That European Blog!

Well, hello.

You may be thinking—OMG HIL. YOU’VE BEEN TO EUROPE. WHY THE H HAVEN’T YOU BLOGGED YET?!

Or not.

Well the truth is things have been a little wacky since I’ve been back. I’ve hit the ground running assisting my dad with a book project and I’ve been on a crazy new schedule in which I get up and work at 7:30 am and I’m useless by 10 pm (thanks European timezones!). Quite the opposite of my show life schedule (that was more like Noon-2 AM). So I’m making a priority now to write about my travels before I forget them even though I’ve got things to do. Ok, reflections on 2 weeks abroad:

1. Edinburgh was amazing. I spent a week walking the streets that my sister and brother-in-law have walked on a daily basis for 3 years and that was so cool. The architecture there is breathtaking and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the.bomb. We saw 2 shows worth mentioning: Fair Trade (a show produced by Emma Thompson educating audiences about sex trafficking) and Edges by Pasek & Paul (a duo who are quickly emerging to be the hot new thing in musical theatre writing here in the States and apparently all over). Both shows were well-executed, not boring and thought-provoking. The Festival was a delight and I’m so glad I can say I’ve been to it.
2. London felt like a notquiteascool NYC but it was still great--namely because England is where so many of my favorite artists and writers are from: The Beatles (my favorite band), John Keats (my favorite poet), Jane Austen (my favorite novelist), C.S. Lewis (my favorite theologian/explainer of spiritual matters), Cath Kidston (my favorite producer of all things cute), Andrew Lloyd Webber (my favorite composer of dramatic musical theatre). You get the point. The highlight of our time in London was probably getting to see the West End production of “Love Never Dies” Webber’s sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera.” The special effects and music swept me away. It’s soooo dramatic and I love that Webber guy for it. Sierra Boggess played Christine and she is everything I could ever hope to be as a vocalist. 2 thumbs up.
3. Paris was awesome. We were on the subway above ground randomly and Ashli said “Look!” (I was looking out the wrong window). When I turned to the other side of the car and saw the Eiffel Tower staring back at me I involuntarily gasped. It was SO beautiful. The city’s culture and style are just inspiringly laid back and encompass the essence of European flare. I’m determined to have a grasp on the French language when I go back next. I felt kind of out of the loop not understanding anything written or spoken. I want in on the secret!
4. If you do go to England/Scotland you won’t regret exploring the smaller towns and villages scattered throughout. Possibly 2 of my favorite days were exploring the Highlands and St. Andrews in Scotland and touring Windsor Castle in Windsor at the very end of the trip. The UK’s small towns are amaaaazingly charming (especially compared to the US version of a small town). We got to eat the fish & chips voted best in the UK in Aberdeen and I got to snoop around St. Andrews College (where the princes attended). You really get a feel for what the country is like by going off the beaten path and by far the most breathtaking scenery was found in the Scottish countryside. I loved it!

There is really just so much I could write about the trip I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. I think travel and the exploration of other cultures is essential in really Living life so I feel so blessed that I got to do this at such a young age and with my sister. We had a grand time and I’m so grateful to her for taking time out of her life and being my tour guide. We had quite the adventure and made wonderful memories. The stuff of life folks!