First Days in London

I made it. My adventure has begun and I could not be more excited to see where it takes me. So far, as it is only day two, I have experienced jet lag, had a couple of beers, and explored a very small percent of London.

Day one, New Years Eve, consisted of landing at Heathrow International Airport and taking the Tube to my hostel. I had imagined checking in, grabbing something to eat, napping, then celebrating the end of the year dancing and laughing alongside my fellow travelers. Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan. I landed and immediately felt a level of tired I had never experienced before as well as the first unfortunate signs of a cold. As soon as I had checked in, I showered then got into bed and awoke two hours later. My body still believed that it was early morning despite what the clock read. I grabbed a quick bite and climbed back in bed; as sleep was the only cure.

The next day, today, the first day of 2017, I woke up feeling much better and more like myself. I grabbed a cafe au lait to-go from the lobby and left the hostel, camera in hand. I decided that I should integrate into the London way as quickly as possible and what better way to do that then to take the public bus. Now, public buses in London are nothing like any of the many public buses I have taken in the US. They are red and double-decker; maybe you’ve seen or heard something about them? The little British fan inside me squealed in excitement. Without planning I ended up on Oxford Street which is one of the main (and most popular) shopping areas of London. I was more interested in the scenic buildings and fun people watching, as I have plenty of time in the next six months to shop. During my exploration of the winding streets and many little parks, I somehow happened to run straight into the path of the New Year’s Day parade. Lucky me! It was a little bit funny, however, because the majority of the participants in the parade were part of groups from different parts of the US. Every single marching band I saw was from the States. It made me chuckle a bit that I end up thousands of miles from home and end up seeing a parade with a majority of Americans walking in it. I enjoyed standing among thousands of others though cheering on 2017; from all parts of the world. In London fashion, on my way back after the parade, it began to rain down hard. It was time to turn in for the afternoon. And, now, here I am enjoying a cold beer and writing the first of what I hope will be many blog posts about my adventures and excursions and everyday life while here in beautiful, foggy London, England.

Ta ta.

~Kaitlin