A good place

Walking to the library with leaves crunching under foot, the wind blowing harder, pulling my scarf a little bit tighter. Getting lost in a book, sipping steaming-hot tea, outside voices bringing me back to where I am. Riding the 121 bus, forgetting which side of the road is right and which is wrong, letting familiar neighborhoods pass by. Returning to my cozy room, chatting with friends and planning yet another evening, slipping into daydream as I gaze out the window.

So much of what's made me happy lately has nothing really to do with the fact that I'm in London. These things could happen anywhere in the world. Maybe that simply means I'm at a good place in life.

Things I'm looking forward to this week: visiting Shakespeare's hometown, my first London haircut, paying tribute to Karl Marx, starting a new book, Warwick Castle, Evensong at Westminster Abbey, quiz night, new museums, meeting Jen's parents, outdoor markets, retreating to a coffee shop and actually doing some schoolwork.

What I'm not looking forward to: being thousands of miles away for the birthdays of two of my favorite people in the world.

That's about it. Pro versus con, I think I'm doing pretty well.