Category: Self Discovery

Categories
Personal Self Discovery

Something changed

I could not have asked for a better trip at a better time. I met such amazing people and my time away has allowed me to come to terms with some things and some relationships.

Having been in so many different cities has definitely given me a different perspective. I want to say that my perspective on life has changed… but it sounds cliche and doesn’t quite capture the personal journey that was this whole trip..

I still haven’t found all the right words to describe my experiences from the past 4 months. When I get home tomorrow, I’m going to focus on enjoying family time and catching up with friends. I shall do my reflecting gradually, through conversations and with time.

But something has changed.

Categories
Personal Self Discovery

I can`t imagine being home right now

I`ve mixed feelings about my departure flight back to Vancouver in a couple of days.

Just yesterday I spent the whole day around Paris, enjoying all the classic sights. In the morning, I woke up and walked by the Sacre- Coeur on my way to the Metro. I enjoyed a Sunday morning stroll with a coffee and a delicious apple tarte down the Champs- Elysee from l`arc du Triomphe. When we reached the other side, we walked down the Alexander III bridge to the Hotel Invalid where the Royal family lived for many years. From late morning to early afternoon, I was in the Louvre, walking down galleries past galleries of history presented in the most glorious and elegant displays. Then I had lunch: half of it in the Louvre because I was hungry (and to say I`ve done it), and the rest in the Jardins du Tuilleries, the gardens surrounding the Louvre pyramid. We then hopped onto a boat and cruised down La Seine to the Ile de la Cite, where the Notre Dame stands, among other smaller (but equally important) museums. We took a stroll off the main tourist pathway, and found ourselves in a little antique bookshop, where books from hundreds of years ago were available for purchase at less than 5euros a piece! We enjoyed an early dinner, and I tried l`èscargot, which I thoroughly enjoyed, minus one because it was so big it looked too snail- like for my appetite… Hopped back on the boat, cruised down further to the Eiffel Tower. There, we enjoyed the night view of the Eiffel, which was lit up so that it looked like a golden tower. There were musicians and actors performing on the square between the Tower and one of the bigger museums, and it was really lively to be there, present. While we waited for the Tower to start sparkling (every hour starting at 2200), we enjoyed a Nutella and banana crepe which was authentically French… (mhmmmmmm)

Now, I am back in London after a really short flight, sitting next to a guy that was also next to me on the flight to Paris. He was really cute, but we didn`t talk much last time since I was so tired. He seemed the shy type, so it was really amusing to see him want to chat but then it was slightly awkward because he wasn`t super outgoing. Anyway, he was sweet and friendly, and it was a nice flight back to London. When we got off, he didn`t walk away quickly… he waited for me and I thought I was going to get a phone number or something, but no. Still, it`s nice to know there are good looking men out there who aren`t jerks or cynics. I`m back in the original London hostel I stayed at a week ago. It`s karaoke night, and bits of the AT40 float up to my room… I need to be up early tomorrow to catch a taxi to the airport.

So no, I cannot imagine being home right now. I am in love with this freedom of travelling, of being whoever I choose to present myself to be. But I must go back and pay back my credit card bill first, to apply for my loan again, to graduate, and to conclude the assignments for my African placement. I already know where I am going on my next trip: Austria, Sweden, Denmark.

Good night. I am home so soon. 2 more nights.

Categories
Personal Self Discovery

safe in London, riots and all

What an amazing day. Started out early, got a delicious house brew coffee from Pre a Manger, walked over the London Bridge, coffee in hand. It was refreshing to walk alongside all the Londoners on their morning commute. Some rode bcycles, many more walked. Caught a bus down to Trafalgar Square. Was a bit lost, so I went into a travel information center where an extremely friendly guy helped me print out the voucher ticket for the bus tour—he kept joking about how I should just work there because I’m so attractive… that was a rather flattering way to start off my day.

Hopped on the Original Bus Tour and went all over the city and Westminister. The bus took us to all the main destinations, describing the history of the city. It was extremely relaxing and enjoyable to just immerse in the history of the city… it was so awesome, to think that people have lived in those very streets for thousands of years. I got off on Oxford street and did some shopping, then met Lisa at Topshop.

Shopping on Oxford street was so nice. I thought that I should’ve kept going with the tour, but I really just wanted time to myself, to be flexible. So I shopped, and it was really fun to walk alongside (extremely fashionable) Londoners and browse through the stores. I got myself a really cute necklace, extremely comfortable and classy summer sandals, and a fun dress. I was seriously debating buying a dress from Topshop because they are such great quality and look so unique… I may do that on the last day. Finally, Lisa and I walked over to the British Museum and browse around for the last 20 minutes they were open. We planned to do a River Thames ride, but we saw headlines on the news, ‘Stay at home, Police recommend’, so we decided not to. Which was a bummer because my Thames ride was included in my Bus tour ticket. Instead, we found a restaurant near the underground station that was in the middle of both of our accommodation stops.

The restaurant was extremely fancy. The whole street was really fancy, actually. All the couture names were there, and we walked up the quiet street in awe of the fashion and sophistication. It was really exciting to see all these famous couture houses, and see how contemporary fashion (i.e. Oxford street) had adapted from it. When we finally found the restaurant, we realized it was a lot fancier than we planned for, but we went for it anyway. The duck I had was delish, and I tried pavlova for the first time… and fell in love with it. It was really luxurious to be served so well, and it was a well- deserved treat for myself.

Lisa and I had an amazing dinner conversation. It was so nice to be able to relate to someone who had been in Africa for the past little bit too. It was really a huge relief to get some of the things I’ve been thinking about, out and discussed.

Booked it home because I didn’t want to get caught in the dark. It was 8pm and it wasn’t even dark, though, so that’s a big difference from Uganda, where it got dark by 6pm. In my bed, reflecting over the day and looking at my new purchases with fondness.

Tomorrow I will be my “culture day”. I plan on visiting the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, and the British Museum.

 

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