Friendship at Its Finest: The hospitality of Lady Teresa

The Boyds with Lady Teresa

This post is the eighteenth in our “England 2015”:/news/category/travel/england-2015/ series.

“Now it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to; while things that are uncomfortable palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a deal of telling anyway.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Even with all of our planning and resources, I’m attuned to a certain sense of vulnerability that comes with international travel. Continue reading “Friendship at Its Finest: The hospitality of Lady Teresa”

How to enjoy a rainy day in London

Rain gear.

This post is the seventeenth in our “England 2015”:/news/category/travel/england-2015/ series.

Months before we packed our bags, I started researching rain gear: boots, raincoats, umbrellas. Despite the reassuring data categorizing May as one of the least-damp months in England, I felt we should be prepared for any eventuality. And so, on the one rainy day we experienced in London, we did stay relatively dry. Continue reading “How to enjoy a rainy day in London”

On Not Running: A process of acceptance

On Vincent Square.

This post is the sixteenth in our “England 2015”:/news/category/travel/england-2015/ series.

One of the most personally surprising things about our trip was the way I completely abandoned my intention of running in London. I had envisioned running throughout the side streets of the city, “listening to U2”:/news/2015/u2-kept-my-soul-tender-reflections-on-the-profound-influence-of-the-worlds-most-famous-band/, exploring the neighborhoods, and enjoying the fresh air — but it never happened. I wasn’t prevented from this kind of adventure. It just turned out that I didn’t want it bad enough. Continue reading “On Not Running: A process of acceptance”