Be Interesting

The Sheldonian

The title of this blog was written in chalk on the side of the Ioannou Centre where I had just finished the first class of Latin for the day. I was walking with one of my classmates and he saw the chalk written line on the wall and started to laugh. He told me that the other piece of Oxford graffiti he had seen once was "capitalism is boring." Even the graffiti of Oxford is intelligent.

Radcliffe Camera

Today was great, I went to class and studied in the Radcliffe Camera in between classes. I haven't taken a picture yet but don't worry, I will. Let me describe it for a moment. I walk down Broad Street, past Exeter College (where J.R.R. Tolkien studied as an undergraduate), to a small curved door in the wall surrounding the Sheldonian. I curve around some walls and through a couple doors, over graveled courtyards and stone walks, through the middle of a courtyard with souring walls and carved statues and gargoyles. It catches my breath every time I walk in there. The courtyard has several entrances for tourists and scholars into the Bodlien Library, the main library for Oxford University. Through another tunnel I emerge into sunlight (sometimes) and I see dark, soft green grass surrounding a building that brings to mind thoughts of ancient scholarship and beauty. I'm being a little romantic but this place is just wonderful.

St. Giles Cemetery

The Norrington Room

Ok so after class I went walking again, I went down to this AMAZING bookstore called Blackwell. It has a place called the Norrington Room that claims to have three miles of bookshelves and the longest bookshelf in England. Its wonderful. This is one picture of it that gives a hint of the glorious number of books there.

So I spent some time there and finally wound up sauntering my way back up St. Giles street to the old cemetery five minutes from my room. Its just outside of St. Giles church and the Old Parsonage Hotel. (I am hoping to have high tea there at some point.)

Well now I am back in my room and I need to finish my homework. Thanks for listening to my ramblings and romantic phrases. I'll catch you soon.

In Oxford...Unbelievable

I am sitting in my dorm room in Acland, Keble College to type this post. What can I say? Cars are driving on the wrong side of the road, I'm told to revise instead of review or study, my room is on the first floor even though I had to go up a flight of stairs and the accents every now and then cause me to repeat in my head what was said so I can understand. I walk down the street to my Latin class and I hear German, Spanish, Russian, Italian and other languages I cannot identify as well as the many different English accents in the ten minute walk. The buildings are touching on either side of the road and what buildings--they belong to another world, to fairy tales, behind wrought iron gates I catch a glimpse of beautifully kept grass in the quad of another college. I worked through my homework yesterday in the Bodlien Library, the main library of Oxford University. Everything is so different, but I can hardly stop smiling as I walk up and down the streets. I need to go find some lunch and return a temporary pass to Keble College. I will be taking pictures soon and giving you a glimpse of what I am experiencing.

One more thing though. Across the street, a little to the west and south of where I sit there is a pub called The Eagle and the Child, affectionately dubbed "The Bird and the Babe" by the Inklings. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and several other brilliant Oxford writers would meet there and talk over a pint about their current projects. Lewis read drafts of the Screwtape Letters and Tolkien regaled the group with recent additions to Middle Earth. On Sunday afternoon, I was able to eat there, it is a small place, you wind through a narrow passage opening on small rooms with tables apparently randomly placed, past the bar to more tables and larger rooms. We sat in the back room where the roof was glass panes enclosing the area. The food was good and I could hardly believe that it truly was real.

Thats all for now folks, thanks for reading and catch you later.

Summer Adventures

Fort Sumter

The youth group

So this morning I purchased my ticket for London. Yes it is a little late but for some reason I couldn't quite bring myself to push the button. Don't get me wrong, I am excited but there are so many questions and I'm still very nervous about going to England for an entire year.

One of my fellow drivers at Magnolia

This summer has been amazing and intense. I've learned to drive long distance with a vehicle full of high school kids. I was one of three drivers who drove my sister and brother along with their youth group out to Tennessee for a Bible camp, and then went on out to Charleston where the other two drivers and I visited Fort Sumter, Old Town Charleston, and Magnolia Plantations. The walls of Fort Sumter are, in some parts, the original walls from the Civil War, hundreds of thousands of mortars tore the top three layers off of the walls down to where it is today. I could close my eyes and hear the echos of those mortars pounding relentlessly against the walls. It was an amazing experience, I stood at the edge of the fort and looked out across the bay and into the Atlantic Ocean. Oh it gave me thrills.

Magnolia Plantations has sixty acres of the most beautiful gardens. There are Oriental bridges across ponds, the Ashley River is the boundary on one side. It was here that General Cornwallis landed during the Revolutionary War and was able to take Charleston. There were trees that seemed to go up forever, beautiful flowers and paths that would meander past the most beautiful sights, it felt like I was in another world. However, then I was suddenly brought back to reality when we saw an alligator in the water. The water came up to the path, I could take a step and be in the water. About twenty feet away a 4-5 foot alligator was floating. The other two ladies and I looked at each other and gave a nervous laugh. So we walked a little quicker, hoping to find the end of the path a little sooner. Then we found a part of the garden where there was bamboo plants growing so thickly that it was almost dark at times. We were a little worried about the spiders, the beauty of the gardens was quickly growing old. We saw one more alligator and then a snake and we were extremely glad to leave. So the conclusion was that the Gardens are amazing, they are gorgeous but just like a rose, breath-taking beauty comes with a few scary thorns.

This summer has been an absolutely amazing experience. I've got to spend time with my family, especially with my little sister who is going to K-State in the fall. I love the people here, there are so many precious friends who mean to much to me and it has been such a joy to spend a few months just enjoying them. I'm looking forward to Oxford, looking forward to my next adventure, but I've definitely loved my time at home.

Ashland: Home Town Thoughts

I have been home for only a little over a week and I am joyfully returning to small down life. In the first week I helped work cattle, got my house ready for another graduation, remembered what I love about Ashland, and slept.

First when I got home Dad needed me to help my brother freeze brand several head of young bulls and heifers. So I joined my younger (bigger) brother and we tagged and branded and enjoyed talking together. One of the things I love the very most about being home is the horizon. In Manhattan there are hills and trees and I cannot see. Its beautiful and I love the trees and the water there but there is something about the horizon six to ten miles away and the red dirt staining the far hills orange. I cannot even describe the beauty and glory of the night sky. At school the lights of town keep the stars from really being seen but at home I live two miles from town and at night I look up and the stars go on forever.

My little sister, Abigail, graduated from Ashland High School and I got to help get the house ready for lots of company. We have a very large family and they all like to show up for graduations to say hi and give hugs and talk a lot. Abigail was valedictorian and won the Citizenship Award along with another classmate. I really love my family and it was so great to get to be there with my sister on her special day.

I went to get the mail today and I walked across Main Street. There was one vehicle that stopped to let me by, I waved, it was a lady that had known our family for years. Down the street one block was the grocery store, up the street one block was the bank and the library. I stood there for a few moments, the heat of a Kansas summer day baking my skin and smiled. It is so wonderful to be home in the midst of familiar things.

Hail, Hail, Hail, Alma Mater

Its done. I don't know exactly how I feel right now. Last Saturday, May 12th, I graduated from Kansas State University. I am officially an alumni of KSU.

This last week of school was one of the hardest I have ever been through. Mostly it was because of getting school done but also because of the thought of saying good-bye. I'm really bad at saying good-bye. When everyone else has gone, I still am waiting to say good-bye once more. There have been several times when I say good-bye once and then I come back for something or to say one more thing. Even when there is a wonderful thing waiting ahead, I have a hard time leaving a place that I have loved.

During the last week I had many papers to finish, several tests to study for and complete, and a thousand other little things to finish up for graduation weekend and to be able to leave KSU. However...I also really wanted to be able to say good-bye to some of my friends. West 3 had a cook out. I went to watch the Avengers after I submitted two papers on Wednesday. I had way too many cups of coffee and had many hours of study dates in Hale. I went to a super secret spot (the first floor of Hale library behind the stacks of bookshelves) with my roommate. I finally returned all the books underneath my bed. (There were thirty at one point checked out for research papers.) My roommate and I took pictures to remember our wonderful room. And then suddenly I was done with tests, papers were turned in, and I had to pack my room.

There were only five of us left in the hall at that point and the boys had all packed. They came down and talked to my roommate and I as I attempted to start to pack up my room. We got a start but quickly the night left and I had to go to bed.





The next morning came very quickly and I had to be at Bramlage Coliseum by 7:30 a.m. for the 8:30 a.m. graduation. The College of Arts and Sciences like to make their students work for their diploma. But I got to graduate surrounded by my history buddies--students that I had been in classes for the past four years. We talked about futures and teased each other about old jokes. Finally, I walked across the stage, they gave me the case for the diploma and it was done. For a moment I felt grown-up, adult, like I knew what I was doing. Then I saw a good friend and he whispered, "Don't trip."

I am home now. I'm working on finishing up unpacking my car and putting things away in my room but its a slow process. Its also very different to be home and to know that I'm home for good. Memories are being processed and while I am so excited for what comes next, college was wonderful and its very bittersweet for now.

Last Few Weeks of School

I am currently sitting in Radina's Coffeehouse in the Aggieville business district of Manhattan, Kansas. I have only two weeks more before I graduate. Many people say it, but it is a brand-new sentiment for me. I can't believe I'm graduating. In my closet my black gown waits patiently for its chance to shine. (although I must admit I've worn it a few times around my room, just because it is really cool.) I have the tassel and mortar board hat, the cords and everything is ready. Before I get to wear them though, I have to survive final papers and finals.

Climbing on an old bridge.

My roommate and I getting ready to leave.

We weren't really the best rowers. And we did not know where
 we were going but somehow we were in front.

One of the hammocks was torn and so Lydia and I shared a hammock for the night.

My sunglasses were broken accidentally so we made a smiley face with the pieces.

The morning sun on the foggy river was just gorgeous.

Besides papers and tests and homework, the other thing that has been occupying my time is last adventures and spending time with the wonderful people I've met in the last four years. This last weekend, April 20 and 21, I went canoeing and camping with several friends. We went down the Blue River, stayed the night on an island with beavers, coyotes in the distance, and a boy yelling in his sleep very close by. It was freezing cold, breath-taking beautiful and absolutely wonderful. I've wanted to do that for the last four years, it just hadn't worked out for me to plan it.

In the next two weeks I will finish strong. I am very close to a very big milestone in my life. It will be bittersweet, I sent in the last of my paperwork for Keble College and I will be hearing back soon about accommodations and the contract. Yet, I have built some incredible relationships here that will be hard to leave. Now, back to my homework.

Waiting and Preparing

The weeks and months are simultaneously flying by and stretching endlessly out in front of me. It is only a little over two months before I graduate from Kansas State University. Then there will only be the swift summer months and I shall be leaving for England.

21 Rotary Scholars at the 2012-13 Mid-West
 Orientation Seminar

Last weekend, March 2nd and 3rd, I went to Kansas City for the Mid-West Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Orientation. There were 21 scholars, mostly from the mid-West and preparing to disperse all over the world. We were given an overview of what Rotary is and what they have been doing, chances to talk with past ambassadors, and a chance to talk with others who are also going to be an Ambassador next year. It was only a weekend but it was really wonderful. I spoke with young women who are researching human trafficking or wanting to make an impact on global health. Young men were interested in expanding financial literacy, working as diplomats, or working to connect ideas to allow them to multiply. The level of ability and the drive to make an impact was inspiring. At the banquet on the final night the program for the evening was a two minute speech from each of the scholars answering "how am I going to change the world?" One answer given was a quote by Howard Thurman, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

Finally, I just received the college acceptance letter. I have been officially accepted to Keble College at Oxford University. The next steps will be to start working on housing questions and of course finishing these last two months at K-State. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for your support in this opportunity.