Hello from London!
It's empowering to travel alone. The first day I came to London, I hid from the world, stayed cooped up in the hostel the entire day. Now, I'm out and about every day. I even got lost in Camden Market and was able to find my way home without falling apart. It might take me time to adjust, but being on my own is actually very enjoyable. No one to ask where they want to go or to worry about leaving behind because I walk too fast. It's just me to worry about. Just me and my purse and my countless souvenirs that I buy throughout the day.
There's something magical about London. It's so big, so vast, that each place I visit reminds me of a place back home. Camden Market was reminiscent of Lake George, Piccadilly Circus was a circular version of Times Square. Even the parks are eerily like Cobbs Hill Park back in Rochester. So not only am I reminded of home but this place is so much more ALIVE. There's a bustle everywhere you go. Not a New York City style bustle, where everyone has a place to be, but a softer more personal bustle. Maybe it's because I'm a tourist. Maybe it's because I haven't grown up here. Either way, I wouldn't mind living in London some day.
So I'm having a weird but of homesickness. Not the kind that debilitates you, more like the kind that leaves you thinking about home. And there are layers. Weird, I know. The first layer occurred yesterday, on my way to visit Canterbury Cathedral. I was sitting on the bus, missing London, because I am accustomed to London now. And then I was missing Stirling. Because I am definitely accustomed to Stirling and I have a routine that I miss. Then came the part where I find myself personally confused. I was missing home, like Rochester home. Like Mom's house and Dad's house home. And THEN I was missing Susquehanna. And part of me feels like Susquehanna feels more like home than Rochester does. I think this is a testament to how one person can have many homes. As the saying goes "Home is where the heart is." My heart must be broken, because I have four.
Farewell lovely Londontown
It's empowering to travel alone. The first day I came to London, I hid from the world, stayed cooped up in the hostel the entire day. Now, I'm out and about every day. I even got lost in Camden Market and was able to find my way home without falling apart. It might take me time to adjust, but being on my own is actually very enjoyable. No one to ask where they want to go or to worry about leaving behind because I walk too fast. It's just me to worry about. Just me and my purse and my countless souvenirs that I buy throughout the day.
There's something magical about London. It's so big, so vast, that each place I visit reminds me of a place back home. Camden Market was reminiscent of Lake George, Piccadilly Circus was a circular version of Times Square. Even the parks are eerily like Cobbs Hill Park back in Rochester. So not only am I reminded of home but this place is so much more ALIVE. There's a bustle everywhere you go. Not a New York City style bustle, where everyone has a place to be, but a softer more personal bustle. Maybe it's because I'm a tourist. Maybe it's because I haven't grown up here. Either way, I wouldn't mind living in London some day.
So I'm having a weird but of homesickness. Not the kind that debilitates you, more like the kind that leaves you thinking about home. And there are layers. Weird, I know. The first layer occurred yesterday, on my way to visit Canterbury Cathedral. I was sitting on the bus, missing London, because I am accustomed to London now. And then I was missing Stirling. Because I am definitely accustomed to Stirling and I have a routine that I miss. Then came the part where I find myself personally confused. I was missing home, like Rochester home. Like Mom's house and Dad's house home. And THEN I was missing Susquehanna. And part of me feels like Susquehanna feels more like home than Rochester does. I think this is a testament to how one person can have many homes. As the saying goes "Home is where the heart is." My heart must be broken, because I have four.
Farewell lovely Londontown