First, I’d like to apologize for staying MIA when I said that I wouldn’t…twice. The time off from blogging and posting has exceeded the 21-day limit which means it feels like more of a habit now than a choice. But now that I am no longer living out of a suitcase or dealing with paperwork, I can stop, breathe and share.
As expected, I spent my first week here doing touristy thing with my brother: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Leicester Square, pubs, Hyde Park, markets, you name it. The sun sets by 10 p.m. and rises right before 5 a.m. so it feels like the days can go on forever while the nights are so short. It really put us in a bind with staying on time for our plans, but I love the feeling of long days, no matter how exhausting.
Tower of London
Trafalgar Square
Tower Bridge
Madam Butterfly at London Coliseum
Big Ben
This second week, I started my internship while my brother headed over to Barcelona. My internship hasn’t consisted of much to report, but I have been taking advantage of said late sunsets. Staying out after work makes my time here feel more concrete rather than waiting for the weekend to enjoy myself. I feel like a real Londoner (not to mention, my work day doesn’t start until 9:30 a.m. so I have the luxury of staying out later).
The week flew by with Cameron not being around. We saw each other once more for his last night in London yesterday. We ended the weekend by revisiting Oxford Street, stopping by the MI6 building, and taking in an aerial view of the city from Sky Garden. I am so glad to have been able to create these memories with my brother that will last a lifetime. Next time we will be even more prepared and I look forward to traveling together again.
MI6 Building
Returning to London was equally everything I imagined and nothing I imagined. I thought once I boarded the tube from Heathrow, I would feel this sense of nostalgia and that I would be even more overwhelmed with emotion once I rose above ground. However, I didn’t feel anything at all. Aside from the stress I inflict upon myself to make sure all the T’s are crossed and all the I’s are dotted, I see now that I didn’t feel nostalgia because it still feels so familiar. Even as I type this, it doesn’t really feel like I’m here. It’s a recognizably different feeling than any other because I feel like I’m somewhere between fantasy and reality. The amount of memories I made here last year in a short span of four months makes me feel both attached and detached because it’s not my home, but it feels like it is. Granted, I’ve been preoccupied with many, many other things to really stop and smell the roses, but in the quiet moments of walking through the streets, it feels like I belong. I’m so glad to be back 🙂
xx, AE
Lex in the City 
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