London, a small town girl, and the experience of a lifetime
- Brittany Johnson
- Jul 10, 2017
- 3 min read
I grew up in a small town in southern Missouri, the kind of small town where everyone knew everybody, the kind of small town with one stoplight, the kind of town no one has ever heard of unless they are from the area. I used to read Jane Austen novels, and watch period English classics; who doesn't love to watch Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy?! I read, and I watched, and I dreamed of a world bigger than small town Missouri. I hoped someday I would be a big city girl who traveled the world. I'm almost 30 years old, and I've lived in Wyoming, Colorado, and now Chicago, a dream come true for this small town girl. This past June, I was finally able to get a stamp in my passport, in the country of Jane Austen.
In this brave new world of internet friendships, I was able to meet an Australian woman named Irene. We bonded over the challenges of motherhood, and the meaning of life, foraging a friendship despite being so far apart. In addition to being hilarious, insightful, and just overall awesome, Irene is a talented fashion designer for children. She sent me over a few of her dresses for a themed shoot after I shared my work with her, and the rest is history! We started to work on a few joint projects together, and I have been so lucky to have my work featured on her Instagram; and my girls have loved wearing her gorgeous dresses.When Irene invited me to tag along with her on her business trip to London, I jumped up and down and screamed before calmly accepting her generous invitation.
London, how do I describe London? So many beautiful buildings, so much history, so much evevrything to this small town girl who only dreamed of what it might be like to visit England. I was slightly disappointed English people seem to dress quite modernly...no top hats or tweed suits in sight! The English food is plain,but good...and apparently, the English do not believe in air conditioning which is a shame since I arrived on the hottest June day in over 40 years. Overall, the English people seemed to have gotten over the American Revolution, and I had a great time despite the no tweed thing.
My experiences with Irene were absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to post the project we worked on together, cathedrals and dresses, swoon! The architecture in London was breathtaking, the buildings were so old, the thrill it gives you to walk amid so much history is incredible! I was able to get the inside scoop on how and where designer dresses are made; I wouldn't ruin your illusions too much, but it involves a warehouse. I was able to sit in on meetings I had the best time exploring London, and the surrounding areas as I made my way through mushy peas, and high teas with clotted cream.
The Tower of London was surprisingly beautiful, although I can't quite describe what it was like to walk in a place where Anne Boleyn had been executed. It was a strange, exhilarating feeling to see all the historical places I have read about my entire life. I kept wondering how Jane Austen would have viewed modern London, or what Bridget Jones would have done for fun...okay, so Bridget Jones is a fictional character and in no way a historical figure, but she's still pretty awesome! What else can I say? London was a dream come true for this small town girl, and now that I have my passport; watch out world, here I come!
View from the Tower of London
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