Across the universe

My dear friend Jamie once described me as not having a "filter" like most people do. He said that sad events seemed to make me really sad, while I could get indescribably happy over little things. Everything appeared to affect me a bit more than maybe it should, which can be a good and bad thing. I loved this description, and think about it often.

Yesterday, I had one of those unfiltered moments. I decided to walk to Enfield Town, which is about a mile away. Along the way, I passed kids getting off the bus from school, mothers pushing stollers, and neighbors chatting like old friends. It was all so normal. I made it into town and found that the outdoor market was open ("Enfield Market -- Now in it's 700th year"). I immediately gravitated to a book stall, stocked with a wonderful selection of old books. Each one was extremely cheap -- 60 pence for The Hours, one of my favorite books -- and I wound up buying four novels for just £2. I then took my purchases to a cozy coffeeshop and read for a while. Before heading back, I stopped in a cute jewelry shop and treated myself to a cheap pair of earrings to wear that evening.

Anyway, I haven't even gotten to the unfiltered moment yet. After such a lovely afternoon in town, I felt extremely content and blissful walking back to campus. Again, I passed cute townhouses and families doing everyday things. I looked up at the sky and it seemed particularly expansive and wondrous. It was at that moment -- when I was in your average English neighborhood, rather than in the middle of exciting London -- that it fully hit me that I was living here, albeit for a short time. I thought about the fact that this was techincally my third visit to London, and that I've been in England a combined four weeks. I realized that I was walking around without worrying about maps or getting lost. I felt like I could cry, I felt so fortunate and happy.

To top off such a great day, I had an even better night. One of the things on my to-do list for London was to go to a jazz club. Now I've added another item to the list: Go to as many jazz clubs as possible. Jason, a British film student whom I get along fantastically with, and I went to the Jazz Café in Camden. We met up with Nick, a jazz student who's also at Middlesex. The band was good, although a tad bit "commercial," and the atmosphere was great. The place was crowded but not packed, and the crowd was amazing -- obviously made up of jazz enthusiasts. An evening out with friends at a cool jazz club with a good mixed drink is my idea of a perfect night. I'm beyond pleased that I've found people who feel the same way.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Stonehenge and Bath. Pictures to come.