Wandering Around

The man and the friends have learnt to not raise an eyebrow when they know I plan to hang out alone. Even on a supposed romantic interlude with the man, I get very very very grouchy if I don't get the solitude craved. It needs to be a generous chunk of solitude. Like 8 hours every few days, preferably or an hour daily, even if that means hiding away in the room or simply not talking to anyone.

There's something thrilling about wandering the streets on my own. Actually, I hope to get lost. There's joy in getting lost, especially when I know I can google-map my way out if necessary. Although chances are, I'll see the train station before the car is needed to retrieve me. Of course, this works on the assumption that the streets are generally safe. And even in tiny towns or crazy cities, I'll find a way to make alone-time work.

Very familiar with the Underground and its many lines. You know navigation comes easy to me. Gigs, dates with the friends, errands, meetings, etc, are venues accessible via tube and rail, albeit an up to 40-minute walk each way. So when I wandered around beyond the city on my own, I declined the car and took the rail. Even with certain line closures, it's still convenient as there'll be another line open to the destination. It's an excellent way of transporting myself further away, but in reality, it's just a one-hour journey maximum. To put it in perspective, going to Paris via the Eurostar takes just 2.5hrs.

Weather's been good. I'd say that it rains two out of seven days. A reasonable count for London early winter. It's really not conducive to grab photos out in the open. I loathe to remove the gloves even in sunshine. Still cold lah. My fingers freeze in anything less than 12°C. The only thing about wandering around, it must be done when the sun's up and blazing. Once the sun begins to set, the wind rises and it starts to get really chilly, a kind of cold that whips into your clothes and bites your bones. Then it's no fun walking on the streets. Hiding away in exciting little shops or hip cafes and eateries is cool too, but not for an extended period. I like being out on the streets and checking out the vibes.

Wandering around has given me a greater insight into London and how it has changed through the years. Spent a lot of my childhood and tweens in England, then forsook it during teens to twenty-something to spend time in New York. After all, the Aunts on both sides of the Atlantic have more resources at their disposal to spend time in whichever city I'm in. :P In my thirties, I'm slowly rediscovering England.