Full Disclaimer : This post is from Saturday.  I've just been too crazy and semi-without internet to post it.
GET OFF ME BACK

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I. 
Am.
Le tired.

After getting off of my plane where I did not in fact get the emergency exit row and after being cramped next to a rude old guy who kept harassing the flight attendants I am finally, FINALLY, in London (totally travel time from waking up this morning to touch down in London, Gatwick... about 30 or so hours.)
My friend Linda is absolutely wonderful.  From Gatwick airport I trained into London proper to meet her at Victoria train station.  For those of you wondering Gatwick is about a half hour train ride outside of downtown London and of Britains two main airports the lesser hassle.  
I was that kind of tired where everything seemed to be in a heat haze but I got a Starbucks (not a hot chocolate don't worry mom) and headed on the bus towards Chelsea.  

I fell in love with London, utterly and completely.  In many ways London is what Vancouver is trying to be.  Walking the streets it's a very hard sensation to try and put into words but I think my soul just reacted to the aura of the city.  I'm not a super religious or spiritual person but the sheer amount of history and architecture gives London this rather timeless vibe which I just meshed with so effortlessly.  It's kind of a living, functioning paradox because yes, all of the buildings are old but the insides have been newly renovated.  All of the shops have been updated to fit the current time and style but the facades are still out of the Middle Ages.
For some indescribable, inexpressible reason I fell in love with the fervour and spirit of London.

On my two brief days in London Linda toured me around everywhere.  We walked for hours, that first day from her apartment in Chelsea we found our way to Piccadilly Circus with it's Times-Square screens and central cross walks.  We went up and down Oxford Street (yes I stopped at the Lush there but believe you me, I'm going to be doing an entire post dedicated to that).  From there we went to Soho and Linda, working for Sony Pictures, was able to give me a tour of their office and cinema space.  Saturday night we went out to eat with two of Linda's friends at a place in ... well I can't remember the name of the area but it's about an hour from Chelsea at any rate.  Pizza and beer is always a good combo so I was satiated.  At about ten in the evening as we were paying our bill the tiredness effectively overtook me and so I uber-ed home while the others went off to a club.  The Sunday came with more walking, a very good brunch and an adventure over Tower Bridge.  

There are just too many things to see and do in London to even possibly think of getting to in a week, let alone two days so at the earliest possible time I shall return.  
Until then London calls to my soul, promising good food and broadway shows.

G - 

PS
This is orientation week at Cardiff (Jan 16-20th) so I will be posting but it's been crazy trying to get all of my classes and flat in order so I won't be posting daily blogs.  I'll try to the best of my abilities to have one up every second day.  Hopefully.