The London Bubble

I was fortunate enough to spend the summer of 2015 in London, and oh my! I did have the time of my life.

London is beautiful, it’s old and new, both at the same time and it fills you with awe. The vibrant night life and the heterogenous multiplicity of this alluring megalopolis will leave you enchanted. Although  this post isn’t really about what-to-do, what-to-see, what-not-to-miss in London, some things deserve a mention.

So the basics about London, probably all of which you can find in Travel Books: People are courteous (Sorry and thank you are the two words you’re gonna hear most often), the weather (in summers) is to die for (although rain might play a dampener anytime, so always keep an umbrella handy; I learnt this the hard way!), the London tube system may be not the best in the world (It can get pretty stuffy in summers since ventilation is rather poor), but it’s certainly extensive; connects every part of London with every other part; although for most local sightseeing, you’ll have to either cycle your way around, or walk.

London boasts of a plethora of museums, all magnificent in their glory. Food will never be a problem, London will have something to satisfy your taste buds with its multitude of gustatory delights. The city skyline in breathtakingly magical and will definitely leave your eyes shimmering with delight. The nightlife is vibrant, and common knowledge says that you simply cannot go to London and not visit at least some of it’s many famous theatres.

But that’s just what I did. I was in London for a month and didn’t go to theatres or nightclubs. Neither did I visit museums. The only touristy thing I managed to do was ride The London Eye, and that was it.
And inspite of not doing the things tourists are supposed to do in London, I could feel the warmth of the city imbibe in me.
I felt free, and a strange, almost magical sense of liberation winged me. When I reflect back on my time in London, I realise that I was encompassed by this inexplicable exuberance not because London is all sparkles, but because this was my first time away from home for such a long time, my Carte Blanche!

The view of The Shard from my room. (My favourite building in London!)

And for this reason, London is close to my heart. It gave me experiences which are going to stay with me for the rest of my life. London is dreamy and it’s not your average city with tall buildings and tidy roads. It’s a lot more than that, and it offers so much for people willing to explore.
I attended the LSE summer school in the month of July (2015). And the daily walk along Thames from my dorm to the LSE campus was for me, the highlight of my day.
Everything in London made me happy, the big foamy soap bubbles billowing across the sky, with sprightly children chasing after them, was enough to make my heart buoyant with elation. Groups of people busking on the sidewalks, inside subways, along the river (or anywhere!) making melodious music, makes you feel as if you’ve time-travelled to the previous century. The tower bridge, one of the London’s most famous attractions looks captivating in the twilight and it’s foolish to not visit this landmark at nighttime.
Walking alone, with wind in my hair, I reflected on the things I’ve always wanted to do but the start proved elusive. My time alone in London gave me perspective.
One of those things was writing. I’ve always wanted to write about my experiences, sorrows, my travels; and though i might prove to be not very good at it, I’m gonna try!

My suggestion? Don’t limit your imagination. Don’t allow people to thwart your attempts at being who you wanna be. Live the life you’ve always wanted to live and shine bright, just as London glints at night. For me, London was a dream, a floaty bubble I lived in for 27 days. Find your inspiration! Find your bubble!
The world is inconceivably vast, and it is waiting for you to get to it.