I’ve spent uncountable hours reading books set in England, not to mention the film adaptations I’ve seen, so I definitely had a wish list of notable sites to see in southwest England.

Although I was traveling with my daughter Brittany and her husband, Andy, this part of the trip was very heavily in favor of my choices. First stop, Oxford.

We found a rental cottage in the middle of, well, nowhere, but it was affordable and centrally located for much on said list, including Jane Austen’s Bath.

Also Stourhead House and Gardens,

where Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett turned down Mr. Darcy’s proposal:

Plus Lacock Abbey for a bit of Harry Potter:

And lesser known to me, Dyrham Park (The Remains of the Day and Poldark).

The thing about reading–and, to a lesser extent, watching films–is that it can take you out of yourself and transport you to another place, into another person’s experience. Visiting these places brings it all to vibrant 3D life. I love that, in spite of tourist infestations, aromatic alleyways, and other discomforts of travel.

And, yes, travel is uncomfortable. It’s not just heavy bags and crowded subways, either. If we let it, travel can shift our focus from ourselves to those around us. It can turn off our autopilot and open us to another way of doing things. Who doesn’t need that? Our culture insists My Way is the Right Way. Travel insists you’ll have a much better experience if you’re open to change: to trying new foods, to learning new words, to living at a different tempo.

I remember the first few months after David was gone, I couldn’t ignore a persistent God-nudge to stay open. Just that, the word “open” in my spirit day after day. It kept me from shrinking, from folding in on myself trying to protect my aching tender core. Travel has the same effect when I’m doing it right. I still fight my tendency to tunnel vision–more on that later–but even the bits I do see clearly are worth the detour from life as usual. Wishing you new discoveries wherever you go and the wisdom to appreciate them.

Of course, it wasn’t all literary landmarks and film sets. We visited a few places just for the beauty, like Bowood Woodland Garden. I’ll leave you with a taste of that:

Grace and peace to you and yours!