I think it would be difficult to come to London and not enjoy it. Who was it that said “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”? I never remember, and I’m not even going to bother to look it up because it’s the wisdom and sentiment of the statement that matters, not the particular person who said it. Many have said that very thing (or a variation on it) in their own way, as I have just done, and it rings true no matter who says it.
I have settled into my small corner of the city quite easily, and I feel as though it could become home for me very quickly if things continue to go as well as they have been. I have been met with such positivity since I arrived that I am a bit in disbelief: the customer service experiences I’ve had so far have been nothing short of amazing, the weather has been a perfect balance of sunny and summer-chill, and the world seems to have opened up to me in a way that I hadn’t expected at all but am positively floored by. I’m sure I can attribute some of this feeling to the “new glow” of my first few days in the city, but let me tell you, I am thankful for every bit of it, whether it’s “new glow” induced or not.
Since I’ve already done a lot of the touristy things one does when one comes to London for the first time, and since this trip is not just a short trip but a more involved work experience for me, I’ve been taking it easy and getting to know the areas around me in a more intimate way. I’m staying near King’s Cross-St. Pancreas Station and I’ve been doing a stroll through the Departures section of the station at least once a day just to watch the travellers as they hurry by. I’ve been making mental notes of shops I want to return to when I have money, and trying out different local cafes to see which ones I like the most. I’m jotting down shows I’d like to see, exhibitions I want to take in, and restaurants that I’d like to try. If you were able to watch me out and about in London over the last couple of days, you’d probably be asking, “Why is she just… walking around?!” The answer to that is: you can see and experience a Hell of a lot while “just walking around”, and I expect that I’ll be here long enough to have a rich and varied experience of the city and the country – I’m not in a mad dash to do it all in the first few days.
During the time I’ve been walking around and taking in the sights, smells, and shopping in London, I’ve noticed something: I feel more attractive. In a city filled with ridiculously well dressed, attractive people, you’d think your first inclination would be to feel a little inadequate in that department, but it’s working out to be quite the opposite for me. I actually caught myself in a serious hip-swaying swagger yesterday and had to laugh a little. I have come to this conclusion about it, though: there are so many different types of beautiful people you pass on the street here in the run of a day that it relaxes and widens your perspective and your perception of beauty, and you suddenly make more room for your own beauty in the midst of it all. If moving to the UK yields nothing more than that for me, it will have been enough. Somehow though, I think there’s more out there for me, yet.
And now I’m off to have a late lunch, exercise my brain a bit, and look for glamorous jobs. More to come soon!
Gravitas & Giggles 