Stop and Smell the Roses.

Ello governor! I have arrived in London and am off to a spectacular start! After landing my group dropped our bags off at the hotel and set off to explore the city. Oh, what a marvelous place it is. 

The culture is a little different than what I expected. When you think about London the first thing you envision is a bunch of British people drinking tea (well, maybe that's just me).  But rather, it is diverse gathering of nationalities that add many colorful layers to the make-up of London. 

As I was wandering throughout the city,  I  noticed that there were so many people gathered together. People were drawn to the scenic locations to read, chat or watch the struggling magician on the corner. They were taking their time to appreciate the things and people around them. Looking around the square I realized that the people of London were enjoying life. 

So often we press the fast forward button in life and want to get through things as quickly as possible. We have places to be and things to do. The time spent sitting down and not doing anything is considered wasted time.

I am guilty of living this mantra of "quicker is better." I rank the quality of my day by how many things I can accomplish on my checklist. I am consumed with productivity, we all are. We are slowly transforming into machines that simply perform but do not play. 

Now, I realized that come 5 o'clock on the tube the Londoners would be right back to the hustle and bustle, but in this moment, life was lived and they were "smelling the roses."

Though it is incredibly cliché, the old saying does deliver some truth. If we would all just take moments out of our day to stop and enjoy something for its purpose we would gain perspective on life and be refreshed. 

The lesson learned from my first day is to be fearless and inhibited. Just being in one spot of London, I was surrounded by so much culture and history. There were untold stories just waiting to be spoken. And because of my willingness to talk to locals, I was lead to the coolest coffee and antique shop, which made for a lovely day.

So, go stop and smell the roses. I promise you won't regret it.

xoxo,
Claire Marie

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