Which sounds cool on paper, much like “I work on satellites” did when I worked at Lockheed, but the reality is (and was) far less glamorous. I’ve “done” London before, so there was very little that I had to see. Having to see something is not, in fact, one of the things that define me. As I often will say, I could go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower…I just don’t care that much. As long as I’m having a good time, or am doing something interesting and engaging, then I could really care less if I see the thing in person that I’ve seen a thousand times in pictures.
Strangely, there has only been one person to ask, “So have you been to Paris?” (yes), and then subsequently also ask, “And did you see the Eiffel Tower?” ([sheepishly] yes…). But that! Is not! The point!
At any rate, due to circumstances being as they were, I ended up working almost the entire time I was there (which was the point). I had hoped to have one day to roam around, but that one day didn’t come. In the end, I only had enough time to make it into London proper, meet a friend for dinner, and mosey on back out to the airport again.
But this is not why London was…meh. London was meh because (I think) once you’ve been challenged by the wilds of say, China, where no one speaks English, it’s horribly depressing, and astoundingly exotic, Great Britain just isn’t all that…interesting. It’s beautiful, yes. It’s historic (old). And they have funny names for things (take away vs take-out, loo vs restroom, lift vs elevator)…but other than that it’s just watching a Faulty Towers episode with 3d glasses on.
Perhaps I’m jaded.
Perhaps my blase attitude also had to do with the girl I like deciding that she doesn’t like me anymore while I was out of town. Possible? I remain unconvinced.