London auf Deutsch

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

Samuel Johnson

It is still a surprise to me how London manages to teach me something new each time I visit the city. I do not even want to talk about visiting London; instead we seem to have reached a status where we live in symbiosis with each other. There are always new places to visit, interesting people to meet and a heightened sense of belonging to a city that is always willing to receive the visitor with a smile on its face and making them feel at home.

My last trip to London was not an exception from that point of view. I managed to see and feel things I had never experienced before -spring in London among others; I had never felt so comfortable in a foreign city.

Narrating the story of these last days in London is something that cannot be done without talking about the unavoidable paths where our fate leads us. Some years ago, I could never have imagined I would have flown to London for the fifth time in two years. And some days ago, I would never had said I would end up speaking in german in the very heart of London.

Meeting Maika definitely was an enriching experience. On Friday I left that house in the far northeast of London with the impression of having met someone with an engaging personality. Never would I have been able to predict we would be meeting on Sunday again. Talking in german with her in the streets of the most British city of all made me feel more at home than ever. Within just a few hours' time she inadvertently helped me break some of the myths I held for true; she made my self-esteem soar to levels where happiness seemed more reachable (see my post on self-esteem and happiness); and, most importantly, she gifted me with a bright, unforgettable smile in our last farewell.

Really, I would be a fool if I ever got tired of London. It is like a good film, which you can watch several times and from which you experience and learn new things each time, never getting bored. I look forward to travel back to London soon.

• My London photos on flickr