Goodbye to London

(warning: this post is extremely sentimental and sappy)

Honestly I can’t believe how fast this summer went by. Even though I feel comfortable and even at home here in London, it doesn’t really seem like I’ve been here the full time I was planning on… or at least it doesn’t really seem like enough

This has been the time of my life. The time of my life (so far). Even with food poisoning, even with stress from school, papers, finals, even with sharing a room with eleven other girls, heck- even with shingles, this has been the time of my life.

I love London. I’ve never gotten to know a city so well. I’ve never felt so at home in such a big city. Some of my favorite moments were excursions by myself, confident in navigating the Tube, navigating the streets, and navigating myself.

Being here in London really healed me. It seems like most of the girls here came with questions. I didn’t necessarily come with questions, but I came with slightly broken wings. This has been a time of healing, a time leaving me with the confidence that I can pump and propel myself wherever I need to go, through whatever I need to do.

How can I even describe the beauty of London, especially to those who have never been to this marvelous city? The stuff of not only history books, but the stuff of fairy tales. Explosions of knowledge at such easy grasping distance, just waiting for the taking. Samuel Johnson once said, “The happiness of London is not to be conceived but by those who have been in it.” And even more, one cannot conceive of the happiness of living in London.

Beautiful friendships weaved and knitted together, that I truly hope will last. I’m not a fool anymore to the possibility and reality that not all friendships can stay so potent and close, but I know that I am so much better for getting to know these people on this trip. Through all of the wonder of the city, the laughter as the true goofy sides of each of us started to show, through the stress and annoying schoolwork, through the spiritual moments, through all of the individual growing we were experiencing, we were able to experience together.

The UK is the homeland of my ancestors. Now is the spirit of this great land not only running through my blood, but my heart, my heart of hearts, through every inch and every square of my soul.

I know I can never experience this again. Yes, I hope that I’ll make it back to London someday, and hopefully relatively soon. But even then it won’t be the same. There will never be another Summer 2008 London Study Abroad.