In transit.

I'll be travelling most of the day, returning to Kosovo. So, this post is dedicated to this lovely couple I met on the Tube last night who had travelled all the way to London from the US just to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. They'd just seen part one. I asked if it had ended on a cliffhanger. They replied, "Of course."

I'm also reminded that I missed out on tickets and will have to remain vigilant to avoid spoilers on the internet.... "Crucio!" to anybody who dares spoil it for me.

Three for free in London...

So, it's my last full day in London, and even with limited funds, I was able to fill it up with a few interesting places that I could get into for free...

1. The British Library. An uninspired monstrosity of a building from the outside, this place makes up for the ugliness with its amazing collections. The Treasures Exhibition has something for everybody - from hand written musical scores of Handel's Messiah, to hand written lyrics by the Beatles, to maps and illuminated manuscripts, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and ephemera like Suffragette Olive Wharry's scrapbook. Across the hallway, for something completely different, was an exhibition on the London punk scene from 1976-78, looking at the Sex Pistol's rise to popularity, and the other bands that followed. It was while I was walking through this exhibition that I realised that I had vaguely considered going to the Queen's Birthday Parade and completely forgot. God Save the Queen indeed.

2. Sir John Soane's Museum. At a friend's recommendation, I decided to go check out this museum that I'd never heard of, and I'm glad I did. A professor of Architecture, but also an enthusiast of art, literature and antiquity, he filled this house with all manner of artifact, and his dying wish was that the museum be kept in its current condition. Somewhat cramped and seemingly chaotic in its arrangement, with rooms filled with stone sculptures and paintings, this is a unique place to behold. At the centre of the exhibition - in his "catacombs" is the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Seti I, and hanging nearby is the (incorrectly labeled) death mask of Oliver Cromwell. Upstairs is not only a Shakespeare First Folio in perfect condition, but also the Second, Third and Fourth!

3. Tate Modern. Britain's renowned gallery of Modern Art was relatively close to my hostel, so I thought I'd pop inside quickly. I emerged several hours later. So much amazing art - I felt exhausted by the time I left. I'm just a bit sad that I didn't have time to visit the Tate Britain as well.

Now it's time to pack...

And now, the end is near...

I have returned to London - where I started this vacation - and though I don't fly out until Sunday, I'm already feeling the end approaching. Now I'm feeling the pressure to see as much as I can for my last three days. After checking in at my hostel near London Bridge, I walked along the Thames, past the site of the original Globe Theatre, across to St Paul's Cathedral, though Covent Garden and Leicester Square to Trafalgar Square, and then on to Big Ben and Westminster. As I crossed to the London Eye, I noticed that my feet were getting decidedly sore, and that I'd been walking for three hours. It all looked so much closer on the map!

I couldn't find the little old birdwoman.

I didn't expect it to be so shiny!

I'll soon be closing up another chapter in my life. After 14 months in Kosovo, my current contract is ending, and as valuable as the experience has been, the time has come to move on to other things. Of course, I'm feeling the pressure to tie off all the loose ends, and prepare all my handover notes, with the aim of leaving the role in a good condition for the next person. Still, it can be difficult to let go! I plan to stay in the area for a couple of months, with some travel and side-projects, but it'll be hard to resist dropping into work to check up on things!

So, in both cases, it's a moment of reflection and mild anxiety / excitement of what the future may hold! Change can be scary but healthy, and the more widely I work and travel, the more perpective I will gain.