forever england

if i should die, think only this of me:
that there’s some corner of a foreign field
that is forever england. there shall be
in that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
a dust whom england bore, shaped, made aware,
gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
a body of england’s, breathing english air,
washed by the rivers, blest by the suns of home.

and think, this heart, all evil shed away,
a pulse in the eternal mind, no less
gives somewhere back the thoughts by england given:
her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
and laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness
in hearts at peace, under an english heaven.

-the soldier, by rupert brooke

when i was 9, god answered my curious prayer for truth, in england.
when i was 16, i moved away on my own for the first time, to england.
when i was 21 and 22, i saw miracles everyday as a missionary, in england.
this summer, at 25, i returned on a soul-exposing independent journey, to england.

this blog is about to become a major travelogue (as if it isn’t already). the purpose is to update interested family and friends on my adventures, and the side-effect is hopefully to share some beauty and some enthusiasm for said beauty with anyone and everyone. i feel a little silly about slapping most of the details of my british isles trip on the internet, but i learned a powerful lesson while traveling alone: life is for sharing. i don’t think i’ve ever had such an intense desire to share – so read or look as you please! and let me know what you think, or what beauty you’ve found to share yourself.