Saturday morning I sprung out of bed trying to rush through the first part of my morning. Staring at the clock, I anxiously waited until 10AM when Tammy & I were supposed to leave to meet Mom & Cathy at their hotel. We got to the hotel around 10:15 & we waited. And waited. And waited some more. About an hour or so later I finally heard Cathy walk into the hotel. I saw her, jumped up to hug her & all she says to me is "I left her at home." Such a mean thing to say! But when I turned around there was Mom! Mom in London! Mom with me! I cried. Of course I cried. Mom did, too. We hugged. We cried. It was a true reunion for the two of us. I had no idea just how much I missed Mom. Not until I saw her. Until I could feel her, smell her.
So we let them sleep for an hour or so & then picked them up at the hotel & took them on their first tube ride to Buckingham Palace! We walked through Green Park & made our way toward the Palace. It was pretty funny to watch Mom try to remember how to use her camera - a digital device she herself has not used in at least a year. But she got the hang of it & just started clicking away [I wonder where I get that from...] :)
After admiring the Palace, the guards, the Bobbies, & the fountain we wandered down Buckingham Palace Road to the Rubens Hotel where we had tea! The hotel was beautiful! Tea was delicious & the scones! Oh the scones were simply wonderful! I couldn't believe that I hadn't had scones the entire time I've been here! Took me 5 weeks! Sheesh! Hahaha! :)
Anyway, after tea we walked along Victoria St. & did some window-shopping. What's a visit from Mom without shopping?! We came back to Baker St to get some food & what better place to get some food in London than a pub called The Globe? Tammy & I hadn't been in there ourselves, but heard good reviews from other Regent's students.
I'm surprised Mom & Cathy lasted until 9:30. We showed them the church on Marylebone Rd., across the street from the Park entrance. Then said good night & sent them to bed.
We got up early on Sunday morning to get to church at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. Tammy & I figured it was a pretty cool place to take Mom & Cathy to church - gotta go to an Anglican church while you're in London! After church we found the National Portrait Gallery. Mom wanted to go inside & see the portrait of Jane Austen. Naturally, Tammy & I had no argument with her. Of course, the portrait of Jane Austen is about the size of a 5"x7" photo, but that's okay. It was still really freakin' cool! :) Then we went to Spitalfields, an open air market near Tower Hill. It was a lot of fun - lots of different clothing vendors, foods, etc. Definitely need to go back!
Monday, Mom & Cathy went to Bath, Stonehenge & Windsor Castle while Tammy & I were in classes all day. Yuck. Tuesday, Mom, Cathy & I went to the Tower of London & Covent Garden. Mom & I had planned on doing some shopping in Covent Garden, but we lost Cathy & spent an hour looking for her, only to find her in the bookstore we left her in 2 hours before. Mom was so stressed that we had to take her to the bar for a drink & some food.
Wednesday afternoon Mom, Cathy, & I went to Westminster Abbey. Actually, I was there for a class trip & Mom & Cathy just walked around until I was done. Then we came back to Baker St., went our separate ways for a little while & then met up again to go to the theater! Mamma Mia! was amazing! :) The actors, the singing, the dancing, the lights! It was fantabulous! :) I want to go back! The audience was singing & at the end for the encore the cast sang 3 more songs & the audience was on their feet singing & dancing! It was such a blast!
Then, to end their trip, Mom & Cathy took us to T.G.I.Friday's. Haha. We got some drinks & some munchies. Delicious. Got some good Mom-talking in which was needed.
Mom asked, after we got back to Baker St., if I wanted to stay at the hotel with them on their last night in London. Of course!! Extending my last precious hours with Mom was getting close to what I wanted [I really wanted a]Mom to stay here for a little longer/the rest of the semester or b]to go home with Mom]. So I went back to school, got into my PJs & walked back to the hotel with Mom. Mom & Cathy packed up while I sat & talked with them & put off going to sleep so I could just talk to Mom. We got into bed around 1:30AM & stayed up till about 2:30AM talking & crying. I missed her before she even left me. Then again, as Mom put it, she didn't leave me. She's in my heart, as always. She's just a little further away than I might like. But, in 2 months I will be home & with her again. Of course, I'm not allowed to think about it like that. I am here, by myself, for me. This is my adventure. I have made myself & Mom proud & that's all that matters. I am growing up a little more [scary thought!] & I am starting to find the person I want to be when I grow up. :)
So, I woke up yesterday morning, said "see ya soon" to Mom & walked myself back to Regent's. My weepy self cried most of the way back, but I tried really hard not to! Haha!
Today, Tammy & I went back to Wimbledon. We took the tour today & went through the Museum. Sadly, because of construction, we could not go into the Centre Court arena, but we saw everything else! It was so cool! I want to come back to London in a few years & go to Wimbledon. I want to see a match played on Centre Court! :)
Michael will be here in a week! Hooray for a visit from my big bro, Spring Break, Dublin & a Premiere League football match between Fulham & Blackburn all in one week! Woohoo!! :)
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