Routine

I have settled into a bit of a routine. To bore you for a bit: I wake up at 9:45, eat a small breakfast before going to the gym. On the way I pass by the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Consequently, I see school groups every day. All the kids are hyped up and screaming -- just excited to be out of the classroom. They look at me a little funny because my hair is usually messed up considering I haven’t showered yet. I could say the same about them. After the workout I come home make a big lunch and read the paper before heading to class at 1:15. After class (5:15) I begin dinner and either settle down to do some reading for school or I decide on going out to a pub for a while.

But the point of this post is not to bore you with the cycle of my day. We all have one, and I am sure you don’t particularly care about my routine. But it is simply having this routine that puts me into a contemplative mindset.

Before I got here, I did not really envision having such a rhythmic life. It was supposed to be all new and all exciting. Making decisions on a whim and not caring about having the same necessities I had in the States. So part of me feels like having this routine is wrong. It feels like I am going about this whole London thing in the wrong way. I am almost Americanizing my experience.

But wasn’t that the purpose of coming here in the first place? By having a routine, I am living in this foreign city. When I came back to London from Amsterdam, in some way I was returning home. I had to go get groceries. So maybe I don’t have to be a tourist in London. In fact, I shouldn’t be tourist in London. At least not all the time. And the fact is many Londoners have routines just like mine that don’t always involve wild and invigorating Wednesdays. So maybe routine is OK. I just don’t want to get too comfortable.

Comments Welcome,

Andrew