it's called LONDON. yes, the capitalization is necessary.

my trip to LONDON was an interesting experience, marked by imposing buildings, equally imposing crowds, and a lot of contrasts. i will say off the bat that london will never be my favorite place in the world. for me it was too big and too hurried and too chock-full of people to be exceedingly enjoyable. the history of it was interesting, as were the contrasts between the old and new bits of the city (or the trendy and less so), but on the whole i found it to be overwhelming.

i think the feeling of the city (or the very limited parts of it that i walked through) is that it is very much like the enormous buildings which it is famous for: large, imposing, and apt to make you feel small. the buildings are beautiful, the people are diverse (i heard many more languages than i could possibly recognize walking on its streets), the public transport fantastically convenient and easy to navigate, the food delicious... and yet my impression of it as i left, which is nothing more than that, is that it is a city that could easily become rather cold and inhospitable if you didn't work to find its smaller, more human, more accessible corners.

what thrilled me most about this trip wasn't seeing the sights (though they were very photo-worthy and i took my fair share of pictures), but rather things like the morning that katie and i spent on a playground near our hostel: jumping on the swings even though they were soaking wet, goofing off on the merry-go-round, and watching adorable children play as they chattered away in french. or walking through the tibetan peace garden we stumbled across outside the imperial war museum. or the service katie, brett, and i attended in westminster abbey. or the hours we all spent together sitting under the london eye, talking about life over boxes of take out noodles (and later, over coffee). each of these moments was marked by a certain intimacy that i'm not sure you can find while constantly surrounded by strangers and mile-high marble. having never lived in a city, i can't speak speak of it, but i imagine that this is what people who do live in one spend their time doing: cultivating that intimacy, so as not to be lost in the immense ocean of comings and goings that comprises such a place. no different than other places maybe, but perhaps with a greater sense of urgency than those who abide in a "smaller" place.


i have been continually learning more about myself during this trip as i visit new places, and london was no exception. spending just a few days there cemented in my mind the fact that living in an enormous city probably isn't for me. i have too great a need of open spaces, and times that i can't hear/see/otherwise percieve human presence. i love people--i find them fascinating and perplexing and beautiful, but after a while i really find myself needing to get away. i need to get back into contact with the voice inside of me, and it isn't strong enough to be heard above sirens and traffic and an endless hum of other people's conversations.
so, instead, i'll visit them, and marvel at their beauty and complexity and unique flavors. and take lots of pictures of course. below are a few of my favorites from LONDON. enjoy!
b

tower bridge.

westminster abbey.

in the tibetan peace garden.

portabello road, site of a gi-normous street market. do it. it's worth the crowds.

people watching in front of buckingham palace.

totally sweet car buzzing by buckingham palace. :) and yes, we were blinded by sun the entire weekend. most excellent!

spectacular night skyline.

riding the london eye.

view from the top. it's a spectacular skyline, no doubt.

yay for new friends!

and old ones too! :)