I’ve spent a lot of my life traveling and moving from place to place, and consequently I spend a lot of time thinking where I’d like to settle down. I am destined to live in the same place, I just know it. I want a house and a yard and a community to call my own. This was not what I was thi
nking about when I traveled to England, but usually you find what you’re looking for when you stop looking. I found my little spot in York on the Ouse Cruise.
The river Ouse winds it’s way through the city, overlooked on the ends by beautiful trees and nature paths, and welcomed in the middle by a dock and little port warehouses. I’d already fallen in love with the city center; its cobblestone streets, little shops, and copious amounts of ghost tours made the place feel alive yet cozy. Not to mention the York Minster in all its dazzling architectural beauty. There was an overwhelming sense of life and grace within these city walls; it was both breathtakingly historical and somehow completely modern and chic as well.
It was on this little boat cruise around the Ouse that really cemented my love for York, however. In just an hour, we were able to see the parts of York a tourist would never reach. Groups of houses dotted the riverside and stretched out beyond. Citizens of York walked along the paths and crossed the Blue Bridge, so named becau
se… well, you can figure it out. One man even waved to us as he swam in the Ouse. I loved this river, and this view, and this life I could imagine living here. I never wanted to leave.
Of course, all great things must come to an end, and our journey continued. It is my life goal to return to York though, whether as a student or a scholar, and revisit this grand city. Perhap
s I’ll go to a service at the York Minster, or go kayaking on the Ouse. I’ll explore outside the city and get to know this place from the ground. And perhaps I’ll just stay for good.
~Andi Bruce