Melancholy Midsummer Night

I’m writing this post as I watch the rain fall outside my window, and the mood fits the emotions I have. This trip has been absolutely life changing, and I can’t believe that it’s already been a month. I’m sad to leave tomorrow, but I am so thankful for the many friendships I’ve gained along the way.

This past weekend we’ve stayed in Stratford-upon-Avon, aka Shakespeare’s birth place. It’s a much smaller and quieter place than London, and it reminds me a bit of a retirement town, but it’s a comforting and peaceful place to be. It’s fun getting to walk around and explore buildings some of which have been here since the 1500s, which sounds insane to me. It felt kind of unreal walking around the rooms that Shakespeare would have grown up in, but I think I prefer the low thrum of activity that happens here over the hustle and bustle of the city. I also adore the little townhouse we all are sharing. Having breakfast in the parlor every morning makes us feel like a little family.

My view of England has changed a little bit, but not much. They are definitely not all tea and biscuits like I was expecting (in fact it was quite difficult to find a cream tea in London), and I was surprised that I had as much of a culture shock as I did. I remember being so lost the first day when someone asked me if I was “queuing.” The roads were also strange because you don’t realize how engrained something is in your mind like the direction you should look when crossing the street. One of the most wonderful things I’ve noticed in this area is the vast amount of different people there are. I’ve always heard that the US is a “melting pot” of different cultures, but after visiting England, I’m not sure that I believe that anymore. Visiting London has given me a better outlook on what diversity should look like.

As for the theater aspect of this trip, I think the only thing that has changed for me is that my love of theater has grown even more. I’ve become spoiled on this trip getting to see different plays almost every night, and coming back home is going to be a harsh wake up call. But after getting to see twenty different shows while on this trip, all I want to do is show others how amazing theatre is at telling stories and transporting you to a different world. I love it here.

As with everything else on this trip, England deserves a rating, and it gets a 9.8/10 for me.

-.2 for the weird allergies and air pollution

10 for the architecture

10 for the theatre

And 10 for the people that made this trip an experience I will never forget ❤

Thanks for reading, and I’m signing off