I'm backkkkkkk
Greetings earthlings ♡
As some of you know already, I’ve been away for the past couple of weeks finding myself on European shores. A brief and incomplete summary:
*L*O*N*D*O*N*
Day 1. Like many people (I would imagine) I am always hopeful about meeting the love of my life in line to board an airplane. The longer the distance we're traveling, the more romance is at stake. This time I really hit the jackpot with an airplane crush, and it felt like a good sign for my upcoming journeys. Though we never exchanged more than a glance, I am sure he felt it too.
Dropped off my suitcase at the Airbnb in a cute neighborhood of northern London. The woman hosting me had a few children, and it felt like every time I came back down the stairs the count was upped one or two. The final time I came down on my way out, she had a baby bump I'm positive had not been there minutes before.
Took myself to a solo dinner right on the water, really very lovely. Although sometimes I wonder if all that separates a fancy place from a regular place is that fancy places drizzle sauce in a zigzag over their dishes. After they'd cleared my plates I went to the “loo.” It is here that I took the first picture of my vacation; it’s of the most elegant toilet brush I'd ever seen. Stunning.
Yes, I was having a grand time! I started a list of my favorite subway stop names. Cockfosters. Went to a jazz club (funny), got let into a comedy show (not funny). Waiting at the bus station to get back to bed, I was on my phone, and then suddenly I wasn't on my phone. Looked up to see a hooded figure bicycling away into the darkness. He'd plucked my phone from my hands with the grace and ease of someone who's done this many times before. Didn't even have to speed away, just rolled on at a steady pace. Spent the rest of the night taking deep breaths in, sobbing, and trying to figure out how to get back to where I was staying without remembering the address. My London observations got a little less cute after that. This sucked deeply, but I channeled my mother’s deranged optimism and told myself that because things could not get worse, things could only go better. And they did :)
****If you’ve tried texting / calling in the past couple of weeks I am probably unaware.
*P*A*R*I*S*
In Paris, got to see my dear friend Jon. He lives in the center of town and up 111 steps, which he no longer notices (but you would). I've always thought of Jon as being a little bit philosopher. He's good at allowing himself to be bored, which I think is important, and not something a lot of people I know allow themselves to do. His apartment is impossibly bare, and though I’ve never fully understood how he spends his time, he seemingly knows everything about anything, and will answer questions you might not think to ask. Like, why are those patches of grass shaped like that? What is in the basement of the Opera House?
Jon and I both like taking long and exhausting walks. We walked across and around the city, dipping in and out of museums and dining establishments. I learned a lot about French history and culture, but probably the only thing I'll end up absorbing is that you should never order a martini in Paris. Obviously, I should have changed course when our server asked me if I preferred “red or white.”
^ Dinner on a boat =P
What else? Met a lot of cool people, played a couple of cool shows. Finished a really bad book, started a really good book. Consumed so much sugar I gave myself hives. The queen died. I’ll stop. Other people’s vacations are never all that interesting, I know.
Truly missed my NYC homies. Happy to be home. Wish I could share some cool new releases or something but only two weeks away and I’m out of the loop. See y’all at the Frost Children show on Saturday?
Bisous xoxo