the lesson and keep them engaged.  When the time came to teach, as I stood up, I felt only peace and calm and I knew that Heavenly Father had heard my prayers and had the Holy Ghost help me in my time of need.  Those feelings of peace stayed with me throughout the entire lesson and kept me going the entire time.  Afterwards, several of the women, including some who had not spoken and who I've not seen before, thanked me for my lesson.  The calmness was a great testament to the very subject I had to speak on and I am so glad to know that I can in fact teach Relief Society though I am not going to be volunteering any time soon.

The other hard thing I did was that same day and involved more public appearances.  About a month or so ago one of our professors was asked to do a fireside in Brighton and asked to make it a musical fireside.  As always, it seems like most the girls on this trip can sing or play an instrument and though I wanted to participate I volunteered for the choir.  During one of three practices we went over hymns and arrangements and it was decided to do a quintet.  After some prevaricating on my part, I agreed to sing one of the alto parts, we had two sopranos and one girl sing a high tenor.  When it came time to sing, I was terrified; not only was I in front of a room full of people but I was also singing, one thing I have never been confident of.  The same professor's wife is wonderful and so supportive and through her and some other girls I had the confidence to sing and it turned out wonderfully.  These two experiences helped me to grow and learn more about myself than I learn in a month and I am so glad I forced myself to do both of them.

L-R: Me, Courtney, Maddy, Madeline (in the back)

I managed to find one photo from the Brighton trip.