Salutations!

Sorry for the long gap between posts. These lasts weeks are full of exciting events, preparation for the journey home, and lots and lots of homework! I promised to tell you a little bit about my trip to Paris, so here I go!

We had to be on campus at 5:30 am. Everyone was so tired! We took a coach (charter bus) down through London, and drove the bus straight onto a large train that carried us through the Chunnel. That was an interesting experience! Being on a bus and a train at the same time... very strange. But we made it across and arrived in France! I really enjoyed looking at the French countryside, which is quite lovely (It reminded me a bit of Iowa actually). After a 10 hour journey we arrived in Paris at the Tom Hotel. Once we were settled, Maggie, Rachel, Me, and two of our friends from the program here (Bridget from Norway, and Warren from Massachusetts) went out to dinner. Later on we took the Metra to the Eiffel Tower in time for the lights show that happens every hour on the hour after dark! It is really cool! The tower sparkles for the first 5 minutes, and then there is a lights show set to music that lasts about 10 minutes. I loved that!

The next morning we went back to the Eiffel Tower to see it during the day. It really is quite impressive, and the views from the top are really lovely. I didn't realize just how big Paris is! Once again we had beautiful weather and were able to see really far in all directions. From the top of the tower you can see the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Sacre Coeure, and the Arc De Triomphe. Pretty much all of Paris!

After that we went to Sacre Coeure, which is a huge, white, basilica church, set on top of a high hill. It was really beautiful inside and out. I have never been in a basilica before, and enjoyed the unique architecture. We ate nutella crepes on the steps of the church, out in the sun. Next we went to the Arc De Triomphe, which was quite impressive, and walked down the Champs Elysee, the famous street that leads up to the Arc. That evening we went to the Louvre! It is free admission for everyone under 26 on Friday nights, so we saw some of the most famous paintings and sculptures in the world (including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo) for free! Walking through the Louvre made me wish I knew more about art history, but I learned a little along the way. That night we ate at a fantastic French restaurant near the museum, and enjoyed interacting with the waiters, and trying out our French!

The next morning we went to Notre Dame. As I walked slowly around the inside of the walls, I was amazed at the detail in the stained glass windows. The sun would all of a sudden stream through and throw bright colors and patterns onto the walls and floors. It was breathtaking. The view from the top is really beautiful as well! Considering that it is just a cathedral, it's really amazing how high up we were! It was cool to hear and see the bells as well. That afternoon we went to the Musse Dorsay, which has a lot of impressionist artwork. We saw Monet, Manet, Van Gough, Degas, and many more. This is one of my favorite things we did, and if you are ever in Paris I would strongly urge you to see this museum! I discovered that I really like impressionism, which I never would have known if we hadn't gone... That evening we met for dinner, and then watched the lights show at the Eiffel Tower one last time.

The next morning we packed up and headed for The Palace of Versailles on the coach. We also managed to get in free here! This was breathtaking! The detail, and the gold, and the art, and the statues... I could not believe the excess and the extravagance! The Hall of Mirrors was really neat, and the chapel inside the house was really beautiful. The gardens were breathtaking! They were endless! Literally. I can't imagine how big they really are. There was a beautiful canal and rows upon rows of huge, gorgeous trees. I'm so glad we were able to see this before we headed back to York on the Chunnel once again.

Paris is a really beautiful city, and I am so thankful that I was able to see everything we did. I hope all of you get the chance to go there someday!

Since then I have been to Liverpool where I went to lunch with my friend Claire, who lived with me at Hope last semester. It was so good to see her again, and it was fun to have her show me around her city! Rachel and I went to the Beatles Museum as well, which I really enjoyed! I feel like I now have a thorough knowledge of Beatles history. Then yesterday I went to Chatsworth with Maggie and our friend Oddbjorg from Norway. Chatsworth is a lovely manor house where they filmed the scenes for Pemberley from the movie "Pride and Prejudice," and was the home of the Duchess of Devonshire in the movie the "Duchess." This was such a treat! We took a bus out to a small village near the home, then took a path through some huge fields where there were old trees, and sheep grazing, and quaint brick walls... it was really beautiful. The house itself was also really neat! It was decorated for Christmas, so everything was merry and bright! There were some really lovely artwork as well. The house is surrounded by gardens, and there is a huge fountain out front. This has to be one of my favourite places in England, and (once again) if you get the chance, you should definitely see it!

Thanks again for reading, and for all of your prayers and support! I may only fit in one more post before I fly back to the States December 19! Miss you all!

Cheers!

A Few Days in London Town!

Greetings all!

Sorry for missing last week, but I only had internet access for two out of about 10 days... I wanted to make sure I had ample time to do justice to my blog posts about my recent trips to London and Paris. Rachel, Maggie, and I left for London the morning of Saturday 7th, and arrived around 10:20 am. We made our way to a hotel where a bus trip to Stonehenge was leaving, and made the 2 hour bus trip to the famous historical site. I really enjoyed walking around the henge and listening to the audio guide describe what little they know about Stonehenge's past. It's hard to believe how big some of the stones are, and how they managed to set some on top of others to form bridge like structures. I am really happy that we were there during sunset because it is a very pretty place when the sun is shining through the rocks and casting long shadows across the grass. After making our way back into London we explored Leicester square, where we had heard that cheap theater tickets were sold. Unfortunately nothing caught our fancy at the theater, but we decided to try one of the many cinemas around the square and ended up seeing A Christmas Carol. It was quite well done I must say! Next we navigated our way from King's Cross Station (yes we saw platform 9 3/4! for all you Harry Potter fans) to our Travelodge Hotel.
The next morning we ventured near Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey to attend a ceremony honoring England's soldiers. November 11 in England is similar to America's Memorial Day, and the Sunday before that date is always Remembrance Sunday. We had heard that the Queen and the rest of the Royal family might be attending, and it turns out that the Queen, Prince William, and Prince Harry were in attendance! The Queen is quite short, so she was particularly difficult to see, but the fact that she was there is still pretty exciting! We made our way to The Tower of London, and spent a few hours exploring and taking a guided tour. I really enjoyed learning about the Tower's role in English history, and I had never realized how important it has been. Walking in the footsteps of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Edward I was a real treat! That evening we met up with some friends and ate dinner at a restaurant on the River Themes. I enjoyed walking along the river in the evening and seeing the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and theater houses that line the river.
The next morning we took a free walking tour and were able to see the Wellington Arch, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, St. James' Park, and much more! The tour ended near the Houses of Parliament, so we decided to go inside and listen in the House of Lords for awhile. That was really interesting, and I wish we could have gone to the House of Commons as well. After a quick stop at the well known, posh shopping center Harrods, we made our way to King's Cross to catch our train back to York. I really enjoyed the trip and felt like we were able to fit a lot into three short days! I would love to go back someday and spend more time at some of the places we saw!
Thank you all for reading, and for your continued support and prayers. Also, for the birthday wishes, cards, and packages! I had a wonderful 21st birthday, and it meant a lot to hear from so many of you! Next week I'll be writing about our trip to Paris, which was simply fantastic! This weekend I am attending a retreat with the Christian Union that is held in the Lake District. I am really looking forward to spending some time worshiping and reflecting with other Christians in a beautiful place. Please pray for our stress levels as we enter the home stretch, and have to deal with turning in essays and setting our affairs in order.
Thank you again and God bless!
Cheerio everyone!

Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day!

Greetings!

This past weekend was our first weekend in York for quite some time. It was nice to not think about traveling or packing, and just enjoy Halloween weekend! On Friday Rachel and I went to the "York Dungeons" with a group of international students. The "York Dungeons" are part of the same company which has dungeon tours in other cities that are meant to frighten and entertain. This was certainly an experience I will never forget! All of the live actors we encountered were dressed authentically and played their parts very well. They were meant not only to tell us true stories about York, but to give us a good old fashioned scare at the same time! We learned about York during the Bubonic Plague, Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin, and other figures and events important to York's history, but with a scary twist! I really enjoyed it!

On Halloween, Rachel and I rented costumes from the local theater and attended a masquerade put on by our Bible Study leaders. We enjoyed picking out ridiculous feathered masks and finding dresses to match! We spend a couple ours in the house and listened to Halloween music, then went into town to scope out rest of York's costumes. It was really neat to spend Halloween in the "Most Haunted City in the World!" (York was recently given this title)

I am a member of the Volleyball Club here at York and the girls team had our first game on Wednesday in Bradford. It was exciting to take the train with the team to another university, and wear a jersey once again in competition! Although we didn't win, everyone played really well, and I know we gave them a run for their money! I have really enjoyed being a part of the Volleyball Club and have met some really wonderful people through that experience.

Yesterday, Thursday 5 November, was Guy Fawkes Day, or Bonfire Night! I was really looking forward to this because Guy Fawkes was born in York and christened in the church I attend on Sunday evenings. The city was crowded with tourists yesterday, and the local Guy Fawkes Inn and Pub was packed full! Fireworks began around the city as early as 5:00 pm because it is already pitch dark outside by then. Me, Maggie, Rachel, and some of our international friends (Oddbjorg from Norway, Franziska from Germany, and Emilie from Sweden) went to dinner at the Lion and the Lamb Inn. Afterwards we went on a Ghost Walk, which is a popular activity in York. A man with a deep voice, and thoroughly Yorkshire accent conducted, us around to some of the most well known and haunted places in the city! We all really enjoyed laughing, but being slightly frightened at the same time ;)

After the ghost walk we went to a friends house to enjoy some food, fellowship, and fireworks! Fireworks are required for an enjoyable Bonfire Night experience. It has been fun to celebrate a couple holidays here, and I'm sure there are more exciting celebrations to come!

This weekend Rachel, Maggie, and I are going to London! I am really excited to finally go to England's capital city and see some of the most well know places in the country. We plan on going to Stonehenge on Saturday fallowed by Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben, among others, on Sunday and Monday. Luckily we have a number of connections in London, and we will have help when trying to navigate the city. It should be a really fun time! Next Thursday we head to Paris with the international students, and there are trips to the Lake District and Liverpool in our future as well! It is nice to have so much to look forward to, and my time here is flying by! I would really appreciate prayer for safe travel during our trips, and our overall safety as we go to these immense cities. Also, for perseverance as we tackle large essays and projects. Thank you again for your prayers, and thanks for reading Molly's Meanderings!

Cheers everyone!

Museums, Macbeth, and Manchester United!

Salutations!

I’m sorry that I missed writing last week. After the excitement of the weekend, and preparing for the next, I barely had time to manage my responsibilities for the week! I had a really wonderful time at the Manchester United game! The atmosphere was very exciting, and I really enjoyed being part of such an enthusiastic crowd! Our section was chanting and singing songs about the team, and I think we were the only section standing up the whole game. Old Trafford Stadium was really impressive, and we had an excellent view of the field. It was surely a once in a lifetime experience, and it was one of my favorite activities I’ve done since arriving in England!
By Thursday I had to be ready for my trip to Aberdeen. Rachel and I got a train to Aberdeen that left at 3:55 and arrived at 9:20. I enjoy traveling by train because it is a good opportunity to see the countryside. Scotland is very beautiful and I enjoyed seeing mountains to the left, and the North Sea to the right. I was really excited to get off the train and see my friends Jess and Ella! After grabbing a bite to eat we walked, and walked, and walked…… until we arrived at Hillhead where Jess and Ella live. We spent Saturday exploring Aberdeen, walking through a beautiful park, seeing where students have classes or hangout, and doing a bit of shopping in downtown Aberdeen.
Saturday night we saw the Scottish Ballet perform their fall show. It was really wonderful! I enjoyed all three pieces which were performed on point shoes in the genre of “modern ballet.” We went to a pub called the Blue Lamp afterwards, and that was exciting also because there isn't any sign to indicate that there is a pub located in that spot... there is only a blue lamp outside the door...

The next morning we went to the beach to check out a different view of the North Sea. It was gorgeous as always, and the waves were particularly irritated that morning. We walked along a river in order to reach the beach, and we spotted river seals on both our journeys! I didn't even know that river seals existed... It was hard to say goodbye to Jess and Ella (who were wonderful hostesses!) but Rachel and I had to catch an earlier train at 11:45 in order to be back in York by evening. All in all, it was another excellent weekend! I am so lucky to have been able to see so much of Scotland, considering how short my time is here.

This week I have had a bit of a soar throat, which will hopefully have cleared up by this weekend. I am focusing on organizing materials for my course essays, and planning future weekend excursions. I am looking forward to this weekend because, not only is it Halloween, the gang decided to stay in York! It will be nice to enjoy the holiday with our friends here and relax and recoup for our upcoming trips.

We are working on planning a trip that should take us to Wales, Bath, Stone Henge, and London. This is proving quite difficult, but hopefully we will be able to see some of those places. After that we are going to Paris with other international students from our program, and I am extremely excited to visit this famous city! There are also trips to Liverpool and the Lake District in our future.

I will try not to miss another update, and I hope this one finds all of you well. I would appreciate prayer for all of us here as we plan trips and attempt to stay on top of our homework. Also, that we would have patience if we encounter any problems along the way. Thank you so much for your prayers, and for continuing to read my blog! Miss you all, and hope you've enjoyed the update!

Sojourn to Scotland!

Greetings all!
This past weekend was really fun! Maggie, Rachel, and I went on a trip with the international students to Edinburgh and Stirling, Scotland from Saturday 10th to Sunday 11th. We had to arrive on campus by 7:00 AM Saturday morning, which was quite difficult for those of us who enjoy sleeping in whenever possible... The bus ride to Edinburgh was about five hours, but that includes a 50 minute stop in Alnwick, England. To some this may not sound very exciting, but to fans of the Harry Potter films it was simply wonderful! Alnwick Castle was used in the second Harry Potter film, and the fields surrounding the castle are where they shoot scenes set in the Quidditch pitch (Quidditch is a wizard's sport, played on broomsticks for those not familiar with the series).
Once we arrived in Edinburgh we were able to drop our things off at the Youth Hostel in Edinburgh, which was quite nice. Maggie, Rachel, and I shared a room with a few other international students, and we were happy that we at least knew some of the people we stayed with. That afternoon we walked to a park where bus tours leave from, and from there we took a tour of the city from on top of a double decker bus! I really enjoyed that, and it made it easy to see places like King Arthur's Seat, the Scottish Parliament, and the birth place of Sean Connery, which we were not able to visit a second time given our short amount of time in the city. The bus dropped us off outside Edinburgh Castle, and we had about an hour to explore the grounds. Here we saw the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots and her son James who became King James I of England. The crowned jewels of Scotland are also kept here, and we enjoyed examining those.
We asked an employee at the castle to suggest a traditional scottish pub for dinner, and she gave us the name of pub near the castle called "The Advocate." The food there was quite good, but we decided to head back to the hostel before it got too much darker. We left at 10:00 the next morning for Stirling, Scotland where the William Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle, and the battlefield where the Battle of Stirling Bridge was faught. The three of us decided to take a taxi to the monument, which is a ways outside town. After climbing up the wooded hill where the monument stands we were able to listen to a man dressed up like William Wallace talk about Wallace's life and the Battle of Stirling Bridge. I really enjoyed listening to him and asking him questions about Scotland's struggle for independence.
Rachel and I climbed the 264 steps to the top of the Wallace Monument, and it was well worth the effort! The view was breathtaking from the top of the tower. Stirling is set near a winding river, in the shadow of some beautiful mountains. It was a beautiful day, and we could see for miles and miles. I made a video from the top of the tower, but it may be a bit hard to hear me because the wind was pretty intense at the top. After we visited the Wallace monument, we trecked down the hill and ate lunch at The William Wallace pub :) We were quite excited about that! Finally, we visited Stirling Castle. We weren't able to go inside because we had very little time, but there was a very pretty view from the outside. After that we made our way back to the bus for a 6 hour ride back home. It's a good thing that Scotland's landscape is very beautiful because I might not have made it back otherwise...
All in all, it was a really nice trip! We saw a lot and did a lot in just a couple of days. This weekend should be very exciting as well! Rachel, Maggie, and I are going to see the opera version of Macbeth tomorrow night at the York Theater Royal. I have never seen an opera, or a play written by Shakespeare, so I get to do both in one night! Also, we managed to acquire tickets to see the football club Manchester United play Bolton at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!! We were lucky that one of the people we asked about how to get tickets is a season ticket holder... That should be a really cool experience! I'll update you next week about that, and about a class on Christian Ethics that begins on Monday. Keep us in your prayers as we go to Manchester, and as we continue to plan trips for the fallowing weeks!
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoy it!
Cheers!

Tales of Scarborough and the York Minster

Salutations!

I thought you might like an update on all that's going on here in York. In the past week I've been on a trip to the seaside city Scarborough with the Christian Union, celebrated Maggie's 21st birthday (which was a great success!), and taken a tour of the York Minster. I have also been doing a bit of reading for my classes, and I feel confident that I will learn a lot in each of my courses.

Our trip to Scarborough with the Christian Union was really fun! Maggie, Rachel, and I are meeting some really great people through this group, and it was so nice to be welcomed by a friendly bunch of people. On Saturday, October 3rd we left around 10:00 am and took a bus, or "coach," to Scarborough, which is south of Whitby on England's coast. Once we arrived we had fish and chips for lunch, and ate on the boardwalk by the beach. In the afternoon we played frisbee and "rounders," which is similar to baseball (although... in my opinion the two are very different, but there you are). The harbour is quite pretty, and we had beautiful weather all day. It was fun to walk along the boardwalk past the shops, arcades, and fish & chips joints.

Later, we climbed up the tallest hill in Scarborough to look at a castle which sits on top of the hill. From the top we had a very beautiful view of the village and the sea. The view of the coast from Scarborough is really pretty. There are some high cliffs on the north side of the village that we could see quite well from the castle hill. The long walk created a good opportunity for conversation and fellowship.

On Wednesday Maggie, Rachel, and I took a tour of the York Minster. The Minster is very large and impressive. The detail work on the inside and outside is incredible. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to work for so long on such a huge building! Construction began on the Minster in 1220 and it was not completed until over 200 years later. After exploring the many different sections of the Minster I can understand why it took that long! The stain glass windows are very beautiful, and the iron that holds the pieces in place must be changed every 100 years. It is an extremely difficult and slow process. We were not able to go up into the tower unfortunately, but I'm sure at some point during out time here we will get that opportunity.

This upcoming weekend I will be going on a trip to Edinburgh and Sterling with other international students, and I am really excited to get a little taste of Scotland! I can hardly believe that I've been here almost three weeks, and that I only have ten weeks left! There is so much to do and see during that time, and I mustn't forget to leave time for homework either.

Thank you all for your prayers! I know that God is listening because Rachel, Maggie, and I have not encountered any problem that we could not handle with God's help. I do ask for your continued prayers for our safety as we travel to Scotland this weekend.

Thank you once again for reading, and God bless!

Cheers!

Tales of Whitby and Life at York St. John

Greetings all!

I hope this post finds you all well! I've had an exciting week and weekend since I last wrote. Life here has become easier as each day passes, and I've met many friendly people and learned my way around York and YSJ campus a little more. I am settled in an all-female apartment, I have my York id card, and I should be well supplied with food and other necessities for the next week.

On Saturday, September 26 I went on a trip to Whitby, England. Whitby is a quint little village on England's eastern coast. From the tallest hill in Whitby you can see the whole village with its many colorful rooftops and chimneys, the harbor opening towards the North Sea, and the ships traveling up the River Esk. My favorite place was at the very top of the tallest hill, Whitby Abbey. We explored the ruins of the Abbey built in the 1100s, but there had been a number of religious building on the same hill dating back to 657 AD. It was incredible to stand in the section where the sanctuary would have been, and imagine what it must have been like to worship there. One thinks of angelic choirs, monks' chants, and humble villagers filing in through the great front doors. We were blessed with beautiful weather, so we were able to see the ruins very well, and take some excellent pictures.

From the hill where the Abbey was, you can look out on the North Sea. The coastline was very beautiful and there were a number of sail boats and ships on the water. After a lunch of fish and chips, my group made our way down to the shore. I knew it would be quite cold, but I had remove my shoes and brave the icy waters of the North Sea! Even though I couldn't feel my feet after about 5 seconds, it meant a lot to be able to say that I stood in the North Sea. My grandfather was a navigator on a B17 in World War II and was stationed at Thorpe Abbott Airfield in England. He once spent 40 hours on the water in a small raft when their plane had to ditch in the North Sea after flying a mission to Berlin, Germany.

I really enjoyed my day in Whitby. I've been able to get a little more familiar with the city of York through various shopping trips. I'll do most of my grocery shopping at a store called Morrisons, which is about a 15 minute walk from where I live. If I have a large amount of groceries it is not difficult or expensive to get a cap to drive me back.

I had my first class on Tuesday from 1:00-3:00. It is a history course entitles Communities in Conflict. The class will focus on the First English Civil War which took place from 1642-1646. There are about 40 students in the class, but I feel like the tutor (or professor) will be able to offer help to individuals if needed. I am looking forward to learning a bit more about this part of English history because I am not very familiar with this war. I know that it was very significant because Charles I was beheaded after a series of Civil Wars, and his execution represents the first time that the British monarchy was abandoned. The other courses I am taking are Christian Ethics and Early Victorian England. Christian Ethics will transfer as a 300 level theology course, and I am very excited to study theology in a mostly Anglican context. It should be very enlightening! The class I am looking forward to the most is Early Victorian England because I have always loved learning about English culture during the reign of Queen Victoria. I am particularly interested in the literature and poetry from this time period (1837-1901).

Well, it's getting rather late here and I should get to bed. I will try to write more often over the next few weeks because there really is so much to tell! I would appreciate prayers for Maggie, Rachel, and me as we go to our classes for the first time, and begin learning what is expected of us as far a course work is concerned. Also for our continued search for Christian fellowship at the University, and in the city of York. Thank you so much for your prayers, and thanks for reading!

Until next time! Cheers!