So when I'm home alone, I keep tucking bobbypins into my bangs (to keep my bangs out of my face). The result is Barbara Walters-ish, Hilary Clinton-ish, I'm too young to die-ish.
This was not the point of this post.
Josh and I were 19 together, but more importantly, we were 19 in London together. If you think that sounds like the beginning of a Jack Weyland novel, well, it probably is. Maybe I should write it. But not this time.
Eight years ago, I was 19 and in London for the first time. I love London. Love London. Will always love London. Am scheming ways to have someone pay for me to go back to London.
Again, not the point.
Josh and I took a stroll down memory lane. Except it was with Josh, who always stops to dance and sing on random street corners. And in the process of tripping down time, we came up with the name of another guy on the study abroad. We were chatting on Facebook, so once we figured out the last name, we both looked him up and found a photo album labeled "London 2002." I tabbed through the photos, not suprised to not see my face in any of them--Unnamed Male and I didn't hang out, except at the dining table in my flat where I quizzed him on what a [something] major was doing on a study abroad with a bunch of theatre and English majors.
Photo album. I was happy just idenitifying the places, when Josh asked if that was us in a picture in front of a castle. I had already passed the picture, so I went back. And it was very clearly Josh--because in my mind, Josh is 19, and, well, there were only four guys on the trip. But I couldn't decide if it was me. I'm pretty sure I was 19 once, but was that me at 19?
I studied the picture for a while. And I'm honestly still not sure. As much as I love London, as at home as I feel in that city, that trip feels foreign now. Except
I've been remembering things lately, stories from that trip. There are a few stories I always tell--reading Shakespeare aloud, Kimball insisting that the only thing worth indulging in was food, seeing Ion performed in a black box theater--but there are smaller stories, and, more importantly, real people that I connected with a long time ago.
I friended Unnamed Guy, with a note that said, "We went to London together eight years ago."
Unnamed Guy wrote back.
a picture of Josh and me, 19 and in London
5 comments:
I loved the way you just seemed to drop this onto the blog all finished and wrapped. And the photo at the bottom. But London has moved on in the meanwhile. Have you not been back, its all security cameras and glum these days. Anyway just wanted to say I enjoyed.
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Lookit how cute you were.
little babies in london! your hair was so long. and you and maryn could be twins.
I think we should plan a celebration in London...should it be when you graduate with your PhD or maybe your MFA? Would that be cool or what?
we should have hung out more on the 2007 study abroad. of course I had the film thing, and you the TA thing, and we did hang out some, but still.
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