Keep calm and carry on

So this morning was a lot of fun! We drove out to the city of Chester, which dates back to when the Romans were in this part of Britannia and was actually one of the most important Roman cities in the area. The wall that they built around the garrison still stands, along with some of the original gates, and you can walk through the city atop the wall. There’s also the ruins of an amphitheatre and the gardens within the walls, as well as live archeological digs in the middle of town. It was amazing to walk on the walls, especially because it’s like a whole new level of the city. They wind right through the streets and buildings sit up right next to them – some even have doors that open up onto the wall! It was truly something I’ll never forget.

I thought this was going to turn into another London-like fiasco (all of my time gets spent in stores that we have in the U.S. because everyone wants to shop) but finally me and another of my teammates had enough of the Nike store after we saw a shirt that said “Made in Beaverton, OR.” I’m from Vancouver, WA right across the river, and that was it for me. I’m in England, gosh darn it! So the two us walked along the walls and took pictures for the rest of the time. We found two absolutely stunning cathedrals, a river, and amazing bridges. There was a castle somewhere outside of the city, along the part of the wall that had been destroyed. We tried do hard to find it, but came up empty…but it’s about the adventure, not the destination! If it hadn’t rained the whole time, it would have been a perfect morning. I even got a laugh in because there was a donut shop built into the wall called “Dinky Donuts” and all I could think of was my dad and his love of Dunkin Donuts!

This afternoon we played the Nantwich Town FC boy’s team…they might have been 15, but they were good. They were fast, strong, and overall just talented. We ended up losing 6-3, but we started off in the hole 4-0. I played 20 minutes, and I won’t lie, it was one of those nights I just want to forget. It happens. Life goes on. I only gave up one goal, but I couldn’t get my feet to work to save my life. Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating. But the good news is that I’m in England, playing soccer, seeing walled Roman cities, and tomorrow I’ll wake up and still be alive. So if you’re also having one of those types of days, here’s a British saying for you – “keep calm and carry on!” Don't freak out about it, just keep going!

My name is Amy Swearer, and POTS stole my life. I'm taking it back. (In England!).