Samuel Johnson on London

“Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

Continuation of the Excursion (Might get heavier than expected?)

After Windsor Castle, we headed to Stonehenge. I'd been to Stonehenge years before, and surprisingly enough, it hadn't changed. The weather got dreary as soon as we arrived, rainy and cold. The area is quite flat, so standing on the top of the hill is quite windy. But we had a good time walking around talking with Tony about the possible theories of Stonehenge.
He mentioned Woodhenge (a henge made out of wood, easy enough to imagine) which was located nearby and its' significance.
Just how people are buried with a gravestone, and how in Jewish culture it's customary to leave stones at a burial site, stone has always been a symbol of death. It highlights the permanence of death, or rather the impermanence of life. (I'm all about permanence today, apparently). Likewise, wood is a living entity, which grows, feeds and can die. Between the two henges is a river. Reminiscent of the Ganges River in India, the River Styx in Greek mythology, Viking crematory practices (Ichabod Crane - Headless Horseman?) , water is a visible barrier between two worlds. Spirits/Undead?Evil forces cannot cross it. One interpretation of Stonehenges' existence is that it is a memorial to the dead. Woodhenge was a celebration of life, and where people may have the ceremony (funeral wake?) for the dead. The body would then be floated down the river and buried around Stonehenge.

I personally love that explanation. The symbolism of death is intrinsic to human nature - stone is a stark, desolate material that will outlast us all. While the fear, or at least thought, of death resides in everyone's mind, it is not necessarily faced daily. Instead of pushing the foreboding thoughts aside, we construct ceremonies and structures in our life to compartmentalize the fear. We have cemeteries, funeral homes and crematories. We have traditions of a wake, seeing the casket, offering condolences and sharing memories of those who have passed.
The idea that humans in 2000 BC had the same respect and reverence towards death really speaks volumes. Humanity has a collective consciousness, and there are universal principles that guide us. We may not have the same language, technology, or social constructs as people around the world or from different eras, but we are still mortal.
With such an overwhelming concern at the back of your mind, it's comforting to realize that no matter where you are, people are people. Grandly exaggerated and simplistic, sure, but it's still a good thought to hold on to. I may be thousands of miles away from my family, but I'm still surrounded by humanity.

Since it was raining heavily, we stayed for only twenty minutes before boarding the bus again. Once you see the group of rocks, you've seen them all.

Reflection - One Month In

I've been in London for just over a month now (Since Jan 18th), and it's incredible how fast the time has flown by.
When I first landed, I was staying in a hostel with a multitude of international travelers. Every night, I would hang out in the lounge area and chat with people from Australia and Brazil and all over the world. We could bond over the fact that we were all out of our element, and could ask "stupid" questions about the area. I remember that one Australian I met was looking for a job, and was wondering if I had any input about where and how to look. I had been in the country for a total of 18 hours, and I was "more experienced" than he was. The impermanence travel brings makes people much more open and willing to talk.
Later in the week, after everyone else in the Maryland program flew in, I was glad to have people I knew, or at least had a stronger connection to, to talk to. I could bond about the specific difference of American and English culture. There was a sense of familiarity, and we all huddled together to face the strange, unknown world of London.
At this point, I long for more. I enjoy being with Maryland friends, and I can tell that after this trip is over, those friendships will carry on. However, I haven't done enough exploration on my own yet. In my classes, they are predominantly Maryland students, so I struggle to find people of my age to branch out to.

My excursion last week was precisely what I needed. The night before, I was anticipating a horrible time, the weather forecast called for rain, and the departure time seemed so early for a Saturday morning. But as I continued to think about it, I realized that I was aching to move about. When I move about on weekends in London, I primarily hit the highlights -museums, and tourist attractions. I love seeing them, but it's not the true culture of London. (Ironic - I avoided it this weekend by going on a tour.)
Being able to take a bus around the countryside of England with tourists from other parts of the world was exciting. The locations were gorgeous, and I even imagined coming back to live in Bath (if only I had the money and flexibility!) later. But the real thrill for me was sitting next to an mid-20s Australian guy. He was working in London at PWC, and had his own experiences in the city. I could talk to him both about what his home in Australia was like, what he did in the London, and what he wanted to do.
In comparison, with my Maryland friends, I know where they're from, what they do - they're with me when they do it, and we make plans for the future together as well.

I can't wait for this weekend, I'm going on my first official trip with the Hiking Club from UCL to Waltham Abbey for a nice 7 mile stroll on Sunday. The last two weekends have really opened my eyes to how much country-exploring and culture-embracing I want need to do.