Taking No Day for Granted

It’s amazing to me that it is already almost the middle of January! Time passes so quickly these days and I find myself really starting to savor all my time here. I am realizing there is a possibility that I might not be able to stay at the end of my program as I had hoped and I am determined to use this year to take every opportunity presented to me. This past Saturday I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel with a friend from home who was in London on business, to Paris for the day. We started off at the Eiffel Tower. I had tried to reserve tickets in advance but hadn’t been able to do so, which I guess is good because the very top was closed due to strong winds. However, we decided to brave the stairs to the 2nd floor. The line was a good bit shorter and the cost was half the price! However, over 700 steps later we were sure we would be hurting the next day (and yes, I was and I still am in some serious pain!). Even the view from the 2nd floor was definitely worth each and every step. The rest of the day we hurried from sight to sight trying to take in as much as possible. We were even able to take a boat cruise on the Seine. We walked from the Eiffel Tour to the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Elysees, across to the Louvre, and finally to the Notre Dame Cathedral before heading back to the Gare du Nord for the train back to London. As I walked around the city I couldn’t help but feel so blessed to be able to take a day trip to Paris; and even more blessed to be able to return to London at the end of the day. I’ve grown attached to this place - the people, the lifestyle. It’s made me re-evaluate the way that I look at my culture. I often feel that Americans rush through life to accomplish particular predetermined goals (go to college, get a job, find a honey, settle down, buy a house, get a dog, pop out some little people – you get the picture) that we often forget to enjoy each step along the way and take our time checking off the items. I’m going to draw out this adventure as long as I can, because I’m not ready to check off “live in London” quite yet.

My sublet is finally coming to an end and I have been looking for a new place to call home. I have been filled with a mix of emotions over this change. Should I feel happy, sad or just plain bothered about having to move? Many days the frustrations of the flat drive me a little bit insane; but searching for a new room in London could quite possibility drive me completely mental! The stresses of searching for a particular area, in a particular price range, with reasonable flat mates, and a certain time frame would have the same effect on most people. I never understood these people who go out one morning and come back with the perfect room at the perfect price with the coolest people. I am not one of those lucky souls! However, after days of searching, emailing, calling, visiting and countless “oh hell NOs” (pardon the phrase NN!) I have decided to move closer to the city centre, since so much of my time is spent in that area. My soon-to-be new home is about a five-minute walk from London Bridge and in a very nice, quiet little area. The house has three stories and approximately 15 rooms. Each floor has its own kitchen and bathroom. My room is a large double room with a space to create a sitting area if I wish to spend the money. I even have my own sink in a little closet area. The walls are bare and I must supply all the bedding and decorations (right now my wall decorations consist of South African flags and pictures of lions), but I am excited about having a place that is really mine. The semester is finally winding down and I have one more assignment to complete before a “real” 10-day break. It’s the perfect amount of time to pack, clean, move and pop down to Morocco for a few days of holiday! So if I could say one thing to Father Time it would be “please slow down!”

#Paris #EiffelTour #Travel #London