A Week in Devon

July 22, 2021

We knew traveling abroad would be more complicated than it might have been another year, so we agreed we’d stay flexible. The complications began immediately. We had planned to spend the second two weeks of July in the U.K., but just a few weeks before we arrived, the British government designated the United States an “amber country.”

That meant we had to have a COVID test just before we flew to England, another on Day 2 after our arrival and yet another on Day 8. There was a provision for us to test on Day 5 as well, and if we tested negative, we’d have our Get Out of Jail Free card early.

We spent a total of $1200 on COVID tests. Full disclosure: we waited too late to schedule the correct test in Austin, and ended up using a private hospital that didn’t accept our insurance. We had to order tests in England from a private lab.

Meanwhile, however, we were to quarantine.

We weren’t thrilled imagining spending our first week abroad locked up in a hotel. Enter our friends Maggy and Lion, who invited us to spend that week with them in their home in the country, in Devon. We accepted gratefully, and they were lovely hosts. We were able to go for walks, and when we were allowed out, to explore this remarkable area.

Maggy Whitehouse has lived a fascinating life. She was a journalist and BBC Radio presenter, and is the author of many books. In recent years she turned her attention to scholarly research and became a priest. She is now widely recognized as the world’s foremost expert on the Kabalah. She’s also gaining quite a reputation as a standup comedian, gently skewering Britons’ ambivalent relationship with organized religion.

For our purposes, Maggy stepped in as medical technician, administering the three COVID tests Dempsey and I had to have once we were in England.

Devon is a county in the southwest part of England. It’s characterized by gentle hills that sweep down to rivers and trees and charming hamlets and villages. Much of the land is cultivated or used for raising sheep, goats and cattle, so you can stand on one hillside and see the other side folding down like a colorful quilt. Devon is also rich in history.

Dartmoor National Park, which surrounds and weaves through this cozy landscape, is 360 square miles of craggy landscape with treeless hills topped by outcroppings of granite, called tors. The hills roll down into forests and rivers. Wild ponies, as well as wild and domestic horses, sheep and goats roam the moor grazing, ensuring the soft grass covering is just a few inches tall. There are Bronze Age rock formations, constructed by the people who lived thousands of years ago.

Walking with Maggy and her sweet beagles. I climbed through a fence we soon learned was electrified, and I tumbled onto my hands and knees. You will see to pictures of that.

9 Stones in Dartmoor. One of thousands of Bronze Age stone structures still standing throughout the U.K., Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This one is accessible. There is an indentation in the earth inside the circle. I silently asked permission to enter, and lay down in the indentation to meditate. Lots of energy there.
Today we boarded a train and headed to London. It was difficult to leave, but we’re excited for what’s ahead.

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About the Author

Jillian Coleman Wheeler

Hello, and welcome. I’m Jillian Coleman Wheeler, Trauma Recovery Coach, speaker, consultant and writer. I work with individuals and organizations. I offer classes, and I also speak and write about personal development, spirituality, and health and success in life and work. For people suffering depression, I created the Reboot Your Bliss™ process.

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