Sing Your Song

My mother always said she knew I was happy when I was singing. Singing when waltzing around the house, humming in the car, and belting songs amidst cooking or when playing piano. It surely annoyed the hell out of my sister (sorry, Avery) but nevertheless—that’s how my family could identify that I was truly happy and content. 

So when I was walking the cobblestone streets of London at dusk, sitting by the Thames river with a cider in hand or drawing peacefully near a lush green park—I found myself subtly humming and thought of my mother. Knowing that was my sign of happiness—that I was truly and fully content.

Traveling alone has it’s fears and anxieties, of course. But having friends to meet up with, making new friendships/connections, and of course, having your best friend in London, is always key to help you through it.

A quick shout out to brag on my dear best friend, Ciara, who is a gem and more. Being friends for 10+ years now, she’s been my constant through the trials and downfalls of life. We’ve gone through the rough terrains of high school, undergraduate school, and now masters with our friendship and bond strongly intact. She’s my go-to and the person who I can sit in a coffee shop with for 7 hours and not have to say a word. I hope you have a Ciara in your life.

Anyways, thus far, I’ve been to quite a few places that have left me starstruck and wishing I could bottle a moment in time. I promised a blog post for you to see my favorite places so far, so here they are.

The Colombia Road Flower Market: A market filled with thousands of flowerers lining the streets, vendors yelling out “10 pounds!” for a bundle of hydrangeas. The booths buzzed not only with bees swarming the sunflowers but with people swarming pastry shops and coffee stands. The sun was gleaming, not a cloud in sight, and I smiled under my sunglasses—humming, unknowingly, once again. One shop that stood out among the rest was @inbloom_inhabit. Not only was it full of trinkets, a variety of colors, candle holders, unique pots for plants, but the employees were exceptionally sweet as well. Ciara found a flower pot she’s going back to get (after they move flats). In addition, we stepped into some cooking stores that held gins, spices, jars of honey, and more. Took home with us some lovely hydrangeas. Ciara chose pink, green, and white because they’re her Mum’s favorite.

Coal Drops Yard: This has a variety of little shops/stores to browse while also having a splash pad for children and tables with chairs under the security of shaded, fluffy trees. I sat there for hours on my first day, drawing and writing in my journal, listening to the squeals of kids in the water and the smell of chlorine filling my nostrils. Moreover, there’s a trail that you can run or walk for miles right by the canal. @redemptioncoffee has been a hot spot for me lately, as they are a chain here with an amazing mission. Their mission is to reduce re-offending rates through coffee. In essence, “By offering education and employment in speciality coffee, we’ve made it our mission to help prison leavers successfully reintegrate into society. On release, we support Redemption Graduates to find work, either in our own coffee shops or with our committed employment partners.” Companies such as these, make me grateful for the generosity and compassion that humans hold. I will happily buy coffee from them for the duration of my stay. Easy choice. 

Hamstead Heath Park: I just took a wistful breath before writing this portion. One of the most peaceful and reflective walks I’ve been on. The hills, the numerous paths to take, the greenery—comforting, towering over you at times—secure and safe. Finding the freedom in getting lost, deciding should I go right or left this time? Up or down? Ended up people watching while reading on a bench that was dedicated to a man named John, which the quote underneath his name read, “Don’t think of it as dying, said death. Just think of this as leaving early, to avoid the rush.” Perched on the top of the hill, I overlooked the city and watched as dogs and their owners played a game of fetch, off-leash, tounges flapping wildly out of their mouths. I walked and read for about three hours here, unable to leave this fantasy park that stretches for miles. Highly recommend as a perfect quiet place to go to reflect and write or read or journal for fun or do yoga. Whatever your method of centering yourself is: a park is always a good idea.

Of course, also getting back into my creativity. Drawing and writing have been what I’ve looked forward to most each day, carving out time to find a park and draw my latest inspiration. Here are a few pages from my sketchbook so far for you to enjoy. Side note: I’m thinking of turning them into prints once I return to the US? What do you think.

For now, those are my highlights thus far. I’ll write more soon but just wanted to quickly give you a check in. And a reminder to check in with yourself as well: That the next time you catch yourself humming a tune, whistling, doing your favorite dance, baking, drawing, sketching, running, swimming, laughing, whatever your tell of happiness is—do a check in. Take a moment to be grateful for your feelings of joy.

Absorb it every second that you can.

Life has beautiful and dark moments so make sure to savor your beautiful ones.