This town held me safe for six months and saw me grow like I didn’t imagine. It is not a very tourist based place it has an always moving feeling. Between the university and the business building, the town has many opportunities. When I could, I went to the abbey ruins and the museum to learn more about the history of the place. I wanted to visit more park and discover the hidden gems but the pandemic happened. What I did more was wander around the university campus and their green spaces. The river, the gardens, and an empty building became my only exploring ground during the lockdown. Always with safety, of course. I am thankful for my time there and even though I feel like it wasn’t enough. I want to come back and explore what I couldn’t. Thank you, Reading. // athena.
what I saw in my last day in London (june 10th)
This was my last day in London. Six days (or seven…) before my flight back home. It wasn’t an entire day like the ones I have already share. This is a couple of hours of walking around. Everything was different because the world is. This is a London post-hard-lockdown, post-first Black Lives Matter protests. I even managed to find “No justice, no peace” that the government couldn’t wash out. The city, the people and I changed since my birthday in February. I walked around in the rain with my hands in the same coat; listening to my fav playlist through the same headphones. So I walked in classical UK weather feeling bittersweet. The new landmarks made me feel this exploring euphoria I needed. The moment I went back to the places I already knew, I felt angry. I wasn’t fair that I didn’t get to explore and see what this city has to offer. As dramatic as it sounds, as a tourist as it was, I almost cried in front of Big Ben. I don’t want to go back because there was so much more I wanted to do. It is out of my control and there are other priorities now. So I blinked away the tears and I promised myself: I will come back and I am going to make this city mine. For now, this is goodbye. // athena, London.
the city that felt right from the very beginning but the circumstances changed to wrong.
travel log 6, march x //
Obviamente, no escribí esto a tiempo. Obviamente, no estoy escribiendo en inglés. En este punto, necesito un poco de familiaridad. Necesito mi idioma de regreso. Suelo usar el inglés para lo no me quiero enfrentar. Hablo en inglés de las cosas que no quiero decir en español. Se vuelven reales. Mas tengo que decirlas. Ya es una realidad.
En el ‘two month update’ iba a hablar de lo difícil que se me ha hecho ser mexicana estando fuera de México. Cuando dejé el país, me prometí no regresar comparando a Inglaterra con México. ‘Es que en Inglaterra...’ Debo aceptar que hubo veces que me puse a pensar que debí haber nacido aquí por lo feliz que me siento caminar en las calles de Londres. Pero no es así. Puedo ver con ojos de amor este país, está cultura porque nací fuera de ella. Y puedo ver sus fallos también, como veo los nuestros. (La comida no es buena, fueron hasta la India por especies para no usarlas...). Mas me encuentro queriendo hablares de mis país a todos. Cada vez que me preguntan sobre algo mexicano, me lleno de orgullo y trato de explicar lo mejor que puedo. Después el presidente habla y me hierve la sangre. Es querer darme cabezazo contra la pared. Déjame estar orgullosa de mi país, AMLO. Cada día, lo haces más difícil.
Ese era mi pensamiento inicial, después los feminicidios en México ocuparon la primera plana. Después los estudiantes asesinatos en puebla. Después la balanceará en Cholula. La organización que vi en mis contactos en las redes sociales, mis amigos, los que sigo me dejó la piel chinita. Más de una vez se me llenaron los ojos de lágrimas al ver cómo mi generación ha crecido y estamos dispuestos a pelear. Ver a mi universidad, juntarse con otras del estado, donde van compañeros de mi secundaria y prepa, amigos tomar las calles de Puebla para una marcha histórica, es algo que me dejó sin palabras. La situación es horrenda, claro pero la respuesta me tomó de sorpresa. Deseaba estar en México para gritar y marchar con ellos. Pero estoy acá, al otro lado del mundo y comparto lo que ellos gritan. Después el día de la mujer. Nunca había tenido tantas ganas de ir a una marcha. Ponerme colores que no uso (morado y verde), alzar el puño o una cartulina y salir a marchar por las que ya no están y por las que seguimos aquí. Las fotos de la Ciudad de México adornada de jacarandas y feministas es algo impresionante. Es historia. Estamos haciendo historia. Aquí tienen sus rollos políticos y sociales pero mi corazón está en México. Quería hablarles a todos de lo impresionante que es esto. El paro al día siguiente. Mi aportación fue desaparecer en línea. Fue difícil pero ver como impacto y afecto al país... wow. Hubiera dado lo que fuera por haber estado allá, sentir el silencio, la tensión y todo. Insisto esto es historia. No estoy ahí para vivirla y si para contarla. Ser una mujer mexicana es difícil, cada día más. Aun así, estoy orgullosa de serlo.
Esta era mi reflexión como update, tendría que contar como me ha ido acá ¿no? Pues nos llegó el corona pero para el siguiente post.
// athena, mi cuarto.
This was a day trip with old friends to Windsor. This family I met them back in Mexico. He is British and gave me english classes when I was fifteen years old. I used to tell him how much I dream about coming to England. Now, I am 21 years old and I meet with them again. They were so kind as to drove me to Windsor and explore the castle with me. I can only show the outside because no pictures or videos were allowed. I would try my best to describe the inside.
The first thing I noticed was that it doesn’t feel like ruins or old. The few I had been to, is more like a game of ‘how this would look back then’. Here is a used castle. You can clearly see how life was and is for the English monarchy. The excess and the gold. The amount of wealth the royal family has. The number of rooms that were specific of how close you were to the kings impressed me. Also, Queen Mary had a dollhouse. Not to play, a dollhouse that had running water and electricity. The details and the beauty of this place are incredible. Of all of the inside, this was what I wanted to take pictures the most. I mean, they had famous books at the time in miniature. Armour, knights, portraits, ‘trophies’ of other cultures.
One lovely security guard showed us a little chimney that had steam going out. That part of the castle is close. Because the Queen is staying there. I was literary on her home while she was probably taking a nap on her chamber. This is for sure, the closest I would ever be to her. // athena, Windsor Castle.
This is the last video and entry I did before the pandemic. Things were starting to grow but fear wasn’t high there. And I can’t sit here and pretend that everything is fine. It is not. This one particularly hurts because it might be the last one I will do from England. Right now, it feels like is over. I had so much plan to do. It had been taken away from me. And it hurts. I am scared, angry and hurt.
Stay inside, wash your hands, be careful.
What I saw in Oxford, feb 18 //
This trip wasn’t supposed to happen today. I was planning to go to Basildon Park. I was so excited to spent the day in one of the filming places for Pride and Prejudice. I planned but I didn’t do it right. I bought the train tickets to the nearest train station hoping I could find the bus that would take me to the park. Well, that didn’t work. I wait for one hour, trying to get a taxi in a station full of elder people. The next bus to the park would be in two hours and I was unsure on how to get back. So, anxious and sad I got back on the train to Reading. I wasn’t going to let this ruin my pre-birthday day.
I bought a ticket to Oxford. I didn’t know what to see there. I didn’t plan for it but at this point I was rolling with it. I walked around the shopping feeling completely lost. It wasn’t as applying as I thought. But then a found a tour, cheaper than most of the ones that I checked out. So I did that. The tour lady was lovely and funny. We walked around the university while she explained the history behind some landmarks and building. It was then when I saw the charming of the place. She also showed us the places that inspired/copied for the Harry Potter movies. And as a literature student and wanna be writer, it was so special to see the places that inspired books from people like Tolkien, Carroll and Lewis. Specially the last one. The last stop of the tour was the door and lantern that inspired Narnia, the lion, the wardrobe and the witch. It inspired me more than I thought it would.
Also, on my way back to the stations I found heaven on earth. A vintage stationary shop. Oh boy, If I had had more money and space on my suitcase, I would have bought more than a tiny cute space themed notebook.
So yes, Oxford surprised me than I thought. But I need to try again Basildon Park. I am not going back until I see it.