The Casual London-er

So, last week, I casually went to London.   See, that’s the thing about living or simply being in Europe.  You really could decide to hop on a plane and leave the country…and you could do it all casually.

It’s a bit overwhelming, really.  If you use your imagination, being in Europe isn’t that different from being in a Las Vegas buffet.  The opportunities are endless, the choices, numerous, and the possibilities, suffocating.  Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great problem to have.  I mean, to have the option between a chocolate torte or strawberry cheesecake, the possibility to indulge in both, and the opportunity to do so before the main course—it really is anything but a problem.  But I’m American, and that’s what Americans do.  We complain about problems that really, by definition, aren’t.  They’re blessings, and they’re not even disguised.  Chocolate torte or strawberry cheesecake?  London or France?  Oh, woe is me—it’s suffocating, really.  The possibilities, the choices, the opportunities…

And that would explain why I’ve been missing in action.  I have been dealing with problems that are anything but, making choices, imagining possibilities, and seizing opportunities.  In other words, I’ve been traveling, and doing it oh so casually.  You know, as Europeans tend to do.

I guess if I were to describe London in three words, it would be something along the lines of “Where” “To” “Start”.  One- Two-and-Three.  It’s funny, because I swear time flies on this end of the world.  I only spent a mere four days in London, but it honestly felt like much, much longer.  I was bombarded with the obligatory “How was (insert destination here)?” questions upon my return and I really honestly didn’t even know where to begin.  It couldn’t have only been four days, I thought to myself again and again and again, because the truth of the matter is, London was overwhelming.  That was, and I guess, will always be my response and impression of the city.  I realized that upon arrival, and accepted the fact that I wasn’t going to see, eat, and experience, everything I had hoped early on in the trip, and I was ok with that.  In actuality, as cheesy as it may sound, every step in London was an experience.  Every turn of the corner, every bite of dal, every tight squeeze on the Underground, every cookie at Borough, every cheery encounter, every swipe of the Oyster card, every brisk stride on Oxford St, and every accented greeting—it was all an experience and it was a great one!  

This was the view from the London Bridge train station.  

I was praying for anything but the stereotypical London weather and ridiculously thankful that the weatherman heard my plea.

You could see Big Ben from here!  I snapped pics like I was a tourist in London, simply because I was!  This one was taken on the long walk from the Borough Market to Soho!

London-ers are spoiled by the amount of beautiful parks in the city.

Hyde Park!

Regents Park!  I'm telling you!  They're spoiled absolutely rotten...

Another beautiful view from the bridge!

Not a landscape view of the water, but beautiful nonetheless!

London is a crazy city.  It's a beautiful city.  It's a crowded city, but yet a charming city, and believe it or not, it grew on me in a matter of four days.  I kid you not.  But it did so casually, of course.  You know, as European people and places tend to do.

Cheers,

Kimmy