The beginning of my acting career in the New Forest

1/3 - During our party last night, I showed Stella and Naomi the photos from my nude photoshoot back in December. I think they were impressed because some of those shots are pretty cool. Stella was particularly impressed as she said it inspired her to try new things. In fact I think it blew her mind. Honestly, being nude on camera was fun. It makes you more comfortable with your body. And, it's a damn good story!

I had another fantastic adventure today, and oddly enough it involved horses again. Josh, Naomi and I took the train to Brockenhurst in the New Forest to shoot video for one of her assignments for journalism. I went along because one of her classmates flaked out on her, and that meant I was the new star of her short film, which will be about a minute long. The story of the film begins with me sitting in a cafe eating breakfast and drinking tea. I check my watch and realize I'm running late for the train. So I jump up, grab my bike and start pedaling. There will be several scenes of me jamming through the Forest. I'll eventually get to the train station, quickly get off my bike, set it up against the wall and accidentally knock another bike down in my haste to get to the stairs that go to the platform. But unfortunately, I get on the platform right as the train is pulling out. The final shot will probably be me running after it, stopping and turning around with a look of disappointment on my face.

We rented bicycles for the day and cycled from Brockenhurst to Lyndhurst through the Forest, which is a national park between Bournemouth and Southampton. I must say that I do miss road cycling and my bicycle. That's a perfect place to go riding. I miss the feeling of your legs being absolutely drained after a hard pedal through wind or in an effort to pick up speed on a straightaway. I miss that sound of bike tires buzzing on smooth asphalt. And when we first took off, it was another one of those ecstatic feelings, with thoughts of "I'm really on a bicycle in England!" floating across my mind. But riding here takes a bit of getting used to because you ride on the left side of the road instead of the right, even on one-lane roads.

Church in Lyndhurst

But since I was riding through puddles and mud, I was getting splattered by my back tire. By the time we arrived in Lyndhurst, My pants were muddy and my hoody sprayed with droplets of dirty water; I was in no shape to go into a restaurant. But we went to a tea shop, and it turned out to be one of the best food experiences I've had since coming to England. I had cream tea. With that, I received a mixed tea concoction that had a very nice aroma, a slice of velvety chocolate cake and a dense biscuit topped with cream and jam. Josh and Naomi (both British) told me this is essentially the most British thing you can do. This tea shop was fantastic and I'll definitely go back.

While acting in Naomi's film was super fun, I think one of the best encounters of the day was when we came across ponies in the middle of the path. The New Forest is home to wild-looking ponies that look so scruffy it doesn't seem like anyone owns them. They roam free wherever they want and there's nothing stopping you from approaching them. I even took a selfie with one such pony while waiting for Josh and Naomi. This one was sniffing my ear and being very friendly.

It was a great day. You can never go wrong with riding bikes outside, getting dirty and being creative in the process. But what really topped off the day was an email I received while riding the train home. Chris, the chairman of Poole Town, complimented me on my work for the website and team programs. He said I'm doing "top notch work" and thanked me for it.

2/3 - Today is the eve of the Crystal Palace vs. Southampton game Bill and I have tickets for. I'm pretty excited. We'll be at St. Mary's Stadium as visiting Palace fans. I have yet to be in that kind of environment.

I was also able to tell Jess about my adventure in Cherbourg. She seemed impressed and talked about not being sure about being able to handle a trip to another country by herself. But it's really very easy. All you have to do is book ferry tickets, find a place to stay and go. You might have a bad experience, but there's also a chance of you having a smile-producing memory and fascinating story. All you need to do is try and see what you're capable of on your own. And besides, I'm unsure about doing a lot of things, but that fear can't hold you back.