Goodbye London

This was the final week in London for the summer.  We are all seriously considering not getting on the plane tomorrow.  I am very excited to see everyone but I am almost in tears typing this right now.  Our flight leaves in about 16 hours and that is simply just not okay.  But on a happy note it was an amazing last week. I will recap everything and bring some closure to this blog.  

So, where I left off.. Tuesday night we went to a pub around the corner for a cider and reflected on the summer.  Actually, there was a lot of reflection this week.  It brings tears to my eyes every time we talk about what we are going to miss and I have to keep telling myself that I will survive and be okay because at least I will get to see everyone.  It will be quite a culture shock to see more than 5 people, that I know and like, in one day.  We are all just so used to being with each other.  

Wednesday was a super fabulous day.  Danna, Ally and I ventured to Brighton Beach.  We hopped on a train and traveled for about 45 minutes to the pier.  The weather was beautiful and there was talk about stopping and getting a piercing or something to commemorate the summer but that never happened.  We went on an intense swing ride on the pier and sat on the pebble beach for a while.  The three of us probably looked pretty cute falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing in the background.  We had a sushi lunch and decided that someone should open up a conveyor belt sushi place in Columbia.  It is the best thing ever, and smart on the owners because sushi is more tempting when you look at it rather than when you read the words on the menu.  We walked around the town and enjoyed the beauty of it before heading back to London.  

During the evening Jen, Danna, Ally and I went to Brick Lane.  It was suggested by one of Danna's co-workers.  The street is known for their authentic Indian food.  I had never tried Indian cuisine before, except for on the airplane over here (reminder: we fly AirIndia....sketch), and I was pleasantly surprised.  After Indian, we went to O'Neils for some live music, danced the rest of the night away, and batted away some creepsters while enjoying the loud American music being sung by British rockstars.  

The next day was a nice romantic day for me and Ally.  We slept in, which was well needed and then reserved tickets for Buckingham Palace for Friday.  We had a nice lunch on the steps in Trafalgar square, did a little bit of shopping, and then spent a long time debating on whether or not to go out.  We ended up at a pub that we had been at in the beginning of the summer after the Chelsea game.. and took a long walk home.  

Friday was London's way of saying that she is sad to see we are leaving.  She started to cry by raining all day and continuing randomly throughout the weekend.  A tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace cheered us up a little bit, followed by our final traditional English meal of fish and chips and mushy peas at a pub.  We then got on a ferry to Greenwich, saw the prime meridian and I walked around the town with Ally.  One of my goals was accomplished: being in two places at once.  This goal, of course came from 'A Walk To Remember'...and I think that being in both the Eastern and Western hemisphere at the same time is something to brag about.  

Being one of our final nights in the city, we had to go out of course!  We gathered up the crew and began at Carnaby street.  It was busy and fun and we then attempted to walk to a club, while following some guys we had meet out last week.  Everyone got lost and split up and we never made it farther than the bus stop.  There were some bathroom issues on the way back but all was dealt with fairly tastefully.  

This morning it hit me.  We had one more day.  It was depressing and I could hardly even talk about it.  Emily, Danna and I went to Portobello Road for one last time.  It was just as wonderful as ever and I was terribly sad to leave.  We met up with Ally and then did one final touristy thing: Abbey Road.  

Danna and I then fit in one more show, Spamalot.  It was funny and weird.  

Tonight the roomies all went out for dinner together at an Italian place around the corner from our flat.  And I was almost in tears the entire time.  Man, this blog post is kind of depressing I just realized.  Dinner was special, followed by packing and now bed.  Must wake up super early to make myself tired for the plane ride that is to come.  

I love London. I will miss everything about it. There are a few movies that i must see now after being here... all relating to the summer in some way: 

1. notting hill 

2. the lizzy mcguire movie 

3. mona lisa smile 

4. love actually

5. ps i love you 

6. braveheart 

7. a christmas carol 

8. bridget jones's diary 

9. about a boy 

10. wimbledon 

11. my fair lady 

12. under the tuscan sun 

13. the da vinci code 

14. ratatouille 

15. the hunchback of notre dame 

16. an american in paris 

Things I will miss the most 

-markets 

-my roommates 

-pub culture 

-work 

-cider 

-movie premiers 

-the people here from mizzou 

-seeing the same people every day 

-emily's travel alarm 

-my bunkbed 

-our screwy shower 

-flat 5 

-earl's court 

-covent garden 

-pistachio gelato 

-not having a 'real' phone 

-blogging 

-public transportation 

-our flat's intercom 

-the different languages you encounter 

-weekend traveling 

-walking everywhere 

-never driving 

-fish and chips 

-cool weather 

-umbrellas 

-london fashion 

-shopping 

-crepes 

-digestives 

-the movie theaters 

-the accents 

-'cheers' 

-ethnic cuisine 

-trying new things 

-meeting new people 

-the parks

-the streets 

-the general day to day life 

-walking home from picadilly by myself 

-window shopping 

-the pound 

-the queen 

-william and harry 

-the red carpets 

-lunch breaks 

-tea every hour 

-last minute musicals and shows 

-the history 

-the free london paper 

-the woman's voice on the tube

-the museums (esp the v&a) 

-the a to zed booklet

-the freedom 

-feeling like an adult 

and so much more. The list could continue for miles...

I will return to London in the near future, I have no doubts about that.  

A week without work

The blogs are going to come to an end soon.  I’ve used the term a lot lately but there is no other way to describe it but “bitter sweet.”  Not going to dwell on the situation, which is why we are all living up our last week in London!

 

Friday was my last day at work, and I held in the tears.  It helped to not be leaving right after work was over and to have this week.  After work I went to a screening on “My Best Friend’s Girl,” Kate Hudson’s new movie with Dane Cook and Brian Biggs.  It was a typical Kate movie and of course I loved it! It was a good chic flick to start off the weekend.  Friday night we headed to a pub that Emily has been to with work people.  We all thought it would be open later, under the impression they had a late liquor license… so no one was in a rush to get there.  We were wrong.  Luckily we got there right before 11 and were able to get a pint of cider before they rang the bell.  The pub is owned by a private distillery which is awesome because all of their beer and cider is cheaper… and organic… and really good! 

 

On our way to the pub, we ran into Elise White.  She has been here for a good while now and we have constantly been trying to do dinner or a club with her but our schedules have been hard to match up.  She joined us at the pub for a pint and we got to catch up on Chi O gossip with our fellow sister. 

 

Saturday morning Ally, Danna and I hit up Portobello Road.  With all of our traveling, we haven’t been there for so long which is sad.  The market at Portobello Road is one of my top favourite parts of London.  It just makes me happy in general.  It is blocks upon blocks of vintage goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, yummy sweets and other foods, new designers clothing and accessories, and other fun goods waiting to be purchased.  I found a beautiful vintage Chanel handbag, circa 1980 and spent the day debating on whether or not to purchase it.  It drove me crazy, as well as Ally and Danna…and I ended up behaving throughout the day and buying it on the way out! Yahhh.  We found a few inexpensive and new jewelry designers that I decided I might have to go back to next Saturday for one last Portobello purchase.  Ahhh pure bliss. 

 

While at the market we switched up the normal ritual of a savoury crepe with a falafel wrap.  Danna often gets them for lunch from Pret and has been wanting me to try one.  We found a fresh falafel stand and the wraps were delish!

 

The day continued toward Kensington High Street, were we browsed through a few more stores and window-shopped.  At night we decided to go to Carnaby street to a random pub and then to On Anon, a club we have made an appearance at before.  My evening ended shortly after arriving at On Anon.  The woman who’s job is, well WAS, to hand out paper towels in the bathroom freaked out at me for taking a piece of gum and ended up bringing me to tears and I skeeted out of there fast to avoid embarrassment and hassle.  The other girls had a good time dancing the night away. 

 

Sunday we started off with a morning walk and brunch at My Old Dutch, a pancake bakery.  It is completely normal here to eat your pancakes with cheese and veggies on them…which is very different than what we are used to. But they are surely scrumptious.  The day was kind of gross and ugly so we decided to go to the Science museum.  We were like kids in a candy store.  There was a bunch of fun, hand on exhibits that we took part in, along with an I*max 3d film entitled “The Deep Sea.”  Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet were the narrators, and the visuals were bright and real and awesome.  We also did a motion simulator that was barely worth the 1 pound 50 pence.  It was a simulated roller coaster and was definitely meant for children.  We enjoyed the museum none-the- less.  Because the rain was putting a damper on the day, Emily, Ally, Danna and I decided to make a comforting Sunday dinner and cuddle up to a movie.  It was relaxing. 

 

Danna and I took advantage of having off yesterday and went to the Imperial War Museum.  We spent about 4 hours in the Holocaust exhibit, which was intense.  After that we couldn’t handle more museum so we attempted to head to Wimbledon and failed due to a fire at a tube station. So we opted for sushi in South Kensington, pistachio gelato and then I had class.  It was the final class of the summer and GK cut it short, giving us the evening to plan the rest of the week and catch up on computer correspondence. 

 

One of my going-away gifts from Lillian was a gift certificate at her hair salon, Adee Phelan.  It is were David Beckham goes…! I had my appointment this morning for a well-overdue trim and style.  It included a head massage, a perfect cup of English breakfast tea, relaxing time with a Grazia magazine and tips on how to make loose curls.  My hair now has fresh ends and I will hopefully not shed as much anymore. 

 

I then went to the final Bauer lunch at the Century Club, and took a walk down Oxford Street and through Notting Hill.  The weather was not superb today but the walk was still nice.  Not sure the plans for tonight, but maybe a local pub!