So Gutted it has to End
Three more weeks...& you can bet I'm still forgetting to upload these, but I must say I've done better than I thought I would. It feels crazy to say that four and a half months have gone by in the blink of an eye, but they truly have come and gone one day at a time. Since we're so close to departure, I thought I'd do a brief check-in with my pre-takeoff goals and see which I've completed and if there's anything I have yet to do.
Get better at directions ✔️ (I know-- WHATTTT? I actually have really shocked myself with this one, because I thought my sense of direction would plateau at -10 the entire semester. Surprisingly-- or maybe its all the tours I've given-- I know the tube like the back of my hand. Except somebody definitely caught wind of that because the "elizabeth line" is now being added to the transport for london. Great...another one to memorize)
Find a cute bookstore cafe and write there ❌ (this was sadly not achieved for a few reasons, outlined below)
-My friends here know this story, but I realized I haven't mentioned it yet in my blog so here goes. When I first got to London, I thought I had found my dream niche little hotspot to write and order a usual drink from the barista. It was called Cafe Nero, and I spent the first month here coming every wednesday morning and pretending that I was J.K. Rowling incarnated. UNFORTUNETELY, a month later, my friend Katie pointed out to me that not only is Cafe Nero a chain across the UK, but it also a chain across the entire US east coast. So I cut out going there, and gave up on this dream. Maybe I'll visit it in Boston instead:(
-There.is.a.starbucks.across.the.street.from.my.apartment (and it sells the best thing ever, aka lemon muffins). So if I need to study/write, I trade the niche coffee spot for the most unique of all, starbucks
-There's just way too many options for coffee in this city. Oh my god, I ended up getting overwhelmed and just going to the university cafe most of the time (so maybe that is it?)
-I don't like coffee lol. So....there's always writing on my bomberg bed (where I may or may not be writing this entry)
3. Explore ✔️ (Hell yes I have. I've explored inside of London, outside of London, and outside of the UK too. And I may even be off to explore somewhere new today (though you'll have to wait a bit for that entry por favor)
4. Start liking beer ❌ (yeah no. does cider count, though?)
5. Learn British slang ✔️ (yeah mate. I've learned a wee bit, so don't get your knickers in a twist. Blimey, I tell a lot of porkies. Sometimes I take the piss out of myself LOL)
I think that's all the goals I had starting out, which is a little bit sad on behalf of past Sharon. To think of how far I've come outside of these goals is so amazing. I won't get all emotional until my final Lost in London entry in a few weeks, but that one will be a tear jerker for sure.
Anyways, what happened this past week (or let's face it, two weeks)? Since checking out London's entertainment scene, I have been nowhere and everywhere. I finished uni, turning in like 7000 words of marketing plans and essays. And after that fun writing, I rewarded myself in a lot of exciting ways. I visited Peckham's biggest small businesses festival and tried the UK's version of a philly cheesesteak. I went with my friend Ellen to watch Seann Walsh at the Top Secret Comedy Club. I made lemon bars again...while making a mess. I visited Camden Market and walked to my favorite river view (twice). I induged in Margs with my friends for Cinco de Mayo. I went to Fuckoffee, binge watched The Circle, had the best bottomless brunch farewell for my friend Yami, and welcomed my friends Melanie and Iga to London over the weekend with trips to the Tate Modern, Hyde Park (yeah don't ever try to meet here), Borough market, and Covent Garden. Then, we said bye to Yami, watched Julius Caesar at Shakespeare's glove (SO COOL), and explored some more. This past weekend, I bought fresh fruit from a stand in East Dulwich, enjoyed the sun at the weekly Notting Hill Market, and saw the London Design museum. And yesterday, me and my friends took a day trip to Liverpool, home of the Beatles (well not currently lol but you get the drift). We took in the scouse accents (my favorite but that's apparently an unpopular opinion), marveled at the views from the royal albert dock, and took photos with our favorite beatles memorabilia at the Beatles story. And that...friends, followers, and forced to be fans....was my week.
I know these are shorter entries, but I pinky promise (btw worried friends, Katie's pinky is making a comeback!) I will be posting quite a few updates in the coming weeks. Thanks for tuning in as always, and I'll see you once I'm back from my next location (which is of course, un misterio)
Thanks loves,
Sharon