Day 5

Friday was not fun! I moved to London and spent most of the day adjusting to the new culture. 

After having spent my last week in a new city every day, I needed a bit of a break from sightseeing and trying to run around, and I really wasn’t functioning properly because of lack of sleep.  After boarding the train, I wrote for a little bit and just relaxed.  In London, I got my bus ticket made and rode the bus towards our hotel.  I got off a stop early and ended up walking a mile with my luggage to the Royal Horse Guards Hotel where we were to stay for the next two nights.  In preparing to leave my big luggage bag at the hotel, I realized that somewhere along the way to the hotel I had dropped my bus ticket!

Freaking out a little, I went through all my stuff, walked back to the point where I knew I had it at, watching to see if it was still on the sidewalk, and called papa to let him know what happened after no success. To say the least, it was quite depressing.  Here I had successfully flown halfway around the globe, rode trains across the country, and had finally made it to the great city of London England just to drop my bus ticket.

            What was I to do?  How could I get around the bustling city of London without a bus pass?  Papa had the e-mail for the ticket and was in an after-meeting chat with all his colleagues.  I had a pass to the underground railroad, but I had been looking forward to just sitting on the top of the tour bus all afternoon and getting to know the city with little effort or worry on my part.  The mental state I was in, I didn’t even want to think about trains or trying to get to a tourist destination. All I wanted was some sun in a quiet green garden.  Somewhere to breath and think of loved ones, pray for those who suffer, and find a little twinkling of peace.

Finding such a place and feeling as this in the bustling city of London was nearly impossible for this little ole Arkansan girl. The gardens out in front of the hotel were well manicured and fit perfectly in its little square fence but lacked the free-range beauty I am used to and long for.  Along with this, there was a construction site right across the busy city street that ran along the length of this tiny park area. Yet, laying there on the grass with my bare feet tickled by the sweet-smelling grass, looking up at the sky through the branches of an old tree helped me remember some of my favorite spots back home. 

After laying here for half an hour or so I pulled myself up to see some more of the city.  I was nowhere near whole yet, but the anxiety of the last week was beginning to wear off. I had been told many times to check out the South side of the bank of the River Thames for all the performers and culture of the city and walked across the suspension bridge right over to where hundreds of people walked on the south bank.  I then spent the next three hours and what little pocket change I had following the music from one spot to the next along Southbank discovering talented performers along the way.  Each new piece of music carried away another portion of my worries.  Eventually, I found some peace after walking and talking to Mama and a dear friend.  It was nice to just breathe.  Even among the crowd, you can find peace and a quiet within your soul.

I continued along Southbank until Papa made it to London and checked us into the hotel. Once settled in, we went for a walk through the city.  We went along Southbank as I had earlier, past the West Minter Abby, Big Ben, Parliament, Victoria Train station, Buckingham Palace, through St. James Park, and back to the hotel.  Along the way, we shared some Japanese Chicken and Rice, and each got our own milkshakes, all of which were delicious. 

By the end of the day, we were both tired and much happier.  Even though the day had gone a bit awry, we made the best of it together.  For that, I love my papa even the more, if that is even possible.  We left the next days worries for their own and just relaxed to enjoy our time together. 

I hope that you have enjoyed going on this journey with me so far.  Everything is not always tulips and honeycombs, but when those darker, broken pieces of ourselves reveal themselves it can be scary.  Nevertheless, we can make it through by relying on those we love and our Savior for hope and peace within.  Thank you all for your support and prayers for me along this journey!  There is no way for me to express my gratitude for you.  I hope that you have a blessed day.