Leaving-Do #2

Leaving-Do # 2  somehow turned into an early Birthday party - which was just fine with me.

I'm a part of a small group at church that meets every other week for a social event  - eating out, bowling, going to the pub  - but Monday I got an email about that week's activity which read, 

"Very sadly our wonderful Anna is soon heading back across the pond. As such, we thought we would send her off with as much style as we can muster. Therefore, on Tuesday we will be meeting at My Old Dutch, on the King's Road."

I teared up a bit... King's Roadd, carbs, oversized menu items - it was so sweet. 

My friends here really do know me well. So as a final hurrah, a dozen of us crammed into a huge table to indulge in some huge pancakes. 

I got the Greek. Haloumi, olives, feta, tomatoes.... opa!

Pancake envy....

I was getting very sad about everyone going on about my leaving, so when the waitor asked if we were celebrating anything - rather than pointing to me and saying "she's leaving for America," they pointed at me and said, "it's her birthday!" Then promptly began a shouting round of "Happy Birthday," which was the second time that I've been sung that song when it's not my birthday by this particular group. They really know the way to my heartstrings. 

It was a wonderful, delicious, leaving-do with some of my favorite people in London. And it was very fitting to have one of my leaving-dos on The King's Road, where I spend so much of my time. 

Monday night I was at a very small welcome-do for one of my best friends, Amy, who has returned from NYC, where we went to University together, to London, her hometown. We headed straight from the office to her dad's new restaurant Brasserie Zedel, a french brasserie in the middle of Picadilly Circus, that truly transports you to Paris in the 1940s when you walk through the doors. 

We started in the very chic, very art deco Bar Americian attached,  were we munched on olives, almonds, and I sipped one of their signature cocktails -  the Spritz Americian, before eventually sitting down the restaurant, where I fell victim to the amazing fresh baguette chunks and salted butter on the table. I had skipped lunch after being stuck in a 4+ hour meeting on site in this gi-normous house near Regents Park and was considering eating my skirt in the midst of it. 

I cannot explain the joy that suddenly having my best friend next to me all day in the office, and around for after-work fun has brought. I'm even happier here now than I was when I realized I was actually really happy here. And that's on top of how happy I just typically am on a standard day - which is happier than most. 

Damn my VISA expiring!! Why can't we all just live and work  in whatever countries we please without visas and rules and passports? It's a crap system we have in place. I haven't really come to terms with the fact that I'm leaving, for good. It feels more like I'm taking another holiday back to the US. I haven't sorted anything out yet: bank accounts, shipping boxes, stocking up on milk chocolate Hob Nobs to take back with me...

Tonight I'm heading to Lululemon in Chelsea tonight for a bit of Namaste before coming home and doing some serious packing! I move out of my flat this weekend and in with Amy for the remainder of my time here so I have everything shipped and taken care of, and my last week can be stress free. But that means a lot of stress tonight and tomorrow night before finally letting loose Friday evening. Leaving-do #3 commences promptly after work.