For weeks I've been pining for London. I dream about London. I get giddy when I see London on TV. The topic of a trip to London keeps coming up (don't get excited, it's not happening for a long, long time! Life has seen to that!) I've been avoiding watching Love Actually, even though I really want to, because, well, I always want to go back to London after I see Love Actually.
And then. Then I checked my stats. And someone came here from Google. Because they'd put Pax Lodge and a handful of other things in the search. And that randomly sent them to me.
I'm naturally curious.
So I clicked the link that took me to their search. And found a couple of blogs (well, found one blog that led to a couple of other blogs) of current/recent Pax Lodge staff.
OH NO.
Sucked in.
So, I know life at Pax Lodge is very, very different than when I was there. I first arrived eleven summers ago and left for good in 2002. But I've been back three times since then to visit. And even though it was different, it still smelled the same. And there was that Pax Lodge-ness about it that made it still Pax Lodge even though it had changed sooooo much. And. Yeah. I miss it. A lot. And Hampstead and the Heath and Belsize Park and Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Road and all the places I went occasionally, rarely, or often, they're all pretty much the same, just a few years older.
Last night, as I was doing the dishes, Alex was flipping through the channels trying to find something decent to watch. There wasn't much on. He settled on Law and Order: UK.
I saw the London I miss and love.
I said to Alex we should move to London.
I was only sort of kidding.
I would love to live there too!
ReplyDeleteI get the same why when I see anything to do with Switzerland or Ireland. A dull little ache appears in my heart and it doesn't go away for a couple of days. Think how much fun it will be to go back in a few years with J when she's old enough to appreciate being somewhere as cool as London.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as you mentioned Law and Order:UK which I love, can I just get an *AMEN!* on the hotness of Jamie Bamber? Don't tell me it's just me that feels that way?
I shouldn't say things like I'd like to live in London, because exactly that might happen...Alex's mom is British...but I really would rather be closer to both of our families while J is little!
ReplyDelete@AndreaC - J came with us last year - she obviously won't remember it, but she loved it. We went in early November and since apparently that's when the Christmas season starts in the UK she loved the shop windows and all the lights at night. We took her to Oxford Circus at night and she was so excited! But you're right, when she's a bit older, it will be so much more fun to take her there!
oh, and Jamie Bamber, totally!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this post, I was at the pub for a friend's birthday and sitting beside a friend of his I hadn't met before. She smelled like the house of my Swiss family. I wasn't planning on staying late because I'm out the door early tomorrow, but I kept getting these whiffs when she'd move and I had to leave because they were making me sad. I wanna go back!
ReplyDeleteShannon, come back to London!!! Then you'll only be just over an hour away from me and not far too many hours away. (Not to make you jealous or anything, I'll be there in two weeks time.) Do you still have your wooden London?
ReplyDeleteSarah! I would love to come back to London and to see you!!! Alex wants to come to Dublin on our next trip...
ReplyDeleteOf course I still have my wooden London! I had to put it away because it was too small for J, but I think I'm going to take it to work - I have a great place to put it there!
I miss you!