These Last Moments

“And we danced, and we cried, and we laughed, and had a really really really good time…” And We Danced, Macklemore

“…Take my hand, let’s have a blast, and remember this moment for the rest of our lives…”

Beautiful London day for Buckingham Palace.

At this time tomorrow I will be on a plane heading home. I cannot believe how quickly these last three weeks have gone. Even though I had a sneaking suspicion they would fly, I could not have imagined just how quickly they would go. This is the last time I’ll be blogging from London. As I type, Crystal is beginning to pack and Lauren is finishing her own blog post. How bizarre.

Lauren, Kristyn, Melissa and Katie used the song “And We Danced” by Macklemore in their Digital Video assignment (check it out here), and it’s all I’ve been hearing in my head. It seems to sum up this experience perfectly.

“And we danced…”
I did not experience much of London’s nightlife while I was here. It was not the focus of this trip. I decided that I should go out at least one night, and since I was caught up on all my schoolwork and blogging, last night was the night. Lauren, Melissa and I took the tube down to Euston where we met up with Lauren’s cousin’s husband and his sister (did you follow that?) We hopped on a bus and headed down to Camden Town. I had been to Camden once before on this trip, and admittedly, it was not my favorite. It was just such a stark contrast to Bloomsbury (which I love). I have to confess though; the activity in Camden at night is pretty amazing. It seems like anything goes. There was no way you could be overdressed or underdressed. We ended up at a hole in the wall place called Barfly where several bands were playing. It was a really fun scene. The people were really great and very welcoming. It was funny, because the three of us were kind of the “token Americans” in a VERY British establishment. It was a blast. We danced and just had a really great time. It kind of reminded me of Portland, Oregon with its “anything goes” attitude. That is one of the things that I love about Portland, and it was interesting to feel so at home when I was so far away from it.

“And we cried, and we laughed…”
Okay, I think I can safely assume we’ve ALL cried at some point during this trip. Whether it was from laughing hysterically or from the pain of homesickness, the tears have been there. I am sad to say that I have cried from homesickness, especially in the last week. I think two weeks is long enough to be away from my family. I can also happily say that I have laughed until I cried more than once. I will fondly remember the “that’s what she said” jokes, and surprisingly with a bunch of librarians, there were many of them. I will remember standing in line for the Catacombs and hearing the girl in front of us say “alright, stop..” and following it up with “collaborate and listen..” and then busting up laughing in the heat of Paris. I will never look at food again and say it looks “tasty” without hearing Lauren’s voice.

“And had a really really really good time…”
I cannot express what a good time I had on this trip. I did things that terrified me. I know that these things changed me a little. Am I coming home a different person? I don’t think so. I’m a little stronger, maybe. I think I am also a little more willing to take risks and less willing to overthink every little thing. I am coming home with new skills, ones that I will continue to develop until I am confident enough to call myself an expert. I navigated new cities in foreign countries. I made some amazing friends. I will definitely remember these moments for the rest of my life.