I was meant to be in London

It’s a city an ocean away and I have only had the privilege of staying there for six days, yet London is a place I would return to in a heartbeat.

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by Aspen Cherrito, Instagram and Facebook Editor

From the minute I stepped into the city of London, I knew there was something special about it. I think obsessively about London. From the little kids on the tube talking about their art project to the frantic students racing to get home. Although I only had the privilege of spending six days there, I have never fallen in love with a city so quickly.

The bustle of the big city I crave, to the foreign, but similar to my, culture, London fits all my aspects of the perfect city. I have always been fascinated by European culture and I have never been able to pinpoint why. My fascination of Europe has followed me my whole life, especially my slight obsession over England.

I believe a big factor on why I favor London over any other city is the change of culture. It’s the slightest bit of change, but makes a world of difference. Unlike most places in the states, everything there is so tightly packed, something extremely comforting to me in the oddest way. When I visited I could not help but feel peace in the alley where doors into vertical rising homes surrounded me. The people are also the slightest bit different. Everyone is independent and on a mission, minding their own business, yet looking out for everyone.

While on the tube, one of my friends had their phone in their back pocket, making it extremely easy for someone to just grab it. A woman sitting down slid the phone out of my friend’s back pocket and tapped on her back telling her to watch out and noting her on how easy it was for her to just take it. Although this was such a small gesture, it was heartwarming how this woman who did not know looked out for us.

The old architecture makes you feel like you are on a movie set. It gives the sense of serenity and extreme timelessness and I know I could never get sick of it.  Not once in my time there was I ever apprehensive about anything. I have always loved big cities and old architecture. It felt like a big community in a city with millions of people.

Another thing that stood out was the amazing public transportation and how close and old everything is. Everything is connected, it is comforting and warm, you never feel alone. The tube is amazing, of course it’s hot, slightly expensive, setting you back almost three pounds just for one journey, and sometimes way too crowded, but it is perfect to me.

The lack of cars and people walking everywhere or taking public transportation is another large factor of my love for this city. I love walking, especially on those cobblestone streets, and I love public transport, especially on the tube, and both of these things are extremely prevalent. Of course cars are still around, but since everything is so close there really is not a need, unless you are in a huge rush.

The city is also never asleep, yet so peaceful at the same time. The fountains at night still run, the lights on the statues turn on, the streets are flooded with slightly less people trying to hurry home, it is so welcoming. It has this sort of elegance that most cities do not have. Everyone is extremely creative and supportive since everyone is just trying to make it.

One of my most favorite memories from my trip was the man singing in the middle of Covent Garden. Everyone came around to watch, of course most were probably tourists but it felt comforting. Everyone huddled together to listen to this man play his guitar and do what he loves to do. The cobblestone streets and the old architecture just adds even moreinto the beauty that is this beautiful city.

While on a river cruise on the Thames our guide told us how “Once a man gets bored of London, he gets bored of life,” and I can not help but to second that.