Super Nerd Moment and SO Excited About It- Day 26

    You know the feeling a mother gets when she holds her child for the first time? Or the feeling you got when you climbed behind the wheel of your first car? Or the elation you felt when you scored the winning touchdown at the big game? Yeah, well, I've had two moments, in particular, that have been on that level for me. The first was when I first moved to Paris. I desperately searched for the Eiffel Tower glittering in the skyline the second I stepped out of the Metro. I was flustered. I couldn't see it. "Can't you see it from everywhere in Paris?" my naive little mind thought (because that's how every film portrays it!) And then all of a sudden, I turned around and there it was. And then I proceeded to burst into tears because my dream of moving to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower had finally come true. I wished it and then I made it happen. I was excited and proud and just so happy.

Fast forward to today - my 26th day in London. 

    When my parents asked me why I wanted to move to London I simply said, "Well why not London?" But secretly its because I'm a huge nerd with two great loves in my life: Shakespeare and Harry Potter. (Shut up, I can hear you snickering!) But clearly, London was the place I needed to be. I wanted to be among the culture. I wanted to revel in the history. I wanted to drink it all in in a way I never could from afar. 

     Ever since really discovering my love of Shakespeare, which didn't happen until waaaaaaayy after high school, I dreamed of seeing a Shakespeare play at The Globe Theater. Now, I know that it is a reconstruction and that's okay by me. It's what that structure represents and it's more about the location and facade that encapsulates its authenticity more than the actual materials with which it was built. Tonight, (half) my (Shakespeare) dream came true. 

       Hurrying like a lunatic after the Circle tube lines were down, I ran this way and that to try to make it on time for dinner. I stopped to ask a cabbie for directions since I couldn't afford to waste anymore time after my detour and he led me to the Millennium Bridge that would take me over to Bankside. As I scurried over as quickly as I could, it came into view. There it was! The Globe Theater in all its majesty! (Actually, I thought it would be bigger.) But I was still so excited that I stopped to get a picture... or three. 

Yup, that kinda ugly, white and brown spec in the background.  That's her!

The view from the bridge looking into the sunset.

The view on the other side. Beautiful, right?!?

Anyway, afterward I met Aileen and her friend Stephanie at Zizzi's Ristorante, which was, lucky for me, right next to the theater, we went to see The Lightning Child, a re-imagination of the greek tragedy The Bacchae by Euripides. It was definitely different, but a very cool experience. The reason I say that "half" of my dream came true is because, though this show was a great artistic experience, I still need to see a Shakespeare work. And I know I will. Probably more than one. (I better hurry before it gets too cold.)

The view from the Globe.

     In spite of the seats being super uncomfortable and tiny with very little leg room, I got chills from sitting in that space (and it wasn't because it was an open air theater in 50 degree weather!) I was enamored by the whole experience. I could see, not only what was in front of me at that moment, but the space as it was when Shakespeare performed there. The rowdy crowds. The royalty in the seats. The dodgy stage effects (yeah, for those of you who didn't know, failed pyrotechnics was the reason that the Globe burned down originally 400 years ago - a cannon's spark ignited the thatched roof during a production of King Henry VIII, I think. Talk about a bummer.) 

     But seeing the theater brought me back to the moment that I was in Paris. I think I was so excited tonight for the same reasons I was then - I dreamed that'd I'd do it and then I did it! I brought my passion to life and I'm sad to say that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to experience that in their lives. I recognize that I am very blessed and that this is a very exceptional period of my life. I don't know if I'll ever have this kind of freedom again and I am lucky (and happy to say) that I have not been wasting it. 

   Speaking of Paris, I booked a four day trip to go in October. I haven't been there in almost 10 years. I hope I can still speak French! But I am very much looking forward to returning and spending just a few days in one of the most magical cities in the world. One of the cities that sparked my wanderlust. 

    Man, I am one lucky gal.

Just a little beauty (St. Paul's Cathedral) on my walk back to the tube from the theater. Is this city for real?!?

PS - You just wait until I start doing some Harry Potter shit around this city. You think I'm excited now?!? Oh man, all bets are off when Harry's involved. Yeah, it's gonna be a little crazy. Just a warning, I foresee a lot of CAPS LOCK and exclamation points in my blogging future! :)