Emerging Adulthood: So this is where I am in life

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=1&hp

This article was eye-opening for me. It provided me with validation for my current phase of life--a little phase I like to call: "I have no idea what I'm doing." So thank you to Katie Powers for sending this link to me months ago. I'm so glad I finally buckled down and read it. Here's my favorite quote; it sums up my twenty-something feelings pretty well:

"Ask them if they agree with the statement 'I am very sure that someday I will get to where I want to be in life,' and 96 percent of them will say yes. But despite elements that are exciting, even exhilarating, about being this age, there is a downside, too: dread, frustration, uncertainty, a sense of not quite understanding the rules of the game. More than positive or negative feelings, what Arnett heard most often was ambivalence — beginning with his finding that 60 percent of his subjects told him they felt like both grown-ups and not-quite-grown-ups."

My favorite Britishisms so far...

I'm ranking them in order of preference, with my most favorite one at the end.

3) Torch. Here in the UK, this means flashlight. This one is my least favorite because, while it amuses me, it often disappoints me as well. Whenever someone asks someone else if he/she has a torch, I expect someone will whip out a giant flame, and I'm disappointed when that person is only holding a tiny flashlight.

2) Bap. To be honest, this one is only a favorite because, at the West Dean gardens restaurant, it is usually preceded by the word "bacon." A bacon bap is a very simple thing--a soft, white roll filled with British bacon, which is like Canadian bacon. I could probably eat a bacon bap every few days...with dangerous results.

1) Wellies! Everywhere I go in my galoshes, older ladies tell me, "Oh, I love your wellies." I love hearing this Britishism the most because, aside from the word being so much cuter than "galoshes," it makes me think of the fab four! Thank you, fab four, for the cutest wellies ever!

This has nothing to do with England...

Just reading someone's old blog post made me think about self-esteem. In first grade, I had self-esteem classes with Harmony the Bear. I don't remember what Harmony said to us, not just because I have a poor memory, but also because I was chock-full of self-esteem back then. When did I love myself most? Probably right around that time.

At Gateway Montessori School, right before St. Angela's, if I wanted to chase a boy to get him to kiss me, I did it. We sang songs, and I tried to sing over everyone else. Outside of school, when my extended family would ask me to dance for them, I'd get on top of the nearest table and dance, not worrying about looking like a stripper. My aunt used to tell me I was the smartest girl in the world, and I believed her because that sort of praise isn't unbelievable when you have no idea how many people are really in the world. Sure, I thought...of course I am.

It's only now that we're older that it's hard to love ourselves as unconditionally as we did before. Most people can't even send flirtatious text messages without immediately thinking--well, that sounded idiotic. Now that I'm an adult, I could use some sessions with Harmony the Bear. If he told me his message now, I hope that I'd listen and believe him.

First Impressions of Great Britain

If you catch the literary reference in the title of this post, I officially love you. Chances are, if you're reading this, you are one of my loved ones, but if you get the reference, it's official.

Reason #1 why Britain is Great: the West Dean manor, pictured below.

I freaking love this house. It's been preserved, so it has rooms that look like how they probably did during the Regency era (I'm no expert on historic decor, so this is just the amateur opinion of an Austen-fan). There's a beautiful, red-carpeted staircase that I walk up and down several times a day, while thinking of Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria. It also has a rickety-looking servant staircase, which has a lot of character. Sometimes, I wander around the house and turn up somewhere I've never been, facing stuffed, dead animals that are quite scary when you're not expecting them.

This is the Oak Hall, which I think looks a lot like the Gryffindor Common Room. I like to sit in it and pretend it's the Gryffindor Common Room.

This is the view from my window. As you can see, it's quite cheery. Actually, I love my view because I think that it's really authentic to see a little church and cemetery out the window in England.










Reason #2 why Britain is Great: the West Dean grounds.


Here are the sheep that you can see as soon as you exit the front door of the house. At some point, I want to get a picture of me right up close to a sheep, but I'm a little afraid of frightening them and causing them to stampede. Do sheep stampede?











Hagrid's Hut!!














This is the stream that runs right by my friend Sharon's cottage. It might be the same one that I pass on my way to the village post office. One frosty morning, when I was walking to the post office to mail a Valentine's Day card to my special person, it was so cold and clear that I could see mist or steam rising up from the creek. I'd never seen that happen before...it was kind of eerie, but very beautiful. Despite the cold (or perhaps because of it? not sure if air or water is colder), the ducks were still diving in. I was pretty impressed.





Anyway, I've never been one for reading long blog-posts (my attention usually goes after the third paragraph), so I'll spare you all and promise to write more on my favorite britishisms, tea breaks, and Dame Maggie Smith very soon.