weekend with Irene

no power, cooped up with 10 people, 1 generator, 88 degrees in the house, all of us sleeping in my parents room on sleeping bags, no internet, no cable, 1 lantern, a couple flashlights, a couple candles, 1 piano, Landon's famous chocolate chip cookies, coffee every morning with my parents, quality time with my sisters, tons of rain, heavy winds, eyeing our trees every other minute, creative meals, cold showers ---- we survived Hurricane Irene. And we all still love each other.

the very, very, very Great Britain

I had the strangest sensation while being in Great Britain---- I found myself conflicted.

On one hand, I wanted to be a part of it. No, not only for my two-week stay, but forever. I wanted to be English. Secretly, I wanted Prince William and Duchess Catherine as my royalty, I wanted an English accent, I wanted to think English food was "normal" instead of "nasty", I wanted to have their fashion sense (uhhh best outfits ever), I wanted their rich history, I wanted to love tea as much as they did, and I wanted to punt, all day everyday.

But, at the same time, I felt very happy to be different; I felt very American---- and I was proud of it. I felt like shouting the National Anthem in Trafalgar Square, I actually felt pity when people informed me they don't celebrate July 4th (how can they exist?!), I wanted to hug any American I encountered and say "y'all", I wanted to eat Chipotle and a cheeseburger again, and I nearly cried when the security guard in Dulles Airport said "welcome home" after checking my passport. 

Right now, I'm just happy I get the best of both worlds. I experienced a beautiful trip in a country that captivated and raptured me, while getting to return HOME to the purple mountains majesties....good ole 'MURICAH.

England will forever be in my heart. It will forever be a place where I'll strive to blend in and stand proud all at the same time.

Here are a little tid-bits from my stay: 

the view from my window in Cambridge

punting on the River Cam

Cambridge, England

Part of our beautiful campus

punting....with St. John's College behind me

Canterbury Cathedral...mind blowing!

White Cliffs of Dover and the English Channel...on a cold and rainy english day...perfect.

part of the market in Cambridge

Bury St. Edmonds, England

hotel where Charles Dickens stayed and promoted his novels

some cathedral ruins in Bury St. Edmonds

friendly reminder for the tourists

my favorite bridge...."Bridge of Sighs"

yep, really loved it.

my very own Pride and Prejudice moment...feel me?

drinkin' some tea on the balcony of a beautiful restaurant on the water

Big Benny :)

some of the best voices and music I've ever heard

accidentally visited Amy Winehouse's street the day after she passed away

Abbey Road, THE Abbey Road

my amazing group of ladies aboard the classic double decker! 

cheers,

d

disclaimers

I am currently giving up 3 weeks of my life for RA training at Christopher Newport University. At first, I was pretty disgruntled that I had to cut my summer short, but I'm quickly finding that this experience will better me and challenge me and encourage me.

Tonight I learned a new (and wonderful!!) technique from an intuitive friend. "disclaimer night" -- a tradition she established with her roommate during her sophomore year of college. With the roommate's bed lofted and her's nestled underneath, they would lie awake at night exchanging "disclaimers" about themselves that would give insight into their lives. The disclaimers helped them get along with each other, helped them live well with each other, and helped them embrace each other.

Brilliant.

What if we could all give disclaimers to people we meet? How would it affect our relationships? How valuable is it to learn about another person and truly see inside their struggles/habits/personalities?

I've decided to adopt this technique. I'm starting my list here, but will begin employing "disclaimer night" soon, so look out.

DISCLAIMERS:  

*disclaimer: I think it is extremely unattractive when women swear. Please ladies, let's be ladies.

*disclaimer: I have songs stuck in my head a lot. Sometimes I need some assistance figuring out where/what the song is from.

*disclaimer: I like physical touch. Hugging, patting someone on the shoulder, snuggling. I'm not trying be weird. It's just me.

*disclaimer: You'll find me standing on the couch (perhaps with my eyes closed and praying?) during the intense moments of a Dallas Cowboys football game.

*disclaimer: I love going to concerts. Please don't make alternate plans and expect me to show up. No, I will be gawking at inspiring musicians, thank you.

*disclaimer: I show two emotions: HAPPY and OTHER. All emotions not fitting into the "happy" category qualify for "other". While you will always know when I'm happy, you may never know about the others... as I probably won't volunteer my negative feelings.

*disclaimer: I've found that girls that have sisters make the best kind of friends. Women who know how to love/accept/listen/encourage other women first learn it from having a sister.

*disclaimer: I am passionate. And I love to see/cultivate the passions of others -- especially if they differ from my own.

*disclaimer: I pray, I worship, I read the Word, I love to talk about God's work in people's lives.

*disclaimer: I'm one of those obsessive aunts that gushes about my nephew (and future niece!) to people who don't care. I'm sorry. Wait no I'm not.

*disclaimer: I wish more than anything that I was artistic. I like crafting, but never have the motivation because it always turns out badly. Why waste time when the product is lacking?

*disclaimer: Change scares me. I like fair warning.

*disclaimer: I collect shoes and friendships. I'm almost to 100 pairs of shoes; I want 100 friendships.

*disclaimer: I'm allergic to anything that's not sterling silver, or silver, or gold, or white gold, etc. Basically, don't buy me fake rings, because I'll wear them for 2 hours and break out in hives.

*disclaimer: You will find me up all night when I have a paper due the next morning. I procrastinate.

*disclaimer: I feel the least like "me" when I come home to an empty Morrow house.

*disclaimer: I am loyal. Please don't gossip to me because I don't like to test my loyalty.

*disclaimer: I see the good in people, and I am an optimist. I'm also stubborn and protective of the people I love.

*disclaimer: I like sports, but I hate playing them because I get embarrassed by my lack of athletic ability.

what would you tell the 13-year-old you?

"It's all happening. All the time. Be present. Love unabashedly and without fear. Having a baby is amazing. Don't spend so much time on your hair. Or your body. Or thinking about what you're going to to eat. Or judging anyone. Spend more time with your father. It's okay to get your heart broken. Dance more. Sing more. Read more. Listen more. You will overcome."
--- Abigail Spencer