They say all good things come to end. Now that we have been here for about a month, we have realized how good this experience is, and in turn how real it is that in two months (which are sure to fly by) this too, will come to an end. It is a scary realization, amplified by the fact that in January my life will be so completely different – more hectic, more academically rigorous, back to the Elon grind. And even further amplified by the fact that each day I am loving London more and more. And today was no exception.
This morning, Laura and I (again, unbeknownst to us because it is so dark in our basement flat) slept until NOON! Can you believe it? I was woken up by my cell phone ringing, which never happens – and it was a lady from my school calling about something silly – and I was like, what the heck is this lady calling me and waking me up at the crack of dawn. I end the call and check the time and it is 12:03 pm….I was shocked. This never happens to me, and we only have so much time here, I can sleep in America J. So naturally, I woke up immediately not wanting to waste the day because I really don’t like sleeping in that late if I can help it. Yes, I did feel refreshed and revitalized, and it was nice getting the extra rest, but there is still so much to see and do.
So, Laura and I ran to the Tesco to pick up some groceries and then fixed a little brunch for ourselves before throwing on our gym clothes and walking to Regent Park for an afternoon workout. We walked for about an hour and a half around the beautiful park and it was the most gorgeous day. I am almost afraid to jinx it, but the weather has been so incredible and the funny thing is, when you spend days in the gloomy rain, you really begin to appreciate the sun when it shines for a rare visit. The gentle breeze swept through the park, there were families picnicking on the grass by the roses, there were tons of rugby and football (which is soccer, remember) games being played on the fields, children riding their bikes, feeding the ducks, and frolicking around, and my favorite – mom’s pushing their babies in these sweet prams holding their husbands hands. Ooo, and we saw a couple sitting on a park bench and she had her head on his lap and they were both reading, just like in Notting Hill. It was so adorable and the day was just so beautiful.
After our walk we tubed (I am making this a verb from now on J ) to the street where we go to school (about a ten minute commute) to take out money (always a joy….) and buy some folders to organize our school notes. Then we headed home and before we knew it – meaning some crunches, cleaning up the flat, and a shower later – it was 6 pm and the girls all started coming home from their Saturday dates with the city.
Last night we ended up going out to Oxford Circus and just having a chill night at one of the local bars –low key and I was home by midnight – but still we went out, even though we originally planned to stay in. But tonight we decided, no ifs and or buts, we are staying in and having a girls night. So we all cooked our dinners (Laura and I made a delicious chicken and veggie stir fry), sat around and talked, painted nails, and caught up with each other’s days and thoughts. Seven girls all together makes for some hard laughs and interesting conversations from which cursive letters we like to write more (a J was right up there, which made me proud) to how we were going to keep from smelling our history professor in class J. Then the boys from upstairs (Josh, Mike, James and Nick) came down and visited for a while, amused by our girly antics. We then pushed the couches together and huddled around Katie’s laptop and watched The Holiday, which to this day is one of my top three favorite movies of all time. I mean, when you have Jude Law, London and Christmas time in one movie, it naturally becomes a top three. Which brings me to my next rant – I am in love with London.
I know I rave about the food, the sights, the parks, the people, but I cannot express to you how much I love this city. I love how I feel walking to my job, getting on and off the tube on my own, figuring out how to get places, finding my way and feeling like I belong. I love the parks and all the families around, the area we live in and how there is always something to do. And of course there are things I hate too, like how hot the tube is, the rain, etc – nothing is perfect, but today truly was.
And then, bam – it hit us – it won’t always be this way. Laura and I had this revelation on the tube that eventually (and while it seems in the far future, it is really only two months away) we will be leaving this place we have completely fallen in love with. And while I miss my family, friends so much and of course I occasionally miss Elon (meal plans and Saturday football games especially, but I must admit, being there is going to be so boring in comparison to being able to hop on a tube and be at Buckingham Palace, Thames River, the theater, museums, parks, every kind of food you could imagine - besides for JIF peanut butter, but we can overlook that) it is going to be hard to leave. I mean here, there is such an amazing night life, and of course, cute boys with even cuter accents, and being here has been so great already, I can only imagine how fond of it I will be come the end. I love Rob and Gordon and I love the girls in my flat, and even though we all go to Elon, things change when you change environments and you are not all living together and sharing an experience.
But every great beginning and middle has a great end, and I know this chapter has to come to a close eventually. And when it does, I just feel so glad I will be embraced by family and friends who have missed me and a very special man who never does me wrong – SANTA! Coming home for Christmas will be so worth leaving all this behind, but still, the reality of it all does make us sad sometimes. However, when change is anticipated, inevitable, and unwanted, we sometimes have a tendency to spend our time jumping ahead to the future, and I am really trying to stay present in the moment. Someone told me before I left, don’t just do – be. And so I am trying to be present here and push those thoughts out of my mind, and of course remind myself of how amazing it will be to be reunited with all of you – something I think about everyday.
And what better way to be present than with a good chick flick?! Mission accomplished. After the movie, we all parted to our bedrooms for another good night sleep; glad that we have a whole other day off tomorrow to hopefully wake up at a more reasonable hour and enjoy every moment we have here before this parade passes by.
Love and hugs,
Jenny
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