On my way to my hostel I crossed Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, both of which are beautiful right now. For it being December, I'm surprised at the total lack of white. Not so much as a frost going on, though I did spy a few snow flakes yesterday!
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| Scenes from Hyde Park/ Kensington Gardens, seriously beautiful. |
I "live" just down the road from Oxford Street, which is seriously...mad. Not only is the traffic crazy, but the shopping, I have NEVER seen shopping like this. Every British store I've ever heard of is on this street, usually more than once! There is probably 7 Starbucks, 5 McDonalds, 3 Pret A Manger's, 10 Boots', and two or three each H&M, Urban Outfitters, Primark, La Senza, HMV, and more!! And all within..idk, less than half a mile probably. SO MUCH SHOPPING. I am, of course, a poor college student so I can't actually partake in the shopping, but I did take a very lustful peruse through Primark while picking up a few things for Christmas gifts.
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| Wandering through Notting Hill and I found my favorite dead person! :) |
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| Can we just appreciate for a moment that my nail polish chipped into a tree?!?! :D Also, that is some serious knuckle pudge goin' on. |
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The above was written on day two of me being in London, the rest of this post is written in Dublin, so don't you be gettin' mad about me changing tenses on you, k?
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I went to see a showing of Les Mis, specifically to see Carrie Hope Fletcher perform as Eponine. She is a girl I have followed online for a while now and is a huge role model to me, so seeing her perform was a dream come true. Sneaky Janice...I accosted an usher (..twice..) about how to catch the actors after the show and he told me exactly which door to leave from, how quickly I needed to walk down the stairs, and even turned a blind eye when I magically appeared in a seat much closer to the important exit, and also much more expensive than the one I purchased (Which is dumb, because you could only see half the stage in my new seat..) Basically, I had an amazing night, ended up being able to meet Carrie, talk to her, get a hug, an autograph, and a great photo, and yes, the show was amazing as well.
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| Meeting the one person I was praying to meet this trip. Seeing someone you respect in person, and having them be REAL...that is a life changing experience, and I think the whole trip was worth it, just for those 5 minutes in Wardour Ave. |
I did quite a bit of wandering this week, though all in Central London. I saw most all the major sites once or twice, and I really enjoyed my time :)
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| Westminster, London Eye, Nelson Tower (Trafalgar Square), National Gallery, Blue Chicken...didn't read the plaque, it's at Trafalgar as well! Picadilly Circus, and again, looking down Regent Street, Selfridges! |
I ate most of my meals at McDonalds, showered in a room that was speckled with mold and smelled of warm ham, and walked a fresh set of blisters and sores into my body. But the people I met made it all worth it, they reminded me that life isn't about the things you can check off your list, it's about the moments built into getting there, and the people who came along. Everyone said I would love London, and (typical Janice...) I then set out to hate it, just to prove them wrong, but I couldn't. It was an amazing few days, worth every creak in the bedframe, and every blister on my feet and hands. Until next time, London, goodnight !
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| London..keeping it real-Flu Jabs |
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