Go up to the zoo and draw me a penguin.

Yesterday was one of the most amazing days of my life.

Bath, to begin, is completely exquisite. No wonder Jane Austen spent so much time there and based so much of her novels around this city gem. Getting there was quite easy; I had to make an early start (caught the bus at 6:50 am!!), but it was completely worth it. After a few hours of reading Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and switching trains a couple of times, I emerged on Bath, went through City Centre, passing fruit and flower vendors, and, consulting my trusty guide book, I found the Roman Baths.

Actually, the Baths weren't very exciting, to tell the truth. I mean, as exciting as Stonehenge was, in the sense that I was finally viewing something firsthand that I've read so much about and that is so unbelievably ancient and preserved. Well, being preserved; that's probably why the Baths didn't seem worth the £9 to get in: they're currently undergoing a MAJOR restoration process. Oh well, still, it was incredible to see a site that has been in Britain for hundreds and hundreds of years, and it's still functional to the city of Bath today. The Romans really knew their stuff, apparently.

After the Baths, I had a bit of time to kill before the lecture at the Holburne, so I wandered around City Centre and over to Prior Park and the Avon. Unfortunately, yesterday's trip was the first day of not-so-fortunate weather for a day trip, but, although it was cold and overcast, the day was still pretty conducive for walking around. Thankfully, because Bath is absolutely breathtaking. And Prior Park? Extravagant and wonderful, and I wish I had been in Bath 150 years ago, promenading around in hoop skirts and strolling with some handsome character from a Victorian novel.

Crossing the Pulteney Bridge, I made my way to the Holburne Museum, one of Britain's great small museums. The museum currently has an exhibit of Penguin Book covers to mark the publishing company's 70th anniversary, which occurred 2 years ago. I went to the museum for the exhibit, as well as a lecture on the life of Allen Lane, the publisher who started Penguin Books and revolutionized the publishing industry by "opening excellence up for everyone," as the lecturer, author and book editor Jeremy Lewis said.

Experiencing the beauties of Bath was wonderful, but the best part of my day yesterday was definitely that lecture. The intellectual in me emerged once more, and I can say with almost complete certainty that my career path has altered to book publishing and editing. Prior to the beginning of the lecture, I spoke to the woman sitting next to me, probably in her 60s or 70s, who was attending the lecture with her husband and told me it was nice to see a young face at an event like this. Coincidentally, she went to the University of Leicester, as did her daughter, and she told me stories about her time at Uni, living in Bristol and Bath, and excursions to the US (while in NYC, she and her husband wanted to walk around a park, but were confused when they saw a sign that said "no strollers"---she didn't know strollers were pushcarts!!). When she asked me if book publishing was a career I wanted to get into, I thought about her question and realized that I love publishing so much more than writing; I love assembling all of the pieces that have been given to me, rather than creating them myself, and producing a finished element worthy of praise. So, while I am still definitely interested in journalism, or at least being a journalism major, I can't say I'll ever actually be a writer. Hmm, that is so strange to say (or write). But we shall see.

And then last night, on the train ride home, Robbie informed me that we were going out, so a perfect end to a perfect day. Yesterday, I completely combined all elements of my personality--loner, wanderer, adventurer, intellectual, dreamer, partyer, dancer. Bliss, indeed.

Well, I guess there were two glitches in yesterday's perfection--1. I lost my gloves. On the last train I was on, no doubt!! Oh well, at least I had them all day!!
2. It was too foggy to see the Lunar Eclipse!!! Damn English weather.

Oh well, I guess I can let it slide.