Scents

On Friday, I walked to the library with Lauren (one of my old students), and this blast of October air hit us on the way out the door.

It was that cool, enveloping air that smells of dying leaves and pumpkins and maturing. I stood there for a second,  just taking in how poetic it all felt, when Lauren gasped.

"Miss Jessica! You know what?"

"What?"

"I just realised, it smells just like YOU out here!"

So, apparently, I smell like autumn.

It is funny how smell can trigger moments and memories. London has a very specific scent-- it's this complex mixture of smoke, rain on stone, and something faintly sweet, like lilacs. I don't know how they could possibly bottle it, but if they could, I'd bring it with me to Australia and spray it everywhere so it smelled like home.

I've been trying to squeeze a few of my favourite things in, since I know we'll be leaving soon. 

We spent the other day in South Kensington at the Farmer's Market (while sporting this rather patriotic jumper my MIL sent me + a skirt I made all by myself!)

I bought myself an outrageously overpriced pumpkin... and Jon, a chocolate brownie.

Later, we went up to Barraco, our favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurant, to throw ourselves a goodbye party. So many people came! It was wonderful...

My brother, Kevin, also got his mission call letter to serve as a missionary for our church. He'll be going to the San Salvador, El Salvador mission just before Christmas! I'm so darn excited for him. I've no doubt he'll do amazingly well.

Also, we've also been fighting with the home office about my new visa. Although Jon's has arrived, my biometric residency card (which has my visa on it) has been stuck in limbo. I'm not sure what we'll do if it doesn't go through... prayers would be much appreciated in that regard.

Today though, I've noticed that I've been less stressed about the visa situation. I've decided to attribute it to the fact that my flat smells like chicken soup and vanilla candles. Those two things together make everything smell homey and delicious and like everything is going to work out.