July Memories and London Life Wrap Up

Jin, Tori, Haley and I went to Gloria for dinner. It is an adorable Italian restaurant that we have walked by a million times over the last two years and always comment on. It is a bit fancy, so we decided now was the time to go check it out and man, we are glad we did. The ambience/decor is adorable, the service is fantastic and the food is to die for! I got a delicious cherry bomb spritz to drink. We shared some burrata and focaccia to start and then for my main I got the most delicious pasta I have ever eaten, I swear! It was a ravioli filled with lemon ricotta and a buttery basil sauce and parmesan. I also tried my friends' pasta and they were all so delicious. It was an amazing experience! After dinner, Jin, Tori and I met TJ at the Shaftesbury Theatre to see Mrs. Doubtfire. It was hilarious! I was so impressed by the actor who plays Mrs. Doubtfire, his voice impressions were very impressive; he sounded exactly like Mrs. Doubtfire. On our way we ran into a cool, free light exhibition near Tottenham Court Road - this is the kind of thing I think I am really going to miss about London. It was such a fun night!

I took myself to a candlelight concert at St. MAry's Church in Marylebone. It is something I have been wanting to do since I've been here.originally I wanted to go to a Taylor Swift one but the times didn't work so I went to a Fleetwood Mac one instead, it was amazing! I was at the back and couldn't see the candlelight part as much so that kind of sucked, I think it would have been an incredible experience to be at the front and see the performers surrounded by candlelight. Despite that, I still had fun. The performers were unbelievably good. The girl on the violin was insane, I didn't know violins could do what she did with it. At one point she was pretty much playing the electric guitar on the violin. The music was so beautiful!

The Book Club Bar in Shoreditch is one of the first places all of us Canadians hung out. Prospero held a social event there the September we all moved here almost two years ago. At the time I kind of knew Jin and Tori but it was the first time I met everyone else and our friendships started to form. We decided to end it all where it began. Unfortunately, not everyone could make it, but Tara, Tori, Jin, Kat, Camilo, Kevin and I all headed there on Friday night. We played some ping pong, took photos in the photobooth and danced our butts off like there wasn't a single other person there. It was such a fun night!

On Saturday, TJ, Kevin, Tara, Jin, Kat, Camilo, Stormy and I headed to Margate for a beach day. It is about 1h 40 mins by train from London. There is a nice sandy beach there. Upon arrival, we wandered down to a quieter part of the beach where dogs are allowed. We played football and volleyball and laid in the sun. Kat and I went swimming for a bit. It was really windy which didn't make for the most pleasant experience, as we had sand blowing at us and whipping us all day. By the time we left, I had sand in every crevice including my ears and scalp. We had the most delicious fish and chips from Po'boy for lunch and then headed to Cinque Ports an adorable little pub overlooking the beach. It was the cutest little restaurant/bar/patio and had some really unique craft beers. We hung out and visited for a bit then headed back to London. When we got back, Tara and I headed to a pub called The Leyton Star for our coworkers 30th birthday. 

On Sunday, we tried to find a place to watch the men's Wimbledon final. Everywhere was super packed. We ended up at one of our favourite pubs Sheephaven Bay in Camden. It is an adorable local Irish pub off the beaten track. Phil, Tara, Kevin, Jin and I watched the final game in the beer garden which lasted over 4 hours and had a couple pints. The crowd was so fun! There were multiple beer glasses broken and one guy even fell off his stool. When this happened the crowd went crazy, everyone was clapping and cheering and chanting. I've never seen anything like it, it was so funny! Jin and I got delicious kebabs from Capital kebab on the way home, yum!

Josh, Beth, Jenny, Tori, Tara and I spent had a fantastic Monday evening out at ABBA Voyage! It is a virtual concert Residency at ABBA Arena. The concert features virtual avatars that depict the group as they appeared in 1979 and use the originally recorded vocals along with a live instrumental band on stage. It is an incredible immersive experience, I was so impressed by everything, even the lights were amazing. The ABBAtars blew my mind, they were so cool! You could tell if you looked super close on the screens that they weren't real humans, but you could barely tell. From far, they looked super realistic and it is so hard to believe they can make something look so real. I was so shocked that they looked so real when they were doing things like holding the mic, playing the piano or guitar, and holding hands with each other and dancing. The technology used is insane. It was so much fun!

Tori and I made it to the Everyman on the Canal at Kings Cross one last time. One of my favourite summer activities in London! It is a lot busier this year than last and they have stepped up the capacity and security restrictions. Luckily Tori was able to get us a spot while I got us some snacks. We met at 5 pm and had a picnic and watched the original Lion King movie, it was so good! It is such a summer vibe and just the best thing to do! I'm going to miss it!

I've been going nuts trying to pack my life into a couple of suitcases again this week, it is just too hard! I may have been a bit ambitious planning to pack to move home, pack to travel to Europe, finish work, clean and move out of my house and squeeze in last minute social visits and goodbyes with friends all at the same time but oh well!  

The last day of school was tough. Saying goodbye to the kids broke my heart... so many tears! After the kids left, all of the staff had a BBQ with food, drinks, and of course in WIllow Brook fashion... karaoke! The goodbye speeches were heard to get through but it was a fun time. We headed to the pub after for one last hurrah! I'm going to miss everyone so much! 

After saying goodbye to my home for the last two years, Jin helped me drag my suitcases (everything I own!) all the way to Bath's flat. Beth and I had a nice lunch at a cute pub near hers called The Railway Bell and then I headed to the airport and flew to Spain!! 

After Spain and Portugal, I spent a couple days at Beth's. We hung out, repacked my suitcases, went for cocktails at the Slug and Lettuce, pizza at Pizza Express and watched the Barbie movie at the cinema!

We spent a day with Tara. starting at Gail's Bakery - they have THE BEST almond croissants. We wandered around Notting Hill one last time and I got a couple last minute souvenirs. We stopped for a pint at the pub and then sat near Tower Bridge and had a little picnic in the sun. Then we stopped for another pint at a cute little pub called The Southampton Arms; the staff were so knowledgeable and friendly and there were so many beer and cider options! We all met Kat, Camilo and Haley at Flat Iron for dinner. All they serve is steak and then sides. We had a delicious steak dinner with some red wine and then for dessert you get a complimentary ice cream cone - so fun! I said my goodbyes which was so sad and then Tara, Beth and I went back to Beth's and had a sleepover. On my last morning, Beth, Tara and I got coffees and croissants and they helped me drag all of my stuff to the airport for my flight home. 

I'm excited to go home but I am going to miss London life so incredibly much. Moving here has been the best decision I have ever made. I grew so much as a teacher and a person. I met the most incredible people, traveled to the most amazing places and had so much fun! I am so much more confident and brave now. I'm so thankful for my wonderful friends and family, I couldn't have done any of this without you all supporting me!