So I can say that I’ve stayed in a hostel now… Where shall I begin? Let’s see, don’t have high expectations for the food served at a hostel and you’ll be fine. If you expect something quite tasty you might be in for a rude awakening! The rooms aren’t bad here if you’re with all the folks you know. It might be kinda weird shared a six-bed room with perfect strangers. The shower worked really well but the shower curtain might have been the worst smell ever. Well I’m going to see Oxford yay!

So, yes England is beautiful and it’s truly unlike any place I’ve ever been in my life, but I really do miss home. Well not necessarily Cleveland, but the people. Since the time difference is so different I find I log onto facebook maybe 5 or 6 times a day just hoping I can find someone online I can talk to from home. I had no idea I would miss them so much this early. It’s only the beginning of the third week! Then if I do finally find someone on the internet is terrible here so I get cut off! I would give so much to be able to talk to someone who truly understands me. I love the people I’m traveling with they truly are perfect. They’re level headed, mature, good with money, very intelligent, perfect! It’s just I’ve only known them for about 2 weeks now so if I’m trying to say how much something meant to me, it more or less only conjures up an “awe that’s nice,” response. I guess what I’m saying is I’ve realized that my community of friends back home really is my family and I just wish I could talk to one of them. I love every moment of being here and I will take in as much as possible and cherish it for the rest of my life…I can’t wait to be home!

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “wow, that’s me?” It’s not just that you recognize the image that sits before you but rather you begin to analyze and understand this is what they see… I have grey hairs on my head now. My ears are gaged (a little). I have really big tattoos! There are wrinkles on my face. This is truly who I am. This is the image connecting the person I want people to perceive with the character of the person I really am. Is it what you expected? Did you know you had aged that much?

Monday evening I leave everything I have ever known to familiar. I leave what has become home. I leave who has become family. What will become of me? Everyone says I will come back changed, I will come back different. What will be different? What will change? I pray that in addition to seeing and experiencing things new, that my time in England will be inspirational; that I can see God in the world. I pray this trip will not only be fun but have purpose and further inspire and conjure up the call that has been placed on my life.

I know parts of this will be hard, and parts of it will be interesting. I hope that to me all of it will be beautiful, and the world will once again be meaningful!

I feel as though the opportunity came and I had no idea how to handle it. I was completely unprepared but I decided to go through with it. Now everything has fallen apart and all I’m doing is trying to pick up the some pieces of the opportunity while I pile up the pieces of me; since I was torn to shreds when everything fell apart!

There is so much beauty in this world…

if you will only take the time to look you will find it.

Amidst the darkness…

Amidst the sadness…

Amidst the pain…

There is hope! 

It is hidden, 

It must be searched for; 

the search will not be easy it will take much effort and at times will cause grave discomfort. 

But if you will endure the hurdles and the flames you will find it; 

better yet when it seems all is lost and you’re ready to end it all, 

Hope will find you!

Maybe not all the way maybe even just a glimpse but that glimmer of hope will let you know it is there and will come to fruition in due time.

Take a drive,

Take a walk,

or just take a nap in a park.

Hope will find you!

There is still beauty in this world. 

So I actually got a lot done today on the deck despite the rain.

Had I not slept in I would probably be finished…Jim helped me out a bunch today and I had other help at random times from Jordan, Brady, and Jeremy. 

Jim and I decided to break the deck in a little by wrestling with a broom on the side that was finished. There’s a good chance I made him mad though because when I finally gained control of the broom I smacked him the first place I could… the side of his neck! Sorry Jim - Love ya man! 

Now I’m trying to take some down time in my room before I’m off to rescue the dreaded Target! Yeah I did say rescue!

Hope all is well with all of you guys.

Have a great Weekend!