Short and Sweet

In a world where the stock market is crashing, hurricanes are ripping through our homeland, political parties are debating, and the economy is plummeting, there is something to be said for short yet sweet moments that remind you that everything is going to be okay. Be it the old lady I helped across the street, the six year old whose lines I helped her read in last week’s youth workshop because some of the words were too hard for her to pronounce, or even just sitting on my bed and watching an episode of Friends with Laura and feeling comfort in the familiar tag lines that make me laugh every time. These small, little things have the ability to make a lasting impact on your life if you embrace them. That is what I am trying to do here in London - be present in each moment for I know this experience is one of those short but sweet times I will always look back on in my life and cherish.

 

And in keeping with that theme of short but sweet, this entry will follow suit J I know you are all so relieved you do not have to read a novel!

 

Today was very dreary but it did not rain, which was great. I slept until about 10am, got ready, packed myself a little lunch and then went off to class. My theatre class discussed the show we saw the previous week, and history continued the lecture on the events that lead to the first World War. They were both pretty uneventful, but interesting none the less. The time was broken up by a quick lunch break during which I sat in the park and ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich (another nostalgic staple I could eat everyday). But overall, it was quite routine.

 

We took the tube home, and Andrea and I decided to head to Oxford Circus to window shop all the high end stores. The price tags were appalling, but some of the clothes were stunning, and it was fun to just pretend we could afford them. Our “shopping” journey ended at Primark, a very cheap department store, where I bought a cheap pair of black heels and some black tights (I brought a pair from home, but they had a big run in them… L) for a very small amount, which was good. But again, I just think of all the child labor that is certainly going on to mass manufacturer everything so cheaply, and I feel a little sad for them. But my wallet was smiling, that is for sure.

 

Laura and I made a chicken stir-fry for dinner, very healthy and quite inventive of us (nothing was frozen, we bought everything and made it fresh). We ate, and then I sat down to write. Kind of a boring day and in those quiet moments, like right now, there is certainly a part of me that misses home. I miss cable television and working out, but most of all I miss my meal plan where I don’t have to spend so much money on food. No, I take that back…. most of all, I miss being able to talk to all of you without paying a fortune. But as I said, in the grand scheme of my life, this experience is short, so I am going to keep staying positive and looking forward to everything exciting coming up to make it as sweet as possible.

 

Love and hugs,

Jenny