I'm not quite sure how to bring my blog to a close. It seems weird to just end it abruptly. If this is my last entry, I should have something profound to say--but nothing is really coming to me at the moment.
Or maybe I'll continue to add things here and there throughout the summer. After all, even though I'm back in the US, my 'London Experience' will not be over officially until I mail in the final draft of my thesis at the end of August.


I keep changing my mind about how it feels to be back in the US. Sometimes I'm happy to be here and other times I miss London. I find myself frequently thinking about my friends who are still there. I was one of the first to leave, so I wonder what I am missing out on. I also miss the simplicity of my life there. Each day I had pretty much one thing I had to do--write my paper. Now that I'm back I'm already stressed out with all the things I need to do this summer, not the least of which is--write my paper.
One of my primary objectives for the next couple of weeks is to find a new place to live. I have to move out of Julie's house in Lansing since she is getting married. The mere thought of moving AGAIN is depressing. And I can pretty much bet the new place will only last a year too, which means I'll be doing the same thing again next summer. Ick.
Well anyway, I don't want what is left of my blog experience to be a downer and a place to vent, so I'll try to make sure I only update with pleasant topics. Such as the great strides will be making on my thesis!
Current progress= 2000/20,000. OK, that is kind of a downer actually...

Today I had my last face-to-face tutorial with Dietmar, my supervisor. We had arranged to have me submit a draft of one chapter of my dissertation ahead of time so we could discuss revisions and the direction for the rest of it. Well, I was a bit humiliated because I only was able to give him an outline of the chapter. Thankfully, he was understanding and helpful. We'll be in correspondence this summer as I submit drafts via email and receive his feedback. I expect my 'summer break' in Michigan to be really busy and stressful as I finish this project.

I've begun packing as well. I think everything is going to JUST fit! Thank goodness Steve took a whole suitcase of my stuff back with him last weekend or else I'd have to ship a ton of stuff. I didn't think I had accumulated THAT much, but books and papers make an impact I suppose. I do think I'll have to pay a fee for going over the weight limit for baggage. But, I can't help it. In the end I think it will be cheaper than postage would be anyway. The biggest challenge will be for me to carry all my luggage to the train I need to take to get to Gatwick airport. As is typical with central London train stations, there are no 'lifts' down to the tracks, only stairs. Maybe there will be some sympathetic witness to my struggles who will help me carry my heavy bags down the stairs. I will be very happy once I hand it all over after check-in.

One of my last tasks before I leave will be to claim my free coffee from Cafe Nero. I've filled up a frequent customer stamp card and do not want to leave without getting what I deserve! I always buy the cheapest drinks as I fill up my card and then get the most expensive thing for my free one! :) Hee hee...

Steve managed to squeeze in a trip to London before I head back the US.

We spent a few days in London, but also went out to the Cotswolds in east/central England. I was happy to be able to see this part of the country because I had heard from many people that it is beautiful.

We joined a tour group in London and took a train to Charlbury. From there the group got on a tour bus and began to explore the region.

'Cots' are sheep enclosures and 'wolds' are rolling hills, so you can guess what we saw a lot of. The region has the lowest population density in England and it is pretty isolated actually. Historically, the residents were sheep farmers and wool merchants.

Here are some of the first views we had of the Cotswolds. I took lots of pictures from the bus as we drove by...they turned out pretty well, considering.

Maneuvering a big tour bus is not easy on these narrow roads! We came REALLY close to the corner of this building as we turned left at an intersection. The red car in center of the picture had to back up for us. Yipes!

How is this road appropriate for two-way traffic?!?!

Steve appears to be giddy with excitement! :)
Nerd alert.

After driving through Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold, our first stop was Chipping Campden. We walked into Chipping Campden by way of a National Trail.

The sheep looked funny-they had recently been sheared. (or is it 'shorn'? I'm not up on farm jargon.)

Thatched-roof cottagesThis building is probably about 600 years old.
Most of the buildings are built using this tan stone which comes from quarries in the region.

St. James Church (1400s)

After Chipping Campden, we drove around, passing through Snowshill and Broadway.

Our next destination was The Slaughters--Upper and Lower. The word Slaughter comes from a word meaning marshy land.

An old school house.
I wonder if there are any job openings...

Brother and sister walking along the trail
Awww, how precious.

OK, I couldn't help myself...

I'd love to be able to blame the British lack of fashion sense for this atrocity,
but this woman in our group was American. Did she bother to LOOK in the mirror?!?
It gave us a good laugh. Again and again.

Today was fabulous. I finally made my long-anticipated journey to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is about 20 minutes from the city of Salisbury which is 1 1/2 hours by train from London. I decided to join an guided tour group that included visits to both places.

I have been wanting to go to Stonehenge for so long but was prepared to be underwhelmed. I kinda thought the whole thing was probably hyped up. I mean, really, staring at a bunch of big stones? Big deal. We've all seen pictures of it before... But, at the same time, I thought if I didn't go at some point during my year in England I would regret it.


I'm so glad I went because IT WAS AWESOME!

TA DA!

The first set of stones were set up on this location over 5000 years ago!

Some of the stones originated in Wales, 240 miles away.
The 'henge' is the ditch that goes all around the stones.

This is called the Heel Stone.
It sits on its own outside of the circle to the north.

Sheep, of course, but you can also see a mound at the center left as well as some more mounds in the distance. There is some historical significance to these, but I forgot what it is.
It's strange to see these scattered around the plain.

On the bus ride between Stonehenge and Salisbury, I took some pictures of
some beautiful country cottages.

LOVE thatched roofs.

[We passed the country home of Sting, the singer. I only caught a quick glimpse of it as we passed. There was a tall hedge surrounding it, so no photo op there.]

Cows.

A medieval city, Salisbury is.

A tributary of the River Avon.

The main attraction in Salisbury is its beautiful cathedral.
Its spire is the tallest in England-404 feet.

Building the cathedral took only 38 years, from 1220-1258.
The spire was added later.

The church's exterior is undergoing major restoration. These men are inspecting the stonework.
(How does one become an expert in inspecting the facade of a church?)

The inside is impressive too.

This is the bishop's seat also called a cathedra.
If a church has one of these, it's a cathedral.
And, if a village has a cathedral, it is considered a city.
(I learned this from Richard, our tour guide.)

These steps are worn down from centuries of use.

Cloisters.

The cathedral is surrounded by a grassy area called The Close, and old houses are around the perimeter of that. All of this is enclosed by a wall.

Some of the old period houses.

One of the 3 gates into/out of The Close.

Richard tells us about this house from the 1400s.

This building was a stagecoach stop.
Now it's a mall.

River Avon.

And finally, no medieval English city is complete without a touch of the American Midwest.