Yes let's get this over with right out of the gate: I haven't posted anything since January. That's a depressingly long time ago for someone who imagined herself to be furiously devoted to keeping this sucker updated, but I'm pretty resentful of the 'this is a post about how I don't post enough’ posts so let’s ignore that bit and have some real fun. Yeah!
I live in London. I heard someone say once that unless you study abroad for at least a year, you aren’t allowed to claim living in that place. But I’ve decided to ignore that person’s opinion. I live in London and for the rest of my life I’ll tell stories about that one time I lived in London even if it was only for 4 months. Because here’s the thing about studying abroad -- you have to work to make it a home and that process creates this unique sense of protectiveness and belonging. Every single thing that was familiar and comfortable to me got left behind in the states in January and suddenly I had this overwhelming responsibility to make a home in London or else spend each day here lonely and homesick. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to spend as little time as possible being sad if I can do something about it, thus the adventures began. So what exactly do the seekers of familiarity in a foreign country do? We explore. We wander, get lost, find short cuts, stare at maps, collect more maps, ask directions, and decipher public transportation. We create routines.
The best way to get to know London is to traipse around the city. Whether on foot or perched on the front seat of a double-decker bus, I spend hours figuring out how the different areas of London connect and just taking in the view. I’ve never been so fascinated with geography in my life, but London seems like one giant puzzle that I get to piece together (yes it’s that cliché). I feel like the nerdy teacher’s pet when I get stopped by someone who needs directions or clarification on a bus route and I can answer perfectly in my hillbilly accent. 5 gold stars to me for knowing that the number 9 bus does in fact go past Royal Albert Hall and yes ma’am the Whole Foods is about a 6 minute walk that way. I’m a total show off and see if I care. I shamelessly name drop station names and London colloquialisms when I’m on the tube so that people don’t mistake me for a (gasp) tourist. Because I live here!
And here’s where the protectiveness comes into play. Other Londoners might not agree, but I’ve started to feel like a bonafide local. As far as I’m concerned, London is my city. All of it belongs to me because I discovered it for myself. I have my underground line and my favorite grocery store and my lunch spot and my church and my unreasonable resentment of loud passengers on the tube and just like that I became the proud owner of the ever glamorous I Heart London sticker. It’s going on my Nalgene and I plan to buy a matching t-shirt for when I get back to the states and it’s safe to wear.
