It's been over a year. I can no longer say... a year ago I was in London...
It's sad to think about the year ago concept being over. I was living in London. Then I was living in London a year ago. And now I am doing neither and can only reference the 'time I lived in London' or 'when I lived in London'
The thing is I still think about living there. Still miss it every day. I know I have romantized some of the problems I had there, the trip itself, the distance from family and friends, but there is a connection that I have to that city that I cant explain.
And now headed into past a year since I have been there I have the same thoughts that I did when I got back from VESPA. The same thoughts I did when I first step foot in that incredible country. The journal from VESPA, four years ago, spoke of my love of the exciting old and modern city with its many people and many adventures. I wrote of thinking how it felt like home and how I could see myself living there. Three years later I did And all of the adventures I had there, all of the places I called home, all of the things I did and learned have stuck with me and now a year separated from my life there I dream of going back. Of finding a flat and a job that I love. Of exploring the city and creating more memories in my favorite city.
I knew I wanted to visit London someday. I knew I wanted to live there after I visited. Now that I've lived there through graduate school I realized that I want to live there permantly sometime in the future. Hopefully sometime in the near future. So many obstacles stand in the way (don't they always?) but finding a good job, a place to live, and a skype account keeps me in the right place and the right city for me. Only time will tell if this is what I'm meant to do but I hope it's in the stars because even though visiting sometime will be meaningful and worth it I know that living there will create the opportunities I desire and the path I see my life headed on.
So London is calling again. And sometime soon I hope to answer it's call. For now Los Angeles will be my new home with new adventures and opportunities. Only time will tell.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A Year Ago
A year ago I was anticipating my time in London, barely arrived and spending time with my mom in the most amazing city in the world. I had yet to see the campus, go through orientation, begin classes or make friends. The city was vaguely familiar and opening up before me, anxious for me to explore and its cobbled streets and learn its public transportation. I drank in the view from the London Eye and the city from the Thames, wandered through little neighborhoods, ridden the tube, and tasted the best fish and chips of my life. This was the touristy London. The one I had experienced three years ago on VESPA and was just reacquainting myself with again.
And then I stayed for ten months. It's hard to believe that I was there for so long but I dream of it still and recall my days there with a fond sadness because I wish I was still there among the ancient and modern, with my friends, and enjoying my life in the most amazing city in the world. But it's all behind me now. My life is so different than it was a year ago and, with the exception of graduate school, I would love to have it back. I miss my friends desperately and include the city itself on that list as I constantly think of my favorite places, my favorite view of the Thames, and the way walking through city streets so intimately connects you to a place.
My journal from my 10 months in London is full of all the range of emotions I felt through my trip. I wandered through loneliness, emptiness, sadness and through to joy, enrichment, happiness and everything in between. The city was my constant companion, my special friend, my love of that city will never change. I dream of going back and finding myself again in those streets and in the places I so dream of being again. I miss the friendships I made there, the museums I spent hours in, the Thames with its dirty water and strange allure, the cold weather and views of the city skyline from campus. I miss the international population, the tiny dorm room, the crowded tube and buses, the bridges and the West End. I miss Tottenham Court Road and Great Dover Street, the Tower of London, and the Globe Theatre. My usual walk to school crossed a bridge, through buildings hundreds of years old, and past so many shops and people. I miss those things terribly and wish for them to be back again in my life. I dream of a time where I can live in London again and be with my friends in the amazing city that I spent 10 months and can't wait to see again.
And then I stayed for ten months. It's hard to believe that I was there for so long but I dream of it still and recall my days there with a fond sadness because I wish I was still there among the ancient and modern, with my friends, and enjoying my life in the most amazing city in the world. But it's all behind me now. My life is so different than it was a year ago and, with the exception of graduate school, I would love to have it back. I miss my friends desperately and include the city itself on that list as I constantly think of my favorite places, my favorite view of the Thames, and the way walking through city streets so intimately connects you to a place.
My journal from my 10 months in London is full of all the range of emotions I felt through my trip. I wandered through loneliness, emptiness, sadness and through to joy, enrichment, happiness and everything in between. The city was my constant companion, my special friend, my love of that city will never change. I dream of going back and finding myself again in those streets and in the places I so dream of being again. I miss the friendships I made there, the museums I spent hours in, the Thames with its dirty water and strange allure, the cold weather and views of the city skyline from campus. I miss the international population, the tiny dorm room, the crowded tube and buses, the bridges and the West End. I miss Tottenham Court Road and Great Dover Street, the Tower of London, and the Globe Theatre. My usual walk to school crossed a bridge, through buildings hundreds of years old, and past so many shops and people. I miss those things terribly and wish for them to be back again in my life. I dream of a time where I can live in London again and be with my friends in the amazing city that I spent 10 months and can't wait to see again.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
I am overwhelmed with the fact that today is my last full day in London. Tomorrow I will be boarding a plane to Los Angeles and I don't know when I will be back in this lovely city. I'm torn between my excitement of seeing friends and family and the thought of leaving London and the wonderful friends I have made here. I know it will get easier but right now I don't really want to leave. I'm loving my life here and spending time exploring this city and hanging out with friends. I wish London and Los Angeles were much closer.
Just for fun...
Things I will miss:
-my friends from LSE
-having my own room
-public transportation
-Nando's
-free museums
-the history and architecture
-spending the afternoon in the park and an evening at the pub
Things I will NOT miss:
-crowded public transportation (although it's better than nothing)
-tourists
-LSE
-the cold rainy winter
Things I am looking forward to:
-friends and family
-sunshine
-the beach
-trader joe's
-driving
Right now the list is a bit unbalanced as I am really only thinking about things I will miss here. But I'm sure it will even out when I get back to Orange County. I am excited to see what my life will be like when I get back but I am sad to leave London and my friends here. I hope to come back some day soon and visit again. It's amazing how quickly this year passed!
Good-bye London, Hello L.A.!
Just for fun...
Things I will miss:
-my friends from LSE
-having my own room
-public transportation
-Nando's
-free museums
-the history and architecture
-spending the afternoon in the park and an evening at the pub
Things I will NOT miss:
-crowded public transportation (although it's better than nothing)
-tourists
-LSE
-the cold rainy winter
Things I am looking forward to:
-friends and family
-sunshine
-the beach
-trader joe's
-driving
Right now the list is a bit unbalanced as I am really only thinking about things I will miss here. But I'm sure it will even out when I get back to Orange County. I am excited to see what my life will be like when I get back but I am sad to leave London and my friends here. I hope to come back some day soon and visit again. It's amazing how quickly this year passed!
Good-bye London, Hello L.A.!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday!!!
Today has been such a great day. I slept in and woke up to get some packing and other stuff done (other stuff being watch SVU in the computer room...). Then around 5 Sarah and Paige came over and we walked to M&S to buy dinner stuff and headed back to my dorm to cook and eat dinner together.
Then at 6:30ish we walked to Tower Millenium Pier (with about 100 other LSE students) to go on a boat cruise on the Thames! I cannot think of a better way for the dorm to throw an annual party. It was such a great trip. I just got back which is why I am talking about it so excitedly but I really had a great time. The boat was just for us, had 2 floors. The bottom floor was more quiet and had seats to hang out and relax, the top floor was a pub/dance floor with an outdoor deck. We spent most of the time on the deck enjoying the fantastic views of London. We took a bunch of pictures that will eventually be on facebook but I found a couple online:
Tower Bridge at night:
Big Ben and Parliament:
We took the boat from Tower Bridge down to Westminster then turned around and headed past Canary Wharf to Greenwich. Then we headed back to the Tower Millenium Pier. The whole trip was about 3 1/2 hours. It was a perfect amount of time to have a enjoy the sunset and the city lighting up at night, have a few drinks, and have good conversation. Paige and Sarah are always such good company and I'm so glad they came with me. We talked about the usual stuff, but what I think is funny is that our conversation always drifts toward Sociology. We talked about gender roles and feminism and had a really good discussion about it (starting with an analysis of the Sex and the City 2 movie). I think it shows that we are good Sociology students and deserve our Master's when we talk about Sociology outside of school :)
The weather has been nice and warm so the evening was still warm but with a nice breeze. The city is so gorgeous from the Thames and I definitely got a bit sad thinking that I won't be able to see this much of the city again-until some time in the future when I come back. I'm really going to miss it here, I've gotten to know my borough and I have favorite places, parks, and museums. I know my way around the tube and the city on foot and it's been very influential on my independence here, knowing my way around and deciding when and what I want to do. I'm really going to miss it.
Of course we had a moment of sadness about this night being one of the last few we will all spend together (for awhile anyway) and it was fun to reminice about this year and the fun times we have had (and awful times aka LSE). It's gone so quickly and I'm glad for the chance to be here and to live in London and to make the friends that I have. The boat cruise on the Thames was a perfect way to begin to say goodbye to London.
Then at 6:30ish we walked to Tower Millenium Pier (with about 100 other LSE students) to go on a boat cruise on the Thames! I cannot think of a better way for the dorm to throw an annual party. It was such a great trip. I just got back which is why I am talking about it so excitedly but I really had a great time. The boat was just for us, had 2 floors. The bottom floor was more quiet and had seats to hang out and relax, the top floor was a pub/dance floor with an outdoor deck. We spent most of the time on the deck enjoying the fantastic views of London. We took a bunch of pictures that will eventually be on facebook but I found a couple online:
Tower Bridge at night:
Big Ben and Parliament:
We took the boat from Tower Bridge down to Westminster then turned around and headed past Canary Wharf to Greenwich. Then we headed back to the Tower Millenium Pier. The whole trip was about 3 1/2 hours. It was a perfect amount of time to have a enjoy the sunset and the city lighting up at night, have a few drinks, and have good conversation. Paige and Sarah are always such good company and I'm so glad they came with me. We talked about the usual stuff, but what I think is funny is that our conversation always drifts toward Sociology. We talked about gender roles and feminism and had a really good discussion about it (starting with an analysis of the Sex and the City 2 movie). I think it shows that we are good Sociology students and deserve our Master's when we talk about Sociology outside of school :)
The weather has been nice and warm so the evening was still warm but with a nice breeze. The city is so gorgeous from the Thames and I definitely got a bit sad thinking that I won't be able to see this much of the city again-until some time in the future when I come back. I'm really going to miss it here, I've gotten to know my borough and I have favorite places, parks, and museums. I know my way around the tube and the city on foot and it's been very influential on my independence here, knowing my way around and deciding when and what I want to do. I'm really going to miss it.
Of course we had a moment of sadness about this night being one of the last few we will all spend together (for awhile anyway) and it was fun to reminice about this year and the fun times we have had (and awful times aka LSE). It's gone so quickly and I'm glad for the chance to be here and to live in London and to make the friends that I have. The boat cruise on the Thames was a perfect way to begin to say goodbye to London.
My last few days are flying by!
Tuesday I had a day to myself to pack and clean. It wasn't the most exciting but it was definitely productive. I cleaned out my drawers and cabinets and sorted what I was to bring home, throw away, or give away. I also updated my resume and did a bit of a job search and then I worked on the dreaded dissertation outline. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with the work I had to do but I am glad that although my computer is broken I have the computer room in the dorm to get stuff done. It ended up being a quiet but productive day.
Wednesday I left early (relatively early... 10am) to meet with my advisor at LSE about my dissertation. In sum, she really likes my topic and encouraged me to pursue it but also said my outline could be a whole book! The 10,000 word maximum may seem daunting but with such a broad topic I am going to have to be quite specific with what I talk about. It was productive though I feel pretty good about the direction of my paper and the work I have to do. Although I need to be further than I am right now, which will be difficult with all of the moving and excitement of being home again.
After a few hours on campus getting necessary things done I took the 15 bus to Sarah's (longest bus ride of my life!). It's been really nice out lately but that makes buses and tubes so crowded and hot. yuck. Anyway, I got to Sarah's around 3pm and we basically just hung out and talked. Then at around 6 people started coming over for me... GOING AWAY PARTY. My friends are so sweet to throw me a going away party and I only have one condition-that people could not be sad! Sarah, Alissa, Paige, her sister Shannon, and Laura made the night so special and fun. We had really yummy Jamaican inspired cuisine and spent several hours drinking and talking about life, sociology, LSE, and summer plans. It was so great to have everyone together and spend time hanging out. It's also the last time I will probably see Laura which is very sad to think about. I'm going to miss her (and everyone else of course!) so much!!!
I can't believe I leave so soon. I'm going to miss my life here so much!
Tuesday I had a day to myself to pack and clean. It wasn't the most exciting but it was definitely productive. I cleaned out my drawers and cabinets and sorted what I was to bring home, throw away, or give away. I also updated my resume and did a bit of a job search and then I worked on the dreaded dissertation outline. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with the work I had to do but I am glad that although my computer is broken I have the computer room in the dorm to get stuff done. It ended up being a quiet but productive day.
Wednesday I left early (relatively early... 10am) to meet with my advisor at LSE about my dissertation. In sum, she really likes my topic and encouraged me to pursue it but also said my outline could be a whole book! The 10,000 word maximum may seem daunting but with such a broad topic I am going to have to be quite specific with what I talk about. It was productive though I feel pretty good about the direction of my paper and the work I have to do. Although I need to be further than I am right now, which will be difficult with all of the moving and excitement of being home again.
After a few hours on campus getting necessary things done I took the 15 bus to Sarah's (longest bus ride of my life!). It's been really nice out lately but that makes buses and tubes so crowded and hot. yuck. Anyway, I got to Sarah's around 3pm and we basically just hung out and talked. Then at around 6 people started coming over for me... GOING AWAY PARTY. My friends are so sweet to throw me a going away party and I only have one condition-that people could not be sad! Sarah, Alissa, Paige, her sister Shannon, and Laura made the night so special and fun. We had really yummy Jamaican inspired cuisine and spent several hours drinking and talking about life, sociology, LSE, and summer plans. It was so great to have everyone together and spend time hanging out. It's also the last time I will probably see Laura which is very sad to think about. I'm going to miss her (and everyone else of course!) so much!!!
I can't believe I leave so soon. I'm going to miss my life here so much!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday/Monday
Sunday and Monday have both been fun. Yesterday (Sunday) I met up with Sarah on South Bank and we went here:
To the Clink Prison Museum. It was really great. It's small and wasn't crowded at all. It is also the location of the original Clink prison which was really cool. They had a lot of information on the medieval history of the city and different prison and torture devices throughout history. It was pretty disturbing but I found it also very interesting.
We also stopped and had Caffe Nero soy chai and watched tourists. Then we went to Sarah's house and made dinner and I got to Skype a bit and we watched SVU.
In other news, my computer is broken! :( so sad. It basically won't boot up all the way and just blinks a file with a question mark. I need to take it in to Apple Care in order to see if it's fixable. I really really hope so. And I hope that it's covered under Apple Care. It's really frustrating but I'm glad that it happened after exams (although I still have the dissertation!) and I'm also glad that I backed up my computer just a few weeks ago with all of my LSE information.
Monday-
I met up with Sarah on campus and we ate at Slug and Lettuce. It's a strange name for a restaurant but the food is really good and on Monday's they have 50% off the entire order which is a pretty sweet deal:
We then went shopping on Oxford Street and in Covent Garden.
To the Clink Prison Museum. It was really great. It's small and wasn't crowded at all. It is also the location of the original Clink prison which was really cool. They had a lot of information on the medieval history of the city and different prison and torture devices throughout history. It was pretty disturbing but I found it also very interesting.
We also stopped and had Caffe Nero soy chai and watched tourists. Then we went to Sarah's house and made dinner and I got to Skype a bit and we watched SVU.
In other news, my computer is broken! :( so sad. It basically won't boot up all the way and just blinks a file with a question mark. I need to take it in to Apple Care in order to see if it's fixable. I really really hope so. And I hope that it's covered under Apple Care. It's really frustrating but I'm glad that it happened after exams (although I still have the dissertation!) and I'm also glad that I backed up my computer just a few weeks ago with all of my LSE information.
Monday-
I met up with Sarah on campus and we ate at Slug and Lettuce. It's a strange name for a restaurant but the food is really good and on Monday's they have 50% off the entire order which is a pretty sweet deal:
We then went shopping on Oxford Street and in Covent Garden.
Next and New Look are two great stores here and it was fun to walk around and shop. I'm glad that I've gotten to spend time with friends the last couple of days here in London. It's going to be sad to leave.
Tomorrow is a boring day. I have to do laundry and some packing and cleaning. I'm going to be working on my dissertation outline because I have a meeting with my advisor on Wednesday. I also want to work on my resume so I can start applying for jobs. It will be a productive day-just not very exciting. But the rest of the week should be pretty great. Wednesday is my going away party and Thursday a boat cruise on the Thames with my dorm. Plus the weekend spent in the park and doing last minute touristy things, walks, and spending time with friends.
I can't believe I only have one week left!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Today was a GREAT day!
I had such a good day today! First of all the weather was absolutely fantastic! It was so sunny and beautiful outside which definitely puts me in a good mood. It's good to know that my last few days in London have been filled with friends and fun. Today I met up at Sarah's to go see Sex and the City 2!
I really really liked it. I actually liked it more than the first. I feel like it flowed better and although some parts seemed forced and over the top it had a better story line and didn't have so many extremes that the first one did. Plus it had Aidan-and I loved Aidan! I thought it was good and I would love to see it again. AND it was only £3 because I have Orange cell phone plan and on Wednesdays cinema tickets are 2 for 1. Sweet!!!
Then we headed to North London for a department party! There was about 10 of us at my friend Nicole's adorable little flat near Finsbury Park. We made homemade guacamole and had yummy margaritas and delicious enchiladas. We vented about exams, talked about our dissertations and summer plans, and just spent time together in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. I'm so glad I went-I had a fantastic time! There will probably be one more meet up before I leave and I am really starting to realize that I am leaving these amazing people and this incredible city and I am feeling very sad! This year as been so amazing in a lot of ways and most of it has to do with London itself and the friends I have made (not surprisingly not much to do with LSE lol). I will miss my life and my friends here so much. It was good to have a night to spend time together hanging out, laughing and talking, and enjoying each others company. It was a great night!
Tomorrow will be rather boring. I need to run some errands and probably go for a walk. I need to start cleaning my room and beginning the dreadful packing process. I also need to do some reading for my dissertation and work on my outline for my meeting next week. If it's nice I will be headed to the lovely Tabard Gardens for some much needed sunshine. I love London this time of year!
I really really liked it. I actually liked it more than the first. I feel like it flowed better and although some parts seemed forced and over the top it had a better story line and didn't have so many extremes that the first one did. Plus it had Aidan-and I loved Aidan! I thought it was good and I would love to see it again. AND it was only £3 because I have Orange cell phone plan and on Wednesdays cinema tickets are 2 for 1. Sweet!!!
Then we headed to North London for a department party! There was about 10 of us at my friend Nicole's adorable little flat near Finsbury Park. We made homemade guacamole and had yummy margaritas and delicious enchiladas. We vented about exams, talked about our dissertations and summer plans, and just spent time together in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. I'm so glad I went-I had a fantastic time! There will probably be one more meet up before I leave and I am really starting to realize that I am leaving these amazing people and this incredible city and I am feeling very sad! This year as been so amazing in a lot of ways and most of it has to do with London itself and the friends I have made (not surprisingly not much to do with LSE lol). I will miss my life and my friends here so much. It was good to have a night to spend time together hanging out, laughing and talking, and enjoying each others company. It was a great night!
Tomorrow will be rather boring. I need to run some errands and probably go for a walk. I need to start cleaning my room and beginning the dreadful packing process. I also need to do some reading for my dissertation and work on my outline for my meeting next week. If it's nice I will be headed to the lovely Tabard Gardens for some much needed sunshine. I love London this time of year!
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