here comes the sun, do do do do

the last three days have been some of my favorite days in london so far, and i'm crossing my fingers that the streak will continue!

on sunday we finally had some SUN! everything changes in london when it is sunny. everyone is out and about, strolling around without coats or umbrellas or a need to be underneath awnings at all times. it was so lovely to wake up to a sliver of sunshine peeping through my window. ahhhh. monique, emily and i celebrated the warmth (it really wasn't all that warm, but it sure was nicer than usual) by going, of all places, to harrod's. indoors. but i cannot complain, for i LOVE harrod's and it never disappoints. if you don't know what it is, it's basically this massive department store that has a food hall and something like 30 restaurants and a champagne bar and all the clothes/shoes/bags/makeup/anything you could ever dream of. after some minor purchases and lots of looking around, we went out for chinese food in the south kensington area and then headed home to watch one tree hill and settle down for the night.

[wish i lived here...everything i could ever need]

[me really excited about purses]

i woke up on monday morning more excited than i am on christmas, because in just a few short hours my parents would be in the city! i quickly got ready, wrapped my mom's birthday gift, and made the trip over to the park lane hotel near buckingham palace. i suppose i was a bit too anxious to see them because i got there 2 hours early. oops. i grabbed a snack and some tea from a cafe my family went to 5 years ago when we stayed at the park lane and brought it to green park. holy beautiful. it was so GREEN! and sunny! i sat in the park and drank my tea and people watched for the next hour and a half. all around me people were enjoying the sunshine, laying in the grass, enjoying every last second of their hour lunch break.

i walked over to the hotel to meet my parents and ah, it was SO good to be with them again. i only saw them a few weeks ago in minneapolis but after a couple rough weeks it was good to be back in their presence. we hung out for a while until i had to go to class, but then met for a delicious french dinner near the park afterwards. i met them again for breakfast and dinner yesterday and said goodbye, for they are off to italy to celebrate their 25th anniversary! i will see them again in london in 10 days, and i can't wait to stay with them in their pretty hotel and eat yummy food and actually get to show them my life here for a weekend.

successful sunday-tuesday, and this week is about to get even crazier.