London (day 13 - 20) & endless writing

May 29, 2016

London (day 13 - 20) & endless writing

I've been spending several nights writing and editing.

Exploring by day, writing and editing by night. (Don't worry Mum, not clubbing or taking drugs.)

When I left Canberra, I had three June deadlines.

While overseas, I've also made final edits to a piece for Voiceworks (another writer's) and Peril (own), drafted Voiceworks feedback and submitted a book review (one of my three deadlines).

Every time I tick something off my list, another task (or two) is added.

- Preparing for Emerging Writers' Festival panel

- Writing 'What We've Been Reading' in May for Voiceworks

- Social media (ongoing)

Such is the life of a writer... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

.....

Day 13 (Friday)

National Gallery. Lunch at NOPI. Liberty. National Portrait Gallery.

Regent St

Day 14 (Saturday)

Re-traced yesterday in a panic as I'd lost my notebook, together with Polaroids and postcard collection. Didn't even have breakfast. Felt physically sick. Heartbroken.

Part of me couldn't help wondering if I had sacrificed my most sentimentally precious possession in return for my debit card. (At least I still had my passport and cash...)

The last place I remembered seeing it was NOPI but they didn't have it. Tried Liberty and as a last resort, the Portrait Gallery. A staff member who happened to be passing by the counter thought he might have seen a colleague with it. Sadly, said colleague didn't work that day.

(He was cute but this was not how I anticipated leaving my phone number.)

Caught up with Kelsey, another friend from exchange who I also hadn't seen in five years.

View from Greenwich Park

Day 15 (Sunday)

Oh. My. God. They found my notebook at the Portrait Gallery. Day made.

I happened to be in area so tried my luck. The guy I spoke to brought it up to return to me. Of all the people I could have spoken to, it happened to be the guy who thought he might have seen it.

My faith in London: restored.

(Camden was disappointing. Vintage-shopping: overpriced and terrible quality.)

Day 16 (Monday)

Dalston (vintage dress from Japan!), then Shoreditch again.

Day 17 (Tuesday)

Caught up with two friends who live in London.

Recommend: Iris & June (coffee) and Zakuski (shakshuka, sooo good...)

Day 19 (Wednesday)

Strange how on my first day, I woke up thinking, 'I'm in London!' while on my last day, I just wanted to forget... London is a demanding city. It takes so, so much from you.

My Airbnb hosts suggested walking to Blackheath, the next village over.

Unknowingly, the perfect antidote.

I suppose I had this image of life in England (see: church framed by trees) that didn't quite match the sirens or the fact that it took at least an hour to get anywhere by public transport.

As you can see, I took plenty of photos on my walk.