Decompression

Greetings from London! Beautiful city, beautiful people! I saw the sunrise this morning as I struggled with the rather stubborn key to my buddy's flat. Met a few of the neighbors too - saw the drama of a 5am fire alarm, shared a glass of wine on a scaffold, and partook in some rather bizzare conversations... I was amazed at how much activity was on the street between 4:30 and 7:10 am (yep, it really took that long to gain entry to the building) and by the sweetness of the people who saw me and offered help.

London is fantastic. It is in some ways a decompression chamber for me: I began my journeys here in September and now it is the gateway home. It's been a bit odd to be in English-speaking society once again. I had forgotten what it is like to be able to understand the conversations going on around me and read all the advertizing. Strange. The novelty is wearing off, however, and I miss the insulation and peace I have in Germany where I am not distracted by the conversations around me.