Aug 10, 2011

Back to Reality

It hasn't even been a week since I left London and now that I'm home, it somehow feels as though I never left. It's a strange feeling. When I was in London, I felt as though life at home was more than just physically far removed, but almost completely separate from what I was experiencing in London. When you're in a foreign place without any semblance of home, I guess it's easy to forget that the experiences you're having in that moment and the life you have at home are all one and the same.

So the big question that nearly everyone has asked me since I've returned: do you miss London already? Do you wish you were still there? In all honesty, I was sad to leave, but happy to go if that makes any sense. I had an amazing summer only made better by the amazing people that surrounded me -- the other interns, coworkers, and other people I met along the way. It truly was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I learned so much about the magazine industry, which was something I was really looking for out of my internship, and I learned so much about city life and London. But most importantly, I learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of. So to answer the original question: I do miss London, but I am glad to be home. I would love to return back to London, hopefully sometime soon (but not during the Olympics; I am seriously afraid to be on the tube during the Olympics with all of the potential congestion) so that I can revisit some of the places I loved and get to see some of the things I didn't have a chance to see (yes, even though I was there for eight weeks, there were still a few things that I didn't get to see!)

What I miss most about London, though, is probably the quick pace of life and the fact that you could walk outside, hop on the tube, and find something to do. Even if it is just people-watching on a bench or hanging out at Regent's Park, you can always find something to do. True, I bet with a little creativity I could find something to do every day in the suburbs, but everything is just so accessible in the city -- especially in a city like London. Of course, I also miss all of the other interns. I mean, you spend eight weeks with one group of people, sharing in their work woes, the little victories such as figuring out the tube or something at their internship, and simply put, you're sharing this one unique experience with them. When I look back on my time in London, I have only a select group of people who will truly understand what it was like, and it's nice to have that group of friends.

However, I cannot deny that I'm enjoying my lazy days at home. I can't say I've been sleeping in, though. I think the jet-lag messed with me and so I've been going to bed early (I went to bed at 10:30PM two nights ago! Seriously!) and then waking up early too. I've already enjoyed some nice home-cooked meals, a family cookout, lounging with my dog, and laying out by the pool -- laidback activities that are quintessential summertime for me. Next week, I go to the beach, so the relaxing continues, but it certainly is a change of pace from my past eight weeks in the city.

Ultimately, my experience in London was unforgettable. There's no doubt that I will take what I've learned from my internship and my experience and use it for the rest of my life. The increased self-confidence I have from being independent and learning my way around a new and foreign city is something that you cannot learn from a textbook or even learn from moving to a big city in your home state. All good things must come to an end, and even though I have returned home for the summer, I have no doubt I will one day be back to London and reunited with Big Ben.

Aug 3, 2011

Last Call

It's Wednesday night and I only have a few days until I return to the States. Like always, it's hard to believe I'm already at this point in the summer. I mean, it was already a shock when I realized it was August, but to think that in a few days I'll be back on US soil and back in suburbia -- it truly is surreal.

Once it reached the "one week left" point, I don't think that I really had a major shift in my decision making regarding how to spend the rest of my time in London. No, I wasn't going to sit in every night and start packing, but I wasn't going to go out and party until dawn either. I feel as though my last week here should feel natural and organic -- as if I was just like every other Londoner working and enjoying the summer -- because after all, I have started to feel as though I am a part of the city.

Me and Buzz Lightyear at Harrod's
Over the weekend, I spent Friday night with the interns around Shoreditch. On Saturday, I spent the day with another intern, Mimosa. We decided to venture back to Harrod's because she had some money to spend and well, quite honestly, I couldn't turn down another trip to Harrod's. Not surprisingly, I managed to see even more of the store, most of which I hadn't known had existed. We marvelled at all of the expensive things, and then later had a little treat at the Chocolate Bar. I do have to say, though, that although it was at Harrod's, ice cream still tastes the same -- but it is delicious either way. After Harrod's and left unsatisfied by the chocolate delights, we headed to Borough Market. Again, this was a repeat excursion for me, but I have discovered that here in London, you could go to the same place a hundred times and still find something new to learn or love about the experience. Mimosa and I shared an amazing duck sandwich, each got some sparkling rose wine, and later, watermelon slices. We got to sample cheese and look at the wide selection of food and drink. It was a delight for the senses -- the colors, tastes and smells were all amazing. To top off the afternoon at Borough, I, of course, had to have some more ice cream, only this time it was goat's milk ice cream, and it actually was really good (like I said, ice cream is always delicious.)

Enjoying a duck sandwich and some sparkling rose wine at Borough Market
Me and my yummy watermelon slice at Borough

After Borough Market, we headed back to the Nido to get ready for the night. Intrax organized a boat cruise trip for all of the interns, so we got dressed up and headed to the boat on the Thames. It was an interesting experience. The boat was filled with hen parties (bachelorette parties) and people dressed in costumes celebrating all sorts of occasions. In true Intrax intern fashion, we all had a fun time dancing, drinking and simply enjoying the fact that we were spending time together.

Me and Dan on the boat cruise

Kathryn, Mimosa and I

Will, Jessie and I...with an apprehensive Bri in the middle

Me and the other Dan
Sunday, I slept in and spent the afternoon around Carnaby Street and Oxford Street -- again, both repeat offenders and still, the experience was completely different than the others times I had been there. It was my first time in London really spending an afternoon completely alone. I had no plans to meet up with anyone and I just really had the time to wander around and do whatever I pleased. Yes, I have been alone in London before -- on the way to work, after work wandering around Covent Garden, some times here or there -- but not ever really to this extent, and this time, I felt like I knew my way around. I love the fact that I can walk through parts of London and not have to consult any signs. Sure, sometimes I get a little lost, but I manage to figure it out, and I think I didn't give myself enough credit before. I have actually been able to navigate fairly well. So I utilized my newfound knowledge of the city and walked around, purchased my last few souvenirs and head back to the Nido. Once back, my roommate Jessie, Mimosa and I decided to grab some dinner. It was unusually beautiful outside for London so we decided to capitalize on that and go to the Castle bar/restaurant and sit on their rooftop terrace. We caught up on our weekend and gossip, and just enjoyed the fact that we were able to sit outside at night and not even be cold.

On Monday, it was back to work and back to the hustle and bustle that comes with going to press. Our issue goes to print this week, so it always gets extra busy in the office. That night, I relaxed with some of the other interns. We went to Primrose Hill, which, if I remember correctly, is near or in Camden. Primrose Hill is a park and yes, as its name suggests, it is a hill, but the real reason why we went was not to simply hang out in a park at night and be a bit creepy. Primrose Hill actually has an amazing panoramic view of the London city skyline. Honestly, it was beautiful and the funny thing was, none of us could get a decent picture of it. All of us agreed that it's always the things which you can't capture with a photograph -- whether it be memories or amazing views like this one -- that are the things that are worth remembering. That's always the way.

Tuesday night I joined some of the other interns again and went to Camden after a day of work to have some dim sum. It was my first dim sum experience and it was amazing. There were only five of us, yet we ordered 33 dishes and yes, we somehow managed to eat all of them. We overestimated how much food we'd actually need and every time a dish came, we weren't sure how we were going to eat it -- but we did and it was great. With full bellies, we decided to walk around Camden, which I had never done before and I was sad that I hadn't. It was a really cool, eclectic sort of neighborhood. I thought to myself that I definitely wanted to come back and see Camden, and it's funny, because even though I have seen so many parts of London, it is still cool to know that if/when I do come back, there are still more things to see. London is always surprising me. Though we were full from dim sum, we grabbed some ice cream at a convenience store and continued our walk around the neighborhood before finally heading back to the Nido.

Tonight, after work, we had a networking event where our host companies were invited to join us at eOffice (where one of the other interns works) and have some time to socialize and meet each other's bosses and coworkers. Because my office had been so busy this past week, I didn't expect my coworkers to attend -- they usually end up staying late at the office to work on the issue so I figured that they would do that. I told them that they didn't need to worry about it, considering all of the work we had to do, but I was off to the event and would see them tomorrow. I'm not sure how long into the event it was, but I turned to the door at one point, and saw my boss and two other co-workers show up. I was pleasantly surprised and happy. It made me feel really good, because I know that they must have been tired from staying late, but they still wanted to come and support me. We shared a few drinks and a few jokes, and it made me feel very good about my time during my internship. Sometimes I doubted myself and my abilities as a member of the team, but the fact that they all came and all wanted to support me made me feel as though I did make a difference and they were glad that I was a part of the team too.

Even though things are quickly coming to an end, I cannot look back on any part of my summer and feel as though I haven't had a good time. I have so many stories to bring back home with me, and so many memories. There have been shared conversations, laughs and life lessons that I know I will never forget, and the thing is, with just about two days left, I am sure that I will still make a few more memories. That is the thing about London -- I feel like I have never stopped learning or having fun.