Welcome to Rydal Hall

- Out of the window on the train: The Lake District

SO! Arrived at Rydal Hall on Monday morning after a really quick train trip. And my oh my, it is one stunning place. I still can't believe I'm actually living here! Was walking down the path today actually thinking: oh my gosh, i REALLY do live here! The Lakes is stunning. There are snow capped mountains, stone walls and many green pastures. It is so very English and I love it to bits.


- The path up to Rydal Hall. Nice, right? Except for the sheep...

Oh boy, do I have a story. It is such an embarassing one and i'm sure whoever is reading this will literally laugh out loud.

MY POINTLESS SHEEP STORY:

I now fear and hate sheep. Hate hate hate hate hate.

I was on my second trip back from the small village of Ambleside the (the closest village to Rydal Hall - about a half hour walk) when the sheep started to look at me. Not being paranoid here, they literally started looking. Then they started bleating, then they started to sun towards the fence where i was. Great! *NB: there was a fence separating us*. I thought to myself, okay this is a bit weird, but carried on. I came to the dividing gate that one must climb over to get into Rydal, and there were more sheep. Then one decided to jump the gate and wander towards where I was standing. So I'm standing there near a sheep (which had curly horn things) with other bleating sheep around me. Started to freak out at this point. Called the office to ask if the sheep would ram me. Negative - just don't run towards it, I was told.

Eventually the sheep jumped back over the gate and the others started to wander off. So I started on my journey again. The sheep started to notice me again and I decided to go off the path in order to avoid them. Mistake. So now, sheep are running towards me. I'm totally freaking out....and there is a tree before me. I jump up so that I am away from their height.

Spotted: S. in a tree, calling the office to ask if someone can come and rescue me from sheep. Awkward.

That is my first exciting and very scary encounter with the sheep. I'm praying that I'll have the courage to walk down that path again in the future!


Anyway, the Lakes! Beautiful place! Bad sheep. Gorgeous streams, rock walls, bridges and ancient moss covered trees. God is so huge and such an amazing creator!!

Ambleside is a gorgeous town. Small but big enough to have a few little shops. I adore it!


- Coming into Ambleside

Starting work tomorrow and I am keen to get into it. The community is great here and tomorrow I begin with Tea Shop. Win!

My Week in London Part Two

Not too sure where to start this one. I guess I have learned a lot even in this one week. A lot already...and it's only week one!

London is incredible! The connecting station to where Dad and I are staying is Tower Hill - the Station one would take to go to The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. We kind of stumbled across it, but it was breath-taking to see such a gorgeous castle/palace-type thing right before us. England is a place that is so full of history and culture.

In particular, the castles tend to catch my fancy. This week we went to Hampton Court - the summer house of a few Kings and Queens but most significantly King Henry VIII. What an incredible castle. The fact that Henry VIII once walked down these corridors is so fascinating - history was made in the staircases and banquet halls.


- Hampton Court: from the inside

It is not too cold at the moment, in fact with 3 layers it is quite nice. Right now it is Sunday and we arrived here on Tuesday - and it had not rained until about Thursday. I was quite frustrated at the fact that it hadn't rained yet. Alas, it rained while we were in Camden at the Markets. The Lock here was quite interesting and the place was made even more beautiful with the rain.

It is also fun dressing up each day. First goes stockings and jeans, then jumper and bigger coat, then trench/outer raincoat, and finally gloves, beanie, boots and scarf. I love this aspect of winter fashion - people watching becomes even more interesting to see the types of boots, hats and jackets that people wear.


- Trafalgar Square with Dad

Other places I've been this week include Covent Gardens (loved it there!), bought lollies (or sweeties as they are more commonly known as here) at this amazing sweet shop (by the way strawberry bon bons are INCREDIBLE!), Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, Regent Street and today we did Millennium Bridge (the one from Harry Potter) as well as Hillsong at the Dominion Theatre. London also holds amazing buildings including Parliament, Big Ben, The London Eye, The Tower Bridge and Tower of London. It is exciting to walk down the street and see these structures - really exciting!


- Big Ben & Parliament

Tomorrow is the big day! I go off to The Lakes to start my job. Praying that I'll find a great friend (not really looking for a husband haha) and meet lots of wonderful people. Look out Ambleside - here I come!

London, England (Just a quick post). Finally here!

I thought I should write something quickly, before Emily literally flies over here to make sure I write something, anything that has happened so far hehe.

I've come to realise that this trip is truly a dream come true. England is so....grey BUT grey in a good way, because I love it!! Dad and I arrived yesterday at about 6.45 pm (5.45 am Australian time). Walking out of those airport doors was awesome as the chilly breeze hit our faces - reality began to set in. I was so excited to finally be in England.

It was cold, not as cold as I would have thought, but it was definitely cold. The hotel we are staying in is cute and English. It is now raining outside and colder than I remember last night. Bring on those lovely trench coats and warm scarves...I really don't mind! So I arrived safely in England. I have five whole days here before I move on to Rydal Hall, which I am quite excited about.

I am planning on Facebooking further as well as making a more detailed blog on Monday, when I arrive there. Going out into the city today. Gosh, this is so exciting!

I'll keep you posted,
Steph xx



P.S. To my entourage: I love each and every one of you. Thank you soooo much for coming to the airport. It meant so much to me, I don't think I can fully ever explain how much. I will miss you all (even though I'm sure ignite will mean everyone will be like "Steph who??" haha). Hugs and Kisses!

The final countdown

Wow! Only four whole days to go. I have to admit, that I am quite excited to get going.

This horrid Australian summer weather is not my idea of fun and it is really making me look forward to the coldness of winter. I have been informed to take VERY warm clothes, as it is the coldest winter in 30 years in England at the moment. Great. Can't wait. Some people have made a bet that I'll be over it within 24 hours. Personally, I think it will be a little longer.

The bag is packed and the heavy-duty rain coat (which i fell in love with instantly) has been purchased. England here I come! Rydal Hall is such a gorgeous place (or so the pictures show) and it will be so amazing to see what it is really like and actually live there! This is one adventure that I am so excited to jump into.

My farewell only had a few tears and made me realise that all the special people in my life I will definitely miss. Thanks to Skype, Facebook and the wonders of the world wide web I know that I can keep up those relationships. Thanks God!

At the farewell, my lovely prayer girls re-wrote a song for me. It was so amazing and I loved it to bits. In fact, it was SO great that I'll post the lyrics up here (just for Rosie - because she asked):

'Oh, Stephanie' re-written by Rosie, Monique and Amy

You can change your life - if you wanna
You can move overseas - if you wanna
We will miss you Steph,
But that's the way it goes

But we're gonna keep the memories,
And your Christian love stories, cause we wanna
You're going on a plane,
we're never gonna get you back
At least not today, not tomorrow, till next year

If you go, we'll let you go, but
Come tomorrow it will seem
So empty here, so lonely here
How are we gonna get ourselves through the year?

Laugh it off, let it go and
When you wake you will be,
In England, in England
We'll pray everyday that you're going to be okay.

You can tell random stories - if you wanna
You can think they're good - if you wanna

But it's who you are,
And we'll never have enough.

Thank you....every week you've challenged us
Cause you're like a female Jeus,
See how much you've shaped our lives,
You'll be a really great wife.

But jut not today, not tomorrow, till next year
Cause you'll find a husband in England,
And you'll bring him home and it'll seem so magical, so fairytale -
The Christian romance you've always deserved.

Older sister, first to go
And your family is so proud of you
Hey Stephanie,
Can't wait to see
How much God will change you while you're overseas

Without your healthy food, we're gonna get huge,
You like caviar, and all the donuts oo,
Always putting everyone before yourself,
You never leave anyone on the shelf,
Steph, you always amaze us beyond words,
We'll be counting down till your return

We will today, we will tomorrow, until next year cause...

(Thanks girls! love you guys)



So I guess the next instalment will be in Singapore or even in London. As Em would say "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!" (excited noise!)

I'll keep you posted.
Love to all,
Steph X