Last Day in London

Today is it, we are mostly packed and the apartment seems so empty. We are heading over to the Hiserote's house in Richmond this afternoon for our friend Ken's birthday and then we will come home, get to bed early and we will be up at 3:15am to catch an early taxi to the airport tomorrow.

The time here seemed to drag at times, but now that we are leaving it seems as if it all went by so fast. 2 nights ago Ryan and I met Jess at the Westminster tube station after she got off work and we walked across the Westminster bridge to an area of restaurants under the shadow of the London Eye. As we left for home that night it had gotten dark and the Eye was completely lit up with blue lights. The three of us walked along the Thames river admiring the dancing blue lights on the choppy waters. As we crossed the bridge we noticed Big Ben with it's somber green glow and the houses of parliament stretching out in front of us. We passed Westminster abbey and noted how it was the most beautiful church we had ever seen inside and out. Deep in our own thoughts I couldn't help but think I may never see these wonderful things again.

Even in 2 months time I have started to take all of the amazing sights here for granted. You can only pass something so many times and Oooo and Ahhh. After awhile you are bumping into people with camera's who are snapping excited photo's and you think "Tourists!" I hope all of these things have burnt into my brain somewhere so I can picture this town for the rest of my life. I can't tell how how beautiful this place is and I can't accurately describe to you things like walking through St. James park with the first leaves of fall on the ground and the sun shining through the trees glowing off the wings of the pelicans and swans floating on the lake. Breathing in that first frosty breath of autumn, standing where Kings have hunted and Queens have strolled for centuries, is too big for my simple brain to take in and my hands to type out. God how I wish I could fully appreciate these things!!

My granddad recently published a book about WWII. In the book he describes the relationship that men have with each other in the trenches during wartime. Even though they have only known the person next to them for a few weeks or days or even hours, they quickly become the best of friends. It's funny how in this same land where my grandfather would embark on his military career so many years ago, I would find friends not in the trenches with machine guns but in the parks and drop-ins of London armed with strollers.

Here's to you London and here's to you Stroller Brigade. Thanks for making this a wonderful, memorable 2 months. God Bless!