Perfect, Crisp Autumn Day

Seeing hot air balloons has always inspired a feeling of awe and joy in me. When my friend Mallori talked about wanting to go on a hot air balloon ride I expressed my excitement and she found a deal to make it happen!

Finding time to go was more complicated, and it turns out we finally found time on one of the last weekends they were going to take people up in October.

We rented a car and drove 75 miles north of NYC. We finally found the grass alley between two homes and found this beautiful, and not at all what I expected, “air strip”

Upon seeing the balloon spread out on the grass I literally couldn’t contain my excitement (note the raised shoulders and balled fists!)

As the balloon started to fill with air, we realized it could take awhile, so we entertained ourselves taking pictures as the balloon slowly grew:

Finally we got our first peek inside the fabric that would hold our fate in its hands:

Our hot air balloon pilot enlisted help from some of our fellow riders. As they held onto the sides, he ran inside – say what!?!

And then came the real eye opener – playing with fire :)

When the moment came for all 10 of us to squeeze into what suddenly seemed like a rickety wicker basket I realized I was terrified. And I realized that my level of fear exceeded the level of fear I felt when jumping out of an airplane with another person and a parachute strapped to me. My initial visions were of the bottom dropping out of the basket and my clenched fists went from ones of joy to my lifeline clinging to anything in front of me.

Luckily, I got over my initial trepidation, and my second vision was incredible!!

Perspective was one of the coolest parts of this adventure. Moving along slower and less directly than a plane with a wider vantage gave a lot of different perspectives:

Perspective down

Perspective up

Perspective wide

Perspective of trees

Perspective of towns and roads and reservoirs relating to each other

And one of my favorites – Perspective of Manhattan 75 miles away
One World Trade Center (still under construction at the time) visible on the horizon

Then there were just some incredible views:

Our pilot told us that we were very lucky and got a longer ride than most, for which I was truly grateful. As the sun started to set I wondered where exactly we would land. 

There was nothing but trees below us at this point. Suddenly, there was a clearing. Or rather someone's front lawn...

Yep, we landed on their grass. Luckily they thought it was a grand adventure rather than an inconvenience. They waved and smiled as we descended:

And they took a group photo for us!

Somehow I was the last one to get out of the basket, and I was wondering if the basket would tip over before I could get out (it didn't!)

These pictures captures how dark it was not too long after we landed - and also that we would have been fine, at least fuel wise, if we hadn't come across the accommodating lawn.

On our drive back to where we started, the pilot told us horror stories about hot air balloon crash landings and getting stranded in the air at night. It was funny, but also sobering since we easily could have turned into one of the next stories he told groups on the drive back.

A few more photos - I can't get over the beauty of this adventure!!

London’s Calling You

When my friend told me she flew to London from Boston for cheaper than I could get home to see my family in Utah, I knew I couldn’t leave the East Coast without hoping over the pond.

It took me another few years to finally take the plunge and leave the country, but I did it!

Some of my favorite things were the slightly more “like I live here” kind of things - spending an hour reading in the Queen’s rose garden, going on a picnic after Church with some new friends, meeting up with a friend of a friends and walking around town and getting the insiders tour of Harrod’s department store.

Or the day we did laundry and when we checked on it we noticed a strange gap in the clothes hanging on the line. Turns out someone stole my socks…hope they liked them!

There were also some great random moments – like when I filmed Kiersten eating chocolate covered cheese curd. She was very concerned about it, but said it was good. And I got video of the whole thing, so you can enjoy it too:

We definitely played tourist as well:

A few other highlights:

1. Going to Evensong at St. Paul’s only to find out they were appointing a new bishop and getting to participate in that ceremony
2. Going to The Globe theatre and watching Love's Labour's Lost in British Sign Language (one thing I didn’t think of was how few props you can use if you are speaking primarily with your hands – fascinating!)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   My view of the stage from my front row groundling "seat" at the Globe
   
3. Going to Parliament was one of my favorites – just being in the balcony looking down and listening to the witty banter was incredible. I also had just recently watched Amazing Grace and it was touching to think I was in the same room where the slave trade was abolished.
4. Riding the London Eye
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Finding a local park and playing there at dusk
   
   
   
6. Taking a bus out to Abbey Road to reenact the Beatles famous album cover photo
7. Touring the Tower of London
   
   
   
8. Walking over bridges along the Thames (note, London Bridge is not very noteworthy)
   
   
   
9. Eating Magnum bars and an incredible mango passion fruit donut sitting in Trafalgar Square – and then climbing on one of the lions (they are HUGE)
10. Seeing Antigone set during WWII at the National Theatre – very powerful
11. Portobello Road (yes, I sang the song from Bed Knobs and Broomsticks, repeatedly)
    
    
    
12. Childhood Museum
1. Care Bears: Funny how you can see something you loved at a child and it evokes very strong memories and emotions.
   
2. Pound Puppies: My brother Anthony had one EXACTLY like this for years!
   
3. Spice Girls: Reminded me of one of my dear friends Emily Smith
   
4. Right Left Shoe: Just in case your child can read but doesn't know which foot is left and which is right
   
5. God Save the Queen
   
6. Kitchen Gadget chandelier: Really cool ceiling hanging thing made of kitchen utensils - not sure why that's at the Museum of Childhood, but I liked it.
13. Personal favorite “pop culture” references
    
    "Perhaps we should call on them next time we are in town" - anyone, anyone?
    
14. Fantastic London signs
    
    
    
    
    
    Every time I saw this on the Tube I thought "I didn't think it was that bad" complete with the best mental British accent I could muster
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Does it really work?
    
15. Falling in Fountain Pic
    
    
    
    Shout out to Jessica Smith Schaugaard and Christina Smith Shupe - we did a similar photo in Southern Utah right after I graduated from high school. The best part was a couple who were there did the same thing, and then apologized for "stealing" our idea. I loved that they copied - and hope her son did enjoy the pics
    
16. While not actually in London, one of the coolest things we did was take a bus out to see Stonehenge
    
    Giving you some perspective about how far from this we had to stay. Having been to Foamhenge in Virginia (near Natural Bridge - check it out if you get the chance!) this was almost a little disappointing because at Foamhenge you can walk right up and see how small you are in comparison to the structure. At the real thing you had to stay far, far away.
    

As with many travel experiences, one of the best stories that came out of this trip had the potential to be one of the worst experiences of our lives. One night early in our trip we were back at our flat making plans for the next day when we hear “tink, tink, tink” and realize someone is “knocking” on our door (by pushing the mail flap).

I go to check it out, calling “Who is it?” as I look through the peep hole and see a man in a hoodie with the hood pulled over his head. Not the best sign, but I don’t feel my spidey sense going off. I don’t really understand his response, but hear that he’s asking for Jerry, and I think maybe he is the guy from Spain our host (Jerry) told us was staying in his other flat. So I say, “Jerry’s not here right now” knowing he left town for the weekend, but not going to share that piece of information. “Oh sorry,” comes the reply in a distinct British accent as he pulls his hood off, “didn’t mean to scare you. Can you call him for me?” Still talking through the door I tell him I’ll get him the number, he says he doesn’t have “credit” while I walk over to get a scrap of paper for Jerry’s number.

Kiersten is sitting on the couch and silently tells me NOT to open the door (never fear, that was never my plan) and I walk back over with the number. This is when I realize I have to pull the mail slot towards me to get the paper out to the man on the other side of the door.

When I do, I see his face in the slot – his nose would likely have been hit if I dropped the flap, which I very nearly did! My spidey sense is still doing okay, but this situation was definitely getting stranger. “I’m not a thug, or a nasty person,” he says and tries to explain that Jerry’s helping him get a job and he just wants to come in. I give him the number and tell him he can’t come in. After a little back and forth he finally says, “I understand, better safe than sorry!” and walks away.

Once Jerry got back we talked to him about the experience and he explained that he was trying to help the man who showed up at our door get a job and “he’s not all right in the head” and “I hope he didn’t alarm you.”

Before we left, I made Kiersten take a video of me pretending to be the man talking through the peep hole – and she did drop the mail slot when she first saw my face. What an experience!

Despite our “nasty man” experience, it was a wonderful first trip out of the country.

Now to fill the rest of my passport…