the above photo does a decent job of encapsulating what summer in london means to me… commuting into town to meet up with friends for drinking sessions around soho, zipping out to friend’s parties in zone 4 and beyond [not .beyond], waking up in the morning afternoon, having a cup of tea with a stranger and then trying to find your to the nearest rail station to make your way home, or more likely, meet your mates for another late-afternoon brunch.

this bank holiday weekend was the beginning of my bittersweet departure, and of course london snapped instantly into summer mode, just to taunt me and tease me, showing me what i’ll be missing. but, after running into long-lost friends and exes, it’s become abundantly clear to me that, although the years zip by, london will always be here, london summers will always astound, and these same smiling faces [more-or-less] will always be here for me to bump into on the streets.

the love is starting to pour in from my peeps. there are different kinds of love one receives when making a grand departure…

sad love: this is the love you receive from your greatest, closest friends. friends whose lives i affect as much as they affect mine. the people who really don’t want me to leave, even if it’s for the best.

smiling love: these are the pleasant goodbyes, the friendly hugs. these are from my extended circle of friends and acquaintances and exes, who may be sad to see me go, but know that i’ll be back to visit, and are already licking their chops at an excuse to visit los angeles.

romantic love: ignore my previous post about losing my mojo… in the past few days, my heart has been pulled and pushed and wrung and stomped on and is now in a very fickle state. running into long-lost loves, contemplating new romances… everybody seems to want a piece of eric now that he’s leaving. everyone wants what they can’t have.

i’ve entertained friends visiting from new york and paris in the past week, and mumsy is arriving in less than 24 hours. i have lists of lists of to-do lists, my email inbox is overflowing, my mobile has some 80 messages in its inbox [which is normally empty], and i feel like a nap, although i’ve just woken up.

if i stay busy enough, i won’t have to think about the enormity of what saying goodbye really means.