April/May Adventures!

Right.  So let's play catch up!

I posted the Scotland trip I took at the beginning of April.  It was awesome.  Check it out.

Spent Easter in London and even received an Easter basket! I haven't had one of those in years!  And apparently the UK does chocolate Easter eggs rather than chocolate bunnies.

The next weekend I was in Paris for four days to run the Paris Marathon!  It was my first full marathon (26.2 miles) and the first time I ran more than 16 miles.  I had missed a good month of real training due to on and off colds/flu-like something or others during March so I was nervous, but I still managed my goal which was to be around 4 hours (finished in 4:03).  I was so close to a sub-four I guess I'm going to have to run another one!  Thank you to Paula who came with me to be support and for getting me a fresh French baguette to much on afterwards!  It was really cool see the sites of Paris as we ran.  Fortunately though Paula and I were able to spend a couple days actually going to the sites, too.  These included the Effel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame.

Start and finish at the Arc de Triomphe!

Then I had to hit the books again to finish my final Silk Road essay and take exams. (The UK had a month-long break from classes for Easter.  That's why I was able to travel.)  The week after I finished exams I had some visitors for a couple days!

It was a nice treat to see the Hertzlers!

One more place I visited was Windsor and Windsor Castle with the Messersmiths.  As you can see we had fun with the camera...

Then I finalized my dissertation proposal, presented it, got approved, and have commenced working on it ever since!  I'm researching how Animal Style art from the Northern Steppes got to Yunnan province (southwest China), how it was adapted to their culture, and what this can tell us about them (they left no written documents).  If that meant anything to you - bravo!  It's 15,000 words due September 15th.

Last Thursday and Friday I went to York and hiked eight miles of Hadrian's Wall near Newcastle with a classmate.  We got perfect weather!  The UK finally got a bit of summer!  (Which would only be in the 70s haha however it felt really warm to us.)

York Minster's flying buttresses!

Above: Looking back on what we had already hiked.

Below: We ran into lots of sheep and cattle along the way.

Then on Saturday (got back the night before from Hadrian's Wall) I played hockey and went to tea at Fortnum and Mason with ladies from my church.  You know it was a proper tea when it's where the Queen does her grocery shopping!  Yum!  We got to take home a few extra scones and jams to extend the yumminess until morning.

Speaking of church, I've become part of the rotation for teaching Junior Church.  Emily and I tag team it.  She knows all the little kid songs.  I do the lesson.  And I try to learn the little kid songs.  There are a bazillion of them I never knew about!  Their favorite though is one I know - Father Abraham.  I think it's just because they get to march around and be silly.  Sometimes I make up new moves to it just to keep them on their toes!

That particular Sunday was Jake's birthday.  At our church, birthdays are just excuses for the Filipinos to cook a feast!  Seriously, if you've never had Filipino food, you're missing out!  Here's a photo of me with the Messersmiths, my adopted American family in London.

And now I'm Stateside until June 19th.  If you want to see me hit me up!  I can use my American phone now! :)

Warning: I do have to finish writing my first chapter by the time I leave so it's not all fun and games! :P