Take a Breather

Whew! What a whirlwind of days!

After trekking through the airport, trying to find the friends who were sharing a ride, staring at different signs and asking various people, I finally got where I needed to be. Another friend picked me and 2 other girls up, and then confusion struck again as we tried to make our way back to Wheaton. Eventually though, we got there. Back to Wheaton, back to my other home. The smell of Blanchard curls through my nostrils every time I walk in, pulling up my lips as well.




               Oh Wheaton! Did I mention that I missed thee?
               Thy cool fingers' brush across my cheek
               A touch too soon forgotten.
               Your warm embrace
               A cold counterfeit elsewhere.
               Oh Wheaton! Did I mention that I missed thee?
               Thy wild and perfect perfume
               That enchants, ensnares my mind
               Sharpens my senses
               And beckons me to sing.
               Oh Wheaton! Did I mention that I missed thee?
               Thy pulsing organs so full of life
               Overflowing, intermingling
               Overlapping and separate
               A glimmer that stretches its fingers out.
               Oh Wheaton! Did I mention that I missed thee?
               Nay, but it's your heart I missed most of all.

The Saint & Elliot apartments where we are staying are wonderfully nice. Still decked with the classic dorm furniture, they have me wishing for next year and for my roommates - Jessica Witten and Juliann Tate - whom I miss so much. The girl who I am sharing a room with now is so sweet though, and I have really enjoyed starting to get to know everyone.

The program kicked off with dinner at Dr. Jacobs' (my C.S. Lewis professor) house. It was classic pizza, and we all just lounged around in one another's company. Sunday ended slowly, lulling me into a false sense of eaze.

The week struck with a bang, both good and bad. I have Shakespeare every day with Dr. Foster, and then Poetry and Place (with Dr. Foster) and C.S. Lewis alternate days. The classes are great! The atmosphere is warm and close, and questions of any type are welcomed. We have chapel too, which is a time for information about the trips cogs and inner workings, encouragement and calls to action, and even some singing. So, everything is fun. The classes, and the meals, for which we all group together at a bunch of tables. I can feel our little group making intentional efforts to morph into a tiny community.


There's also a lot of time within the days, because I only have 2 classes and chapel per day. However, I usually need to use every minute. There is a ton of reading, which naturally I love, but it's really time consuming. And a little too sedative if I'm already tired. On Tuesday, the stress began bubbling to the surface, but I tried to quench it with a flurry of productivity. I think I hadn't shifted to school-mode, and so was thoroughly shocked. Today though, I have managed to throw my work to the ground and get on top, and even get a little ahead. The hard part is that, since I'm reading such great literature, I have all these ideas bouncing around in my head, hitting the sides, trying to break free. I just don't have the time to get them out. I'm going to have to figure out how to parcel my time between homework, creative expression, journaling, and enjoying the wonderful country of London!

I'm still trying to get used to seeing people so much. It's a little more socializing than I'm used to, and my prayer is that I would handle that well. So far I still am managing to get daily time alone, and I have time to spend with God every day too! He's letting me be busy, but not so much that I delude myself into thinking I don't have time for Him.

There's one more day of classes tomorrow, and then on Friday, we leave for London!!!