Buckingham Palace (Last Day)

Kind of sleepy self-protrait on the last day!

Today's photography focus was to capture a contrast shot. This being the last day of this long, strange journey, the contrast theme is all around me. This (class based) final blog was/is really difficult to write. Looking back, and reading back through all of my entries, I am wrapping up with some good news. They are indeed trying to stop the Gulf Coast Oil spill by pumping more cement into the pipe casing. We first heard of this phenomenon called the "top kill" method of sealing the Busted Pipe (BP). Fingers crossed that it will work...I picked this blog back up today (Friday) since I spent all day Thursday traveling and facing the brutal headwinds toward North America. I have pink eye in my left eye, so only my right is clear. There's a great contrast shot, but I am too pooped to snap that photo. At 1:00 AM today, the Associated Press announced that BP has finished pumping cement into the damaged well to  seal off the leak that started on April 22, two days after the rig caught fire, on Earth Day. I don't know, dear reader, if this is a new facet of coincidence, or if there is a literary term to describe what/how I feel, but I don't think I could have had a better homecoming.

turning in my flat keys

I was met at the airport by my mom, husband, balloons and flowers -- and there was pickles and Chinese soup and pico de gallo waiting for me at home. I unwound my body and mind of my scholarly travels with comfort food and a bath in my own flat, surrounded by the artwork and colour schemes that I love...that, and my lovely cats! I would say that hearing the oil pipe is sealed forever would have been the best news, but hearing that it is no longer gushing into the ocean at the rate and ferocity it has been, kindles the ember of humanity and love which I have in my heart, instead of the flame of anger and outrage at the clean-up and gush-stopping debacle which has plagues me for over three months. I actually feel better knowing that my arriving home from Britain and the success of the cement have coincided so perfectly. Much in the manner of how BP still has to drill the relief well in order to make this solution permanent; I too, will continue to persevere and dig deeper into my own life as I look out at the horizon, from this side of The Pond. I feel a sense of purpose and urgency to do and see more. I guess this is the flip-side of travel fatigue, ironically, instead of feeling jet-lagged and weary, this news somehow refreshes me and brings me to state of joy and elation that I can use as a stepping stone toward making my life (in any sense) more meaningful and my choices more effective. This is a beautiful feeling, that you can wake up and take something that has been heavy on your heart and know you can start again. This morning, as I rose early and contemplated all of this before reading the good news, I had the spark of hope. And that is what we all need. In times of self-doubt and misery, when the skyline is still dark and the mind is black, one must remember that, like the conventional wisdom that has served mankind well, it's always darkest before the dawn. For me, the darkness is seeping away into a whitewash of creativity and love for my Gulf Coast, my waters, my family and my future. I am glad I wrote this blog, and can one day look back and share it with my loved ones, or even just myself, to recapture the reflective qualities that Studying Abroad brings out in the soul. Thanks for letting me share a piece of my soul here and for sharing my personal journey.

Trifecta and the Tube's last day!

So many memories, the number 3, the trifecta, the tube in two countries, the smell of the Thames wafting above all the other other, lovely aromas of street vendors and flora. I am probably rambling on now, blogger-style, but I am thankful this trip has healed me in more ways than one...and I will forever look to the horizon line for the breaking dawn in all that I do, because you can see past the troubles and strife if you only keep pushing yourself toward the light, like a plant bending itself toward the sun for nourishment. So, photosynthesis metaphor + travel elation = a very satisfied Heather. Herein ends the lesson.   

Are we sad to leave?

NO! We're just moving on to other adventures!!!!!!!!