Back on the road! - Stonehenge, Bath, Wales, Oxford, London and Essex!

     The last five weeks in the U.K. were pretty glorious!  

     I learned to love a place that at first seemed very unappealing.  The difference between staying in during the depths of November and exploring, meeting new people and weekend tripping in August are just incomparable. Even though I stayed in the same town I experienced it differently.  We did a lot of camping, hanging out with local friends, enjoying the sun and being mostly on a farm in the countryside that was built in the middle ages. It really just goes to show that life is really just what you make of it.  Sure, it doesn't hurt when you're surrounded by mother nature's beauty.

     I'm happy to reflect on both trips to England and apply my lesson to future travels.  

     In the mean time here's a few pictures from my excursion:

First day in Essex! These are government cows that wander the lake around and trim the grass.

At Dobb's weir.  They say weir. We say dam.

Weir: A low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow.

 In this case they regulate the water for canal boats.

Fancy a bit of rain?!

How about a view of London from the Heron tower this lovely ball of fire?

Rock in the Park with another amazing American CouchSurfer from So Cal and loads of local friends!

It kept raining on and off all day which made the experience that much more intense and exciting.

Sun bathing in the sun while being locked out of the house.

Playing hide and go seek

and chewing on wheat stalks

in the countryside

         We drove a couple hours south-west and few hours north-west 

just for a pile of rocks.

a hot babe

the roman baths

a wishing well

and ancient hot springs.

Camping in Brecon, Wales!

Where you can pick your own strawberries and stare at Welsh and try to imagine what it would sound like.

It was surely beautiful!

I even got to hang out with some lambs.

and see fields for miles and miles!

Then Oxford, England:

Which was also beautiful with all the flowers and architecture every where.

The Castle!

The Castle Tavern

And I place where they give away free cash!

Back in Essex you can find:

Meatballs on sale!

fresh blackberries!

geese

strange looking people

breakfast in bed

confetti

afros, braids and curls ... and not just a couple... that's a SEA of them

a carnival

hot babes from different places around the world

bright colors and head dresses

guys with parrots

and guys with glasses.

     I'm sad I had to visit England twice to understand why it is truly great.  But you know, all the more reason to appreciate my visit that much more the second time!

     It's great to know that even though this is filled with so many amazing experiences I've still failed to mention so much.  So, I guess I'll just leave it at that and let you use your imagination.

England - "Almost the Home Stretch"

            The next morning was kind of a blur.  I had spent the entire evening repacking my belongings,  tidying up and making my final plans for Manchester.  I slept the entire car ride to catch up on sleep a bit.  The nice neighbors dropped me next to a train station and I was off to Piccadilly (the town center).

It was much colder than Northamptonshire.
To say it was freezing wasn't exaggerating.

I killed some time and stayed warm at a local coffee shop while I waited for my new host to get off work.

      He was really kind and full of great ideas.  That night we went to curry mile for some indian food and the University of Manchester for a beer and cider tasting. Have you ever had scrumpy?  ... Cider without the carbonation?  I hadn't. The bit I got tasted like sour sunscreen.  I'm sure it was just that brand....?   :/

      That night was a lot of fun!  Although, I feel like I climbed back into my shell that day.  The outgoing me all the sudden became the shy/quiet me.  I'm really not sure why.  Maybe I was complacent about going home.  Thinking about the week and a half to come and my flight back home.  The flight that as soon as I booked; I felt slightly trapped.  Trapped because I felt like I would get stuck back home.  I felt that one responsibility would turn into five and five would turn into twenty-five until the black hole sucked me in.

      I had to tell myself to stop being foolish and just be happy for the wonderful experiences that so gratefully came my way.

      I was happy.  I was slightly shy.  I was cold but optimistic about it.

In the morning I woke up to "pancakes". (He is German.)  Some sweet, some salty.
They were wonderful!

This is the view from the couch I was sleeping on.

       The sun finally came out.  I was overjoyed! ... even though everything was frozen outside.  The weather seemed so ironic and serene to me.  There was a quietness that came with the brisk air.  For most of the world this is probably normal experience.  
        
       Remember, I'm spoiled from sunny Los Angeles, California.  We're lucky if we get gloom on Christmas day!  I enjoyed bundling up in my scarf and hat from Norway..

...and my new WARM genuine leather and fur gloves that I scored for 8 quid, roughly 12 USD.
(Yes, those are the actual keys to the apartment!)

      The week was one awesome event after the other! We went to a CS barhop meet that included dancing and a lot of really friendly people.  I even made a friend who I later had coffee with in town.             

       Each day was a new adventure!  It was nice to get out. Especially after waiting inside for the rain and flooding to pass for a week in Northamptonshire.

       It was nice not to feel too much like a burden for a change.  I had a weekly bus pass and I felt pretty self sufficient.  

It had been a while since I had seen trash religiously on public transport.
I guess it made me feel at home... in a bad way.

        Finally, it was the day I was waiting for.  It was the reason or excuse I needed to end up in Manchester!  Yeasayer was playing at the university and tickets were unbelievably inexpensive!  I invited some CSers to join in the online forum but no one took up the offer.  

         I was going alone and I was determined to have a great time.  I got there early so I decided to have an irish coffee. At the coffee shop I met someone who was up for buying a ticket and going to the show with me. 

     The show was nothing short of amazing. They were playing a pretty small stage.  On top of that there were only about five people in the room when I showed up.  Was this real?  How could I be so fortunate?  I went into a little bit of shock.  Then, I just smiled and said to myself, "Yeah, this is my life right now and it's awesome."  The whole show I had a giant smile like a little kid who was about to meet big bird.

      The venue eventually got kind of crowded but I already had my spot saved.

      Here's a clip:  (Excuse the shaking etc.  I was paying attention to the band not the camera.  After all, I didn't go to the show for the camera.  :p)





       As I was leaving the venue I couldn't help but re-notice the vinyl albums they had for sale.  They were more than I wanted to spend and.... would it if in my backpack without getting crushed?  Would I have to ship it home?  Well, those are the thoughts I had before the show.

       The only thought I had when exiting the show was more like, "I'm going to get an album signed by the band... right now.  It's going to happen." (Those of you who know me in person know I'm usually very laid back, "go-with-the-flow"ish and low maintenance.) This was about conquering fear and proving to myself I can do anything.  Plus, the night was already going so well it was bound to happen.  

       I went next door to the ATM paid a fee for pulling out cash and bought the album.  I marched back up the stairs where the band should have been just to be stopped in my tracks by security.  I wasn't going to be pushy and I wasn't.  I wasn't going to give up either.  I went back down to the merch table and talked to the guy who sold me the album.  He told me that Yeasayer was definitely up there and they would probably be pretty likely to sign my album. I went back up to security just to be told that they had left the building. I don't want to call them liars.......buuuuut............ they were still in the building.

       I accepted and respected what they said even though it wasn't true; and moved on to the next solution. If they *had* left the building they would be in the tour bus right? But which tour bus was theirs?  I felt like a hopeless Britney Spears fan.  Oh well, this wasn't Britney Spears and it wasn't really about being a fanatic either.

       After poking around trying to figure out if there was anyone in the buses I finally found a driver who told me which bus was Yeasayer's.   It was the black one.  I waited patiently while it started to sprinkle.  I didn't have anything to protect the album. Was this going to work?   I tested my patience just a little.  About 20 minutes later the same guy from the merch table came to the bus.  He said it would be a while until they came down.

         I'll stop boring you.... but just after that the guy finished packing his table into the bus, grabbed a permanent marker and took the album up to the band to be signed.

Victory was mine!
I guess I decided it looked better upside down when I got home.
I'll stick to my gut.  :p

    I was happy.  I was in a great mood.  I had an incredible night.

< --  Post concert goofy face.

 

     The following night was a Tuesday.  Which only meant one thing. We were going to a céilidh also at the university!  I know what you're thinking.  What in the world is a "céilidh"?!!   

   This is the scene I thought of:









    It was more like this:



     Really confusing and really a blast!  


     Although, wiki has this to say about it: 

     "Céilidhs facilitated courting and prospects of marriage for young people and, although discos and nightclubs have displaced céilidhs to a considerable extent, they are still an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Ireland and Scotland, especially in the Gaelic-speaking regions. Céilidhs are sometimes held on a smaller scale in private or public houses, for example in remote rural hinterlands and during busy festivals. It is common for some clubs and institutions such as sports clubs, schools and universities and even employers to arrange céilidhs on a regular or at least annual basis. The formality of these can vary. Some mix modern pop music with a Scottish country dancing band and dress codes range from compulsory highland dress to informal. Knowledge and use of the basic dance steps is not always strictly necessary, and dances often alternate with songs, poetry recitals, story telling and other types of "party pieces"."


      The next day would be a day of packing and traveling.  I was sad to leave Manchester.  I also figured I had already done every awesome thing there is to do in town.  There can't be that much more to keep my expectations up as high!   

      I'll tell you about the home stretch of the trip soon.  It's another five rad days!  Stay tuned!

Back on the hitchhiking path!

       After our epic night on Jersey island we woke up, had a proper english breakfast.

This was just what I needed that morning!  Yum yum!! 

We packed up our belongings and said good bye to our amazing view!

   It was a warm sunny day in Jersey.  I just couldn't get over how blue the water and sky were.  It was a nice change from the November weather in Roydon.  I was beginning to forget what the sun felt like.   We explored the island for a little bit, had a cup of tea and jetted back to the airport to catch our flight back home. 

    
         I was amped again!  My confusion had subsided and I had a new plan!   I was going to hitchhike up to the highlands, Ireland and back to London to catch my flight December 12th.

        Tuesday night was a bit of a bummer.   As it always is, it was hard to say bye.  I had been hanging with Johnny and Willay for two weeks.

Adventure time?!

         Leaving is always my least favorite part but I know it's part of the gig.  It just means I'm going some where new, get to meet new people and explore new things.

         Wednesday morning came without hesitation.   I had been putting off leaving as much as possible but it was finally the day.

        I packed up Walley and Johnny kindly took me to South Mimms where there was a gas station where people fueled up before heading north.  It was a bittersweet goodbye and until next time.

        I stood outside the convenience store at the gas station asking people for rides.  A lot of people completely ignored me or looked at me as if I was begging.  It was quite cold and raining. I kept faith that someone would take me to Northampton where I was aiming for.  It was only a two hour drive.

       Next thing I know a Polish gentleman in a small commercial truck offered to take me.  He was also heading basically to Northampton! He ran into the convenience store grabbed some things, gassed up and threw my bag into the back.

      

       The ride seemed pretty long considering.  I think it was the weather mostly.  In southern California this weather means you're not leaving the house unless it's an emergency.  :p

       The man was quite sweet.  He had bought extra doughnuts for me at the convenience store.  Despite the fact that we couldn't really communicate; I knew he was an outstanding person.  I didn't exactly know where I was going and I never traveled with a phone.  If I had wifi I had Skype, FB and What'sApp.  He kindly let me use his phone to call my friend and figure out where we could meet.  Eventually I found a McDonalds in Northampton that had wifi.   We decided that would be the meeting spot since my friend lives in the middle of nowhere.

          Next thing I knew my friend showed up!  It had been years since I had seen him and I finally was going to meet his wife and three kids!  That was exciting for me!! 

        Just a short drive and I was at my new home!  It was such a change from the last two or three months.  I was now in a house with a family; and friends at that.

This basically sums that up!

I was spoiled yet again!  They had a spare bedroom with a TV and a bathroom attached.  Let the BBC marathon begin!

       

What a beautiful backyard!!

            The first night they treated me to a dinner at the local pub/restaurant with the whole family.  I'm pretty sure I had salmon, brussels sprouts and mash.   I remember it was beyond fantastic! 

         The original plan was just to stop by for a day or two and make it up to the highlands.  It was later that night or the next day it just started pouring.  Most of western England was hugely flooded, it was still quite cold and I hadn't worked out hosts for the next places yet.  I loved being in a family environment and hanging out with my new lil sis. 

        Before I knew it my plans for leaving changed.  Mum kept saying I was more than welcome to stay and I was really loving it! 

Meet Ellie the lovable yet very naughty Labrador.

       

        The next 10 days or so were filled with savory family dinners, hanging with the sis, walking Ellie, Skyping with friends, chatting with my momma and those BBC marathons I mentioned earlier.  The countryside and the cold made being inside a cozy house so much more inviting. 

         One day while taking the dog walk I discovered this beauty! 

            She and Ellie just loved each other... 

Well,  I kind of loved her too. 

           A week or so passed and it was time to go.  I had found an epic concert in Manchester for 1/3 the cost what it would be in the states and December 12th was coming faster than I could imagine! 

           My friends had friends just down the road that were headed to Manchester the next day for a sporting event.  That would work perfectly!  I would wake up early while the grass was still frozen and catch a ride with them!