I write now as one who has reluctantly returned to her abode in the USA. I was so sad to leave London with her wrought iron fences and overflowing flower boxes and orderly streets with zig-zagging white lines. I sincerely love the city and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to live and learn there. This summer has been one of the most influential and defining periods of my life (although granted my life is not particularly long so that's not really saying that much.) But seriously, I could see myself living long-term in London. I feel like I really connected with the city and the people there even if I was living in a semi-bubble in the BYU Center. So I will always remember London fondly, and hopefully some day in the not-to-distant future I will be able to brave the skies and the horrible flights and once more make my way across the sea. Till then, here are my last fond memories and loves of London:

* Lion King performed at Lyceum Theater. It was incredible! Rafiki and Zazoo were my favorites just because they were such good actors. Seriously, Zazoo was the best puppeteer I have ever seen. And the grown-up Nala was also really good. She had the most beautiful voice. And all the costumes were amazing. It was really just a fun production to see and it only cost like 12 pounds! Pure quality!
* Taking a break from studying for finals to run through the rain with E. Almost biffing it about 12 times but never actually falling and coming back soaked to the bone but exhilarated.
* Getting to tour Parliament and stand where William Wilberforce once stood! Yay! And laughing at how for all its opulence, the House of Lords smells like Ramen.
* Mama Mia!! Best. Musical. Ever! I am so in love! It was seriously so fun to see! Ah I just loved all the voices! There wasn't one of them that I didn't like. So much better than the movie! It was just one of those shows that makes you feel good.
* Going to the London Temple. Totally worth the time and money it took to get down there. I love going to the Temple and feeling the Spirit there and feeling closer to God. Being in the Temple refocuses my life on whats important and helps me to remember who I am and what I need to be doing in my life. Singing hymns of praise to God in the Temple was one of the most spiritually uplifting experiences of my life and I am so grateful that I was given that opportunity.
* Seeing the treasures of the British library! Every time I turned around I saw something else that made me go: "Wow!" They have so many cool things there, like original manuscripts of Alice in Wonderland, and novels by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. And they had some original handwritten copies of poems by Wordsworth and Plath which was way cool because you could see how they were revised as they were written and what the author's handwriting looked like. And they had the Magna Carta (of course) and the log book of the HMS Victory and the journal of Captain Cook and some of Leonardo DeVinci's sketchbooks! They also had some really sweet musical stuff like original scores by Mozart and the first copy of Handel's Messiah. And my personal favorite: Beatle's lyrics in Lenon's own handwriting scribbled out on the back of a child's birthday card! Ah it was amazing!
* Finally buying some "tube" socks. Hehehe.
* And lastly, just all the great times I had laughing, joking around with, singing and bonding with all of my amazing peers at the BYU Center. They are such good examples to me of generosity, adventuresome spirit, dedication, kindness, curiosity, and charity. And they're fun. :) I'll so miss living with them and seeing them every day.

So that, my friends, is the end of my Loving London List! I am so sad to have to close this blog but I know that I need to move on to another chapter in my life. However I also know that wherever life takes me, I will always remember and be grateful for this incredible summer I have spent studying in London and all that I learned and loved there. Peace friends and family, I love you all!

So it's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been running around like a crazy person trying to do everything I want to do before I have to leave (less than a week left!) and also getting things done for my classes (finals on friday, ack!). So I've had a hard time finding a moment to post anything. But even though I haven't been writing, I still have been enjoying England immensly and as such have a plethora of additions for my Loving London list:

* The old WWII posters promoting discretion that say things like, "Be like dad, keep mum." I do so approve of wittiness! The world could do with more of it!
* The way that pigeons puff up when it rains so that they look almost entirely round. Just a tiny little marble of a head on top of a bowling ball of feathers. Round Robin does not just apply to robins anymore!
* Babies' laughter in the park. Quite possibly my favorite sound ever. Well, that and train whistles in the distance and the sound of walking on gravel and the buzz of a lot of women talking.
* The beauty of St. Paul's cathedral. It's incredible.
* The Somerset House! It's a small collection and I think a lot less well-known than some of the others but it's such a gem. They have some amazing Gauguin paintings that are just so emotional and some beautiful pieces by Monet and Degas. And they have pretty much my favorite painting of all time which is Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere." I spent a good ten minutes just sitting there taking it in, It seems like the more I look at it, the more I see. I love the girl's expression, the marble of the countertop, the ambiguities... It's brilliant. The collection also had some exquisite Renoir paintings and a really cool piano that looked kind of like a patchwork quilt made of wood and ivory and stone and stuff. Probably the most interesting-looking instrument ever. Too bad they probably would have freaked out if I had tried to play it. But yeah, so Somerset House is a must-see if you go to London!
* Playing poker with T. and E. late at night. Our currency: jam and butter packets. So, so fun!
* The Phantom's voice and acting in Phantom of the Opera. They did a really excellent job of actually making him seem crazy. In the movie production you just kind of relate to him and feel sorry for him, but when we went to see this production of it, he was actually creepy. I really liked it this way. And the man had an incredible voice too!.
* Standing on the Prime Meridian! That's just cool even if it is just a line we arbitrarily drew a couple hundered years ago.
* Going to the Royal Observatory and Astronomy center and getting to touch the 4 billion year old meteor. I can now say with pride that I have touched one of the oldest things on this planet.
* Seeing General Nelson's uniform that he wore at the Battle of Trafalgar. I know it's just cotten but Nelson is so talked up here you can't help but get excited to see it.
* Sitting under a tree in the park during a rainstorm with the sun breaking through the clouds and illuminating each raindrop like a little star of light hurtling toward the ground.
* Chun Yi. I think possibly my favorite show I've seen in London so far! Think uber graceful ballet meets sweet kung-fu skills merged with some crazy acrobatics. It was all energy and artistry and it was awesome.
* Primark: every girl here's favorite store ever! Oh man, best prices for the cutest clothes. Only you have to go really early in the morning if you want to get through without battle wounds from the super-thick crowds of materialistic girls!
* Making "cultural observations" with E., I., and T. on the train :)
* Getting postcards and letters from friends. Ok so I love that anytime but it gets to go on the list anyway.
* The insult mug we found at Stratford on Avon. One of my favorites: Flap-ear'd Knave! They're so quality!
* A Winter's Tale performed by the Royal Shakespeare company. It was probably the most talented acting I have ever seen! It was great. And the play itself is so fun! One minute its a tragedy and the next its a romantic comedy! You go from a super intense monologue with the king doubting his wife's faithfulness to just a little while later seeing the most random dance of sheep-men ever!
* The aromas of the produce stalls at Portabello market. I would so shop there every saturday if I lived here.
* The Imperial War Museum, especially the exhibit about children during WWII. There's just so much there and its really moving. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to send your children away for their safety and not really knowing when you would see them again. I almost started crying when I learned about this one "Kindertransport" ship carrying refugee children from Germany that sank. The parents just got this letter that said, "Your child/children were not among the survivors from the sinking of the ship --. No more rescue attempts are likely." Its incredible what women lost during the war and what they sacrificed for their families and their countries.

So that's my list tonight. I hope I get to add a lot to it with these last few days I have here! I love every moment (well except maybe the ones spent wrestling with my cell bio homework) and I'm so grateful as always that I could come to London! Peace till next time folks!