Just kidding. Sort of. Preston and I are both huge anglophiles, and ever since we came over here for the first time together four years ago, have always toyed with the idea of living in England. Except now I think we might start to consider it as a real possibility, rather than a mere pipe dream. Of course when I mentioned this to Preston yesterday, saying, Maybe we should move to England after I'm done my degree, I immediately jumped to: WE SHOULD TOTALLY MOVE TO ENGLAND! No questions asked--let's just do it! Be brave! Be balsy! Go for it! And then he rained on my parade with all his logical concerns (money, jobs, family, friends, Visas, etc. etc. etc.). Sigh. This conversation basically sums us up. I rush intrepidly forward while he reminds me that, in spite of what I might believe, no, I don't live in Mary Frances fantasy land. As always, a huge disappointment. Because if we all lived in Mary Frances fantasy land, there would be no such thing as Greek Prose Composition, faucets would flow with tea/wine/Diet Coke/your beverage of choice, Latin teachers would make astronomical sums of money, I could rewind time and have a perfect wedding, stress would be possible never, my hair would always be silky smooth, and ballet flats and dangly earrings would grow on trees. Also, Gossip Girl would be new every Wednesday at 9 pm. And I would have fairies that would put my clothes away and do my dishes.
I could go on. But I'll spare you. Anyways, I suppose it might be good to keep Preston and all his logical decision making skills around so that I don't all of a sudden move to England and then discover that OOPS I'm jobless and poor. And also so that I don't forget that pounds ARE NOT DOLLARS.
I'm not really all that intrepid, actually. I just have intrepid moments, whereas Preston tends to float smoothly along on a sea of Zen calmness. Which is basically the opposite of me. Judging by how this post is going, I also might be ADD.
Anyways, it is wonderful to be here. We each had a pint yesterday at the Eagle and Child (where Tolkien and Lewis used to meet to drink and discuss) followed by a delicious dinner at The Big Bang, which is a gourmet bangers and mash restaurant recommended by my friend Kelly (from UVA). It was positively delectable and really hit the spot. Sated and sleepy, we hopped the bus home and promptly passed out. Romantic.
Today, we met up with Kelly, who is finishing up her M.Div here in Classics, and will begin work towards her D.Phil this October. She was the ultimate tour guide, and graciously showed us around countless colleges, cathedrals, chapels, and libraries. After climbing the bell tower (with spectacular views of Oxford), we had a great lunch and then spent the better part of two hours in a bookshop. I love my friends. I was very, very tempted to buy a secondhand copy of a Vergil book, but then decided I couldn't spend $40 on a book I kind of wanted, but wasn't sure I'd read it page to page/write my thesis on it, etc. etc. Instead, I settled on the less classics-y About a Boy and The Lovely Bones (which has me totally engrossed and as soon as I post and then write in our journal I am going to make a cup of tea and read it until I fall asleep...because THIS is romantic for Preston and me. Reading in a dogless bed...divine.).
We ended the day with high tea (mm...warm scones, jam, clotted cream, and neverending tea), Evensong, and dinner at a Thai restaurant, and if I had all the time and money in the world, I would absolutely go to high tea and Evensong every day. And probably have a heart attack from eating so much clotted cream. But at least I would have enjoyed my days. And my scones.
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