Whole Foods Market is a popular place in Kensington, being one of just seven across London, it tends to get a lot of traffic. If Hyvee was entirely organic and cost twice as much, you'd basically have a Whole Foods.
My local store, a five-minute walk from my dorm, offers everything from buzz-worthy organic foods and meals, to complimentary sparkling water and mid-shopping massages. The three-story superstore brings a lot to the table, however, although what it sells is a lot of what it's known for, I believe it's more focused on the experience it offers than anything else. It offers an unparalleled shopping experience and this past Tuesday, I had the best experience I've had yet, as I ran into Camila Cabello there! (pictured below on the right)
Frankly, London is full of famous people and this probably won't be the last time I run into someone like Camila. However, whether or not I recognize these people is my issue. I wasn't even the one who recognized Camila, someone else had to point out the girlfriend of famous Shawn Mendez, and put the two together for me.
The other cool thing I saw this week was the University of Oxford, a prestigious school about an hour northwest of London. The second oldest university in the world and educator of 28 Nobel Prize winners, was quite the spectacle. I felt as if I traveled back in time to the mid-evil ages or somehow entered J.K. Rowling's world of Harry Potter walking around these castle-like structures.
Oxford is a small old town, that the university is spread throughout, similar to the University of Iowa's layout. Nothing was really planned on this quick trip, my friend and I decided to go the day before, so we mostly just wandered around their cobblestone paths and attempted to see what the university had to offer.
I was worried that the school might try and convince me to transfer and bring my academic talents across the pond, but fortunately, I was never approached! So unless Cambridge tries to recruit me, it looks like I'll be keeping my talents at Iowa State for now!
They say a 6-pack starts in the kitchen, and with spring break less than a week away, I've been trying really hard to get in shape for all of those Spanish women. So accordingly, my Thursday dinner diet typically consists of Shake Shack and a cinnamon social from the cafe, Ole & Steen! With my small group at the cafe every Thursday night, and Shake Shack just across the street, the two are hard to resist! I'm unsure exactly how many calories I consume on Thursdays, but in all fairness, this past week I got a Chick'n Shack instead of a ShackBurger, so that probably saved a few calories.
If I haven't mentioned it yet, I live in one of the fanciest areas of not just London, but of the world. Apparently, most of the flat's around me are typically only occupied in the summer too, and are empty now. I'd show pictures of the flats, as they're all mostly over a million pounds, but they aren't telling of it as the cost is more attributable to the location. However, what does tell of the money around me is the cars, as a lot are worth more than homes and are literally just parked on the streets. In Iowa, you would never see these parked overnight like this, but in Iowa, we have land, something they don't have much of here. I've also been told that when the rest of the flat residents come over, they also fly in their cars, so the streets get even more full of these supercars. So if you're curious what the car scene looks like around my block, here's a little taste.
That's all for this week, but be on the lookout for another post in the next few days. I'll be going over what this coming spring break will look like traveling through Spain and Portugal, and I'm quite excited!
¡Hasta luego, amigos!