Love Letters to: London
Thinking about the inability to travel currently, passing through postcards and missing the pace of the cities I’ve visited. Here are a few thoughts on the places that I am missing.
London is a city that is constantly building upward and outward. Its skyline is made up of historical buildings, monuments and construction cranes. It is rich in its history and filled with a diverse population, some just for the weekend and others for life. People visit London for many reasons, such as its historical significance, its artwork, or its booming nightlife. I landed in London with hope in my heart that the city would change me, mend the heart that I held in broken pieces, and even teach me a little bit about myself.
The city has a combination of modern and traditional buildings that wind along the River Thames. The contrasting styles are inviting; Janet Ellis, a notable television presenter and published author said, “The Georgian period whispers to you, hidden behind other buildings.” Walking down the different streets of London, you can recognize the different historical periods. You can imagine the buildings that stood before the bombings of WWII. Many of the buildings still stand — symbols of resilience.
The Tate Modern, a renowned modern art museum, is housed in an old electric factory. Many of London’s buildings have been repurposed in this way. Some have been converted into office buildings, workspaces and even bars.
Walking down the streets of South Kensington takes you back in time — perhaps to a less crowded era. In a day, you can walk along the River Thames, watch the London Eye climb toward the sky, take in the art at the Tate, have high tea at Fortnum & Mason, share a pint in a pub, and catch a live music show in Brixton. London isn’t just one thing — it’s everything.
To me, London was hiding kisses outside the tube stop from people staring. It was stomping on tables at karaoke, scream-singing at the top of my lungs — the late mornings and the early nights, lazily walking through museums and down the roads of the west ends, illuminated by the lights of the theatre advertisements. It was a pint spilled and pint shared, wine at the theatre bar, and halloumi breakfast sandwiches.
Each part of London is curated like pieces of art in a museum — separate and unique but collected together to create one fluid city. Camden serves as a testament to rock music and individuality. Its shops line the space of old horse stables. Shoreditch’s walls are laced with street art. Notting Hill serves as the memorable, colorful backdrop to the movie Notting Hill but stands in its own right, lined with coffee shops and bookstores.
Each piece of London is a pocket of history, paying homage to the artists and thinkers it used to house. The town is flooded with vintage shops and commercialized vendors. And yet, among the souvenir shops and ‘tourist traps’ in Camden, there are charming food vendors that serve as a testament to the cultures of London. The spirit of rock and roll is alive and well, the statues of Amy Whinehouse almost coming alive to sing the blues and troubles. Late nights, hearing the cabs and cars roll by the windows my flat felt like its own soothing song.
Although London may seem trapped in its own history, different cultures have flooded to the city and demand recognition. Because it is such a hub, the integration of other cultures is not a new phenomenon, but London currently strives to find a balance between holding onto its own history and including others.
London pulses with its own unique heartbeat. It is rich in its history but also perhaps richer in its desire to advance — in finance, in technology and in being a cultural leader. London consistently desires to create, share and inspire. I would remiss to say I don’t miss the pulse of the city that beats with my own. As I wrote in my diary, Always moving is how I would describe abroad. I may always be in transition, but my happiness is not transitional.