I Don't Have to Say the Song Title for You to Get it Stuck in Your Head

The world is small tiny.

Proof?

I went to see my family today for the Easter celebrations.  We enjoyed an amazing home-cooked meal, the sun, and pleasant conversation for the afternoon.  Absolutely splendid.  After our tea, Doug was talking about his brothers recent visit from Japan.  His band is currently doing a European tour and stopped to stay with Doug et al.  After telling us the stories of watching their gig in Brighton, he pulled out a camera to show us photos of the band.  The second I saw the photo I knew exactly where two of those band members had been at 7:15 the evening before.  On Marylebone High Street asking me for directions to Great Portland Street station.  Crazy? Yes.  Improbable?  Yes.  The story of my life in London?  Most definitely.

Today

6:30  wake up and make a delicious breakfast and prepare my dinner (lunch was prepped last night)

7:15  leave the house and cycle to school/gym

8:00-9:00  workout so hard my whole body is completely exhausted and yet somehow energized 

9:00-9:20  shower and get ready for the day

9:30-10:30 prepare a presentation for class

10:30-11:30  read Robinson Crusoe on a bench in the sun (at least 70 degrees today) at Regent's Park

11:30 fall asleep reading in the park 

12:30 wake up and force myself to go indoors and get mentally ready for class

1:00 arrive at class for prof to explain that today is far to gorgeous to waste indoors so let's head out for the second half at 3:00

3:00-5:00 settle into a cozy little outdoor space and discuss human rights law with the sun on our back and a gentle breeze floating pink petals all around us

5:00 discuss with prof my interest in doing a thesis on human rights and have him tell me he would be happy to be my advisor

5:15 meet up with friends at KFC and eat the previously mentioned pre-packed dinner instead of ordering a Zinger (even though I LOVE them and they aren't available in the states anymore and I had no idea until today they are here) - success!

5:45-6:30 walk through Regent's Park with friends and take in the sun, the breeze, the trees and the life

6:45-9:00 meet with strangers to have an in-depth discussion about Frankenstein

9:00-9:30 cycle home

A pretty fantastic day!!!

I Have to Write Things Down

While struggling with the title for this post, I decided I would jump straight into the meat of it and a title would come.  I cracked open Norwegian Wood and the first underlined passage sums me up completely, "I have to write things down to feel I fully comprehend them."  I carry a notebook with me at all times because when an idea comes to mind about ANYthing in my life, I have to write it out to capture it.  Not only because many times I won't remember and it annoys me later, but the act of writing itself seems to unleash my creative thought process in a way that nothing else does.

During the most tumultuous times in my life, writing is the only thing that keeps me centered.  I can have a thought rattle around in my brain for days and days without any resolution, but somehow a pen can draw the thought from my mind and onto paper where I can see it for what it really is.  This is yet another reason why I have been sad not to blog for such a long time.  I have two notebooks worth of things I'd like to write about.  So to kick off the writing season again I want to share some words from writers far better than myself.

As mentioned in a previous post, I joined two book clubs recently.  The first one met last Tuesday to discuss Coconut Unlimited.  The second will meet this Tuesday to review Frankenstein.  During the month I also read Norwegian Wood and The Book Thief.  I wanted to share the lines that, in the words of SBS, speak to me.        

Crazy Busy Defined

Ok, I've been awful about writing.  I have a whole notebook of things to tell you about but just never get time.  As a catchup (and attempt at sympathy from my devoted readers who have had to go without for a long long time) I will tell you that in the last four weeks I have:

• been working 18-20 crazy-busy hours a week at my Human Rights Watch internship which is awesome and amazing and everything I would ever have wanted from the internship experience.  They are so great to work with and the organization is exactly the kind of place I would love to be when I am done with school.
• Read Norwegian Wood
• Read The Book Thief
• Read Coconut Unlimited
• Read half of Frankenstein (the second half for this weekend). 
• Joined two book clubs - hence all the reading - to meet some new people in the city.
• Went on a day long walking tour with Cam to show him the sights of London
• Cycled at least 260 miles, but probably closer to 275 - that's just in commuting during the week, not including the weekends of wandering and meeting up with friends (I haven't added that up before but holy crap!  That is a lot of miles!!!!) 
• Completed three days of The Greatest Contest in the History of the World.  The first two days were strong but yesterday was rough.  Today has turned that around though and I am back on track to win this thing!!!!!
• OHHH and school!!!  I am also a grad student taking two classes and working on papers and thesis ideas and presentations etc. 
• Eight hours of class a week (I know, I have that part super easy) 
• An all day workshop for our development class on one of the sunniest saturdays in a long time.  I did enjoy it though.  Very informative and interesting. 
• The remainder of this week will consist of...
• writing a 3000 word paper for International Law
• Finishing Frankenstein - READ THIS BOOK if you haven't already.  It's unbelievable!!!  And the story behind it's creation is as interesting as its story of creation (see what I did there?  I blew your mind!)
• Kicking ass at The Greatest Contest in the History of the World!!!
• AND somehow have managed to have somewhat of a social life, including:
• a kick-ass picnic in the park with Aby
• breakfast in the park with Tom
• a meatloaf dinner with both of them
• a day of reading in the sun at Golder's Hill Park - ok ok, I might have taken breaks here and there to check out the hot guys reading books near me but I didn't get any photos, or find a way to chat with them unfortunately (side note: what if there was a barefoot, hot guy reading a book while wearing a nerd fitness shirt, with his sexy bike parked next to him, and maybe a little scruff going on?!  That would be possibly the hottest thing ever :)
• basically a lot of park action because it has been GORGEOUS weather!!!
• dinner at Wahaca and a Doug Stanhope show with Cathy and Doug.  Mmmmmm Wahaca.......soooooooo tasty.  And Doug Stanhope is quite hilarious. 
• a wander through the Evolving English exhibit on its last day at the British Library
• official confirmation that TWO of my favorite people in the world will be here for almost the ENTIRE month of JULY!!!!  BIG NEWS FOLKS!!!!
• deciding to let London Noelle out of the bag officially.  She's gotten kind of bossy about things lately so yeah the results being: hair is down and curly, dresses are out and confidence is be faked until maked lol

SO that's my life in London!!!  Apologies not to keep you in the loop along the way but as you can see I've been living a lot of life the last few weeks.  Good news though!  Classes are done May 3rd!!!  Hopefully a good friend will be here right after that so we can do a celebratory road trip for my week off and see some country (and perhaps an island).  What this means for NotBornatChristmas is that I will be not only able to write but able to write longer than three sentences here and there AND that I will have new adventures to tell you about and pictures to show you.  Twenty more days!!!!