As Timeless as the Loos of London

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When you hear the word "timeless," what first comes to mind? Diamonds? That little black dress? Dick Clark? This word came up time and time again today and it has me thinking ....

Our day began with our friend Tom taking us on a walking tour of his local neighborhood, Shoreditch. A smattering of shops, artists, gritty grafitti, and supercool food trucks, this place instantly made me wish my sister Alyssa was traveling with me this time. I love her enthusiasm for street art and I have always thought the streets of London unmatched in this arena. We visited a cool boxcar lunch area with multiple levels, seating areas, and about 40 stalls of (exotic to me) food and drink. We shopped for a birthday card for his roommate which made me remember how good it feels to send handwritten cards to friends. The art of paper has been lost in our digital age, but the sentiment expressed in a card can be timeless and revisited over a lifetime. Send someone a handwritten note this week....go ahead....buy a stamp, put it in the mail. I promise you will feel really satisfied.

Our afternoon was spent indulging in the timeless British tradition of high tea and finger sandwiches. A month ago B had to book our table at the hip yet classic restaurant off Regent Street, Sketch. WHAT a place! From the decor to the food, this place is straight out of a magazine. As we were escorted to the salmon pink room filled with overstuffed chairs and hundreds of black and white (super bizarre and funny) sketches on the walls, we remarked at the timelessness of the decor. Opened over 15 years ago, the place felt retro, yet trendy. We were encouraged to try as many tea flavors as our taste buds could handle, while finger sandwiches with flavors so unknown to me were presented on a triple tiered tray of bone white china. Of course the grilled Gruyere cheese and truffle sammie was the biggest hit! Tea kept coming for hours and the timelessness of our friendship had us talking and talking until they politely kicked us out after 3+ hours because our table was surrounded by dinner diners. After we left the table we went to have a photo session in .... where else... the bathroom! This loo is the most photographed in the world and it's easy to see why. A futuristic celebration of color and white, obviously the designers were either from outer space or time travelers.

We went back to Tom's and he suggested we ride bikes to the Blues Kitchen to catch some live blues music. Noa and I resisted, for 'we don't do sports' but he and Faye insisted and my oh my it was the BEST! Another timeless activity, riding a bike. We were afraid of the traffic and cold weather, but they brought us down the idle streets and the bike riding was so exciting, I didn't even notice the cold! My favorite part was that each bike has it's own warning light and flashers that shoots a laser pattern of a green miniature bike in front of you to warn others! Rent one for a day, and return it to any of the stations around town for only 2 pounds. So cool. It was such a treat to see some blues music, and even more exciting for me to watch someone super jam on the clarinet!

Afterwards, we went to a tiny yet astounding bar called the Callooh Callay. They had the most surprising drink list I've ever seen, with most ingredients being things I've never even heard of, and a bathroom wall of cassette tapes. Not just any cassette tapes, but actually mix tapes from friends and patrons I'm sure. The timeless gift of music selected just for you. There was dedications to love, to friendship, and of course to New Kids and No Scrubs. I was pretty astounded to be SIMPLY AMAZED by TWO BATHROOMS in ONE DAY. Busting with joy and gratitude, we jumped on our sweet bikes for the quick ride home, feeling super cool.

For me the most timeless thing of all is gratitude. For once I am grateful, it begins to multiply exponentially. The gratitude grows, the incredible experiences multiply, and my life is soon overflowing with blessings and wonderment and exploding with the joys of friendship and love. Being grateful for one thing always leads to more grate things, (pun intended) and is truly the gift that keeps on giving. This trip has so far been a celebration of the timelessness of friendships, laughter, moments shared, music enjoyed, and so, so, so much gratitude.

Be timeless! Be grateful! <3

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Photos

Me in a (Pee) Pod
Our photographer will do anything to get the shot.