I'm off to London to see the Queen

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Hello everyone,
Hope you are all doing well wherever you are. As many of you know, I am on a leave from teaching this year and will be travelling for a lot of this fall. First stop is to Europe with my friend Jennifer from Trent. We are flying out tonight to London Gatwick and will be in London, Oxford, Aberystwyth Wales, Paris, Nice and Lyon France. We are off for three weeks.

Many of you have been following my journeys for the last little bit and I hope I can entertain you with commentary on the food (for Gladys especially), my insights on the places we are seeing and the people we meet. If you no longer want to be part of this list, I completely understand, just email me at [e-mail] and I will remove your name.

I am excited to be heading back to England. The last time I was there in 2002 I was working with 250 students as a Program Assistant in a Summer School Program. Looking forward to seeing the Tower of London, catching a play in Covent Garden, shopping at Portobello Market and of course riding a double decker bus. In Wales we will meet up with my friend Daf who I met in Grenada. He has been gracious enough to let us stay with him for a few days... looking forward to road tripping there. Then off to Paris, for a trip to Louvre, Sacre Coeur and of course up the Eiffel Tower. We will then head south to Nice, because I hear it is really "nice". I know... haha. I have never been to the south of France so that should be awesome. Then we will pass by Lyon on our way back to Paris for a few more days and then briefly back to London before heading home.

Any way, as I conclude this first entry before I go finish off my packing I thought I would share lyrics to a song by Sugarland about how I sort of feeling right now... though the words are not mine they sort of capture the gist of what I hope this year will be for me. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, I will miss my students and colleagues, but this year will be for me-- see it as a kind of global "professional development"

Here are a verse and chorus from Sugarland's Something More:
"There's gotta be something more. Gotta be more than this. I need a little less hard time. I need a little more bliss. I'm gonna take my chances. Taking a chance I might
Find what I'm looking for. There's gotta be something more. Five years and there's no doubt that I'm burnt out, I've had enough (not quite, but needing a rest)... I could work my life away, but why? I got things to do before die. There's gotta be something more."

So here's to adventures ahead, opportunities to arise and dreams of finding lots of "more" in the world.

love you all. I will miss you but we will you again soon.

Katy

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Comments

[joy]

Hi Katy, Naomi is also in England right now! She is studying in East Sussex, at Herstmonceux castle. We said our tearful goodbyes last night but we're already talking on skype! I love England and love to hear all about your adventures! I'd also love to join you on a pub crawl and go for fish and chips and mushy peas... but I'll just have to settle for a cuppa tea and some bikkies here instead! Have a great time! love, joy

[Gladys]

Happy foodie travels
Hey Katy, Glad to hear the details of trip one. While in Lyon, try to catch the only thing I didn't get to scratch off my "Must Eat When in France" list this summer...salade de museau. Who knew that random bits of snout mixed with mini pickles could be so tasty? Have a fantastic year!!! Gladys

[Katie]

ben's cookies!
Hey Katie, have a great trip, don't forget about Ben's Cookies (there should be one in the south kensington subway station, oh heavenly, eat em up, and tell me about it, I miss them!!!