The Week in Brief

Puddle-jumped and now I'm back in the USA.  Leaving London felt too sad-- still so many things I wanted to see and do, and I had so hoped to make it to Cornwall this trip but it just didn't happen unfortunately.  I didn't even make it out to Bath.  But I did do so many other things and I feel that I can't adequately describe them all in a single post, and I want to start posting about life back in the USA.  Thus, I think little bits of England will come flitting in and out of future posts for quite awhile.

But just a brief overview of Monday to Sunday-- I got to meet my scholar in Oxford, I read The Paris Wife, I went shopping on the high street and bought two dresses that make me feel like Kate Middleton, we ate at a restaurant called Eyre Brothers in Shoreditch and I've never been so full and happy, I had amazing drinks at Callooh Callay and at Jamie's Italian (Earl Grey martini anyone?), I walked the length of Portobello Road and we had lunch at a great pizza place called Pizza East, I toured Kensington Palace and stood in the hall where Victoria and Albert first met, I had rose petal and vanilla macarons at night while watching buskers in Covent Garden, and I visited the aMAZEme book maze installation at the Southbank Centre.  I stood on Millennium Bridge and looked across to the Olympic rings on Tower Bridge.  Overall, a fantastic week in England.  Who could ask for better?

But returning to the States has so far been equally exciting.  Only moments after returning home, I jumped onto the metro and headed into the city to meet up with my best friends from college.  We met at Chinatown, then had dinner at an Italian restaurant... yes, seriously.  But it was a really good Italian restaurant and had unlimited refills on soda which I think was the only thing that kept me propped up until after midnight-- jet-lag and all!  We recalled old times and talked about new times and then headed to Northeast to play Cards Against Humanity with yet more friends.  Best game ever.  Like Apples to Apples, but for terrible people, which of course we are (for example: prompt card-- What ended the orgy?  Winning card-- The Care Bear Stare).  I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life, though being delirious with sleeplessness probably added to the effect.

I wish I could explain how much that night meant to me.  Sitting with Brian, Kay, Mike, Josh, Kelsey, Davia, and Dan, with the wine pouring (though not for me, as I feared it would put me to sleep) and random donuts and feeling young and happy and all the stress melting away.  We have a "five year plan" to live in the same place again and I would give almost anything if it actually happened.  We could have so much fun all together.

Then yesterday, Zan!  Finally!  We headed to Staunton for a "launch party" for Zan and his sister, Lys', film The Garment.  It also served, I think, as a miniature engagement party for Lys and her now fiance Zach!  So many congratulations to the happy couple!  They got engaged last week at the beach and I really, really couldn't be more excited for them.  I had a wonderful talk at the party with Marlena, one that really bolstered my resolve and esteem.  I got to see Rick Blunt and his fiance, Bridget, who I know from working with the touring troupe last summer.  All in all, a happy, warm, loving evening.  Great food, friends, and film.

And now, I suppose, you're all caught up!  Hopefully soon I can get a bit more in depth with different adventures, but I wanted to get them down, at least in this small sketch, so that I wouldn't forget.  Life is moving very quickly these days and summer already seems to be fast coming to a close.