Traveling to England

I'm leaving tomorrow for a tour of the British Isles with Cedar Valley Choral Society.

But it's not my first trip to England.

The first time I went was in 1980.  Here's a picture of our group at the ruins of St. Augustine's church in Canterbury.

My AP European History teacher, Bruce Wagner, and my Honors Brit Lit teacher, Vicky Balzer, arranged the trip and took us during spring break of our senior year.  I heard about the trip when I was first at Midpark High school, and started saving immediately.  My grandma split the cost of the trip with me.  Thanks, Grandma H.!

I still have the scrapbook I made about that trip--with photos, brochures, postcards, and ticket stubs pasted into its yellowing pages.  There are also excerpts from the journal I kept in a spiral notebook when I was there, filled with phrases like "It gave me chills!"  and "It was so exciting to see where all those famous people were buried!"  I think I spent the entire trip on an emotional high.

I do know that I didn't sit or eat very often.  I had a huge list of places I wanted to see: the usual tourist places plus the Courtauld and Wallace art museums, Samuel Johnson's house, various churches, etc. etc.  I found a traveling kindred spirit, my friend Scott, and we were on the go the entire week.

We did sit down at some shows (Jesus Christ Superstar, As You Like It, and Deathtrap), and for tea at Fortnum and Mason.  (I still have the receipt:  £7.40)

I didn't get back to England  until 1988, when I got a job teaching at TASIS England Summer School.

It is an American-style private school outside of Windsor.  I taught English Literature and Composition to a small group (maybe 12) kids, aged 13-18.  I also helped with sport and took kids on trips on the weekend.  It was great.

I went back the next year a married woman--and Bruce came with me.  I call it our money-making honeymoon!  After a driving tour of northern England and Scotland, we came back to teach.

Here we are at Lanercost Abbey.

My sister and brother-in-law were also teaching at TASIS that summer!  Ellen and I decided it was the first time we'd lived in the same place in 9 years!  Later that summer my friends Laurie and Scott visited (at different times) and my parents came through with their friends, the Bowmans. It was great traveling around with them.  Here we are in Winchester.

In 1993, I did something I've always wanted to do: helped take college students to England.  My friend Wendy had arranged a Winter term (the month of January) trip, and she had so many students sign up that she needed an extra chaperone.  I was glad to oblige!  Here we are at Highgate cemetery--they have awesome tours, if you're wondering.

My most recent trip was with my guys, the best trip yet.  We went in spring of 2006, when Ellen and Ken and Gabi were living in London (Ellen and Ken were working at the American School in London).  I loved being able to show Robbie and Eli around.  Here I am with Eli at the Globe Theatre.

This time my trip will be something entirely different:  a music tour.  With 9 concerts in a variety of venues--some being medieval cathedrals--this will be a new experience, a new way to see my beloved England.  Plus, I'm going to visit Dublin and Edinburgh and York, three places I've never been.

I probably won't be blogging--I don't like "typing" on my Kindle very much.  But I will definitely post pictures on Facebook, and maybe I'll write up a trip report when I get back.  Of course I'll be keeping a journal in a spiral notebook. . . .