I have never been a fan of goodbyes, but I am a firm believer in closure, so I always make a big deal of them. My last weekend here in London is upon us, and while it is still hard for me to believe it, I am almost home. As I have been walking around the city these past couple of days, I think to myself how crazy it is that even though I will no longer be here, the city will go on without me just the same. The tubes will run (and of course break down…), the lights will blink on Regent Street, people will circulate in and out of the shops, and someone new will see this city for the first time and come to realize, as I have, how special it really is. My presence here has been but a blip in time, and next semester 40 new Elon students will begin their incredible journey – a journey that has changed me in ways I am still yet to discover. I just know, it has changed me for the better.
Saturday morning I woke up… well let’s be honest… feeling like I had been hit by a truck! I never understood why anyone would drink a lot of alcohol on their birthday – it is kind of silly because on the day of your birth you probably end up taking a day off your life…. but I had to embrace the tradition of cocktails and celebrate being young and LEGAL. You see, at least I did not break any drinking laws this year since I am legal in London! Plus the recovery was quick after getting some food in my empty stomach.
As I was eating my cheerios (I will miss my Londonized cheerios – they are a bit more crunchy) my phone rang and it was my childhood friend Melanie Beck on the line. She and I were best friend in CT before I moved to NC when I was 15. She happens to be studying here in London for the semester through Ithaca University. While we have kept in pretty good touch, it had been two years since I had seen her. Who would have thought our next get together would be in London?! So crazy! So after making our plans to meet at Embankment, I showered and got ready for the day, and then headed off toward the Thames River – my favorite place in all of London.
As I was exiting the tube I saw her standing looking great with a big smile on her face, holding her arms wide open. It was so wonderful to see her. She looked beautiful and was just the same bubbly and warm girl I grew up with. We walked across the footbridge, overwhelmingly asking each other a million questions. We caught up on each other’s lives over some delicious club sandwiches and fell into our usual giggly and gossipy pattern. It was so incredible seeing how much she has grown and in turn, realizing how much I too have grown. There we were – two 20 year olds sitting in a restaurant over looking the Thames River in London, England. If you had told me that would happen years when I left CT 4 ½ years ago, I would have never believed you. Our lunch came at a perfect time in this trip as well, because it reminded me that even after you leave a person you love behind, with effort and a little good luck they will find a way back into your life. It certainly gives me hope for the relationships I am leaving behind.
The rest of the day was spent mostly laying around and packing up all of the crap we have accumulated over the past three months. Thank goodness for Ike and Brezny’s visit because they were able to take back so much of my stuff, so packing was actually not very difficult. As I zipped up my suitcases and laid out my outfits, it hit me – this is it. I am on the last paragraph of this chapter in my life, and turning the page is slightly heart breaking.
The girls collectively decided we had enough of London night life… our poor dancing feet were tired and sore, our hot going out clothes and stiletto heels were all packed away, and are morale was low after a long Friday night celebrating my birthday. So instead, we stayed in and watched Love Actually – not only a Christmas themed movie, but also very British, which was just perfect. We recognized so many of the landmarks featured in the scene transitions, including the Somerset House, which we had just been ice-skating on the day before. It was really cool! And I love that movie… especially Hugh Grant. I could use a Hugh Grant in my life… and then we could have a house in London and NC…. That would be perfect J. After, we said good night and went to bed.
This morning marked our last day in London. I have to pause as I type that out, because it is extremely surreal that this day is finally here. I slept in pretty late, not even so much because I was tired, but I told Laura upon getting my butt out of bed, that I slept because I probably thought that maybe if I didn’t wake up, this day just wouldn’t come, and I wouldn’t have to say goodbye. But there is no stopping time… it just keeps moving whether you sleep through it or not.
I got changed and watched the time tick with a bit of a sick stomach, waiting to leave for my goodbye lunch with Robert and Gordon. I headed to Bond Street tube station at about 1 pm to get some last minute things for the gift I put together for them and met them (on time J ) outside the stop at 2 pm. I felt anxious because I hate goodbyes and I wanted to just enjoy lunch without thinking too much about the inevitable. We walked to this really cute pub just a couple of blocks away and had a great Sunday Roast. Rob and I had roast beef with delicious potatoes and gravy, and Gordon had the lamb. The portion could have been larger for our bottomless tummies, but it is surly for the best seeing as we all haven’t been to the gym in months – although Gordie does cycle and Rob talks a lot about wanting to go to the gym, so that must count for something J.
We exchanged goodbye presents and I gave them the 11 X 14 collage I made them on photo shop, Christmas cards for them to open on Christmas day, a Kit Kat bar each, and a bag of stolen sugar from McDonalds. The story behind this is that one day toward the beginning of the trip they said they needed some sugar, so I ran out on an errand and very sneakily grabbed (not really stole…) a huge handful of individual sugars from the Pret-A-Manger down the street. So I included tons of sugar in the gift bag as a gag. I also wrote them each a very lengthy letter (as you must all know by now, I am very wordy…) and we were all crying by the end of it. Then they gave me the best present – it was a High School Musical photo album with tons of pictures for our experience together. It is hilarious how we were on the complete same wave-length with the presents. The best part (besides for the fact that we are all so ridiculously good looking) was that inside they had Leanne, Catherine and Ben (Tracy, Luanne and Link from the West end production of Hairspray) sign me personal notes with well wishes! I met Catherine and the gorgeous Ben at the cast party, and as you know Leanne and I are basically BFF J. It was the most wonderful present.
After lunch we walked back to the tube station and I hugged them both very tight and said goodbye. As I walked on the tube, I didn’t look back because I knew it would just make me break down. While I know I will see them again when they come visit NC next year (yay!), not being able to see and talk to them every day will be a difficult adjustment. There are simply so many ways they have made this experience what it was – the most amazing three months of my life. But like I said in their letter - just like you never forget your first love, you never forget your first intern. And trust me – this is not the end. Girlicious forever.
I talked to my mama on the phone on my way back to the flat and of course cried like a little baby about leaving. There is something about verbalizing things to my mom that just opens a whole new ocean of tears. But hearing her voice reminded me of how excited I am to come home and see my friends and family – and of course celebrate my birthday and Christmas! Do not be fooled, I may be very sad to leave this city behind, but for every tear there is a jolt of excitement for finally being back home. After all, there is no place like it, right?
Tonight the girls are going to dinner at Nandos and then spending the evening together in Flat B – our London home! We are going to dance around the common room, record video messages, and write out all of our inside jokes and memories from our time here. It should be a wonderful way to say goodbye to our home away from home, Little Venice.
My flight is American Airlines 173 leaving from Heathrow at 11:25 am and gets in at 3:10pm. I love how I gain time in the time difference because that means I get to spend a lot of time with my family in the afternoon to decorate the Christmas tree and eat cake! YAY! I am so pumped for that! I am looking forward to seeing the new addition on my house, hugging my dog (yes.. I have a dog, and YES, I do love him even though no one thinks I do…yes this may be the first time he has appeared in my blog, but all the same…), sprawl out in my queen sized bed, drive Audrey around town filled with cheap gas, see the Christmas lights around town, run across the street and see the Harrison family and simply be back in Cary, NC – and of course, be back on the US dollar!
I will write a blog on the plane ride home, which will be my final entry. So until then, cheerio loves J
Love and hugs,
Jenny
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