"Shane, don't jump on the ancient monuments, please..."

...says Father to Shane as he runs and jumps on the Stonehenge Cursus (a long enclosure of parallel banks) within my earshot. I snort.

Stonehenge and tiny ant people

Stonehenge Day! I honestly don't know what to expect. I'm curious but not necessary drawn to see it. Stella's friend went and said it was not to be missed so we decided to go last weekend but Stella had to work both days and that's the downside of having a job. That's why I try not to. I'M KIDDING. But it's true. 

The first thing I find is getting to Stonehenge is more expensive than I anticipated. My preferred way to go would have been taking the train to Salisbury and then catching a bus from there. This way I could play in Salisbury, visit their farmers market, see their church, be in charge of my own timetable and NOT take a (roll of the eyes) Tour Bus from London where I get none of the above. After pricing my way, I decide independence is overrated and opt for the Tour Bus. 

810a You know what challenges the directionally challenged? Construction. It encircles my tube stop like a moat. I'm happy I left early. I check in and join the back of the line. I wonder what kind of seat I'll get. I don't have to worry because in a COMPLETE REVERSAL the check in lady leads the back of the line into a bus behind us. Lines matter to me. I respect them. I also respect authority and things working out on my favor, and I'm making way too big of a deal about getting to be the third person on the bus instead of the thirteenth. 

God, that single girl sucks.

825a By the time the stragglers join and fill the bus I'm feeling pretty smug. You know what rules about traveling alone? Spreading out across two seats. I'm just saying. I love space. 

830a The boss lady who engineered the line reversal climbs on board and calls my name. I'm on the wrong bus. The right bus is "over there". I run to find my correct bus. I Am The Last Person In Line. Because I'm actually writing this in real time, I'm hyper aware of what a child I am. But I still get my own seat, so there. 

905a No, I do not still get my own seat. There is a second passenger pick up. The last person in that line chooses my open seat instead of the open seat across the aisle. And her arm is rubbing against mine. Right. Now.

1110a We arrive and you have the choice to take another shuttle or walk across nearly a mile of grass pastures to get to Stonehenge. The walk is perfect: quiet, solitary and beautiful. A friend of Stella's was able to beat the glut of people waiting for the shuttle to get a peaceful view of Stonehenge. I was hoping to be able to do the same, but with all the kids being out of school on holiday until Easter, the place was packed. Which made the walk to and fro that much more necessary. 

Gorgeous walk to Stonehenge

My Buster

Great Bustard

Near the pedestrian gate to Stonehenge proper, I see a radical bird. Let's call him Buster. I'm excited because I've never seen anything like Buster before and I'm hoping to get a picture of him for my dad. I do! I drop to the ground to get a better angle and Buster seems to look at me. Then, it looks like Buster is walking in my direction. Then, I'm not enhancing this story in any way, Buster walks straight at me and does a mating display. It's the most attention from a boy I've received in at least a year, if not five. It was too good not to video, so click here to meet Buster, the best flirt I've ever encountered. 

A photographer nearby tells me this is a Great Bustard. They are being reintroduced to the

area, and Buster is likely a wild (uh, yeah) offspring of parents that were reintroduced to Salisbury last year, because he's not tagged. Great Bustards would have been a native bird back when Stonehenge was built. I think I understood the photographer correctly, but I'm not fact checking anything so if I'm wrong, sorry. 

Finally, finally I'm at Stonehenge. I take the opposite route around the monument to try and avoid the bulk of the crowd. (Can you detect a theme for my life?) It doesn't really work (Another theme. Jesus, this isn't about me, sorry, I'll shut up.) but it works enough for me to get some people-free pictures. I listen to my audio tour and it's super interesting! 

Stonehenge & people panorama

The fact I'm most interested in is Stonehenge started out as a burial ground. Because I do the tour backwards, I don't find this part out until I'm walking away. To pay tribute to the souls buried here, I walk back to have a quiet moment with the monument. It is nearly

Barrows like this are all over the place here.
They are old school crypts, sort of.

impossible, especially when a lady asks me to scoot over because I'm in her shot even though I've been standing in the same spot for at least five minutes. I have a moment of real disgust for all of society, I'm not gonna lie. I reel my brain in and really try to connect with the history and the spirituality of Stonehenge and every thing it has been witness to and every thing it will be witness to. I achieve a glimpse of perspective and I'm able to turn away with my heart at peace. Five seconds later a father and son lumber at a snail's pace in front of me and my brain says move, and I'm back in the world. BUT I HAD THOSE FIVE SECONDS, Y'ALL. 

Honestly, I feel good. That was a groovy connection moment. I highly recommend it. 

Someone didn't wash her hair to pay her respects to the ancients...

The greatest

The day I got to London, I was hauling all my crap through the

Eeeeeee!

Underground when I saw a poster for Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? and I gasped out loud. Not only is this one of my favorite plays of all time but Stevie is my dream role. I would do anything to play that part. (Universe, let's do this please!) Tonight, I watch Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo KILL IT. I'm seated in theater's version of Coach, touching and breathing all the people around me, but I'm transfixed by both of them so that I'm between them onstage, not in my seat, thank God. Shout outs to Jason Hughes & Archie Madekwe for also being wonderful. Man, I love theater!