Days 20 and 21: Bittersweet Symphony

Thursday, I was almost struck down by wave of nostalgia. Oddly enough, I was feeling nostalgic about my time in London, even though it's far from over. I only have two weeks left over here. Quite frankly, it's not enough time. I want to stay here forever.

London is everything I expected it to be and more. It's a city that doesn't quite feel like a city. It's sprawling and intimate at the same time. The people, for the most part, keep to themselves. The ones I have spoken to are friendly and polite (save for a few drunken gentlemen at the pub). The city is bustling during the day. At night, it sleeps. It's wonderful.

But I digress. I started this post to talk about the events of Thursday and Friday. Thursday was fairly boring. I went to the British Museum with my world civilization class. The building was massive. We were supposed to spend the majority of our time in the Asia galleries because we'd been studying China and Japan. Zelda and I breezed through the gallery. We wandered around some of the other exhibits, but they were hot and crowded. When we finally met up with the rest of the group, it felt to me as though an eternity had passed.



We had lunch at a little tea place a couple minutes' walk from the museum. I wasn't hungry because I'd gotten too hot, but I did order a slice of lemon cake and a Nutella cupcake (delicious). Then, we visited the Twinings Tea Museum, which was only one big room. I don't have much to say about that.

After the field trip, I came back to my room and took a nap because I'm still getting over being sick. Next, I went to the Spaghetti House with Cynthia, Matt, Stephen, and Jim in honor of Cynthia's birthday. I ordered chicken wings, and I only got three. Appetizer portion. Thanks, Europe! Anyway, it was good. Once we'd finished eating, Jim went to an Internet cafe, Stephen and Cynthia ran to Tesco, and Matt and I wandered around in search of an ATM.

Later, I went to the pub with Matt, Jim, and John. We didn't stay very long because it was crowded and hot. Are you sensing a theme here?

Friday (yesterday), I hung out with Heather and Ashley for most of the day. I love those ladies. We had lunch at Pizza Express and wandered around Baker Street in search of the Beatles store. Although it was difficult, we managed to find it. The store wasn't huge, but it had an excellent selection. I didn't end up buying anything. The t-shirts along were 25GPB. No thank you.



We got back from our excursion and rested for several hours. Then, we went to East Street for dinner. It was some of the best Asian food I've ever eaten. We came back to the dorms, changed clothes, and did our hair and makeup. Once we were ready, we headed out to O'Neill's with Angelica, Jordan, and Matt for a little bit of dancing. It was fantastic. A bit too crowded for my taste, but I managed all the same. By the time we got back, I was exhausted.

I only have eleven days or so until I go home. It's bittersweet, it really is. I love this city. I could picture myself spending a great deal more time here. This experience has been extraordinary for me. It's done so much good. I can't wait to tell everyone all about it. With that being said, there are a couple of things (and people) I miss back home. I guess when it comes down to it, I am a little glad I'll be going back to the States at the end of all of this.