The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I feel like I just returned from Narnia. Honest to goodness. Cambridge has already taken on that distant, almost hazy feel of a magical realm where I spent what felt like years, but came home to find out was only two short months. Now that I'm back in reality, I'm just waiting for the day that I'll be summoned back there. (Grad school?)

Not to worry, the parallels do not end there.

The Lion:

So Majestic.

The thing to notice here is the shirt, not the boy.

The Witch:

Neal says I remind him of Elphaba.
Jordan says Jenessa reminds him of Glinda.
So here we are, posing as such. 

The Wardrobe:

I swear this happened. 

Oh, and one more. 

The Lamp-post: 

Need I say more? 

Well, yes I actually do need to say more. Namely, I need to address a few of the wonderful things I learned from Cambridge. Don't worry, I made a list on the plane. Shout out to Jenessa. (She makes lists). 

1. I can write 13,000 words. Or 53 pages. Depending on how you look it.

2. I can function on 4 hours of sleep. Albeit not well, but I functioned just the same. 

3. Take time to learn from others, because everybody has something to offer. Whether it's at dinner, in class, or on the train, ask questions. And if you need a jumping off point, there's always the ol' "tell me something I don't know about you."

4. Take time to stop, explore, ponder, and yearn. This is one of those links that I really want you to follow. 

5. Count your blessings and remind yourself of them often. It went a little something like this: "Feeling stressed? Don't worry, you go to school in Cambridge, and you get to soak up the beauty of King's College everyday." I'll have to make some minor adjustments to the mantra, but the idea holds true. 

6. Be happy! Keep friends, learn, explore, do- it makes life great.

7. Solidarity sister. Go find your people- they're out there. 

8. Always seek after knowledge - do what it takes to learn and digest. 

9. Let yourself be part of a community. One of my favorite things about Cambridge is the atmosphere of the college system and the unity it breeds. I don't typically let myself become immersed in my ward in Provo, but I think it would be wise to make an adjustment there. A sense of community is powerful. 

10. Lift one another's burdens. This may be my favorite lesson from Cambridge. I had the privilege of witnessing a lot of wonderful people lifting each other up on a regular basis, and it was inspiring. 

In short, the two months that I spend at Cambridge were arguably the best of my life. I learned, discovered, reveled, and loved, and I hope to high heaven I go back there some day. 

 

But something tells me that the key to a happy life is not to live in the past, but to love where I am and look forward to the future, so here are some thoughts on that note. 

Yesterday, I realized something. Provo is, on the whole, my least favorite place to be. Nevertheless, I'm not a victim of my circumstances here. I have chosen to stay here because I am receiving a first class education at BYU. The last two years felt a bit like I was trapped in Provo, but I think going to Cambridge showed me that I have the ability to go anywhere and do anything. If I wanted to leave Provo, I could, and that feels liberating. So now that I've made the decision to stay, it just comes down to finding ways to be happy here. Utah has plenty to give, I just have to go get it. 

Over and out.