Bath: And So It Begins!
"Now they rode away amid songs of farewell and good speed, with their hearts ready for more adventure.."
Tolkien, The Hobbit
Not much to report today other than that John and I parted ways for the next five weeks. Our trip so far has been amazing...We had fun talking the past few days about the things we have learned about each other that we didn't know before. We have traveled a fair amount together in the past few years, but usually to visit family, go to weddings, head to the Vineyard or Vermont, or with our families, and so this was our first trip overseas, alone. As i was telling my best friend Emily, there is something to planning and going on such a big trip all on your own, with so much to see, that really reveals stuff about each other that you never knew. She sagely replied that that is actually really nice and oddly reassuring, because it would be depressing and boring if your already felt like you knew everything there was to know about someone. Too true!
It was sad, but I am so excited for his next leg, Ireland, and I am ready and excited to start my program here in Bath. This morning I packed up my stuff and met up with my roommate, Alison, who got here yesterday. We had a yummy brunch at Sally Luns, and then headed to our program office, where we were led to our house, called Linley house, right across the street. We lucked out with location, there are eight of us in this house and everyone else is 15 minutes away outside of the city center. We are right smack dab in it! Our house was built in the 1700s by John Wood, the man who also designed the famous Bath Crescent, as well as the circus. It's very neat and old, and our room is quite spacious! There are 3 other double rooms, two kitchens, a class room in the basement, 2 bathrooms, a dining room, and a living room. We are on the third floor, right next to the showers, score. Oddly enough the bathroom is on the 4th floor, all alone, so you feel like you are climbing up a turret to the toilet!
After we settled in we did a little walking around and window shopping. Bath is actually known as one of the premier shopping places in the UK (dangerous) so there are many beautiful stores and neat boutiques. We then grabbed some lunch and headed back to our house to meet our housemates, who all seem great, and have a small meeting. Then we settled down to reading Tolkien's essay On Fairy-Stories.
Let summer school begin!
Pretty low key night as it seems everyone else is fighting jetlag. We grabbed dinner and drinks w our friend Ali, who is also on the program and then headed back to our house. We have orientation all day tomorrow with the programs.
Word is Johnboy made it to Ireland, though there may have been a glitch w his hotel. Hoping he is currently sleeping somewhere other than a ditch right now. Good news-- he will hopefully continue blogging from Ireland, so we will all know soon enough how he has fared!
Weather was gorgeous today in Bath, all sun and no clouds. Huzzah!
xo
Emily (Sans JB. Sad)