Outnumbered & Abroad; South Bank Book Market (Part 8)

South Bank Book Market (Wednesday, September 27, 2018) - Following the boardwalk that we had actually walked home on from the Globe Theater the night before, we went to the “bookstore” checkpoint of South Hampton for our Photo Challenge card. I had had big plans for the bookstore challenge, hoping against hope that I was going to get the most perfect copy of Pride & Prejudice.

Randi intent on finding copies of her favorite books!

Randi & Warren Clayton looking through books.

Clue #3 - Photo Challenge
With a favorite book from the South Bank Book Market.
We couldn't get Randi to stop shopping for a photo so we thought it was too relatable to not just go with this picture!

One look at the “bookstore” and I realized that that was NOT going to happen. It was literally a used garage sell of books, set up under the bridge like a hobo camp. I get that this second-hand book “market” (note, not “store”) has been operating for more than 40 years, but it just wasn’t the academia landscape that I had picture in my head.

I was very tired (and would realize later that I was still suffering immensely from jet lag, compounded with my mold allergy to our place of lodging). I was done.

Randi, Warren Clayton’s sister, has a famous cowboy poetry page so I found it funny that we found him in the poetry section.

Walking further along the pier, I could just feel myself checking out. Everything Randi would ask me to dig my camera out and take a picture of her, I felt my inner self starting to pout, closing off even more. I was jealous that no one else seemed to be tired, that everyone else had the enthusiasm that I feel coins my personality that I was desperately grasping to find inside of myself.

We headed home and I cannot explain the state of exhaustion that I was feeling. I was so tired that I legitimately almost got hit by a car… and didn’t even care. The driver blasted their horn at me as they swerved to miss me in the intersection. No one from the group seemed to care, which in hindsight, I find a bit appalling as one of the group was struggling and they maybe should have taken better care to help get me home. I will say Nicole snapped at me to say, “Jesus Katie, pay some attention!” Which is her sisterly way of saying, “you just scared me.”

Stumbled upon the filming for a movie or tv show... well they were on lunch break so we couldn't find out what for but at least we've got evidence if we ever do figure out this clue.

Not only that, but as soon as I had sat down on the train, I was fast asleep. There was nothing I could have done to keep myself awake. Not just that, but the train rocked heavily against the rails as it made a turn, throwing me back and slamming my head HARD against the window. Every one in the group laughed at me which I keep telling myself is fine because I was obviously okay besides a bruise and there was nothing more they could do for me. But it hurt my feelings and I felt even more alone. I pushed those thoughts aside as a wave of homesickness rushed over me.

It wasn’t until I had woken up from a three hour deep nap that I realized that it was time change and jet lag that was messing with me. For the most part, it hadn’t affected anyone else, but a quick Google search showed that that was exactly what I was currently going through.

I felt completely rejuvenated and like my old self after the nap, even taking the quiet time of everyone else sleeping to take some time to journal by myself and get my thoughts and feelings back in order - my first respite from the rest of the group besides napping.

Freshening up and DEFINITELY grabbing enough layers, we headed out to meet Dave & Lauren for dinner. Dave currently works for a company opening restaurants so I hoped, with all my heart, that the food would FINALLY be edible.

I’m not sure why I was so concerned. Not only was the food fantastic, but the overall experience was even better! They had taken us to a place called “Dinerama.” A cool, hip setting, it was outdoors but the heavily forged forest both in barrels outside and overhead heating racks in the covered area made us completely fine in just a t-shirt.

I got a strawberry (alcoholic) slushy and chicken dumplings to start the night off, followed later by some nuggets and then more dumplings. The area was set up like a food truck, with family style banquet tables running the length of the covered food court. Individually owned small businesses were arranged like a small, gourmet, culinary community, where each served 5-8 small plates or tapas. I had been bummed that the taco shop and donut shop were not open while we were there, but, as Warren Clayton put it, it was probably for the best so that we could eat other food - what a wonderful out look!

I loved catching up with Lauren and hate myself slightly for the disconnect I feel with her. I felt like we were pretty close pre my time at Miss Rodeo America, but, afterwards, I shut her out. I know it, because she is the only person that I felt like I disappointed. I have never been able to overcome that thought and it has practically been two years! As always, though, I was very excited to share “the one rodeo queen” who made me think that I could actually be one with my friend Randi.

Once home, I started the long process at the request of the Johnson’s family back home to start uploading our photos to the inter web so that people can see what we had been up too.