We dropped Ava at the Moreton-in-Marsh train station (I just love these crazy names), and she was off to London. I spoke with the mother of the friend she was going to stay with to make sure that she knew Ava was coming, what train she was coming on, and that she was going to be watching the girls. Forget that. She's a London mom, which apparently also means that she's very carefree and keeps the briefest of tabs on her daughter. She is all about self-responsibility. Maybe it's just that kids grow up faster here. Natasha is 17, so she's a little bit older than Ava, but not by much. Her mom wasn't really clear about any of the plans that the girls had made, but she was fine with them, and even though I think I had mentioned "wanting to make sure someone was meeting Ava at the train station," it was also clear that SHE wasn't doing that, but maybe Natasha was (or if not, 'the kids take uber here, it's very safe'.) Guess there's no reason to start being a helicopter mom now. We later found out Ava took an Uber, but she did get there safe and sound. We also know from her GPS phone app that she didn't leave the house until after 11:00 p.m. to 'hit the town'. Coming home to reality is going to be real tough, because that's not how we roll in Oregon and I'm pretty sure the fake ID she's using on her PHONE (no joke, she pulls it up on her phone, some kind of international fake ID), is not going to work in the states, so at least we have that going for us.
The rest of us went to Oxford which is super beautiful. The university makes me wish I had studied more, and the town was bustling with young people, and tour groups of young people (they must organize programs thru the university.) It was beautiful, love Oxford and definitely didn't get enough time there because come mid-afternoon, they kids poop out because of the heat (or possible laziness.) We had a great lunch though, and it was an around smooth day, filled with me trying to imagine ways to come back to the area next summer. I think I almost have it figured out.
I'm glad the heat we're getting is while we're here instead of London, which is currently having a more serious heat wave with temps around 102 degrees. London in that heat sounds horrible. It's been upper 80's here, which is plenty hot, but we're in the country and that gives us a little buffer with all the space, greenery and air. Apparently the London heat wave will be over by the time we arrive Friday and temps drop to upper 70's which will be perfect.
We stopped at a small town on our way where I bought a book in a little café/bookstore that is all about the science of sleep and it's GREAT so far, "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker. Seriously, I've only read 10 pages but I already want to sleep a LOT more.
I took pictures of the tree caves, many of the little roads that interconnect the larger roads have this canopy of trees across the top, they look like tree caves. They are incredible, and we found them all over the place lending a mysterious air to these small roads. Also snapped a picture of the "inner city" graveyard. We've seen this a couple of times now, where they have invited these really old graveyards that sit in the middle of a town to become almost a green space. I saw people sitting in it, as if it was a park, chatting with friends, eating lunch etc.
I'm already sad we're leaving this place and we still have a day left, I'm going to be crying after that.
Signed, ME {lv}
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