Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Wow! It has been almost a month since my last blog entry and so much has happened! I've had weeks full of wonder and wandering, and now I need to process and reflect. I always say that I am going to journal more, blog more, record my memories in more detail...but before I have time, I'm on to the next adventure (I'm not complaining!). But it certainly is important to process and reflect. Without it, those memories and experiences don't reach their full value. Looking back on memorable moments helps define us. If I run for too long without stopping and pondering...I go numb. And everything seems excess and lavish because I'm not living presently or gratefully in the blessings. So here are some blessed moments that I really need to soak in. I hope this inspires you to grab some coffee (or afternoon tea!) and contemplate a recent moment that could possibly change you for the better. 


After a busy three days of Aerial rehearsals, assessments, and performance, I started my "reading week" (a designated week off of school to study....oops) with a bang. Literally. It was the 5th of November a.k.a Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day. Fireworks and Bonfires filled the air with haze and left our clothes smelling like Autumn. I joined Professors Liz and John Willner, Brooke, Misael, Eliot and Gianmarco to Manchester to see a Man City game. I'm a Liverpool fan but I couldn't refuse cheap tickets to see a professional football game. We ate at a barbecue restaurant beforehand and it was fun to try American food in England. We chatted with the waiter and as soon as he knew we were a group from Oklahoma, (minus Gianmarco...he's from Italy and Eliot...he's from France), he was so excited! He showed us that their smokers are from OK and he insisted that we give him our honest opinion on the food. I'm not going to lie...it was probably some of the best BBQ I've had. We proceeded to the game and to our pure astonishment, discovered that our 15GBP tickets were for the second row. Not sure how that happened...but IT WAS AMAZING. It was an exciting Champions League Match against Moscow. Man City lost after 2 unfortunate red cards. We were disappointed with the score...but not with the experience! The temperature dropped and we all headed home with hot chocolate in hand. 



November 6th was an early morning scramble to pack essentials into a backpack, print itineraries, and catch a cheap flight to Dublin. It was an eventful weekend full of Irish music, historic sights, pubs, and getting in touch with our Irish heritage. Cead mile failte! (One hundred thousand welcomes! Gaelic.)

By-far the best experience in Dublin was partaking in a traditional Irish music session in the upstairs of this family-owned pub. They asked us to sing a song...we just started to sing "Oklahoma". Little did we know, they LOVE Rogers and Hammerstein. 

  Meandering in the Old Library Long Room at Trinity College. 

 High-kicking for The Book of Kells! Trinity College

 St. Patrick's Cathedral. Praise God for the Saints who have gone before us.

 A magical escape to the National Botanical Gardens. I think that's where the fairies live.  


 The doors of Dublin...

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. The story of Tom & Jerry developed here and Strongbow (the great Cider maker) is buried here. 

Thanks to Brooke, so many of these adventures are visually preserved. Thanks for your beautiful photos, Brooke.

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From Ireland I headed to Bristol to begin my individual exploration of Western England. 



I stayed in a B&B in Somerset for my first night. It was an old 1600's cottage nestled in the countryside. It was pure luxury in contrast to the hostel-hopping that I had been doing. I was very grateful. 


From there, I traveled to Bath. 

 The Ancient Roman Baths. Absolutely fascinating. Incredible archaeological finds. 

I FOUND WHERE ALL THE SPECIALTY COFFEE IS HIDING!! BATH! So many great local cafes...



For centuries the wealthy have come to Bath to flaunt their wealth and take a dip in the healing spas. Jane Austen spent 5 years here and Bath has been used in numerous films including The Duchess. 

"I really believe I shall always be talking of Bath, when I am at home again–I do like it so very much…. Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?" -Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey


Then onward to Historic Portsmouth! You know when you go somewhere and you can't stop thinking, "Man,(insert name) would love this SO much!"? That is all I could think in regards to my father. I wish you had been there, Dad!

The oldest naval ship still in commission. Lord Horatio Nelson's HMS Victory. Used in the Battle of Trafalgar. (currently receiving maintenance).


Then a long but scenic train ride to Stratford-Upon-Avon!

 The Bard's birthplace!!


 Rainy English mornings require a proper English breakfast. 
(I left the black pudding alone...)


 Holy Trinity Church. A lovely working church that's very proud of their famous deceased member. 


 HERE LIES SHAKESPEARE.

Shakespeare monument overlooking the River Avon. 

Managed to catch an incredible (yay student tickets!) performance of Much Ado About Nothing by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It inspired me and made me hungry to grow as an actress. 


Lastly...to the Peak District!

My lovely friend Laura let me stay at her house. Her family was so gracious and hospitable. I loved experiencing the culture in a proper English home.  



 Jane Eyre was filmed in this region. So of course I took a moment to feel the mist in my face and pretend that I was her. 


 Soul-food. 

 Chatsworth Estate. The home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. 


Acres and acres of elaborate gardens. And for 18 GBP you can explore them and support the monarchical system!


The week was exhilarating and formative. Shedding excess and carrying my necessities on my back is always freeing. Thanks to public transportation, I was able to see a lot of this beautiful country in a short amount of time. 
















Saturday, October 25, 2014

Moment to Moment.

It's the key to truthful acting, truthful relationships, and the only way to notice the small and wonderful things. Living moment to moment. I've been here long enough to feel settled. I started out counting the days, weeks that I had been here. I'm at the point where I could begin counting the days, weeks that I have left here. But I won't. Because now is when all the living happens. Now is when the newness has worn off and I see things in their realistic light. The pros? I'm starting to build relationships and find habitual comforts. The cons? It's easy to let it all pass me by like a semi on the freeway. Time is a gruesome friend. You can't have newness without fear or oldness without apathy. The only anecdote and way to catch all the goodness around you is to live step by step. breath to breath. word to word. moment to moment. Here are some moments from this week that I'm storing in my soul-food box:


 On a whim, I was asked by a faculty member if I wanted to dance in a re-staging of a site-specific piece commemorating the poet Dylan Thomas. We were asked to perform the piece a second time in Warrington at an arts festival. We opened for the dance company 12 Degrees North. It was such an incredible privilege to share the stage with these individuals and others. It was my first "modern dance" performance and it's something I'll cherish forever. 


 Spending a whole day on Bold Street with Misbah and Brooke. Vintage coats and mugs on the shopping list. 

Bakchich Lebanese Street Food. Bold St, Liverpool. 


Walks on Ruff Lane from Ormskirk to Edge Hill.
The leaves are changing, the air is cool, and the sights are ever-charming.

Monday, October 20, 2014

L O N D O N

I'm still trying to process everything that happened these past three days. It was a whirlwind of an adventure and I walked away with a love of this wonderful city. Brooke, Mesa, and I (go OCU!) caught the 2 am bus from Liverpool to London on Wednesday. We hit the ground running as soon as we arrived and didn't stop until we returned to Ormskirk at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning(...we were all a bit grumpy, stinky, and ready for a free toilet by this point).
Here's just a few pictures and snapshots from this blessed adventure!  

Walked in the footsteps of some pretty memorable dudes!

For 12 pounds, I stood in the stalls and watched The Royal Ballet perform Manon (Marianela Nunez in the title role!) at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. I cried after the first pas de deux, clapped until my hands were red during curtain call, and I didn't mind the standing AT ALL. I am immensely grateful to have experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


Finally got my specialty coffee fix at Kaffeine.
Americano and made-in-house almond milk. 


Stopped by for tea with the Queeney.(Just kidding...but the flag did indicate that she was home!)


Changing of the Guard. Way too crowded, but still special! Things Lonely Planet doesn't tell you:
1. The guards wear boots with little taps on them so that they click everywhere they go.
2. The band plays at each ceremony. Songs include: traditional military marching songs and..."We are the Champions".
3. The Beefeater hats are even more ridiculously awesome in person.


Shakespeare's Globe Theatre!(Well...the recreation of the original) Thatched roofs and fire don't mix very well. 


Taking in a Degas at the National Gallery. I definitely regret not spending more time here!

Official Masters of the Tube.

Until next time, London! <3



































Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Wanderlust Weekend at the Lakes

Brooke and I headed North. North to the Lake District. I had read of mountains and lakes. I left to find them. It was a weekend of walking and unveiling the England I had been dreaming of: green pastures full of sheep, mountain cottages, stone walls still standing from long ago, and charming towns full of history and good pubs. It rained...and rained...but it was nothing a good pair of hiking boots and a raincoat couldn't handle. We stayed at a hostel just outside of Ambleside on Lake Windermere, England's largest lake. Friday was an incredible day. We rose early and watched the sun break through the fog. Swans welcomed the morning and floated gracefully through the mist. It looked exactly like the last act of Swan lake, when all the swans rise up out of the fog after Odette jumps off the cliff. Cue the Tchaikovsky. It was pure magic.


 
We grabbed some coffee and headed towards the hills. We walked through Ambleside towards the 60ft waterfall of Stock Ghyll Force. Then, through a farmer's pasture via a broken stone wall and up the path towards the top of Wansfell Peak. The English Mountains are mostly free to roam and very accessible. Open pathways lead through private property and can get you just about anywhere. That was a dream come true for this wandering spirit.




We peaked in the fog and took some time for it to clear before heading down towards the small village of Troutbeck. We wandered into the Mortal Man Inn and Pub. They've been serving drinks and welcoming fell-walkers since the 1600s! After sitting by the fire and drinking a pot of tea, we headed on towards Townend, Skelghyll Wood, and Jenkin's Crag. I was almost in tears with how charming and old and wonderful and dreamy the cottages and countryside were.
Brooke's goal for the weekend was to hug a sheep. Yep, she wanted to full-on embrace one of those cute, woolly things. She got close...but they were always way more interested in eating grass.
As we were walking towards Skelghyll Wood, we came across a lonely sheep on the path between two stone walls. It was obviously lost and separated from the herd. This was Brooke's chance! If any sheep needed a hug, it was this little guy. But as we approached it, we were disgusted to realize that this sheep had been attacked. His tail was missing and he had oozing, bloody injuries all over his backside. His ribs were broken and caved in and maggots had infested his wounds. We gasped and stood there, expecting this sheep to collapse at any moment. But rather, he kept munching on grass. He could barely walk, but he managed to make his way down the path looking for the next yummy thing to eat. He was dying but seemed oblivious to it! It was such a strange sight. We wanted to help, but didn't know how. We didn't have a way to lead him to the nearest village and we both knew that it was only a matter of time before it died. Just as I was losing hope in helping, another walker came around the bend. We stopped her and told her the situation. Luckily, she was headed towards Townend and would see if she could inform someone there. And so we left that poor sheep and walked on.
It became so obvious to me why the Bible refers to us, God's children, as sheep and to Jesus as the Great Shepherd. So often we find ourselves lost, injured, covered in mud and mire, consumed by darkness. We are helplessly searching for something to satisfy our stomachs, our eyes, our thoughts, our emotions. We just keep scouring the earth for something that will heal us. Others look at us and say that there's no hope for us. We're too messed up. But then there's Jesus. And he sees a lost sheep who is never too lost or hopeless. He rescues us from our dark infections and places us in green pastures and beside quiet waters. He restores our soul. 
We walked on, pondering all of this. 



After Jenkin's crag, the path led back to Ambleside. It had been a long day. We were tired and hungry, but happy. We were waiting to cross the street into town when an older women started talking to us. She greeted us and asked what we were coming from. She was interested in the fact that we were Americans. She started pouring out wisdom, about perspective and love. At this point, we were standing on the median in the middle of the street. I really enjoyed talking to her, but I just didn't understand why here and now. It was apparent to me that this was a divine appointment but I couldn't help but think how wierd the timing was(but then again, I rarely understand God's timing). So I asked her if we could continue talking over tea. We meandered to the nearest cafe and she insisted that it be her treat! Her name is June. Her and her family came to the Lake District every year to hike the fells. Well, now it's just her. But she still comes. She's hard of hearing but she loves people and wants to talk to everyone. She began to share with us her passion for sharing love. "The only thing that is going to save this doomed culture is love". I couldn't agree more, June! She asked me what I was studying in England, and when I told her dance, she said "Do you wonder sometimes if you aren't going to make it?" "Yes, I do, actually." "Well, I want to tell you something that I believe deeply: Thoughts can change matter." She told me to verbally proclaim that "I am a dancer" 3 times and then to laugh out loud. She believes that this personal affirmation changes perspective, which ultimately, changes reality. 
My goal was to bless her, but she ultimately blessed me. 
She left us with, "All my friends are dying, but I realized that I can make new friends!"
Well, now you have two more, June!


The day finished with a performance in the hostel by a large group of Indian school children. They joyfully and energetically performed Bollywood dances for us. It was a perfect finish to a perfect day. 
Thanks, God. 

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Stretching out at The Higher Space in Liverpool.
Edge Hill Aerial Program.

Hello rainy days. 

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Market Days
Ormskirk, Lancashire


Afternoon Tea with all the fixings. O'Brien's Tea Rooms.


Brooke takes time to smell the roses.
Let's get moving! 
Classes have started and I've entered the "second stage" of living here. The first week was full of spontaneous adventures, meeting as many new people as possible, cultural integration, and trying to fall asleep to the sound of raging club music spilling over from the student bar just down the sidewalk. By the end of the week, I was ready for a routine. As much as I love being spontaneous... I started to feel burned out and useless, too tired and disorganized to fully enjoy anything. So I took the Sabbath to refocus spiritually. Now that I've been here exactly 2 weeks and have started classes, I am starting to feel like myself again! Quiet devotional time is back in my life (thank goodness) and so is eating healthy green things! (Fish & Chips are cheap, easy to find, delicious, and very British...so of course I ate them a TON last week). Along with these positive things, I also sensed myself exiting the "honeymoon stage". Not that I'm unhappy in any way, but I started to complain about things that I didn't even notice during the first week. But then I just remind myself of all the good and the temptation to complain soon disintegrates. 
Monday started with an Aerial 1 Theory Lecture. I've never studied dance theory and I'm actually super excited. It's going to require a good amount of research, but it'g going to benefit my practical application. 
On Tuesday I had a 6 hour Aerial class. SIX HOURS. We learned the basics of bungee, static line, and vertical wall. All requiring an incredibly painful hip harness. Harnesses are to Aerial as Point Shoes are to Ballet. The program is very prestigious and I am honored to have this opportunity. It's still sinking in. I really can't wait to see what God is doing here through all of this. 
I have Wednesdays off and then Post-Modern Dance on Thursdays. What I took from today's class: 

throw every conventional dance technique out the window and do whatever you want in whatever context you want just make sure you know what you're telling the audience and that's post-modern dance.

I like pointing my toes and I like telling stories. So a style of dance that doesn't require either is going to be very good for me. Cheers to stretching and growing as an artist!