Thursday, January 17, 2013

Well This Is Nothing Short of Awkward...


Better late than never.








So, it’s the last week. Everything has gone by so quickly. I feel like I just got here and now it’s time to go. I am looking forward to seeing my family, but I also am going to miss the family I’ve made here. Dr. McCracken and his family, Auntie Jacque and Uncle Mikey, Kelli, and all the people I lived with have become my family away from family and I am going to miss them and miss living with them terribly. And I’ll miss just living in Oxford itself! I would definitely go back and live there one day. I’d live anywhere in Europe especially Italy. Those people are almost as nice as Texans. Well, onward!

Sunday we (Laynie, Trey, Lyndi, and I) planned to go to Earth Trust to catch up on our last few volunteer hours. The only issue with that is we had just received a WHOLE BUNCH of rain and just about everywhere had flooded including pastures and roads. That meant that there was no way we were getting out to Dorchester by bus and then hiking nine miles to Earth Trust. Plus, the time we were supposed to be at Earth Trust was an hour before the buses started toting people around. We were in a serious pickle. So, we cautiously asked Jacque if there was anyway she could take us. She seemed a tad reluctant, but with our charming smiles, pleading eyes, perfected puppy dog faces, and our natural cool factor, we persuaded her. We end up going on a bit of an adventure. We all piled into Jacque's cute little car at 8:45am and began the road trip. It was a little awkward at first because we thought Jacque was a little miffed that we didn’t prepare for this before we agreed to work at Earth Trust, but soon we were laughing, joking, and cruisin’ along. We had to go a completely different way because the roads were so flooded and went in quite a few donuts a.k.a. roundabouts because we kept missing our turn off point. Jacque is probably an expert trick car driver by now. At one point, we went down a road that had some cones on it (clearly it was highlighting the way we should go) and encountered a fully flooded road that went on for a good twenty feet or so. Cars can float in up to two feet of water and Jacque’s car was kind of a lightweight so we all held our breath (at least I did, nearly passed out we were going so slowly) as she eased her way through the water and through the road. We couldn’t even really see the road, just water in the outline of a road. It was all very exciting. Eventually we arrived at Earth Trust semi unscathed and hopped out to find our supervisors. Earth Trust did not look very, hmmm, lively. There was literally no one around. Then we started freaking out thinking we made Jacque come all this way and drive so far and put her little car through so much only to find out we had the day wrong. Jacque told us to go see if we could find anyone (reasonable thing to do) before she left so like a good Auntie, she waited by the car while the kids ran inside. We ended up finding some people and waved Jacque down, thanked her endlessly, and followed our supervisors. We were told that today was a kind of Christmas festival and we would all be helping with crafts. Lemme tell ya, I FREAKING LOVE CRAFTS. So, needless to say, I felt like I was in kindergarten again. We learned how to make wreaths, like real ones out of super long willow and dogwood branches, and how to decorate them. We also learned how to make star wands out of little pieces of willow and Laynie and I learned how to make pomanders, which are oranges with cloves stuck in them to make a lovely Christmassy smell. That booth was fun too because little kids could do that one all by themselve and they were all surprisingly very focused.

SIDE NOTE: English children are so smart and polite. They are precious. Add their little English accents to all that and your heart just about melts every time you talk to one.
Anyway, we had a lot of fun making crafts at Earth Trust. We had to take lunch breaks in shifts so Laynie and Lyndi went first, came back, and then Trey and I had a date :) He and I have been friends for over a decade! That’s a long time. My bro Trey had this awesome hat that he had to wear, but bless him, he’s got a big head and it just was a small hat. He was a good sport though.



  After lunch we went back to our stations and I joined Trey in his hat craze.


It was so much fun getting to spend the day just making crafts, teaching people how to do it, joking around with each other, and getting to interact with our supervisors who were SO nice as were the people and kids that came to learn. The kids were so sweet and surprisingly brilliant for their ages. That was another thing that struck me about the kids in the UK. They are so smart and independent starting from a very young age. Laynie and I were helping a mother and her little girl make a pomander and her mom would try to stick a clove in it and the little girl would forcibly say no, and continue sticking the orange with the spiky stick and then inserting a clove in the pattern that she was choosing. SHE WAS THREE. In America, most parents would flip if anyone handed their child a pointy object and told them to stab something with it. In addition to that, there is no way they would allow them to do it by themselves because they wouldn’t think that they could. Amazing. Kids are amazing. Anyway, after the craft craze the day dwindled down and we asked our supervisors if they knew if the buses were still running to Dorchester considering the flooding. They looked nervously at us and told us no they probably weren’t and in addition to that, hiking all the way to Dorchester was probably not a good idea for us. They then offered to give us a ride to the train station, which was about a twenty-minute drive. Our main supervisor and another helper discussed what to do and who should take us and assured us that they would get someone to take us. Eventually we all piled into the Earth Trust truck (which brought back lots of memories of my Pops truck when we trained cutting horses) and they took us to the train station! We made it just in time, got a discount on our tickets because there were four of us, and got to our platform and hopped on our train home. Once we got home, Laynie and I went to the Eagle and Child for supper and got fish and chips because she hadn’t eaten there yet. That pretty much finished out the day for us. It was a pretty good one!

Monday was a normal school day, nothing special.

Tuesday Laynie and I got up early and did laundry, and then we went shopping at this antique shop that we found and looked at old cameras for Laynie. We both are interested in film photography and I have my eye on a camera back home that is hopefully still there. 


But, we looked at them, found the one she liked best, and took notes on it to research it when we got home. Then we went to class at the good ol’ Quaker church for the last time. When we got there we were surprised with our classroom (their meeting place) being trashed. We think they were practicing their Christmas pageant and forgot to clean up. After talking to Jacque and Dale, the overseer of the Quaker church, we discovered there was a miscommunication on who was using the Quaker church that day so we were told to go home and that we’d have class at home in the classroom. And so we went home…but not without having some fun in the Quaker church for the last time.

Once we got home we had class like usual and then just hung out the rest of the day like we always do!

Wednesday Laynie and I got up and went to the market for the last time. It was so sad. All those fresh veggies and fresh fruit and fresh bread and fresh pasties, never to be seen again (until we go back which will hopefully be our graduation present to ourselves). We then headed back to the house, had class like usual, yet again, I did some studying, Laynie did some studying, and then we quit studying (shocker) and went to the antique shop. We bought Laynie’s camera after some deliberation and then went to the covered market. The covered market is always cool and always fun. We got some moomoo’s (shakes) and some Ben’s cookies (honestly I think Jonathan’s mom’s are better), did some shopping, and came home to study for finals a wee bit more.

All this week I was fighting off a cold so Thursday pulled around, I woke up, took a couple finals, tried to study some for the next day’s finals, and passed out. I just slept and slept and slept and blew my nose and then slept some more. That is seriously all Thursday had in store for me.

Friday again was pretty chill, we just woke up, took our last finals, Laynie and I made some yummy yummy chicken and veggies for lunch, and watched New Girl. I spent the rest of the day celebrating the end of finals and sleeping some more while Laynie worried and studied for French with Lyndi. At about 4:00pm we went and saw Mary one last time at her apartment and had tea with her and Joy. We exchanged mailing addresses and promised to stay in touch and gave hugs and said a tearful farewell.

Saturday Laynie, Brady, me, and Shelbs went to Stonehenge and Bath with the Crackens. It was so much fun. We hopped on the train to Bath and were immediately separated. There were SO many people on the train to Bath all because of the Christmas Market that they put on each year. I was standing by Laynie and Coleen, the Crackens’ sister-in-law when I had to go to the bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom, there was no getting back to my spot. I was lucky I even got out of the bathroom there were so many people. I ended up being squashed against this family that I talked to for the hour-long train ride. They were going to the Christmas Market as well to shop for Christmas presents for the oldest girl’s boyfriend and little Michael’s girlfriend. Laynie kept laughing her head off at me because our situation was just so funny. My newfound family and I were talking about the weather and how cold it was getting and when I mentioned I wish it’d snow, they just about gave me a death glare. People over there do not like their snow. They said it’s only fun for the first day and then it gets all sludgy and dangerous. In any case, Laynie and I continued to pray for snow before we had to leave despite what the locals wanted. Anyways, we finally arrived in Bath. We didn’t actually get to go to the Roman Baths, which I was a little disappointed with because I love Roman history, but it was just too expensive and Laynie pinky promised me that when we came back we would go which is basically a blood pact as most three year olds will tell you. So, we were in Bath and had a couple hours to kill so we told the Crackens we would meet up with them and went out to explore the Christmas Market. There were booths for every thing everywhere. It was so cool. I reminded me a lot of the markets in Germany. I wish Abilene had cool things like that. Baah. OH! AND right before we left we were watching these men in funny costumes dance and Laynie had a tramatic experience with one of them that was dressed up like a horse...it followed her and then chased her. I literally, almost peed myself. And, as any good friend would, I took pictures and videos as it happened.


Reminds me of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang










HAHAHAHAHAHA LOOK AT THE EXPRESSION OF UTTER TERROR ON HER FACE
The monster chasing Laynie hahaha
Dancers
Anyway, soon we met up with the Crackens and were on our way to Stonehenge. The bus ride was about an hour long and so Laynie and did what we do best: SUPER MODEL DOCUMENTARY HOUR!












TarTar attack! We love her.
Annnnnnddd then we both fell asleep. Once we arrived at Stonehenge, we went and got our tickets with our tour group and the Crackens and then began our tour. They gave us audio guides which was cool, but you had to hold it up like a phone so everyone that was at Stonehenge looked like they were all on their phones. Kinda funny. 



Anyways, we walked around Stonehenge. It was so cool. No one is 100% sure what it was used for, but it was definitely important. It is also near the burial mounds so that may have something to do with it. But, the different myths (yes, aliens are one. That is so dumb. Like for real.) were interested to hear about and just getting to be there at such a famous artifact was really cool.




Me and Laynsters McGee <3
Pretty pretty Laynie dawg
Cracken family...Lewis and Clark there in the middle
Me and Collen being real cool...






Super Model Documentary Hour!
What "they" think Stonehenge used to look like

After Stonehenge we piled back on the bus, I passed out again, and soon enough I woke up in Bath. It was just about four thirty or so and almost completely dark outside. I never could get used to that. Over there it gets like 9:00pm dark at like 4:00pm. Make you feel like your day is all over when really it’s just the evening. Weird. The Crackens, Brady, and Shelby stayed in Bath for a little while longer while Laynie and I decided to head home by ourselves. On the way home Laynie and I stopped at Ali’s and got some kebabs. YUM :) Then we headed back home and had a picnic in her room and watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, in which I fell asleep in due to my energy sapping sickness. After the movie we called it a day and hit the hay. Hey, that rhymed :)

Sunday morning we got up and headed to St. Andrews to do nursery duty for the last time. I went to my five year olds and Laynie went to her three year olds. After class, my teachers and I were talking and saying goodbye and I promised to write them a letter from Texas, which they loved. Then I went to the big classroom downstairs and helped with the kiddos for the 11:00am service as well while Laynie went to church with Mary and Mary. Playing with those kids was so much fun. When I helped with the five year olds, I didn’t really get to interact with the kids very much and just helped with crafts and sat with them. But this time I got to hold Henry, a six-month old baby for a good while and play with Alex and James, his brothers. James was a knight and was dressed for the part and we talked about how he was a knight and his name was SIR James and how his little brother Alex was his squire, to which Alex, being two, responded that he was not a squire, he was a cabin boy. Sir James and I apologized and continued talking about his faithful steed Chester and talked about how Henry was going to be his pageboy once he could walk and talk. Solid conversation and playtime :) It made me miss Cash and Clara a lot. After that I read a couple of books to the lovely three-year-old Naomi and her friend Laynie (coincidence!) which was really fun. Naomi would repeat everything I said and was so cute in her little accent and dainty way of speaking. After watching the kids, Lesley, the head lady we worked for, invited us over for lunch at her flat. So, Laynie, Ashley, Sarah, and I went there for lunch and it was sooo good. We were introduced to John, Lesley’s friend, and he made us laugh a whole lot. They made us lunch and it was a lot like something we would eat on Thanksgiving. John then told us he hated Christmas and how consumer driven it has come. We all agreed, but it was kind of awkward for a minute or two. Then Lesley showed us one of the old Queen’s Speech’s online from last year. Every year the queen gives a Christmas speech kinda going over the past year and that kind of thing. It was so awesome. I just love British accents. And Lesley did an impersonation of the queen’s voice and it was right on. Hilarious. After lunch Lesley gave us a ride home, Laynie and I did laundry, and I started packing. Then Laynie and I with a handful of others set out in the frigid cold in search of ice-skating. And lo and behold, after thirty minutes of walking around, we found it! Annnnnddd then we turned around and left because they were having some kind of show and it was closed to the public. LAME. So, naturally, after that fail Laynie and I went and got some Ali’s yet again. Then we watched another movie and at our food. I’m gonna miss Ali’s like crazy. Mmmmm. :)

Monday we just slept in, I did some more packing, and we had book buy back. That’s always exciting because you get money back. Wahoo. And, we also had our gigantic kitchen scavenger hunt. We had to go to all seven kitchens from both houses combined and search for our utensils and cooking tools. Each floor had a color and type of silverware, glass, and plates/bowls. It was a little stressful, but we made it out alive. Then Laynie and I went for a walk because I was getting frustrated with my suitcase weight and we both wanted Moomoo’s even though it was like 40 degrees Fahrenheit. So, on our way out we ran into Auntie Jacque in person. Then we invited her to come with us to Moomoo’s and she said she’d meet us there in a bit after Laynie and I did some last minute shopping. It literally took us like thirty minutes to get everything we needed, so we sat outside of Moomoo’s and waited for another thirty minutes for Jacque. Lemme tell ya, it was freaking COLD. But, we made it through, Jacque went up on the cool factor scale because she actually showed up and then raced Laynie and I’s bus the way home on her bike (it was too bitterly cold to walk home). After we got home we vegged out for a bit and then hit up the Rose and Crown with a few friends and Jacque and Mike! It was really fun. They are the most adorable couple ever. And Jacque looks like Anne Hathaway’s sister or twin, just as a side note. Anyways, the Rose and Crown was pretty good, I still like the fish and chips at the White Horse better, but that’s just me.

Tuesday morning I finished packing, tided up my room a bit, and then Laynie and I got out of the house again, this time with Brady in tow. And, yet again, on our way out, we ran into Jacque and we told her we’d meet her at the Jericho Café and have a drink with her. After walking and shopping for a little bit we meandered over to the café and sat down and talked to Jacque. It was really fun because it was like we got to be actual friends with her instead of just being students. It was really fun. Later that night we had the ACU dinner at an Italian place that was…really…good… … Catch my sarcasm? Laynie and I ordered something we had no idea what it was really, but ordered it anyways, and regretted the decision immediately. We looked at each other super smilingly (we were sitting across from Mike and Jacque and we didn't want to hurt their feelings or anything so we couldn’t bash the supper) and said through clenched teeth and forced smiles that our food was horrible and that we didn’t want to eat it anymore. I couldn’t stop laughing; we get our selves into the worst situations. And no, I definitely did not eat all of it.


 Wednesday we all just kinda hung out for a couple of hours. We assembled for fruit juice boxes and croissants for breakfast at the lovely hour of SIX AM and everyone was surprisingly very calm and no one was too grumpy. AND, wouldn’t you know it, on the very last morning we were here, it began to snow. 


Photo props to Laynie Haley






We are all freaking out because we had wanted this the whole time we were there. Pretty cool that it happened the very morning we were leaving right before we had to hop on the bus. So, we ate our nutritious breakfast, hugged Mike, Kelli, and Jacque, took a quick group photo, and then hopped on the bus. It was so strange sitting in the bus watching Oxford melt away from our view. 



Add the snow sailing past and the dark morning with random eerie streetlights and it kinda felt like a dream. Or a nightmare. Anyways, we pulled up to the airport, got off, checked in (Trey was very nice and checked my third bag as his second so I wouldn’t have to pay an extra fee…yes I did have three bags returning home, BUT one was full of gifts, so I don’t want any judgment from anyone), and started through security. The funny thing about security is that you have to take your shoes off and the funny and fantastic thing about Laynie Haley is that she hates wearing matching socks. Combine the two with each other and you get this:



Adorable socks. Then man in front of me was laughing so hard. So, Laynie, Brady, and I continue through security until the most awful thing ever happens: Brady’s bags, which are packed full to perfection and approved by the OCD master himself, get flagged for a random check. Poor Brady had to stand there and watch as they unpacked both of his bags and checked all through it and then he had to resemble everything just perfectly to fit back where he had it. This took a good thirty to forty-five minutes. Needless to say, Laynie and I sat down. After that fiasco we found our gate and some coffee and waited to get on our plane that would take us home. For a while we were all a little worried that our flight would be cancelled due to the fog that had set in. In fact, over eighty flights had already been delayed and/or cancelled. We luckily averted that crisis and were allowed to get on our plane. Cracken was super nice to me and let me switch him seats so Laynie and I could sit together which helped with the ten hour flight stress and boredrum. We both wrote the majority of our reflection papers for INTS and watched a good deal of movies. We also suffered through the uncommonly consistent release of gas emitted by the lovely elderly gentleman seated behind us. We found many excuses to get up and move about the plane. Once we landed we went through passport control. Let me just tell you, there are few better feelings than getting your passport stamped by US Passport Control and them saying, “Welcome home, Miss Wilkins.” And I always feel like I’m in a super awesome movie like Inception when that happens to me. Once we went through passport control those of us catching another flight had to go and find our bags and recheck them. It was at this unhappy crossing that Laynie and I had to say goodbye. With a quick hug and promises to keep in touch over the break and plans for lunch when she returned to Abilene, she was gone, running out with her luggage to be picked up by her dad and surprised by her sister and brother. Lots and lots of tears were to be had I am sure. I waited around for my pal Trey and then we went out and said goodbye to everyone that was not catching another flight and at some Chic-fil-a graciously supplied by Rachel’s dad. After that we went back through security and found our gate to Abilene. At this point I started to get excited and it started to set in that I was really, actually, finally, going home.
            We got some Starbucks while we were waiting, said goodbye to Strawb and Liz who had been hanging out at our gate, and then boarded our plane home. I can honestly say that that plane ride seemed like the longest flight ever. We finally landed though and we got off the plane and started walking towards the “arrivals area” (a.k.a. the side exit from security, Abilene’s airport is quite small…). While I was walking, I noticed I started to get nervous a little and my heart was beating really fast. And then I turned the corner and caught a glimpse of my dad, mom, little brother, and my best-friend/sister/we-were-separated-at-birth, Abby, all smiling and waiting there for me. Any worries and anxiety that I had literally melted away once I saw them. And now that I had seen them, I can’t stop laughing and smiling. I ran up to my parents to give them a giant bear hug, but Paul intercepted me and hugged me first and then I got to hug my parents and Abby. After we piled my luggage in to the van, I went with Abby in her car to my house for supper with the family. BUT on the way out, we received an estranged phone call from Rae and Presley asking where I was, telling me that they were on their way, and exclaiming that I had told them that my flight landed at 7:30pm…which it had. Anyways, they were a tad bit late and we ended up stopping on the side of the road and waiting for them. When we all got out of the car I could not stop laughing because these two friends of mine are just goobers. I got out of the car and in the light of the headlights of both our cars, I see the silhouette of Rae, running at me, hear her scream “Malloryyyyy!!,” and feel her slam into me. Over her shoulder I see Presley standing with her arms wide opened and just staring up into the sky waiting for me. Then I basically tackled Presley and gave her a huge hug. I love these girls so much hahaha They make me laugh, which I also love to do. Anyways, after the hug fest Abby and I had to go, so we said our goodbyes and said we’d see each other after the Christmas break. Once Abby and I got home, we had a lovely home-cooked meal provided by my amazing mother and just got to chill with my family. After supper, Abby went back to the dorm to prepare and sleep before her final the next day and I got to sleep in my bed with my cuddle buddy Kobe for the first time in about four months. It was heavenly:) Finally laying in my bed, after having just been greeted/attacked/heavily loved on, and having a home-cooked meal just made me sigh with relief and the realization that I was finally HOME and all the things I learned to care about and love in Oxford had come back with me and that there was no where but up to go with those friendships and relationships and as cliché as it might sound, those memories and friendships will stay with me my entire life.

Peace out house 9...I'll always love you...stay classy







Cheers for the last time (for a little while) from across the pond,
Mallory Jean

...A FEW WEEKS LATER...








Finally being back home after being gone for so long is really great, but I definitely miss my Oxford and my life I had there. Coming back home with all the life long friendships that I made is a huge blessing in my life and I am so excited to get to pursue those friendships here back at home. Studying abroad in Oxford was probably the most exciting, adventurous, sometimes scary, and most amazing thing I have ever done. I hope to travel more and see more of the beautiful world God has placed us on and that he has created. I am so thankful that I found a second family and a second home in Oxford and I will never forget it. Thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged me while I was abroad.

I’M HOME Y’A’LL!