A run in the park

Hooray! My computer is actually letting me use it to access and update my blog today. It's obviously a little fickle, but I'll roll with it.

Today was yet another sunny day in Londontown. I woke up a little slowly and took a great run up to Kensington Gardens with Sarah. It's nice to have a running buddy that I can run with during the weekends. Plus, she's all about doing toning exercises and ab work, which I absolutely hate but know that I must do. So it's nice to have someone who holds me accountable on such matters. The Gardens were even more gorgeous than yesterday. It draws absolutely everyone and every dog in the city. It seems that even if you are a city person, you still need a little bit of nature in your life. And if you want a pretty slice of nature, London parks do the trick. I have yet to stumble across an unkempt park.

Pam and I joke that we're on a perpetual date. Our museum visits and strolls in the park seem like perfect date activities. I'm developing a good list of things to do when Pete gets here based on Pam and my "romantic" sightseeing thus far. Today, we checked out the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, which is what I call "culture in a box." The museum houses an incredible collection of fashion, art and furniture throughout the last few centuries. As females, we naturally checked out the fashion exhibit and saw a lot of couture gowns from Versace, Dior and even Juicy Couture (gross). There was even a dress that Princess Diana wore on display. I'm not a huge clothing fiend, but it was a very pretty exhibit and cool to see how styles have changed through the ages. I honestly can't believe women's waists used to be so restricted by corsets and all their other ridiculous undergarments! There were a ton of small-waisted dresses on display and thinking about how these women barely even breathe in them made me gasp for air a bit.

Tonight's been pretty chill. I decided that since I'm "studying" abroad, I might actually want to do my schoolwork for my classes this week. They both are very manageable classes, but I can't get too negligent and let the work slide.

After my third week in London, I can say that I'm viewing things in a lot more positive light. My first few weeks were a little rough with the culture shock and a little bit of home/Pete-sickness, but I think I'm getting the hang of this city. I know that I would not want to settle in the big city, but I think small doses of it like this are good for a person. It definitely is a nice change of perspective. I can see why people would like the hustle and bustle and just the vivacity of it all, but I like my yard and a little more space to spread out a bit. But that's just me.

Getting into a routine has really helped me out with the adjustment too. My internship is great, and it takes up so much of my time that the days fly by. I've also been pleasantly surprised that with six girls living in a fairly tight place and only one bathroom, we've been doing all right. We all leave in the morning at slightly different times, so sharing the bathroom/mirrors hasn't been too bad. I say this now, but hopefully it doesn't change. I know at the end I will be happy to get back to my spacious personal bathroom at my apartment complex. Yes, I'm spoiled, but at least I appreciate what I have, right?

Hope everyone had a great weekend and has a great start to the week! Thinking about you...