I truly despise this city. Every aspect of it. The horrid smell of this place, the dank atmosphere, and each and every filthy, grimy citizen that lives in this wretched place. London...
Mr. Smee and I finally arrived an hour before this writing. It is still the wee hours of the morning, so I suppose I should get some rest to prepare for the coming day.
I feel as though I should write about our trip to this miserable city first, though. It was all quite bizarre, really. Mr. Smee struck me as a talkative man during our introductions, but he and I traveled for nearly two days on the turnpike, and nary a word was spoken by that man, despite my best efforts to make conversation. "How long have you been working for the Darlings?" I would ask, and "Where is our final destination on this voyage?" Perhaps it was the subject of these conversations he was avoiding, or maybe he had been given strict orders not to speak to me until we arrive in London.
A man in my position should be afraid of the uncertainty of this whole scenario, or saddened by the idea of being away from his family, or even ecstatic about the potential wealth to be gained from it all. While those feelings certainly exist in my mind, the most prominent thought in my head is that after worrying I may never see her again, I finally am able to return home to the sea.
I do not mean to confuse the idea of "home" with the common meaning of the word. Home is not a place a person lives. Sure, a man may own a house, he may even have a family that lives with him in that house, but this is not a man's home. The idea of "home" is different for everyone. For a sailor, such as myself, my home rests in the sea. An actress has her stage, an artist has his canvas, and a writer has his imagination. We all find our homes through different means, and it is at home where we are most comfortable.
That annoying monstrosity of a clock has warned me of the hour, so I believe it is time I turn in for the night. Tomorrow is the day that I finally return home.
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