A Walk in the Park

Living in a city can sometimes feel overwhelming. I grew up in what I would consider a small suburban town. It's not the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, but my high school graduating class consisted of...well, to be honest I don't remember how many students graduated in my class of 2005. 200 something, maybe? Well, it's not a large town.

For the majority of high school, I had dreams of getting out of Vernon. I felt that I was capable of more than Vernon had to offer. My friends and I were constantly discussing where we would go to college and how we couldn't wait to just leave and go find ourselves in different cities, different states. We were sick of our routine, sick of the scenery and were itching for change.

Well, I didn't get much of a change. I'm a student at UConn. I landed back in another cow town. It wasn't what I pictured when I dreamed about my college days. I still found myself wanting more. UConn wasn't enough for me. Or maybe it was that I found it to be too much. It was too big, and yet seemed to offer nothing I wanted. I needed another change. So I decided to study abroad.

Suddenly I find myself living in a city of 7 million people. In a study abroad program of 27 students, only one of whom I knew previous to coming here. Here I have the opportunity, like so many before me, to be completely anonymous, to find my own way in this complicated city, to completely recreate myself if I so wish.  But what I've come to discover is that I'm not a city girl. London is an incredible city, and an incredible place to live, but sometimes it can make a person feel very small, and a little claustrophobic. It's fast paced and crowded and everyone is wrapped up in their own agenda, surrounded by imposing buildings and countless paved and winding streets. 

For so many years I took small(ish) town life for granted. I spent all my time wanting to get out. Of course, now that I'm out, I want back in. That's not to say I'm ready to leave London, not by any means. But I miss the space, the roominess of small towns. A city like London offers very limited personal space.

Hyde Park offers a really nice escape. It allows a person room to breathe. The park is beautiful, and we went on such a great day. My only regret is that nothing is really in bloom yet, but it's only February. Walking around the park was a great way to spend the day. 

I'd bet good money that you've never seen so many 20-somethings amazed by ducks and geese. 

We spent a lot of time walking around the lake and taking pictures of all the birds. You'd have thought we'd never seen a bird before. But it was all just so pretty, and it was such a nice change to be in a park surrounded by nature instead of shops and office buildings. 

My only goal of the day was to see the statue of Peter Pan. I'm not sure why I was so excited to see it. A piece of my childhood or something I suppose. 

I also saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, which is very tasteful. It's a great spot and I like that there isn't some gaudy memorial in her name, but a creative, modern fountain. 

 

The Italian Fountains is a great spot too. It's very peaceful. Well, all of Hyde Park is peaceful.

It was a great feeling knowing I had no schedule to stick to, no obligations. I just felt lighter walking through the park. That claustrophobic feeling was gone. It was perfect. The only trouble is that in order to get there, I have to take the tube.

I really enjoyed myself, just walking around and taking in the scenery. I can't adequately describe it, the pictures do more justice than I. But I can tell you that I'm happy to be here in the 50 degree weather, to be able to walk through a park in February without the threat of snow or freezing rain, because I can tell you right now, I did not want to spend another semester trekking across the frozen tundra known as UConn Storrs.

London has a nice way of balancing concrete with grass. It's nothing like being in Vernon or Storrs, but change is good. I'm sure I'll appreciate Vernon more when I get home, but I'm sure I'll miss London.