the last post from across the pond

Well, it has once again been far too long. My deepest apologies and all of that. When you have three essays due in one week, there is hardly time for sleeping, let alone updating all you beautiful people.
The last week (yes,it has been at least a week since my last blog) has been a blur of colours and activities. We had our last GSE outing-- dinner at an Indian restaurant-- and then our last LMU event -- dinner at a neat pizza place and then a trip on the London Eye. I handed in my last two essays on Thursday and then visited the largest bookstore in the world (that's what I was told anyway...) called Waterstones. It had 5 levels full of books. It was like heaven. :) Well, actually, I had my "This is just like heaven" moment today. Don't worry, I'm getting there.
The reason I had to do all that crazy work to get three essays done by Thursday was so that I could go to Oxford to day. My last full day in England and I spent it walking up and down Oxford and Headington Quarry with my dear friend Miriam, who I met at St. Giles. The first thing we did when we got to Oxford was run all over creation trying to find Holy Trinity Church, where C.S. Lewis went to church. I am in shock and awe that who live in Headtington do NOT know where this is! I mean come on! Anyway, we found it and took loads of pictures. Yes, you will notice I do not have them up here. I seemed to have packed that bit of stuff and don't feel like trying to find it. I will post once I get home.
After the church, we went to find his house. Insert the same shock and awe here. Not know where The Kilns is? Seriously Oxford. What kind of a literary place are you? Once we found it, we took pictures of the OUTSIDE because you had to call to make an appointment for tours. I looked at Miriam, who was teaching me the importance of just asking for things (like directions and information), and said, "I should call, shouldn't I? I'll call." And I did. A lovely woman answered the phone and when I asked about tours, she said they were on three days during the week, and one wasn't Friday. She asked if I wanted to come tomorrow, but I told her that I was going home. She told me to come around to the front of the house and she would let us in and we would chat. Yay God! So I walk/run to the front of the house and enter the world that belonged to Jack Lewis. I want to, but I can't even begin to describe my experience there. My mind was on over load and all I could think was "C. S. Lewis was here!" The house was cold, as I think is befitting of an English house, but it felt homey. Donna, the woman on the phone, gave us a tour and we talked for at least an hour or two. I saw the wardrobe and the spaces in the attic. I saw the infamous bath room, and his amazing library. Even now, I am having a hard time describing what I saw. This was my "I'm in heaven" moment, if you hadn't caught that. I will write more when I put pictures up, promise!
I am staring at an empty room full of clutter. Half of my stuff is packed, and the other half is strewn over my bed. I have about a thousand things I am thinking of, and none of those things has anything to do with packing. But, as I must pack and leave to get to most of the things I am thinking of, I should probably do that.
Tomorrow, I fly home.Tomorrow, I see my family :) Tomorrow I get on a plane, turn my back on a country I have learned to love, and leave. Tomorrow I leave the place where I learned to stand on my own two feet. Tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow!