London, I Love You

London is a city drenched in history, covering bloody war, epic music, fashion, and royalty. It is a global landmark of culture and adventure, and it does not disappoint. I have wanted to live here since I was seven. I remember having the conversation with my aunt:

“I wish I could live in New York and commute to London by train”

Well, 15 years later, New York is off my radar and London is the place to be. There is something very vivid about the city, as if its pulse is what pushes its eight million occupants into action. The colors and smells and views are so unique with the ancient infrastructure being constantly challenged by progress and taller and taller glass buildings. Sailing along the Thames brings scenes of edgy modern buildings like the shard or aviary adding to the sky line of Big Ben and the London Bridge, and an aerial view shows Buckingham Palace in her majesty, and rooftop theaters on shiny new apartment buildings.

Moving here, I acknowledged that it would most likely be the most dangerous place I have lived—out of Spain and Belgium—but worth any risk to be as lucky as me to inhabit the heart of South Kensington and work at a renowned art gallery. But it’s the people, as it always is, that truly form the experience. The city is a mosaic of old, young, beautiful, rich, struggling, tough people fighting in a city to get the most out of their experience and live the best lives that they can. Watching them is mesmerizing; clad in boundary-pushing fashion and Instagram lifestyles is inspiring and isolating. You feel a guttural need to catch up and a spiritual need to slow down. This is the tension that drives me, even all of us.

Then there is the unending list of things to do that can only happen here. The personal triumph of finding a secret place in a city so full of people, and becoming a loyal patron of said coffee shop, or pizza joint, or entertainment venue. But there is also the confetti of fame that befalls upon you when you stumble upon somewhere you’ve seen in a movie or on Instagram and you become a part of it. You stand at the blue door from Notting Hill, or taste the same coffee as a red carpet starlet, or sit in the same square as those glamorous people did in that picture you saw trending on Instagram. There is something really special about floating along the Thames watching a movie, or traveling an hour away to get the most authentic dinner, or playing princess for the night and going to the theater in a cloud of champagne and giggles.

It can be difficult to stay grounded in a place like this, where the glitter of history can be found on every corner, and the standard of being grounded is having a no-spend day while you read a book in Hyde Park or have a relaxed night in after being surrounded by constant light and color. I believe the optimal experience in the city is to enjoy everything is has to offer. But hold on to your values and goals, and do not let the fun of it all sweep you away entirely. Not only is this a way to live with integrity, but it makes the blow of leaving less shocking. Though I still have time here, I am anxious about life after leaving. Going from one of the most exciting places in Europe to a small university town is daunting and echoes with the apprehension of something lost, but the stark contrast will only shine a brighter light on the experiences to be had here.

So come one and come all, feast your eyes on the glamorous freaks daunting the streets, and the magnificent views to be beheld, and make way for the experiences promised to you here in London, the current capital of my world.