Week 2 Olympic Medals

In honor of the upcoming London Olympics, I’ve decided to do this week's top three Olympic style. Cue the British National Anthem.

And the bronze medal goes to…

British Museum. I gave this the bronze for it’s potential, rather than how much I actually enjoyed the experience. We only had about an hour and a half to go through almost 100 rooms, so it was a very rushed tour. You just can’t contemplate the entirety of human existence in two hours, but I plan on going back to see the museum. This place is AMAZING. And I normally don’t do the all caps thing, so this is clearly a really big deal. When Britain ruled the world, it basically went around collecting relics from countries that weren’t preserving them very well. The have all of the remaining sculptures from the Parthenon, mummies, a preserved human skeleton from 3400 BC, the ROSETTA STONE, and art from basically every major civilization in human history. So much history in one place. I’m telling you, the British really have a proper appreciation for the past.

The silver medal goes to…

Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral. Evensong is an evangelical church service that is mostly sung by the choir of about 10 men and 10 young boys. It was ethereal with the pure young voices singing the soprano parts, the dissonant chords echoing around the huge vaulted ceilings of the cathedral. And I’m one of those weird people that really love religious choral music. I was so impressed.

And finally, the gold medal goes to…

Westminster Abbey. Specifically Poet’s corner. This is something I’ve wanted to see since I discovered it’s existence a few years ago. Dozens of famous British authors are buried or honored there, including my favorite novelist, Charles Dickens, and one of my favorite poets, Tennyson. Basically anyone who's anyone in British Literature has a plaque at the very least. I got there and just started crying. Yep, I was standing in Westminster Abbey weeping for joy over Charles Dickens’ grave. I know it sounds ridiculous, but you have to understand that this was a bucket list item for me. I’ve wanted to get here for so long and I’m finally here. I’m living my dreams. I’m doing things I never thought I would do. Literature is sacred to me, so visiting this sort of shrine to literature inspired me. I love that they love their literature here, enough to bury great poets among great kings and warriors. I want to honor these writers by perpetuating their legacy in America so that my future students will love these poets and authors the way I do – the way they honor and respect them here in England.