I'm glad people have been enjoying reading about my adventure in England. Not only have I learned a lot, which has been especially helpful in adding more layers to what I learned in Literary Analysis this past semester, but I've been able to see and experience so many different parts of the Lake District. As this is the final week of my trip, I will be adding more posts on some the knowledge I've gleaned and some of the writing I've accomplished.
But first, it's long overdue to discuss the group as a whole. There are eight students (including myself) on this trip and we all come from a variety of backgrounds. I think everyone's major(s) are different which really brings in new and exciting dynamics to the trip. Here's a recap on the members.
Allie: A recently graduated Kohawk, Allie is currently looking for a job as an elementary school teacher. She's from West Branch, a town relatively close to Cedar Rapids. Allie is extremely passionate about being a teacher and I know that she will find some way to incorporate Wordsworth into her teaching plans. Those kids will be so smart!
Colin: A soon-to-be junior from Illinois. He's an art and creative writing major. Colin loves photography and is often never far from his camera. You can always count on Colin to bring authentic English food as a dinner meal idea or adventurously try a Lake District food item.
Courtney: You heard a lot about her so far as she is a member of the Trailblazing Trio. Hailing from Minnesota, Courtney is a theater and creative writing major. We can always count on Courtney for a good laugh and trust kitchen shelf organization to her so everyone knows what food belongs to what people.
Katie: A fellow Writing Center consultant and a soon-to-be junior, she is also from Illinois. Katie plans to major in creative writing and art history. She is our resident expert on Beatrix Potter, who although we haven't discussed, plays an important role in maintaining elements of the Lake District.
Kaitlin: A soon-to-be senior majoring in creative writing. I've worked with Kaitlin on the Coe Review and now I've gotten the opportunity to get to know her better by traveling with her. Her final project is going to be a work of fiction from the point of view of a wishing tree, which was a tree we stumbled across on the way to Rydal. Coins were inserted into the tree and you make a wish when you put your coin in.
Mike: Well, you've heard about Mike. Maybe even read his blog I linked. He's a soon-to-be senior from a town in Iowa. Mike is majoring in business and public relations. You can always count on him for an adventure and climbing rocks.
Sam: Our youngest member, a soon-to-be sophomore studying accounting. Sam is from China and often relates experiences here to ones in China. He loves asking questions about why things are the way they are, which makes for good conversation and thought about some of our habits.
The group from left to right: Colin, Sam, Katie, Courtney, Allie, Kaitlin, myself and Mike. Taken at Kenwood House
Our professor is Dr. Bob, professor in Rhetoric and advisor of the Writing Center. He and his wife, Margie, who is also a Coe professor (music) are accompanying and leading us on this trip. They have done this May Term several times and are always full of information and stories to share. Both hail from Kansas.
Finally, the two people who we are studying the most while in the Lake District are Dorothy and William Wordsworth. Brother and sister reunited when they were older, they ended up living in the same house for most of their adult life and relying on each other for writing inspiration. Dorothy wrote extensive journals describing the landscape and people of the Lake District; a journal exclusively meant for William for when he was writing. William is still a well known 18th and 19th century writer, helping to bring about changes in the literature world from Augustan ideals to the Romantic period of literature. I'll be talking more about this sibling tag team later this week. This is just a preview.
What we all share in common in our landscape: the Lake District. This area of Cumbria is considered a national park in Great Britain. Within this national park are National Trust sites; the National Trust is a private organization with the purpose of protecting and preserving land, houses, and gardens that are significant.
Needless to say, it's been an amazing three weeks and I can't wait for this final week.
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