Yesterday was a bittersweet day. I woke up to a crisp breeze and the sun shining through my window onto my face. A picture perfect day by any British standards. So where's the bittersweet part come in?
At this point, I'm writing this from my friend's place back in Syracuse, NY. With your amazing powers of deduction, that means yesterday was my last day in London. Who knew four months would disappear so quickly? I can honestly say, it hasn't even fully registered that I am, in fact, back in the states. Culture shock is certainly not a thing yet, but let me tell you, jet lag showed no mercy.
Let's just say this pure exhaustion is part of the reason I haven't freaked out about not being in Europe anymore. In my head, I realize I may not be back for a long time, but my brain really hasn't wrapped itself around that fact yet. I know once it does, though, the tears'll certainly be a flowin'.
There are so many things I accomplished in my relatively short time in London, but still so many things I would have liked to experience. This semester was all about stepping out of my comfort zone, and I certainly took some steps. I did it all, from something as small as giving a toast in a room full of strangers, to just living in a gigantic city on my own. I mastered the streets of Central London, and explored the side streets of Paris, Florence, Amsterdam, and Dublin. I made invaluable friendships, tried quite the array of new foods, and braved the nightmare that is public transportation. Most importantly, I learned to start saying yes to things (insert witty "Yes Man" reference here), and stop making excuses. London taught me to never be bored. Yes, there were a million and a half things to do in London at any given time, but even in homey Syracuse, NY, I'm excited to experience it all.
Being away, in such an amazing place, gave me a whole new set of eyes back home. Everything's the same, yes, and nothing's really changed much, and I couldn't be happier.
Anyway, as a parting note, here's what I ended up getting to on my London Bucket List. Shhhh...I know there are quite a few "big" things I didn't see. But hey, it's just reason to go back right?
9. Somerset House
14. Ministry of Sound
18. Take a photo at Abbey Road
22. Buckingham Palace
25. Go to platform 9 3/4
26. Shakespeare's Globe theater
29. Fortnum & Mason
32. Hampstead Heath
&& Some last looks into my journey abroad:
Cheers London,
Thanks for being my wonderful home for four short months. Until we meet again <3 font="">
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