Cheers, London!

This evening I ran to the store for a few things and pondered a bit about our time here.  It has been a magical and grand adventure.  When we arrived I was really nervous about navigating the city, even walking on the streets in the area we are living in.

Today I thought about how much freedom I now enjoy by being here.  I really believe travel breeds freedom.  It is a freedom from fear.  I wouldn't say I'm prejudiced against people of different races or religions but I can't say I'm not affected by the stereotypes and stigmas that surround me at home.  The first time I walked to the store, I was so nervous about all the different people passing me on the street.  I was worried about my safety, though it wasn't really founded on anything valid, just I didn't know this place.  I saw the stereotypes and not the people.

This evening I walked home a bit slower than usual and enjoyed the distinct smell of Ballards Lane.  It is a bit like grilled chicken and tandoori spice.  I enjoyed the varieties of languages and accents spoken by those who passed me.  Tonight, I saw people, men and women going about their lives and doing their best to be the best people they can be.  The fear I initially felt was gone, replaced by a genuine love for this place we have called home for the past three weeks.

In addition to those thoughts, selfishly, I have loved this trip.  As a kid, I loved reading myths and legends, actually I still do.  King Arthur was a favorite.  In college, I spent at least two semesters studying early British literature.  As I walk through these spaces, there is a palpable feeling of history and things greater than just me.  I feel a connection to these places and these people.  In part it is because they are a part of who I am, both through my studies and through my ancestral connection to this land.  In just these past three weeks, I have grown in so many ways and I think our children have grown as well.  Their world is larger and hopefully so is their understanding.

Tomorrow, we'll hop in a car and wind through the countryside to see more of this rich British History.  In a week we'll take the ferry to Ireland where the next phase of our adventure begins.  Off we go!

Rumblings

I noticed the other day that our blog has become more of a travel log. Maybe that is for the best but I would like to share a bit of me.

As a kid I loved books. I loved being transported to another world or time or both. I could see the action of a story within my mind and get so engrossed that time seemed to fly by without me. There were several occasions when I was suppose to be cleaning the bathroom and instead of cleaning the toilet I was sitting on the seat cover with a book in my face. My mom hidden more than one story from me and I didn't get them back until my chores were finished. I remember reading a good mystery on a summer night with my lights on and jumping from fright when the June bugs flew into the screen on my window.

These simple pleasures were something I wanted to give someone. To be a novelist was my dream. It was a dream I carried with me through the years. Sometimes it was buried under other concerns or interests but it never got thrown out. My senior year of college I took a couple creative writing classes and loved them. My grades weren't stellar but I figured that with time I could work something out that would knock the socks off a publisher.

As more time went by, I realized that I probably wouldn't blow away the literary world. I certainly wouldn't be a J.K. Rowling. or Stephanie Meyer. Finally after sitting down to work on my novel in the works about a year and a half ago I realized that I would never be a novelist. I am a lecturer, not a creator of fiction. I could never tell good stories, or even attempt comedy. I have come to the realization that I am a researcher. I love the thought of sitting down in a quite library, in a hard chair and a pile of books. I love thinking about writing with a pencil and making notes. I love the smell of such an environment.

Talk about self-discovery. I think this must happen through out our lives. It doesn't diminish who we are but helps us become the best we can be as ourselves.

Now I just have to find time to sit in that library with books for hours so I can finish a couple research papers.