We arrived in the rain,

The tiny, piercing droplets

Making the air heavy

And enhancing the smell

Of the close-cropped green courtyard.


It added an authentic medieval feel

To the ancient castle

Whose duty it was

To house us modern Americans

In the idyllic English countryside.


It was there that we found home

For eight unforgettable days.

There were six days

Where we witnessed incredible athletic feats

And hundreds of flags billowing in the London air,

Their proud colors boasting of culture and spirit.




But it was the time we spent

At Home;

Embracing the heavy fog and lantern-lit passageways

That I felt truly tranquil.


I will forever remember

The heavy gold keys on single-file hooks,

The rare glimpses of cold sunlight

Peeking through the delicate windows,

And the raucous laughter

That reverberated throughout the fortified stone interior

Late into the night.