Day Thirteen - London, England

Day Thirteen – London, England

Where do I even start? How do I begin??? This morning feels like ten years ago. We woke up at 5 A.M…my favorite time of day….and got ready to leave the ship. It was bittersweet getting off what had become home for the last 12 days. 12 days has never felt so long. I feel like time goes by so quickly at home but here it goes by so slowly…but I bet that at the end of this trip I’m going to feel like “where did the time go?”

So we left the ship at 6:15 A.M. at the port in Harwich and took a train to London. All of that took up most of the morning and so we didn’t arrive at our hostel until around lunchtime. We couldn’t check in yet so we set off to get some lunch. Drew and I decided to test out the McDonald’s over here. It is nothing like an American McDonald’s. No wonder we are all so fat in the States. Once again, their “larges” are the equivalent of our “smalls” (Drew was very disappointed) and they have a whole healthy portion of the menu. They also put the number of calories on the menu next to every item. Obviously we’re stupid over in the states too because they don’t have numbers next to their menu options haha. Thankfully they still had a Big Mac so I got a little taste of home J

After that, Drew and I wandered into a ticket office where we found out that we could still get tickets to see Wicked this week. Wicked is only my favorite musical in the entire world and I know every word to every song, I have the cd, song, songbook, and I literally am obsessed with it. I saw it once at The Fox with dad in middle school but I have DREAMED of seeing it at the Apollo Victoria Theater ever since Blake told me how amazing it was when she went and saw it there. I can’t imagine Wicked getting any better but I think adding British accents might do the trick. So Drew, Alyssa, Caleb, and Marley and I are going to see it tomorrow night! I have never been so excited!!

Drew and I had an interesting Starbucks experience and we continued to learn about the culture here. It’s really nice that things are finally in English after spending a couple days in France but we still stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone in London wears black. I’m not even kidding. And they obviously haven’t discovered orthodontics yet. And apparently they don’t use many trash cans here? It’s hard to find them. And they drive on the wrong side of the road haha.

So after that, we all got our wifi fix for a little bit since we finally have a stable amount of it since we’re on land. Then Dr. Miller cooked dinner for us in the hostel and we all helped clean up like the cute little family that we are J

Then, some people wanted to hang back and rest but Drew and Alyssa and I thought heck no…we didn’t travel across the Atlantic to rest. We can sleep when we get back! So we set off on an adventure!!! We’re determined to make the most of every single moment while we can.

First of all, it’s a miracle that this adventure didn’t end in an ER trip for me and Alyssa both because Alyssa’s back was killing her – she possibly has a pinched nerve – and I have a sprained foot that is possibly a stress fracture. But we set out in the cold rain (um it feels like December here…I didn’t pack warm enough clothes haha) to brave the elements. Literally. We had no idea how to get to where we wanted to go but we knew we were determined enough to get there.

We wanted to go to the London Eye. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is the world’s largest ferris wheel that sits on the Thames River and overlooks the entire city of London.  It’s the biggest paid tourist attraction in London and now I know why!! We made it there right at sunset (just like Mr. Cave suggested!!! Thank you!) and I literally saw the sun set on the city of London. I don’t understand how this trip keeps getting better and better. Possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

Like I briefly mentioned in my last post, I really feel like I’m finally able to appreciate these places the way they should be appreciated. I’ve been so many wonderful places in my life and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to travel but something has really clicked this trip where I have just had a desire to soak everything in like never before. I’m researching places we’re going, I’m actually reading the little histories of the buildings, and I finally feel like I’m fully appreciating everything. I am so thankful that God has allowed me this opportunity and I really don’t want to miss a thing. But I still have to remember dad’s advice that it’s going to be impossible to fit everything I want to see in so I need to just appreciate whatever I have time to see and not stress about just trying to cram everything in. Dad, I’m really glad you told me that before I left because my natural tendency is just to cram cram cram cram cram and not slow down and enjoy. But I really have soaked up every moment this trip. I’ve never appreciated things so much.

But anyways, we got to see pretty much all of London from here and I loved watching the sun set right behind the Houses of Parliament. The two things I wanted to see most in London were the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace so I’m excited I’ve already crossed one off my list!!! We got to watch this beautiful scene transition from day to night and it was simply flawless.

London has my heart already. I’ve always wanted to go to London and it just seemed like a place that didn’t actually exist that I would never go. I want to spend every moment out and about and I don’t care how tired I get or how much my foot hurts…this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don’t want to look back with any regrets. I do get homesick now and again but it helps to stay busy J And the food here is great!!!! And that never hurts :P

So anyways, after riding in the London Eye, we walked around Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. I’m pretty ticked that Kate hasn’t found me yet but I mean she has a couple days to make it up to me…. :P

After all of that exploration, Alyssa and Drew and I made our way back and I’m pretty proud of our navigation skills. We had absolutely no idea where we were going or what we were doing and sure we got lost a couple times but getting lost was actually pretty fun. I know I’m going to sound like a broken record saying this but I feel like these experiences – including setting out in a huge city with no idea how to get anywhere – is really what grows a person. I hope everyone gets a chance to travel independently like this at some point in his/her life. I feel like it’s been so good for me to kind of have to push through how hard it is to be away from home at times and just keep going. We’re almost halfway through with the trip and I have a whole newfound respect for people who study abroad for an entire semester because I miss America already!!!

Right now, Caitlin, Alyssa, and Drew and I are chilling in the underground area in our hostel where all the people our age here are hanging out and playing pool and singing karaoke and it’s really cool. This place has a nice feel to it…it’s growing on me although when we first got here I was mortified at how small and quaint the rooms were. I’m more of a Ritz Carlton girl…not a hostel person :P Haha I’m a diva, I know.

Anyways, until next time!

MC