Daydreamer Diaries: Aug 2022

Musings

I spent half the month of August in the U.K., so this post is going to be a mini love letter to my favorite British tings. In addition to London, I also spent time on the east coast of England (a first for me) in villages like Wye and Whitstable. Kent was actually named one of Lonely Planet’s Top Regions for 2022. You can read that list here. If I were to write a more detailed travel post in the future, is there anything specific you’d like to know?

I feel like the U.K. is such an accessible place to visit for Americans–we speak the language, the flight isn’t that far from NYC, etc. But the culture is quite different–from very old buildings to T.V. programs to pub life to football and royals. And London is such an incredible city worth putting on your list. There’s even that famous quote from Samuel Johnson that reads: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” Having been to London on three separate occasions at this point, I have to agree. It’s a special place to me for a lot of reasons. But every time I go (and twice I’ve felt very shit beforehand), I feel a renewed sense of excitement for life.

Plays and Musicals

I love seeing live performances, and London is one of the best places in the world to do so. I would put it above NYC because all the shows I’ve seen in London have been super affordable, but to be fair to NYC I think I’ve only seen one show there. On this trip I saw two plays (2:22 A Ghost Story and Mad House) and two musicals (Grease and Cabaret). If I had to rank them I’d say Cabaret was the best followed by Mad House, 2:22 A Ghost Story, and Grease. I still loved Grease but I thought the acting and overall vibe of the other shows was a bit more impressive. It was wild though because we found out during intermission that Olivia Newton John had passed away. Crazy timing and so sad.

Cabaret might be one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. They just extended its run, so if you get a chance to go to London I would definitely put it on your list. I went with my cousin and it was super fun as a girls day, but I also think it would be amazing to see with a significant other. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s a full on immersive experience from the second you walk in the door. 12/10 recommend.

I went to 2:22 A Ghost Story because Tom Felton was starring in it, and being a massive Harry Potter fan I HAD to see him perform in real life. It was incredible and something totally different because I’ve never been to a thriller before. Loved it!

I ended up seeing Mad House on a last minute whim, but I’m so glad I did. It stars David Harbour (from Stranger Things) and Bill Pullman (who I know as the dad from Casper lol). Hands down the best acting I’ve ever seen… I left feeling kind of emo to have witnessed that kind of art and vulnerability. Plus the story was intense about family dysfunction and death and mental illness. There was a lot of dark humor, so I definitely laughed a lot too. I’m so happy I decided to go, and that’s the magic of theatre in London. There’s always something amazing on and deals to be had.

T.V.

I’ve always been a fan of British T.V. For example, “Skins” was a major part of my adolescence, and then up to present times, I think “Fleabag” is one of the best shows EVER made. Not to mention “Peaky Blinders” OMG drool. While we were in the U.K. we spent a handful of evenings unwinding in front of the telly, and I loved every relaxing yet entertaining minute. My favorite shows were Gogglebox and Naked Attraction.

Naked Attraction is a dating show where the main person chooses their date based on the naked body of the contestants. They start by revealing up to the stomach and discuss in crazy detail what they’re seeing. Then they reveal up to the neck and discuss the peoples’ chests. And finally they reveal the face and get to hear the contestants speak. It’s wild to watch, and I feel like it would never been shown on American T.V. (maybe HBO but not just a normal channel). Super fascinating once you get used to the nudity.

My other favorite was Gogglebox and this was more feel-good and comedic. You basically watch people while they’re watching T.V. It sounds boring but Brits are so funny that it’s not boring at all. It was the perfect way to unwind after busy travel days.

Podcasts

While we’re on the subject of British things I love: Harry Styles. He’s a recent obsession, but after seeing him perform at Coachella, I’m now a big fan. There’s a great podcast called “Every Single Album,” and their most recent series is on One Direction. I just listened to the three episodes about Harry’s solo albums, which I highly recommend. It’s so interesting to hear people talk about music and break it down the way they do.

Words

“I cry a lot because I miss people. I cry a lot because they die, and I can’t stop them. They leave me, and I love them more. I’m finding out as I’m aging that I’m in love with the world. It has taken me all my life up til now to fall in love with the world, but I’ve started to feel it in the last couple of years. To fall in love with the world isn’t to ignore or overlook suffering, both human and otherwise. For me, anyway, to fall in love with the world is to look up at the night sky and feel your mind swim before the beauty and the distance of the stars. It is to hold your children while they cry. To watch as the sycamore trees leaf out in June. When my breastbone starts to hurt and my throat tightens and tears well in my eyes, I want to look away from feeling. I want to deflect with irony or anything else that will keep me from feeling directly. We all know how loving ends, but I want to fall in love with the world anyway. To let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.”

–Maurice Sendack