Goodbye London

Tonight is our last night in London.

Last night, we ate at a noodles place called Wagamama near London Victoria station. The train ride there and back was my last train ride in London. Walking around the streets today, we realized that it would be the last time we would walk around these streets we've called home for the last nine months. This afternoon we went to the park near our house for the last time.

I'm excited to go back to Atlanta, but I'll miss London. I made a list of the things I think I'll miss the most.

5. The fresh air - It never gets too hot here. None of the houses even have (or need) air conditioning. On a nice day, we'd open the windows in the front and back of the house and just let the breeze flow through. It felt so nice. Even when it rained, we'd keep a few windows open a crack and listen to the rain tap dance on the pavement.

4. The food - You might not believe it (unless you've read The Omnivore's Dilemma) but the food tastes better here. The strawberries are better; the blueberries are better; the blackberries and raspberries are better; the eggs and the cheese are better. They taste like they came from the farm in your backyard.

3. The sites - There are so many great museums here (that are also free). And I loved seeing the London Eye whenever we took the train into London. I'd shout, "Look Mama! The London Eye!" loud enough for the whole train to hear. Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, the HMS Belfast... there's so much cool stuff to keep a kid busy and happy.

2. Cities and towns built for walking - We survived for nine whole months without ever driving a car. We walk to the library, to the grocery store, to school, to church, to the restaurants, to the train station. The cities are built for trains and walking (or for kids like me riding their scooters), and it feels so good to get out and walk every day. Not to mention that we've been completely oblivious to (and immune from) gas prices. In Atlanta, we'll have to drive to a park to be able to have a place to walk around.

1. My friends - I've made some good friends while I've been here: friends from school and friends from church and friends from a lot of different backgrounds and countries. It's been really fun.

There are things I've missed about the States that I'll be glad to have back, like my friends in Atlanta and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, but I'll write about those things some other time. For now, I'm saying goodbye to London.