Blessed!

In less than two weeks I will be on a plane back to the US. My emotions are mixed. One moment I am so excited for my new adventure in Madison, WI, and the next I am in tears because I will miss England and the ward family I have here. In another moment I feel all of those emotions that come with preparing to start a new post and go somewhere you have never been before. Mostly, I am at peace and feel extremely blessed about the time I have spent here in London and for this new opportunity. All mingled with packing, coordinating, and organizing the move! 

Honestly, the more people I am in contact with in Madison and the more I learn about the university and city the more excited I get! I think it is going to be a great place for me to land for a while.

Now, I do not want it to sound like everything is always rainbows and butterflies in my life because I hit brick walls, encounter stumbling blocks, and have my share of anxiety and struggles but I also know how much I learn and grow as I navigate the challenges with my Heavenly Father's guidance and help. I cannot do this life without Him!

This week I am focused on my project which accompanies my dissertation. I have been carving patterns into block printing material and starting to print on different types of paper. Some will be simple but others are layered so it will take the week. I pray it goes well! My background entertainment has been old movies, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, John Wayne, James Stewart, Doris Day, etc. some of you know that era, if not I highly  recommend it. I have found several that I have never seen before and some old favorites too. Do the current generations even know these classics exist? 

These images may not make any sense to anyone else except me but this is what covers every flat surface in my flat. My goal is to have my project done and my paper 95% completed and off to my editors for review before I leave Kingston so that when I get their feedback (once I am in Madison) I will hopefully have only minor revisions. A girl can hope!

Out walking this morning, in a brisk 50 degrees, I realized how very much I will miss the early morning walks along the Thames and also how grateful I am to have lived so close to it these past months. I will have to find some good walking paths in Madison, and from what I hear it won't be too difficult! The two of you who read this are going to miss the pictures too, right? I keep thinking I will get somewhere new before I go but my priority is my dissertation and it is taking up my time. 

When I met with my professor this week he mentioned that sometimes when new things are on the horizon the things at hand get neglected. Subtle hint don't you think. My plan is to accomplish what I set out to do and it will all work out. 

​Cheers, for now!