Saint Paul's

Saint Paul's Cathedral of London: the site, for over 1400 years, of Christian worship. And now, one less to-do on my London touristing list. While I've never been terribly enamoured by the city, when living so close to the capitol, it seems almost criminal to not properly explore. So this weekend, having been drawn into the city to bid farewell to one of my closest friends, it seemed a fine occasion to say hello to a few others. And what better way than by getting out and enjoying the city together?

Exploring a rainy London, en route from afternoon tea to evensong at Saint Paul's

At Emily's suggestion, we cashed in on the admission-free way to explore the first cathedral built for the Anglican Church—attending evensong. Evensong is an evening choral religious service of which the Brits (more specifically, the Anglican Church) are particularly fond. We walked in anticipating the ornate walls echoing the hauntingly beautiful voices of choir boys for perhaps a half hour or so. What we hadn't bargained on was a proper service, complete with a series of readings and even an entrance and exit processional. And as for the choir, they hailed all the way from Philadelphia.

So I found myself five time zones and a continent away from the homes where I'd grown up, only to be seated a few hundred feet away from performers who'd lived around the corner from me. It seemed like a raw deal, if you ask me. Luckily, the backdrop did a fair bit to compensate for it.

A sneak peek inside Saint Paul's, where photography during evensong is strictly prohibited

And the company wasn't half bad either. For a couple of hours before venturing into a Christian service, I enjoyed the company of friends from MIT/Paris, Denmark, and a childhood penpal's twin sister, a random assortment who've all since landed in London.

Outside Saint Paul's, in good company

They reminded me of the wide net of friends that I've been able to cast through a life constantly on the move, a welcome thought at a time when such a lifestyle's been leaving me feeling particularly lonely. It seems that making friends in each new place you land gets progressively trickier with age. And that coming from someone who's only just hit 30. Hopefully Brighton will offer up a few more friendships in the months to come. And for now, at least I know I've got some good ones waiting for me on the other end of an hour's train journey.