So today we drove from Heathrow to Salisbury to begin our college shopping. The shopping went great but the drive was not easy. I am capable of using a manual car but it is a mess doing so on the wrong side of the car, with the wrong hand and on the narrowest roads ever made.

Driving to Salisbury was straightforward but I struggled at every round-about figuring which lane I should be in and always reaching for the car door handle to shift with. We found nearly everything we needed in Salisbury and Lily and I both felt better out of the car checking things off of our list. We had a weird lunch at a bagel shop that resulted in Lily finding sand in her sandwich. In spite of the dirt, we enjoyed sitting outside and people watching. Afterwards we found adorable trainers and loafers for Lily and we hit the road.

The road between Salisbury and Blandford Forum is a straight, old, Roman road. It cuts through gorgeous countryside with views on both sides that can stretch for miles. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to take in said views as I was desperately trying to keep my car on the narrow road without colliding with oncoming traffic or running Lily into the hedgerow. By the time we reached Anna’s I was drenched in sweat ready to be done driving.

As usual my beautiful friend’s house was a welcome retreat. Anna is a wonderful hostess and once you enter her space you feel safe and at peace. Lily and I needed that a bit more than usual on this visit.