Across the Pond

Well, it's finally here -- today, I leave for Oxford, England for 3 1/2 weeks. For those of you who don't know, I am headed there to help chaperone a program that my school, Fort Bend Baptist Academy, has been part of for several years. We regularly send high school students over to the University (specifically St. Hugh's College -- one of the 38 colleges that makes up the University of Oxford) to attend lectures with Oxford professors and be tutored, one-on-one, by an Oxford grad student or professor in any academic discipline or subject the student chooses. It's an wonderful program. This year, I will attend with our principal and his daughter (one of my amazing students from two years ago), and it promises to be a fun and exciting trip.

I'm looking forward to lots of things: morning, afternoon, and evening tea; being surrounded by old, famous, beautiful buildings; taking lots of pictures; reading lots of books; being challenged intellectually; going to hear a lecture by Alister McGrath on "Augustine and the Grace of God" (see his link to the left -- I'm completely thrilled); going to see the Lord of the Rings musical in London and King Lear at the Globe Theater, as well as smaller plays in Oxford; visiting the National Gallery and the British Museum (I LOVE both of them); and getting lost in Oxford.

Things I'm not so thrilled about? Well, mostly, I'm not thrilled about being away from Greg for that long -- it's definitely the longest we've been apart since being married (1 year as of last Monday!), so it will be quite the test. And of course, while the food won't be bad, there will definitely be a lack of all things Mexican, Italian, Chinese, etc. While they have a Burger King there, it doesn't quite taste like a good American cheeseburger. But I do remember loving the full British breakfast they served. Think bangers and mash (translation: sausage and potatoes) and other lovely things. And they do have scones and clotted cream -- heavenly (despite the unfortunate name of the latter, it is DIVINE).

Anyway, I will do my best to keep you posted from "across the pond." Pray for safe travel, a lot of learning, rest, and for Greg and I, if you think about it :0)