Two weeks ago tomorrow we arrived in London. On that trip I took more than 2000 photos, blogged daily and saved them as drafts, kept track of how many steps and stairs we took and experienced all that I could and still had more to do that was left undone. We will go back again someday to see more and do more and just enjoy Britain. With that being said I am glad I live in America. Britain was lovely and there's just no way to compete with thousands of years of history and architecture....but. There is no way to describe the intangible-ness of the USA. It was easy to notice when we came back. People were nicer. The random stranger you interacted with was concerned with helping you find what you need or where to go. People smiled. It's like we are all drunk on our freedom and happenstantial wealth and we've got no idea that life could be any other way. We have freedom of choices and freedom of living and freedom of how to make that living. We are wealthy in money and wealthy in emotional spirit and wealthy in options. In Britain everything felt limited. The types of cars you saw were limited. The choices in a grocery store were limited. Everyone seemed to have one mind on how they dressed and what they chose to wear each day. I mean one day it seemed that every man was wearing a navy suit with a white shirt and a red tie. All of them. It's the closest to socialism I've ever seen. Everything seems to be rented or public. It was eye-opening.
Now I don't want to get this off on the wrong foot. I loved the trip! I will go back! We had an amazing time! I already miss things that had become familiar while we were there and I plan on incorporating those things that I can into my life here. Things we miss: The London Evening Standard handed out free at the tube stations every afternoon. Great tea available everywhere. Pret a Manger fast food eatery dinners. The beautiful buildings everywhere you go. Easily navigating a tube ride. Climbing 4 flights of stairs to our room. (Okay, not that last one...) Since we've been back I've tried to make a good cup of tea (all of mine have only been okay), find a decent scone (the one I had was too cake-y) and feed my need for egg salad sandwiches (one of only a few sandwiches that England and I agree on as being delicious). I've been having what I call "European" dreams where everything feels like it did over there and one night I woke up very disoriented because I was in my bed but my dreams had me somewhere else. And I've been looking through my British magazines just to hold on to the feeling of being there because it already seems like a dream.
So I hope you enjoy the next week or so of blogs that I have in store for you. We are going to re-live our trip day by day and I'm sorry but they are all pretty long winded and that's before adding the pictures. So get a comfy spot and curl up with a blanket and a blog for a nice long read...tomorrow.
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