Visit from Mom

Hey all

So I realize this post is once again late. But the way I see it is that it's better late than never. This blog was meant to highlight the significant moments in my life and well having my biggest supporter come and visit me in England was definitely one of the best things this year! Initially, I didn't really plan much to do with mom because I was most excited just to show her the people and places that have made my last year in England special and to show where I will be spending my second year. And so the morning she arrived, I grabbed my luggage, hopped on the train to Gatwick and waited with anticipation to give my mom the biggest hug ever.

Toronto... Finally Arrived!

Poor mom, she was exhausted after your plane journey and still  had 5 hours by train to go.

On the last train to Ashburton.. there was literally no room.

We were on the way to Ashburton for my induction days at my new school. While I was working, getting information overload, meeting my new work colleagues and excited about the school, mom explored the village. She even was on a first name bases with some people of Ashburton. I suppose I'll have the chance to explore the village once I move here in September. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of our time in Ashburton, but let me tell you... it was busy, it was hot, and it was just good! The food at all of the pubs, cafes and bars we ate it was delicious!

Next stop... Liskeard. Before leaving the west country, I decided it was important for mom to see where I spent last Christmas and to meet the family who has adopted me as part of theirs. Malcolm and Gina are incredible people and I feel truly blessed to have shared with them.

Off to Manchester to visit Uncle George and Auntie Barbara...
They took us to Lyme Park one day and we had the chance to explore the gardens, the home and I even was able to dress up in a Georgian dress. I was totally in my element :).

 The view was remarkable up on the hillside. We were looking at the direction of their home.

I love this picture of Uncle George and Auntie Barbara.

Time for a bit of a rest before we explored the house.

Dress up time :)

It was really great to spend some time with my dad's Auntie and Uncle... going to church with them, looking at old photos, sharing stories and appreciating each others company. It was hard to say goodbye when we had to get back on a train to Chichester. Who knows when and if we will meet again. If not on this earth, we will meet where the angel choir sings in heaven, where our minds are too small to comprehend right now just how majestic that shall be.

After a week and a half of mom being in England, we finally made it to Chichester where I spend the majority of last year. She met my beloved host family - Ruth, Ant, Ben and Joe and learned just why I loved them so much. From Chichester we were able to do a few day trips... Selsey Coast, Arundel Castle and Weild and Downing Open Air Museum.

At the sea by Selsey, where I taught.

Jousting at the Arundel Castle.

After our day at Arundel Castle, we came back to Chichester and enjoyed a meal at my favourite restaurant with two of my favourite people, Natalie and Greg... This may sound cheesy and all, but it's true... words just can't express how much these friends have met to me during this last year. I am so grateful for everything they've done and I'm so glad that I will be moving close to where they're also moving to. Seems like they can't quite get rid of me :)

Feeding the ducks at the Weild and Downing Open Air Museum.

The next day, we went to an open air museum with the family. Mom and I loved seeing houses from different eras and learning about the culture of the people during those times. The boys loved to explore. And I loved showing the boys how to roll down a hill. It was really a great outing for everyone.






Fourth stop.... Prestatyn, North Wales. Last minute we booked train tickets to North Wales to visit one of dad's long lost cousins, Mal. We had a great time with them, sharing some mysteries of the family, exploring the country side, visiting Snowdonia, paying our respects at the Marble church and enjoying a meal with Andy and Liz.

Mal, Mom, and Me with the Irish Sea in the background.

In Betws y Coed, Wales

Smile everyone :)

After our weekend visit to North Wales, we hopped back on the train to Chichester for a last few days at home before mom headed back to Canada.

In mom's tradition, we prepared a meal for Natalie and Greg and co as they were moving from Chichester area back to Cornwall. Mom made homemade Mac and Cheese and I prepared some wraps. I loved cooking in the kitchen with mom after a year! I only wish I could cook as well as she can...maybe someday with some practice :)

On the 1st of August, we went to Goodwood Racecourse for my first ever horse race and Ladies' Day, where everyone dresses to the nines. We met ups with some women from my first school, Hannah and Kate, and made several toasts to a great year and to those who were no longer with us... including my dad. What a better way to celebrate dad than to be in England with mom. Only wished Michael could have joined us... maybe another time.

 Our lovely outfits just as we were heading out the door. Unfortunately we didn't take any photos of us during the day, but you can just imagine how much fun we had with our fascinators, friends, horses and yumilious food. What a way to end mom's time in England, with a bang!

Our nearly three weeks together came to an end. I was so glad we did all that we did... that she was able to see some of the places I've traveled to, some of the people that influenced me and that we were able to experience life together... with all the tears and laughter that comes. I do miss mom so much, but am grateful for the time we had together and that she's only a skype call away. For those of you who are looking at going away for a few weeks... why not come and visit England. I would love to show you around as well ;)

Peace,

Kristen

Torquay... Some lessons

Lesson 1:

When eating Fish n Chips by the sea, be careful of the seagulls. They like the fish just as much as humans. Moving to a location with other people around is the best option.

Lesson 2:

Those rock looking things in my picture are not just rocks, some of them are lipits (muscle type creatures). They appear to be clever because every time I went to pick one up, it sucked with all its might to the rock. They would not budge. I later learned that these creatures aren't clever at all and don't even have a brain or any organs for that matter.

Trying to move a lipit to see what they look like

We found one in some water.

A hermit crab.

several barnacles. They're minscule cratures that just look like a hole.

Beach houses

 Lesson #3:
Devon makes delicious cream teas that can be enjoyed with the lovely view of the sea. (Sorry it's hard to see in this picture.)

Devon Creamed Tea: Scones, clotted cream, jam, strawberries and champagne. Lush!

Holiday in Spain - Immense

Hola!

I had a great opportunity to go on a holiday to Spain with a Christian tour company called Oak Hall. What an incredible, life-changing experience. To me, the word of the week was Immense. Let me attempt to explain my thoughts...

God's love is immense.

The Bible talk through the week was on parts of Revelations. We talked about the majesty and splendor of the Glory of God.  I was reminded that when we trust Jesus, we have access to the very majestic presence of God - this God who is in control, whose power and love is everything!
I was also amazed at how so many of us came on this trip on our own and yet we connected so well with one another. I never felt alone and am blessed to have made some great friends on this trip - brothers and sisters in Christ. 

God's beauty is immense.

The Sea...
Having the Mediterranean Sea within 100 metres of our hotel was great. I spent lots of time just standing where the sand and the sea meet - standing in awe. The sea was bright blue and clear, and each grain of salt was distinct. At night the sea was dark and almost forbidden, the waves crashing again the shore was a sharp, yet welcoming sound. The sight of the lighthouse on the cliff was breathtaking. The light shining two flashes, three flashes as it swept around... a remarkable symbol of God's love, protection and guidance. At that moment, I so wished dad could have been with me to experience that, to see a real lighthouse. I do desire to be a lighthouse to others and to reflect and shine God's love through me to people I meet.

The Mountains...
On one of our outing days, we went to Monserrat - a mountain range with old monasteries and basilicas. The rocks forming the mountain peaks were smooth stone almost resembling people and faces. They were quite stark and rigid, especially the higher you climbed. Two of my friends and I decided to take the Funicular up the mountain and to climb down. On the way down, we passed a small church which was locked and gated, but you could peek inside. E went to the gate and just started singing. The sound radiated and sounded like a choir of angels with the immense acoustics. We continued on our journey and came to a cliff where the view was again breathtaking. We took some lovely snap shots and sat for a moment to reflect. It's uncomprehendable that we only saw a tiny portion of Monserrat, which in the scheme of the rest of the world and the universe is just a gran of salt. I wonder how glorious heaven will be... it will be beyond description, a place where God will be, where we can see his face. How awesome is that!

A window... the unknown

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121

The Basilica de la Sacrada Familia...
How do I start to describe this cathedral? Let me start by talking about Gaudi, the designer. This building was started over 200 years ago with hopes that it will be finished in the next 10 years. Gaudi designed it knowing that he wouldn't see the end product. When asked how he felt by that, his response, "It's all in God's timing." How true is that! So the building... from the outside, it looked like any ordinary tall building with construction work. But on closer examination, you could see sculptures of Jesus' birth on one side and his death and resurrection on the other. The sculptures were so intricate and lovely. The door at the entrance had the words, "our daily bread..." in several languages. When I entered, my breath was taken away.

I began to look and saw marble. It was simple, yet absolutely beautiful. The light shining through the stain glass was beautiful, the marble structures formed tall trees and what struck me was that it was all focused on Jesus and God's love. My descriptions, nor my pictures do it justice.

 

Awesome... Breathtaking.... Immense

So that's just a brief recap of my holiday in Spain. I am so amazed with just how awesome that holiday was. It was a perfect reminder that I am never alone. That God has things in control and that he is so majestic. 

Blessings to you all. May you believe in God's immense love and beauty. Just a thought... you are each God's beautiful works! 

Kristen

My Last Days at The Academy

So this post is once again delayed. I apologize. I will start with my last days at The Academy.

My contract was coming to an end and so my last week was filled with making sure my classroom and books were ready for the person who was going to take over my post and that I said proper goodbyes to my students and to the staff.

I was overwhelmed with the number of staff that came to my farewell party. It was great to see many of my colleagues that I learned so much from as my first year teaching all around one giant table. I felt extremely blessed for the relationships I created at the school. I will cherish their cards that they gave me and their life lessons they shared.

My students even caught me by surprise. The morning of my last day, they all told me to stay away from my class during lunch. I didn't know what this was all about but I was ensured by a colleague that everything would be okay. So I enjoyed my last lunch in the staff room. When I returned to my classroom, I was shocked. My students were hiding and surprised me when I opened the door. They had banners on the wall and lovely messages on the white board saying that they didn't want me to leave and that they were sorry for how they had treated me. Funny how when I am leaving, that's when they decide to be nice to me. Ah well, I suppose in many ways, that's teenagers for you. I just have to trust that I touched some of my students and helped to teach them some valuable life lessons (not just Maths).

While I was sad to leave my school that I became so familiar with, I am ready to start somewhere new, somewhere that will fit my dreams and inspirations, somewhere where I can be myself more and inspire students to want to learn. 

Farewell, TAS!

Family, Snowdonia, Chester...

Dearest supporters :)

Hope you will enjoy these photos...

Cocktails with my long lost cousin, Amy-Jane.

Llyn Geirionydd, Wales - Red because it's near an iron deposit

Picture perfect spot for a picnic.

My cousin, Andy at Llyn Crafnant.

Our view as we were walking.

A heart shape rock for my family... Unfortunately, I chose to leave it in the water.

 

Biking with Andy through Delamare Forest, near Chester.

The Lake District

Dear Family and Friends,

My trip to the Lake District in England was phenomenal! Words or pictures don't really do it justice! I would love to tell you every detail, but to save you from fading, I'll try to give you just my most memorable moments.

Day 1: Arrived to the Patterdale Youth Hostel
I arrived in the afternoon so just went for a small walk to acquaint myself with my surroundings. 
At the hostel, I met some teachers to chat with and share adventure ideas with. They even sat and played Dutch Blitz with me.... and they loved it!

I love that at hostels, many of us are on similar boats and are opened to strike up conversations about everything and anything. At this hostel there were people from all different backgrounds and ages - there were families, young adults, people up in their years, experienced hikers, and beginners. It was great to share stories and pictures of our different adventures and walks. It was also nice to sit quietly, read and appreciate your surroundings.


Day 2: Ullzwater Steamer and Hike up the Fells

I woke up to an amazing view of the mountains just outside our room. I was getting anxious to get ready for my day of walking, exploring, and appreciating God's magnifiscent creation. When I pulled back my covers, I was hit with a cold breeze, but this didn't stop my excitement. I quickly bundled up and went to eat my warm breakfast. I was sitting next to a window with a glorious view of the mountains and the forests. Snow is falling ever so lightly. I think I am ready...

I began my day walking 1 mile to Glennridding to catch the Ullzwater Steamer to Howtown. At this point, I still was uncertain where I was going to walk and if I was going going to walk on my own or make some new friends to follow. On the boat there was a lovely couple whom I decided to strike up conversation with and they invited me to follow them on their trek up the hills to Pulley Bridge. At one point we got lost through a farmers field and were walking among the sheep. It was very tiring on the legs, but as soon as I turned to face the lake, all my aches were swiped away. The view was outstanding! Unfortunately, my pictures do not do it justice! After 2 hours and 6 miles up hills and through pastures and mud, we arrived to Pully Bridge. We found a quaint little cafe where we indulged in some soup, a baguette and cake. We took the boat back to our starting point and I arrived back at the hostel to meet some more travelers and share stories.

Day 3: Walk to Aira Force and Delightful Encounters

This morning I woke up to the same gorgeous view that will never cease to amaze me and remind me of God's love. I began my walk towards Aira Force, a beautiful waterfall I was told about. I walked through the forest with the lake and the mountains to my right. It was unbelievable.

After 2 hours, I arrived to the Aira Force park and I began to ascend. At first, I was a little let down, where was this water, where were the falls? After I removed my expectations and let my surroundings overtake me, I was in awe. I was still not at the view that everyone was talking of, so I asked a young man to give me directions.... they led me right where the beautiful sights were. I enjoyed my packed lunch at a perfectly serene spot next to the falls. After exploring some more, I began my journey back to the hostel. You wouldn't believe who I bumped into... this same gentleman who gave me directions. What excitement. We talked for some time and shared stories and pictures of our day out at the falls. It's strange the people you bump into :).

This trip was outstanding! I learned so much about myself... that I strive to have alone time, soaking up God's marvelous creation and yet I am okay with striking up conversations, meeting new people, and sharing stories!

If any of you are thinking about traveling to England... the Lake District is a must see. And I would be more than happy to be your traveling partner!

Wishing you all many blessings,

Kristen