I never considered myself one to get homesick.

There have been plenty of times in my life where I could have been faced with the idea, but never had too much of an issue with it. Even spending a few weeks in New York on my own sans friends did not bring up such problems. But I found that three weeks in London is apparently enough to do it – not so much missing people or my life, but the little things. My cat, for starters, and the privilege of a bubble bath (I said the little things, after all!). There are also things I did not realize I would miss: the quiet nights of a small town, constant greenery and fresh air, even recycling.

However, I feel that once I leave this place I will also miss the little things. Such as the convenience of all public transportation being a way of life for the majority of the city – meaning everyone and anyone uses it, and it is good quality. Being able to get anywhere on said public transportation. The amount of exercise one gets in a day simply going about to do things. The quality of the food and the diversity of languages, cultures, and people you meet just in passing.

This post is reflective of the past few weeks that I have been here, and also a post brought on by the thought that I only have one week left here in this fabulous place. Already, my wanderlust – already a problem before this journey – is much worse. Rather than alleviating through travel, it has increased tenfold at the hoping and wishing for more expeditions in my future.

A quick update on this previous week – our class has gone to Oxford and my friends and I ended up spending the entire day there. What a magnificent place! The entire town is built up of separate colleges, and our professor was telling us of all the differences in teaching compared to our university systems. Below is a picture of a plaque found within the Eagle and Child Pub, where the infamous Inklings met frequently – our class stopped there for lunch and it was wonderful! See the above photo for a snapshot of a meal served there.

Other than that, my friends and I have been tackling nerd bucket list items, such as visiting Harry Potter sites such as Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station and the Sherlock Holmes Museum, etc.

I believe the idea of time actually running out is beginning to set in, and we are trying to get as much done as physically possible without killing ourselves in the process — definitely a tightrope walk as far as balancing that goes.