life in london

tonight i leave for SOUTH AFRICA (!!!)

and i can't believe it's real. i am so so excited

to see my parents and the amazing place they

live! since the flight itinerary is pretty long,

i've broken it up and have a little layover in

london tomorrow. let's hope all goes well

and i can pop out into the city, but either

way i will love to be back here where i lived

while interning at parliament a few years ago.

in honor of stopping through london town, 

i thought i'd share some pictures from when

i lived there. i didn't have this blog then,

so i've never shared these pictures and

now i'm all nostalgic. i hope i can get back

soon with chase, but for now here is my guide

to london, and some pictures of my life there:

the first day at my internship, just an american 

girl interning at the british parliament! :) ^^

the house i rented a room in -- right in wimbledon ^^

^^ my old street!

i walked through hyde park every sunday {rain or shine}

to get to church there at the prettiest building in the world. 

my oyster card {for the tube} had will & kate printed on it,

because i moved to london the month of the royal wedding...

so everyone was still in a tizzy about them- including me! ^^

^^ westminster station, my stop!

^^ big ben, one of my favorite sights. it was my view from

where i worked, where i got out of the tube each day, and

one day i even got to climb up inside it for the noon hour

strike. we had to wear soundproof headphones so that

it didn't damage our ears! one of the best moments of my life!

speaking of the royal family, i got to attend the queen's

jubilee while living there which meant i was at

buckingham palace for the first public appearance

the royal family on the balcony -- i spy will & kate! ^^

whitney, my roommate in london! ^^

i basically lived in all of the museums there-- they are

free, and so incredible. i would go to a new one each

sunday and spend hours, and then return frequently ^^

not a bad place for a lunch break ^^

cliffs of dover ^^

my mom came to visit for a few weeks and we crossed
the channel to my true love {paris} and visited my
host family that i lived with two years prior!

so fun to be with the augustin's again ^^

took some side trips to oxford, cambridge, bath, you name it.

did wimbledon for my second time, and it was even more
fun because i lived right in that neighborhood and was 
able to WALK to the tournament and walk home at night.

strawberries & cream at wimbledon = 
one of the best things in life.

i saw one of the most epic semi-final matches on
center court with djokovic winning ...

i got no shortage of flower deliveries from chase,
who i was dating long distance at the time...
he was good at dating from afar! :) ^^

^^ did my fair share of shopping on oxford street,
carnaby, and really most especially at primark :)
you also can't live in london without a longchamp.

visited stonehenge ^^

^^ frequented this place almost daily...

it is the most darling place in the world!

{like harrods for locals}

had many tea times ^^

walked abbey road... ^^

prime meridian! ^^

fell in love with the rose garden at regent's park...

seriously go there and just read the signs of

the rose names. it is a treat for every sense! ^^

lots of early mornings spent at borough ^^

^^ the best unknown museum in london ^^

^^ from the BBC to the rosetta stone, 

we saw all london had to offer!

it didn't fall down! ^^

parliament at sunset ^^

i loved you, london town..

it's good to be back! even if just for a quick stop.

cheerio!
xo