Oops I… landed in London

London

No signal. Fantastic.

I looked around me, a couple of strangers poking out of the shadows of the train station I was at and prayed that my friend got my text before I was hurled into a horrible dystopia where phones are useless. I sat freezing and sick at the Luton train station (‘Loo-ton’ for my Americans as I kept saying ‘Luh-ton’ and got a nasty glare from many a Brit). My phone read ‘No signal’, a little souvenir from Brexit that served as a reminder that I’m not in the EU anymore. After a long day at the office I had jumped straight onto a train that took me to the airport in which I caught a flight and then a bus to the train station which would take me to the middle of the countryside and then I was just a thirty minute car ride away from sleep. 

The next morning, after having happily drowned my drowsiness in a heated blanket, I woke up in the most beautiful cottage in the middle of the English countryside. Sheep grazed casually, paying no mind to the castles in the distance and humming of the traffic passing by on dirt roads. We spent the day driving around picturesque villages that seemed straight out of a movie. Hogwarts-esque boarding schools, brick cottages nestled in between horses and hills, and manors fit for your pick of a Jane Austen novel passed us by. 

London

Saturday was a blend of different genres of reality. Shifts in and out of comedy, drama, and history throughout the day made every moment more exciting, like sitting in a theater when the movie was unknown. From deep conversations with girlfriends over mouth-watering food and bottomless mimosas to 4-hour late night card games, London provided the perfect backdrop for connection. 

We started our day in London by walking around and taking in the sights. Having lived in Paris for a bit now, a big city doesn’t faze me anymore but something about London was distinctly different from Paris. Toy-like taxi cabs, funny little policeman top hats, and many near-death experiences from crossing the street (in which I obviously look to the right) jolted me out of normalcy and forced me to pay attention to my new surroundings. We went to brunch, bonding over travel and trauma as we got our money’s worth of champagne.

After an abrupt introduction to the ‘tube’, we got ready and joined some new friends at a traditional gentleman’s club in the city center. History dripped from the walls and you could almost see the 19th century old English men with cigars and whiskey sitting on leather chairs and discussing current issues. After a quick drink there, our group moved on to dinner. Within a lovely and fancy evening, one of my favorite parts was actually a truly disturbing round of Cards Against Humanity. Strangers turned into friends as the game dragged on, us uncovering layer after layer of personalities, history, strengths, values, and often very concerning humor. 

A cottage home

Living in Paris, I’m incredibly far away from my family. It’s a badly run day-care of pseudo adults running around with no supervision, trying to make a life for themselves. While I absolutely love my life in Paris, I’m especially grateful and aware of the fact that I wasn’t just staying at someone’s house, I was welcomed into a home. 

From news-cameos and new friends to homemade Sunday Roasts and impromptu concerts, England was a warm hug in a very rainy place.