From Panic to Indulgence

I’m quite cozy right now… Earlier today, I was a little panicked. I don’t like the feeling of not having a plan; it definitely puts me on edge. But, a couple things have been settled that put me in such a good mood that I was humming random melodies for some time, feeling rather swell.

For one, I called back about a flat I saw a couple weeks ago, located just across the street from Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens. The only reason that held me back from a decision last time was the concern of sharing a bedroom with two other girls. It’s a really big bedroom, actually, but I wanted to do the research and see if I couldn’t find myself something comparable but with more privacy. Well, even with the change in strategy (trying to get a shared flat with Katie), that didn’t happen. And over time, I came to regret my hesitation over this one. (When I walked the length of Hyde Park on my birthday, I felt it the most; I was already kicking myself over it.) I thought it’d be long gone by now, but by luck or destiny, it was still available today! So… I went to see Tatiana this afternoon, and now that I’ve given her the deposit, I’m set to move in next week, Monday!

Meanwhile, I’ll be living in the hostel for another week, only this time with the knowledge that I’ve got a beautiful flat waiting for me. I’m going to be moving some of my stuff over there already sometime soon.

The second thing that was nice to take care of was a bit expensive, but necessary, and kind of a treat, too. The hostel I was staying at was booked solid for tonight, as were all the other hostels. The only really cheap accommodations available on such short notice were located in Greater London (e.g., Heathrow) and neighboring towns (e.g., Luton). So rather than go far away, I opted to spend a bit more; and I could have spent a LOT more, but I got lucky. So, right now, I’m sitting atop a comfy bed in the Waverly House Hotel in Bloomsbury. I’ve just had a lovely bubble bath with hot cocoa and “Viennese whirls” (vanilla biscuits). I even watched some “Strictly Come Dancing” and Stephen Fry’s American travel show earlier. It’s very clean, well proportioned (I really like the high ceiling), with all the necessary conveniences, and it even comes with breakfast, served till noon. The building itself is quite old, but well kept (it does wonders for my imagination).

It’s easy to feel a bit smug right now… So cozy in my pajamas in this hotel, with my own privacy, knowing that some of my friends are in hostels at this moment; and for those that aren’t, knowing that the flat I’m going to be living in is much swankier than theirs (I’ve even got a porter and a cleaning lady!). Ah, sooo cozy…

By the way, in between watching TV and having a bath, I walked towards the West End to check out Chinatown. It’s nowhere near as big as the Chinatowns I’ve seen before (Los Angeles & San Francisco) – it’s only a few blocks across, actually – but it had plenty of Chinese restaurants. I had dinner in a sort of mixed Asian restaurant; it had Chinese, Japanese and Thai food on its menu. I wanted something filling, so I opted for pork ramen and a green tea. I read some of Steven Pinker’s The Seven Words You Can’t Say On Television meanwhile, and I can’t say the part I was at was particularly appropriate for dinner-reading. Perhaps I would have preferred to read some manga with my ramen.

(Nothing like a little CSPAN to encourage sleep… I downloaded an episode of “This Week In America” on the BBC iPlayer. By the way, I’ve appropriated all the extra pillows in the closet… There’s a down pillow, too!)