New Age 'grown ups'

A week back in London and already the immediacy of my travels is evaporating and memories are being filed away in the 'Long Term' box to collect dust and that rosy tint of nostalgia. On my 1st morning I shuffled into the kitchen, mechanically helped myself to cornflakes and said "Mum, I had the weirdest dream last night. I dreamed that I was travelling for 9 months..." It does feel like a dream, which grows more vague the harder you try to grab hold of it.
Thankfully I have my blog and about a million photos (all neatly put into albums by a very meticulous Mummie) to refer to, which cheers me up no end.

The odd thing about being back is that it is not odd at all. I move around London in that mindless fashion typical of all natives for whom negotiating the streets and transport is as habitual as breathing. 'Beep!' goes my oyster card and I am off, tutting under my breath at slow walkers, head down, heels clopping (my feet complaining bitterly after 9 months of trainers). Christmas lights twinkle and there's London, in all her ordered, 1st world commercial elegance. Nothing changes.

One thing might have changed in my absence is that my friends seem to have slunk into their mid-twenties whilst I wasn't around to keep an eye on them. On Saturday I was at the wedding of a 23 year old friend (the only reason I was not in Colombia). Her mother spent most of the day wandering around saying "Well what can you do?" to anyone who would listen, she felt, I think that it might be a mistake to leap so whole heartedly into the marital state so young but people do have peculiar tendencies. My father was married with one child by my age. Eeek! If this is to be accepted as the norm then I am clearly wasting time.
Daisy informed me that she actually likes her job these days, takes it seriously and works hard. A horrifying revelation really when we are all supposed to be 'down with the man' in a studenty sort of way. Not any more. But then she does read the Daily Mail so I suppose I ought to have expected it...
Jess wants a new job with fresh challenges. Remarkable after her swearing alliance to the Yummy Mummy brigade that lunch in Oriels in Sloan Square on their hubbies credit cards. Fundraising agrees with her obviously and she is becoming committed to The Cause.
Oli spring cleans his flat with his brother very Sunday afternoon, an alarming prospect when one remembers the chaotic squalor of which they were so fond a few years ago. Mr Matthews has become house proud. Wonderful.
Martin has found a new group of friends who call themselves the Young Georgians. A group of folk committed to all things Georgian with a fervent enthusiasm for poncing about (I bet). I am to go reeling with him next week and hope to inspect said social circle close up. Ever since he went gallivanting around Balmoral wearing ladies underwear he seems to have lost some inhibitions and is keen to for a spot of tangoing to boot. Marvellous.

Gradually I have been reunited with my friends, not wanting to get it all done too quickly. I am keen to savour the "You're back! Oh how we've missed you!" moments and have drawn them out by not seeing everyone at once. Yesterday it was time for my moment with the girls. Daisy and Jess came charging into the pub yesterday to scoop me up and take me to an undisclosed location (which had been disclosed already by a very excitable Jess the previous day). Much whooping and excitement as we hugged and bounced up and down.

209 Munster Road, is a cosy little restaurant run by a fierce but spunky Thai woman who is an alleged ex ping pong girl. We were to be sharing the restaurant with a party of about 30 Estate Agents so were tucked in a corner where we could witness the braying from over prawn crackers. Alice, Charlie, Zaria, Daisy, Jess, Emma and I had a lovely evening slurping wine and catching up on 9 months worth of chatter. Wonderful.
Tomorrow is my big return party, for which I intend to wear a ball gown... If I can't be over-dressed at my return party then when can I? Then on Saturday night I am going to satisfy a craving I have had since I left London and that is to go clubbing and dance to some proper music! Very excited.
Tonight I am off to Toto's of Knightsbridge with Matt, my obliging neighbour who is humouring me by taking me out to dinner.

So London life ticks on in much the same way, aside from perhaps a slight drift towards the serious for some of my friends, only to be wonderfully counteracted, I suspect, by increased eccentricities. I wouldn't have it any other way.