Progress

Well, it's been a while and there has been much positive progress.  I honestly believe the Lord's timing is perfect and has a beautiful, immaculately timed rhythm. I can see these divine orchestrations as they come in healing waves just when things seem impossible, overwhelming, bleak.

I had to rebook my room at the hostel once again. When this happens, I have little control over where it is that I may be staying.  Up to this point, I'd been fortunate to be able to stay in the same room for 10 consecutive days.  The room held 12 people, but for the most part all of them were relatively normal.  For the most part...
I ended up having to move rooms, not once but twice, due to the hostel being booked solid.  So the plan was to get up, pack my suitcases, check out of room one and check into room two, stay the night, repack, and move rooms again.  Please remember that there are NO elevators in this God forsaken hostel and I should also mention that there are two separate staircases that go to two different sides of the hostel and do not connect whatsoever, so if I was moved into the other side of the hostel, I may have died.  Needless to say I became best friends with the front desk staff as soon as I found this out; they think I'm funny or maybe they're humoring me because they think I'm crazy.  This might have something to do with the fact that I tried to check out a day early, I honestly didn't know what day it was.  I drug my carcass up to the desk looking like I had just gone through a car wash (furious early morning packing will do this to...well..me) only to find out that my check out wasn't until the next day. Yeah, oops!

I was dreading hauling my suitcases down one flight of stairs and up another and then down again the next day and back up.  I'm seriously sweating just thinking about the trip.  I should also mention the fact that I have looked like a homeless person for the last month, because no matter how many times I blow-dry, straighten, straighten, blow-dry my hair, by the time I get down the blessed stairs, my hair has staged a coup with the help of any moisture present and I look like I've run through a sprinkler.
Moving on.
Needless to say the Lord provided and I was able to keep from having to move twice and only up another flight of stairs on the same side of the building.  Cue chorus (movin' on up, to the top, to a delux apartment in the sky-hi-hi).
I moved into a eight bed room penthouse, okay, not really, but it is on the top floor.  I will say that it seems the higher up in the hostel I am, the further from the crazies I get, I think it's cause the air is thinner? Mouth breathers prefer the thick, dank air of the basement? I'm still trying to work this out, maybe it's because the further from the basement and into society they get the harder it is to function?  Your thoughts are welcome.
When I got into the room, it was much more open in terms of space and the people were amazing.  The first person I met was Avi. He's a doctor born in England, transplanted to India, and back to England, who happens to be looking for a flat as well.  Avi is the kindest, most generous and helpful person I've ever met.  He is selfless in the truest sense and is the one in the room that looks out for everyone.  I tease him and tell him that he's the team mom and ask if we'll have orange slices and juice boxes at half time.  He has in his own search for apartments found several places for me as well and often reminds me of things I need to do. An example of this is when I was getting things together this morning and I was thinking about what I'd forgotten to do, he said "Steph, you need to brush your teeth."  Yep, my brain seriously couldn't pull that one out.  No joke. I'm so grateful for Avi as are all the people I encountered that day were, because he reminded me to brush my teeth. :)

Then there is Samuel.  Sam is Swiss and is working at Imperial College researching polymers in an attempt to find a way to create electronics without the use of metals.  So cool! Sam is also looking for a flat. Sam is funny, kind, honest and incredibly interesting.  He has done so many things in his life and I am amazed at his desire to know more and experience new things.  He also cares for people in a similar way to Avi and I've been so grateful for theses guys!
Next there is Andy.  Andy is from Australia and is just ending his travels in London.  Andy is a construction manager in Melbourne and has some of the coolest tattoos I've ever seen.  He is incredibly well traveled and has an easy way about him.  He is also very well read, loves music and movies and is incredibly funny.  Andy is 22 and has seen so much of the world because any time he gets a break from work, he's traveling.  We celebrated Andy's birthday on the 25th and the entire night he kept saying, thank you and telling us how nice we were.  You are too Andy, that's why we're celebrating.

Finally, there is Marco.  Marco is Italian and Brazilian.  He speaks at least four languages (French, Portuguese, Italian and English) and has come to London to improve his English because he got a coupon in the mail for a week long course in London. I like your style Marco. Marco has an incredible grasp of humor and is an eager student.  He finds my English easier to understand than the British, so he is always asking questions.  One of the funniest moments with Marco has been trying to explain what tighty whities are.  Avi was pantomiming and looking up pictures, I was desperately trying to think of words like "Speedo" or "Banana Hammock" (yeah, cause that translates?), Andy was in stitches on the floor.  Needless to say it is never boring around here.

I also have to mention Nils.  Nils is German and was in my pervious room.  He is working at Fashion Week in London and wants to become a model as well as an actor.  Nils has an old soul and at the ripe old age of 21 has an incredible drive, a solid knowledge of who he is, as well as foresight and determination to create the life for himself that he desires.  He is also looking for a flat and has just enrolled in acting classes in London.

Each of these people have brought something different into my life and I can honestly say that my time in the hostel has been filled with purpose as these people have enriched my life and taught me things I never would have learned otherwise.  I was talking with my friend Julia and she pointed out that because I live in the hostel, I am able to meet people and create friendships outside of school.  And that's really the point isn't it?  In leaving one community the Lord has provided another one in which we all connected by our shared experiences.  We are able to embrace each other because there is a spoken and unspoken understanding of transition and displacement, but also of pursued dreams and desires.  It has made things so much easier knowing we're in the same boat.  It is humbling and encouraging to live amongst such inspiring and genuinely good people.
Andy and Marco will leave for there respective homes in a day or so, however, I'm confident we'll all be seeing one another in the future.  

P.S. I found a flat and have already moved in. More to come on that, but I'll say that it's a little piece of heaven and feels like a refuge.  Samuel and Nils have also found places, and Avi, I know, will find one shortly, so send some prayers his way!