Guest Post- It's London Baby Part I

Jenny who blogs at Perky Hours!! has been so kind as to do a guest post for me today. I know you will enjoy her Part I of her first visit to London!


London is a roost for every bird. - Benjamin Disraeli

London holds a very special place in my heart. To begin with, it was the first time I was travelling to a foreign shore and this fact made my family swell with pride. And secondly, for the 1 year and 10 months I was there, every single day was a  new experience; some wonderful, some horrible and some just ok ones. But each one of them gave me a new teaching and changed the way I behaved, reacted and thought about so many situations. Made me a more bearable person in short :-)

Oct 2008 is when I traveled to this city of opportunities (or as some may say the city of beers). Fortunately for me, I was travelling with a colleague, on whom I also happened to nurture a secret crush on. Nevertheless the journey was futile. At the end of the 9 hours, I realized there was nothing in common, and the nurturing had to be stopped immediately after arrival. He too had felt something initially, since he took great pains to change his itinerary and ensure we had the same flights, when he realized I was travelling the same weekend. But just like me, the efforts were fruitless for him too. So there, we had the shortest love story on the plane.

On landing at Heathrow terminal 3, I was received by one more colleague of mine, who all my friends thought had nurtured a crush on me :-0 . Anyways, leaving aside all the nurturing, its nice to have someone to receive you, in a foreign land at 8 in the night.

The first thing I noticed about the arrival area was the air. The air had a particular odor, and when I asked my colleague, he smiled and said, 'That's because its so fresh'. This odor was something, which stuck to me, and each time I landed on Heathrow in times to comes(which happened a lot of times), the first thing I always noted was the odor. Peculiar, fresh and cold air, this is what I can best describe it.

Next, I called my parents. I had spent a good 1 hour after take-off crying my eyes off, and I resumed that once I heard them again. They felt so proud, but I could feel the pain in their voices because they knew I was so far. My dad said some very beautiful things. He always believed that girls could go places, and since he had traveled so much more than me, he told me to be strong and make the most of it. He told me to be brave and learn, keep learning till the time I was there. And most importantly, to call home every single day. I felt comforted and safe after I spoke to him and tried not to feel home sick. 

With positive thoughts, I stepped out of the airport with my colleague in the lead along with my luggage, and that's when it hit me. I pinched myself hard. I was actually in London, all on my own, and I made it this far independently. It may not be a big deal to a lot of people out there, but it was for me. It was a special moment and the feeling was over powering. 

I stood outside Heathrow terminal 3, shivering in the cold October night, looking at nothing in particular for few seconds, to just let the feeling settle and to take it all in. 

When my colleague turned back and looked at my dramatization, cheekily asked me 'Overwhelmed?'. 

I nonchalantly passed him, and haughtily replied 'Mumbai's better; Haah!'

Till the next part, gorge on this view and stay safe :-)