This weekend, we finally went to the movie theater to see Beauty and the Beast. (I’ll leave comparisons of US vs UK movie going experiences for another day.) Beaty and the Beast has always been my favorite Disney animated movie since first seeing it in high school. I even had it on VHS (and have it on DVD now). So seeing a remake (or alternate version) of a movie I love while living in my alternate reality was a bit surreal.
As a teen, I identified with Belle – the odd girl who didn’t seem to fit in, nose stuck in a book yet with head in the clouds wanting more. As I watched the movie on Saturday, I realized I’ve had adventures in the great wide somewhere – more than I could have ever imagined when I first saw the movie. (You can read all about past adventures on this blog.) Plus, I’m living a pretty huge adventure right now – living in another country.
Living in another country makes you more cognizant taking time to explore. We don’t know how many years we’ll live in England, so we want to make the most of our time here. For example, over my two week Easter break from school, here are just a few things I’ve had the chance to do:
- take the train to Brighton with former colleagues and students visiting from Georgia
- explore the British Museum (I love the Greek statues)
- ramble around the Tower of London
- walk along the River Thames
- use various forms of transportation around London including trains, the tube, boat, and buses
- walk around National Trust property Snowshill Manor
- explore the gardens of National Trust property Hidcote
- eat a cream tea sitting in the sunshine
- drive through the Cotswolds
- see the Rollright Stones, a collection of ancient stone monuments including a stone circle
- drive by Stonehenge and visit its gift shop.
And these are just a few things I’ve done over the span of a couple of weeks. Since moving to England in June, I’ve had numerous chances to explore and find adventure in the great wide somewhere. Let’s see where the adventure continues to lead!
I’ve decided to work on posting a new update/story every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ve been making a list of US vs. UK topics to share about from driving to shopping to school schedules and weekend activities. Look for Wednesday’s post all about how this adventure began: the flight to England!