January 26, 2025
.. it's been almost twelve weeks since I got back from my European adventure. 25 days... 4 countries... 1 woman ready to take on the world. As much fun as it would have been to pack a backpack and shoot from the hip, I decided to pack a full suitcase (25 requires a lot of clothing coordination) and preplanned each stop. I prebooked airbnbs and made an itinerary for each city. This trip wasn't just about adventure for me. It was about so much more. After a really difficult start to 2024, I needed to push myself. Gain some perspective, maybe? I saw this trip as a personal challenge. In what way, I wasn't totally sure... until much later.
You'll have to wait until the end of the trip to find out what I learned.
October 17, 2024
I've made it to London. I'm actually here. It's an incredibly surreal feeling and all I can think of is "Is this really happening? Did I actually just fly half-way across the world, by myself, to spend the next 25 days adventuring?
PINCH ME!
I think I underestimated how much walking people do in London... other than the Uber I took from the airport to my Airbnb, I've walked everywhere. Things are relatively close together, making it a bit easier to walk from museums to historic landmarks to coffee shops. Still, I easily walked over 8 miles today (and boy do I feel it).
Today's events consisted of a tour of the Natural History Museum, a walk through Hyde Park, a quick stop at Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and to finish off the miles of walking, a visit to the National Gallery.
I found a delicious little spot for lunch... a cute little hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Westminster Arms. I ordered their leek and potato soup with a scotch egg. It was simple yet delicious! A good refuel to continue my day through the city. I decided to walk back to my Airbnb after the National Gallery. It was quite the walk (seeing as the National Gallery was the furthest point from my Airbnb) but I figured this was my only full day in London and tomorrow consisted of a flight to Dublin followed by a car rise to Northern Ireland. The weather is beautiful - warmer than I was expecting. It was a nice surprise. I know it's Fall at home and the cold weather will be there when I get home, so I'll enjoy the sunshine and warmth while I can.
My afternoon treat was another latte and a chocolate chip cookie. It's been an interesting change - the desserts are less sweet than in America, but the coffee is far better. I'm not normally one for a plain latte but here, I'd happily take it.
The other thing I'll happily take? Say it with me... ARCHITECTURE. Oh my goodness, the architecture here is stunning. I'm drawn to the history of it all. Each building is unique. I'm happy to walk the streets and gaze upon the buildings as I walk through.
I'm off to Dublin tomorrow! Cheers!
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