Like many times previously, last week I had a horrible case of writers block. All week while I worked and when I was home or out, I was trying to think of what I could possibly write on here. And I got nada. I think my biggest barrier is that I don’t really have a life, it’s pathetic, I know. But I feel that because I am currently just existing, between my job and home, I am never out in the world to experience everything this beautiful city has to offer me. And then it hit me! Why not talk about this city, the one that brought me salvation, the one that is now part of my soul and love so very much.
I would have to say that the majority of Londoner hate London. It can be seen in their faces, like a big neon sign is stuck to their head. They hate the traffic, crowded trains and delays, the rush to get from point A to B. These things become the sole focus, I see it every morning when I am on the train on my way to work. And I will even admit to sometimes being one of those people agitated by being slowed down from getting from home to work. But as soon as I leave the train station and take in all the beauty of central London in the morning, I know that I could never just walk from A to B without feeling happy to be in my surroundings.
And I don’t just mean the sights that every tourist comes to this city to admire. I mean the small alleys and shortcuts that you take which reveals part of the city you have not seen. It’s so vast and full of life in every corner. You just have to go looking for it. Some roads you enter reminds you of Regency England and I am transported back to my favourite period of English history. You walk down the roads where people like Willkie Collins, Christina Rossetti and Samuel L. Coleridge. It’s truly magical. I feel blessed to call it home. And even in the nitty-gritty parts of London, there is character and in years to come they become part of the history of this wonderfully diverse metropolis.
I loved my city, and I think I always would. It was the place that brought me hope in bettering myself as a human being. It is full of knowledge and experiences that help you grow as a human being. In every alley and corner there is something new to discover, something to learn and something to appreciate. If anyone ever wants or gets a chance to visit, do. It is a place when explored properly, and I don’t just mean the tourist attractions but letting it take you to places you don’t even know exist in its heart, will teach you so much about life present and past in London, but also opens the possibilities in your life.
With a small glimpse into the lives of the people who became who they are or were because of this city, you know that you need the good and the bad to shape you into a human being that can understand hardship and beauty can co-exist, but you always have the ability in a place like this to change the routes from A to B in your life easily. To bring change to your life. In a place like London, the possibilities are endless, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me.
William Wordsworth
Stephania Betancur 