I'll be back to explore this place, eventually.
"All the world's a stage . . ." and other Shakespeare quotes.
I've spent time with a second set of parents, who made me feel very welcomed over Easter. 
My British Mum and Dad, as opposed to my Biological Mom and Dad.
The Easter Bunny found me this year!
My mum brought me to see Nottingham Castle, and what is a visit to Nottingham if you don't see Robin Hood.
I've not traveled everywhere I wanted to go, but that just makes me all the more determined to come back to Europe again (I am thinking in twenty years or so). However, I've made the most of my time here, discovering and trying new things.
I've seen secret gardens that used to supply the entire Harlaxton household.
And saw the giant cat that resided inside the walls.
I've held a lamb, and seen an angry ewe determined to protect her babies.
I've made British S'mores (yes, there is a difference) and stood next to a giant bonfire. The picture doesn't do it justice.
I've seen the inside of the clock tower
And the view from the roof
Looking out over the landscape of England's countryside.
I've seen the bunker in the woods
And the messages past students have left.
I've creeped on a wedding held here at Harlaxton.
Made my hand-knitted bird a napkin nest.
And realized Cadbury cream eggs have a resemblance to real eggs.
I've made it to Platform 9 3/4, but not the Harry Potter Studio tours.
But that is all coming to a close now. A final and a few hours is all I have left here of Harlaxton, of England. I'll return for a night between the 27th and the 28th, but I will not have another chance to go to a pub, ride the underground, or take pictures of England's statues. I'll miss the sheep, the stairs, and the occasional drinking (especially the free wine served at nice dinners *wink*).
I've made friends, and disconnected from friends. I've learned a different way of holding my cutlery, and I now understand putting milk in tea. Lift. Trolley. Coach. Dinner is tea, but we don't have tea for dinner (we may have tea with dinner).
So here we are. Past the last British Studies Lecture (I felt a sense of British Patriotism, which is probably the opposite of American Patriotism), the Victory dinner, the ball, the London educational fieldtrip, and winter.
Harlaxton will always have a piece of me. Or rather, "a part of us remains wherever we have been" ~ A fortune cookie.
Yes, we are the geeky ones playing on electronics the last night that we can drink at Harlaxton.
I know my adventures in This Old World are not over yet. I still have ten days of Italy remaining before I return to America. Even then, I plan to return some time in the future (hopefully before I turn 50) to see even more sights. For now, however, I leave you with a few song lyrics.
"So long, so long and thanks / for all the fish" ~ Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. No, really, thank you for the fish. I actually enjoy the fish we were served with our chips (even if I did cover it in tartar sauce.
"Inch by inch and row by row / I'm gonna make this garden grow / all it takes is a rake and a hoe / and a piece of fertile ground. / Inch by inch and row by row / someone bless these seeds I sow / someone warm them from below / till the rains come toubling down." ~ The Garden Song - The Anthem of Harlaxton. I'll miss you Harlaxton, but the seeds you have sown will one day bare fruit.
Farewell until after I return to the states to post my final pictures and blog about Italy. This old world has been kind to me, and I hope that the relationship between American and Europe continues to strengthen.
J.K. Clark
