Always, always Oxford

Hello, world.

I've been in England for the past few days. I meant to keep this blog semi-updated on my trip--but I'm leaving for Italy tomorrow . . . so I guess I'll just have to photo- and thought-dump away about England. Oops. 

But I'm in England! I'm in Oxford! And it feels so good, as it always does. When I touched down in Heathrow, I almost started crying. (It was a bit embarrassing.) But getting into London (and then getting into Oxford) always swells my heart with joy and nostalgia. Always, always, always. 

And I think it always will. 

[One of my favorite parts of Oxford is finding hidden spots and alleyways. And I love how familiar places become new every season.]

[That British blue sky--it gets me every time]

[Also those British sunsets. Absolutely stunning.]

Obviously, one of the best things this time was seeing friends that are still here. And I got to introduce Sam and his friend Neil to Oxford and show them around. That was also wonderful. It's always beautiful to experience a place that means so much to you with a person who means so much to you. 

[At Christ Church, before Evensong.]

[Afternoon-ing at Vaults and Gardens.]

[Yayyyyyy]

And seeing friends at Oxford was the best. So good. So, so good. Here are a few people I saw whilst here (not all pictured--but each reunion pictured and not pictured was so good for my soul): 

It's been so nice to see familiar faces here. Oxford is timeless, but I change and friends change, but still, Oxford brings us together and reminds us of the times we were good, the times we struggled, and that there is more to life than ivory towers and academic bubbles, but meadows and life and belief and doubt and God. 

I will always be grateful for my time at Oxford. I'm also grateful for time beyond Oxford. But while I was walking to a gathering of friends last night and as I passed the Exam Schools, I was just hit with a deep sense of gratitude. Joy with gratitude. And as I pass in and out of opportunities and places and experience the ebb and flow of friendships and relationships, I hope that's the lesson I can take from everything: humble, grateful joy for all that I experience and love. 

That D.C. Life [take 2]

Dating someone in D.C. means that I get to visit him in D.C. Which is great on several levels, one of which is that I get to spend time in a city I am learning to love more.

[National Mall.]

Also, I lucked out and got to see the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin! You can't ever plan for them because they come at different times each spring, but I lucked out. Hurray! 

[I found this copse of trees not too far away from the Washington Monument. It was breezy and all of the petals were swirling in the wind and dancing around me and it was incredibly magical.]

[MLK monument.]

Another highlight of the trip was definitely the Kusama Infinity Mirrors exhibit at the Hirshhorn. It was so cool. Like. So cool. 

[All the lights. All the colors. Forever and ever. Tbh, this one kind of felt like a Vegas casino. I could only take so much. But still. Cool.]

[My favorite. Aftermath of the Obliteration of Eternity.]

[ALL OF THE POLKA DOTS.]

[No, but really. All of them. Including on a piano that actually plays.]

[Not quite sure what to do in this wonderland . . .]

[. . . but eventually coming to terms with it]

[Yayyyyy. And s/o to Sam for getting these tickets in the first place. Best date ever.]

Another fun thing about D.C. is that so many people go there--for travel, business, conferences, etc., that you never know who you might run into. So it was really fun to run into my friend Tim from Oxford and show him the sites while listening to LDS General Conference. 

[In front of the National Cathedral. Tim thought it was so cool that a cathedral like this existed outside of Europe.]

All in all, such a good trip with good people, good food, and good activities. It was the perfect way to end my mad sprint across the United States. 

[Also. All of these pictures are making me want to go back right now. Still waiting for a teleportation device to be invented. You'd think that we'd have one by now.] 

#allthehearteyes

*My family has been teasing me about that hashtag for weeks now. So I figured I'd use it again, because, why ever not?*

A couple of weeks ago (man, I am failing at this blogging thing lately), Sam came to visit. It was great having him in town and since he has no qualms about me posting his face on my blog, here you go: 

[Yep. I know. You are allowed to comment on how cute we are.]

And, like I said, it was great having him in town. Long-distance can be hard, but it sure does make these trips to see each other worth it. And just plain fun. (If you want more of my thoughts about long-distance dating, you can ask me in person. It's something that I never thought I'd do, but it's working well so far. So we'll keep going. :)) 

Also, Salt Lake (or anywhere, for that matter) is much more fun when you have someone to explore it with: 

[Some views near Ensign Peak.]

[SLC Library]

[Cathedral of the Madeleine.]

[Yayyyyyyy.] 

Anyway. Grateful for this man in my life, and very grateful that he came to visit. 

When a thing is wick, it will grow

Winter's on the wing.

Reasons why:

--It's been an average of about 53 degrees the past couple of weeks.

--The snow has melted in the valley, although it's still beautiful and white on the mountains.

[Mount Olympus is strikingly beautiful. I seriously cannot get over it.]

--The lack of snow and the absence of cold has meant that I can run outside again . . .

--Which means that I accidentally tripped and bruised my entire shin. Oops. But it's on the mend.

[Oops. But like I said, it's on the mend. And now I have this beautiful bruise on my shin. It's very impressive.]

--It is just "well with my soul" right now. Just this contented happy core. Despite uncertainty and trying to figure out life plans (or even summer plans), I am grateful for this peace. 

--I saw The Secret Garden this weekend with Em. The Secret Garden is one of my favorite stories, and one of my favorite musicals, as the music is hauntingly beautiful and hopeful. (Although it's hard to choose favorites, I'd have to say that "Wick" and "Hold On" are definitely up there.) It also reminds me of Ukraine--of the need to hold on and the promise that spring will come. And, perhaps it goes without saying, but it reminds me of England (which I am so homesick for this week). In any event, it was wonderful to watch one of my favorite musicals, with Em, one of my favorite people.

[Hanging out with Em means shake dates. Has to happen.]

[Selfie time our turn. With bad high school auditorium lighting. Whatevs. Also, can we just talk about how weird it was being back at my high school? Sooooo weird.]

[Typical.]

[Just love this woman so dang much.]

There is spring in the air; change in the air. There is a hope that comes with children's tales, reconciliation, and second chances, of renewed friendships and remembered miracles. Spring always comes. Sometimes all we have to do is hold on. And I'm grateful for people that remind me of that, in the good times and the bad times. 

As we walked in fields of gold.

One of my favorite things about Oxford is that you don't have to go far to find nature. 

One minute you're in the hustle and bustle of Jericho Street, and the next you can find yourself in Port Meadow, communing with the horses and buttercups. 

Port Meadow is one of my favorite places in Oxford. 

It's especially beautiful in the spring/summer, when the fields are just covered in buttercups. 

It's also a great place to go running in the morning. Not only can you run through buttercup fields, but you can also run past thatched cottages, charming handmade signs, and old churches.

England in the spring sunshine is heaven.