Getting to know you

I have a feeling that the best memories I'm going to have from London are ones that could have happened practically anywhere. It's the feeling of familiarity which I've, surprisingly, really enjoyed here.

Our team won second place (and ten free drinks!) at the quiz last night, and it was hardly different than trivia night at Johnny's Pizza. (Except the questions are harder ... at least for a foreigner like me.) During our night out, Emily and I wound up at a pub in Hampstead which was full of locals. We each ordered a pint and watched the football game, cheering along with everyone else. When I play with the kids at the shelter, I lose all concept of how we come from different places -- I could just as easily be working with kids from my hometown.

I guess it's nice to feel like I'm not as much of an outsider here. Yesterday I went shopping on Oxford Street with one of my British friends, and it was so nice to not have to look at a map or guess where this shop or that Underground station was. One of the things I most look forward to with having friends visit me is to be able to show them around, feeling like I really do live in London, even if it isn't for long.

I was planning on going to Scotland this weekend with a group of friends, but I would miss Jen's birthday, which I had promised to be here for. Instead, after celebrating with her tonight, I am planning on devoting one of my last free weekends to exploring London. I'm going to spend most of the weekend in the city on my own, visiting museums I've been meaning to, buying the first of many souvenirs for people back home, and figuring out what fun places I'd like to return to with friends. Even though I'm here for what seems like a short time, I want to know London as if I've lived here for years.