The Best Day Yet

So far, the trip has mainly consisted of lectures all day every day, but finally June 13 was a fun day of adventures. We still had lectures in the morning, but we had basically all afternoon to do a bunch of fun things. We all got to go to the oldest botanical gardens, University of Oxford Botanic Gardens. Kylie and Kailey had fun trying to catch gold fish in their little pond. Kailey also stole a little fruit from one of the green houses which we tried (sour...) and Deb gave me a bit of eatable leaf which was actually really good! We also had fun poking all the bug eating plants.  

Cricket

Attempting to catch goldfish

Carter and the stolen fruit

Giant lily pads

Kailey

look closely...  Tim...

  After that, we had a little tour of Magdalene College by our business professor, Dr. Hoffmire. While on that tour, We went down the walk that C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien went on when Lewis converted from Atheism to Christianity. The walk itself was great, but the best part came at the very end. There was a big branch that I wanted to climb but it was too tall for me to reach. Sophie came to help me up and lifted me up single all by herself! I commented on how strong she is which really flattered her! She was so excited that she accidentally dropped me to tell Tom about how she can do 5 pull ups. I landed on my feet initially but the hill went down behind me and I fell in slow motion onto my bum and rolled onto my back. Sophie felt so bad! And I happened to flash everyone my underwear. That's just a good way to bond... We all laughed really hard about it though.

Jennifer

C.S. Lewis' office again

Dr. Hoffmire's favorite tree in Magdalene college.

Kissing deer

On the walk where C.S. Lewis was converted

After the incident

 After that, it was time for some punting! Kyle, Michael, Kailey, Kylie, and I were all on one boat. We were laughing so hard the whole time and I got soaked! Michael also actually climbed over a bridge and jumped back in! It was super impressive! We also ran into the bank and into bushes a ton. Kyle almost got knocked out by the "rape branch" (because it almost violated him). Kailey happened to be really good at punting! I got tired really fast from it... and we had battles with the other punters. It was too much fun!

Catherine, Andee, Heeje, and Josh on the other boat

Kyle in the back, then Michael, then Kailey

Kylie giving it a go

Almost going overboard and losing a pole...

Spencer, Caleb, Mckenna 

Canoe style

trying to beat the others by cheating

teacher

Getting Kyle's butt wet. I had posted this photo on Facebook but then everybody  was acting like we were a couple and I got embarrassed and took it down. He is pretty handsome, though!

me-"nailed it"
Kyle and Brit who worked there simultaneously in dumb voice: "nailed it"

That night, we went to a lecture by Aboriginal Aunty Doyle about innovations in Indigenous health care. It was really amazing all the hard things the Aboriginals have gone through in Australia. One boy asked how we can help save the Aboriginals, and since we were all LDS, she felt comfortable enough to tell us her theory. She said that the only thing that can save them is the LDS Church. When she was a child, she and her sister were kidnapped by the local mission (not the LDS one, but a different one... I don' know what church).  They were kept in a cupboard and taken out periodically to be raped. They were also only fed about three times a week. One of the missionaries was killed, so the family ran away. While away, they met the LDS missionaries and she knew right away that it was the true church. She told us about how the Gospel was the only thing that kept her from killing herself and made it possible for her to go to Oxford and make it. She emphasized how it was only the Gospel.  The rest of her family left church but she clung on to the rod because that's what kept her going. Her brother and brother-in-law both killed themselves, her sister ran away and is probably dead, her niece became a prostitute and is also probably dead. Her mother became an alcoholic. Only the Gospel saved her, and that's what will save her people in Australia. Now she's an assistant professor at Oxford! It was an incredible story! Her students, who are not LDS, got to hear the whole story, too. Afterwards, her husband, who is Mowry, and her did a traditional song for us and gave us decorated stones that were passports into the Aboriginal world. It was amazing.

sorry for bad videoing...

After that, Julie, the MBA student, took Kailey, Kylie, and I to a pub for some "Mormon Cocktails." She's also getting another masters in business on top of a masters in Psychology from Penn State and a future PHd in Psychology from Stanford and has a couple NGOs and a documentary in the works. She's amazing! She gave us some incredible advice! She basically told us that even if we don't think we are competitive, we shouldn't sell ourselves short and that we should apply for things that we don't think we could even make it because miracles happen. She also really stressed networking and asking people for help because that's what's really going to help us in our future.  It basically inspired me to really try for things that I feel are beyond my reach and to not sell myself short! I should apply for super competitive scholarships and apply to really competitive graduate schools because who knows? Maybe a miracle can happen for me. I have so much untapped potential because I've been so worried about being rejected when I should really just go ahead and give life a try. Who knows what will happen. I just need to network and push myself harder. I also need to read better literature that will really help me develop myself and my life. Life is wonderful! I just need to go out there and make something of myself!