23/2/18
Frankie moved to London in October 2016
Frankie moved to London in October 2016
“I know I said I was thankful for my legs that carry me
everywhere around London yesterday but what the fuck I am tired. On the nice
side of things, I bought a falafel wrap today. Yes.” My diary - Monday 22nd
January 2018.
My words about London have been waiting to spill out of me
for a long while now, and they have finally arrived. It took myself a
sufficient amount of time to begin, knowing that they would never quite fall
how I wanted them to. Here is my short attempt at voicing a few words on a city
I both love and hate.
I’m not a small town girl. I love my hometown/where I grew
up; being surrounded by an abundance of green, having my family nearby, the air
being so fresh. It’s just not quite me. My patience is extremely short (as I’ve
finally come to terms with), and I longed for something new to sink my teeth
into. London called.
When arriving, it was all excitement. Moving out, properly,
for university was always going to be, and the mixture of excitement and nerves
was overwhelming. In my own experience, nowhere in London is quite the same and
the exploring just does not stop. I am still not bored. The many different
cultures that this city holds. The enrapturing, mismatching boroughs which
spurt with varying fashion styles. The foods which are so similar yet
dissimilar to what I am used to. The tube dropping me quickly into areas far
from where I live, yet allowing me to swiftly arrive home without relying on an
Arriva bus to (perhaps) arrive in the next hour. I could go on.
This is where I start to trip up over my words, because I am
not quite sure what happened. Returning to London this year proved to be
difficult. So, so difficult. I never imagined that this tremendous city, filled
with mountains of people, could make me feel so alone. My social circles,
naturally, became a little smaller after moving out of halls and my
independence shot through the roof. Being surrounded by my closest friends was
beautiful and I am so grateful for the friendship they have given me, but
despite all this, I crawled up into a shell. Somewhere throughout my first
semester, I think I lost a little of myself. The confidence that I’ve always
prided myself with disappeared. I lost sight of the values which I hold so
dearly and the goals which I want to achieve. People proved to be different
from who I originally thought they were and I was more than ready to leave. I
felt like a bird trapped in a cage. London continued as usual and this huge
city which I fell in love with so quickly pummelled into me. I have felt alone
before, but the loneliness that consumed me for this time was something else.
In the grand scheme of things, this all sounds kinda pathetic and
insignificant, but at the time, it hurt.
One morning I told myself it had to change and I had to
reconcile with everything. All the negativity which was flooding over me from
certain people I decided I erase and I gave myself small goals to work towards.
I told myself I would walk everywhere which I still do and absolutely love (an
hour to and from Strand and Waterloo isn’t THAT bad, stop complaining that you
have to walk for twenty minutes pfffffft). I found a tiny (and I really mean
tiny) love for exercising and BOY I TELL YOU NOW, I am looking GOOD. I started
making little candles. I made time for myself and for the people I love the
most. I wrote lists of what I am thankful for. I opened my eyes wider.
The last two years in this weird place have been a little of
a mystery to me. Even though I switch between loving and hating this city, I
still hold it dearly. I don’t quite know how I ended up so lucky, experiencing
the wonder that quickly grasped me and whisked me away to a city which has
proven to be strong, swallowing me whole. I don’t think I will ever quite get
over the awe which London has set me in, for many reasons. I have watched
myself grow in a considerable amount of ways. Some of my happiest and saddest
moments have occurred here and continue to shape me. I’ve watched myself fall
in love, with people and the world and most importantly, my own body. I’ve watched
myself learn and accept what I want most in life, and learn that being alone is
okay. I am so much stronger than I ever thought I was. I never would have
guessed that all I needed was this city to give me that push.
“I am so lucky to be here and to have what I have. I could
write that on every page in this book and it still wouldn’t be enough.” My
diary - Tuesday 6th February 2018.
‘The Sea’ runs March 1-3 at Camden People’s Theatre
Tickets available here: https://www.cptheatre.co.uk/production/the-sea/
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