Friday, August 10, 2012

london calling

so...while i was not blogging last week, i was in london for the olympics! actually, i wasn't really there for the olympics but to join UK charity Amana Trust to pass out free Bibles to all the bunches of peoples who were there for the olympics. i only found out a few weeks beforehand that i was going, so it was a really crazy couple of weeks. the week before i left, i was interviewing for a job position here in atlanta (which i didn't get) AND running around like mad trying to find things like a rain coat, our volunteer uniform of dark skirt and white top, a UK plug convertor (bought on amazon, arrived the day before i left, and turned out it wasn't the right one), a sweater for the 60s degree weather there (that not surprisingly felt fantastic and not cold at all). then on sunday, i got on two flights and landed 5 hours ahead in london, took a cab with some other girls who arrived at the same time from california and texas to headquarters, and proceeded to have a jam-packed week.

highlights:
passing out Bibles for about 4 hours a day to all kinds of different people, discovering the flat white from pret-a-manger which is really just like a café crème you would get in france or italy (stronger, shorter latte), wandering around portobello road market (could have spent many more hours there, had the best falafel wrap and candy-sweet strawberries, should have bought a souvenir tote that said: "keep calm and have a cupcake"), becoming obsessed with instagram, meeting all kinds of new people, being back in europe after 9 years (not counting russia), taking the "tube", all the wonderful food we shared with lots of new friends, the lovely gardens and greenery (i swear london has more green space than atlanta!), taking lots of photos on my one day of sightseeing, hanging out with my fellow volunteer and sweet roommate, the adorable little "under-the-door" notes from the family we stayed with, having a renewed love and gratefulness for my Bible.

i was happy to be home when i touched down real early monday morning, glad to be with my loves and back in my normal life, but i sure wouldn't mind if my normal life would move to europe one day. :)

a few photos:

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p.s. anothernicole was there too! you can read her post about it here.

6 comments:

  1. so glad you were there--and so glad i got to see your face even for just a few minutes!! love love love.

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  2. That is so exciting! I think my husband would have died to be there. once in a lifetime for sure!

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  3. Sounds like a dream. I was in London once for a couple days, but it was ruined by an exploded bottled of shampoo in my luggage. Your pictures make me wish I'd paid more attention.

    Love your polka/stripe/red outfit. Very cute.

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  4. Thanks E! It was a lovely trip, and I can't wait to go back with loverboy someday.

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  5. Love the pictures! But I expect no less :)

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  6. Oh that is so cool! I promise I will go to England before I die!

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