"World Traveler"

I prooobably should have blogged before now about how my good friend Caroline is getting married and about how that meant a trip to London for me.  And how Caroline got her work schedule after I booked my flights and she ended up having to work the first few days I would be here in the UK.  Caroline works for British Airways so that meant she would actually be out of the country.  So then I should have blogged about how that meant a trip for me to Scotland to visit my friend Cat.

Oh well.  I'm horrible at blogging.  What else is new?

So...I'm in the UK!

A few (and very rambly) quick thoughts about my trip:
No body scan!  The airport in DC was super quiet.  It was really peaceful.  I used the bathroom on a plane for the first time today.  Twice.  And it wasn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be.  It wasn't even gross.  As long as I don't think about all the germs.  Still.  They make my skin crawl.  Not thinking about them.  It wasn't even gross.  Also, I really liked the way the soap smelled.  In an effort to adjust to the time zone I'm in now, I tried really really hard not to sleep on the plane.  It was difficult because I might have gone to bed after 2am Friday night/Saturday morning...  I might have gone to bed at 2:25 in the morning.  And then my alarm to get up might have gone off at 6am.  Maybe.  I did end up sleeping a little because traveling makes me sleepy.  Cars, trains, and planes.  (Oh, my!)  All of them do it.  Anyway, I think I did pretty well for myself.  I didn't even watch a movie!  For the majority of the flight, the buttons on my armrest control thing didn't work but it was okay.  The guy I reported it to was convinced I would get bored and need to watch a "film."  (I'm pretty sure most of the flight crew were from England.  When I said I used the bathroom earlier, I should have said the "loo" because they called it that.  So I can call it that too without sounding like I'm just trying to be cool.  I used the loo on on a plane for the first time today.  Twice.)  I spent most of my time looking out of the window and daydreaming.  There wasn't really anything to look but I'm really good at doing nothing.  I did play on my iPod some.  And there was apple juice.  Heathrow airport has fancy bathrooms.  And it is also huge.  It goes on forever.  And ever.

Okay, enough rambling.  Maybe.

Caroline's mom and dad and youngest sister picked me up at the airport and then her sister kept me company  reeeally early this morning on my way to catch a bus to get to Gatwick airport. We had a really lovely conversation along the way.  =)   I got on another plane and Cat picked me up at the airport in Edinburgh and we got lunch and hiked a small mountain that these crazy Scots call a hill.   Now she is making a traditional roast dinner for us and our friend Fiona and their friend.

So far, so good for this traveler.  =)

If you made it through this entire post then you get a gold star.  An invisible one.  To put on your invisible sticker pad.  =D

Wace Cawrs!

As I have mentioned before, I have wonderful, amazing, fantastic friends. I have been so, so blessed by the relationships in my life and God never stops reminding me of that fact.

My most recent reminders have been through my wonderful friend, Britni.  We've known each other for awhile now, but God was biding His time it seems.  He chose this summer to bring us closer and boy am I glad He did!

This was pretty much my summer:

SILLY!  So silly!  I love it.  Britni is the perfect blend of silly and serious (to borrow words from the girl herself) (though not about herself) and I have experienced SO much growth through our friendship.  It has been amazing.  I can't wait for more silly times and more fantastic conversations.  =)

I'm pretty much a nerd.

I got to go to the zoo with Camp today!! AND it was the first time I've really been able to walk around with my new toy camera (at the zoo). I was in GEEK HEAVEN. (At least my geek heaven.) Lucky for me, the person I was with was Britni and she is very understanding of my nerdom and so I was able to let it out in all it's geeky glory. [Side note: Britni is amazing. True story.]

I think I got some pretty good shots in if I do say so myself. =)

Grace

I have wonderful, amazing, fantastic friends. I have been so, so blessed by the relationships in my life.

My dear Amanda Grace has a lovely habit of crashing at my place on her way to other destinations. That basically makes her a genius! I keep telling her that "2 seconds" isn't long enough, but we do see each other at other times and I love love love the little impromptu visits. =)

Don't let these pictures fool you. Usually we are freakishly photogenic when we are together. No joke.