Goodbye London

Alright I know I’ve been slacking but ever since Paris, time has been flying and these last few weeks have been the busiest of my life! With so many last minute things to do around the city and so much homework to get done before finals—we’ve hardly had time to breathe. As busy as we’ve been and as stressed as I have felt, these last few weeks have definitely been some of the best the whole time I’ve been here. To spare you and squeeze as much in as I can I’ll just give a quick list of some of the highlights.

Well, I have now experienced my first opera—not a huge fan. The instrumental part was beautiful but the singing and storyline was ridiculous and I will never choose to go to another one. I also saw WICKED and Phantom of the Opera, which were both phenomenal, I loved them! My last theatre experience was spent at the Royal Opera House to see The Nutcracker which was a-ma-zing. The set was so cool and the dancers were incredible. Plus one of the little mouse dancers wiped out, bless his heart, but it did make it even more entertainingJ.

Thanksgiving in London was so great! St. Paul’s does an American Thanksgiving service that is so great. We sang “America the Beautiful” as a few marines came down the isle with the American flag. Naturally I cried. It was okay though because one of my friends did too so we just looked cool together. It was a really good experience though because I just realized how much I love home and how lucky I am to live there. The rest of the day was spent feasting-brussel sprouts includedJ and going to see “New Moon.” It was a very different Thanksgiving than I’ve ever had but I was able to talk to my family so that made me feel a little bit more at homeJ.

Ever since we got home from Paris I’ve had a list of “Things to do in London” which is full of touristy things I had forgotten to do. Considering the weather just barely got really cold, we have spent a lot of time in museums. I’ve recently gone to the V&A, Tate Britain and Modern, and the British Library. Museums here are all so great  but I feel bad…at this point after Italy and then Paris, I am just SO museumed-out. I feel like I should appreciate them more but I have walked many miles through the halls and spent so many hours staring at paintings. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved it but I could use a few year museum break! Another fun thing was our trip to Oxford. It was FREEZING but such a cool place! Plus I saw the great hall of Harry Potter. Another star struck moment.

Another highlight of my last days is our trip to Windsor. Since our program didn’t set aside a time for all of us to go my friend Lauren and I hopped on a train and went up there last week. Unfortunately the State Rooms were closed for a knighthood, but it was still a lot of fun just walking around the town and seeing the castle grounds. Plus, Queen Anne’s Dolls House was open and that was really neat. The giant doll house is a replica of a real house. It even has the same real carpet and curtains as in the castle, complete with electricity, plumbing, and working miniature clocks. It was awesome!

Last week we went on a tour of the Houses of Parliament for our last day out as a group. It was probably one of my favorite things we’ve done around the city. I love how classy England is, it’s been fun learning so much more about the way the country is run. Not to mention, as I stood there listening to my tour guide’s introduction Reese Witherspoon just walked down the stairs and right passed me. I just stared at her as she passed and said something like “Um hi, there’s Reese Witherspoon.” Of course we chatted like old friends for a second, it was nice to catch upJ. Little does she know that I have taken her picture in to try to get my hair cut exactly like her…creepy star stuck nearly-20-year-old.

As far as the last week goes I literally have spent my life in the parlor studying my days away (with the help of many boxes of Crunchy Nut cereal) with the exception of a few day activities and a trip to Abbey Road (I know our pictures are pathetic). I won’t lie it was a really tough week for me. With the stress of finals and getting everything done around the city, living with 40 girls became a fairly unpleasant experience. And note to self: never get in the way of hungry stressed girls, they are fierce. Enough said. As hard as it got I made it through and finals actually went well for me and I’m SO glad they’re done! My last Sunday in the London North ward was a sad day. I have grown to love the members here so much and it was hard to say goodbye but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to serve in the ward, it has been such a strength to me these last few months.

Well today was my official last day in London.

We woke up and took a bus tour to say bye to the city and then ended up making it to Buckingham in time for changing of the guards. After that we went to Harrod’s and spent some time in “Christmas World,” an all Christmas floor. It was crazy! After that I walked down Queensway for the last time and said goodbye to the little corner of London that has become my home.

I would love to say that it was the best day yet but it wasn’t. I mean it was a fun day but I just felt like a tourist. I didn’t like the feeling considering this is where I’ve lived for the last three and half months. It’s sad knowing that I will most likely never experience London like this again. I have had the time of my life here. I know I’ve said that the whole time but I really do mean it. I know I came here for so many reasons, many of which have become clear to me just these last few weeks. I have grown so much academically, spiritually and have just learned so many little things about myself and the world in general. I have also met the most amazing people here, many of which I know I will be best friends with for a long time. I’m so glad and SO lucky to have had the opportunity to have this experience living and studying abroad. I’m so sad to be leaving my home at 27 Palace Court but am so excited to see my family and be home for the holidays and to see what life brings next. My time here has been the best time of my life and I know a little piece of my heart will always be in LondonJ.