Oh, There's No Place Like London!: 04/25/09

Saturday (Day 110): The Final Act

After one last night at O'Neil's, my roommates and I have awakened early - yes, 6 AM - to wish a steady stream of GCPers off in groups of two and three, as we all say our goodbyes to London and this fantastic semester. Alas, we are coming to America today.

It took some creative juggling and some extra cash to get all of our luggage on the plane. We could not have done it without the helpful expertise of the British Airways staff at Heathrow! We did arrive in Philadelphia about 40 minutes late, but other than that the flight was pleasant and uneventful. It was so good to see Mom and Dad and to be at home at last!

A welcome home dinner of steaks from the grill, dessert from Mom's new British cookbook, and Chambers of Secrets, the second Harry Potter movie - combined for a fitting re-entry to life back on Cohasset Lane.

After emails to Matt, Freya, Alex, Mr. & Mrs. Travers, the rest of the weekend will be spent catching up with friends at Simon & Jude, NDA, Villanova and Barnes & Noble. Perhaps, then I'll add a few extra notes here and start unpacking.

I can't wait to get to CCVA practice on TUESDAY! My next blog adventure is already underway at ccva2009.blogspot.com.
Italy, here we come!

Friday (Day 109): A Day of Lasts

Last Day with CPT

I was indescribably sad this morning as I got on the tube to go to my last day of work at Camden People’s Theatre. I knew the day wasn’t going to go on forever, so promised myself that I was going to make the most out of it and do the best job I could do. Freya and Matt didn’t seem to have the same plan for me!

The three of us went out together for lunch to celebrate my work for them and ended up talking for hours about everything - our families and friends and yes, just a little about work. I was thrilled to hear that they both thought I was their best and favorite intern ever! While Matt had been a little easier to read, Freya had been “typically British” – comfortably proper, “a little closer to the vest” as we would say in America. So, I was happily taken aback by such positive feedback from her as well.

I had such a great time working with them for the past month, and wish I could be around to see some of the things I helped them plan and promote, especially this June’s SPRINT festival. After our lengthy lunch break, I went back to the theatre to tie up some loose ends with the projects I had been assigned and said my final goodbyes, with the promise that the three of us would keep in touch. I had started my internship not knowing what to expect, but I got so much more out of it than I could ever have imagined – a lasting highlight of life in London.

Last Dinner

A small group of us, who had already gotten a quick jump on packing for our departure tomorrow, went out for a nice dinner at La Falconiere, a small Italian restaurant near our Manson Place flats.

We had a fantastic time sharing great food and champagne, while recalling all of our favorite times in London. To our dismay, we discovered that no one in our group is skilled at Toast giving. Although the attempt was less than grand, good intentions were heartfelt, making everything perfect in the end nonetheless.

The five of us could have stayed forever, but then again, O’Neil’s wouldn’t be open forever!

Last Call

To cap the evening off, there was time for one last stop at what had become VU-GCP's favorite watering hole. O'Neil's had welcomed us on our first night in London, and we were committed to returning to express our appreciation and say goodbye. To our surprise, it was O'Neil's who said "thanks" to us, with a round or two on the house.