What were you grateful for this week?
Cold England Air. 

What was the most challenging part of this week?
Getting through the hot summer days. 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. 
I try to help set up the table before dinner, or help clean up the dinner table after dinner.

Tell us about your week!
I landed in London this weekend, where I was welcomed with ice cold winds the second I stepped off the plane. I bought a snack, paid for my bus ticket, and made it to my hostel. J, a friend from college as well as a fellow Rome Abroad Traveler, was waiting for me there and I was incredibly excited to see a familiar face. I got to the hostel, put my stuff away, and then J and I headed toward the underground to explore. 

 

Our first stop: Nando’s. Our 2012 One Direction phase definitely popped out this weekend as the only motivation behind the trip to Nando’s was Niall Horan. From there we went to explore the store Primark where I had major self control because I managed to not buy anything I did not need. We returned to the hostel and destressed after our long day with some gelato and margaritas.

We woke up early the next morning without an official plan / itinerary for the day. We got our day pass for the tube and the first stop so happened to be near Buckingham Palace. We decided to get our super touristy pictures in front of the palace out of the way so we hopped off the train and made our way. We followed a dirt path that was not so populated and it led us straight toward the palace. The Royal Standard was being flown and that meant the queen was home! When we arrived at the palace the area was saturated. Thousands of people filled the sides of Buckingham Palace as the police was not allowing people enter the front area. I was confused as to why so many people were here and why everything was closed off. J and I made it towards the front of the barricaded area when I googled Buckingham Palace only to find out that it was the Queen’s birthday parade. I also found out it was the Trooping the Colour, I had no clue what that meant but nonetheless we stayed. Horses, troops, and the band paraded around us and it was quite a sight! Eventually the Queen arrived in her carriage leading the soldiers to the Palace. The rest of the Royal Family arrived following the soldiers and we were able to spot Kate and Meghan. A 41-gun salute was eventually fired and then the members of the Royal Family appeared on the balcony!

Following the parade, which took up all of our evening, we made our way to the London Eye. Unfortunately Big Ben was under construction so I wasn’t able to see him at his best. Again we headed toward the underground tube and made our way to Chipotle for lunch. It sounds insane getting American food while abroad but this Chipotle was the best Chipotle I have ever had in my life. In general the food abroad tastes healthier and fresh compared to any food I have ever had in the United States. 

 

After lunch we headed towards Kings Cross so I could get my picture crossing Harry Potter’s Platform 9 3/4 ! We then headed back to the hostel where we rested for a bit before going back out to explore London’s night life through bus. We struggled to get around but eventually we made it to the Tower Bridge where we were able to see the bridge light up the dark London sky. Exhausted, we took the tube back to our hostel and called it a night.

This weekend in London was something truly beautiful. From the moment I stepped off my bus I felt a sense of comfort. I felt safe and welcomed. This feeling could probably be a side effect of being in a place where everyone speaks your language. It could also have been due to how easy London makes it to get around. I could also be due to the resemblance London had to the United States. London brought me good and happy memories, I felt safe and I felt welcomed. Maybe one day destiny will bring London and I together again, until then I hold on to the memories of the beautiful weekend gifted to me.