Mom? Can I bring London home with me?

I know that I am not saying good-bye. I am saying see you later. I am already plotting, er planning,  for my next trip. London and I have a future together. However, it is hard not to be sad about the fact that I am leaving. To say that I have had a good time is an understatement. I have loved every second of my stay here. I have come a long way from accidentally setting sparks off in the flat my first day. I keep looking at my pile of stuff coming home with me and think it may actually be easier for my other life to come to me. But in this pile of stuff are mementos. And along with them are aspects of British life I will be taking home with me.

For example, the people here are simply lovely. They are warm and friendly. Some of them I see on a regular basis, like my friends at the coffee shop. They just opened their shop the week before I arrived in London, and have been a great way to start my day. Every morning when I walk in they ask where I am off to today and give suggestions when they hear of my itinerary. I will truly miss them. Some of the people I have met just briefly, like Harry, our kayak tour guide. Harry will live in infamy in my mind. You could not have asked for a better tour guide on the Thames. His sense of humor and wit made our three mile trek that much easier. Even briefer, I had a run in with the most lovely man at the shoe store. Despite not being their for very long, his enjoyment in his job has made me think of him fondly three weeks later. What do all these people have in common? A genuine kindness and happiness to them. And these are just examples. People here are lovely and amazing. They are happy with what they are doing. They do not rush. And way they say "cheers" or that something is "lovely" or "brilliant", you know that they mean it.

Which leads me to my next point. I am bringing home some British language. It will go lovely with my New York accent (do you see what I did there?) Thinking about this now, I am not sure if it is the kindness of the people (see above) that makes the language so enjoyable, but the dialect is just so much nicer than what I usually hear at home.

I have heard much of this language while touring around museums and other cultural landmarks. And here is what I have noticed about the British and their culture and history. They love it! And they are proud of it! And they know it! So, I asked myself how is this possible? And then I started to notice the way that museums and displays are organized. They are hands-on. Museums aimed at children provide lots of opportunities to touch and play. They are child-sized. Museums aimed at grown-ups have child-friendly aspects to them, a separate tour to follow, child-friendly plaques that make the information interesting and relevant to them. Even some of the grown up museums have hands-on elements to them. This concept is definitely coming home with me.

Also amazing about London? It's close proximity to other countries. I know this is true throughout Europe, but I have really taking advantage of this while I am here. For about the same amount of time it takes for me to get to Cape Cod from New York, I can go round-trip to Paris. The flight to Chicago takes a little longer than the flight to Dublin. And so, I am coming home with stamps in my passport and brief introductions to two additional cultures.

As I get ready to pack up (oh, sweet baby Tebow, let it all fit), and head home, I am excited to bring home some of London with me.  I know that the remnants of this trip will last for a lifetime. What else could I ask for?