I love this city. I honestly don’t know how to sum it up or down in words exactly why. I love the electricity, the collection of cultures, the happiness that seems to emanate all around. I love the parks, museums, the food, the history, the tube and that my earliest memories are of traveling here. I connect it to my mother mostly, but also my father. I feel them here. I can connect to memories of being with my mother here, excitement in her, an awakening from her day to day rituals of being a mom. She lit up when we traveled and I saw a different side of who she was. And maybe that’s why I feel the same, I don’t know. I do know that traveling lights me up. I feel a new being, a quickening of sorts. I love the planning, the anticipation and the experiences along the way. I feel young again and untethered by anything or anyone I leave behind. It doesn’t mean I don’t love or need them to come home to, it just makes me feel free. Free to roam and explore. And as we age, they are few things in life that give us that freedom.
London is, in my opinion, the greatest city on earth. Granted I haven’t been to every city, so I honestly don’t know that for sure, but out of everywhere I’ve been thus far, I can say that with surety.
This visit was before and after my time in Greece, which made it unique. I worked around my niece’s schedule and just spent the time revisiting museums, walking across town and clearing my head. I lucked out with good weather overall, with the sun peaking out at least once every day and I never got caught in a major downpour.
Strolling through Saint James Park is always soothing to the senses and taking time to drink in all of the oxygen the gorgeous flowers and trees exhale.
The highlight of my trip though was visiting the Tate Gallery and finally getting to see John William Waterhouse’s “The Lady of Shallot”, a goal of mine since I was 18 when I was given a poster of it by my first love. It’s so much bigger than I realized and as I gazed upon it, so many memories flooded in that were filled with love and light and it filled me up completely and sent chills through my body.
Life is so extraordinary, really. They are so many moments that you’ll not realize are so significant that have a hold on you forever. I’m so grateful that I got to feel them in this lifetime and that I’m returning home with a full heart and desire to make the most of the life I’ve been given. I think that’s what journeys are all about. And I live in a beautiful place too. I need to take more time to explore and write about all it has to offer as well. Another thing that travel does for your soul, it expands the capacity to appreciate what’s around you at all times, good or bad, and it most often reminds you how special it is to have a home.
https://www.tate.org.uk/
