The original plan was to stay in London for a month, but a small twist of fate has caused me to alter the length of my trip. It turns out the original day of my departure, June 30th, is going to be something Londoners are calling “Black Thursday.” Close to 600,000 public sector workers are going on strike. Among the strikers are the train drivers of the London Underground, which upon I rely completely to get around the city and most importantly to the airport. The strikes are set to last most of next week at varying intervals and it looks like more unions are gearing up to join the movement. The chaos that will most certainly ensue from all of this was not on my list of fun things to do, so I’m getting out before it gets too crazy.
While my stay is shorter than expected, the experience has been nothing short of extraordinary. Travel is often about willingly taking on change, but the time I spent in London has been truly life-altering in ways I could never have anticipated. My senses are on fire and I suspect they will remain that way for a while as I sort through everything I’ve seen, done, and felt. All I know for certain is that every moment of wandering in this place has changed me for the better.
Tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane heading home. My life as I left it is waiting for me and I am excited to get back to the familiar. However, there is a little part of London that also feels like home and I shall miss it dearly.
c.b. 2011
C.B. Wentworth 