gOODBYE I AM SAD

I am going to start with the coach ride to Stratford. Between Brendan, next to me, doing an honestly fantastic impression of Javier and Dru, Ben, Abby, and Shiloh doing equally amazing impressions of every other character in Les Mis back and forth to one another, the ride felt so short. I am sure to some in the front of the bus that the free concert, the childish toot noises, and the sounds of us using our bellies as an instrument made the journey longer and more dreadful than travel by horse and buggy. However for me, it made the most sense and made the coach ride to Stratford-upon-Avon bittersweet. I knew that once we got off the bus, we wouldn’t get back on until it was time to say goodbye. Let’s not talk about goodbyes just yet though, let’s talk about WILL!

When we arrived in Stratford, we were all given our rooms and keys to the quaint guesthouses we were so lucky to have stayed in. Our house was gorgeous and I was so happy to be sharing a room with Dru and Abby. That has been our living situation in London most of the time truthfully, but this time it was real! We all scattered for dinner that night and I assume slept like babies on our comfy beds in the quiet, still, and sleeping Stratford-upon-Avon.

The next day was similar to so many others we have had on this trip. It was a day filled with visiting places we’ve read about and feeling lucky to even be standing in the same place Shakespeare did so many years ago. It was also a day that made me realize Shakespeare was actually a person….I hope someone can relate to that. It’s so bizarre to me that we were walking around and enjoying our company in the same way I’m sure Sir William did in his time. It was so lovely to me that his birthplace & his home grounds were so well kept up with. It gave me a more genuine idea of how much people loved him and respected him as an artist. I also just loved seeing his grave. It was so simple and not what I expected at all. I figured for some reason his tomb would more or less resemble some of the memorials we have seen for him all over London and even all over his home town, but no. It was a grave much like the ones we walked over in Westminster and St. Paul’s. Seeing where he is buried is what really shed the veil of fantasy and marvel from such a prominent figure in the world of theatre and forced me to see him as he was, just a human. A notable, renown, deservingly celebrated human, but one that ends up the same as the rest of us. I also loved the curse upon his grave reading, “Good friend for Jesus’ sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” Spitting bars even at his grave, what a legend.

All of the history we saw on this trip was remarkable, the shows I saw encouraged me to work harder, and go farther. I will say though, the biggest takeaway I got from this trip was the relationships I made and the memories that were created with them. I said goodbye to lifelong friends when we got to the airport and journaled through tears about experiences I had in quaint little towns with people I had grown to love without even realizing it until I was buckled in on the plane. Friendship is so sweet, and I was overwhelmed with all of your friendship. I suddenly feel weird having a day without hearing Ben making a farting noises every five minutes, or hearing Abby talk about giving me a “kisth” on the forehead, or listening to Shiloh talk about architecture and actually care, or finally learning when Brendan is being serious or joking with me, or immediately giggling when I see Grason because he’s just so darn adorable, etc. I feel so strange not needing to look for Shawn’s singular hand in the air, Courtneay’s backpack, and Casey’s beautiful blonde hair. I am grateful to miss so many different, seemingly mundane characteristics of all of you that make you so special to me. I got everything academically that I knew I would when I came on this trip, but I also got all of you and that means so much to me. I hope you all know how grateful I am and how much I love each and every one of you. Please reach out, please be my friend forever, and please feel my hugs through the screen!

Here’s some pictures because I don’t know what else to say and I’m crying.