Just came back from York and the dales, which were both beautiful in their own ways. York was a safe haven all over again, with familiar faces, roads, lawns and cobbled streets. Somehow there was a strange sense of detached-attachedness to everything there; perhaps from a sense that this part of my life is now over and I'm ready to move on, even if it saddens me a little to know I won't be seeing many people very much from now on.
The Dales were interesting, despite my bad knee. With Alvin's help I hobbled much along the Waterfalls walk, which had lots of inclines (upwards and downwards) and some climbing, and lots of sheep-gazing. (Or sheep-worrying for that matter.) But it was so beautiful, this last chance at a glimpse of natural greenery and waters for a long time at least. Besides the therapeutic effect of nature there was also that still happy sense of being together with him, hobbling on for 4 miles with his arm supporting my weight on the difficult tracks. Also there was some drama with an aged lady who tripped, fell and gashed/injured herself quite badly she couldn't get up from where she was. There was a crowd around her as we approached but no one there quite knew what to do. Alv ran forward and put his first aid skills to good use, attending to her wounds and making sure she was hydrated, before following the other aged man to get the ambulance all the way at the end of the trail. I sat by her and said some prayers, comforting her once in a while and talking to the ladies beside her. Alv came back and in a while a NHS copter flew down to pick her up, but Alv and I left before they moved her so we hope she's in good hands.
'tis strange that I injured my knee pretty badly (again) on Saturday at frisbee (again) even though an even more rigorous game at badminton earlier that week didn't do anything to it. But after I prayed for the lady who fell and continued with the trail, the knee got miraculously better, immediately - by 50%, then 80%... and within the next hour I wasn't limping anymore. Strange cosmic spiritual agencies and effects.
Anyhows I'm back in London and preparing to leave next Tuesday with a barrage of work on my shoulders and a load of things to pack. Do feel rather stressed about it but I hope it'll wear away with the exciting prospect of going home. It's been a while indeed, and I'll finally be settling down somewhere after 4 years of travelling. There's the inevitable wistfulness that weighs somewhat heavily on my heart right now, a sense of having to part with a lifestyle and with people I've come to love so much. But I trust that the same God who brought me through the vicissitudes of studying abroad will lead me through the torrents of reverse culture shock and work life.
I have about 3 months of holidays to finish up my dissertation anyway. :)
