"Some are born great, some achieve greatness..."

Really though. Everyday I wake up and remind myself where I am...then I get really excited in my heart. I love everything about London- the accents, the little kids, how green it is, the rain, the sunshine, the Tube, the food, the old churches, the students....maybe not the prices of everything...but regardless, it is wonderful. 

Yesterday was the day of Shakespeare. We visited his birthplace, the Church of the Holy Trinity where he is buried with his wife, Anne Hathaway's birthplace, and we saw the Twelfth Night performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was unreal. The entire day I couldn't help but think of good ol' Mr. Fredeking and all of those lectures at Beyer High about MacBeth and Hamlet. I remember he would always talk about different Shakespeare festivals that he went to while showing off his Shakespeare action figures and rubber duckies. I even got a little excited when I saw them in the souvenir shops. It made me miss those wonderful English teachers I had back in high school. So good. 

The cottages in Stratford-on-Avon are so quaint and adorable. Everything is lush and green, with light mists. It is perfect. There are flowers everywhere and there was even a sweet birthday card for Shakespeare that I signed!

I am also loving the little places where we eat. The desserts are divine and the restaurants are all so classy. I feel rather refined.

The performance of Twelfth Night was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before! At a professional level, I really felt like I was observing their reality. It was very well done, and not only did Sebastian look like he walked out of an H&M or JCrew magazine, he was HOT. mmm yeah. 

On Saturday, we saw the LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA. for £4. It was at the Royal Festival hall just south of the Thames river. It was actually really stressful because I had recruited a bunch of people (a BUNCH...I counted around 20) and had to coordinate tickets, meeting up, etc. Most of the students had never been to an orchestra concert before, and I was ecstatic. For Messiaen and the Beethoven Piano Concerto, I sat literally in the 3rd row right in front of the basses. It was a little off balance and the seats really weren't that good at all, but it still sounded wonderful. Plus, I got to see the soloists facial expressions verrry clearly. Then, for Tchaikovsky's 4th, I sat right in the front of the 2nd tier section. It was 100 times better and I got to see the orchestra as a whole. The way the sections moved together and blended was amazing. I teared up multiple times and felt the Spirit so strongly. I was reminded yet again why I am in love with my major, and with music. I found so much truth in the music performed that night. It made me miss my HFAC family and brought me joy to think of the adventures they are all having right now. How did I get so blessed to associate with such incredible people?! The power of music is real, and I feel humbled to have been able to scratch the surface of everything that's out there. 

Tonight Mallory and I are going to Ronnie Scott's jazz club while most of the group is going to see The Lion King, said to have made one of the largest contributions to jazz in the United Kingdom. I adore jazz and I cannot WAIT!

I have loved getting to know people individually each day that I've been here. Everyone's story is so inspiring, and I see a real family developing here in the Centre. A member of the local bishopric came to talk to our group for a little fireside and mainly talked about getting "stuck in". He talked about being so obsessed with opportunities that we lose ourselves in the adventure. I'm trying my hardest to soak it all up, and as I do that, I find that I am incredibly happy with every opportunity- big or small. 

I've been running 4 times, which is a miracle. Yesterday, my run was an amazing spiritual experience. It wasn't cloudy for the first time, and I saw the sun rising in Hyde Park. There were lakes with gorgeous ducks and swans swimming so peacefully. It was like I was jogging in a poem. I had my ipod on really soft so I could still hear birds in the background. I saw cute little dogs being walked, officials riding horses down the street, willow trees, statues, and elaborate fountains. There was zero trash, and everything looked very picturesque. At one point, I sat down on a bench by the lake and read some scriptures while I listened to hymns. It was beautiful. I am so blessed in every way.

I'll upload pictures later, but we're literally meeting RIGHT now to go to Hampton Court. I love my life.