I love British people.
I love the way they carefully express their thoughts, mumble their ironic observations, and, how they “take the Micky out” of each other with their dry humor. And I especially like the idea of keeping a stiff upper lip because it makes sense to me. You can’t be a wimp if you want to survive in this world, so pursed lips, and a butt load of silent courage helps you live up to the country’s famous motto: Keep Calm and Carry on…
And, of course, a good cup of proper English tea is always the perfect remedy for absolutely any problem.
But for me, being around Vanessa’s family in England was truly the best medicine in the world. They made me laugh, and they pulled me into a world where the phone rings funny, and the “wee waaaa” sound of a police siren seems to politely alert the townspeople that “a bit of trouble” is unfolding nearby. And there’s no big rush to go anywhere because the kettle is quick to boil, but the tea spins lazily in the cup.
The pace, the people, and the distance between England and Utah gave me just what my soul really needed.
Right from the start, everything about our trip was perfect and blessed. Adding me to Vanessa’s plans almost seemed to be predestined or ordained in some way because the details came together so effortlessly. Our plane trip was “splendid” — we even had a full row all to ourselves! The flight attendants were amazing to us, too — they were totally invested in the details of our plans by the time we landed.
There was going to be a brand new baby boy in the world any day, and, Vanessa was determined to help me find myself so I could have a brand new start of my own. So the trip was inspired and truly exciting from the first moments after our arrival.
That’s partly because the first two nights away were already “planned, sorted, and organised,” as Vanessa would say.
Vanessa set it up so we could stay in a swanky Kensington hotel called The Bentley. She got an unbelievable deal on the room, and when she finalized the reservation, she found out the cost was even less than advertised! It was in the exact part of town we wanted to be in, plus, obviously, my maiden name is Bentley — so that was kind of cool. My dad’s side of the family actually hails from England, so checking in and seeing my dad’s surname on the fancy sign out front just made the whole thing so special to me. And when we opened the door to our room, it was “positively posh” in every way!
We had plans to see Vanessa’s youngest son, Richard, who lived and worked in London — and, Vanessa wanted to take me shopping at Marks & Spencer. It’s the best place to shop when you’re fabulous and fashionable, but also on a tight budget. Plus, M&S happens to have this awesome “intimates collection” with a kind of famous bra that can “naturally” increase your bust by two sizes! But poor Richard. He ended up tagging along with us on our shopping spree. He must’ve been dying — but true to form, he kept that famous British humor in check, and was a “jolly good sport, indeed.”
By the time I was done trying on a dozen or so bras, both Richard and the sales clerk — with the sloped shoulders, horrible teeth, and wonky cockney accent — had to admit…
