"here in these deep city lights, a girl could get lost tonight,
i'm finding every reason to be gone, there's nothing here to hold on to,
could i hold you?"
our first two days in london have been a resounding success. after arriving at the flat yesterday afternoon and settling in, we strolled around hyde park for a few hours before finding food for dinner. today, we spent a morning of high culture at the tate britain (excellent picasso exhibit), posed for the obligatory photo on romney street (say cheese), then toured the churchill war rooms (fascinating). after waving hullo! to the queen at buckingham palace, we began the long walk back to the flat. sitting down for an hour never felt so good.
after resting and eating a little supper, i ventured off on my own to the luxury shopping mecca of london (aka harrods). as i walked in the darkening twilight, i felt a calm and a peace come over me that i haven't felt in a long time. it was the feeling of independence, of contentment. with my own private soundtrack playing in my ears, i let my mind wander with the music, letting go of worries and sadness. i walked with confidence, knowing that even though my path was unfamiliar, i would eventually reach my final destination.
i've always felt this way in big cities. strange streets and strange scenes have never frightened me; rather, i revel in the unknown. the people, the sounds, the lights all chant a whispered and echoing chorus of, "life, freedom, possibility, independence, adventure!" my short-lived experiment in los angeles taught me that i don't do well living in big cities, but i sure do love being in big cities. i'm hoping this summer brings more big city adventures, courtesy of the east coast (dc, nyc, boston), but with four full days left in my little overseas vacation, i'm sure london and the surrounding areas will have plenty more adventures to offer.
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