In the spring when I accepted my new job in Cairo, I had a special request for the director. Would I be able to take a couple of days off in September to take my daughter to university? My new boss, himself a parent of college kids, said of course.
Because of Andreas’s work schedule, I’m usually the one to see our kids off on this big step toward independence. Alekka is our last child, and the first to attend university in another country. I wasn’t going to miss this. (Good thing the director said yes, as I’m not quite sure what I would have done if he hadn’t.)
It was a very busy two days in London.
We stayed at our favorite budget hotel in Bloomsbury.
We walked to the storage unit where we’d stashed some things we bought over the summer, closed out the account, and took her new stuff back to the hotel.
We shopped for kitchen gadgets and essential knick knacks at Pylones in Covent Garden
Covent Garden Market was full of balloons for a special art installation.
We visited Alekka’s boyfriend at his work (he’s a bar man in a pub!)
We enjoyed some tasty meals
There is a great little cafe in the basement of the hotel
We visited her student accommodation. Alekka couldn’t move in until the day after I left but they let us in to her apartment for a quick look.
We practiced walking to school from home, just like when she was little. Aww.
We visited the campus. We had seen it a year ago as part of our tour of UK campuses, but a school looks different after you’ve decided on it.
While we were there we noticed a student talking to a crowd of well-dressed middle aged folks. Someone forgot to tell me it was parent tour day.
“Whoops, sorry, Mom. I guess I forgot to tell you about that email.”
Lorna of Arabia 