This picture was taken from my first day in Central London and about a week into my study abroad trip. The American students of Roehampton University broke into groups to run around Central as part of a scavenger hunt to get to know London. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this picture perfectly represented London in a way that I didn’t understand the first day. It was beautifully sunny which never happened when I was in London but highlighted the fact that London can make you hate it when it is cold and rainy and yet make you love it again the moment the sun comes out. The view of the Parliament Building and Big Ben show how rich London is in its history and how this can be juxtaposed to the trendy Southbank I was standing on when I took the shot. London is a mix of the old and new in a way that makes it endearing. The Thames represents the booming industry which made London the international metropolis it is today.

On my last day in Central London, I sat in relatively the same spot and, again, watched the sun go down on. I remember feeling the same mix of excitement and worry that I felt on the first day although this time the feelings were about leaving, not coming, to London. For this reason, this spot will always have a warm spot in my heart tucked in with everyone and everything else I love in London and which now makes it feel like home to me.