goodbye london.....foreeeverrrrrr

Remember that Friends episode where Phoebe and Rachel were convinced that the friend group was splitting up? And everyone was trying to get Joey on their side? The line where Phoebe is leaving the coffee shop and says "goodbye Ross....Forrreeeeverrrrrr" is probably one of my favourite Friends lines ever. I am not sure if this makes me sad or not, but it is part of everyday conversational use between Rhys and I.

And it was the theme of this weekend. Everything I did with the baby mama's was the last time I would do it....forreeeverrrrr. Last Indian with the girls. last drink in town. Last time out....foreeverrrr.

It is not really, we have booked a round trip ticket and are coming back in September. We will have a get together then and I will do all the same Watford/London things in a few months time. But this past weekend was the last time I will be up before I leave. And it was bittersweet.

Great to have a night out, sans baby, with some of my dearest friends. Great to have some shopping time Saturday, again sans baby. But it was sad to come back to London. Driving in it felt like home. When I first moved there, I can safely say that 'home' was the last thing London felt like. But on Friday I drove right past my old flat and my heart sunk a little. It was our home as a married couple, the house we brought Ele home to. It was the place where some of my fondest memories were made. It is true what they say about looking at the past with rose coloured glasses. This weekend none of the negative aspects of life in London were thought about. Nothing about the fact that 380 sq feet is not enough space for a family. Nothing about the incredible cost of living that London comes with, nothing about the fact that if we still lived there I would have to work full time for the rest of my life to even make ends meet. Nothing about the traffic, congestion, crime or over crowded schools. nope. none of that. Just the glorious-ness that was all the good times of our 4 years there. Those were the only things focused upon. And I felt like I was home.

I had a good cry but soon got over myself and really enjoyed the weekend. I saw some of the babies on Friday, who can no longer be classed as babies but toddlers. Strange to think that we all met in 2009 without babies and now, here we are in 2011 with children that are pushing their second birthdays! Crazy. While the moms were feeding, I ran over to my friend Sam's house. Sam is crazy, but wonderful. She was my first female friend in Watford back in 2007. Without her my London experience would have been vastly different. And yes, she too got the 'this is the last time i will see you foreevverrrr' speech as well.

After goodbyes were said and babies were asleep, we whipped out the wine and dressed for the night. As I rarely have a chance to wear heels, these shoes made their appearance for my girly night out.

6 inches, but surprisingly easy to walk in. I love these shoes.

We had a great curry and a nice after dinner drink. The last time forreeeverrrrr. I love these girls. They mean the world to me. My time in London was amazing and some of that is due to this group of 6 girls. I didnt get a picture of all of us, but here are some shots from the night.

Saturday morning after some high street shopping, I headed out to the M25 for the 3 hour drive back to Wales. Tears were streaming down my face as I made my way out of London. It was an amazing 4 years. And as crazy as it sounds to most people who live in Watford, I love the town. It will always hold a dear place in my heart as my first home as a wife and as a mother. As I left, I felt like I was leaving a bit of myself behind. Good thing the memories will last foreverrrrr.