Fall in London

The past few weeks have been a blur of fun and work.  I haven't quite known which pieces of fun to begin with or how to go about telling you what I've been up to recently so I've done exactly what you'd expect me to do; I've been procrastinating.  I've started drafting lines here and there, but nothing sounded quite right so I'd delete what I'd written and tell myself I'd start over tomorrow.  That first tomorrow was roughly three weeks ago.  As time lapses you can see how this problem might multiply.  It's actually gotten a little out-of-control, so I just decided to rip the band-aid off and see what I can accomplish tonight.

I guess the best place to start would be my second week of work.  I won't bore you with the details of office life, but I'll fill you in on my extracurriculars.  First, I saw Fun. and Walk the Moon at the 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire.

I hadn't been a big fan of Fun. before the show and, to be perfectly frank, I'd never heard of Walk the Moon, but one of my close friends, Karen, absolutely LOVES Fun. and I knew she'd die if I had the opportunity to go and didn't...so I went.  

Walk the Moon

I went with my roommate and another girl from the office, and I had the best time!  Both bands had high-energy front men and upbeat music that you couldn't help but dance to.  Also, the venue was incredible; it was small and cozy so you could get fairly close to the stage without being in the thick of the overly excited fans (who always insist on being front and center).

Fun.

Nate Reuss, Lead Singer of Fun.

I later read that the Shepherd's Bush Empire was built in the early 1900s and originally used as a theatre.  While the building has changed hands and uses over the last century, much of the original interior remains for the public to enjoy.  The intricate details along the balconies and ceiling were incredible and worth seeing a show in order to enjoy.

I spent the next few weekends trying to furnish and decorate my flat.  I was surprised by how excited I was to decorate my space.  I really enjoyed picking out my bedding and dishware and storage containers; I became much more fixated on detail than I ever could have imagined.  I now have most everything that I need, but unfortunately I'm still lacking in the maid/house-elf department.  If anyone has a spare that they would like to donate I would be only too happy to take them off of your hands.  I'm afraid if I don't get one soon y'all will never get pictures of my flat.  My messy ways are way too embarrassing to have permanently embedded on the Internet.  You never know when Al Gore might pull those pictures out of his lockbox if they were to get posted.

The weekend of October 6th, one of my work friends had a tailgate party for the Ole Miss and Texas A&M game!  It was weird seeing the game on TV and a little sad knowing how much fun the Rebels were having in the Grove, but it was really great getting to enjoy my first tailgate experience in London in such great company.  Southern food, a glass of wine, and an Ole Miss win would have made for the perfect weekend, but unfortunately the Rebels didn't come through for me that game.  As they say, "You win some, you lose some."  Until recently, Ole Miss seemed to be losing more than their fair share.  Hopefully our team has said farewell to those days thanks to new leadership on the field and within the athletic department.

Somewhere in the blur that has been the last month I also celebrated my 24th birthday.  I have to say 24 isn't what you'd think of as the most exciting year, but I think it has the potential to be one of my very best!  My parents and I celebrated my birthday before I left for London.  They surprised me with a nice dinner, a Becker's cake, and a new camera!  I don't think it could have been more perfect if I'd planned it myself.  That being said, I didn't do too much in the way of celebrating when my actual birthday came around in London.  Unfortunately, my birthday fell on a Monday, and I had to work.  Boo!  That night, however, Ann and I went to this great little Italian place, Bistro Benito, down the road from our flat.  The food was beyond delicious and the people were friendly and hospitable.  We definitely plan on Bistro Benito becoming one of our regular destinations!

The weekend after my birthday I decided that I should do what I do best and give myself a little something to celebrate.  The little something I had been wanting most was a head full of blonder hair.  I found a salon near our flat with a good reputation and a great discount, and I made myself an appointment.  All I have to say about that experience is that Danny at Rush in Kensington is a magician.  I'm not sure I've ever walked out of a salon as happy as I was with my hair!  I can get pretty worked up over my hair so it's a pretty big deal if I can leave the salon with a smile on my face.  Needless to say I made my next appointment before I was even out the door.

Later in the day I decided to explore Kensington Palace, which is just a short walk from my flat.

Adult ticket prices be damned...I still have my student ID, and I plan on using that thing to my advantage until I can't pass for a student any longer.  I figure my parents paid enough for my education to give it a few extra years validity, right?  Yeah, that's what I thought too.

Anyway, back to Kensington Palace.  I've seen a lot of castles and a lot of palaces, but I was still able to find my tour surprisingly interesting.  I love hearing the histories of the rooms and the people who inhabited them, and I enjoy filling my imagination with what it must have been like to be present when the space was being utilized at its peak.   Kensington Palace was home to Queen Victoria before she inherited Buckingham Palace, and it was the official residence of Lady Diana and the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret.  Most recently, Prince William and Duchess Catherine have decided to make the space their official royal residence.

While the interior of the Palace is in itself exquisite, it is the gardens that provide the most breathtaking views.  I was able to enjoy them much more thoroughly later in the day when I took a long run through Kensington Gardens and the adjoining Hyde Park.  I cannot even begin to imagine how lovely the flowers, trees, and ponds will be in the spring and summer.

That gets us mostly caught up into mid-October.  I'll try to hone my creative juices this week and hopefully finish October out properly.  Until then, I hope everyone is getting into the Halloween spirit!

                    

                                                                                         Caitlin