Victory

So today was the day. I found a place where I can finally unpack my suitcases and I have the keys in hand. It's quaint - which sounds much more sophisticated than the reality of small, which it is. It's a studio flat, although it has all that's needed for now - a kitchenette, a bathroom, a bed, a table, and even a few windows. It's mine for the next four weeks, and longer if I choose.

I imagine tomorrow will bring a new kind of feeling to actually be settled and to have an address. I'm looking forward to it.

My place is in a square with a small patch of grass outside, flanked by other Victorian inspired row houses on one side, and the University of London housing block on the other. It's just off Sussex Gardens, a few blocks from Hyde Park, and close to Paddington Station. Right around the corner, shops, cafes, and pubs line the street - and the Sussex Arms (the local pub) looks like the perfectly traditional place for a pint, complete with entire mahogany interior. I'm quite close to where I lived last time, but in a new area which seems busy and safe, yet quiet and off the main beaten path. A bit farther from the "London nightlife" of the West End or Picadilly Circus, than I had first imagined - but easily accessible from the close tube or my legs.

In any case, this evening ends with feelings of gratitude and excitement for tomorrow - unpacking and doing laundry!

Pictures of the outside of my new flat...I'm on the first floor, which means that I only have one flight of stairs to carry my luggage up...