Oxford

When I got to England I was eager to see so much of this tiny country and I was willing to drive to make it happen. My husband isn't a fan of long drives but he's willing to sit in the passenger seat as I navigate and find my way to wherever I want to explore. Oxford was truly lovely and I know that we only got to see a piece of it. A tip for anyone else traveling to Oxford, use their park and ride bus system. Or at least look for a large car park before leaving the house. We ended up street parking and had to go back every two hours to put more money in which really put a cramp in our plans. 

Even with the terrible parking situation, we were able to walk through the city, see parts of the university, library, the Bridge of Sighs, and visit the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (which is free and very cool by the way!). There are so many more museums and sights that I want to see next time we visit Oxford but this was a beautiful introduction to a piece of English History on a warm summer Saturday. 

Thankful

It is officially the first of November. The time when many Americans start reflecting on the things that they are thankful for in their lives. I don't want to be a basic person who hashtag's blessed at every opportunity but I must say that I am feeling more and more thankful for this life of mine.

Photo by Toa Heftiba

More than at any point in my life, happiness has been sinking into my pores. I don't think I have ever felt more confident and happy with myself in my adult life. Even at this weight. Even being unemployed. Even when I fail.

I have been falling in love with this country. I've never felt so connected with a place since we've been living this nomadic military life and I'm already feeling deep sadness at having to leave even though it won't be for years.

I have been feeling more and more creative. Working on projects, printables, and writing. I've never had the creative bug bite me like this before.

I've been feeling connected. I've made some friends. I've started a book club. My social life has never felt this good. This may just be a season right now but I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts.

A job opportunity has cropped up. I have an interview next week. It's for a substitute position. At a High School (I am K-8 certified) but I will be back in the classroom learning and gaining experience and adding some important income and fulfillment to my life.

Brandon and I are good. We will never be perfect because perfect couples don't exist but we are happy. He makes me laugh every day and I miss him when he's not around. Things are so much better than they are bad and I'm grateful. Marriage is full of seasons and they aren't always easy but right now, things are good and happy.

Our home is cozy and warm and full of the things I love. It's located in a tiny village that I love and feel very connected with. It might be in the middle of nowhere with terrible roads but it is ours and I am so enamored with it.

I'm even grateful for the little things like good wine, slow cups of tea and coffee, Autumn scented candles, homemade bread, and good cheese.

I've never asked for much in my life. I want to travel, have good friends, and do something that adds meaning to my life while enjoying the journey with my person.

For the first time, I feel like I'm on the right track to having everything I ever wanted.

London

What can you say about London? One of the most beautiful iconic European cities. It is steeped in history, culture, royalty, and modern amenities all at the same time. I have dreamed of being in London my entire life. And it lived up to all my dreams. 

The first thing we did when we arrived (a quick two-hour car drive on a Saturday with absolutely no traffic), was go to the Tower of London. I have been obsessed with Tudor history my entire life and getting to stand in the place where Anne Boleyn spent her coronation night and then fatefully later, put her head to rest on the chopping block was humbling and enthralling. Some suggestions for the Tower: buy your tickets ahead of time. I was going to do this but the website I was on said they didn't accept mobile tickets. This is a lie. They do and you will save yourself some money and a lot of time in the queue if you just buy ahead of time. You can thank me later. Another suggestion is to definitely do the tour that is offered if you get there at the right time. Our tour group was huge but the guide was funny and entertaining and refreshed my memory on tower history (also check out the documentary on Netflix for even more history facts). 

After we had spent a good chunk of time at the tower, it was time to explore the rest of the city and make our way toward the real reason Brandon wanted to come to London: CocoIchibanya. This Japanese curry restaurant is huge in Japan and we fell in love with it while living in Okinawa. We walked an hour through the city (we still aren't knowledgable about the tube system and we need to figure it out) just to get to the restaurant. It was a fast tiring walk but it was so interesting to walk along the River Thames and see the pieces of London that I've never seen in tourist spots. When we got to the restaurant, there was a line and a forty-five-minute wait out the door. The only restaurant around that had one but we were going to have our curry. The only people in line seemed to be Asian people and American military. It was worth every minute of waiting (although some benches outside would have been great). The curry wasn't quite as good as the stuff in Okinawa but it scratched the itch.

After we ate, we wandered around the West End and China Town as we walked toward Buckingham Palace. Our feet were screaming by this point but I wanted to at least see the palace before we trekked back to the car and drove home. We enjoyed getting to be tourists: taking selfies and talking about the Queen before we finally walked back through the city at dusk. We came across Westminster Abbey and Big Ben but were disappointed to see that they were under construction and not very photogenic at the moment. I have plans to go back and tour Westminster at some point.

By the time we made it back to the Tower, it was dark and mostly deserted. We stood by the river's edge for a moment, taking in the cool air and the city lights and I was already aching to come back to this beautiful city. How lucky I am to live so close. 

Cambridge

I've been putting off sharing some of the lovely cities that we've been to in England so far and I'm not sure why. One of the first places Brandon took me when I arrived was Cambridge. The university town that is known for producing famous scientists and beautiful architecture. 

Speaking of architecture, I'm going to express an unpopular opinion. 

Cambridge is prettier than London. Gasp! I said it. 

Cambridge, with it's centuries-old buildings, punting on the river (boats with someone standing and paddling with a long pole that reaches the river bed), and cobblestone streets, is just one of the most captivating old places I've ever seen. This isn't the modern city of London and it is lovely. Cambridge is the place I would take any guests looking to see something quintessentially European. 

I know I haven't seen enough of Cambridge and with it being so close, I know many more day trips will come. One day I will figure out how to take decent photos with my iPhone (that maybe don't have cars and taxis blocking the shot). 

Jane Austen House Museum

Earlier this month I was browsing the internet looking for things in the UK to do within driving distance for a day trip. I love being able to drive a few hours away and explore a new city or area. During my research, I found the Jane Austen House Museum. A museum set in the house that Jane spent much of her life and did most of her writing before passing in her forties. I knew right away that I wanted to visit. I'm not going to say that I'm an avid fan of her writing as I've only read Pride and Prejudice and Emma but I love both of those pieces and she was such an amazing historical woman that I had to visit the museum. Of course, I also love old houses so that was the icing on the cake.

The only problem was that I knew that Brandon would have no interest in driving that far for a museum of a literary figure that he doesn't care about. So I asked a new friend and their little daughter to join me. I'm not used to traveling with children but their little girl is one of the best-behaved kids and so sweet. I've really taken to her any time we're around them. It was also a good opportunity for me to get to know this new friend better as we were stuck in the car for so long. Thankfully, we talked the entire time and learned a lot about one another. I also learned that I am highly distracted while having a conversation and have a harder time following the GPS. A few wrong turns might have ensued. 

The museum is nestled into the tiny village of Chawton, Alton. This town was so quaint. The trees were beginning to turn yellow and orange as Autumn approached and the old buildings were full of old-English charm. I wish I had taken more pictures of the village but we were traveling with a toddler and it began to rain later in the day. 

When we arrived, we were starving and made our way to this enchanting tea shop called Cassandra's Cup. You must stop in for some tea at least but if you're hungry, their cranberry bacon brie panini is to die for. I also had a chai tea latte that was very good. 

After lunch, we walked across the street to the museum. It is nine pounds to get into the museum but the ticket is good for a year so you can always come back if you wish. I don't think it would be worth coming back for unless you were with someone new or you didn't live far away but it is an option if you keep your ticket. The gardens outside were so pretty. Thankfully it was sunny when we arrived so we got to see them in all their glory before the rain set in.

The actual inside of the house is not very large at all. So it should be a rather quick trip as you walk through the creaking home and read about Jane Austen and her family. Make sure to watch the video that plays in a building off of the back garden before touring the house as it will give you a bit of history about where all she had lived, her family life, her life in the house, and her death. This museum is the only Jane Austen sight that is open to visitors so it is a special place. 

Jane Austen's writing desk

A lock of Jane Austen's hair

When we were finished walking around the house and grounds, set off down the road towards St. Nicholas Church where Austen's mother and sister are buried. The church itself is stunning like most churches in England.

There is another large home that you can tour while you're in the area and Jane Austen's resting place isn't far away at the Winchester Cathedral (it was closed the day we went) so there are plenty of things to do in the area to make a day of it. Unfortunately, we left later, had a child with us, and ran into accident traffic around London that made our trip an extra hour long. We spent a lot of time in the car on this trip but it was fun to get away during the week and see a piece of history.

Coastal Conversations

When our time was coming to an end in Okinawa, Brandon and I found our way back to some of our favorite spots. One day we spent driving through coastal roads on the north side of the island, basking in the sun in Brandon's tiny convertible and wishing the weather had always been as kind to us as it was on that October day. We stopped at the tiny hidden beach that we loved and left our all but dead bonsai tree in the sand as our mark on the island. We spent those final weeks revisiting all the spots we could that we knew we would miss dearly and scarfing every bit of food down that we knew we might never taste again. Our time in Okinawa was full of hardships but they were also full of beauty and experiences that we will never forget.

The day I most remember in those final weeks, was the day we revisited the small coastal lighthouse in Zanpa. This part of Okinawa is off of the East China Sea. It has ragged cliffs and dark menacing water that was in direct juxtaposition with the typical green clear white beaches that Okinawa is famous for. This piece of the earth suited our souls on this day. We were both feeling introspective and reminiscent about our time in Okinawa. We were ready to go, to leave the parts of us that had struggled so much in those three years and yet, not quite ready to leave behind the life we had created there. I think this will always be a feeling that follows us as we move from station to station throughout his career.

On this day, we walked along the path that winded through the cliffs. The wind tugged at my hair and I could feel the salty brine of the ocean on my skin. I tried to memorize the feeling knowing that we may never get to experience this beauty again.

As we walked, we found a cliff to perch on. A safe place to let our feet dangle as we looked over the expansive ocean, the waves hitting the cliffs in a rhythm that made leaving feel painful even when I was ready to go.

Together we sat. We talked about our three years there. The experiences both good and bad and our hopes and dreams for our future together. We talked for a long time staring over the ocean. It was one of those moments that make life feel meaningful and bigger than ourselves. It was a moment for reflection, contemplation, and connection.

I've written about my time in Okinawa so thoroughly throughout the years. I've written about it from a place of hurt and loneliness, I've written about it from a place of superficiality, I've written about it to make everything look picture perfect, I've written about it after the fact when I can see more clearly what I couldn't see when I was there, and here I am still writing about it. I'm writing about it because it was such an encompassing part of my coming of age and it will always be the big reckoning of my life. The time when I grew into who I am more than any other period of my life. It was the make it or break it moment of our marriage. All three years. The question nagged: Can we make it? Can I make it?

This day on the coast felt like a celebration and a funeral on the summit of our time there. We celebrated making it mostly in one piece. We celebrated loving one another still. I celebrated feeling more whole and purposeful than I did three years ago. We grieved the loss of a time in our lives that we would miss but wouldn't want back. I grieved for the girl I was when I stepped on that island but wasn't by the time I left. I grieved for the ease of our relationship and life pre-military knowing that it could never go back to that.

This coastal conversation will stay in my memory as we go on with our life. It will always be a reminder of our love and the best part of us together. It will be a reminder that beauty, sadness, and hope can all exist within one moment, one memory. That a moment in time can feel symbolic of a three-year-long experience. An experience that I may never get tired of writing about or reminiscing about because it is still very much a part of my story. And we must never get tired of telling our stories.