No turning back now.

So this morning I my alarm went off at 8:15AM, and of course I rolled out of bed at exactly 10:15AM. I realized that today was the day I decided I would finally go to church. It has been looming over my head ever since I've been here, and TODAY was the day I was actually going to take action. This late start didn't really help my motivation, but even I was starting to grow tired of all my excuses. So I put on pretty much the only pair of pants I own here that aren't jeans and a suitable shirt, and headed out the door. I decided it would be interesting to experience Bath Abbey, which isn't Catholic, but rather is the Church of England, which I don't really fully understand, but I figured I am in England, so why not? So I get to the church, which is exremely beautiful, large doors, stained glass, organ, the works. I made my way through the tourists, and peeked through the doors and suddenly fear crept in. As I looked in the pews, I realized that I would be the youngest person in the room. I turned to go and then was visibly having an internal conflict as I paced back towards and away from the church about five times before deciding to go in the side doors so as not be as noticible. I picked a seat in the middle, and sat down. My first victory, I had actually made it inside! A few minutes later the man next to me, who looked to be in his middle 30s (probably the second youngest person to me), turned to me and said "Hi, my name is James." I was a little thrown off because A) we were in a church where no one else was talking and B) his voice was quite booming. I returned his hello introducing myself.
Five minutes of silence, and then the conversation went something like this:

James: "So Katie, where are you from?"
Me: "Virginia"
James: "Oh! I've sold areial photos of Virginia."
Me: " Really? So what exactly do you do?"
James: "Right now, nothing."
Me: "Oh..."
2 minutes of silence...I didn't have a quick recovery for that one.

Me: Do you live in Bath?"
James: "Yes."
Me: "Well, I'm just here studying for the semester."
James: "At the university or at Bath Spa."
Me: "Bath University, I mean the University of Bath, wait is that right?"
James: "Interesting."

This is why I should never be left alone in churches, no make that should never be left alone anywhere. But I did enjoy the mass, and James turned out to be quite the singer... I was going to suggest that he join the choir after the mass ended, but he left before the sermon... apparently I scare people off? in church?