Last month, I spent two weeks in Great Britain, and it was fantastic!

I’ve flown to London a number of times, and I have to say, it makes a huge difference when you fly from the East Coast of the United States instead of starting from Texas. And when I say “a huge difference,” I mean at least six hours of travel time. It’s amazing–when you fly from the East Coast, by the time you get onto the plane and get settled, then eat your meal, you’ve barely got time for a nap. When you fly from Texas, you have your supper and then a full night’s sleep! (That’s if you can afford the good seats. If not, you just watch reruns of Friends and curse the person in front of you who’s reclined their seat into your lap.)

Last time I flew to London, BA kindly misplaced my luggage, meaning I had to get only myself to my hotel. This time they insisted I claim my baggage and convey it to my hotel myself, which was far less convenient. I was amazed to discover that when I stepped out of the subway station, I knew exactly where we were and how to get to our hotel. Anyone who knows me understands that my ability to navigate to a location is inversely proportional to my belief that I know where I’m going, so this was a truly momentous occasion. And timely–we were exhausted and very happy to get to the hotel!

I have been to Westminster Abbey, when I was still at university. That time, I knew whose tombs I was visiting, what the people had done and where they were positioned in British history. This time, some twenty years later, I was hazy on the history. But even though I lacked that factual knowledge, on this visit, I was much more affected by the entirety of Westminster Abbey. Perhaps on that first visit it was still an intellectual exercise, a living history book more than a living, breathing place with so much history. But this time, it was almost overwhelming–the coronations, the burials, the memorials . . . I think twenty years of living gave me a perspective that education alone could not. I’m so happy to have had this opportunity to visit again.

We also rode around on the double-decker buses, which I always enjoy!