Pluvophile

Pluviophile: A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.

Isn't the rain such a peaceful and relaxing sound? There is nothing quite like sitting next to a window, closing your eyes, pressing your forehead against the glass and feeling the coolness that starts in your head and crawls down your spine. 

Some people hate the rain, but I love it. I find escape in the rhythmic pit-pat of the rain drops on my car. It's my excuse to get a cup of Earl Gray from Starbucks and take an extra-long lunch break to just sit in my car and read that book that's stashed in my glove box. I think one of reasons I love the rain is that it becomes therapeutic; cleansing, calming, reassuring, life-bringing. The smell, the taste, the feeling of it on your skin, it is natures way of cleansing the earth, restoring life, and creating new life; isn't it incredible?

The same goes for our spiritual beings- the cleansing of our soul. We are washed cleaned, able to start anew, by the blood of Christ. We are given a new life, we are restored in Him, and it creates a new found hope in our spirit. Every once in a while, we need a cleansing to remember who we are in Him and that there is a much greater purpose to the struggles we face on a daily basis. Just like a flower, we need the occasional rain storm to restore us, let our roots grow deeper, and allow us to continue to grow to our full potential. Don't be detoured by the rain, but embrace it and realize that through the rain and the storm, you will come out on the other side revitalized, renewed, and restored.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

Adventures in Rainland

Yesterday I had a very fun adventure exploring the countryside and town of Newcastle. I wondered around town where I live and stumbled on the Keele Parish church, which was an old church from the 1700s or something like that. The church was super old and pretty, with stained glass and a steeple and timbres. I wandered around the grave yard, it was so quaint and old. I felt like Miss. Marple or something :) The whole reason I was wandering around town in the first place was to find The Old Schoolhouse which used to be the school house of Keele Parish but is now owned by a couple and they have some rooms to rent. I ended up in their backyard but didn’t know if I should just walk up to the back door and knock, so I just walked away. I found the front of the house, which was through this really cute old iron gate. When I rang the bell, she ushered me in out of the rain, and her husband popped into the room. He asked if I had been in the back yard, and I guiltily said yes- that I was at the church walking around and kind of happened to end up in the backyard. He asked why I was walking in the rain, and I said “Isn’t that what British people do?”, he laughed and walked away!!

Then I headed down ‘three miles road’ just to see where it went and not even about 2 minutes down there was a huge pasture full of sheep!! I was walking along the sidewalk and they all just stopped and starred at me!! It was so cute, so British! It looks like the pasture went on for miles and miles, and I assume based on the name of the road, it goes on for three miles.

I finally made it into Newcastle-under-Lyme for the first time on my own. I wandered around the market, which apparently is a medieval market from the 1100’s. Some of the store fronts were still old with thatched roofs and exposed Tudor beams. They had some American type stores like McDonalnds (pronounced MacDonalnds), Laura Ashley, and Subway but the town basically had a lot of stores I didn’t recognize. I found the poundbakery and got some meat pies for dinner- one meat and potato and the other chicken, for a pound (which was a great deal). However, all I could think about when I was looking at the pies was Sweeny Todd and it kind of turned me off to them at first; however I had the chicken one last night and it was actually quite tasty! (Pictures to come) I just wandered around town until I got lost, and I found St. George’s Chapel and walked around the gorunds of the church for a while, it was even older than Keele Parish. It was quite beautiful.

I spent the night in the kitchen with my other flat mates cooking dinner while they got ready for the concert. Then Maroulla made me my first ‘cupper’ or cup of tea for England! They all laughed because I needed sugar for my tea, because apparently they only use cream!! It was actually really yummy.

Newcastle under Lyme #travel #studyabroad #england #rain #lost

Monday Showers (Pouring more like it)

This morning I woke up to it being quite cold and rainy, I know typical English weather. But it wasn’t just raining or drizzling, it was pouring; there were a few times I thought my umbrella would fly away while I was waiting for the bus!!

I went and checked out the campus gym today, and we’re definitely spoiled in America. The gym was so small, it was kind of hard to believe. There are 3 rowing machines, 5 bikes, 5 treadmills, 3 ellipticals, 1 skating machine, 1 stepper, a room of free weights and a room of machine weights! It was nice and quiet though today because all the other students has classes today; whereas international students don’t start for a whole week (I don’t know why we had to get here so early if we don’t start classes until October 1st).

Afterwards I went to the “involvement carnival” where all the clubs and socities had tables and such to promote themselves. I think I’m going to join the archery society, the ballroom dancing club, and the fencing society while I’m here (when in Rome right?) so I’m excited about that. I also joined a ‘come dine with me’ society which is apparently based off a telvision show. Basically we’re all split up into small groups and weekly we rotate on who will cook a meal for the others; so I thought it’d be a great way to 1) get a ‘free’ meal and 2) meet a bunch of other people who like to cook! I’m really excited to start ballroom dancing as many of you know I love to dance, so I’ll be doing ballroom and latin and possibly salsa on the side. I’ve taken many archery courses already back in the States but fencing will be completely new experience.

Although it’s pouring buckets right now, I think I’m going to head into Newcastle and just explore for a while; because I really don’t have much else to do at the moment. I put on my Hunters for the first time in England, put on a scarf and am venturing out to catch the bus!

CHEERS!

First Day at Keele

My first full day in England was Friday, and of course it rained all day!! 

This is one of my walks to the bus stop every morning, note the gray-British weather :)