How strange that the two of us drove thousands of miles together this summer – neither of us is likely to drive again any time soon! Since our last post we have been wending our way from Goshen, Indiana, to Belfast, Northern Ireland by plane, train, bus, ferry, and car. After saying goodbye to Laurel’s sisters in Goshen, her dad drove us toward O'Hare Airport. As we drove through downtown Chicago, we took an unplanned detour to the Willis Tower! After a trip to the top to peer through the shifting clouds over Chicago, we made our way to the airport, and got ready to take off for Iceland. With our nine-hour layover in Iceland, we took a bus into Reykjavik to see the sights. We loved the volcanic landscape and the North Atlantic coast on the way into the city, where we explored the city center, its tourist shops, and its impressive public art. The two most impressive buildings in Reykjavik are the Harpa, which is the angular glass performing arts center on the harbor, and the Hallgrimskirkja, the large Lutheran church with a gorgeous sweeping stone façade. After a trip to the top to peer through the shifting clouds over Reykjavik, we made our way to the airport, and got ready to take off for England. We were excited to spend two days in London together. Both of us had lived there in the past (Laurel in college, Ben in high school), and we showed each other where we lived and how we walked to school. We were happy to reacquaint ourselves with the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the Tube, and to walk through Covent Garden, Westminster and Parliament, along the Thames, and past Buckingham palace. We also went to see the musical Wicked. Laurel had seen it the last time she was in London, but for Ben it was totally novel, and he was blown away*** by the spectacle. *** Laurel says, "You know who else was "blown away"?! This awesome street performer near the Millennium Bridge! Hahaha!" *** The next two days were spent in the village of Littleton Drew, in the West of England, visiting friends of the Woodward family. Jean, Mercita, Tim, Frances, and Olivia showed us great hospitality, including feeding us a traditional Sunday roast dinner, introducing us to the menagerie of animals (dogs, geese, horses, and the ugliest pigs we’ve ever seen), and taking us for an afternoon visit to Bath. Bath was a fashionable Victorian resort town, and we visited all the posh lodgings and public spaces. We took a Jane Austen walking tour – she lived there for five years and hated it – and visited the beautiful Abbey. This was Bank Holiday Monday, so the streets were crowded with tourists and back-to-school shoppers. On Tuesday we made our final journey – four trains, a bus, and a ferry to get to Belfast. The train system worked smoothly, and the ferry was huge and luxurious! We are now getting settled in Belfast, navigating the city, finding our school, work, bank, grocery store, church, and whatever else we need. Stay tuned! BONUS PICTURES!
2 Comments
The start of "Breckward Road Trip: Weddings Edition" meant saying our final goodbyes to Goshen. We are so grateful for wonderful friends that hosted us during our middle weeks, especially amidst our visa application frenzy (thanks, Grant and Mara!). Let me tell you, stress is putting all your important documents in a UPS Dropbox thirty days before you leave the country... Our first wedding stop was Pittsburgh, PA to celebrate with Michael and Lydia. I spent much of the week helping with wedding preparations. This included making five gallons of homemade dips with Levi Smucker! Ben also worked on my cousins' attic (Atlee and Libby). Michael and Lydia's wedding perfectly celebrated their shared passions, with local food, musical talents, and bikes! Pittsburgh is an easy city to fall for and they made everyone feel right at home. We also wanted to give a special shoutout to Atlee and Libby, hosts extraordinaire! We enjoyed wonderful homemade meals, played with the best babies in the world, and ate ice cream e'ry night! I'm sure their lives are hectic but they made us feel right at home. The next week, we made our way west to spend a few more days with family before Emma and John's wedding at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp. Ben stayed an extra week at home while I headed to Alamosa early to help with wedding prep. Again, I spent quality time with old friends and enjoyed being a part of such a beautiful mountain celebration! With events spread throughout the day, we were able to experience fully our impressive surroundings. Family time is especially important to us as we prepare to leave and we were grateful to see both our parents before our departure. On our way from camp, we ate lunch with my parents at Poor Richard's Cafe in Colorado Springs. After an overnight in Lincoln, we successfully baked a chocolate soufflé with Ben's parents, as inspired by the Great British Bake-Off! We pray for Ben's dad, especially as he goes in for additional medical tests this week. It is a difficult time to leave our loved ones. And now the time has come...on Wednesday, we fly out of O'Hare via Reykjavik. We will spend a few days in and around London before taking a train-bus-ferry combination to Belfast. These last few days, we have reflected on our final days in the USA and are quite happy with the "bucket list" activities we've accomplished. We hope to share some of our reflective lists soon!
Hello, again!
July is here already and we figure it's about time for another update. Already, we've learned that blogging is super challenging. We don't take near enough photos and it is much too easy to avoid posting something altogether. It's hard to know how to say goodbyes and we find ourselves celebrating this transition in many different ways. In June, we held a "Good Pie Party" in Goshen (part fundraiser, part goodbye party) as a way of recognizing our wonderful Goshen community. We have also committed to several road trips throughout the summer that allow us to visit with friends and family along the way. Despite our intense travel schedule, we are grateful for these special times to be with people before heading to Belfast. Last week, Ben and I moved everything out of our Goshen apartment and took to the road. We are currently in the middle of "Breckward Road Trip: Great Plains Edition." First, we visited my family in North Newton, KS. Highlights of our time in Kansas include watching dad play soccer, being very lazy with my sick sister, and getting new tires for our trusty steed, Simba. Mom also treated us to all our favorite meals! Next, we drove to Lincoln, NE to visit Ben's parents. On the 4th, we attended an annual picnic with church friends, a throwback to Ben's childhood. We also experienced the world's ONLY rollerskating museum (did you know Tara Lipinski started out as a rollerskating champion?!) and introduced Ben's mom to the Great British Bake Off. We also enjoyed a significant sampling of the 50 CD set of Richter piano recitals Ben's dad is currently reviewing! Tomorrow, we head up north to our Minnesota cabin. We'll see my Grandma and spend a weekend on the lake with my Texas cousins. We'll swing by Ben's sister, Hannah, before returning to Goshen until the end of July. Then begins "Breckward Road Trip: Weddings Edition!" If you would like to receive email updates of new blog posts, look to the right-hand bar to subscribe to our blog! Cheers! |
SubscribeSign up here to be notified by email of new blog posts
Support UsArchives
September 2017
|