My Last Stop in Europe: LONDON

I am at my last stop in Europe...LONDON. I didn't have high expecations about London before I arrived here. I just figured it wouldn't be too different from the U.S. since they spoke English, plus the weather is usually cold and rainy during this time of the year. Well, after spending a week here I realized that London is definitely a unique city with so many incredible and exciting things to see and do. I was originally going to stay for 3 days but I extended it for a week because I loved it after the first day. London is definitely the NYC of Europe. When I was walking around the first day, I felt the same feeling that I get when I'm in NYC...the feeling of excitement and energy. At the same time I loved knowing that you could find anything and everything in the world all in one place, just like NYC.

I could definitely live in London. I know I've said that I have loved every place that I've been to but loving a place and wanting to live in a place are totally two different things. The Greek Islands and Italy are amazing. Who wouldn't love it, right? As much as I loved my time in these places, I could not see myself living there. I would feel so isolated living on an island in Greece and I couldn't live in the overly laid back pace of Italy. I definitely want to incorporate the lessons that I have learned from these countries to my life but I couldn't live there. LONDON on the other hand, has everything I want in a living situation...fast paced, diverse population, warm and kind people, business mecca of Europe, lively culture, high energy, and fashion oriented (this isn't a must but it's cool to have). I would seriously move here for a year or more if I could get a work visa and a job...I'm keeping my eyes opened for an opportunity!

I was very fortunate to have nice weather while I've been here. It only drizzled for half a day and the temperatures have been in the low 60s so it has been unseasonably warm for this time of the year. During the last 7 days I've done the sight seeing tours, hung out in the different neighborhoods, enjoyed my time with old friends (Doug, Diana, and Carolyn --- glad we reconnected thru Facebook and met up in London), hung out with Richard (so cute and so fun! I had a piece of Amy and Jill with me), visited the many markets, had the best fish and chips, spent half a day in Harrod's, went out for tea, saw Dirty Dancing on stage (loved it! thanks again for the tix Richard), and I'm going to see Chicago tonight. Being in London made me realize how much I missed the craziness of a big city....people all over the place, cars buzzing by, stores and restaurants on every inch of the ground...ahhhh, I love it so much!!! OH, I also love the London street signs that tell you where to look for cars since tourists aren't used to seeing cars driving on the opposite side of the streets.

A lot of my friends have asked me, "I want to go on vacation. Where should I go? Which city is your favorite?" This is a really tough question. Every place is so different, unique, and special. Each places serves a different purpose so it's really more about what you want to get out of your trip. If you're looking for a romantic place I would suggest the Greek Islands or Dubrovnvik. If you're looking to party hard then I would suggest all of the places that I've been to BUT definitely Germany, London, and Spain would be on the top of my list. If you're looking for good food, wine, and art then I would suggest Italy. If you're into history then I would say Germany. If you're looking for classical music then I would say Vienna. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck then I would suggest Budapest and Dubrovnik. I will be honest though....Paris for me was soooo OVERRATED. This is just my opinion. I'm sure I will get plenty of hate mail for this. Paris is beautiful but I just didn't think it was as great as I imagined.

This blog is all over the place because my mind is thinking about a lot of things. Forgive me for lacking continuity from one paragraph to the next. I want to write about my friend Jacqui Ahn now. I've been staying with my friend Jacqui in London. Jacqui and I are practically family. We grew up together because our parents are good friends. Jacqui is a do gooder with a bleeding heart. She is always making efforts to save the environment and she is always helping people in need. Just the other day, we were walking down the streets of London and I had some trash in my hand that I wanted to get rid of. Instead of letting me throw it away in the trash can, she took it from me and held on to it until we found a recycling site. She is always donating her time and energy to work with poor people in her community or overseas. The best thing about her efforts is that she is not high and mighty about it. You would never know about her giving efforts because she just takes action and never says anything about it. She doesn't judge me or anyone who doesn't live like this either.

Jacqui moved to London a month ago because she is pursuing her passion in Art. She just finished her 2 year art program in Switzerland and she is now working as a Stained Glass Artist in a London studio. Jacqui is also Korean so we come from very similar backgrounds. In between all the fun that we've been having in London, Jacqui and I have also been able to vent about our parents, laughed about our cultural and generation gaps between us and our families, and talked about our hopes and dreams without being critcized by our parents. Let me set the record straight....I love my parents and I will forever be grateful to my parents for all the amazing things in my life. HOWEVER, my parents and I differ on so many levels. My parents do not think this trip is "the trip of a lifetime". They have no choice in the matter so they support my decision. However, they are not gung ho about it like I am. My parents are a tough sell. They need to see the end result before responding to a scenario. Therefore, my parents will be happy that I went on this trip AFTER I get home safely and AFTER I find a good job. THEN they will see that everything worked out perfectly. Until then, they really have no opinion about the matter. I understand the drill and I'm so used to it. This is how they were when I wanted to go into sales after college. No law school or medical school for me, JUST SALES. They were anti for awhile until I moved up at YB and THEN they thought it was worthwhile. Jacqui understands this all too well.....her parents think she gave up her illustrious business background and her MBA for Art....it doesn't make sense to them either and they are disappointed. This may all sound really harsh and cruel but it's really not. Our parents are a like any other parent out there. They only want the best for us but they just feel like there is only one path that leads us to the very best in life. This just makes me want to work harder and never give up because I have to prove to my parents that these alternative paths are also valuable. This is my edge and this is what burns the fuel in my fire. SO, it's been great talking to Jacqui about this because we are in the same boat right now...her art path, my traveling path. Our parents think we are nuts. Only time will tell............ The only thing I know right now is that I'm leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow and the Dolphins are 6-4!!!!