It’s unbelievable that tomorrow will be our last full day in London. I’ve seen so much, and experienced so much, that I can’t imagine just going back to Columbus and continuing my normal every day routine.

My Mormon friend is in Paris on a mission trip, so he’s only allowed to communicate through email every weekend. My last email, I sent him a few pictures from London, just the highlights from the day, since I hadn’t been here that long. But when I went to right him back another one today, I was overwhelmed looking through all the pictures I had taken throughout the week, trying to pick and choose out of the hundreds which few I should send him. It really put into perspective all we’ve done on this trip and all the places and memories I captured that meant something to me.

Knowing today was one of the few days we had left, I tried to step out of my comfort zone in my free time and explore more. I ate Mexican food for the first time, and even tried to choose  some things from wagamama’s that I hadn’t had before. Even when faced with the option of taking the Tube to our location versus walking, I chose to walk to further immense myself in areas I wasn’t familiar with. Overall, I can’t wait to see what my last day in London has to offer!

Green days are always my favourite, because I find a certain peace in their natural atmosphere. So I was ecstatic to get to spend a chunk of my time today exploring the vast opportunities within Kew Gardens. Throughout many of the conservatories, my appreciation for plants was well known as I constantly explored every inch of the greenery filled buildings until there was no plant I hadn’t gaped at. I didn’t have to go far to find some wondrous views, as the first breathtaking moment I had was in the Princess of Wales conservatory, walking underneath a canopy of orchids.

Having the plants hang down right above me seemed like I was in a dream, walking through a tunnel of flowers. It was an amazing experience introduced to that space in such a way that it quickly became one of my favorites. However, once again my bias towards my family’s culture came into play as I made my way over to the Japanese gateway. I immediately was taken with the zen landscape created around the gateway. I’ve always been a fan of zen gardens, and this was no exception. I’ve actually got one small zen garden in my dorm, and one I have formally resting in my living room back home. 

After some exciting moments of pictures, we went to leave and this little buddy came right up and posed for us. Not wanting to disappoint, I took on the temporary job of professional photographer for this model:

He was my favourite client to work with.

Today however, was not as nice weather-wise as the previous day, missing the sun and loathing the clouds a bit more. Especially as most of us were in dresses for the tea, we had a tough time ignoring the cold. However, a team always sticks together and we chose to stick together, LITERALLY, and create a huddle when outside.

Fortunately, we soon made it to the London eye and we were rewarded with both warmth AND a fantastic view. Blocka Flocka Flame brought more warmth to the table when we all got together and took a fire photo.

At the end of the day, good memories were made and the feeling of being cold just melts away.

Usually, I’m not one for natural history museums. Though all the stuff is cool, the information surrounding these artifacts from the past overwhelms me and always leaves me in a state of anxiety, trying to read up and remember every fact so as not to see ignorant of how times have changed. However, in the Brutish museum I was excited to find many pieces that fit ,y interests. My mothers side being Japanese, I immediately sought out the rooms with Asian culture artifacts to immerse myself more into my mothers childhood lifestyle.

A Japanese Kimono and table mirror

I’ve always been interested in learning more about the culture, and by exploring these rooms I felt like I understood my family a little better. I also greatly appreciate the art style of Japan, so once again I jumped at the opportunity to go look at prints made in asia.

While my favorite pieces, one being the iconic Great Wave, if there were not found by me, this piece definitely is high up. I appreciate the stunning effect the muticolour lines adds to the picture itself, as it almost looks like an oil spill smudged across the print.

Aside from my that, I also found a connection to my dad and my other, who loved Chess. My dad even bought an extravegant marble chess set when he visited Europe once that we now have display on our dining room table. Luckily, the Lewis Chess set was on the list of “things you can’t miss” and I’m glad I didn’t.

Lewis Chess Set

Aside from the museum, I ended the day with a peaceful stroll through Greenwich with some cool people, a nice end to the day.