I touch down from Marrakesh excited and depressed. My 2 months in Croatia, Italy and Morocco were splendid but over. Now i must resume back to a 'student' lifestyle and my time will be filled with avoiding lectures, drinking far too much champagne with my best friends and shopping the days away.
Returning to London undeniably excites me. I'm home and it feels good. As i arrive i categorically go through my possessions: I sit on my bed, it feels like I am lying on a pile of feathers (I have been backpacking, of course it is going to feel like feathers)
Admittedly, I more excited about my clothes and my shoes!!! My patent Dior platforms, how i have missed you! My Jean Paul Gautier chiffon-blouse has gathered dust. My Birkin sits at the bottom of my wardrobe in need of a walk. It has not had an outing Since April...We are in September! Running late I put the appreciation on hold - I have birthday drinks and have to make a quick turn around from tramp to beauty queen. I slip on my black wolfords, my black Alia skirt and a blouse i picked up in Milan. ( I wont go into detail about how good it feels to have blow-dried hair). I dash out the door to meet my brother and co for his birthday party at Firehouse - I refuse to let the twinge in my stomach get the better of me.
10 'how was your summer' conversations, one glass of champagne and half a Bellini later i succumbed to the headache, fever and tummy pains and headed home. I gave up for the night and let the Moroccan bug get the better of me.
Determined to spend as much time with my brother as possible on his birthday weekend, I head to Knightsbridge to meet him, and my mother. We start at Sloane Street where I instantly fall in love with a pair of snake-skin brown Dior boots (I secretly had my eye on them, since i spotted them in Rome). I slipped them on and i felt as though I could rule the world with these one pair of boots.
At this point we send my brother off to Prada whilst we continue to browse Dior. After a few 'perhaps and maybes' it was a definate yes. I leave the store ready for global domination, and my poor mother leaves feeling as though her credit card has taken a bashing. (I tell her that i will pay her back when me and the boots have accomplished our takeover)
We make our way to Harrods where my terrible stomach bug kicks into overdrive. It happened in HMV when my brother was choosing his birthday presents (wii games, x box games, DS games...anything macho related that could be played, he would play) when in interacts with the above, he tends to transform from a 28 year working professional to a 5 year old on speed. Finally (yet thankfully) mother decides to take me back to my brothers in Fulham where she can 'take care of me'. I find it slightly ironic that after 2 months of backpacking and sleeping on beds made from rock, my second night in England consists of sleeping on a sofa - which I do believe is also made from rock. Our Saturday night plans are cut short. They drink champagne, I drink water, and we all watch family fortunes.
Sunday i am feeling much better so we take ourselves to Harvey Nichols where I look to my left at the sunglasses department and see Jake Gyllenhal standing next to me. I contemplate a chat up line, but chose to melt instead.
We move on to Nobu for lunch where we have a fantastic 3 course meal. Life's slow on a Sunday so we go next door to the Hilton and spend the afternoon on floor 28. Having consumed 2 bottles of Veuve and 4 rounds of cocktails we all attempt to name the states in America. We surprisingly reach 40 and felt that was victory enough given our very own state. As we look out over Chelsea we notice that it's no longer light and that we are all feeling rather hungry. Supper time has obviously arrived, so we pick ourselves up and go to the Wolsley. We spend the next 3 hours, consuming more alcohol, snacking on those yummy bread sticks, eating a feast and most definitely not talking about any US states.
Perhaps the most decedent and opulent 3 days to return to, but my backpack has been put away, along with my lableless clothes. I have had my first taste of reality and if I am honest...It feels good to be back
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