Virtual Coffee Talk, 0.2

yes, I use my belts to pull back my drapes. For once, this morning has been sunny, bright, and drizzle-free. I thought it'd be an excellent occasion for some tea with you guys. Go and make yourself a cup - I'll wait!
Now. If we were having tea in real life, I'd let you in on the secret that the only reason I'm using "0.#" format for these posts and not something actually normal and logical like "2.0" is because I messed up on Photoshop for the first one and was too lazy to change it. One's gotta roll with the punches.
I'd tell you all about traveling through Europe last week with my family. I'd tell you about the magic of the first moment I caught sight of London. Pitch black outside, with only several blinking airplane lights, we took a sudden swoop down from above the thick fog and opaque clouds - I had Bruno Mars's "Lighters" on as background music ("here's to you and me, living out our dreams"), and I had my first peek of London, of England, of the UK, of Europe. I'll be honest - I had tears in my eyes and goosebumps all up and down my arms. Then, as if it could get any more cliche - Zach Sobiech's "Clouds" started playing. It is a song that tugs at my heartstrings and makes me realize the fragility and pricelessness of life. The song ended literally right as we landed on the runway. And the only thing that I could even begin to comprehend was - all my life, my dream was to visit Europe, to see these places that I've only imagined in my head. I've waited so long for this, and now ... here I am. Here I am. What do I do now? It was a surreal a moment as I've ever experienced.
I'd go on and on about how my heart fell for London, how I was completely enchanted by Italy and its raw beauty, and how I was stunned by the glamour of Paris. I'd tell you about how I watched the sunrise from a train en route from Paris to London, and how it was like any cheesy movie montage out there and how "I See The Light" from the Tangled soundtrack started playing, and how I was then and there utterly convinced that my iPhone (or at least Siri) is a life soundtrack genius.
I'd take a few sips of tea because my throat's so dry from chattering on and on, and then continue to tell you about how fantastic it was to spend a literal 24/7 with my family, about how funny and generous they are, and about how during that week, there was absolutely nothing in the entire world that could make me feel more fulfilled and ecstatic. I'd tell you about how it was like being on a high-speed train for a week, and then all of a sudden, I jumped off, and now I'm just wandering the countryside slowly all by my lonesome. It's no less magical, but life has slowed down. Class doesn't start until next week, the Oxford students have not returned from holiday yet, so it's a lot of trying to get used to the area and pretending like I'm Harry Potter. 
I'd stop there because I have talked way too much about myself and would want to hear what you've been up to, but not before casually throwing out there that my best friend and I booked afternoon tea at Kate Middleton's crib tomorrow. I'll have to tell you all about that soon, along with the rest of my Europe pictures. ----

Okay, you're up. What've you been up to?