On Top of the World

I've been on top of the King's College Chapel Roof.

How cool is that?! Not very many people can say that . . . not even if they go to Cambridge as an undergraduate!

The Programme Assistants for PKP are given permission to take students on roof tours. Usually only fellows can go up to the roof, but the PAs were given permission by a fellow. So we are able to take place in a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity while we're participating in a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity. Pretty awesome.

View from the roof

Me on the roof

It was scary being on top of the roof. I'm not a fan of heights, and my shoes were slippery. (They're good walking shoes, especially for two pounds, but not good for walking on lead roofs.) So I didn't do a ton of actual walking on the roof. I did a bit of standing, but every time I tried to take a step, I started slipping. So I preferred just sitting, or shakily standing.

Sitting on the roof

Almost sliding down the roof. (I didn't do it . . . I mean, I would have been fine, but the roof was very hot and I almost had a heart attack from feeling the roof slip away from my feet, even if it was just for a moment.)
It was really neat to be up there, though. The view was incredible, and it was so neat to be on top of the city and the colleges of Cambridge. It made me think about how often, it is by facing our fears and climbing to the top of our mountain (or rooftop) that we can really gain the perspective we need. Being on top of King's College Chapel made me view the world of Cambridge that I've been living in for the past four weeks in a different way. I could see out: I was able to see the panoramic view of my world--of Cambridge. And seeing the whole picture gave me a better sense of the remarkable place where I'm living and the experiences that I'm having.
These last few weeks at Cambridge have been incredible for me. They've been exhilarating, terrifying, fun, humbling, and exciting. I've definitely felt growing pains. But through these experiences, I'm learning more about myself. I'm learning about how to handle situations better. I'm learning how to listen. I'm gaining courage.
These experiences might just be bits and pieces at the moment; snatches of memories, remembered quotations, thoughts forming into ideas. But at the end of my adventure, I'll metaphorically climb the roof of King's once more, and I'll be able to see the whole picture. I have a feeling that the panorama of my experiences here will be a beautiful sight to see.