From really really bizarre fringe theater and Bonfire night celebrations to traveling to continent, a lot has happened in the last week and a half. I'll probably split this into a few chunks, because I don't want to sell any part of being here short. But in case you don't want to read through this, I'll start with the summary: I'm absolutely in love with London in a way that I never thought I'd be, but was recently reminded how insanely far I am from home and how difficult that can be.
To start, I haven't been to class since last Thursday, because this week has been reading week. All of my flatmates and the people in my building went home for various amounts of time, but all the Americans have been gallivanting across Europe on various excursions. I myself made plans to go to Prague and Vienna with Alyssa and Colin. We wanted to do Budapest too but Colin was sick so we pushed the trip back and left early Monday (basically late on Sunday). It was actually nice because it meant that I got be around for Bonfire Night on Friday.
When Bonfire Night initially came up I was generally met with one reaction: "How the hell do you not know what Bonfire Night is!? Guy Fawkes?? Fireworks!?" I mean, obviously when you put it that way I'm going to know what you're talking about. I had just never known the name of the day. Basically it's a day for celebrating the failure of Guy Fawkes attempt to blow up the parliament building and people light bonfires and there are fireworks shows all across the country. We decided to go to Primrose Hill because from there you could see bursts of fireworks all across the city. I went with Sascha, Hannah, Lewis, Joe and Ollie, all from my flat, and we met up with Gub, Rae and Katie, all from our building. I was so glad we decided to go to Primrose Hill because we had the most amazing view of all of London-- at one point I was just spinning around getting the full view (until I got dizzy and fell down). We brought cider and sat on the hill for a while watching the fireworks, but it got really cold and started raining so we made our way back, which involved a slight detour in Notting Hill, a quick pop into McDonald's (classy, I know) and only a few instances of taking the wrong tube.
Saturday night a lot of people had left for trips already so I got to hang out with a bunch of people who were around in the flat downstairs. We've been overstaying our welcome in that flat recently because, lucky us, the ovens and stoves were broken in our flat so we needed a place to cook. Wound up being a really fun night though of hanging out, playing games (they call Kings "Ring of Fire" where instead of a middle beer you have a middle cup that you pour into, and we didn't have a cup for the middle so it became "Pan of Fire" and whoever had to drink the middle thing had to drink from a pan. If that description means nothing to you you probably don't play Kings/aren't a stupid 20-something-year-old, so ignore).
Sunday I planned on relaxing, packing, finishing up plans for our trip and going to bed really early because we had to get up and meet at 4 a.m. to leave. Unfortunately, I got some terrible news from home about a friend who died in a car crash Saturday Night. Death is always terrible and shocking, but it hit me really hard being alone over here because I had no way to explain to anyone I was with just what I was feeling, no way to reminisce and remember, no way to break the dam of grief that was suddenly overwhelming me. Kevin was an amazing person who was best friends with some of the people I hold most dear in life, not to mention a lingering presence in my life for the past 9 years since I first decided that he would be my butterflies-in-the-stomach, giggle inducing, occasionally-cried-over crush for a year and a half. I've spent the last week thinking about a lot of difficult things: about those people who had made their way home to grieve together and share their pain; about someone I was amazingly close to once who I reached out to because I couldn't imagine his pain; about his younger sister who lost her older brother in the unimaginably tragic blink of an eye; about the importance of funerals and collective grief in the process of handling the impossible task of saying goodbye. Hearing that someone my age has died always has a tinge of the tragic and terrible; Kevin's situation feels too important to call merely tragic and terrible.
It was in this mindset of tears and sleeplessness that I set out for Prague at 4 a.m. on Monday, not sure how it would affect my trip. I'll write about my travels separately, trying not to focus solely on the sadness that hit me on waves as I was there. But when I returned Thursday night I returned knowing that the next day my parents would show up on the same day that everyone at home would be celebrating Kevin's life and mourning his death. I have heard now that the service was really nice and as his friends lit candles for him, I had my friends including my in their thoughts.
My thoughts and prayers remain with Kevin's family and with all those who were close to him. He was a flash of brilliance in all of our lives and was the sort of kind, warm and hilarious person who will leave a crater in the hearts of those who knew him. Rest in peace, KD, you will be sorely missed.
Soon to come, my recounting of a whirlwind trip through Prague, Vienna and, slightly by accident, Bratislava.
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