Traveling to York

I have a fantastic job; I get to act silly with kids in order to inspire them to set goals and be champions. And I get to do this all over the world. My company sent me on a tour to York, UK for two weeks and it was great! Getting there took a little longer than anticipated. A delayed flight caused me to miss a connecting flight and I ended up spending the first day of work at a hotel in Chicago. I had some good books to read, so it was alright.  

Once I arrived in Heathrow, I took a small, final flight to the Manchester airport. The British Airline was so accommodating; they brought me a warmed baguette with sausage and tomato chutney, a welcome comfort-snack after too many hours of traveling!

Although a bit tired, I arrived in Manchester just fine. My bags, however, did not. My two 70 lb. bags were still back in London. With all of my show materials.

So, with a little improvisation and a quick hand, I drew a NED and made some rough substitutes for the next day: 

Even without a mic and all the bells and whistles, it was a great first show in the UK. The kids were so charming!

I only had to do one show with the makeshift stuff; a colleague came to my rescue that afternoon and lent me all of his gear (he didn't have a show at that time). And my bags arrived at the hotel that evening.

The rest of the trip was successful as far as work goes. I loved having kids tell me my American accent was cool, and loved it even more when they showed me they could talk in an American accent, too. 

Driving from school to school, I had the chance to see the beautiful, rural countryside of Yorkshire, from Grantham to Sheffield and Doncaster, up through Hull, out to Grimsby and even Bridlington and Driffield. 

I'm so grateful for this amazing opportunity! I can't wait to show you some of the places I visited. But first, I just want you to know how truly blessed and happy I feel to be experiencing these kinds of adventures! Heavenly Father has blessed me with a job I love that takes me to places I've had on my bucket list since I was a kid. He truly knows each of us personally, and will pour more blessings upon us than we can receive when we strive to follow His will. Even (rather, especially) when we fall short, His generosity and mercy abounds. My overarching thought throughout my time in the UK was of the love God has for each of us, the beautiful places He has created, and the thousands of years of history people have lived and loved under His watch. 

"Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

~Alma 26:37