The big ol' city of London

It's been a big couple days, but not because I've done anything really big...just because. It's nice to take my own pace, I'm able to sleep till 9am...get up for breakfast, get ready, go check e-mail and internet and then head out into the city. The first couple nights I was back at the hostel quite early, around 7 or so, but the last couple nights I've gotten back around 11-12. I'm in a room with all girls, and it's mostly new people each night, who are just there for one night before they head to the airport or a Topdeck tour around Europe, and at 11 they are all asleep, so that makes the getting ready for bed part quite challenging. Trying to be quiet while pulling bags and plastic bags that are noisy at the touch out of a locker. It's all good though. It's been nice to have a base place and move around in one place...as for the next while, i'll be moving more frequently...well i think. I've walked around Piccadilly Circus and Leistier Square(spelling I know!), then down to Trafalgar Square, and back up to Covent Garden. I've gone to Covent garden's a few times and killed time while watching the street performers. I've eaten lunch in chinatown twice, and went to the National Gallery. I've done a hell of a lot of walking, so my feet are starting to hurt earlier and earlier in the days. I'm wearing different shoes...each day, in hopes to wear different parts out, so the others feel better. Yesterday I walked around from Piccadilly Circus and Leistier Square up Regent Street and up and down Oxford Street, the shopping mecca. If I didn't know I was in London, I'd of thought I'd warped back to the 80's! Everyone, especially the younger girls are all 80's up, and all the clothes in the stores are very 80's...which makes it hard for me to shop, when I like very little of it! I walked around Oxford street with everyone else and their dog for 6 or so hours yesterday and bought one pair of ballet flats...as they are also all the rage, and everyone is wearing them...gotta try to be somewhat in fashion you know! HA! I had been told of a really cheap store, Primark...yea, and it took me almost 5 hours to find it, meanwhile I'd seen 6-8 H&M's *my favorite store*, 3 huge departments stores, 4 Clark's shoe stores *where I got my shoes* and multiples of just about every other store...and billions of people with Primark shopping bags, but no store. Turns out I walked the wrong way, then went back to the center and walked the other way, but it was clear on the other side of it! Crazy! Tuesday night was good, I got to meet up with Liv and Shireen, both I lived with in Wantage Hall in Reading. We all lived on the same floor, Shireen lived right across the hall, and Liv just down the hall. It was so nice to see them. We met at Liverpool street station, which looks on the tube map to me that it's in the NE side of the city, but NO! It's in the center of the financial district! Shireen worked and lived hear there, so she knew where to go and off we went to grab a drink then get dinner and catch up. I even had Dim Sum....A new experience, a good one, but new! It was really nice to see them, and hopefully i will see both of them again before I leave. I'm going to see Liv up north where she lives and Shireen is moving back to Reading, which is where I'll be in a few weeks. Last night after walking for 7 hours...I finally made it to the Apollo Victoria Theater to see Wicked! I got pretty decent priced tickets, in the back, but only £24...so that was ok with me! I had a clear view and didn't spend 80 dollars! Wicked is an awesome musical! The singer/actress that was the wicked witch was WONDERUFL! Her voice was so beautiful! A good night, I'm glad I went! Tonight I'm meeting up with Olivia in Covent Garden...and then we'll see what happens...since I don't know really anything around, I'm letting her plan something. Then tomorrow I'm going to Greenwich...home of Greenwich Mean Time...GMT, Z or whatever you want to call it. I'm going with a Met major that i knew in Reading. It shall be a good time! I'm looking forward to it. Then up much earlier, and off to Iceland on Saturday morning! I'm quite excited to see Elin and the lot! It will be so wonderful!!! So far the trip alone is going well! Today marks my being gone from Raleigh 4 weeks, I can't quite believe that! It seems like time's stopped, yet I know when looking and hearing from friends that it hasn't. Still 4 weeks to go and it seems like an eternity, again I know it will fly by! I'll be back to England in a week's time and then off to the south to begin my travels to see friends. Not sure what course that will take, but it will all work out! I'm sure! I best go, I hope all are well, wishing you all good starts to the school year if that's where you are, if not, I hope everyone has a great Labor day weekend! I miss everyone so much! Love