Dear London

My whole life you were always my dream,
That special, magical place like no other.
And when I was finally able to call you home, I wanted to cry out of joy.

I was so happy until I had to leave you and return to Europe indefinitely.
I didn't want to leave you.
I was devastated and heartbroken.
The night before my departure, I was standing on Blackfriars Bridge,
Taking in the sounds of the streets and the chatter of the people,
Admiring your beauty, which never failed to amaze me.
I begged you not to forget about me, this small insignificant person in a swarm of millions of others.
I begged you to always keep me in your DNA, like a small particle in the blood of your arteries,
That run through the city and keep it alive.
To perpetuate my name in your history.
And to remember me, should I come back one day.

And while I said goodbye to you with a heavy heart,
I thanked you for everything, as I owe you so much.
I wouldn't be who I am today without you, and all the wonderful moments you have given me,
The most amazing people you have sent my way
The laughter, the joy, the friendships… and the hard lessons you taught me.
The moments when you ruthlessly ate me up and spat me out,
Shattering my ego,
Making me take a hard look at myself to remember who I really am.
Because this is how you are, London -
Nurturing like a mother, strict like a father, protective like a brother and fierce like a sister.

You lovingly hold a mirror to my face and demand me to pluck up my courage and take a look.

That night on Blackfrias Bridge
I remembered a quote that said that if a city attracts you, it's because your story there has already been written.
And then I knew.
You were not just an episode in my life, a chapter that had now come to an end. 

You’re a love story. 

The next morning I got up early and walked one last time through your empty streets, accompanied by the seagulls shrieking in the sky.
The sun was rising and the sunlight reflecting off the buildings when I heard you say:
It will be OK. You will find yourself. You will not be forgotten, nothing will ever be forgotten.
You have left your footprint. And I will always be here waiting for you.
And when you come back, just like the sunlight you see now, you will find your own reflection in everything around you.
Because you and I, we are one.