England: A Drastic Turn

I am in the UK now. I arrived in Liverpool last week and am now staying with Rachel and her family in a small village called Malham, which is near Leeds. They have a beautiful home out on the moors or what feels like the middle of a green nowhere. There is a tarn (which is like a lake) down the road where you can go out on a boat to fish or whatnot. Livestock and wildlife are everywhere. There are deer, sheep, horses, cows and even leeches. Areas and roads are separated by walls of piled stones, placed without any mortar and there are even wall-building competitions for this, so I guess it's quite an art {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry-stone_wall#Dry_stone_walls}. The weather is generally cloudy or a light drizzle, but the sun does occasionally break through. It's all so quiet and peaceful here, so very different from life back in California but I love it.

Rachel's family has been absolutely wonderful to me. They are fantastic people and since leaving home, I have not felt so... at home. If they were to stand as representatives for English hospitality, then I would say that everyone should come to the UK! Also, although contrary to popular belief the food here is wonderful and delicious, not bland or flavorless as I have heard. I have yet to try something that I don't like, and their sweets and pastries are fabulous to say the least. Rachel is going make me a cheesecake soon, dear Zeuss I will be fat if I stay here much longer!

Thus far, I have been to York and Manchester. In York we visited the York Minster, which is another big ass church. This one was very different from those in Italy however, it's very pointy and gothic, and has a lot more stained glass. The inside was really cool, full of history dating all the way back to the Romans where Constantine was supposedly proclaimed emperor, back in 306 AD. I didn't do a lot in Manchester except drive around and then party. A quick word on driving: if you didn't know, driving in the UK means you are driving on the other side of the car on the other side of the road. It is a unique experience in itself and I don't recommend it for everybody, but if you have the courage then you may just survive the slim roads and confusing-ass roundabouts (instead of intersections). We all know that I have had a hard enough time driving in the states, but I guess you can say I'm starting to get the hang of it here.

So, my life seems to have taken a very different turn. Actually, everything has gone much better than I would've imagined. Although I don't exactly have a job yet, I may working here in the UK soon if I can just get a permit. Or, I still have a couple of other possibilities to pursue if working here falls through. I could go to France. I could go to Greece. Either way, I am enjoying a life that I never would've conceived but am happier than I have ever been. In regards to the future, well I am open to anything that comes my way.