I go to London in ONE week!!

You know, you dream about something for a long time and never really, truly believe that it will happen. You plan and think and hope and talk about doing it. I know my best friend from high school, Ashley, and I always talk about London. About how we're going to find a way around the law and move there, marry some hot dude with a British accent and live happily ever after.

Of course, I never really believed that--even when I talked and "planned" it. I'd never been to London--and really had/have no money to go--so it was always a talk. An idea. A dream.

Sometimes writing is like this. We have these big plans and ideas and dreams of writing a book, of getting an agent, of getting said book published. We work incredibly hard to write a novel. We dream and hope and think and talk about the future. We dream. We spend a lot of time dreaming, in fact. 

London and publishing are the same in this regard. They're both the happily ever after with the hot British guy. But if there's one thing I've learned from writing--and from planning a trip to London--is that it's a lot more than just dreaming. It's doing. It's deciding and it's pursuing.
 
That's what I had to do. 

I'm going on this!

See, I had this trip to London all planned with grad school. It was going to be awesome--full of shows and history and art. Glorious. But then I dropped out of grad school and saw my opportunity slipping away. So, what did I do? I made a decision. I decided I would go to London and I bought a plane ticket one unseasonably warm day in November. I decided and I did. I even found a friend to go with me so I didn't have to experience this thing I've always wanted alone--because things like dreams are better shared with someone else.

I was going to London, alone, and it would be totally awesome because I dreamed about this. But it was months away and it didn't matter really. We planned---kinda. We spent money and I felt it each time the cost increased and my savings account decreased.

My trip to London is risky. It was a risk financially, emotionally, mentally, and if I had to go alone like I planned, probably wouldn't have been the safest either. But I made a decision and I
made it happen and everything has been working out.

 It's kinda incredible how much this whole thing is teaching me--and how it's reminiscent of writing. Writing is a risk. There's no "sure thing" in pursing this profession. But we have to do it because it's the dreaming, it's the hoping and thinking and talking that makes us want it.

Life is about taking risks. It's about making a decision and pursuing it. Life without those things? Pretty boring. We need to dream--about writing, about making movies, about going to far off countries--because the dreaming shows us where we want to be and the rest gets us there.

For me, my dreaming is leading me to London.  I go to London in one week!! One week! I am so excited about this! It doesn't even feel real yet.

This is gonna be good. All of it. Whatever your dream is---pursue it. Maybe it will lead you to hot British guys. Maybe not. But if it's your dream, you'll definitely get some form of happily ever after. I just know it. Whatever you do--don't miss the moment.

"We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake." - Marie B. Ray

Anyone have any recommendations of good London-area things to see or do? Touristy? Non-touristy? Book stores? Parks? Coffee shops? Ideas welcomed!!