The End.

It's here at last. I leave London today, and it's at that point that I'm just ready to be home already. I've said my tearful goodbyes, eaten my last baguette, and ridden my last double decker bus. A lot has happened over the past few days, but I've had writers block of some kind, so even though I've sat down multiple times with the intent of writing it all down, I end up never finishing. Probably because my defense mechanism is to shut down when I'm about to leave another place I call home.

I had my last day of work, which was long and kind of sad. Julia gave me a genius hand made card though, it was super cute. All I did was meet a red headed woman named Katherine to give her keys, and it was a gorgeous walk trying to find the place. The wind was blowing and it was cold, almost going to rain. Then I got another lunch at Beetroot, the vegan restaurant I love now. Then I got back to the shop and helped Julia load her tiny car with all the clothes for her vintage show. I visited with Zanab (I finally learned how to spell her name) and we exchanged email addresses. Then I sat in the shop and put music on a flash drive for Julia the rest of the day, before going home for our going away party. I met April and Kik at the Thai restaurant where Kik was getting our food. ( and my getting our food, I mean cooking it in the kitchen with the chef. I love family run restaurants.) Then we had our little get-together with people from a bunch of different countries. Thailand, Italy, Poland, England, and the US were represented.

I got up early to take April to the airport, and her luggage was so unbelievably heavy it took us forever to get to the tube. But I think adrenaline kicks in when you're trying to just get home, and I know that will happen when I leave today. I went to an amazing Bible study and took them as much stuff as I could carry from the apartment. Then I went to school to print out my papers to turn in. After that I was so exhausted I took a long nap, then spent the rest of the evening making really good veggie stir fry and packing. I slept in this morning, and finished packing and cleaning, now I'm waiting for Kik to get here so we can leave. I'm sad, but just ready to be home now. The only part of this day I'm looking forward to are the movies on the plane, because I miss movies so much. I watched Charlie Bartlett for a second time last night while I was packing.

Praise God for He has made this an amazing trip. He has changed me in so many ways I can't even describe, and I'm praying that I don't go back to how I was before I left. I don't think I will, because I've been here for so long. Sometimes you change a little when you're gone for a week or so, but I've lived here for almost 3 months, and I know I'm not the same. I'm more joyful, and much closer to my creator. I have peace finally, after a very long two or three years of it missing.

I'm so excited to get home, and I love that because I missed everything so much, I won't take the mundane for granted ever again. I can't wait to see my friends and in a few days my family. I can't wait for the heat and the sunshine. For Alex to get home and Jennie to get married. For all the cooking and crafts Dustin and I will do, and the burritos and adventures I'll have with Casey. I can't wait to sit on Kelly's bed and talk about life like we've done since the 9th grade. And most of all, I will have them all over to lay by the pool and drink strawberry lemonade with me. Praise God :)