As I wrap up my two years in London, I am amazed at how quickly it all went by. I have had a wonderful time and cannot recommend this experience enough. As I’ve said before, I think it’s something everyone should do; not only because it’s fun, but because it allows for personal growth (developing problem-solving skills and forcing us to become comfortable outside of our comfort zone), for professional growth (varied work experience and a new source of answers for interviews for example) and it makes you a stronger and more well-rounded person no matter where life takes you. I know I feel more confident and I have accomplished on of my lifelong dreams which is a wonderful feeling.
Before I
cap things off for the final time, here are a few of the things I’ve been up to
over the last few months:
In
September I finally visited the Tate Gallery and the Tate Modern. I was very impressed by the Tate
Gallery (Turners and Constables being some of my favourites) but the Tate Modern
was a bit over the top for me. I’m not sure I can fully appreciate modern art.
That said, the Tate Modern’s gift shop was much more fun!
In
October I went to an ITV event for a new show called Jekyll and Hyde. The show itself is fine but the event was outstanding! There were mad scientist
bartenders, dress-up photo ops and it was all hosted in The Vaults, a cool and
creepy underground venue. It was a really different and fun night out.
In
October I also went for afternoon tea at The Ritz. This was a fantastic experience.
The Palm Court is grand, the sandwiches, crumpets, cakes and tea were delicious
and I loved every minute of it. While it’s not cheap at about £50/person, it’s
definitely a treat that I will remember for a very long time.
For Dan’s
birthday we went to see The Book of Mormon. While the show is highly
offensive, it was also very funny and I found myself humming a few of the tunes
days later. If you’re not overly sensitive and looking for a fun show to see in
London, then I recommend it.
Being
away from home for the holidays can be difficult but, luckily, the London ExpatCanadian Meetup Group organized a Canadian Thanksgiving
meal in a pub. The turkey was delicious and we loved it so much that a group of
us decided to recreate it ourselves a month later, cranberry sauce and all! I’m
sorry, turkeys, but you shouldn’t be so delicious!
Speaking
of holidays, Christmas has snuck up on me and it’s almost time to head back to
Canada to celebrate Christmas with my family. Before I do though, I made a
couple of visits to London’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. I discovered this
last year and have been semi-obsessed ever since. It’s basically a
Christmas-themed Octoberfest with rides, beer tents (serving mulled wine and
cider too), Christmas markets and all kinds of other fun and games. I had a
blast once again and will definitely be back!
It’s now
time to thank you for reading my blog and following me on this amazing
adventure. I’ve had a blast sharing it with those who read it and hope
it has been helpful and/or entertaining. I'd also like to thank everybody who encouraged and supported me along the way. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do it without you and I am eternally grateful.
I went into this a very shy and nervous person and I have come out more outgoing and confident. I'm even engaged! I can't believe how lucky I am to have had this opportunity.
As always, I will cap things off with a quote but first, I will wish you
all a Merry Christmas (or Happy Christmas as they say here) and a very Happy
2016!
"Good night, and good luck."
Edward R. Murrow
