THIS is Living

Man, what a trip. Let's point out a few highlights: flying a kite that picks you up on the windy beach; staying with a fantastic family who knows how to LIVE and love each other; laughing a LOT; the English countryside; living at an ancient, gorgeous manor house, complete with gorgeous grounds; discovering i like cider; walking two miles in the pouring down rain in the dark; being a groupie at Nathan and Michael's improvised performances; lunch discussions; living with people from all over the world, including little 3 year old Sam who stole my heart with his precious accent and rambunctious antics; singing to Caitlin and Katherine; playing the few songs i know on a traveling guitar in the foyer for whoever was out there; asking questions; hearing other peoples' questions; learning to stretch my mind and go outside my comfort zone; watching John and Wendy love each other still after many many years; brilliant minds thinking of things that have never crossed mine; amazing friends and wonderful, crazy mothers; really attractive men in pin-striped suits riding their bicicles; imagining C.S. Lewis walking the streets of Oxford; buying a Fairy tale Princess book at Blackwell's; feeling like a princess at high tea at Harrod's; watching Harry Potter in London; sitting in Covent Garden, drinking cider and listening to a good musician play fantastic music on his acoustic on the street; going to Hillsong; great food and too many desserts. and that's just off the top of my head.
not to mention falling down the stairs with my suitcase, losing my fleece, hurting my foot on the trampoline, breaking the wheel off of my suitcase the first day, losing my fleece, and being somewhat sick the whole time. really though, it looks to me like the good FAR outweighs the inconvenient or painful. it was brilliant.

ok i'm feeling a need for a new post for a new format...