Dear Self,
I'm sorry that I broke my promise.
I'm going to attempt to remedy that right now.
Here comes the reflection time...
Love,
Me
London was a dream - and just like a dream, I have woken up and am now left grasping at the hazy edges of what used to be a vivid picture. It is one of those dreams that you tell yourself to remember only to lose hold of by the end of the afternoon, and no matter how hard you try all you can recall is a shadow. I see pictures of Big Ben or the Tower Bridge and think, "Did I really live there?!" Did I really spend four months making that city a home? I spent my time in London wondering if it was real or if it was just a dream. I know now that it was a dream, because it has faded away so quickly. It took no time at all to jump back into real life here in the states and lose the vivid picture of my wonderful semester abroad. That is not to say that my experiences will not forever be a part of me, but I will always find myself grasping at faded edges convincing myself that it actually happened.
There is a sharp contrast between the way I lived life in London and how I experience life on a daily basis in the states. I don't have multiple personalities or anything - it's just when I was in London, every moment was cherished and observed. For example, "Awww guys this is the last time we will buy bread from the grocery store on the third Tuesday of the month while wearing tennis shoes and holding an umbrella..." You think I'm exaggerating, and yes OK I am a bit, but every moment was special there.I wonder what life would be like for me now if I took joy in every little moment the way that I did in London. God's glory is much bigger than the beautiful city of London, so why is it that it was much easier to see there? Because I was constantly looking. I guess I need to open my eyes a little now!
Since I have been back for almost two months now, I can examine the things that I miss about London without just responding "everything." I can also see the things that I appreciate about 'Murica better now, too. So here it goes:
Top 10 things I miss about London:
1. Living in a city bursting with history
2. Traveling
3.Walking to the grocery store
4. Working at the Fulbright Commission
5. Traveling
6. Nandos/Ben's Cookies/Bourough Market
7.Not having a phone
8. Living with some of my best friends
9. Being able to say, "No big deal I just live in London..."
10. Everything. I lied that is still my answer...
Top 10 things I missed about home:
1. Diet Coke
2. Friends and Family
3. Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup
4. People letting you touch their pets. Chill out people they're dogs not people...
5. Diet Coke
6. Southern Gentlemen
7. Driving
8. My dumb dog
9. My books
10. Free refills...of Diet Coke
I feel like I'm writing the last chapter of a book that's been in the back of my mind for years. I have dreamed about studying abroad for as long as I can remember. The story in my mind never included London - it had me sitting in French cafes everyday sipping espresso and eating croissants - but London pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was a blessing and a challenge and I am thankful for every experience and memory that are now a part of the much longer (sometimes more boring) book of my life.
So I'm back in the homeland after an incredible adventure. You might be asking yourself, "How do you spend the summer after a semester like that?!" Simple. You migrate down to the land of 8 billion degrees and muggy, Alabama, for an internship planning national youth conferences and working with Montgomery teens! Though my adventures here are, in their own way, just as exciting as my time in London, I won't be sharing them quite the same. This summer will be a blessing, a challenge, and above all a time of personal growth and I'm thrilled for the opportunity!
Cheers!
In other home news:
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| Mark graduated! Congrats Spud! |
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| And so did Dan Dan the Dentist Man! |
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| And this is the newest member of our family, Zero. |
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