Eat, Pray, Love

Okay this is my final Eat, Pray, Love post, primarily because the whole concept is getting a bit boring and also it's practically the end of September anyway. So fear not all you people who saw the title of this post and yawned and groaned and foamed at the mouth Elizabeth Gilbert's influence on me is waning. I would also like to apologise for the lack of posts and further apologise for the prospective bombardment of posts that you are likely to receive over the next two days, or even two hours! I have so many ideas, thoughts and memories smooshed into my head and I've finally found the words with which to express them. YAY. It is super convenient that last couple of weeks have held a lot of eating, a lot of prayer and a lot of love. So to round it all off I'll provide you with some of my highlights :-)

IKEA - For those who know me well and I guess those who read my blog, you'll know that Ikea holds a special place in my heart. Our relationship stems from my time in Germany when us kids were often piled into Ikea daycare (a terrifying prospect when the only German you know is 'Guten Morgen' and 'Ich komme aus England') because we had a huge house and no furniture so my parents spent HOURS in the marketplace buying beds, units etc. whilst we attempted to play with german children but usually ended up huddled at the back of the sofa area watching cartoons in a foreign language. Despite the trauma, I never once hated or blamed Ikea. I knew that the moment our parents picked us up we would go to the restaurant and have meatballs, chips, gravy and an odd assortment of soft-drinks then potter round the showrooms and the toy section. At the exit we would collect our goods and buy red liquorice whilst I stared longingly at the Pippi Longstocking books desperately trying to decipher the German language. For some reason every time I enter Ikea I am consumedwith nostalgia and comforted by the simplicity and colour of Swedish interior design. I LOVE IT.

So anyway, two weeks ago Laura and I took the long-awaited journey to Wemberly Ikea to buy all our uni stuff. This time we ate first and, this is another reason why Ikea is amazing, their DIAM cake is gluten-free! I have never enjoyed a slice of cake so much in my life. Laura and I then walked through the showroom all whimsical and broody because the children's rooms were so adorable and I really wanted a book-filled living room. The market place was where the real work began and our poor exasperated mothers helped us pile cutlery, bedding, pillows, scented candles and other essentials into our trolleys: we left Ikea like warm dehydrated zombies at 9:45pm, hugging bottles of water and cans of ice-cold cider for the ride home.

Soup - About two days later Laura and I met on the terrace of South Hill Park to eat soup and chat before she went off to uni on the Saturday. Laura is an AMAZING cook, she's so passionate about food it's insane, everyone should check out her blog (see my list) because she's starting to post all her yummy recipes on there. We sat in the sunshine whilst Laura sniffed off her cold and her hangover and I jabbered on about drama and music eating piping hot bean and chorizo soup (I LOVE CHORIZO. YUM) The whole episode lasted approximately 20 minutes but it was just gorgeous to spend time with my beautiful friend. I always feel strengthened after speaking to Laura because she's so wise yet so normal. Our friendship is deeper and stronger than ever.

London - I spent most of last weekend either IN London or on the train to and from Waterloo. Saturday night was another failed attempt at an NYMT reunion - 5 of us arrived at Nandos in Covent Garden, I got hideously lost and got a massive bout of hay fever tears so everyone I asked for directions thought I was very distressed and sad which was incredibly annoying, I then arrived at the restaurant only for 3 people to leave after half an hour. So Rob and I legged it to the 'Nash' (otherwise known as the National Theatre) to pick up some stand-bys for Danton's Death. Interesting play with a very convincing guillotine! We then spent the rest of the evening chatting on a giant green armchair just outside the theatre. It was really rather lovely. However, next time I would LOVE to see the WHOLE Hired Man cast together in one place! Please.

On Monday I met up with the incredible Jessie Cross for a repeat of last years' LAAAANDAN event. We went to Primark and bought matching brogues in different colours then headed to Starbucks UNDERGROUND (yeah mate) to read the papers and give in to our caffeine cravings. We continued up Oxford street (I bumped into Alice!) looking at all the pretty things, chatting about anything and EVERYTHING and eventually made it to Covent Garden where we bought student-priced tickets for Oliver! some gingerbread latte syrup from Whittards and ate at Pret a Manger. After a chocolate spree in Marks and Spencer we headed to the theatre for 2.5 hours of musical bliss :-) It was super! Jessie is one of my favourites, we never run out of things to talk about and she's always up for taking posey photos. I'm secretly glad that she's home from China because it's WAY easier to skype without the time-difference and I just love hearing her voice and chatting and chilling and just being cool. Yeaaaah mate.

LIFE - Last Friday I attended LIFE for the last time before I go to university. It was a very emotional moment particularly as I stood amongst the throngs of people remembering how small our youth group used to be and how incredibly privileged I am to have been part of such an amazing movement. I prayed a lot, mostly quietly inside my head just thanking God for everything he has done and ate a lot of chocolate in the tuck shop (I did pay for it I promise!)

Festival 40 - On Saturday night I attended the brilliant Rosie's 40th birthday party. She had laid it all out like a festival with an acoustic room, a camping ground, a chill and chai room and a bonfire. It was awesome. I tickled my tastebuds with the slightly bizarre combination of olives, flumps and rum whilst chilling in the lava lamp tent, then I spent a lovely half hour toasting marshmallows and have a good old chin-wag with Zoe. It was a BEAU-tiful evening.

So they you have it. The last EAT/PRAY/LOVE post. Ciao for now.